Move 243: Exploring the Topknot Caves III
Topknots Caverns--Midday, Day 14Renn divided his healing prayers between Olaf and Jana, the worst off after the fight. The three trolls continued to burn, filling the air of the cavern with stinking smoke.
Blacky and Arachne went to examine the pool. It seemed to be reasonably clean water, which was a good thing since water supplies were running low in addition to the unpleasant odor everybody had clinging to them.
Nothing seemed to be amiss with the pile of rocks. The most obvious thing in it initially was a beautiful silver fox pelt that did not seem to have been damaged by its time in the damp caves. A little additional poking around revealed several bags of coins, a mix of silver, electrum, gold, and platinum, a few daggers and short swords, two leaded crystal flasks, and an iron scrollcase. There was also a small mother-of-pearl inlaid casket.
The tunnel that lead into the cavern, now well-lit by various light sources, seemed to be the only way in or out of here. By this time, everyone was hungry, so they pulled out rations for a midday meal while they discussed what needed to be done next.
Blacky cupped his hands and took a drink of the water, then filled his waterskin. "I'd suggest we refill our water supplies before bathing, then wash our gear. At least that would seem the most logical." Blacky said with a grin. "We could probably use this as a base of operations to destroy the other tribe. In fact, if we wait long enough, some of them are likely to wander in here to find out what happened to their rivals."
Blacky surmised."Did you see any sign of the other tribe while you were exploring?" Echo asked. "We didn't. We just saw the fungi Aloysius mentioned and this place. If we want to use this as a base, maybe we should check what's in the unexplored tunnel next door before we set up," she suggested quietly.
"Agreed," Arachne said. "I'll collect waterskins." A light stone appeared on the ground next to Blacky. "Need my hands free," Arachne murmured.
Arachne's voice piped up next to the various groups of other adventurers, asking for their waterskins so that she could fill those before using the water pool for any other purposes. The 'skins then disappeared as people held them out toward her voice. They reappeared after a little while next to the light stone at the pool and then one at a time disappeared before reappearing full. When all were filled, they began disappearing again, a couple at a time, and then reappeared beside their owners. Finally, the light stone disappeared. "The cat wants her bell back."
Aloysius willingly surrendered his waterskin to the invisible Arachne.
"The growths are in the next chamber over," he said to Azrun. "I was thinking they might serve as a dietary supplement for the trolls, although admittedly I know not what their nutritional requirements might be."
Gazing down at the haul from the rocks, his eyes locked first on the fox pelt and then the scroll case. "Obviously, the fox pelt had to be delivered by someone else. Recall do I that Ranchefus had quite a few furs in his quarters at the keep. Wonder do I if he is in league with the trolls? Does anyone mind if I look at the scroll case?"
"Fine with me," Echo said. "Be careful with it though, in case it's warded."
Aloysius smiled and then took the scroll case to the edge of the lighted area. After casting a spell on it, he tried to open it.
"If you're going to check for magic, you might as well look at the rest of it too." Daelen mentioned.
"These were more topknot trolls?" Arachne's voice asked.
"We _heard_ something farther down the one tunnel we explored," she added. "Well, I did. It was pretty quiet. And the smell of the lizard things got stronger the farther into that tunnel that we went. So the sound might've been more lizard creatures. Whatever made the sound didn't want to come out and fight us, so it probably wasn't trolls."
"I could come look at the tunnel next door," the voice continued, "if you don't mind a disembodied lit up space tagging along."
"I'm not too keen on setting up camp here with unexplored tunnels and something down another tunnel," Jana said, wiping fastidiously at the blood on her armor. "Let's check out the tunnel we haven't looked at yet, then go back and see just what it was you, uhm, sensed, Arachne."
After Aloysius finished examining the scroll case and the scroll within, he walked back over to Olaf and Renn. "This scroll bears priestly formulae," he announced. Holding out the scroll for whomever wanted it, he added, "'Twould seem that our next step would be to see what Arachne heard in the other tunnel. Agree do I with Janathell. We must secure this area a bit afore considering it as a base for further actions against the other trollish tribe."
"The trolls that we fought in here were Topknot trolls," Echo replied.
After she finished eating, Echo got ready to go with the group to finish exploring.
Azrun looked around at the stuff in the pile, "I memorized a spell for detecting magical enchantments this morning. I could cast it upon this stuff and see what is special. I would assume that pelt is for sure, but I can get a definite answer." With that Azrun cast his spell.
Rennirolas scanned the scroll before he handed it to Olaf. "I have a pair of scrolls obtained earlier, so it makes sense to me for you to have this one Olaf," Renn said.
"I will use it for the groups good." Olaf said, taking the scroll and putting it in his pack.
"And exploring the remaining tunnels in the Topknots lair is most certainly a good idea," Renn nodded as he chewed on a bit more of his lunch. "I've expended all my priestly healing for the day, though if we get wounded again, I can use my mundane skills to keep everyone bandaged at the least."
Rennirolas awaited the exploration as well, though if anyone were to stay behind, he left his backpack with them.
"So I guess we're all up for a bit more of exploring..." Arachne's voice murmured.
Azrun picked up one of the daggers and looked it over, "This one here has been enchanted. I can't tell anything else about it, but it is magical. Who wants it?" He looked over to the flasks and sniffed the contents.
"Let's get to it." Blacky said as he finished his food and took another drink of water.
Previous Move
Next Move
Back to Move Summaries
Back to Night Below Main Page
