On the trail of the Heroes...

The damp underground tunnels proved to be very deadly, and the heroes found that out within minutes.

As Aishar went exploring a direction, he found a man laying amongs rocks and dirts, barely conscious. Preoccupied by the man, he did not notice that a puddle of dark water he had walked past was actually moving, crawling toward him. But Auburn's keen eye picked the subtle movement as he moved closer. Auburn's asked Fylikiel what he thought of a moving puddle of dark water, and as the stranger was asking if he was talking to Fylikiel Zerfis, the deadly Black Pudding attacked. The fight was a tough one. They could not escape the acidic grasp of the utterly unintelligent creatue whose sole purpose in existence is to consume. Realizing that if not for the group of adventurers, he probably would have been the next meal, the Warlock Liw joined the fight with his eldritch magic. Which proved critical in the fight, as every physical blow to the ooze splattered it around the tunnel, and every splatters turned to be lethal opponents also. Magic won the fight with Fylikiel and Liw's unrelelenting assaults, while Auburn was trying his best to keep him and Aishar alive. Acane tried her best, but she was more busy killing the Black pudding spawns than the actual threat.

The new comer, having found his quarry, signaled his success to his employer, Fylikiel's sister, and did not think secrecy necessary. What his sister wants with him remains a mystery, but these were matters for later, as they soon found themselves caught in another deadly situation: The tide was rising, flooding the tunnel they were in.

Perhaps the closest they came with death, panick was close, but they soon collected their wits and rushed as best they could down the tunnel. they soon gave up finding a tunnel up, as the water came crashing always harder, and climbing fast. Fylikiel used his dust of creation to form a small raft, barely fit for more than one, but which proved critical in their survival. Liw joined force with him to paddle them faster downstream, hoping to find a cove or a tunnel, while Aishar, unimpressed with the threat as he could breathe easily underwater, tied a rope to their raft, and helped Auburn and Acane catch it. Auburn, most of all, proved his heroism and valor in the face of death, as Acane was tugged by the undertow and drawn underwater. He helped her back up, and kept his grip on her in their flight down the tunnel, although it nearly cost him dearly as she was dragging him down. Aishar was in time with the rope, and soon Acane was able to fight the panic and stay alive.

Aishar, swimming forward with all his might, was able to fight the water's pull and push himself into a natural cover underground, where he set hold and tried to keep his friends from flowing further. Fylikiel used his magic to teleport himself out of the water and help Aishar out, and tug at the rope. And as the heroes were desperately trying to fight the deadly water, Kruthik attacked them! With not a second of break, Fylikiel went on taking the fight to the Kruthiks, taking hard and painful hits while buying Aishar time to save the others.

In the end, they were victorious and safe... But wet and exhausted. They decided to rest for a few hours and they accepted Liw as one of them, trusting him instinctly after such ordeals.

Once well rested, they went on down the tunnels, trying to follow the paths taken most frequently and recently, until they walked into a large cavern crawling with kruthiks. Over 20 of them, rushing about, sorting and transporting human bodies, many of them hurt or sick but still alive and screaming in agony. As war packs of Kruthiks came in and out of the cavern, they were spotted and had to face over a dozen of the creatures, while the smaller ones run away, carrying the bodies they could get before leaving.

The fight was a slaughter, as Fylikiel's potent magic mowed through the lesser Kruthiks, and the others finished the stronger ones, but the whole battle was not much of a challenge. The real challenging part followed, as Aishar went to the cage and pit of bodies, to see mind numbing horrors of agony and desperation. He soon realized the living were probably all infected with the necrotic plague they had witnessed, and Aishar also fears he's been again contaminated. Putting an end to their misery, he cremated them all with his green fire magic.

On they went, barely avoiding a trap laid by human hands, and finding their way down to a chamber filled with coccoons. Not of Kruthiks, but of what they dont know. The place is covered with what Fylikiel immediately recognized as deadly Doomspores mushrooms, and at the end of the room, on the other side of the coccoons and doomspores, was a large opening leading further down.

What horrible truth is growing inside these coccoons? How will they get close enough to examine them? How deep are they underground and how long until they find the heart of the hive? Soon, they fear, they will find out...