We have been playing D&D 5th edition on Discord using DnD Beyond since March during the Covid-19 pandemic in Pennsylvania. This is our second campaign.
- Eanrin, Half-Elf, 8th level Bard/Druid
- Fradelis Eni, Half-Drow, 8th level Hexblade Warlock
- Luna, Half-Elf, 8th level Champion Fighter
- Rain on the Night Wind, Elf, 8th level Hunter Ranger
Forgotten Realms, The Silver Marches, 1486
Absence of light results in darkness. So, what results from the absence of Good? The Underdark is a place with very little of either.”— Mordenkainen
The Underdark is the vast network of underground caverns and tunnels underneath the surface of Toril. It is home to a host of beings driven deep into the caverns at the end of the Age of Demons. Rather than it being a single huge cavern, it is rather, many huge networks of tunnels, caverns, and caves. As a result, it is not always possible to travel from one end to the other. The Underdark was divided into several domains that were similar to the continents of the world above. While it was possible to travel from one place to another within a domain, separate domains tended to have very few passages linking them. The major domains of the Underdark were the Buried Realms, the Darklands, the Deep Wastes, the Earthroot, the Glimmersea, Great Bhaerynden, the Northdark, and Old Shanatar.
The Underdark’s underground landscape varied from small subterranean fissures almost impossible for adventurers to crawl through to wide expanses of deep water that hid coral caves, hollowed out sections of ice in which creatures lived, and places where fungus, bones, or even pure force formed “caves.” This varied landscape was as dynamic as the surface of Abeir-Toril. Some areas were always changing over time because of underground magma rivers or the emptying of underground lakes due to cracks in the rock formed by earthquakes. This meant maps of the Underdark were highly unreliable.
The environment varied vastly from the surface world, making adventuring through it a dangerous expedition. Just like trekking through a desert, adventurers traversing the Underdark’s passages needed to be well prepared.
The Underdark was mainly without any source of light save for the occasional luminous rocks or fungi. Large portions of it were also without food or water, making well-stocked food supplies a must-have when exploring uncharted terrain underground. These issues mixed with the mind-numbing tomb-like silence made traveling something only for the strong-hearted. The nerve-wracking silence made even experienced adventurers grow agitated after a few days.
Just like deep dungeons, the air could grow stale and even poisonous in the Underdark. It could contain explosive gases from underground volcanic activity or other deadly gases bubbling out of deep fissures in the rock. Bad air and poisonous fumes could collect in portions of tunnels and caves more or less isolated from the main vaults and caverns. Siphon-like tunnels holding water could also trap these gases for a long time.
And this was where our heroes found themselves. Lost in the vast darkness of the Underdark.
The companions had been travelling in the Underdark for about an hour, moving along the tubular tunnel for nearly a mile. A Cave Fisher, a subterranean arachnid with a long snout, attacked Kinan first and dragged him into the crevice above their heads. Luna shot the monster with an arrow just before it pulled Eanrin into the crevice as well. And now, the battle continued.
Luna pointed her light crossbow at the Cave Fisher, snapping off two shots. Both missed, rebounding on rock somewhere above in the void of the crawlspace. Although the crevice was only a few feet above Luna’s head, the angle was difficult and the monster had cover within whatever space is above within the ceiling of the tubular tunnel.
Luna’s torch was sputtering on the floor, providing bright light and hopefully warding off the Cave Fisher somewhat. Fradelis noticed that the crossbow shots weren’t very effective, so she closed her eyes and focused on the Cave Fisher. She summoned up the magical power within her, sending a Mind Sliver towards the Cave Fisher. The creature shrieked in pain as the psychic blast pierced its mind. Fradelis smiled, knowing that the disorienting spike of psychic energy had inflicted such agony within the monster.
Meanwhile, Eanrin glanced around. He found that he was in a narrow crawlspace tunnel. He was partially covered in webbing and the Cave Fisher was using its claws to turn him over and over quickly while applying the webbing with its long snout … before long he would be bound completely in a web cocoon-like Kinan. He could see the kid close by, bound head to toe in webbing. He struggled against the webbing, trying to reach his daggers. The Cave Fisher continued to weave the webbing around him, completely covering him in a cocoon of webbing. Then, the monster widens its mouth and injects him with a stinger that extended from its proboscis. Failing to reach his daggers, Eanrin called upon his Druidic abilities to shift his form into that of a Giant Spider.
Kinan remained uncharacteristically silent, wrapped in webbing head to toe near Eanrin in the crawlspace. The Cave Fisher finished wrapping Eanrin in the webbing and then released him from its claws. Scuttling backward, it flinched as Luna fired her crossbow twice, missing both times.
Luna scowled and grabbed the still-burning torch from the ground, tossing it up into the crawlspace. It bounced off of the Cave Fisher’s back, landing next to Eanrin. The flame licked at the webbing. Not a fan of the light or the fire, the Cave Fisher scuttled further backwards.
Fradelis focused on the Cave Fisher’s mind again, sensing the predatory simplistic thought patterns. It was hungry and it wanted meat. She summoned up her magical power again, sending a second Mind Sliver at the monster’s mind. It screeched in pain again, the psychic energy wracking it with pain. That done, Fradelis placed a baneful curse upon the creature using her Hexblade’s Curse.
Meanwhile, Eanrin (in the form of a Giant Spider) rolled a little towards the torch, leaning in to allow it to further weaken the webbing. The Eanrin-Spider twisted and struggled, finally breaking from of the sticky filament. Quickly, he turned towards the Cave Fisher and lunged, biting with his new formed spider fangs. However, the dreadful fangs did not pierce the monster’s carapace.
Faced with the new danger of the Giant Spider, and wary of the burning torch, the Cave Fisher decided to seek prey below in the tunnel. It dropped from the crawlspace, landing roughly on Luna. The monstrosity pinned her to the floor. Luna grunted with the impact and dropped her light crossbow as the Cave Fisher snapped at her with its claws. It gouged into her shoulder, causing the Half-Elf to gasp in pain.
Luna pulled her daggers from their sheaths at her waist and plundged both of them into the soft underbelly of the Cave Fisher. She clenched her teeth, smiling satisfyingly as thick, black blood poured from the wounds. The monster screeched in pain again, wriggling on top of Luna in an attempt to restrain her with it’s spindly spider limbs.
Fradelis narrowed her eyes, again sending a Mind Sliver at the Cave Fisher. The psychic attack pierced the monster’s mind a third time, sending it reeling backward as it squawked and bellowed painfully. It landed on its back, squirming wildly on the tunnel floor.
Eanrin transformed back into himself and grabbe the nearly spent torch. He then beganto burn the webbing away on the boy’s cocoon. He could see that Kinan was not moving. His skin was clamy and pale. HIs lips were a bluish tint. He didn’t seem to be breathing! Eanrin checked for a pulse, finding it to be very weak indeed.
Eanrin uses what resources he has to stabilize the kid. He seems to be okay for now, but still unconscious. Time would tell what will happen with him. With that done, Eanrin pushed himself backward in the narrow space, chanting the words to the Flame Blade spell. The blade materialized in his hand, filling the area with bright light.
Rain on the Night Wind stepped forward, pulling out an arrow and notching it. He fired his longbow twice, both arrows hit the Cave Fisher in its exposed underbelly, splattering its thick, black blood around the tunnel walls and floor. It flipped over with a bitter moan, now three arrows sticking out of it, and hunched close to the floor. It scuttled forward quickly, snapping twice at Luna with its claws. The Half-Elf dodged out of the way, launching herself at the Cave Fisher and stabbing it with her daggers.
The first stab caused the monster to whine in pain. The second struck dead within its forehead, cracking its skull and slaying it. The monster huffed a death rattle and collapsed to the tunnel floor. Rain sighed in relief, and Fradelis kneeled down to whisper a thankful prayer to the Raven Queen.
Eanrin moved the boy over to the crevice and asked for help getting him down safely. Luna and Rain assisted, lowering the child to the tunnel floor. He still looked pale, and his lips still had a blue tint. He was unconscious, but stable for the moment.
“Will he be okay?” asked Rain on the Night Wind. He kneeled down next to Kinan.
“I’m not sure,” said Eanrin. “But this should help.” He chanted the words to the spell Cure Wounds and touched Kinan on the shoulder. Warm healing magic flowed from Eanrin into the kid, returning some color to his skin. The child moaned softly but did not stir from his sleep.
Rain nodded, realizing that the kid was suffering from poison. “Some creatures use venom to subdue their prey,” said the Ranger as he removed a small glass jar from his pack. He broke the wax seal, undoing the cord and lid. “This is Keoghtom’s Ointment. It is a special salve that has magical healing properties. It also ceases poison and cures diseases.” Rain applied the ointment to the child carefully.
The kid groaned in pain. This is the second time he’s awakened from near death in your presence. “Oh, everything hurts.” He paused and sat up, rubbing his eyes as if he had just finished a long nap. “Are we there yet?”
“Unfortunately, no,” said Fradelis Eni. “We are still in the tunnel…” She poking at the dead Cave Fisher with her boot.
“The wizard’s body has vanished,” Luna explained to the others. “All that’s left is his hat.” She held up the shabby hat to the others. Eanrin stepped forward, glancing at Kinan, and takes the floppy hat.
“Ah, Fizban,” mumbled the kid. “He comes and goes, you know.”
“A while back it occurred to me that Fizban may have teleported into the tunnel,” mentioned Eanrin. “In which case we have no idea if we are going in the correct direction or not.”
Kinan looked around. “Hey – where did that donkey go?”
Eanrin raised an eyebrow. “That was me.”
“You’re not a donkey, you’re a Half-Elf,” laughed Kinan.
Rain grinned, tying not to laugh.
The kid shrugged at Eanrin. “Huh.” He shrugs. “Anyway we should just keep going right like Uncle Tasslehoff used to say!”
Fradelis rolled her eyes as it became ever more clear that they are stuck underground in a tunnel where there could potentially be more Cave Fishers.
Rain checked his bowstring. “So, do we know where we are going?”
Fradelis shrugged “Not a clue, we popped into the tunnel without any sense of direction other than to head the way the old man’s body seemed to be going in.”
Eanrin folded the floppy hat and placed it in his pack. Removing his Hat of Vermin, Eanrin smiled. “I actually have an idea that may help with that. One moment.” He focused and urged the hat to summon forth a bat. The tiny bat flies out of the Hat of Vermin, fluttering 30 feet to the East down the tunnel… before Eanrin can cast the spell…
“No!” cursed Eanrin, chasing after the bat. The four others exchanged glances and followed the Druidic Bard. “I had hoped to talk with it,” complained Eanrin. Kinan chuckled. “Doorknob of a Half-Elf.” He skipped along with the others, chasing after the bat. But Rain on the Night Wind began to make clicking noises to imitate a bat’s call. Eanrin held up the Flame Blade like a torch, filling the tunnel with bright light.
Hearing the Ranger’s call, the bat slowed and then landed, hanging from the ceiling of the tunnel by its tiny toes. It was a Little Brown Bat, a well-known species. It was very small with an overall body size that was from 3 inches to 3 ½ inches.
Eanrin cast the spell Speak With Animals, and began to converse with the bat in chirps and peeps. “Excuse me. Do you think that you could tell us which direction to go to get out of this cave?”
The bat was surprised that the manling could speak its language. The bat looked at Eanrin, its eyes wide. “I’m not sure. I just came out of your hat! But I suppose I could try to find my way. What’s in it for me?”
Rain on the Night Wind suddenly felt a bit silly. He smiled, saying: “Chirp chirp, So, did you hear what the stone giant said to the octopus? Chirp, chirp, Well, no I didn’t, what did the stone giant say to the octopus? Your a chip off of the old block of seastone. Chirp chirp, Oh you don’t say? I suppose you are a little wet under your ears. Chirp chirp. “
Kinan glanced at Luna and Fradelis, and the to Rain. Then looking to Eanrin who was chirping in Batspeak, the kid shrugged. “Wherever you go, there you are.” He smiled at Rain, chuckling at the Ranger acting humorously with his riddles.
Eanrin looked over his shoulder and asked in Common: “Does anyone have any bugs?”
Fradelis thumbed back at the dead Cave Fisher, some 30-40 feet away behind them. “Does that thing count?”
The bat chirped at Eanrin. “That fiery thing in your hand is awful bright.”
Eanrin’s eyes widened and he dismissed the magic of the flaming sword’s spell. “So sorry,” he chirped in Bat-speak. “I forgot about that. Is that better? “
The bat, named Bruce, of course, chirped in an offended manner. “Dead insects? Gross! I only eat live wasps and moths!”
Kinan sat down, watching the scene play out with an amused look on his face. He flipped a candle in his hand, and tucked it into his pocket. The candle was one of Eanrin’s from his pack. Kinan hadn’t stolen it, because he wasn’t a thief. But he did have a habit of picking up things that belonged to other people out of natural curiosity. Sometimes these things are laying around in the open, and other times they are hidden in pouches, pockets, or packs. Either way, Kinan often burrows such things to “keep them safe.” He had also “found” a hammer from Fradelis’s pack and dice set from Luna’s.
“Hmm… well, I don’t have any live wasps or moths.” Eanrin was still chirping in the bat’s language. “Is there anything else you’d like? I’m not sure if its day or night, but finding an exit might also find you a good hunting spot.”
Kinan glanced at Rain On The Night Wind with a smile. “Got any more jokes mister?”
Bruce the bat seemed to be annoyed and disgruntled. “Well, I was in the swamp enjoying myself. It was evening and then all a sudden I’m in your hat!” He was chirping in a slightly higher pitched now.
Eanrin nodded at the bat. “That must be terribly disorienting for you,” Eanrin said sympathetically. “How about this? Maybe if you help us, I can get you back to your swamp?”
Rain smiled at Kinan. “Chirp chirp ya, one day I was walking down the road, and ZZZZOOOOOOMMMMMM. I almost got knocked over by a really fast bird. So, I followed the bird and I met a farmer and I asked him did you see that really fast bird, it went Zooooommmmm! and just like I had a summoning spell, a bunch of birds fly on the ground at incredible speeds ZZOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!! and the farmer said yep.”
The bat looks West, and then its eyes are a little wider. “I guess we could go that way,” chirps the bat. And then it starts fluttering down the tunnel to the East again rapidly.
The kid jumped up and down gleefully. “Zooom!” He laughed, enjoying Rain’s silly story.
Eanrin looked back at the others. “Bat says try this way.” He turned, and started to fast-walk following the bat as it flutteered away through the tunnel to the East.
The kid gives chase after the bat shouting, “ZOOOOM!” His precious little voice echoes throughout the network of tunnels.
Fradelis grabbed Eanrin’s shoulder. “Best not to let your friend get too far ahead of us. I don’t think we want to find out what is coming scrapping down the tunnel towards us now.” She nodded back the way they had come.
Eanrin glanced back but the tunnel was dark and empty. He nodded to Fradelis and then looked after Kinan who was skipping ahead of the group after the bat. Eanrin shushed the boy, “Shhh… you don’t want to scare him.” Before hurrying along after the bat.
Rain On The Night Wind fast-walked with the others continuing his story. “So, I asked the farmer, how do they go so fast, and he said, well, they have three legs. Three legs! How did they get that way? Well, I bred them to be that way. Why did you do that? Well, you like chicken legs? Yep. Your wife likes chicken legs? Yep. Your kid likes chicken legs? Yep. Well, that is a problem because there are only two chicken legs on a bird normally. Wow, you are right. You must make allot of money. Sadly no. Why not? I can’t seem to catch them.” Rain grinned.
Kinan stopped and looked back at Rain. “Three legged chickens?!”
Rain grinned. “Three legged chickens.”
Eanrin was starting to feel sick. He touched the nape of his neck where the Cave Fisher had stung him with its proboscis stinger. It was swollen but didn’t hurt. He glanced at his companions. “We won’t jog or run, but we can walk quickly to cover a bit more ground.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” said Luna.
The bat continued to flutter down the tunnel, landing from time to time and then taking flight again. They noticed that the smell of rotting mushrooms is getting stronger as they continued to the East. They follow the bat for another mile. The tunnel continues to wind back and forth. The bat continues to lead through the tunnels. Finally, after another half mile, the bat stops, hanging from the ceiling by its tiny feet. Here the tunnel forks, one going Northeast and the other going Southeast.
“We’ve traveled about 3 and a half miles since coming to the tunnels,” remarked Rain On The Night Wind.
Luna knelt down, investigating the surface of the tunnel’s floor looking for tracks or clues. She determined that the smooth rock doesn’t really reveal footprints well. The tunnel itself seemed to have been made by a huge creature like a snake or worm tunneling through the solid rock.
Eanrin chanted the words to cast the Speak With Animals spell again. The magic swelled and granted the Druidic Bard the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts, specifically their little disgruntled bat guide, Bruce.
“Well, my little friend, what do you think?” He glanced to the two passageways.
Fradelis stepped close to Eanrin and the bat “Ask you friend if it hears scuffling coming form behind us as well. I think we are being followed…” She looked over her shoulder back down the tunnel in the direction they came from.
Rain On The Night Wind kneeled down with Luna, investigating the floor of the tunnel. They could find no tracks. But to the Southeast smells of rotting fungi and ash. However, the Northeast path seems to smell of fish. Otherwise, the paths appear identical.
The bat chirps at Eanrin. “Neither way smells good to me. But Northeast smells better.”
Eanrin chirped in bat-speak at Bruce. “Northeast it is. Can you tell what it is that’s following us?” He looked to his companions changing to speak in Common again: “He says neither way smells good, but Northeast is better. He also agrees we’re being followed.”
The bat chirped at Eanrin. “Two legs, like you, are following us.”
Rain stood up. “Hmmm. I smell the sea to the north east. Maybe we will come out at the coast in a sea cave.”
The bat dropped from the ceiling and fluttered Northeast down the tunnel. Luna lit another torch, filling the darkness with warm, bright light. Kinan skipped along with the three, happily humming to himself.
Fredalis followed after the group after peering over her shoulder one more time down the tunnel from the direction they just came. She didn’t see anything which bothered her all the more.
They walked through the tunnels for another mile or so. Eanrin glanced around, sighing. Everything looked exactly the same. Smooth bedrock tunnels. He was growing tired and his shoulder ached now. He was starting to feel sick and a headache was growing in the back of his skull.
The bat flies to the Northeast and Kinan skips along after it. “Zoom!”
“You are starting to slow down Eanrin.” Rain seemed concerned. “You feeling ok?” Rain noticed that Eanrin’s face is growing pale and his lips are a light blue color…
Eanrin was starting to pant slightly with the effort of keeping pace “No. I think the poison from that thing is starting to get to me.”
“I’ve got one more dose of the ointment if you want it.” Rain knelt down, rummaging through his pack. He pulled out the jar, and rubbed the salve on the wound on Eanrin’s neck. The Keoghtom’s Ointment was quick to work, already neutralizing the Cave Fisher’s venom.
Luna notices a rune marking on the wall. Almost unnoticeable and faint, but with her experiences during the war she recognizes it. It was a circle with an arrow through it. A Drow warning to avoid this passage. Luna’s stomach sunk. They should not be going North through this passage.
The kid and the bat round a turn in the tunnel, fluttering and skipping out of sight. Fradelis glanced around and sighed. She continued to follow after the kid and the bat, fast-walking away from the others and occasionally looking over her shoulder behind them down the tunnel.
Luna continued to check the wall, looking for more Drow runes. She knew the rune meant these tunnels to the Northeast were patrolled by Drow according to the marking. The marking is a warning to other Underdark races to stay away
Eanrin nodded his thanks to Rain, before hurrying along to keep up with the Hexblade, child, and bat. Rain On The Night Wind replaced the empty jar to his pack and glanced at Luna.
Luna hurried to catch up with the group and told them about the rune and its meaning.
They turned another corner in the tunnel to see the kid and the bat ahead down the tunnel about 60 feet away at the edge of the light cast by Luna’s torch. Fradelis was about ten feet from the pair.
Eanrin was feeling better already. He glanced at Luna. “Do you you think that is who’s following us?”
Luna didn’t reply, she just kept walking.
Fradelis replied instead: “It might be but I don’t think I really want to stop to find out, do you?”
Eanrin shook his head. “No, that I do not.”
Finally, the magic of the Hat of Vermin ended, causing Bruce the Bat to vanish and return to the swamp where he was summoned from. Without a guide, they continued to follow the tunnel as before. The tubular tunnels were mostly unremarkable save for the fact that they are smooth as if created by a large burrowing creature. They traveled for another mile, almost five miles in total since teleporting to the Underdark to find Fizban. The tunnel continued in a mostly Northwestardly direction. The smell of rotting fish lingered in the air. Another half mile brought them to another fork in the tunnels, one to the Northeast and the other to the Southeast. They stopped for a short break to discuss their options.
“I see it as this,” said Eanrin. “We either stop and find out who is following us or we can keep going and hope that maybe we can manage to sneak by them and out of their patrol area again. I am not sure if it is the Drow following us if we would be able to talk our way out of whatever they do to those they catch while on patrol.”
“The Drow tend not to treat those they capture kindly,” remarked Rain.
Luna finally spoke up. “Let’s keep North.”
“Agreed,” said Fradelis. “And I am sure especially not those that they once cast out long ago.” states in a rather bitter tone.
The companions continued to explore the tunnel to the North, walking for another mile until the tunnels began to become a twisting maze with double backs and deadends. Two miles of walking through this confusing maze finally brought them to a passage begins to turn into a natural cavern of limestone. And there, in front of them about 30 feet ahead, there is a closed door! The door is scultped of stone, apparently from a wizard using a Shape Stone spell. It is well made and perfectly flush to the passage.
They paused again, discussing their options. The passage ended here at the stone door. They would either need to continue through it or circle back.
“The other passage is about 3 miles or so back the way we came,” explained Rain.
Fradelis sighed. “I can check it for magic.” She remembered the door from the Ironhand Mines. “Just a moment.”
Kinan plopped on the ground. “We just need a few chickens is all.”
Rain took a step towards the door. “We could knock.”
“No,” Eanrin held up a hand at the Ranger. “Fradelis was going to use a spell, yes?”
“Oh yeah,” said Rain, glancing at the Hexblade. “I’ll wait.”
Kinan laughed. “Doorknob of a Ranger.”
Fradelis summoned up her Hexblade magic, casting Detect Magic on the door. Fradelis sees that there is a Glyph of Warding on the stone door. She can see that the Glyph will trigger a magical trap, expelling elemental cold if the door is touched. She can also tell it is was cast by a powerful (14th level) spellcaster. Additionally, there are runes cast by magic on the door that reads: “Disturb not the sacred dead.”
Fredalis alerted the group of the ward as well as the saying.
The kid steps close to the door but doesn’t touch it. He’s holding a set of lockpicks in his left hand. Fradelis can see that the lockpicks glowed with a strong, lustrous golden sheen of Abjuration magic surrounded by a translucent gray mist of Divination. “Hm. That’s a rune.” He nodded at the door.
Rain shrugged. “Ah, it seems like this isn’t the way to the sea. We should probably respect their wishes.”
Fredalis turned to Kinan with a confused look on her face “You can see what it says?” At the same time, Eanrin looked questioningly from the boy to the door.
“I can see if, yeah. My Uncle Tasslehoff’s lockpicks allow me to see hidden stuff like those runes.” He reached into his pouch and pulled out a skeleton key. Fradelis could see it radiated strong Abjuration magic as well. “Probably a trap. Stand back. I will handle this!” He held up the lockpick set and stepped triumphantly towards the door with a big smile on his face.
Rain waved his hand at the child. “UM, magical trap. You touch it and we all get freezed if I understand correctly.” Rain stepped in the Kinan’sway without touching the door.
“Yes!” said Fradelis. “Please do NOT touch the door!”
Kinan stopped, glancing at Rain. “Oh.” He shrugged. “A Magic Trap. Well, okay then.” He put the lockpick set and key back into his pouch.
Rain smiled at the kid. “Besides, we don’t want to disturb an old graveyard that obviously has a lot of magic.”
He pointed at the Glyph of Warding. “That one says ‘ICE’ and then the Dwarf runes down there say ‘Disturb not the sacred dead’ and then those other runes on the floor at the edge of the door say: ‘Tomb of the Warriors.” Fradelis looked again, seeing any runes on the floor. Whatever runes might be there, they were not placed there by magic so the Detect Magic spell did not reveal them to her.
“Do you see anything else in the room?” Fradelis looked at Kinan still questioningly since she cannot see the other saying he mentioned. She meant the passage, of course, but Knian took her to mean the room beyond the door.
“In the room,” questioned Kinan. “Nope. The door is in the way.”
Rain On The Night Wind pondered aloud. “Hm, I wonder…. maybe, if they are Dwarfish runes, there might be a connection to the surface. As long as we don’t disturb the dead, maybe we can pass through.”
“No,” sighed Fradelis. “In the cavern we are in now. Of course you can’t see through the door…”
The kid looked confused. “Cavern? This is clearly a tunnel or maybe a passage. Certainly not a cavern. But nope, don’t see anything else.”
The kid glanced at Rain. “Ah, Dwarfs.” He smiled broadly. “Did I ever tell you about my Uncle Flint?”
Rain shook his head at Kinan. “I don’t believe so.”
Kinan shrugged, taking a step away from Rain. “Huh.”
Rain glanced at Kinan. “I don’t believe you told us about your uncle’s friend.”
Kinan nodded in agreement. “Yes, me either.” He smiled and nodded to Rain with a grin.
Luna spoke up: “Camping might be best even if we want to go though the door.”
Eanrin nodded. “I agree with Luna. We should rest either way.” They had travelled eight and a half miles through the Underdark. He was ready to make camp.
“We should take a rest,” agreed Rain. “Perhaps we can find a way to get past the door without setting off the magic trap.”
The kid takes two steps away from Rain in the direction of Eanrin. He’s holding Rain’s Gem of Brightness in his hands, looking at it closely.
Rain knelt down, rummaging through his pack. He withdrew a bedroll and started to unroll it. Luna began the process of setting up her tent. As Fradelis and Eanrin stood, looking over the passage, Kinan plopped down with a smile.
After a few moments, Rain sat and meditated harmonizing with the natural world invoking his connection with Nature to note strange creatures within a mile. Reaching out with his Primeval Awareness, Rain was surprised to find that he senses NONE of those things within a mile in ANY direction.
“No dragons here,” commented the Ranger. “I think we are safe.”
Eanrin sat down and began to play a tune. The soft music echoed in the passage. He was working on some ballads he’s had in his mind After that he planned to take some time to look over the Scrolls of Otherworldly Music that mouse gave him. As he played, he munched on some trail rations.
Fradelis settled down in a seated position, choosing to put her back to the wall of the passage.
They briefly discussed order of watch, how long they would sleep, and so forth.
After a little while, Eanrin looked over at Rain On The Night Wind. “You cast a spell to sense any danger nearby, yes?”
Rain nodded. “Well within a mile radius nearby. It is more a neighborhood than being close and it is more to detect troublemaking powerful beings but it has allot of loopholes.”
“Hmm… I was contacted just now.” Eanrin looked around. “I don’t know who it was, but they asked us to help ‘the restless dead’ within this tomb.” He pointed at the nearby stone door. “They also mentioned a Gnome City called Deep Dark, and said we should head there after we’ve helped the dead in the tomb. Are any of you familiar with the place?”
Kinan has made himself a nice bed, using a fluffy bedroll. He lays there holding Rain’s Gem of Brightness to his left eye.
Fradelis looked questioningly at Eanrin “Why do the dead need helped? They are dead after all.” Then she closed her eyes again with her back against the cavern wall choosing to sleep sitting up rather than laying down still worried about who or what was following them and what Drow House patrolled the tunnels they came through earlier.
Eanrin replied: “They didn’t say. They said that the dead were restless, so perhaps something has raised them from their eternal slumber? When I asked for more information there was no answer, so they may only have had enough magic to send one message. Either that or they didn’t want to answer for some reason…” He thought. He was mildly worried that the person who had contacted him seemed to know both who, and where, he was, but he had no idea who they were.
“Sounds like a trap to me,” said the kid. Then he tucked the Gem into his vest pocket and yawned.
“For once I agree with the kid.” Fradelis answered with her eyes still closed.
“I’m a bit worried about that myself, however something is odd. If it’s a trap, why ask us to go to Deep Dark?” Eanrin shrugged. “The spell only allows 25 words. If asking us to help the dead in the tomb was a trap, asking us to go to Deep Dark afterwards was a waste of words they could have used to try to convince us why we should go into the tomb.”
The kid yawned again and pulled the blanket around himself. “Ok. We can go to Dark Deep tomorrow.” He yawned sleepily a third time. “Tombs and all that.”
Eanrin shook his head slightly with a half smile at the boy, and begins to play some soft music to help the boy sleep.
Fradelis spoke but still didn’t open her eyes. “Maybe because with hobgoblins afoot trying to go after us we wouldn’t question going to a Gnome City figuring it to be the lesser of two evils. And maybe it figured we wouldn’t make it past the tomb to be worrying about going to the Deep Dark.” She shrugged and wrapped her cloak tighter around herself still with her eyes closed.
“Maybe,” the kid adds sleepily. “Maybe it’s the closest way out.” He pulls the blanket up over his head.
She shrugged again “Maybe,” answered Fradelis.
Mumbling in his near-sleep. “One time. Fizban. Fireball. The whole tavern. So angry…” And then he snored softly.
Eanrin stopped playing, but spoke softly. “On the other hand, our options are to go into the tomb, or go back into the tunnels and risk running into the Drow patrols. Let’s sleep on it, and see how things look in the morning.”
Children of the Ampersand 
It makes me so happy that you called them the Scrolls of Otherworldly Music! 😂 And I’m glad Bruce made it back to his swamp alright. I hope the rest of his night passed without incident, and that he caught a ton of wasps.
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