“A trap,” Aelistae mouthed as she witnessed the woman she thought had been the ogre's captive reveal herself to be anything but. Her voice, however, rang hollow, and was little more than an empty whisper that matched the emptiness she felt within.

She had journeyed into the cave in the hope that she could help an innocent in need, and exorcise the ghosts of her past. Because she had believed that the humans of the surface possessed something that most of her people lacked: compassion for each other’s suffering.

But she had been wrong. Bart had shown her that even a kindly human had limits to the love he could show for those of his own race. And the woman who had prepared the elaborate ambush had shown Aelistae that humans could be as cunning and as heartless as the cruellest drow.

Aelistae felt a tear form in her eye, even as she dropped the bow she had been holding, and effortlessly drew the finely wrought blade she carried.

It was said among the Elistraeyn that a devotee’s mood could be assessed by the way she held her blade, and the way she moved with it in her hands. If that was true and Aelistae’s feelings were on display as she sprinted to engage the woman in combat, the only thing that could be seen was the sadness that she felt welling inside.

OOC: Aelistae is dropping her bow as a free action, drawing her sword as a free action, and charging the woman.

Even as Artanis withdrew her blade from the last of the foul orcs, she was turning toward the Ogre and the fight she was prepared to join, when she saw the damndest thing. She paused for a split second, at what she saw. Though they were in the midst of a battle with the beast of a creature, she belted out a boisterous laugh.

"He actually severed the leg from its body!” she thought, “ What heart this little one has!" And Artanis was proud to fight alongside her companion.

“That’s the way, Xaris! Hack every last limb from his worthless body!” She roared as she dashed over the debris of what was formerly the barricade before running to join Xaris. “But don’t think that I’ll let yo…”
Artanis’ words froze in her throat as she heard, then turned and saw, the woman shuck off her deceiving garment, and stand tall and menacing. Evil radiated from the woman’s every pore.

“While I commend you on your sense of morality and justice. I pity you fools, for while my master moves his plan one step further to completion, you will not live to see the light of day!”
Artanis barely had time to raise her shield in an attempt to fend off the lightning bolt that suddenly shot forth from the woman’s wand. She glanced over at Xaris, and then the Ogre. She had no time to rejoice at the ogre’s long overdue demise. She was concerned for the gnome, but quickly realized she had no need to be. He was ok.

She turned to look back at the witch with a new wand in her hand; the other spent and left in ashes at the woman’s feet. She instantly dropped her shield and sword, and, drawing her bow, positioned herself to aim and shoot the woman’s hand/wrist in which she held the wand.

She sent up a prayer to the great god Helm, “By your grace and almighty power, may this arrow strike true.” An then she let it fly,

Betrayal. It hit the companions like the Tarrasque had just walked over them. They had fought hard, and bled much in the attempt to rescue a once sought mother and child, only to be deceived and endangered further by yet another cloak and dagger assailant. The woman, a mage of some standing or another cackled gleefully as Xaris’ few remaining hairs smoked from the top of his head, The enraged gnome looked almost comical with the steam rising about his ears.

Worried for the welfare of her companions, Loriel let fly two arrows in all haste at the wand wielding witch. The arrows hummed as they cut through the air still abuzz with residual electricity. The first arrow sailed directly towards the enemy woman, but at the last moment, a shimmering shield of light redirected the projectile aside. The second however, would not be deterred by some mere spell. It punctured the barrier of light, and struck the sorceress in the shoulder causing her to grunt and curse in Elvish at the ranger. (Critical Hit / spell protection -2hp)

At the same time, a cold faced Linnix had also loosed her quarrel, the tiny bolt finding it’s mark but being deflected by the woman’s protective spell. Cursing, seething, Linnix dropped her crossbow and drew her daggers, ready to spill enemy blood.

Xaris, infuriated at being roasted for the second time in the same day, threw his weapon down and charged the caster with all haste. The wee little warrior could move quite quickly for one of his size, the running in the wild had tempered his speed to a faster pace, and he barreled into the woman, but for all his anger and speed, he could not get a grip on the slippery mage. His hands seemed to slide off an invisible barrier, leaving him dangerously close to the woman’s bone wand, and evil chagrinned smile.

Aelistae, the usually calm and collected Cleric of Ellistrae felt something click deep inside. Something that pushed all the feelings of compassion and mercy aside, and let all the cunning hatred and revelry of pain astringent of her Drow heritage come to the surface. Her Courtblade gleaming in the light of the room, Aelistae charged forth, her cheeks lined with the remnants of a salty tear which had caressed her gentle ebony skin. As she engaged the woman, her blade came up and slashed the woman a grievous wound along her side, causing the woman to shriek in pain.

The woman, now showing signs of fear upon her beautifully pale face, her blue eyes shimmering with anxiety pointed her wand at Aelistae, and muttered the words of a spell. “ Rath ulu l'bryklyth uoi'notan d'Lolth xuil dos!” As the was about to finish the last syllable of her command word, an arrow whizzed over Xaris’ shoulder, so close that he could feel the air part by his ear, and pierced the hand of the sorceress, causing her to drop the wand as she howled and clutched her hand, an arrow neatly lodged through her split and bleeding appendage. Across the room, Artanis could only smile with satisfaction. (Critical Hit- called shot / spell protection -14)

(** Back to the Tangled Hells of Lloth with you! **)

The woman, could do little more than curse expletives in a jumbled variety of languages, apparently she was not accustomed to such pain.

Kasenarrion, fueled by the fires of Tyr charged forth, her spear glowering at the prospect of feeding once more. With a call to Tyr, She thrust her spear in between her companions, the tip flaring as it penetrated the woman’s magical defenses, and skewered her heart. The woman’s eyes went wide in shock, as did Kasenarrion's, as the spear drained her happily. (Another Critical Hit! -28 hp, -8hp Kas 1/3hp!) Kas could barely stand as the woman slumped over, the Warrior of Tyr letting go of the spear haft and staggering, struggling to stay upright.

At last, the battle was over, the room quiet, and the threat of imminent danger over… for now.

(Congrats at surviving the first major challenge of the game.! Search results and treasure results to come soon!)

I’ll assume that everyone amidst possibly trying to heal or what not is going to search the woman, the room, the pit’s the throne yadda yadda yadda. So with some secretive rolling, I present you with the following.

The cloaked woman is carrying the following.
A bone wand
A Black and green cloak
Bracers
A dagger
A MW hand crossbow with 4 bolts
4 potions, one a foggy grey, two blue ones of different hues, and a white one.
2 scrolls
Money pouch with 147 GP, 55 silver.

The Ogre carries..
Hide armor
A Large Greataxe
A silver and gold ring on one of his tusks
A money pouch containing
2 bloodstones, and 40 gp

The pits all drop a good fifty feet before ending in small rooms, filled with disgusting liquid. Sometimes those with dark vision think they see the water--if it can be called that-- rippling of it’s own accord.

Behind two of the Tabbards, are 10’ ladders, and a hidden alcove contains two lanterns, a 50’ coil of hemp rope, and 2 oil flasks.

The Throne is massive and heavy, easily weighing over 500 lbs. the cherry wood and gold inlay houses velvet cushions and backing. After a thorough search, a hidden lever drops a panel in the side of the throne, revealing an iron strongbox. With an examining from Linnix, and a heafty kick from Xaris, who was fatigued from the efforts of the day, the lid pops open its contents displayed.

500 gp, 200 sp, 100cp
1 emerald, 2 garnets
1 Bejeweled dagger with a serpent crawling around the hilt and into the cross guard
A belt, containing the crescent moon and bloody eye symbol on the buckle. The belt is made from thick hide, with scales of dark green linked together.

There, that’s the bounty. Now it’s up to you to decide what to take, and more importantly.. How to get out of here.

(If you basically make a collective effort to just 'take it all' I'll leave it till you get outside, and not worry about who's carrying what.)

Linnix looks around frantically, looking for some other enemy to dispatch; her anger had not been satisfied. Standing there, seething, the truth slowly began to sink in. This battle was over.

The daggers fall harmlessly out of Linnix's hands, and she slumps to the ground, exhausted. Her shoulder blade's pain suddenly returns tenfold, reminding Linnix of its existance. She winces; she had pushed herself emotionally, and it began to show. She was tired, and yet, she hadn't done much at all, so why was she so tired? Linnix rubs her eyes, her hands still with the imprinting of the handles of the daggers and crossbow they were holding so tightly onto earlier. Rest and other thoughts would have to wait, right now there was still a few things to be done.

"How's everyone doing?" Linnix asked, her voice shaking, although whether it was from a remaining anger or exhaustion is a bit difficult to tell.

Linnix then stands up, and puts away her fallen weapons. She looks toward Aelistae specifically. Something had changed about the Drow Priestess. Her sword was out, and that was a bit bizarre in itself, knowing that Aelistae had started the battle with her bow, but something was wrong. Her grip was slightly offset, and the sword also was slightly angled from the way she had held it in the battle against the spider, or was that how she always held it? Was the change just something to do with the actual lighting? No, Linnix stopped herself; her intuition was telling her something was amiss, and as a good friend, she would find out and help.

Linnix began to walk toward Aelistae, but something then caught her eye. The throne was just to her right, and she thought she saw a glimmer of an unexpected dull metal. Linnix quickly glances back towards Aelistae. Well, she reasons, I suppose everyone else nearby might make it a bit awkward... I'll have to wait. Linnix turns and begins examining the throne. Amidst the golden trim and jewels, there was definately small bits and traces of an inner mechanism within, and there were traces and even parts of non-precious metal showing.

"Hey!" Linnix calls, "There is something inside this fancy hollow chair!"

Of course, Linnix wasn't sure that it was hollow, but if it was a hidden thing, chances were good that it was something valuable. It was just like that bag of gold coins she acquired from inside the hidden drawer in a desk of someone she was stealing from when she first started out. Well, this was a bit more complex, but if there's a hand or even finger sized hole or groove (like the handle underneath of that drawer) then there could be something. Linnix continues examining the chair, testing the grooves in the woodwork, until she finds a pair of parallel grooves running along the side of the chair's back. With a small grin on her face, she pushes her fingers around the strip of metal inlay, finding purchase behind it, and yanks, the actually thick metal inlay actually coming out of the wood at her hand, revealing it to be a lever. With a few mechanical clinks and grinds, the back of the throne falls off, revealing what appeared to Linnix to be just a metal box. She quickly looks at it for a lock, and finds none.

"Xaris! Kick it open!" Linnix calls to the little gnome, uncertain of how much force it would take to open the thing.

First things first, there were wounded that needed tending and that is what Loriel started to do first of all. Loriel spots Kas wavering after she struck the magic user. Kas uses the spear to literally hold herself up. Hurrying over there she will render what assistance to Kas that she can.

"Aelistrae, do you have any healing Kas has been sorely wounded."

"Kas let me help you. You can lean on my shoulder and I will get you at least onto the throne where you can sit. Better that than the floor. By the way keep the spear you did great with it." Of course she did not know that Kas has suffered from using the spear. Loriel helps the young woman to the throne and eases her down onto the seat of the cherry wood throne. It was a beautiful thing but she didn’t think it worth the trouble of trying to get it out of here, but she was not the only one who would decide its fate.

Next she turns to help Xarius, "How are you doing? You took the brunt of that lightning strike." Moving over to see what she can do for him she leans over and congratulates him. “That was some charge at the barricade you opened it up wide. Great job.”

She takes out her simple first aid supplies knowing that their cleric was low of healing spells from earlier when they had fought in the hallway and before that as well. So she brought out bandages and salve for wounds and would assists those with better skills than hers to bind wounds.

Loriel then joined the uninjured and helped search the room for hidden doors etc. and looting bodies. Others worked on various other pursuits including the throne that Kas was now seated on, recovering. She puts everything in a pile. She doesn’t bother about making choices time enough for that once they got out of here and moving again besides some of this stuff needed to be checked out including the spear and shield she had given out for use.

Walking up to Artanis she looks at the warrioress. Keep the shield. I don't know exactly what is does but, 7 of those stones are glowing. You used it well. I could only use it sometimes and you can use it all the time.

"Aelistrae, I would like to copy that inscription down that was on the statue in the other room before we leave. It could be important.” Loriel remembers as things begin to settle down.

Loriel pauses for a moment scanning the room the pits quite evident one in each corner. “Hey, what about checking out the pits.” She walks over to the pit in the back left of the room and looks in.

Her breath caught in her chest as Artanis watched the arrow shoot through the air, and it was as though time came to an achingly slow crawl.

In the span of a few seconds, Artanis watched as Linnix, Loriel, Xaris, Aelistae, and Kas each attacked the woman. Artanis looked at the woman’s face, which at a first glace appeared beautiful. But somehow it was distorted with malice. It was as though for a split second, she could see the evil hatred pass across the woman’s face. To her, the witch more resembled a dead tree, fallen and left to wrought, its bark twisted, knotted, cracked and scarred from the elements and time, than a beautiful woman. She almost felt pitty for the woman……..almost.
She was about to screamed for Xaris to look out, but before the words could properly form in her throat, the arrow whizzed by his tiny head, missing him by a mere hair’s breath, and impaled itself straight through the hand holding the wand.

Only then did Artanis release the breath that had been captive within her chest. Her hand covered her heart in relief, and a somewhat smug smile formed on her lips. Seeing that the wand was no longer a threat to her companions, Artanis could not hold herself upright any longer. She crumpled to the ground. Breathing, she realized, was suddenly very difficult. She glanced over at the shield, which lay discarded on the floor beside her. She knew that had she not had that shield for protection against the lightning bolt, she would very likely be dead. She pulled the shield closer to her, and reached out to her sword, wrapping her fingers around the hilt. She pulled the blade close to her chest, and held it against her breast.

She raised her eyes heavenward, as she lay there, “Thank you for hearing my plea in this, my time of great need, oh mighty Helm. Praise be to the god that kept my arrow straight and true!” she whispered exhausted, and utterly drained.

As Loriel approached, Artanis could not fully focus on her face, as though she were having blurred vision for a moment. She blinked a few times, then smiled as her face came into full focus "Thank you, Linnix. That is very kind of you."
After another moment of laying there, her mind cleared enough to be disgusted at her weakness. She forced herself to sit up with great effort and looked around. She wanted to make sure all her friends were alive and still kicking. She also wanted to make sure no one saw her moment of weakness.

Artanis knew Loriel was ok, as she’d just spoken with her, and could see she was scouting out the room.

As she looked about she saw that Linnix appeared to be fine. She chuckled as the woman got excited about the hidden compartment in the throne. She then saw Xaris deliver a hefty kick to the box, causing it to pop open. Artanis may be injured but her sense of humor was still firmly intact.

“They say that it’s not the size of a man that counts, but how he uses what the gods saw fit to give him, that makes all the difference. How true that is, and in more ways than one.” She thought to herself, chuckling softly.

She saw that Aelistae appeared to be fine, though Artanis found it strange that the woman was holding her sword in her hand. She paid little attention to that, however, only glad that Aelistae was alive and well.

Then she saw Kas, and frowned. She struggled to her feet, taking great effort to stand. She paused in her movements for a moment, as the room suddenly tilted at a dangerous angle, before almost bouncing back to normal. She blinked, wondering what that was, and shook her head to clear it. Once she'd regained her balance, she made her way over to Kas, and more dropped than knelt, beside her. The concern was plain to see on her face.

“You really should lay off the axes, Kas. They’re bad for your health.” She said, a rye tone to her voice, in an attempt to make the woman laugh. She wished that she were able to help, but knowing she could do nothing for her, she simply moved back to give the others room to work.

(Artanis will try her hardest to make it look like nothing is wrong as she does her part to find any loot or useful items.)

Aelistae stared into the glazed eyes of the fallen sorceress. Her mind was full of questions that she had no answer to. Had the woman known that laying the ambush on behalf of her master would claim her life? Was she really evil at heart or had she been led down the wrong path? In another time or place could they have not have been friends…or at least have parted ways in peace?

Aelistae sighed, and raised a weary hand to rub at her forehead. She was tired, both mentally and physically. It had been too long a time without either Reverie or quiet communion with her Goddess to give order to her thoughts and calm her fears.

‘Eilistraee give me strength. And forgive me if I have strayed from the path you would have me follow.’
The drow priestess slowly wiped the blood from her sword with a rag from her backpack, and knelt to close the eyes of the woman they had killed.

…

Even though the sorceress had used the ogre and the orcs as lackeys, it appeared that the monstrous creatures had plundered a small fortune in their forays. Linnix and Xaris proved remarkably adept at finding the treasures they had secreted away, and soon revealed vast stores of gold and intricately carved items.

Aelistae was glad that their efforts had not been in vain, although as her eyes swept over the form of Kas she saw that their rewards had come at a cost. The strange-looking woman had already been brought back from death’s door once before that day, and she appeared to be knocking upon it once again.

“I’ll do what I can for her,” she replied to Loriel, after the elf asked her for her help, “but until I have time to commune with the Dark Maiden, all I can do is dress her wounds. Help me take off her armour.”

The drow priestess moved over to Kas’ side, and removed a small wooden box inlaid with a floral pattern from her backpack. Producing a small vial from within it, Aelistae liberally sprinkled it over a large wound in her midriff that been caused by the ogre’s large axe. Once the wound had been cleaned and her armour removed, she painstakingly sowed together Kas’ pale flesh with a needle and thread and bound the wound in a tight dressing.

“The stitching will tear if you move around too much. But it should last until I can ask Eilistraee to help you,” she informed Kas. “Lean on me and I’ll help you walk.”

“I think we should return to Elesia and Bart as soon as we can. If this was all an elaborate trap, then it’s likely that they are in trouble.”

OOC: Aelistae will make a heal check on Kas obviously. It won’t make any effect to her hp, but hopefully it’ll make Kas feel a little better in character.

With some field surgeon skills and the use of much of her Healers Kit; Aelistae manages to 'patch up' Kasenarrion. Loriel is able to bandage those wounded and generally try and aid their comfort on the road to non magical recovery.

Kasenarrion, fueled by the fires of Tyr charged forth, her spear glowering at the prospect of feeding once more. With a call to Tyr, She thrust her spear in between her companions, the tip flaring as it penetrated the woman’s magical defenses, and skewered her heart. The woman’s eyes went wide in shock, as did Kasenarrion's, as the spear drained her happily. (Another Critical Hit! -28 hp, -8hp Kas 1/3hp!) Kas could barely stand as the woman slumped over, the Warrior of Tyr letting go of the spear haft and staggering, struggling to stay upright.

Kas was aware that the evil had departed as the women fell under the onslaught of her companions and her final attack. Final in that she was incapable of any sort of action after she had delivered the killing blow, staggered by the drain from the spear as it penetrated the women’s evil heart. As if the spear were blazing hot, she released her grip and reeled back. Kas fought to stay standing as the others made sure the woman was dead.

“Thank you, Tyr.” Kas murmured, it sounded simple in wording, but the deep gratitude that Kas felt went way beyond what words could denote. Tyr would know her heart and mind, and know the depth of what she felt.

Somewhere in the fog that seemed to close in around her she heard a voice using her name.

"Kas let me help you. You can lean on my shoulder and I will get you at least onto the throne where you can sit, better that than the floor. By the way keep the spear you did great with it." Loriel gave her a shoulder to lean on as she led Kas away and eased her down onto the seat of the cherry wood throne.

The spear. Maybe she should have guessed that it was not a weapon to be wielded lightly, given the creature it had been taken from. Now she knew, the weapon exacted a price for its magic.

The fog enclosed her again, she was barely aware of the sounds of her companions as they went about the room looting and discovering hidden caches. In that fog things came to her, that in the heat of battle, she had thrust aside. They came back to her now as questions. “Why was Pelor not here? Why, when she had said he was her family deity, was there no concept of her own family? Who had trained her as a fighter, and taught her the arts and crafts of warfare? Why, in retrospect had she charged the Evil one when most warriors would have held back knowing how wounded they were?

Worst than the fog about her, was the empty area inside her. She knew things and did not know how she knew them and the more she probed for answers the more the emptiness was revealed and that sent a shiver across her body. She heard another voice out of the fog and the emptiness, by the time she registered the words, she had opened her eyes to see Artanis beside her.

“You really should lay off the axes, Kas. They’re bad for your health.”

One corner of Kas’s mouth lifted in half a smile. “Axes, and spears that bite,” she replies.

The Artanis is replaced by Aelistea. The drow priestess had moved over to Kas’ side, and removed a small wooden box inlaid with a floral pattern from her backpack. Once the wound had been cleaned and her armour removed, she produced a small vial from within it, Aelistae liberally sprinkled it over a large wound in her midriff that been caused by the ogre’s large axe. she painstakingly sowed together Kas’s pale flesh with a needle and thread and bound the wound in a tight dressing. The Drow’s ministrations keep Kas from dwelling on the emptiness and keep her in the here and now.

“The stitching will tear if you move around too much. But it should last until I can ask Eilistraee to help you,” she informed Kas. “Lean on me and I’ll help you walk.”

“Thank you, My, spear,” Kas says pointing to where she left it in the woman.

As soon as Xaris kicks open the box, a pair of serpantine eyes seems to glare right at Linnix. Linnix quickly gives a startled gasp, recoils and nearly falls backwards onto the floor before she realizes that the snake wasn't alive. Breathing a sigh of relief, Linnix quickly recovers, looking around sheepishly.

"Sorry," She says, blushing a bit, "I always get a bit startled by snakes."

Linnix glares at the snake dagger, staring in its eyes. There is no way I am taking that thing she thinks to herself. The golden and silvery shininess in the box with the dagger, however, puts a grin on Linnix's face. Well, it wasn't going anywhere at the moment, so Linnix decided to look around for other things. Well, a good place to start would be to search their fallen enemies.

Linnix walks towards the fallen woman, and takes Kas' spear roughly out of her body, not careful to do as little damage as possible. She leaves the spear on the ground, and searches through the woman's pack. She immediately takes the bolts, knowing she'll need the ammunition, and also pulls out a hand crossbow similar to her own. Linnix stands up, and pulls out her own for reference. The new crossbow's general appearance is the same, but Linnix is amazed to see the quality of it. The curvature and design of the bow is far superior to the similar bow on Linnix's. Linnix checks the firing mechanism, and yes, it is simple like her own crossbow's, but it is just that much better. Even the wood was a better grain and had a nicer finish. There was no question about it, Linnix would definately take this.

Stowing her new weapon in the spot where her old one was kept, Linnix still decides to keep her old hand crossbow, and puts it in her pack. Linnix returns to looking through the woman's other items, placing them neatly on the floor, even if they weren't really in any sort of order. Taking the money pouch, Linnix then takes everything of value and puts it by the steel box. Moving on to the ogre, Linnix nearly misses the shiny glint coming from its tusk. Slipping the ring off quickly, Linnix likewise grabs its money pouch and puts it on the pile of things. The axe... Linnix wasn't even sure if she could lift such a massive thing. She finally takes Kas's spear and puts it to the side of the pile.

"There, that's every-" Linnix begins, but pauses, eyeing the wall hangings suspiciously.

She remembered that people sometimes liked to hide things behind wall pictures, but was it only limited to pictures? Linnix quickly ran to the nearest one and looked behind it. Nothing. Next one! Nothing. OK, how about this one? Nope, nothing. Glaring at the walls for defying her, Linnix nearly rips the next one off the wall. This one hid a ladder. Well, better than nothing Linnix thinks a bit sourly, taking it and putting it by the other things. A second ladder was quickly found afterwards, and likewise placed. Finally, there was actually a small recess in one of the walls, only noticeable by the light entering it. Linnix slides the stone cover to the side, revealing a little cupboard-like thing. Grabbing the rope, the lamps and oil impatiently, Linnix dumps them by the rest of the stuff.

"OK." Linnix says, "NOW, that's everything."

Linnix eyes the pile of relatively unorganized stuff, although, she didn't pile it so messily that you couldn't take a single glance and be able to see everything in it. This was about the way Linnix always organized stuff, just like how her room was, when she had a room.

[OOC: I know I'm making Linnix find everything, but everyone else seems a bit busy, and this way we don't have to go through several posts finding things, everyone can see what there is and RP who wants what or plan what to do about the broken floor, and at least she didn't take everything ]

Artanis proved to be too slow. She decided to let Linnix have her fun, and sat down for a bit to rest. Her eyes lit up at the site of the ladders and rope.

"Those look to be about the right size to utilize in our need leave the way we came!"
With, a bit more energy than she thought she had in her, she got up and went over to where Linnix had deposited the items.

"Perhaps we can even tie the ladders together. One on top of the other, tight and firm with this rope. In this way it will be a re-enforced make-shift bridge of sorts. So long as we each cross one at a time, I think it will work!"
She looks around to see if anyone is listening. "What do you all think?"
(OOC: If no one objects, Artanis will go ahead and start tying them together as tightly and securely as possible with the rope found. She will leaving a bit of each ladder sticking out about a foot or so on each end, that way it is longer than the 10' gap in the ground, and has something to rest on the edges of the hole with.)

"Sounds fine to me." Linnix says, "I'll help!"

Linnix was a bit hesitant, because she wasn't exactly sure how strong the makeshift bridge would be, but it was better than nothing.

(OOC: If Artanis starts building it, Linnix will try to help by aiding)

It takes about 15 minutes and alot of rope tieing, but soon after you have two ladders tied together with overextended ends, tightly bound by some 50' of rope.

So it was that the companions, battered but not broken, while having been embittered at the notion that there perhaps was no woman or child to rescue in the first place, had at least recovered quite the haul of valuables for their heroic efforts. As a collective team, the members of the party gathered the loot and made their way towards the exit, assisting Artanis as well in the maneuvering of the twelve foot ladder contraption that would hopefully serve as a bridge to cross the span blocking their escape.

As Artanis lay the bridge down, and tested it for support, the rope along the legs helped to prevent it from skidding, while the center sagged only slightly from the weight of the added rope. And there thankfully on the other side stood Elesia, her beautiful features only enhanced by the act that her pretty white dress was now splattered in a myriad of dirt and blood. “Fear not, for it is not my own, but when we were set upon I feared only the worst for you all trapped below. Come come, let’s get you out of there.”

Xaris, being the lightest of the group, had volunteered to try it first, and with Artanis standing on the lip of the ladder bridge began to make his way across. The bridge was surprisingly strong, and Xaris was able to pick his way across without much effort. The rope helped provide some traction under foot as he went. Safely on the other side, Xaris took a stand on the far end of the ladder, and soon everyone began slowly, making their way across. Fortune was on their side it would seem, and each made their way across in a timely manner. Moonshadow was last to cross, the four legged beast testing the bridge with some uncertainty before crossing. With everyone safely across, Artanis pulled the ladder bridge across the hole, but the unexpected weight of it all when it fell free from the other side tore it from her grasp and it collapsed into the hole below.

Moving back up the corridor, Linnix stopped aside the small chest they had passed earlier, handing Aelistae her candle orbs to give her some light.. While none had even been hinted towards her skills at legerdemain or the thiefly arts, Linnix surveyed the chest, and found a small catch cleverly hidden beneath the lock on the front of the chest. Removing some fine wires and a rounded hoop on the end of a thin piece of tube, defty disarmed the mechanism that would have no doubt caused some sort of harm. Picking the lock afterwards came as childsplay, for it was not a difficult one or of fine quality. Opening the chest, Linnix was rewarded with a silver chain, upon which hung a miniature horse-headed figure. Adding it to the chest of gold that had been carried out from the depths of the complex, Linnix and Aelistae slowly followed everyone outside.

There, finally back into the fleeting warmth of daylight, the companions could see the results of Elesia and Barts own battle. A pair of orcish bodies lay slain on the ground, as well as that of a wolf, once feral and full of mange. Bart sat atop Alice, the signs of wounds and magical healing apparent on his face and arms. “Hail my friends, so good to see you safely back” He paused as the last of the companions, but no others left the cave. “Where are those we were sent to find?”

(Allowing conversation and explaining the events)

Bart simply shakes his head a look of disgust on his face. “And that old man was so convincing I could have sworn he was telling the truth. But enough of that. We have lost the day, and are all tired. Let us make camp in the safety of this cave for the evening. We shall march again at first light.”

As everyone managed to finally relax for a short while, the treasures were piled, and rations shared. Aelistae at one point quietly conversed with Elesia, whom to her happy surprise, was quite skilled at potions and herblore, and began the slow process of identifying what potions were presented to her. At the mentioning of magic items found below, she approaches the pile, and with a barely audible incantation,casts Detect Magic. With some concentration, she points out which effects are magical in nature and mentions she has a single scroll of ‘identify’, and can cast one herself. As Bart goes about divvying up what treasured money has been presented, a fire is constructed and meats and cheeses, wines and waters are produced from the storage of Elesia’s magical pockets.

Finally, some downtime.

The following are what Elesia is abe to discern or identify (without using her two available identify spells those will have to be discussed In chaacter or agreed upon in the q/a)

The following are magical.

blackened magical (unidentified) Holy symbol of Bane

?? Mirrored, quartz encrusted large steel shield (Artanis)
?? Incandescent garnet encrusted short spear (Kasennarion)

Silver chain bearing miniature horse-headed man
The cloaked woman is carrying the following.
A bone wand
A Black and green cloak
Bracers
4 potions, one a foggy grey, two blue ones of different hues, and a white one.
Elesia manages to identify the above potions as A potion of blur, a potion of Cure light wounds, a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds, and a Potion of Haste.
2 scrolls Elesia also manages to decipher these, as…
A scroll of Fireball CL5, and a scroll of Mage Armor CL 3

A Large Greataxe
A silver and gold ring on one of his tusks
A belt, containing the crescent moon and bloody eye symbol on the buckle. The belt is made from thick hide, with scales of dark green linked together.

Thanks to Linnix I forgot these From Aelistae and Linnix's excursion: 2 potions Cure light wounds 1 potion neutralize poison and 1 potion of darkvision.
Linnix's Glowing sword
Two yellow tipped and rune etched crossbow bolts.




(I apologize if it seems rushed at all, but I wanted to give everyone the chance for some downtime, talking, identifying, or interaction. I’ll split the currency as stated, and let the next couple days be yours to do with as you wish post wise. Enjoy)