[IC] The Dwarven Ruins

[Torin]

- Become invisible and check them out. - whispers Torin.

[DM Surranó]

Dwarf and gnome become invisible and tiptoe to the throat of the western tunnel. The natural underground path is uneven but there is something artificial on the southern side, about thirty feet from where our men stand. The light pulsates from that side tunnel or niche. Beyond that point the tunnel turns slightly to southwest. Faint smell of damp soil comes from that way.

As the two move closer the light source turns out to be a twisting cylinder of light, some three feet in diameter and seven feet high, comfortably set in a niche barely larger. Quite a strange place for an ordinary beacon.

[Torin]

We are going onward.

[Portho Nihilbuck]

Porth casts the invisibility spells on Torin and himself. Then follows Torin quietly, just making the occasional "tick" sound with his mouth so torin knows where he is.

He whispers to Torin.
"Make a small noise with your mouth once in awhile so we can track each other, otherwise we are going to lose track of each other."

[DM Surranó]

The two move on to the west and after the turn they can see a slight decline of the tunnel that gets slightly steeper in about fifty feet until finally the tunnel ducks and disappears underwater. The water's surface is still, but the water is opaque.

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[Torin]

"Make a small noise with your mouth once in awhile so we can track each other, otherwise we are going to lose track of each other."

- Ok. - He whispers back.

The two move on to the west and after the turn they can see a slight decline of the tunnel that gets slightly steeper in about fifty feet until finally the tunnel ducks and disappears underwater. The water's surface is still, but the water is opaque.

- I don't want to swin. Turn back and check the tunnel to east. - Portho hears the whispering sound from his back.

[Portho Nihilbuck]

"Me either. Going back."

With that Portho turns around and begins to move the other way. Occasionally making a small noise so that Torin knows where he is.

[DM Surranó]

Portho and Torin go back the way they came, cross the darkmantle-decorated vault, into the tunnel to the east. The tunnel's floor is much smoother than the one to the west and after a few feets the two spot remains of some artificial pavement appear embedded in the natural rock. Two turns later the floor is more pavement than anything else but the walls and ceiling are still natural rock. Sixty feet ahead, they spot a wooden gate of some sorts, ajar, with some creature peeking inside. There creature emanates light, about the equivalent of the Light spell. A large dog maybe?

No. At the next moment the creature turns its head around and looks along the paved road, sniffing the air, letting Torin and Portho realise that this is a small bear.

OOC - correct me if I'm wrong but Portho has his continual flame exposed for himself to be able to see, right? As a reminder; light from an invisible source appears as ambient light.

[Torin]

OOC - "Best bet is to drag a stick with Light cast on it at the end of a 10ft rope, so there is at least a 10ft displacement between the source and the party."

[DM Surranó]

Just as they realize the nature of the creature something covers the light source attached to its side. Torin can still see the mammal at the edge of his darkvision but Portho can barely make out the outlines in the shadowy illumination, even with his gnomish sight.

Finally a small humanoid a bit shorter than Portho himself steps beside the bear, something (probably a shield) in one hand and something (maybe a crossbow) in the other.
"Who goes there? If you come any closer you'll get a crossbow bolt up yer arse!" the creature inquires in high-pitched Common.

As much as Portho can tell in the poor illumination the creature may as well be a teenage gnome but given the body proportions more likely that of the rock and not the forest family.

Private to Torin

with his darkvision Torin can see that it's a rock gnome child wielding a child-sized light crossbow and shield.

At the same time more masculine yells can be heard from behind the half-open gate at the end of this underground road but the words are distorted and muffled by the rock and who knows how many twists and turns beyond the gate.
Before Portho or Torin could react, the young Gnome moves away from the opening towards the two and says,
"Whatever you are, show yourself. Don't force me to call my friends to come kick your ass. If you listen you can hear them coming already! One of them is a mean old Grey Dwarf too! I'm sure you've heard all the bad stuff they like doing to their enemies!"