"I think if someone wanted to hide this location... we should head this way? Can we all move quietly towards the bend in this tunnel?"

Caradoc whistles softly and waves to Ky when she looks down. He pulls his head back through and reports back, intrigued that the illusion doesn't block the light from the magical sources. He waves everyone forward, then steps through alongside the ranger. "Ready?" he whispers, looking up at her with a grin. "Are we having fun yet?"

 With Ky in the lead once more, the group continues down the tight and cramped path with Ky's spell helping to keep the noise and the shadows stuck to their forms. As they move up to the bend, the tunnel leads eastward for about 20 feet before they come to a large central room. Within the room, it seems to step down further at a decent decent, giving way to what you think is now some 40 feet underground. You all stand up straight as you enter into the room with a sigh of relief. The ceiling stayed the same height as before, but with this lower portion, you can stand upright. Looking around, the room is roughly 30x30 in size. There is a narrow walkway that leads around the room, maybe 2 feet wide, and 4 ramps that lead down into a central pit.

The narrow walkways lead to 3 other entryways. south, east, and north. In the central pit, there is another tunnel that seems to be barred off, and what looks to be like nearly a foot of standing water.

What do you all do now?

"Well this certainly looks ominous," Ennis says softly as he enters into the chamber, adjusting his glasses and casting a curious eye at the pool of standing water.

"I am a little bit confused with all the turns. Wich direction do you think that  tower is? I do not think that descinding more would be advisable." says the paladin.

     Flint winces when as his chain armor scrapes against the wall. "Sorry," he whispers from the back.  He again takes a moment to relax when he can fully stand upright in this larger chamber. "Ah... These cramp quarters are for the gnomes," he looks around making sure there are no gnomes in the party. "I have a gold piece for whoever put their toe in the water...hehe." He turns to Cyrnair, "How do we know the dragon does not reside beneath that tower?"

The paladin smiles

"I hope so.. that would mean he is a really tiny dragon..."

    "For sure... And I thought it was cramped in here for me."

Ennis ponders Flint's words.

"If only I'd had more time to study Master Baulder's spectral hand spell...it wouldn't be a toe, but it would be something."

     "If anyone is game enough, I can, if allowed a few moments,  grant you - well, actually all of us - the ability to walk over the water?"

“That could be handy but let’s try to find a tunnel that,hopefully led us under the tower... I wonder who made this tunnel though...”

As you all discuss what to do, you all hear a voice echo through the cave. It is thick, raspy, and alien.

"You dare enter foot in master Thundertrees tomb? You desecrate the surface of my masters home. Is that not enough! You have entered into his resting place now. My lair. Bad enough you take residence in his home. You will not take his tomb! I will add you to the guardians of this place now fools."

As the voice talks, it seems to get more and more adamant. It has the hints of madness in its speach.

From directly across from you in the tunnel heading eastward you see a large glowing eye the size of a soccer ball blink. It is yellow and has a large puprle cylindrical iris. 

From the north tunnel you can hear chattering coming your way, and the south you can hear somewhat heavy footfalls all heading towards this room.

"Crap!" Ky whispers and readies the arrow she has, but does not fire it.

She talks loud enough to be heard now, "We have no interest in... in lord Thundertree. We are trying to make our way safely through this area. Speak truly. Are you in alliance with a Green haired woman or a dragon? We have no time for games and deceit."

Persuasion?: 12

"At ease, Lieutenant!" Caradoc calls out in a ringing voice. "Surely these are no enemies."

"Cover me!" he hisses to Ky as he steps forward, hands open. "Well met, Guardian of the Tomb of Lord Thundertree! I am Caradoc Langham, Captain of the 2nd Neverwinter Knights. We are here to drive away the desecrators of your master's tomb. We have slain ten of them already! Let us pass, and we will drive them all off for you and leave you in peace. We will touch nothing of your master's treasure. Please, mighty one - help us help you return this sacred place to its former purity."

Deception or Persuasion (+ Guidance from Flint): 15

"I know not of what you speak little one... I do not know what these knights you speak of. It rings of truth and deceit to me." the raspy voice says.

From the tunnel to the north, you see 4 small humanoid figures about the size of Carodoc that move into the room. They have overly long heads and a circular mouth full of teeth.Their bodies are lanky and rubbery, and their hands look more like mouths with fingers then hands. Their hands and feet are laced with teeth.

(This next part is not in the picture) Growing from their shoulders, they each have a singular long tubular stalk. At the end of it, there is a singular eye that seems to mirror the appearance of the eye that is staring at you from across the pool.

 "The little one of you speaks truth and lies I think... I sense there are less minds up above then their were some 20 minutes ago. But did they leave once more to plunder, or did you end them as you say? The child of the Fey speaks truth and only truth I believe." There is a long pause. "Interesting... I am trying to decide if you are worth more to as an instrument of the death towards the surface dwellers that desecrate this land, or another set of guards in lord Thundertree's Lair. You have come into it uninvited after all."

As he talks, from the south, there are 2 white Guard Drakes that lumber into the room, both with a single eye stalk growing from their foreheads.

Caradoc continues his banter, thinking fast and talking faster, hands waving along with his words. "We-we ended them - we ended them! We brought two of their bodies down here with us! They're back there at the bottom of the tunnel we came in through. We can b-bring them here to show you. We did come here uninvited - that's true and if there were a safer way to get past the-the plunderers and strike at their boss, we would take it. We're sorry for trespassing - truly we are - but we are not the plunderers!

"Think about it like this, great one -- adding more guards won't drive the plunderers away from Lord Thundertree's keep above. If you let us go on our way and we fail, you lose nothing.

The halfling steps forward one more step, hands still open. "If you let us go and we succeed, you gain much and still lose nothing."

Persuasion: 22

Cyrnair knows that only the silver tongue of Caradoc could bring them out of this one. Still he readies his sword and shield, happy to be out of the tunnel, ready to cover his friend.

”He speaks the truth” he adds trying to give more weight to his words “We didn’t know the resting place of your Master was here, neither we have any interest on it. We just want to pass towards the dragon´s lair to end its threat. Let us be and we will do our best to get rid of it.” 

(He just wants to help Caradoc.. giving him advantage I hope)

 As Cyrnair finishes speaking, there is a long silence that fills the air. "Hmmmm...." You hear echo throughout this water filled cavern before another long silence stretches out. "I have dispatched one of lord Thundertree's tomb to... inspect what you say."

There is another long, awkward silence as you watch one of the 4 strange rubbery minions make a chittering sound and it bounds off back northward. About 30 seconds of silence fill the tunnel before you head the voice say, "Yes... yes! I see. So you have done as you say... at least 2 killed. 10 you say.... I did feel 10 minds grow quiet, so perhaps you speak truth. And you are hear to kill the leader of these creatures... Yes... I think I will allow you passage."

The eye grows larger as it comes out of the shadows. As it does so, you can see 4 more glowing yellow eyes. As the light hits it, you see a grotesque floating round body, with a large toothy mouth, and a long serpentine tongue. In the center of its meatball like body, there is the large eye you saw in the darkness staring at you. As you look at the 4 other eyes supported by eye-stalks, you realize that the other creatures it has surrounded itself with have the same eye-stalks on them, like it was grown from their flesh somehow to mirror this creatures.

"You are lucky this day. Lord Thundertree built this network of tunnels after the time of Great Loss to hide his people. There are tunnels that lead to all of the buildings. I will allow you access to them all, save the room behind me, where Lord Thundertree is interned. I will provide you with a guide so you do not... stray. If you step out of line I will know, and retribution will be swift."

    During this exchange with the multi-eyed creature, Flint remains unmoving except for his slight fidgeting at the point of a javelin. When the creature grants them access to the tunnels, he let's out a long sigh of relief. "Thank you for the passage. To help you in eliminating those who have taken over above, is there anything we should know? You seem to have a useful method of quickly gathering information," he gestures to the minions with the eyestalks.

"These are mine!" the creature hisses. "I have granted you passage. Do not take my kindness for granted. I have not gone unnoticed by the cold one and its minions this long without care."

The creatures eye stalks glow with arcane energy. "I will not aid you any further. Be gone, and end this surge to Lord Thundertree, or I will add you to my guard collection. Maybe enslaved, I can drive them away? No... No... Mindless creatures such as these are not as effective... yes... yes... i know more will be useful. Maybe we can? Yes maybe we can..."

As it talks, its eye stalks seem to turn to look at one another, and you get the feeling it is conversing with itself. As you listen, the tone of its voice changes from one tone to another, almost as if there actually is a second personality within the creature.

"Maybe if they don't kill all of the above grounders, we can add more guards.... Yes maybe... maybe we can claim them as well... yes maybe. So many eye stalks to grow then... But Lord Thundertree will rest easier with more guards. Unwitting fools wandering in will be surprised then... yes they will."

Mad giggling follows as it finishes. As it turns around, floating away,  you see another large eye on the back of its body, not as large as the eye in the front of its face, and a smaller mouth filled with teeth. The back of it looks to be a smaller meatball sized body, and 4 eye-stalks extend from its back, but upside down.