Most of the party are covered in blood, some their own, most that of slain monsters. They don't want to take time to wash, even though the blood smell might attract more enemies.
Degar shows the gemstones to Routunious, who is no expert in assessing value but he guesses that the amethyst, eye agate, and moonstone are probably worth in the neighborhood of 150 gp.
The dwarf holds up the eyeglasses, "What do you make of these?"
"My innate powers determine they are a device for helping someone see better," Routunious says with exaggerated effect. He laughs as he searches the next room where another three gems are found. The gems are a periodot, a rhodochrosite, and a
spinel, for a likely combined value of 1010 gp. In the third room they find a broadsword in good condition.
Duncan moves forward and examines the sword with his spellcraft proficiency. He determines that the broadsword is likely magical magic sword.
Degar says, "I could have told ye that...it's down here and it ain't rusted."
"Yes, well, that would give you a clue, but I've determined it definitively."
The dwarf hands him the glasses, "Determine anything thing from these?"
Duncan handles the glasses, without looking through the lenses, and says, "These are magic too."
Degar gruffly harumphs at Routunious, who shrugs.
Elessaria says, "Until we can get them identified, Degar carries the sword and Duncan you take the glasses."
Routunious asks, "How are we doing on Stago's ransom?"
Degar, "We're short."
Everyone laughs at this, though they try not to.
"What? What did I say? Stop laughing, ye fools! Bah, I'm going back to look after Fink, I prefer the company of an unconscious halfling to idiots like yerselfs."
The bloodied warriors decide to join him and head back to the grotto. They move the heavy bodies of the owlbears to block off the corridor leading to the ants. afterwards, they wash off the blood in the rushing waters of the river.
Routunious asks, "What are we doing next?"
Degar says, "We're exploring! Away from the ants."
They establish a new marching order: Elessaria, Routunious, Duncan, and Degar (who drags Fink).
Further up the passageway, Elessaria peers into the next room. At first she sees nothing and then is surprised that something is in there slithering on the ceiling. Whatever it is has legs, many legs. It moves over her head and into another room.
The elf gets her bow out and calls a warning back down the line. Degar drops Fink and moves in front of the wizard to protect them both. Elessaria carefuly keeps
her eye on the ceiling, looking for further movement.
Routunious asks, "Was it more ants?"
"No, too many legs, too long a body."
Duncan drags Fink nearer the rest of the party. Order is rearranged as they move along the passage so that Degar has returned to guard the rear.
Looking into the room, they see a pool of water and not much else. They hear skittering that is moving away from them. Whatever it was, they seem to have scared it off.
Continuing down the passage they come to a a T-intersection, they choose to go left.
11:00 am
Elessaria comes upon a great opening, where the ranger is surprised by three of the fire bugs that she and Routunious remember from the the armory at Eagles Eyrie.
"Firebeetles," she says.One of the strange quasi-insects, for they are not beetles in the natural sense, spits a jet of flame, missing the party.
Elessaria says, "Can we move them aside, I would rather avoid a fight."
Degar responds with mild derision, "Maybe ye could gently use your sword as a spatula and move the buggers with that."
Elessaria moves forward with her sword held flat, and low. The firebugs move toward her, one tries to bite, but she manages to step clear. Degar laughs. The other beetle shoots a jet of flame at the elf which burns her badly. Degar stops laughing.
The dwarf readies for a fight, saying, "Well, some fights can't be avoided, elf!"
Elessaria attacks the firebug that burned her, but misses. Routunious attacks the same, but also misses. Degar closes distance to attack a firebug.
Firebugs attack Elessaria w/their mandibles. Although the clicking mandibles of two of them are avoided by the ranger, the third spits fire and Elessaria suffers additional burn damage.
Degar attacks a bug and misses. Elessaria manages a hit on the bug nearest her.
Degar misses again, as Elessaria dodges another jet of fire. The bug that Degar battles bites him hard, causing damage. Elessaria dodges a hit from the bug she is fighitng but misses her next attack.
Routunious moves forward and casts cure light wounds on the dwarf. The fight continues and Degar suffers further wounds. Duncan rifles through his pack, draws out a scroll and says, "Here's a cleric scroll. Cure critical wounds."
Duncan gives the scroll to Routunious who uses it on Degar.
They continue fighting the bugs, and Routunious throws a knife, missing his target.
Degar misses again. One of the sbug bites Elessaria, and she falls unconscious and bleeding to the floor.
Degar jumps toward a bug, hoping to crush it with his own bodyweight, but misses as it scurries away. Duncan casts magic missile at one of the bugs and manages to kill it.
Degar frustrated by this encounter, begins to go into a battle rage. With increased power and stamina he violently attacks the firebeetle nearest him and...misses! He roars in anger and the beetle clamps down on his leg with its mandibles.
The beetle and Degar do a dance that would have been comical were it not for the dire consequences of its outcome. Finally, Degar hits the beetle and smashes it to pulp.
The remaining firebeetle scrambles up on top of Elessaria's fallen body and begins to eat the unconscious elf. When the party moves toward it, the bug shoots a flame at them.
Degar takes aim at the last bug, not even considering the possibility of hurting Elessaria if he misses his target, so complete is his rage. His swing strikes the bug and destroys it, although Elessaria does take a very minor hit as well.
All the bugs are dead and the dwarf manages to bring his rage under control instead of continuing to do battle with any living thing near him...including members of his own party.
Routunious quickly stoops down to attempt to stop Elessaria's bleeding. Elessaria Routunious pours an entire bottle of a potion of extra healing down her throat, which brings her around and seems to have repaired much of the damage she suffered.
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