Alex winced at the declaration of 500 gold. It was decent gold, of course, but 500 is very awkward to split evenly across 6 people. 83 gold, 3 silver and 3 copper. And even then, not quite right. 

"I'm in," he said when all the explanations were given. Even if he didn't find out anything about his own goals, at least there was a chance at earning a tidy bit of gold. It was also a chance to get back into practice. Recover his waning magical energies. Shake off the rust. It didn't really sound like a dangerous mission but he hoped there would be a little something to get the heart to race. He had lost a lot of his former power and sitting around was not the way to regain it. 

Grrzark looks at Neistor and says, "So, goals: Find Kwon, find weird, find gold, get to keep things people no longer own. Correct?" He is listening carefully for loopholes.

"I have rope," Phodoxia says. "And I have torches, and a lamp, and some climbing gear. And a blanket." Pushing thoughts of acquisition from her mind, she climbs off of the chair and sets to retrieving her backpack that she had stuffed underneath. Indeed a rope, blanket, grappling hook, and lamp are all securely strapped to the well-roughed-up leather pack. As she shoulders the bulging pack, she mumbles, as if to reassure herself against some reality that still smarts, "I have everything I need already."

"I do too, have a lamp and rope but you must excuse me " Rasen says to Neistor "I've never been inside a mine, much less infiltrate one, so I ignore how much climbing gear we could need. But if we all have we could manage between our own equipment and that we find on the mines. I am ready to go too. What do you say? " he turns to the others " The shaft or the hidden dock?" 

"I have rations, rope and can see in the dark," Alex says with a shrug. "I do have torches for any who need them," he gestures with his thumb to the bundle of wrapped up torches strapped to the side of his backpack. 

He looks at Rasen, meeting their gaze rather directly. "I'm fine with either. Which do you think is best?"

"I am fine with both too. Perhaps if we manage to find and infiltrate this dock we will save our supplies for later... " replies Rasen "What do the rest of you think?" he says to the others.

After discussion, you decide that you're better off trying to infiltrate the mines through this hidden dock Kwon indicated on his map.  And as going in through there will necessitate navigating the Pelyra, Neistor agrees to allowing your group to use several smaller rowboats to make your way there.  Your newfound group then spends the day getting to know each other, as well as plotting and planning what to do about the mine and the job you have been hired to do, all from the comfort of a private room at the Roped Inn. You are interrupted only by your own stomachs letting you know when you need to eat, and you eventually decide that the best course of action is to go into the mine after dark, when the third shift has taken over. This requires you to get some sleep, to make sure that you are rested up enough to deal with whatever might be in the mines.

Night falls, and you gather up your supplies and head towards the docks, getting the boats that Neistor has made available for you. Travel on the Pelyra is swift and easy; you are able to use the current to get downstream towards where the documents you were given earlier show the hidden dock is located. The hidden docking area is actually off the Pelyra, through an underground tributary that twists and turns for more than a mile. The going is slow through here as you are fighting the current; the water flows out from this jetty to the Pelyra. Even if you have the ability to navigate and pilot ships, the going here is rougher and slower than you would like.

The tributary eventually opens into a large cavern where coarse sand covers the eastern floor, a large, long beach with the water lapping up onto it. In the middle of the cavern, in the water, is a small rowboat floating, its bow pointed towards the north/northeast. You can see that is has oarlocks but no oars, with a rope painter attached to the bow pulled taut, vanishing into the water. There are multiple tunnels on the far eastern wall, on the far side of the shore, leading deeper into the caves.  Three of them all told, when your eyes adjust to the vanishing light of the moon and become accustomed to the darkened interior of the caves.  One to the north, one some 20 or so feet south of that one, and then one all the way at the southern end of the beach, and all three stretching to the east into darkness.

As you bring your boats into the cavern, making your way towards the beach, you can see small ripples in the water, made by something definitely swimming therein.  Whatever it might be is below the surface of the water, out of sight even with straining, but you think you catch glimpses of something long and thin darting this way and that; you realize that staying in the boats until you hit the shore is probably the best way to go.  And eventually you do hit the shore, the coarse, wet sand sticking to your boots and leggings, the tunnels beckoning you with their darkness and silence.

"Do you think that's Kwon's boat? Or someone else" Rasen whispers as they pass the lonely boat in the middle of the cave. 

More at easy now that they are on shore, and after giving the dark waters a couple of suspicious looks, Rasen takes his hooded lantern and ignites it, opening the lid just enough for him to be able to see in front of him. 

He then proceeds to approach every tunnel entrance, taking care not to go directly into it but instead looking down in the sand nearby, looking for tracks that indicate the passage of someone. 

( Perception: (game log)

North passage 25 
Middle Passage: 7
South Passage: 23) 

Grrzark takes a look at the water by the shore, trying to make out what exactly is there and whether it is edible.

Perception: 12 (game log)

Solace enjoyed the ride down the river, having not ridden in any form of boat for quite a while. She feels more comfortable in the darkness where her looks are not the first thing people notice about her. The group she has joined she converses with, sharing her tales of healing those in times of need, especially to those who were turned away by others due to their appearance or illness. In time the tributary opens up into the cavern and she looks around with wonder at the sight of it.

"That very well could be Kwon's boat, looks as though it's missing the captain and oars however. That doesn't bode well, let's disembark and investigate further. Everyone will need to keep our voices down."

After receiving the boats, and before embarking, Tark spends a minute going over the boats with Mending .
They seemed sturdy enough, but Neistor likely dumped whatever old boats he had in inventory. Getting them in better shape should make the trip easier.

After the party is on the beach, Tark finds a palm sized stone on the beach.
He uses a Magical Infusion, so that it emits an odor like raw meat.

Seeing Grrzark eyeing the water, Tark asks him: "Can you toss this stone near those water ripples?
Maybe it is just small fish, but maybe it is a larger predator. With this stone smelling like food, maybe whatever is under the surface might show itself to bite it."

"We are safely on the beach " whispers Rasen hearing Tark "Do not disturb the water. It's a good idea. Save it for later in case we need to get out of here in a hurry.. "

Grrzark accepts the stone from Tark and, after giving Rasen a bit of side-eye, he walks about 30 ft to the south of where their boats are beached and throws it into the water about 15 ft from shore. 

Phodoxia looks at the boat in curiosity as they float past it. "Why anchor such a small boat?" she asks, eyeing the line securing it that sinks below the water. As their own boats scrape the shore, she scrambles off of the boat she's on, managing to avoid floundering in the sand due to her light weight. She watches Tark and Grrzark conspire to chucking rocks into the water, and moves away from the water towards the cavern wall.

A furtive exploration of the entrance to the three tunnels leaves her lingering closer to the largest one, to the north. More room to hide, she thinks to herself as she gazes into it, ears perked up and listening.

Perception:
North Tunnel: 3
Mid Tunnel: 3
South Tunnel: 18

(Tark does not have very good Perception, so he is fine with letting those more skilled do the observing.)

With his lantern lit and in hand, Rasen begins scouting the beach, looking for signs of tracks or other activity.  He can see that there are definitely tracks near both the northern and southern tunnels, but he is unable to find anything near the middle tunnel.  And the number of tracks near both the north and south tunnels makes it hard to determine who or what has been coming through here, although the tracks near the northern tunnel appear to be fresher than the ones to the south.

Phodoxia tags along with Rasen, trying to peer into the tunnels to determine if she can see or hear anything.  Nothing strikes her as odd from either the northern or the middle tunnel, but she can hear some kind of steady gurgling or splashing sound coming from the southern tunnel.  And the smell!  Something sulfurous, or like rotten eggs.

Grrzark takes the stone from Tark and tosses it into the water, having been unable to determine what is making the rippling from just looking at it.  The rippling stops almost as soon as the stone hits the water; you aren't sure if the stone scared whatever it was away, or if whatever it is follows the stone to the bottom of the water.

Alex follows the others in silence. He observes them, those that offer caution, those that risk safety and those that scout their routes. It was an eclectic bunch but Tark and Grrzark, are probably going to be a handful. Grrzark especially - the second time being risky. That one is going to get them in trouble, he has no doubt. Rasen he likes, that one is cautious. Caution keeps you safe, provides better tactical advantage and makes for wise leaders.

Not that he'd trust any of them. 

He came up to Rasen, speaking barely more than a whisper; "which tunnel do you think is best?"

Solace waits patiently as the group performs various tasks after landing. She waits patiently in the darkness, feeling comfortable in the quiet. She walks up to the rest of the group while they decide which way to go. Taking a few steps towards the southern tunnel, she urges the group to make a decision.

"I like the southern tunnel, looks well used and it at least gives us a starting point. There doesn't seem to be much out here and I'd rather not meet what lives in the water below. Let's get moving before we're caught out here."

"Not the southern tunnel," Phodoxia hisses. "Not that one. It smells and sounds bad. Unless it's just a sulfur spring, it could be. If it is, the sound and smell will hide our progress. But, if you want to choose this one, I would like to sneak in and look, first, before we all go down."

Grrzark gives up his interest in the water for the time being and listens to the others. At Phodoxia's words, his eyes alight. "Sulphur spring? Like Grrzark's home!"