There is a smaller tunnel (about 10' wide) concealed behind several large rocks at the back of the cavern. The natural tunnel slopes downward for about 60 feet before leveling off and continuing southeast as far as the party can see in the dark, unlit passageway.

Rissa kept to the back, though if the tunnel went straight she could see further than any of the others within the inky blackness.  She had a hard time deciding between looking ahead, and watching their back, and tried her hand at both.

Alisandra put the “ new” daggers away. She cast light on a stone and handed it off to whomever went first. She fallowed in the second position.

Lucien lets the others pass and then follows in the rear most position.

Lathan takes the lead, venturing into the tunnel with one sword drawn and ready.

The tunnel leads southeast for about two miles before a second tunnel splits off to the south.

"Do we keep to the main tunnel, or take every side path we find?"

Rissa asked the group.

Alisandra shrugged, "We can always come and check them later."

"This tunnel is much longer than the others," Lathan observes. "I wasn't expecting it to go as far as it does.

"Let's continue in the direction we're going for now."

Rissa nodded in agreement.

When his familiar returns, Lucien reports that the other tunnel they passed leads only to a large empty cavern. "At least it would appear that there is nothing more to investigate behind us."

When the group comes to the next intersection and then decides to continue straight, he once again dispatches the owl to investigate the side tunnel for no more than five minutes before returning to report. "This is an impressively large mine. Kuiper, how long was this place active before it shut down?