Treasure in the Dark II - RPLOG
Participants
Date
3/9/477
Log
The darkness of the undertunnels and Grand Karst is almost absolute, but a small camp is set up by the edge of a great, subterranean lake, festooned with all sorts of lanterns to keep the darkness at bay.
"No one is coming Marcuss!" One of the two figures at the campfire mutters, "After that one guy lost his leg last time? Why would anyone in their right minds show up!"
"Shut it, David," the other says, "It hasn't been three hours since we made the posting! I'm sure they will be along soon."
Thelergramor makes his way toward the camp; hands in his pockets and moving slowly. Remembering how jumpy the sparrows were that other time... When they shot him... The wolf calls out to them as he approaches: "Hey! I'm back. Don't shoot me."
"Hey, hey... Why always the doubt? It seems like every time I've been around, you're doubting that anyone is coming." Cassidy slinks along the dark path, hands tucked away in the pockets of her dark red tailcoat, her grand cape trailing behind her as she peers around. "Though I'm surprised to be back here again," she says, withdrawing one of her gloved hands to adjust the porcelain mask on her face.
The nurse shark makes her way to the Undertunnels, shuddering at her earlier experiences with the Creator Machines down there. She notes the gathering at the fire, hoping this is the right spot. She clutches her coat around her more, taking comfort in the oilskin's protection.
A female salamander moved toward the Undertunnels, toward the camp. Wearing a white and brown robe, and her hood on her head. Cythim ready her mind against whatever creatures may be lurking around before joining the others at the fireplace, saying nothing for the time being. Also her left hand is softly glowing with a light yellow color.
It felt good to spread her wings again after such a long stay in that dark dungeon. Angel wasn't entirely happy, but work was work. After a flight to the general area, it was a walk to where the sign had said the pair in question would be. Arriving at the lanterns, she shakes herself a bit, ruffling her feathers, looking at the arguing pair, then around to the others, "Saw your posting, what are the specifics, and can you afford my aid?" She asks, eyes never seeming to settling on any one person for long, tail flicking behind her. Her armor and clothes look very tight on her over all, though, should she assume her birth form vs her sacred family's, her clothes and armor would probably look very loose. She spreads her wings a moment, stretching a bit more before folding them once more behind her.
"See, David!" Marcuss says triumphantly, "You're always too eager to leave!" The sparrows rise from their seats by the campfire and welcome the Freeswords into the little circle of light. "Glad you made it!" he says, "No trouble along the way, I hope? Good!" The sparrow takes up a lantern and passes one to his brother. "This way!" he says, leading the group to the edge of the water and out across a narrow walk way. "This place is only accessible for a few days each month," he says, carefully teetering along the almost submerged walkway, "As some of you may remember. Now that first treasure room was really something, but we think that there is a lot more where that came from."
As the group comes to the end of the path, they find that a long board has been set up between the winding stone walkway and a nearby cavernous opening. "We just want you to delve a little deeper," David finally chimes in, "And you get a cut of whatever you find down there."
Thelergramor rubs at his mask, shrugs at the sparrows. "Well, we're doing the work. So, getting a cut; we'd better, yeah?" A small chuckle at his rhetorical question. The wolf looks over the group; noting who else is around before looking at the board. "Anyone want to go first, or should I?" Not immediately throwing himself to the front; strange.
Cassidy folds her hands behind her back and stands properly upright, humming. "Yes, a cut is fine and all. I just like the exploring and the fun that we are certain to find. But rewards are nice, as well," she says, glancing around. Seems like Natsksa wouldn't be joining them today. A fact that brought a little frown to the face behind the smiling porcelain mask. "Ah well," she murmurs as she gestures ahead. "If anyone would like to, by all means. I am not a very good person to put on point."
Cirra tilts her head, listening intently. Are they hiding something from her that she should know about? it's impossible for her to tell what, though, so she just follows along, staying silent. She herself would not be good for point.
Cythim looks at the duo then at the others folks at the camp, remembering who's there in the group. Following the group in the tunnels, she slowly adapt the luminosity of her hand, becoming like a living lantern, without having to grab one around. Looking at the board, she approach her arm from a safe distance, trying to spot anything under the water. Then asks, "So... we jump in, get the loot and share among everyone? Sounds good. But i'm not going first. I'm not quite well suited for that...".
Angel blinks. "A cut of what we find... I'll give you the benifit of the doubt this time." She says, looking at the water. She looks about the lit cave, using her keen eyes to take in all she can before changing back into her wolf self. She shouldn't need flight in here, and sharp eyes would be trumped by mobility. "If the rest of you are too afraid, then I suppose that leaves me." She says, looking out over the water, "Which direction? In the lake? Point the way." She says. Thinking about it, she decides a change in her skills would be useful, digging through her pack a moment to switch her gems.
"Well!" cries Marcuss, "Off you go then! Best of luck and all that!" The two sparrows give the group a cheery wave, then hurry off back along the trail, taking their lanterns with them.
For those who were here for the last excursion, not much has changed in the large entrance chamber. It is still submerged ankle deep in water trickling from the two blocked tunnels on the right and the left, and flowing in little swirls and eddies down the central tunnel just ahead. The walls were once covered in what must have been a beautiful relief, but now it has been reduced to nothing but pitted and scarred stone. While Cythim's bioluminescent hand helps to keep the darkness at bay, it does little to light the tunnel ahead as it slopes down into darkness.
Thelergramor smiles when he sees the room again, remembering the water that surged through last time. "Right. The open passage; last time, it had a, uh, 'trap', if you will. Dropped a waterfall on our heads and washed us into the next room. Might want to watch for that." The wolf chuckles again; should probably be more worried considering he lost half his leg last time he was here... Thel points to where the floor tiles that looked 'off' are, pointing them out to the rest.
Cassidy brings her hand up to conjure a small orb of flame, using it to provide further light in the room. "Try not to lose your other today, hmm, Thel? I don't believe we have our healers with us. I can cauteraize a wound in an emergency, but there's little else I can do." She shuffles along, folding her hands behind her back once more as she takes in the room. "And hopefully we won't trigger anymore traps this time."
At talk of a waterfall Cirra smirks, knowing that her own abilities would help her in such a situation. She doesn't actually laugh, as she can't, and her lack of noise is probably a mite unnerving. She follows those ahead of her.
Angel twitches her ears at the word of traps. She slincks a little lower to the ground, turning her head this way and that as the stalks through the tunnel. Trying to stay mostly unobserved as well as looking for anything that didn't seem to jive with the rest would be a bit daunting, but a light foot and being attentive could go a long way. Even if she was 'point' that didn't mean she had to be stupid about things. Rather see or hear something before it knew she was there, find something before it could find her, be it a trap or a being.
Avoiding the trapped tiles is quite simple after Thelergramor points them out and the group is able to traverse the sloping tunnel without difficulty. The place is really rather remarkable! Fine stonework is evident in the square passageway wide enough for three being to walk side by side. These walls too were once etched and engraved, though the wear of time and water have effaced whatever meaning these carvings may have once had. Along the walls, every 10 paces or so is some sort of statue. It is hard to say if they were all identical once. Now they are simply malformed lumps of pocked stone that cast eerie shadows in the light from Cassidy's fire. And there, just ahead, is a branching tunnel! No surprise that the last group had missed this, being swept away as they had!
A chill beeze proceeds Natska as the jaguar sprints to catch up to the group, taking the long tunnel in a pair of air-bouyed bounds. She lands just behind Cassidy and grins from behind her black domino mask, then gives the others an elaborate bow before she straightens up, ears perked. "Sorry I am late, I had things to deal with before I could get away," she says quietly. "I remember this place... I hope we don't run into another one of those things."
Thelergramor walks down the passage; not in the front, but immediately behind the one on point. He gestures to the other passage, which, he believes might be worth going down. But, before mentioning that, he turns to Natska. "Better late than never, yeah? And if we see another of those... Serpents... we'll kill it. Maybe, it'll choke on my other leg." A small chuckle, before he continues: "Uh, bad joke. Anyway, another passage. Go through there, or, all the way down to that... water filled pit? Or whatever it was."
Cassidy brightens at Natska's appearance, but she resist the urge to turn around and embrace her. Not while exploring! "I see you decided to get a mask after all! Very nice, dear. Looks wonderful. And yes, I am glad you could make it!" She turns her attention down the branching tunnel, then, and hums. "Well. We didn't get a chance to go that way before, yeah? Worth a try!"
Cirra waves to Cassidy and Natska, remembering them from the last time she saw Jera in town. She blinks at the branching tunnel, wondering what was down the other way that the others are noticing.
Cythim simply waves to Natska too, prefering to focus on what she thinks as important for the given task. Then having moved down through the water, she couldn't be helped but notice something wrong about Thelergramor. "Hey Thel... You'd mind to tells me what happened?!, trying to tune down her voice for not giving the group away, while she looked around for whenever the passages may be.
Angel looks over the tunnel, then back to the others. Seemes they were interested in this one. Well, that was reason enough to be interested herself. Looking around first, she carefully steps toward the tunnel, using what light she has to see if anything it out of the ordinary. She flicks her ears a moment, trying to hear through the talking behind her. She wasn't going to make a sound herself, but she had numberous ways to communicate that didn't involve any sound.
This tunnel seems less worn than the last. Water still swirls around everyone's ankles, but the worn walls seem less scarred and pitted, though the carvings are still so worn as to be indecipherable. Perhaps this smaller tunnel did not have so much water flowing through it. Or maybe it was built of hardier stuff. One thing is certainly evident. This was no creator made tunnel, nor does it seem to be of modern make. Not with all of that ancient scarring. Maybe it really was from before the Arrival!
While the main tunnel sloped gently downward, this one is level. Interesting that the water still flows as swiftly as it does. There must be a source up ahead. And speaking of ahead. . .
As the groups round a corner, they come upon an open room! The walls are etched and carved in a manner similar to the rest of the ruin, only they are much more intelligible. Perhaps they bear some looking into. In the center of the room is a raised dais, and in the center of the dais is some sort of statue. It is a little worn, but it appears to be some sort of beast with seven heads and seven long, serpentine tails. From the base of the statue bubbles a fountain of clear, dark water.
Thelergramor scratches at his neck, taking a moment to look around. Notices something worth mentioning: "Over by the dais; a stone. Doesn't look right. And, no, I'm not going to throw my axe at it this time. Unless you want me to." The wolf keeps his distance from it; in his mind, it is quite ppossible that it extends further towards the group somehow. As for the markings on the walls, the wolf isn't sure they're safe enough to approach. Thel scowls at the statue; looks like the thing that tore off his leg. Possibly.
Cassidy was thankful to be wearing her skirt today. She hated getting her pants wet from such things. As is, she afforded the water on the floor little mind as she glances around the place, humming softly to herself as she keeps her light going. "What do you make of that?" She asks, gesturing towards the slightly raised stone by the dais that Thel had pointed out. "Looks a little out of place, yes."
Cirra blinks, a bit confused and trying to signal to the others. <The well is connected to a huge supply of water. It's deeper than we currently are!> She signs frantically, hoping at least one of the others will understand her.
Cythim notices that Cirra is trying to says something but doesn't understand anything aside that she was talking of the water. Then asks to no-one in particuliar, "Uh... Someone know what she's saying...?". Then focus back on the fountain and the statue. "I wonder why this statue is here... It's creepy...".
Well, a deep fountain, in what was once a sewer, or a branch off of a sewer, that was here before the sewer was. Or after. The make was odd that was for sure. Angel looks around for a bit of rock, but doesn't find any, an of center statue, that everyone was quick to want to check out. She is thankful for someone using silent communication, wonders a moment if there were any about who could hear thinking talk as well, as she liked to call it anyway. Her eyes glance over Thelergramor a few times, hovering over him as she licks her lips. After that glance was done, she walks toward the statue, it deserved a closer inspection, trying to be ready to move fast if she needed to.
Natska follows the others into the room, feet swishing as she moves through the water. The carvings on the hallway walls elict a closer look, followed by a disappointed sigh... but then they enter the larger room. She glances around quickly and then nods her head as someone moves towards the statue; she stays near one of the walls instead, starting to follow it around the room as she inspects the carved mural for a sign of who may have put this here, and who they were.
The carvings on the walls seem to be crude depictions of scenes from every day life, as well as some sort of pictograph language. But there were definitely some scenes of people, depicted as rough, squiggly shapes, erecting buildings, working with some of the strange animals native to Promise, and in one picture, even making supplication before an image like the statue on the room's central plinth.
As more of the room is exposed to Cythim and Cassidy's lights, it appears to be empty of anything save the wall carvings and the awful statue in the center of the room. The statue is surprisingly well preserved with a level of detail that is unmatched so far in these ruins. Seven horrible, eyeless, tooth filled heads on long, serpentine necks rise from a twisting, lumpy mass of a body that bears two flipper like appendages and gives way to seven writhing tails. The thing is well made, if awful to look at. The central head of the thing has one eye, a glittering purple jewel the size of a small being's fist.
Thelergramor translates what Cirra is saying to the rest. "If anyone didn't get that... The water in the fountain is deep. Really deep. Or, extremely shallow. I'm not the best with sign language..." The wolf keeps an eye on the stone jutting near the statue; tries to stay as far from it as possible as he approaches the statue. "The, uh, the gem... I'm going to take it..." Taking the bayonet from his musket, Thel attempts to pry out the gem... Of course, should anyone want to stop him, they have time...
Cassidy narrows her eyes at Thel. Deep water? Oh no, she knew where that was going and she was having none of it! Kicking up a bit of air magic, she pulls herself to hover over the surface of the water, looking unamused. She doesn't yet move to stop Thel, though. She was sort of curious what would happen, though she does turn a look to Natska. "Careful," she warns.
Cirra is being careful, which is why she wishes she had left the oilskin somewhere safe. For now, the nurse shark tightens the straps to make it less flowy, revealing her figure a bit. She then climbs over the edge and into the water, hoping to use her magic and swimming ability to make herself better able to avoid danger
As Thelergramor is trying to pry the gem out, Cythim says, "Thel! No! Let me do it instead... i may be more suited for that.". Ignoring her fears and potentially some common sense, she goes into the water before climbing the statue herself, her hand glowing more brigthly before softly stopping Thelergramor and tries to pry it out herself.
Angel nods a bit, watching Thele going for the statue. Angel decides it is best to back away, toward the exit, and maybe get herself off the ground a bit as well, using her own air magics to get herself up a bit. And ready to start flying her way back out if her ears or eyes find something she didn't like about this.
Natska shoots Cassidy a grin at her love's warning, then steps up into the air as well before she continues along the wall, studying the squiggles of ancient... well, not Beings... "The Ancient Ones worshipped the snake thing. Or something like it," she comments. "This room... it reminds me of the ruins in Serenfall. What do you think Ser'ther would say about this place?" she muses, ears flicking.
As Thelergramor and Cythim work at the statue, the wolf finally manages to pry the gem loose from its statuary casing! Suddenly there is a rumbling of stone on stone and the statue itself begins to sink into the fountain! Meanwhile, with a resounding CRASH the door to the room is sealed by a smooth expanse of stone! If they had not just entered through it, the group might never have known there was a door there at all! Then the water starts to rise. . .
Cirra finds the water to be quite cold. The sun probably does not get down here much. There seems to be no bottom to the fountain, though it is hard to tell without a powerful light. And the shark will need to dive or get out soon, as the spreading statue is sinking right above her head!
Thelergramor drops the gem into one of his belt pouches, then jumps back from the now sinking statue. Seems Cythims attempts to stop him were overlooked. The status is likely displacing the water, making it rise. Though it is possible that the water is being brought in from somewhere. A quick observation. "...Damn." As the door shuts, Thel looks for some other way out of here, and notices Cirra is gone. Which, is a problem. "Anyone see the mute one? Or a way out?" The wolf tries not to panic; it's only water.
Cassidy looks down at the water, frowning. She expected it to drain, not to flood the place with more. "Well, this is bothersome." She turns a look towards Natska again, eyeing the walls over. "I'm not sure. But we'd best come up with something soon, before we end up trapped down here and drown! Of all the ways to die, I'd rather it not be because I got stuck in a flooded room."
Cirra admittedly DID expect the water to fill up the place, though she's admittedly surprised she isn't ejected into the room. She does take the opportunity to leave the fountain and try to cast water breathing on the party, one of her signature spells.
Cythim starts to feels fear into her mind as the statue suddenly went down. Holding herself best as she can on the statue, she looks around to see if she can jump on a more solid ground. "Aaaah! Nooo! I'm too young to die...", as she frantically search around for clues of getting out.
Well, this was troublesome. Angel knew it was coming too, but didn't expect the stone door to close that fast. And still stiff from her days in captivity. "You! Put that thing back in there!" She says as she presses her sount to te stone door. Once Cirra is out, she thinks quick, "Someone with command over water math freeze that, I'd rather be cold than drown. Next, if rock can move itself, it may be moveable by us, do we have someone with knowledge over earth math?" She asks, feeling under the water to try and see if she can catch a seam. Then again, she did doubt she was that lucky.
Natska perks her ears and turns towards the fountain as it begins to sink. She giggles, tail swishing. "Are you sure, Cass? I remember how Thel reacted to having the air pumped out on him, I bet he's looking forward to it," she replies as she begins running through the opening equations of a spell. She holds it until Cirra reappears, mindful of the silent shark, but once she is out of the fountain Natska completes her mathemagical working, attempting to form a plug of ice below the sinking statue.
Natska adds a glance over at Angel and a small snort, but then she smiles. "Just find us a way out, please?"
Water continues to gush from the fountain as the statue vanishes beneath the surface. The water from the fountain grows even more chill as Natska applies her water magic, but it seems to be flowing to fast to stop! After a tense moment where the only sound to be heard is the bubbling and swirling of water and the tense clamor of the beings in the room, there is a sudden, low thrumming that seems to come from the very walls! What could it mean? What was going on here!
Thelergramor frowns, though he chuckles nervously at Cassidy and Natskas comments. "We'll be fine... Probably." The wolf looks around the room; not seeing anything useful. Heading back to the statue, the wolf takes the gem back out and tries to replace it, at the behest of Angel.
Cassidy folds her arms and frowns, looking at the statue as it sinks below the surface. "Should... If we can't find a way out, perhaps we should try to see if we can swim through to the source? Maybe we can find a way out on that end? Assuming we can even fit..." The water certainly doesn't seem to be stopping as is! "I'd try to blast down a door, but I'm not sure how much luck I'd have."
Comfortable in the water and not panicking like the rest, Cirra swims over to the others. She signs as best she can. <The lower passage is very deep, if someone could help me with the water breathing, I could possibly get us out of here.>
Seeing that the statue lowered down enough, Cythim jumped out to stand down on the floor, or at least she tries to. "Anyone was a clever idea to get us out of there? ... Even a stupid one actually?!". As she tries to calm down, her light slowly start to spread through from her hand toward her whole body, better wanting to see than not.
Angel nods to Cirra, <Right, water math isn't my cup of tea, but I'll ask.> "Hey! Our silent partner thinks she sees a way out under the water, says it is deep though and needs a hand making sure we don't all drown trying to get there." She says, "No seams in the wall here, so unless we have someone who is as a machine spirit when it comes to movin rocks, don't think that will work." She gets ready to get wet, grumbling a bit, and wishing her clothes were as water resistant as the rest of her. Waiting for the mathmaticians to do their things before jumping in herself.
Natska growls as her chunk of ice flows out of the fountain, then takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. Her expression vanishes, face as neutral as her small mask, and she nods. "I can help, yes. Let's move quickly, then. Cirra, can you lead the way? I can try to help push us with a current, too, but I am not at home under the water."
There is a splash and the sound of grating stone as Cythim inadvertently leaps onto the switch before the dais. There is another loud THRUM of sound and the far wall behind the dais begins to glow before is fades into transparency! Truly strange and wonderful magic is at work here. Through the now transparent wall, a light begins to shine, illuminating the room and the expanse outside and shining up from the well below. That light is enough for Thelergramor to slip the gem back home into it's place, but it does not seem to illicit any reaction. The statue continues to slip away, revealing a great expanse of water! Looks like with that water magic help, this could be a way out!
Seeing that the stone being replaced made no difference, Thel again tries to pull it back out; breathing easily in the water from someone with magic going around. Whether or not he's successful, the wolf looks for the others, waits for them. Noting the possible exit, and unable to communicate through the water, he waits for the rest of the group..
Cassidy glances over at the transparent wall and floats her way over to it to try to poke at the space. "Well that's... Uh. Interesting? Well! We have our way out... I think? Unless this is a trick of some sort!"
The Nurse Shark also heads to the transparent section looking to move through it and too the light, knowing that she can't keep her friends breathing the water forever. She tries to make sure she can pass through before leading the others.
With the aid of a pair of math users, swimming gets much easer. Angel looks at the wall there, see through? Well, that was something to take note of, and perhaps forcing someone to stay behind wouldn't be a bad idea either. She looks to her compansions, and it is that other wolf that really started all this mess. See a shiny, pick it up! But now wasn't the time to deal with that. She just keeps swimming until she finds a place to resurface.
Cythim notices the wall became transparent like as the bright light passed through it. Being familiar with lights, she doesn't mind it much and tries to ignore it. Following Cirra lead, she goes down the fountain to whatever lies ahead.
"Alright, people. Bath time," Natska comments, standing at the edge of the fountain-well and motioning for the others to come. Then she goes down into the water, waiting for the others so she can help push them along.
As the party dives, they find that the whole underwater area is well lit. And what an eye-popping sight it is! The group seems to be at the bottom of the underground lake and before them lies an expansive sunken temple! Minarets peek up between seaweed and the strange, blind fish of the lake circle around statuary and displays of riches that most beings could only imagine!
The construct behind them gives off another THRUM! Only here in the water, it sounds more like the call of one of those leviathans from the ocean! From somewhere beyond the reach of the light, an answering call sounds. Maybe it would be best to get out of here quickly.
Thelergramor managed to retrieve the gem before moving with the rest of the group. The sounds of leviathan, thy don't fill him with much confidence. No dread either, however. The wolf shove the gem into one of his belt pouches; looking over the area. Surprised by how well lit it is, Thel takes in the sight; glares at the fish. Is reminded that he is hungry... Stays with the group, not knowing where he should go.
Cassidy was disappointed to see that the wall was still there! But she wasn't about to be left behind, and while she hated being so set... She dives down through the water all the same, following the others out into the expanse, clutching her hat tightly so that she didn't lose it. Casting her eyes out towards the answering call, she starts to look around for any way to get out. She certainly didn't fancy a water battle.
Cirra blinks, shivering a bit as she hears the Leviathans. It's hard to tell if it's fear or amazement. She looks for a way out as well, hoping to use water magic to search for an escape route.
Cythim mind went crazy when she heard the Leviathan's roar through the water. She weakly says, "Uh oh... I don't like the meaning of this...". She get her hand on her back and grabbing her spear, she prepare it for an upcoming fight. "Here we go again... i guess...".
Quite the swim, though Angel was slightly adapted for it. She sometimes wondered if her feet and hands were webbed. Looking over at the underwater city? And... things walking around... swimming around? Listening and hearing something she did not like she wonders if this was going to get even more unwonderful. Fighting underwater would not be fun. She looks over toward Cirra, at this point she seemed the best suited, though carefully commiting what she was seeing to memory. This could all be useful someday, or at least valuable information for trade.
The water breathing spell always threw Natska for a loop, and she spends a moment forcing herself to stop holding her breath. The cold, on the other hand, seems trivial to the jaguar and she floats in the water surveying the temple as she waits for Cirra to take the lead. Once the group begins moving, she gathers a current to help them along.
The light of the statue room begins to fade, the abyssal darkness returning to the subterranean lake. Just as the light fades, leaving the group in the murky darkness alleviated only by the gentle glow of Cythim's bioluminescence, something massive seems to shift in the darkness. There is a huge rumble of sound, as if a Leviathan learned to speak gibberish.
"LAKAT NA KAMO NGA NAKAKADTO IYA SA PINAKADULUM NAKON! DI RYA SA PAGTANAW MO! INI ANG MGA BAGAY NGA DI MAEUBTON IT MGA ISIP KAANGID KINYO! GUA NA! IBILIN ANG PAGDULUM SA PAGDULUM
The ringing voice means nothing to anyone, but its tone makes it evident that it is time to get out of the water!
Thelergramor blinks, growing slightly afraid before remembering: 'It's alive, it can be killed. Nothing to be afraid of.' But, instead of going off to try to kill the leviathan, Thel follows the others to surface and get the hell out of there.
Cassidy gives a flick of her ears and starts for the surface without a moment of hesitation, going with the current. Nope. Her fire magic wasn't going to work very well under the water, nor would shooting or throwing things. And she sure wasn't about to try to stab it.
Cirra finds a current flow heading towards the surface and swims towards it in the strange, undulating form of her species, leading the way towards the surface above, not wanting to fight a second leviathan any time soon.
Cythim is dragged along, gripping her spear painfully, but not wanting to fight some big fish again. Especially since she feels like a huge bait in the water with all her light.
Angel looks over to Thele, then off toward the sounds, then back to Thele. Or maybe Cythim... It might be fun to fight this thing, but she wasn't being paid to do it... she was hardly being paid at all. To the surface, that is the best. Once she is out in the open, she can mearly fly away, circle back to the entrance and walk back that way. Assuming this lead to the open... she looks to her claws a moment, a bit dissatisfied.
Natska quietly follows behind the group, letting her water magic carry her along and back up towards the surface, careful to make sure nobody is left behind.
The group makes it to the surface with no trouble, only the looming sense that there is something watching along with the occasional flash of movement in the water. Probably just fish. Probably. Once everyone is at the surface, the distant light of the campfire is easy to spot. Looks like the only profit from this trip was the strange gem that Thelergramor lifted from that statue. And one big shiny new mystery from down in the depths.