Book the Second, Chapter the Fifth: After the Catastrophe

[SunlessNick]

"Are you both well enough to continue immediately?" asks William. "And perhaps Ivan should remain behind to assist those returning."

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, I can proceed," says Henry. "I am wet already, so I may as well. I can treat our colds after today's adventure is done. Ivan shall remain on dry ground and pull us out with the rope when we're ready to leave."

[jp1885]

“Aye, old Lepus says the same.”

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Undaunted by the natural shocks, as the melancholy Dane put it, that flesh is heir to, the bold adventurers make their way into the chill waters of the pool, kept secure by a stout rope, easily obtained from the stables, held firmly in the mighty grip of Ivan. This aquatic venture is soon richly rewarded, as the explorers realize that, while in the pool, they feel no need to inhale the invisible, life-giving vapors of the air, but are as comfortable within the water as any member of the finny tribe. The effect is a brief one, as they quickly make their way into the hidden cavern beyond the pool, which is large enough to provide a place where one may sit upon relatively dry ground, as if one were on holiday by the seashore. Only a small amount of blue-tinged light penetrates from the grotto, illuminating the cavern in a dim and eerie fashion. Voices echo within the cavern, carved by Nature herself from the surrounding rock. A slow-moving underground stream flows from the grotto and is soon lost to sight in the darkness beyond this antechamber to what seems to be a stone labyrinth of unknown dimension.

[jp1885]

Lepus pauses, taking in his surroundings. Rifling through his many pockets, he mutters strange words while placing a broken pipe stem into an upturned portion of an animal skull.

A talisman of ‘know direction’ thus created, he feels confident that he will be able to navigate the tunnels.

Having found one cave decorated with runes, he asks Vincent to create a flame so that they might examine the walls.

[Rooter]

Vincent, still recovering from his injury, busies himself in lighting the candles in the grotto with a magical flame.

[SunlessNick]

William left his pistol behind with Ivan (and recommended others do the same) as the water would ruin the powder, and quite possibly the assemblies. Other than that, he examines this new cave for other exits, and any signs of human presence - the presence of this spell implies that someone wished to have access to the cave, possibly regular access since it was left there permanently.

[Mr. Handy]

Henry has also left his pistol with Ivan. Once there is enough light, he examines the runes to see if he can interpret them.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Now that the gift of light has rendered the interior of this cavern visible to the human eye, it can be seen that the walls are full of crude inscriptions, in a variety of languages, some very familiar and some not. Those which are decipherable are, for the most part, variations on the words "I was here." Several dates, some going back a few centuries, are also written upon the walls, evidently with bits of charcoal and the like. It is evident that many have passed this way. What fate became of such, one cannot say.

Drawing the most interest is a roughly drawn map, left behind by some brave explorer, not entirely without some degree of artistic merit.



A few minutes of study make it clear that the adventurers are now standing in an area just below that shown by the map, and that the system of caves continues onward as shown. It is unmistakable that the central part of the diagram indicates a bridge which must be crossed to reach the more distant part of the caverns; but what meaning is to be assigned to the letter S, or what is indicated by the five-pointed stars inscribed in circles, and other such markings, is unknown.

[jp1885]

Studying the map, Lepus lines up his talisman, so that he knows which way leads north and thus whence direction the other passageways lead.

He considers questioning Poppy about the labyrinth, but suspects that she will only pipe up with assistance if it is to her benefit. Plus it would not do to become too reliant on such a Fae personage.

Wringing out some of his rags, he grins at the others.

"Forward, yesno?"

[SunlessNick]

"Yes," says William. "I propose we chech the two nearer side caves before attempting the bridge, it it remains."

[Mr. Handy]

"Agreed," says Henry. "We should first write our own messages and the date on the wall. It seems the thing to do. I believe the letter S on the map denotes secret passages. If so, we need not cross the bridge at all. The tunnel to the right has one leading into another chamber, which then comes out on the far side of the bridge. First we should check the left passage, which looks to be a dead end."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

The party advances in the direction chosen by consensus.

The passage to the left is of no great size, but sufficient to allow the adventurers to enter in single file. Stalactites and stalagmites, those curious formations which Nature has chosen to conceal within the Earth, cause the party to move slowly and with great caution. Constant dripping sounds echo throughout the caverns. Occasional bright reflections of candlelight, from certain shiny minerals located on the cave walls, appear like lonely stars in an empty night sky.

At the far end of the passage stand two pillars of small stones. These are clearly of human manufacture, created by the simple placing of one stone upon another. They are about a foot high or so, and there is an unusually smooth place on the ground between them, about the width of a man's hand.

[jp1885]

In a sloping, spidery hand, Lepus scrawls his name with the others before scribbling 'Poppy' in an approximation of faerie script.

Following his comrades to the left, he scrutinises the pillars.

"Yon gap be meant for a hand or foot, mayhap?

Not wishing to risk an appendage, he fishes a stick from out of his rags and, twitching slightly, pokes the space between the pillars gingerly.

[Mr. Handy]

Henry observes carefully to see what happens. "Perhaps a specific object is meant to be placed there," he hypothesizes.

[SunlessNick]

"Hopefully not the staff," William observes.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

There is no apparent effect produced by placing the stick between the two small stone pillars. The commotion caused by the party causes a few crickets, beetles, and other such small vermin to emerge from their hiding places, revealing the fact that there are numerous soft areas of sandy material within the rocky floor of the cavern.

[jp1885]

Noticing the vermin, and thence the softer areas of the floor, Lepus attempts to mark them out with the stick.

WIS 18 to make out any patterns,[dice]0[/dice]

[Rooter]

Vincent frowns as he studies the curious arrangement of stones, attempting to determine if they possess some esoteric significance.

Spoiler:

Intelligence 9 + 1 Esoteric Knowledge
[dice]0[/dice]

[Mr. Handy]

"It could be an item found elsewhere in these caves," says Henry. "If nobody has any further ideas, we should explore the right tunnel next."