I. c. Into the Depths

Valisday, 5803 Suncrest 26

From deep within the Kingswood Forest, surrounded by trees filled with whispers of ancient knowledge, you opened one of the huge, heavy stone doors, revealing a dark set of stairs carved from the stone and earth. Realizing there was no way of working a wagon down stairs, even if it wasn't into the unknown, and that leaving it out in the open was just was less than optimistic, you decided to bury the wagon, using Tort's skill. Once it was finally buried though the mound did give it away), your troupe worked their way slowly inside.

About twenty feet in, the realization that you, in fact, had no idea what was awaiting you past the next twenty feet of blackness and were already, some of you, exhausted, you made time for a short rest. Some time later, as you are making your way down, down, and farther down, Ash's tail is stepped on one too many times for her to notice something is off with Tort. Not mentioning anything, she lit a torch to prevent any further pain.

The stairs finally run out and in the dim light of your torches, you find yourselves in a long, smooth earthen tunnel that continued its way even further down. After what may have been an hour, or three, because who knew, in this dark place, the smooth stone walls turned rough and the scents of petrichor and deep mushrooms filled the air.

Now weary with every step as each tunnel offers more options, you are surprised little when you stumble across a few kobolds. The surprise awaited you around the corner, where you were confronted with a swarm of kobolds in their nest. Vaelin's knowledge of the wild brought about quick thinking, as he tossed 15 silver over his shoulder, hoping the creatures would take the bait. With some follow-through from the rest of you, the kobolds were paid off as you slipped pasted them. Ash, also had her own knowledge of the wild, and made them an offering of dried meat from her rations.

Further down and farther in, laid a massive cavern with strange, emanating lights that gave evidence to giant egg sacs and silhouetted the bodies of giant arachnids as they slipped their way down from the ceiling. In the fastest decision you've made as a collective, you high-tailed it out of there, once more surprising the kobolds, throwing more coin to them before they have time to react.

When you were once more out depths, you found yourselves back in Kingswood Forest and facing sunset. With as much skill as he possessed, Tort quickly removed the wagon from their hiding spot, but not in time to beat the setting sun.

Deciding to stay at the door site for the evening, Ash and Boran left to hunt, with Ash returning victorious, a turkey in hand. Vaelin gutted and cooked the foul while Max polished his weapons in the firelight. Tort was the first to bed, immediately packing it in, and skipping dinner entirely.

As Max finished off his rest, Tort took a stroll to scratch himself on trees, Ash made a perimeter check talking to no one, and Vaelin and Boran took watch. Ash, in her perimeter check, had a mind to go back to where they had befell the wagon, and managed to locate not only a tasty blueberry bush, but the now utterly tangled horses that had been hitched to the wagon. Returning to camp, she shared her find of blueberries and revealed her greater find. Now, with bellies full and daylight burning, where will you go next?