Trouble In Xanth - Chapter 6: Sinking

[Theonewhoisodd]

OOC: hoping to get Allune and Tenel's actions before I update.

[Arch Lich Burns]

Allune walks carefully down the path, keeping a close eye for traps

[Jacon]

Tenel does likewise except he lets Allune goes first

[Arch Lich Burns]

Allune grumbles and becomes smaller to see traps better, and to not set them off. Xe then uses xis talent and makes the length of the tunnel smaller.

[Theonewhoisodd]

Bill, Jas, and Synge begin walking down their tunnel following the little fire mouse. The mouse stops suddenly and the group soon figures out why. A large stream is cutting through the tunnel, it's about twice as long as Bill is and seems to be about as deep as Synge is tall.

Thunderhoof and Duncan follow Duncan's light through the tunnel. Soon the walls begin to glow radiating a strange blue light. A dim voice can be heard coming from the cave wall itself.

Tenel and Allune begin walking, Tenel has to walk much slower so as to not pass up Allune's much reduced size. The walls close in around them and block off the tunnel. About halfway up the wall there is a small tunnel.

[Arch Lich Burns]

"Okay, hoist me up into the hold and hold onto my hand. I will shrink you down so thatI can lift you up into the tunnel, okay, um...Tenel, was it?"

[Dlover]

Duncan ignores the glow, keeping his illusion up and walking ahead, "If the voice becomes clear, don't listen to it. Don't look around for it. Just keep your eyes ahead, and keep walking. There are a few traps that this could be, that I've heard of. The voices of the dead, looking to lure you into joining them, spirits of madness, which will drive you insane should you look at them, tricks to show you the ones you care about most and lure you into danger, it could be any number of things. And the dangers greatly outnumber the safe ones."

[WearsHats]

"Synge, can you turn the mouse into a birdie? Have it fly around in different directions? I want to see more of this cavern. Where is the stream coming from? Where does it go? What's on the other side?"

[Jacon]

" Oh lovely...I'm suddenly the muscle in the group.." Tenel sighs and hoists him up to the hold. " Yes, my names Tenel. Nice to see your making a effort to learn your companions names." Tenel waits to be lifted up.

[Arch Lich Burns]

"Not sure how much of that muscle you will need since I am much smaller than normal." After Allune gets into the tunnel, xe leans down to grab Tenel's hand and shrinks him quickly and hoist him up. "It looks to be dark ahead, could you perhaps use your talent to direct us the safest way towards our allies or out if that is not possible?"
Allune makes sure xe sticks close to Tenel, so that xe does not get lost

[Quarg]

Jas ponders for a moment, "You know this would be quite handy if I was a normal water wizard, but all I can to at the moment is confuse us all...Or if this is another..." Jas focuses his mind on Bill for a moment and tries to see if there is any magic clouding his mind like illusion magic.

[GathersIngredients]

► Show Spoiler

I'm not firm with Xanth's parameters, but I think unless you pose your request in rhyme, Synge might not understand it...

Thunderhoof tries to ignore the blue light and the voice and move onward with Duncan. "I don't know if you are right about the illusions and traps, but we certainly have lost enough time with other things already, and should be on our way."

[Dlover]

"I'm not sure if I'm right, either, but I'd rather not risk it. Those sinkholes were hardly natural, and I doubt the tunnel they put us in is going to be friendly."

[Synch]

Synge sticks his tongue out and scrunches his face in concentration. The flame mouse grows and morphs into the shape of a small phoenix, which takes off and flaps around the perimeter of the cavern and up and down the stream, dimming if it goes a considerable distance from Synge, who obviously has a limit to the range of his power. Once it has made a complete circuit it flies up to the ceiling at the centre of the cavern and hovers there, casting a flickering illumination over the stream.

[WearsHats]

► Show Spoiler

I'm not firm with Xanth's parameters, but I think unless you pose your request in rhyme, Synge might not understand it...

Trolls will always talk in rhyme. They enjoy it when people talk to them in rhyme, but can understand simple statements that don't rhyme.