Niaou’li followed Thagovan and the others back into the forest. She noticed the transition from “normal” mushrooms to the poisonous and gigantic shrooms while thinking about the forest and its characteristics and she wondered if anyone had ever set foot on these paths before this terrible event.

She continued her way until, in the distance, she heard a scream. The group sped up and witnessed yet another Ankheg, This one dragged one of their brethren into a cave.

Niaou’li saw Arduin pulling his waraxe, changing his plan when he spotted the monster. He unslung his crossbow and loaded it. “My skills now come in very useful.” , Niaou’li thought. She then took her travel sack, in search of her gloves. At first she couldn’t find them, but then she noticed the dark brown, leather Gloves of Dex with black laces at the bottom of her sack, and she put them on. She then followed Arduin’s example, unslung her crossbow and carefully loaded it.

The druid then took a better look at the cave the Khord had disappeared into. By Kith-Jora, that thing is shaped like a mouth! First the rocky hand, now a mouth made of stone, what is going on over here? This used to be a common cave, now all kinds of stone limbs are appearing. Has a spell been put on the cave?
Arduin took charge of the group. He told Thagovan and Gyviar to enter the cave first. “Me and the pretty lass here will follow.” Niaou’li told Firenze to wait outside of the cave, took a better hold of her crossbow and followed the group into the gaping mouth.

Almost immediately, Niaou'li joined him. "I’ll definitely help you conquer those beasts!" They were also joined by another bold looking Khord, whom Thagovan addressed as Arduin. After some healing they continued their quest in the forest.

Thagovan quickly leaded them through the maze of mushrooms. As they followed Thagovan, Gyviar noticed that the Forest was becoming more and more ... threatening. Even he had not travelled these parts before. They had to be on their guard.

After a long walk, they suddenly heard some noise in the distance; “Hey, let go of me. You beast, let me go!”. They fastened their pace and soon saw the source of the noise; a Khordaldrum man was being dragged into a strange shaped cave. They had reached the wall of the cavern.

"We go after him", Thagovan stated. The Khord called Arduin proposed that Thagovan and Gyviar went in first, covered by him and Niaou'li. Gyviar grabbed his spiked chain and whispered some enchantments over himself. "Sounds like a plan, brother". To his bat Fler he whispered; "Scout ahead, little one. But be careful."

(ooc: Gyviar casts the spell Barkskin over himself => +4 AC)

Into the tunnel they went, weapons drawn and eyes and ears open. It felt strange, exchanging the open and organic nature of the cave for a confined and straight darkness. But they were Khords, and subterranean creatures. The mountains were made for them to mine and explore. They abode underground, in darkness and silence. But the truth was that this tunnel was rather unsettling. It seemed formed by more than natural cause, and felt strangely alien, as if it was ancient and fresh at the same time.

Gyviar sent his bat to scout ahead. The fluttering of the animal’s wings made a noise that twistingly reverberated against the tight walls. After a few moments silence had reclaimed the tunnel and their own footfall and breathing were all that was audible.

“We should make haste.” Thagovan whispered. “We might catch up with that monster and free the boor bastard it dragged along.”
He hastened his pace and continued in silence.

Minutes passed, and the dark tunnel continued stoically. It went on straight, with only a few, very slight turns. Their experience and knowledge of the underground ways of the world told them that this tunnel was slowly ascending. They could hardly feel it on their feet, but they did notice.
After half an hour the fast beating of wings told them Fler was returning to them. Gyviar’s companion seemed rushed as it landed on the ranger’s shoulder. A few gazes were exchanged, and Fler uttered a short series of low shrieks. It was enough to tell Gyviar that the tunnel ended up ahead, and that there were people there.

With extra caution they went on. Gyviar’s companion had been right. The tunnel ended not fifteen minutes later, and with the end of the tunnel came an artificial glow. A flame was growing from the wall where the tunnel gave way to a cave. Opposing the flame was a bulging form in the wall, as if the stone had grown a rocky, cancerous bump.

Carefully they approached the form, only to note that it was one of their kin. A Khordaldrum head, bald as a molerat was sticking from a smooth, cocoon-like sack made of stone. It clung to the wall like a larvae in a bee-hive; body buried and face accessible. Whoever was buried there was alive, for they could hear him mumble. Only a few words sounded clear: Blue eye … find … otherhalf ….

A quick peak into the cave told them it was quite large, and its walls were filled with Khords in cocoons like the one they had found. Ankheg were swarming over the cocoons, seemingly tending to them.
It appeared they could enter the cave at ground level, for they could see it floor stretching out before them. And not too far away, protruding between a group of stalacmites, stood a single hand of stone, palm upwards as if ready to hold something.

Fler went on its way. After a few seconds, the silence returned. However, through the strong bond Gyviar had with the bat, Gyviar could feel the dismay and fear of the little creature. "Hold on", He thought. At least they would know when something dangerous would come on their way.

They kept on walking for about half an hour. The cave was a strange phenomenon. There was something both old and young about it. Ominous. All of a sudden, Gyviar felt a strong sensation in his spine. Fler had discovered something. After a few minutes, they heard the soft but distinguishable sound of the bat returning. Fler landed on Gyviars shoulder and began to shriek

"The tunnel ends about a mile up ahead", Gyviar told his companions. "And.. there seem to be people there."

They went on and after a while, they began to see the glow of the end of the tunnel. They arrived in a large cave. A quick glance revealed that the cave was completely swarmed with Ankheg, seemingly tending to strange bumps in the wall.

One of the stone bumps was right in front of them. A shock went through Gyviar when he realised that the bump was actually a Khord, imprisoned in some sort of stone cocoon. However, the Khord was still alive. Gyviar heard him muttering a few words; "Blue eye.. find.. otherhalf.." On their right hand side, there stood a single stone hand, palm upwards. "Kith-jora, what is going on here?" Gyviar asked himself, perhaps a little too loud.

He exchanged a look with his companions and then grabbed the hilt of his short sword, he gently tried to unhook the Khord from its stone prison, anxiously not to stir the Ankheg above them...

As Gyviar attempt to pry the cyst-like formation from the wall it bursts open, sending the captured khord sputtering and sprawling to the floor. He is completely hairless, and clad in black leather armor with a large and well-worn dwarven waraxe strapped to his back. Scars crisscross his face and several other places where his skin is visible. He is obviously no stranger to combat.

In that instant he seems markedly more awake and animated than he did only moments before. With the practiced movements of a trained warrior he rolled buck up to hist feet and had his sharp waraxe in his hand. He looks around wildly, waving his axe threateningly at everyone, ready to attack. Slowly the fog lifts from his eyes as he begins to realize where he is and who it is that is present nearby. He gently lowers his axe and eyes each member of the group carefully.

After a moment he extends a hand to Gyviar, accidentally flinging some of the cyst-slime that still covers him onto Gyviar's clothing. "Thanks for releasing me from that thing. The name is Dain. Now, who the hell are you all?"

The tunnel they were walking in did not seem to be formed by natural cause, a flame comes growing out of the wall... Niaou’li sensed a lot of magic.

The flame lit up the walls of the cave that the tunnel gave way to, and the group spotted a lot of rocky knobs, surrounded by more Ankhegs she had ever seen. They were swarming over the cocoons, the way a mother would protect her children. Maybe the cocoons were supposed to serve a higher goal for the monsters? Niaou’li focused on the bumps on the walls, trying to find out what they were exactly.

[OOC: Niaou’li performs a nature knowledge check]

A sound came out of one of the bumps: Blue eye … find … otherhalf …. Niaou’li noticed Gyviar grabbing his short sword, going for the bump the sound came from. Meanwhile she noticed the hand of stone, positioned as if it was supposed to hold something. The other half of the so-called “Blue eye” maybe?

Gyviar had finished his task and released the Khord that had been stuck inside of the cocoon. "Thanks for releasing me from that thing. The name is Dain. Now, who the hell are you all?" he said. Niaou’li stepped forward and introduced herself. I’m Niaou’li, these are my friends. We came to find out what is happening in the forest. Maybe you could tell us something more about what happened to you and about this “Blue eye” you were talking about?
EDIT: HTML...

"What blue eye? What are you talking about? Great. I've been rescued by a bunch of crazies. Just my luck..."

After a moment of mumbling to himself he speaks again.

"I was caught by a bunch of those huge bug things. I never thought they were that smart, but apparently I underestimated them. I did manage to take a few down before they grabbed me though."

He gazes at his axe admiringly, only now seeming to realize that it is as much covered by the slimy substance from the inside of the cyst as the rest of him. In as near to panic as a dwarf likely ever gets he jumps up and down and says: "I need a cloth! Something without all of this slime on it. Hurry!"

(assuming someone supplies such a cloth)

He gently wipes his axe clean and inspects it from blade to shaft.

"I suppose that'll do for now." He tosses the now slime covered cloth back to whomever it was that gave it to him.

"So... which way is out?"

Kharov had heard that the children went missing some time ago after the search parties had been already dispatched. He was traveling to the Spores of Itanlok to join in the celebrations after he had been relieved of his patrol duty, hoping for a strong brew of his favorite rum-root ale but all he got upon arrival were frantic Khords who were going on about strange wounds and children missing.

After asking who went out and how many he tried to follow the best he could after the largest search party, and soon found strange holes in the ground. He touched the earth and studied it, imagining the struggles that took place and where they were led off to, soon following reluctantly off of the beaten path into the looming mushroom forest.

By Kharox, this forest is almost as dense as my cousin Dunkarl! I hope it doesn't get to thick or I might even be able to squeeze through...
After what seemed like a half an hour of slowly progressing through oddly shaped mushroom foliage, Karov made it to a small clearing where the path of one set of spiked legs turned to what seemed like many. He questioned his sanity when he examined the ground and the many pock marks, until from above him he heard a hiss, and an Ankheg descended onto his back.

" Ah! You damned bug by Kharox's beard if you don't get off me my axe'll do it for you!"

He rolled over and pushed the Ankheg off as it bit at him with its hungry mandibles, and soon he was able to stand and get ground in between him and the beast. He drew his shield and axe, ready to fight the bug til death.

"You must be what has been taking all o' the children. If any have fallen to your kind, I'll make sure ten more of you are cracked like an egg over my axe!"

With his battle under way he charged in, ready to either kill or be killed. He and the Ankheg traded dodges, parries, and blows until he finally cleaved the head in two with a mighty swing and the beast fell at his feet. Karov smiled and sheathed his axe and shield ready to continue, until two more Ankhegs burst from the shadows and dragged him down...

It wasn't till what seemed like a life time later that Karov woke up, and he was being dragged by an Ankheg down a long tunnel. The insect didn't know he was awake, but he could see other Ankhegs crawling around him so he decided to play unconscious until he found his final destination.

Twenty minutes later the Ankheg dropped Karov off into a cave, where many more insects were tending to these bumps on the walls. He had never seen anything like this before, and to his luck the Ankheg had skittered off to help another with one of the bumps. Without a moments notice he had jumped to hit feet and dove between two boulders that were holding each other up. He was hiding in a divot beneath the two rocks, trying to stay out of sight of the many Ankheg that are all over the walls.

Karov, how are you going to get out of this one? Who knows what those lumps are and only Kharox knows how many Ankheg are up there ready to pounce if I run down that tunnel! I might as well wait it out, sooner or later something has to happen...
Thirty minutes passed and all he could succeed at doing was pushing back the Ankheg chatter as dull noise, which was probably the reason why Karov heard them before he had seen them. Four Khords walked into the big cave, and seemed just as awe-struck as he was when he had seen the Ankheg infested cave. No matter their appearance, they were a welcome sight compared to these bugs and mushrooms.

He had noticed that they Ankhegs seemed to preoccupied with the lumps to notice them, so he started to crawl his way out to meet the group. He stood up thirty feet away from them out from beneath two large rocks, and made his way over.

Karov was clad in full plate, a large shield, an intricately designed war axe with blue gems worked into it, and his black hair pulled back tight with his beard braided into one large braid. His beard had two silver clasps sealing the braid together, one at the top and the other at the bottom like a cap, covering the ends that would usually stick out. His crossbow swayed front to back and his backpack jiggled with a slight weight as he stepped towards the group, all the while smiling just to see another Khord alive in here.

He met the group and gave a slight bow.

" My names Karov, I'm happy to see other Khords have made it passed the Ankhegs. I've been trying to find out what has been happening to the children here, and I ended up drug into this cave. I'm assuming your here for the same cause, so I would ask if I would be able to join you. I know it is all sudden and we just met, but I don't think time is a factor that is on our side."

"Well... it seems khords are just coming out of the stonework like roots. One group mumbling something about a blue rock, another appearing out of thin air in a cavern infested with bugs. Questionable if you ask me."

He still has his large ax in hand, and the slime covering him keeps anyone from telling much else about his appearance besides his lack of any visible hair.

He looks down at himself for a moment.

"Baah. I need a bath to get this wretched filth off o' me."

Karov looks at the dwarf with no hair on his body and stares at the beardless chin. He only knew of a few ways that dwarves lost their beards, and shaved and exiled comes to the forefront of his mind. Keeping this to himself right now is probably the best thing to do though, so he doesn't mention anything of it. But later he will most likely burst with curiosity and ask how he lost it.

" Well, having Khords come at you from all over is better than finding them dead with Ankhegs swarming on their corpses. You should be happy that there are survivors... if we act fast we probably can find more before these wretched Ankhegs get to 'em all."

"True enough... what did you say your name was? Korav? Hmm..." He looks around, only now seeming to notice the number of bugs in the area. He lowers his voice noticeably.

"Well, I obviously don't know how I got in here or where I am, but since you all have made it here on your own I'll assume you do. So? What's the plan?

Thagovan had been quiet up to now. He had stepped up to prevent Gyviar from prying away the cast that had kept Dain cocooned into the wall, but the ranger had been too fast. When introductions had been made he had motioned for all of them to keep their voices down, and when Karov entered their group he had initially reached for his weapon. It was clear that he was not feeling comfortable with what was happening, and he was not trying to hide the fact that he despised the Khord they had recently freed.

“Well, I obviously don't know how I got in here or where I am, but since you all have made it here on your own I'll assume you do. So? What's the plan?” Dain asked.

Thagovan’s bubble burst. In a voice hushed, but full of fire he spat: “What’s the plan? The plan is to keep your balding tongue. We are here on a mission to rescue missing children and discover a hive of ankheg tending to hundreds of our kin. If we make too much sound, I’m sure they won’t mind fetching up a few more where we stand, you outcast!”

He turned to the others, ignoring the fact that Dain had already lowered his voice, and whispers: “We need to keep going, and see if we can find out what is happening here. I want to free all our brothers and sisters as much as you all do, but if we pop one more of their captives, I’m sure they’re going to notice.”

Directing himself to Gyviar in particular he adds under his breath: “And why did you have to free the bald one? He’s probably not bald for his heroic nature.”

He eyes Karov and starts to speak when all of a sudden a multitude of voices starts to speak. Words echo through the cave and reach the tunnel they are standing in, spoken by hundreds of Khordaldrum men and women in a monotonous drone: “Find the Otherhalf”.

The sentence is repeated over and over again. It reverberates against the walls and swells and intensifies, though the voices stay ever so absent-minded.
Within the mindless chant they notice movement on the cave’s floor. A single ankheg is dragging a Khordaldrum woman towards the stone hand. It places her on top of it, and returns to the walls.

For a moment nothing happens. The chanting continues, and the woman is laying there.

Then the stone hand starts to close. The fingers engulf the woman, and the hand slowly starts to descend into the stone floor of the cave, melting with the material as if it were water. In a minute or two, the woman will be gone.

(OOC: Time to act. Make up your mind and consider the consequences.
As for Thagovan reacting so rudely, please excuse me for that. It is considered a grand shame for a Khord to be bald. It is a sign of shame, exile or anything else that is bad in Khordaldrum society. Steelight, please don’t take this personally. In fact, I’m quite sure you saw this coming. )

Dain hears the comment spoken about him. “And why did you have to free the bald one? He’s probably not bald for his heroic nature.”

With a smirk on his face he says: "Well, I'm glad my so-called rescuers are in such a cheery disposition. And at least I can speak directly to them. Strange how that works isn't it? So just how much do you want to save them hmm?"

He nods to the sinking Khord on the stone hand.

"It seems to me, that by freeing these others, we create an army of our own. If you can stand the stink of it o righteous one." he whispers over his shoulder to Thag as he hefts his ax and begins moving towards the quickly sinking khord, seemingly intent on battle.

Niaou´li witnessed the little argument between Thagovan and Dain. She was in doubt, wondering whether to save the woman that was placed onto the stone hand, luring a lot of angry Ankheg to them, or to go and find the so-called “Otherhalf” all the Khords were chanting about, most probably sacrificing the woman’s life..

"It seems to me, that by freeing these others, we create an army of our own. If you can stand the stink of it o righteous one.", she heard Dain whispering. Immediately he began moving towards the stone hand, ready to attack anything that stood in his way. Stop! , Niaou’li whispered. You better be more careful, if you don’t want all of us to end up in that.. thing.. as well. Maybe we should consider the consequences, what if we all die? Then there would be no hope left for our brethren. She turned to the others of the group, proclaiming: I say we try to find out what this Otherhalf is, and thereby maybe saving a lot more Khords.

"Thanks for the tip. You go ahead and do that. Or perhaps you could break open more of those puss-fill nodules and help those we can help now."

He turns back and continues towards the altar.

"And at least I'm not arrogant enough to think that we might be the last hope for the race. Bah!" He waves off the group and continues forward.