Expedition: White Plume Mountain

"Good; I look forward to seeing them, even if we don't need it for our...uh...orcish friend..." Dwarven tradition celebrates one's ancestry, and the respectful way of referring to a person includes mention of their predecessors. Ohica is uncomfortable, not knowing the correct way to refer to Xasu's ancestry. She determines that, from now on, she will just refer to him by name, and hopefully that won't be too offensive. She'll make a point of asking him about it, later. "I'm sure they are wondrous!"

She waits patiently for Eithne to join them, dismissing an idle thought of holding out a treat like one would coax a wild animal as being disrespectful.

(OoC: I am chuckling every time I re-read your post Naatkinson: using Dancing Lights for illumination/entertainment!)

Eithne watches as the dark one leads the pack into the darkness of the cave. She moves to follow, and is surprised to see the she-dwarf gesture and wait for her.

Eithne hasn't quite figured out this pack yet. They had spoken of recovering some stolen things. She remembers how the townsfolk used to get angry when she would take things. Tassarion had tried to teach her the concept of ownership but it puzzled her so. Shouldn't things belong to those who need it most? Most of Eithne's meager belongings were things she had taken from somewhere: her small knife, the chipped wooden shield. But if anyone needed those things more than she, Eithne wouldn't cling to them.

She turns her attention to the she-dwarf again. Ohica, she had called herself. Eithne had never had a name until Tassarion had given her one. Ohica smells patient, calm. The feral druid stalks on all fours past the dwarf, then pauses in a crouch, looks back, and surprises herself by holding up her hand, palm down, fingers curled, in a gesture of friendship

Boide takes a glance back, half-assessing the party behind him, and half-assuring himself that he really isn't suddenly alone with the dark elf. He fights back his nervousness and grumbles a calming prayer.

Ohica follows Eithne into the cave.

(OoC: Beckoning cat! I love it!)

Tolvaj continues to scan his surroundings while the others work their way in. "You'd think we were getting paid by the tenday!" he mutters.

I will search the room for secrets.

"Where to now? Any tunnels deeper in?"

Tolvaj will walk the perimeter looking for tunnel entrances or other exits.

Valinar is intrigued by the burping fissure, and conjures up a ball of blue light, sending it down the fissure to see if there's anything down there.

He also conjures up 3 other balls of light that seem to wander aimlessly around the chamber.

He is very careful to stay away from it while it sends out the steam, but he wants to know where it's all coming from.

Valinar casts the Dancing Lights cantrip

Boide grunts, pulling his feet from the muck with each step. It doesn't seem little more than an inconvenience, but the footing is definitely grabbing his attention.

Ohica inspects to see how large the fissure is. Is it a narrow crack...or something that someone could squeeze through?

(edit: to be in character)

"I may have found something." Tolvaj says to the others as he starts clear an outline of the area with his boot so as to determine the overall size of the feature.

Boide's mouth immediately speaks what's on his mind, "Trap?" Then, after a brief pause, "Or a doorknob?"

Valinar approaches the trapdoor, directing his lights to float over as well so they can see more clearly, "Hmm, a trap door? Why would that be here? Seems like they would get more visitors if they had an obvious door!"

"Good work, Tolvaj! Is it safe to open?" Ohica nods approvingly, trusting the rogue's sense for traps.

"Safe or not it appears to be the only way for us to continue." Tolvaj answers as he continues to slowly walk around the door looking for any wires or other signs of traps.

Reporting his findings to the others he steps back from the door waiting for someone else to lead the way. "Looked safe enough to me but no need to put myself at risk if I may have missed something." he thinks as a slight smirk appears.