And so it was that the group responded with mixed emotion and enthusiasm to wod of Artanis’ state of peril. Linnix, overcome with a little something called I-told-you-so syndrome, seemed to shrug off Kas’ plea for aid with a harsh rhetoric and turned back before skulking off for more much needed sleep. Xaris however had taken the call, and headed down into the cave, peering over the lip of the fallen floor trying to find the best way to climb down.

Kas meanwhile, had mounted Sunfire, her faithful steed, and with all haste, and much dismay from the stallion forced it into the cave mouth where she came upon Xaris testing the sunken floor beneath him tryin to find a way down. Unfortunately, the hoe was in the middle of much larger room below, so there was no ‘wall’ beneath him, for he stood on an outcroppin of what once served as the ceiling for the room below.

Kas however had a plan, and with some rope, and the aid of her mount, tied Xaris off, and helped to lower him the thirty feet to the floor below. Xaris found himself surrounded in webbing, and the massive crpse of a iant spider lay overturned in one corner of the dark room. There too lies a door, covered in webbing, with the remains of a man cocooned to the door itself; though a handle and some hinges are barely visible.

It was quite a feat of strength, moreover placement due to its sheer size in comparison to the gnomish barbarian, but with some effort, Xaris was able to move the 12’ ladder and tie it off enough so that Kas and her horse could slowly back peddle and pull the makeshift bridge back out of the hole.

Kas the prepared to once again lay the bride down, and lower her rope for Xaris to be tied off upon so he could be raised back up once more.

(Jozan it’s really up to you if you choose to be raised back up, or check out the door that’s down here.)

With the bridge back in place, hopefully they could get Artanis the aid that was required.

Xaris looked around the webbed room, and spotted a few webbed corpses, a giant spider dead by the blades of his fellows, and a door, half concealed by spider silk. He thought for a moment, and decided to check out the door. He chouted up to Kas, who helped him down.

" There is a door down here. Thank you for helping me down, but I fear I cannot do much in the ways of helping move the wounded, being to small. But I might find some healing potions or something just as good in this room, so I shall delve into the unknown and try an recover something good. Thank you again for helping me down, I hope the moving of the ladder helps."

With that Xaris moves to make sure the rope around the ladder was secure, and moves towards the door, scraping away the webs around the door handle with one of his javelins that he grabbed from his back. He tried to ignore the corpse infront of him, but could not help but think of the horrible demise this man came to. If anything threatening was behind the door, a javelin will meet it head on.

In hopes of finding aid for Artanis, Xaris stout and brave decided that exploring behind the web covered door might prove more beneficial than trying to assist in moving Artanis’ body across the gap. Removing what webbing he could with a javelin, Xaris tried the door but found it stuck with webbing and mildew turned rust. With a great heave, the little gnome managed to pry the door free from it’s sticky resistance, and the door opened with a great grinding noise as the hinges strained against years of rust and disuse.

The door opened into a short corridor of unworked stone. The natural tunnel wound around the corner to the right, and then again to the left, Xaris leading on cautiously with a javelin in hand. Left and right the tunnel weaved, thankfully it was a single path for it would have been easy to get lost otherwise. It took an easy ten minutes of walking before the tunnel, ever winding slowly downwards until music met XAris’ ears. Proceeding cautiously the tunnel opened up into a cavern illuminated by a faintly glowing green incandescent moss growing around the walls around a pool of crystal clear waters which ebbed into the cavern from under the rock walls.

More impressive than the crystal waters was the creature sitting upon a small rock in the middle of the pool. Slender and with blue scaled skin, the small creature blew into a conches shell which replied with a deep resounding musical note which mimicked waves upon the ocean. At the sight of Xaris in the doorway, the creature was visibly startled at the company, dropping the conches into the pool in fright and slinking down behind the rock until only it’s small round gilled face with exceedingly large eyes peered over its edge, the creatures milky eyelids blinking sideways over its eyes as it took in the gnome.

Xaris wandered down this path, wondering if it was ever going to stop. He gripped his javelin ever tighter as he descended, and froze in place as the sound of music reached his ears. He touched the unworked walls, seeing if it would show anything of what lay up ahead. He edged himself on and kept walking, until he reached a large cavern, which was aglow with a strange moss. Even stranger was the creature sitting on the rock infront of him. The music was coming from it, and when it spotted Xaris, it dove behind the rock, into the safety of the water, and then peered up at him, seeming to take in the grayish green skinned gnome curiously.

Xaris put the javelin away in his pack, and put his hands out forward, showing he was no threat.

" It is ok, I am not here to hurt you, or anything in here." He repeated himself in common, evlen, sylvan and gnome, wondering if it would some how understand. He slowly walked ever closer, and took his backpack off, letting it rest on the floor. The only thing left on him was the quiver of javelins and the gnomish greatsword resting on his back. Now less encumbered, he walked to the edge of the pool, taking in the greatness of the cavern below him. Even here, below the surface of earth, nature spreads its beauty.

In common, gnome, elven, and sylvan again, he spoke out. "I need healing for my friend. She is hurt, maybe dieying. I came down here to see what I could find, to save her life. I mean no harm, and am only here to preserve the gift that all the gods have given us, not take it."

He stood at the edge of the pool, looking around, with a smile on his face. In the midst of all the chaos above, this sanctuary was laying in wait down here, this beautiful music playing all the time.

Loriel waited with the unconscious form of Artanis, still pray andh hoping that she would live through this horrendous incident. She had already figured out how she could get Artanis safely moved especially since they could not carry her over the bridge as that would most liekly stress the bridge far too much. If she used a blanket or a sleeping roll she could put Artanins on it put her and they could pull her across by ropes. She might even use a door to put her on and that could be slid over the rungs of the ladder with artanis one it.

Loriel stood up from Artanis's side when she heard Kas call . I'll be back Artanis help has come. Loriel left Moonshadow on guard while shewent out into the hallway .

"She saw that the bridge was up again and relieved about that and quicly went to it. "Kas, I need a blanket or sleeping roll......" here voice trailed away. All she saw was Kas and her horse. No one else was with her. Surprise and a bit dismayed she asked, Where are the others? I am going to need help getting Artanis on a blanket or bedroll so she can be moved."

Kas looked to the Ranger. "Xaris helped me get the ladder up from the pit but decided to stay down ther and investigate a door her found. I am the only other one here."

She goes to Sunfire and removed her backpack, She takes her rope and cuts it in half and ties off the cut end in knots and that ties one piece onto her backpack rope the other still then ties her stallion and the ladder. The then tiies her waterskin to her backpack and sets them on the ladder.

"Stand back and I will throw you the rpoe and you can slide the backpack to you."

Kas then coils the rope and throws it across to Loriel.

"I would suggest wetting the blanket and then rolling Artanis onto it. Then drag the blanket out here and we will try to come up with a way to get her across the ladder using the ropes. Also see if you caan dind something hard to lay underher so that she will not bee bumped agains the rungs of the ladder."

"I do not think it would be wise of me to cross to your side unless it was absolutely necessary. "

With death and carnage above him, Xaris seemed at peace with the world in this little sanctuary buried deep below. The crystalline waters, the incandescent moss and even the pearly white stone parting the surface of the still waters was a tranquil change to the chaos he lived in.

However as Xaris took in the tranquility, it was apparent that he had shattered that serenity for the strange blue skinned creature hiding behind the rock peering at him with large eyes.

" It is ok, I am not here to hurt you, or anything in here." He repeated himself in common, evlen, sylvan and gnome, wondering if it would some how understand. He slowly walked ever closer, and took his backpack off, letting it rest on the floor. The only thing left on him was the quiver of javelins and the gnomish greatsword resting on his back. Now less encumbered, he walked to the edge of the pool, taking in the greatness of the cavern below him. Even here, below the surface of earth, nature spreads its beauty.

In common, gnome, elven, and sylvan again, he spoke out. "I need healing for my friend. She is hurt, maybe dieying. I came down here to see what I could find, to save her life. I mean no harm, and am only here to preserve the gift that all the gods have given us, not take it."

He stood at the edge of the pool, looking around, with a smile on his face. In the midst of all the chaos above, this sanctuary was laying in wait down here, this beautiful music playing all the time.

The creature blinked a couple times at Xaris, as though he didn’t quite understand what it was that he wanted.

Xaris peering into the clear waters could see clear to the bottom of thee twenty foot pool, the moss giving the water it grew in a slight green glow. Seeing Xaris stare into the pool as he tried to think of how to convey the importance of his needs, the creature dove down into the waters and began picking thins out of small crevices at the bottom of the pond.

A few minutes later, he returned, and placed three objects on the rock. One was a small disc, about twice the size of a normal coin, gold in color though from the angle Xaris couldn’t see what lay on the heads or tails side of it. The second object was a small pouch of leather and cloth waterlogged but obviously containing some objects or another The third, was a seashell, a large conches shell that curved and ended in a spiral horn. It’s alabaster hue was mottled with pink and yellow blotches.

The Strange creature hopped up on the rock behind the items and blinked at Xaris before attempting to speak. His voice however sounded like a man trying to gasp while drowning, his voice raged and with water sputtering with each word.

“My treasures. You want treasure You trade your treasure for my treasure?”

Xaris looked around the room, and stared at the bottom of the pool. He jumped a bit when the creature swam to the bottom to get a few things, and brought them up. One was a large gold looking coin, another a leather pouch, and another a conch of the most beautiful blue hues he's ever seen.

His skin began to crawl though when it spoke out, its small and slender form not matching the grotesque voice that came from it.


“My treasures. You want treasure You trade your treasure for my treasure?”


Uh yes, yeah whatever can help. Xaris walked over to his pack and took the belt out of his backpack. He never knew what it did, but it did have some magical properties. It was large in size so hopefully he could trade it to the creature for all three. He lifted the belt and brought it the edge, also adding in nine of his gold pieces.

" Uhh, will this do? This belt, I got it off of a large Ogre me and my friends killed up above. It is magical, but what it does I do not know."

The creature dove off the rock splashing water onto Xaris as he did, swimming to the edge and lookin at Xaris with its massive eyes. He ran his hands over the belt and gummed the leather a bit between it's massive lips. Lookin at Xaris, he swiped his hand across and knocked the coins into the pool, watchin them twinkle as they fell to the bottom.

"Ooo Shiny shiny!"

Takin the belt without so much as asking the creature swam back to his rock and placed the belt on top with the rest of his treasures.

"Belt tasty, shinies pretty. You take two treasures yes?"

Xaris looked at the creature, and then back at the items by his feet. He wondered what each of them did, and decided what two to take.



" I am glad you like my gifts. The two treasures of yours that I will take will be the leather pouch, and the conch shell."

Xaris bent down and took the conch shell and the leather bag, just like how the creature had taken his things. He hoped maybe healing potions were inside the bag, to help the ones who need it.

" I thank you for your gifts. Would you know what any of them do, or why this cave is here in the first place? If you need more shinies, I can give them to you. Maybe even give you even shinier things for you last treasure?"

(Xaris couldn't reach the rock in the middle of the pond without swimmin out to the rock but I'll work around that.*)

Xaris made his two choices known, and the creature grabbed them and swam back to the edge of the pond and placed them upon the bank.

"Shell reminds of home, and is very pretty pretty." Bag have drinky drink. Me no like you take."

(Xaris can open the pouch and find two and a half potions inside. There are two blue potions and a half full potion of a thick muddy substance) It looked as though the vials once had labels on them but the ink has long been washed away.)

As Xaris offered to trade more shinies for the disc upon the rock, the creature's eyes bulged in excitement.
"Shiny shiny! You give me more shinies I give you disc. You give me LOTS of Shinies I give you Secret treasure."

Xaris smiled at the excitement of the creature. He then reached into his pouch, and pulled out five platinum and thirty gold. He set them on the floor below him, and stood back up. He wondered about the words that the creature spoke, and remarked on them. He opened the pouch to see two and a half potions inside, blue and muddy grey. he sighed in relief at the thougth and hopes that those two could be healing potions.

" How did you come to live here then, if this is'nt your home. And do you know why the moss is glowing?"

The creature's eyes looked about ready to burst from its oddly round shaped skull as Xaris dumped a large pile of coins on the ground. The creature ummed them happily while Xaris asked his questions.

"Me caught in currant long time pass. End up here. Moss for eating, help me grow. Me always been here. this home away from home.

As the creature knocked all the coins into the water and watched them sink with a shimmer, he clapped his webbed scaly fingers together in glee.

"Shiny shiny!"

The creature swam around in the glittering coins before surfacing once more on the rock in a splash.

"More more! I have shiny stick! You want shiny stick you give more! You want secret treasure?"

Xaris chuckled at the creature and its simple amusement, as he took out his coin purse and held it high into the air, above the water. He smiled as he overturned the pouch, letting all of its contents fall into the crystaline water. As the rain of coins ended, he haded the leather pouch to the creature.

" Here, you can even have the bag itself. I have no need right now for this much coin. It's yours. I hope you find serenity with this, as I feel sympathy for you losing your home also, not being able to get it back. And yes, the shiny stick would be nice to have, it may save me and my friends one day."

As the coins rained down upon the pond, The creature laughed a hideous laugh though it was apparent he was filled with joy as he splashed amongst the coins, gumming them and swattin at them fom time to time like a kitten a ball of yarn.

He swam to the bottom of the pond, and for a few lon minutes it seemed as thouh he was oing to stay down there playin with his newfound treasures.

Soon after though, he returned, and placed a small wand of ivory with a quartz tip on the bank of the pond in front of Xaris.

"My shiny stick now your shiny stick. You go now, come back with more shinies some time yes?" With tha he dove back into the pond to play with his newfound wealth.