First set:

1) the ceiling is unremarkable rock.  Some cracks.  Irregularities.  Appears like a totally normal cave.
2) late morning, yes.
3) ESP requires you to be actively seeking, you must focus on the target to perceive thoughts.  I imagine it to be like noise in a room, but you can focus on one source at a time.  There is noise from a half dozen other party members, but nothing else perceptible.
4) it is impossible to say.  Everything in the cave has been eaten to some degree.

Second set:

1) difficult to say.  The floor is hard packed dirt and rock, there aren't a lot of great impressions.  Best guess would be boots, but not human-style hard soles and such.
2) the pace would appear to be normal walking.
3) the locations and directions are scattered and random - again, the floor isn't conductive to great prints, and you have owlbears tromping all over everything.  There do appear to be consistent marks going in and out of the cave entrance, however.

Gimme, gimme!!!

But first.... Is there anything else of note about the pendant beyond the "ten en a'mael" inscription? Initials of any sort or anything else that might hint at the identity of its previous owner?

No other identifying marks on the pendant.  The silver work is very cunning, and the ruby, while not epecially large, is impressive.

If the woodsy ones would know, how close are we to any known settlements?

There are no major settlements nearby.  You ae still roughly a week out of Hyanda Nost.  Winde'Kua lies nearby to the south/southeast, but you would need to cross back over the river - and Winde'Kua is a ruin.  

There are surely smaller villages and the like within a day or two at the most.

As far as these "nearby settlements" go...

1. Would Dak have possibly traveled through this region before and/or enough to know of or be familiar with any of them?
2. If so, might he have any contacts, connections, or less than scrupulous compadres that might lead to him suggesting a visit?

Juuuuust to be sure - does Rosariel know whether owlbears eat their young?
Kind of doubt it, but wanting to check.

I liked the idea of the ESP spell like being in a room full of crowded thoughts and focusing on one - it sounds both like something S would love (for the useful, blackmailing goss) and hate (Rosariel wondering if Tubs pooped in her hair).

I'll get S post up today amid Christmas chaos, I've got a couple questions (more!) that I'll message you directly Olan

And Bree I'm sure the answer is yes, yes he did. I'm not sure I'm an evocative enough writer to describe the look on S's face when she gets a peek into R's brain... but I'll work on a proper analogy for when the time comes

There are no real contacts to establish here.  Any settlements nearby will be little more than village/hamlet type things.  No real enterprise for Dak to connect to.

Owlbears do not eat their young.  They are fiercly protective.  Taking an owlbear egg or baby is asking for death.

I figured as much but it never hurts to ask.

Always verify.

Sorry omg im so freaking late but im posting rn

also probably shoulda put this in R but Ruadhrí is the original Gaelic name for "red haired king" and is pronounced like Rory my bad lol

Working on my post now. Expect it up by tonight.

Prepping maps and sheeeit tonight for a game I'm running tomorrow morning but I should have a little time before all the family stuff to get a post up. I don't think Rosariel has too much to add here other than responding to a question or two and building a massive bonfire either way.

@vibechecker - as far as the Detect Magic request - if you have it she'll likely ask you to do it if you haven't added that into your post already. I'm real low on spells right meow so I think she's feeling a bit exhausted. Especially after building the massive bonfire.

Remember that Audalis is a "realistic fantasy world," I doubt magic items are so easily found... could be Dak's f-ing with ya, could be he's genuinely curious... use or save your spells as you see fit.

And that's all I hafta say bout dat!