A Gathering Storm

Bartalom smiles broadly and looks at the party, "this forest puts one one edge. Perhaps we should rest a while?"

You are not alone in that, Bartalom but we will have time to rest later. We still need to press on. I'd be careful though and look for the ambush that surely awaits us. We heard that groan so either someone is a captive down there or there's a party waiting to kill us all.

She feels tired and injured but the adrenaline was providing a little extra energy.

You cautiously advance toward the flash you saw. In the grim darkness, the very earth groaning overhead as if yearning to bury you under its terrible weight, you pass behind the sepulchre and into more ancient rock tunnels. What hands carved these, and how long ago? What fiendish intelligence dug deep into slumbering Davokar? What foolishness brought that noble down here?

At the end of the corridor, it splits left and right in a classic Y-shape. Bartalom's eye is drawn to movement on the right, a tail of something disappearing from view. Something long like a crocodile, perhaps.

Oria begins to feel claustrophobic but brushes it away and tells herself she's being silly. She notices Bartalom look intently at something while her eyes see nothing yet.

"What do you see, Bartalom? she asks as she slides her sword from its sheath.

"There’s a fork in the path, but…. Wait… movement.. on the right. Some sort of very large reptile, I think. What do we do?

"Agreed." Lothar readies his staff and takes a step forward, ready to defend against this reptile.

"Alright then let's get to it." She hopes they can take a well-deserved rest after this is all over.

When you get to the intersetion and look to the right, the creature has moved away from you and around the next corner. As you approach that corner, weapons on the ready, you hear it scratching at rock. You don't see it yet, but the claws on stone grate at your ears.

Peaking around the next corner, you see a large blur against the stone, scraping as if trying to dig it's way out through stone. It's natural camouflage and large (larger than a man) and reptilian body tell Kvarek that it is a marlit, a prized creature hunted by his barbarian clan whenever they can. Even dead, a cape made from its skin and scales maintains some of its adaptive camouflage properties, making it ideal for sneaking and hunting. However, Kvarek also knows that they are both forest creatures, not prone to being underground, and pack hunters.

Kvarek sucks in a low hiss upon seeing the creature. "A marlit, down here. This is not good for either of us. These creatures are forest hunters, we'd fair better if we could show it the door rather than tangle in such tight quarters."

Oria's face creases into a frown."Why is a marlit down here is the question we should be asking ourselves. We should be extra cautious. perhaps we can communicate with it somehow and ask it why it is here before we resort to violence."

Nevertheless her hand tightens on her sword.

Lothar thinks about it for a minute, "Wouldn't dere be amore dan one? Marlit er pack hunters, ain't they?" He debates on the bow or the staff. There idea to heard the creature out might have some merit, of course, they could be walking headlong into a warren of sorts too. "Dat one you seen coud be lurin' us into 'n ambush."