Chapter 1: Beneath the Streets

Norran was still trying to herd the fledglings with Tilma when an ear-wracking shriek resounded around the cavern. It sounded, big, mean, and angry.

It's the Mama Stoner! and the Ice Woman (Jasserra) is still back there!

The halfling Berry dashed off toward the other Elven woman and the approaching threat seemingly oblivious to the concept of danger. Despite himself, Norran begrudgingly admired the small person and his bravery.

I guess the fight and flight instincts are sound on that one and he decided to fight. Guess I have to pitch in with them, He thought.

I will be so disgusted even more of you now if you ran away with your puny tail between your legs Norran...

Before he can go to assist the other two members of the party from whatever was making that loud screeching sound, two smaller yet similar screeches issued from the ground. Looking down, he saw it came from the two fledglings he and Tilma were trying to lead away. They look angry. and hungry. A combination that is equally as bad as ale and Dreamweed in I mbair en Ndengin.

Did I tell you it's a bad idea to take these stoners out of their nest?, he said as he readies his glaive while the baby cockatrices look prepared to attack and turn them to stone.

*Laughs Manically*

The Mama Cockatrice charges through the cavern, leaping and soaring over the statues coming right for the closest target - Jasera! All the while it lets out a horrific screaming sound.As if on queue, maybe something to do with Mama's encouragement, the fledgelings hiss and strike! Norran squishes one of them, but the other charges him with its deadly beak. The beak scratches his leg and he feels the stone-to-flesh magic spreading through his limb, but he's fought off hangovers that felt worse than this. He shrugs it off with ease.

Berry fires once he has a clear shot.

Waiting until just the right opportunity, Jasera unloads a missile at the mother-bird before preparing to drop her bow and ready her blades. Archery will fail her at shorter range; it would be best to ready herself for the inevitable skirmish.

With fluid and almost effortless motion, the ranger levels her bow, quickly sights the raging cocktrice mother, and unleashes her arrow.

The elven-crafted projectile tears through the damp cavern air to strike unerringly at its intended target. Having accurately calculated the creature's trajectory, the shot pierces it dead-center on its thick, long neck. The serrated arrowhead easily tears through feather and fowl skin, burying itself deep in the cockatrice's windpipe and forcing her into the struggle between gasping for air and not drowning in her own blood.

The carved yew shaft holds true and protrudes from her throat as an indicator to all that, at least for this first round, this bitter and foul creature has been bested by the daughter of House Thirildin.

Berry's bolt tears through the leathery, reptilian wings of the horrid Cockatrice. (8 damage!)

With Jasera's arrowshaft protruding from the adult Cockatrice's neck, its shrieking is suddenly turned into a horrible whistling sound. It writhes with its feet, trying to scratch away the shaft, but ultimately fails. A murderous rage burns in its eyes as it resumes it's charge toward Jasera! (12 damage!)

The adult Cockatrice's long strides and short bursts of gliding allow it to close the gap between itself and Jasera in seconds. Tilma tries to step around the fledgling but it knicks her leg, transforming her to stone!

Round 2Updated Map: Click to enlarge!

Berry reloads as he moves to position between the wall and the statue (Q5) and braces the crossbow on the arm of the statue, "Thanks for the assist," he mutters to the statue before firing at the back of the Big Mama.

Berry’s bolt flies true, tearing through back of the bird’s head, piercing the brain. The creature staggers a moment, then topples sideways, the wings giving a final flap before lying still.

Berry breathes once more, and gives a quick salute to Jasera.

Tilma NO!! Norran shouted as the woman turned to stone due to the fledgling's attack. Looking across the Cavern, the mama stoner is now on a raging rampage with multiple arrows and bolts stuck on its body. He should get to the other members of the party and help them fight off the adult cockatrice. But first, the remaining fledgling needs to get squished.

You know I was starting to like you, little fellas, and I find you cute...but what you did to Tilma...THAT.IS.NOT.CUTE.

You do not look spiffing as well Norran...but I tolerate you all the same. And how long does it take you to kill a pathetic--

Without letting the ghost finish Norran swung his glaive in a deadly arc to finish off the danger fluff in front of him.

The Cockatrice crashes to the ground, dead, and the fledgling goes squish. In a handful of heartbeats, Tilma unpetrifies. The caverns are once again silent, save for the whistling wind behind the dwarf statue you encountered in the first cavern, and the sound of rushing water coming from caverns to the west not yet explored.

First Drafty Cavern

* The eastern tunnel exits back to sewers.
* To the west, a tunnel extends into the large central cavern. From here you can see the glowing light of purple and green hues coming from the crystals.
* To the south, a longer tunnel winds upward and curves west, possibly rising above or around the cavern to the west. (NOT YET EXPLORED)
* You also notice that your lamp flame is flickering. An unusual breeze is coming from the north wall of the cavern. (NOT YET EXPLORED)

Large, Central Cavern

* The sealed gateway and podium, as described earlier, bathed in green and violet light. Now that you are closer, you can see a markings on the gateway - a five pointed star with markings around it that look to be written in Infernal that declare "Seal of Astaroth."
* In the southeast corner of this cavern you see a clutch of eggs, 5 in total. You might have mistaken it for stone rubble if you hadn't been on the lookout for signs of a cockatrice.
* Ten stone statues, most of which have been damaged but a few of which look perfectly intact.

* You can now see a cylindrical vertical shaft above the podium in the roof of the cavern. The roughly hewn shaft heads up 40 feet, which you estimate is close to street level. There is a round wooden trapdoor covering the top. (NOT YET EXPLORED)
* You discover new, unexplored passages lead out from this cavern to the northwest, southwest, and south. (NOT YET EXPLORED)

Map (click to enlarge):