Brants eyes dance between the crystal and the jade. He glances up and catches Hieroman's smile which elicits a brief look of suspician.
"So.... you carry the crystal and I carry the jade?"
A pause while he considers this.
"I grudgingly accept."
He holds out the crystal key with one hand and an open, empty palm with the other.

"You seem strangely attached to the crystal key Brant, or suspicious of me.  Why don't you just carry them both."  Hieroman says as she drops the jade key into his palm without taking the crystal key.  She is unconcerned who holds the keys, as long as they are kept safe.  'Just don't lose, or break either."

Ornwin watches the key discussion indifferently. He is just happy the party has the gold and silver.

Archonia does not particularly care who carries what key. They would all be going through the doors opened, and presumably at some point the keys would be sold as treasure anyway.

Brant looks around for a lock to insert the jade key into. He stows the cystal key for safety.

"Shall we thoroughly investigate the dead end before we attempt to traverse the natural cave formation?" Hieroman inquiries of the group.
OOC:  We've just come through the door that the jade key opened Brant.  :o)

The dead ends lead nowhere.

In that case I suppose we proceed? East? West?

OOC: As its newest member, Bart doesn't presume to speak for the party. Unless we don't have a designated "caller," and no one else wants the role.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:10, Wed 15 May.

oops.. I meant Brant is looking for somewhere to insert the crystal key

Is the floor of the natural cave formations pretty much flat with the floor of the worked passage?  I mean we're not really having to do proper caving like clambering over unworked stone are we?  It's pretty much a flat floor that can be traversed, though the walls and area above might be of various heights like a natural cave.   

Hieroman will check out the short fissure that dead ends to the right (east) of the worked passage to make sure there is nothing of any significance in that area, before she takes her assigned place in the line up, whether we proceed as single file or double.  She speaks to her companions as she readies herself.  "I'd say it's a safe bet we'll probably encounter bats, and possibly spiders in a natural stone area, but possibly creatures not so familiar to many of us.  Can anyone else think of other cave dwelling type creatures we should consider?"

"If the roof height varies like the walls, we need to be aware of what might be opening above us as we proceed."

OOC:  I'm happy with whoever calls as opposed to having one person always taking that spot, because I've always got something to post.

You are not spelunking.

The fissure to the east is a dead end.

Brant sees no candidates for his crystal key.

In that case, subject to Hieroman's approval, we'll proceed down the western corridor. Torches lit, if needed. Unless something else catches his attention, Bart will focus on attempting to detect evil in the direction of our path, both at the outset and if we arrive in short order at any doors or areas that open up into another section of the caves.

Brant pockets the crystal key and heads west.

West seems to be the only way to go here, unless the dead end had a secret door we missed.

So, Archonia goes west with the others.

With no one having any apparent experience in natural caves, Hieroman moves cautiously paying frequent attention to the caves ceiling above in particular.

West. The only direction that doesn’t dead end seems fine to Cass as well. She is fine if the Paladin wants to decide or call out which way to go from here. Cass is distracted looking for the spiders and bats that Hieroman suggested are likely in these caverns. But Cass is ready and available to check for traps and unlock doors if we encounter any doors in the natural cavern we seem to have entered…

After a long tromp to the west...

This chamber is evidently a blacksmith’s workshop. In the center of the room is a circular forge about 3 feet high. Connected to this is a large bellows apparatus. Stacked about the edges of the room are wooden shafts, crude iron bars, short swords, 3 tubs of liquids, a table of tools, a large stack of cordwood, a smaller mound of charcoal, and a large chest. Chained to the bellows are two young men, listless and exhausted looking. The ceiling is open to the sky, but is shrouded by many vines that form a network overhead. It is apparent that this chamber is actually some sort of shaft.

Well, naturally, Bart will use his abilities in this setting, to detect if evil is emanating from either of the prisoners.

The two individuals could represent so many things, but it seems that Bartholomew is focused on them, so he will determine if they are prisoners to be rescued, disguised monsters to trick us, or new members that will be joining the adventurous band.

Until then, Archonia looks at the three tubs of liquid. Are any of them bathing sized?

Although he is not the best suited for it, given his height, Rasxif turns his attention to the vines overhead, searching for any movement or signs of life within them.

Brant's eyes snap to the chest and he catches his breath. "More chests!?" he mutters, mostly to himself. Then he takes a deep, rattling breath and looks around the chamber. He takes in the vines, the men, and the various implements and items scattered throughout. He holds his sword ready and waits for Bart's judgment.

Hieroman stands ready with her net, not sure what to expect.

The tubs are super-sized, permitting any who wish to bathe the opportunity to do so, providing they have dismissed the Dweller General's warning on the epidermal absorption of heavy metals.

Within the canopy of vines, Rasxif spots a veritable panoply of sinewy limbs, all attached, doubtless, to sinewy little bodies, themselves, at times, indistinguishable from the vines. If not for Bart's warning, delivered moments before, about the pervasive presence of evil with the chamber, his hand having indicated the ceiling creepers and then the cavemouth above, he might not have spotted them at all.

As for the young men, they look to be wasted, having abandoned any pumping of the bellows absent any direct compulsion to do so. One stares alternately at a clod of dirt on the floor and at a cave bug on the coal pile, his head swiveling one way and then the other in the manner of those in an altered mental state. The other has arranged some seemingly uncountable number of short swords before him and has started grunting to himself a few words that can't quite be made out.

Brant follows Bart's gesture to the ceiling. He squints his eyes to see but does't notice anything amongst the foilage until Rasxif's utters a sound of surprise and points at some figures moving within.
"Vine-monkeys, is it?"
He glances at the spellcasters. "Maybe if one of you could magick them to sleep, they'd fall like coconuts and we could dispatch them down here?"

Hieroman looks to the vines and the monkey's in an attempt to identify what they are to answer Brant.
OOC:  Druid’s Knowledge (3rd): At third level and higher, a druid can identify plant and animal types, and can determine when water is pure and safe to drink.