Save: 3

Keashirryl recognizes the creature as an aberration... an unnatural thing spawned either from dark magic, or drawn him from some foreign plane.

Garrin approaches the monster with his offers of dead Redbrands.  But then he uses the gifts bestowed by his patron to try and frighten the creature.  It works... in a flash, the thing's expression goes from one of apprehensive interest in Garrin's offer... to one of mindless terror.  It flees, but you all stand between it and the exit.  It flees deeper into the darkness to the north.  Eventually you hear boxes and barrels tipping over somewhere as the monster flees.

 The creature is gone - for now - from the chamber.

"Damned pest should know when it's talking to its better." Garrin growls and huffs, mumbling a bit under his breath. "We should see who that farmer is down in the hole. Someone may still be looking for him."

"I will go." Before anyone can say otherwise, Droknin makes his way down to inspect the farmer.

Athletics: 10

Investigation: 18

"We should prepare to fight that thing to be safe." Cassius says as he reaches into his pack for his coil of rope, readying it incase it is needed to help Droknin.

T'laren has kept arrow to string for just that eventuality.

Droknin is able to descend into the crevasse almost effortlessly due to his leonin agility.  [Natural seams and ledges in the rock allow for anyone to climb in or out without a skill check - as long as they take their time.  Attempts to go up or down in a hurry will draw an athletics check.]

The bottom of the pit seems unnaturally cold, much colder than the cavern above, but you can feel no draft to account for this.  Droknin steps lightly past Garrin's torch while the others watch from above, some keeping an eye out for any sign of the aberration's return.  When Droknin reaches the body, he rolls it over to confirm... yup, this is a dead human.

Droknin can also see something else.  A battered wooden chest is hidden in a cubbyhole at the bottom of the crevasse, under the north bridge. The chest couldn't be seen from the edge of the crevasse above, but it is obvious to Droknin now that he has descended into the fissure.

T'laren moves to where he can see Droknin and the tunnel the creature ran down if possible, in case his ally needs ranged support.

As T'laren follows Droknin around the edge of the crevasse, he is able to see the far end of the chamber.

A third hallway departs to the west, though this one is not lit by any torches.  At the far northern end of the cave, the natural space narrows to carved room.  There are barrels and supplies visible here.  Once barrel is knocked over on its side, potatoes spilled across the floor.  It looks like this is the direction the monster fled.  So far, there is no sign of its return.

Droknin carefully goes down to the bottom of the crevasse, looks around, and inspects the corpse. He quickly checks the human for any identification. Then he spots a chest, and slowly makes his way to it. He is aware that T'laren is keeping tabs on him. He uses paw gesture to silently signal to the Elf that he sees something under the north bridge, and he will check it out. He makes sure that there is no traps on his way to the chest. For some strange reason, he feels like he is back to the savannas on a hunt, and he uses his instincts to stay alert and focused on the task at hand.

Perception: 12

Droknin can see that the chest is not locked or trapped.  Indeed, it is so old and decayed it may be as easy to just pull it apart as to open the lid.  Inside, Droknin finds the following:

• Coins (160 sp, 120 gp)
• Five malachite gems (15 gp each)
• Two potions
• A spell scroll
• A longsword in a silver-chased scabbard. The sword is inscribed with the name “Talon,” and its hilt is worked in the shape of a bird of prey with outspread wings. 

The man has no identification.  He has long brown hair and seems to have died from blunt force trauma to the head... like the blow from a mace or warhammer.

Droknin puts the content of the chest into his backpack. He will inspect the items later. He gives another look around, and if there is nothing else of interest in the crevasse, he will go back up to the others.

(32 sp, 24 gp, and a malachite gem (15gp) for each player)

(Anyone interested in a longsword and a spell scroll?)

((With a -1 to strength and no magic, T'laren has no interest.))

(maybe the spell scroll, once we can see it. Ps: just getting over COVID. Still very tired. Please feel free to bot me if I disappear)

(@nschrock Get plenty of rest!!)

Droknin gets out of the crevasse. "Where now? Shall we pursue the creature?" Says the Leonin holding his weapon with both paws ready for action.

Once Droknin shares his findings, Keashirryl can recognize the spell scroll is used to cast the spell augury.

For now, the cavern is quiet.  

• There is a dead-end path to the east, lit by torches.
• There is a path leading to the southwest lit by torches, down a set of stairs and to two different closed doors.
• There is a path to the northwest, into darkness.
• There is a storage room to the north, also dark, which is where the creature fled.
• And there is a tunnel to the south, where you entered.

As the party reconnects, T'laren will ask if any are skilled at dealing with potentially locked or trapped doors.

"So should we move to the doors or down the darkened hall? We can worry about dealing with that creature afterwards." Cassius says as he looks to the eager Droknin

“Most of the traffic goes to the eastern dead end. Perhaps we can start there. Or…” Droknin does to the entrance to the tunnel, crouches and sniffs the floor of the cavern, and see if he is able to find Bugbear signs, and if so, where they go.

Survival: 4

Droknin, it looks like the bugbears head to the east, dead end tunnel.