The Pod-Caverns of the Sinister Shroom (Game Thread III)

[JadedDM]

The western tunnel extends about forty feet before becoming a fork. The fork extends further west and south.

The western tunnel appears to curve northward after ten feet or so. A stream of water is running down it, splitting down both forks.

The southern tunnel is a bit steep, descending deeper into the subterranean. Stalagmites rise from the tunnel's uneven floor, making uneasy footing. There are even some areas where the stalagmites and stalactites have merged together, forming pillars.

[Jerrard]

"I think we should look down, but, perhaps just two of us? Jerrard steps back, apparent that he doesn't want to go himself.

"Perhaps Shay and Babuskha should go." he looks at Locky out of the corner of his eye, its obvious he'd rather stay with her than venture down in his injured state.

"What do we think?" He asks, leaning on his staff.

[Jenara]

Locky looks down the passage, creeping closer while Jerrard talks, she chips a piece of column with the pointy end of her hoopak.

"I would like to have a look, it looks interesting." Locky smiles and creeps away.

She looks a little bored, itching to move on.

[JadedDM]

Shay shines his lantern down the southern tunnel. The light within it flickers softly every few moments. "How far does it go, I wonder?"

Looking to the others, he shrugs. "So Locky and Jerrard want to check it out. What say you, Babushka?"

[Breila]

"Hhmm" Babushka tilts her head. "I'd like to know what is down there, that's true. Secured by ropes, we could go. But I don't like the idea of splitting up, we'll have two very weak parties instead of one moderately strong one." She casts a glance to Jerrard who seems to be rather weakened by pain.

"I would prefer to check if the western tunnel leads back to the waterfall and see if anyone has disturbed the dead podmen there. In fact, it's surprising no one has come after us yet. But let me check first if the podmen's claws have perhaps left scratches in the weaker part of these stalagmites and other features"

Babushka bends down to examine the ground between and around the stalagmites. If the podmen walked through here regularly, their claws should have left traces, newly formed sinter is scratched easily.

[JadedDM]

Examining the stalagmites, Babushka does find small scratches suggesting that Podmen, or something similar perhaps, had been through this area recently. How recently, however, was difficult to determine.

[Breila]

Babushka goes back to her comrades. "The podmen or something else with claws came through here not long ago. So I would find it too risky to separate or, for that matter, risk a fight on that slippery ground. Let's go on and come back here when we're in better health."

[Jerrard]

Jerrard nods simply, clutching his side, when would they realise his injuries would only slow them down?

"I agree, let us continues investigating this upper level, Perhaps we could install a trap here? To warn us if someone traveled this way recently." He waves his hands conjuring 10 small marbles which he leaves passes to Babushka. "I suggest you leave these in the entrance, if they are distrurbed,
we know they passed this way."

[Jenara]

"Oh." Locky looks rather crestfallen, "I have marbles, but that's a good idea." She watches Jerrard, considering his movements, he looked more injured that he was letting on.

"We are going back to the main cavern?" Her face dropped she peers down the hole with her infravision.

[JadedDM]

Peering down the tunnel, Locky cannot see much. Her infravision range is limited, and the tunnel snakes and is quite long.

Shay points his flickering lantern toward the western tunnel. "Shall we go this way then? Or backtrack?" he asks.

[Jenara]

"We should go west." She wants to explore, to visit new stuff, Jerrards relutance to go on suprises her greatly.

[JadedDM]

The party continues down the western tunnel, which begins to curve northward after fifteen feet or so. Another twenty feet north, the tunnel opens up very slightly into a small room. At this point the river's flow turns a small wooden waterwheel. The wheel is attached by a couple of direction-changing gears to a large wooden box at the river's edge. At the top of the box, there is a funnel, and at the bottom there is a spout positioned to allow a container to be placed underneath. A clicking and creaking noise comes from inside the box.

The tunnel continues north. It looks like it curves westward again after twenty feet or so.

[Breila]

Babushka stares at the device for a moment, than her face lights up. "A mill!" she exclaims. "But what will be ground there?

Locky, don't rush" she says automatically.

"Jerrard, can you tell if there's anything magical about it?"

[Jenara]

"Actually i thought it looked rather boring." she jokes with a wink.

"I wonder why someone would build a wheel here?" she checks out from a distance, but moves forward slowly, mostly while no one is looking.

[Jerrard]

Jerrard stops, looking at the water wheel, his look echoes Locky's.

"Indeed my dear, someone would build a water wheel to as Babuskha has said to Mill something." He steps towards the mill slowly, grasping the kender around the waist and stopping her.

"Locky, could you check behind us, if the mill is interesting I will ensure you can check it out. It may be trapped, and then we would need you. He smiles and lets go of her, then walks towards the wheel, watching his back.

"Babuskha, I will have to get close to see if its magical, although I doubt it is. Can you cover me so I can look, Locky will watch the way we came in." He smiles at the Kender. "Aren't you Locky?