Discoveries

Gylwics 18th Dyarr YT330

The room was long and narrow. Down the centre were cages. Iron bars fixed into floor and ceiling surrounded small square areas of flagstone with pitiful collections of rags and the bones of the previous occupants. Some were animal skeletons but some were human or human-like. Father Nicolai went into each cell and reverently gathered and wrapped for burial the humanoid remains.

As he entered the last cage a creature leapt from concealment beneath a pile of rags. The speed with which it moved was alarming. It could have easily sprung on Nicolai but instead chose to rush past him out of the cage. Before Olorin could ready his axe the beast was swiftly past him and had disappeared through the arch into the cavern beyond. The animal reminded Olorin of the small tree creatures in the forests of Surt Tzingi. But this was much, much bigger. Perhaps more than an ell in length!

When they chose to explore the caverns themselves they discovered some large caves sloping slightly downwards. In the second cave they made several interesting finds.

The first was a floor with shallow pools and rivulets of slime. They gathered round and peered at it. They prodded and poked it. They dropped pebbles and dried meat in it. Finally they agreed that it was thick and sticky and that it stuck to a stick. But their considerations did not prevent Hamec and Vojeslaw from slipping on the stuff or keep their boots clean of the slime as they picked their way through.

A large growth of fungi was the next to be examined. Ochre, russet and verdigris coloured growth covered a large area. Brimstone picked some smaller examples of each type and pocketed them.

Large areas of the floor seemed to be covered in some form of growth which swayed slightly but they did not examine this as closely and chose to keep as far as they could from this. Perhaps not far enough.

Although they did not explore the whole cavern they did find a speleothem column, a pile of large boulders and two exits. Both were narrow. One appeared to be a natural formation, twisted like a shepherds prop. The other was straight as a die and led downwards beyond their sight with steep flights of steps and level passages alternating.