Rothgar will say a tribal prayer over the remains of the Bugbear, nods and then joins the group after he wipes his axe clean. 

"Damn, first that dark-skinned girl, and now Tufts. But Gonye's right...the living still need our help. I'll search the troglodytes for a key or anything useful, then we put their bodies up out of the water, too. Don't want to poison the entire town if the water comes back." Dav'eed searches the closest trog, then the shaman, looking for anything useful (or valuable!)

You pull the body of the bugbear from the water and lay it to rest upon the island, closing his eyes for eternal slumber. The first trog is lifted from the muck, it carries nothing upon it. The Shaman has a small pouch with a dirty set of dragon bones (Dice), missing a piece. A couple small animal bones and a thin gold wire ring. A third trog can be seen where it fell, an arrow sprouting from its chest.

The room beyond curls into a large cavern, the remnants of shattered wooden beams from the collapsed basement above. This must be the basement of the Stinky house. The stone supports crumbled when the water dissapeared, A makeshift ladder can be seen in the back alcove, an access for the Trogs to the surface. The Three of them and the dogs were probably left behind to keep any pursuers from continuing.

The passage stretches on, the smell of trog coming from that direction. Nothing else of note can be seen in the area.

"Well, I don't smell anything coming from above us, so no trogs in the house. Shall we keep going? I fear time is life for the kidnapped victims..." If the others agree, Dav'eed continues ahead of them, using his elvish ability to see in the dark and his rogue training to sneak forward and scout out the next section of tunnels. (Stealth: 17)

The passage is dry, winding back and forth for a little bit. Tumbled rocks and eroded stone crunching under foot. A beam of light strikes the floor, creating a tight circle of the sun high above, the opening of a well can be seen with a rope and bucket dangling several feet up. The torn and shredded body of a human lies upon the ground, much of the meat removed from exposed bone. Parts remaining speak of a common woman from the town above. The stink of carrion already on the fairly fresh corpse.

Continuing down the passage, it widens. Roughly twenty feet from the river’s floor, a pair of built and bricked tunnels intersect with the natural river passage. The arched design of these tunnels evokes thoughts of a sewer system. One of the tunnels breaks into the river passage along the left wall, while the other continues after the break, disappearing into the right wall. The broken stones and eroded bricks hint at a time when the sewer once flowed through this area before the river altered its course and carved its own path. The sewer tunnel, a good climb upward is blocked by broken boards, boulders and other detritus. It appears to be recently built to keep something out.

The dry riverbed stretches onward, with an odor wafting from up ahead. The sound of cascading water is audible, overpowering any other potential sounds.

(Forgot to specifically mention it before, but the rogue would definitely take the gold wire ring from the shaman!)

At the sewer tunnel, Dav'eed waits for Gonye and Rothgar to check the tunnel out. Finding it blocked at the other end, he continues onward. He will stay ahead in the darkness - even though the rushing water would cover any sounds they might make, the light from his partners' torch would be a dead giveaway down here... He will, of course, stop and observe any movement or indication of the troglodytes.

Rothgar will check the tunnel, perception: 13

Dav'eed keeps well ahead of the glowing torch. The light extends well past its useful radius to cast shadows into the tunnel long before the two Humans can even see. Quietly the Half-elf creeps through the dry tunnel, being careful of every step to prevent the crunch and scrap of loose stones, or worse under foot. The river bed narrows for a spell, twisting around almost completely then plunges down a shallow cascade. Harder stones resisting erosion have created large flat steps a few feet descent at a time.

The natural eroded stone passage widens as it bends sharply, the waters must have caught and swirled in this place but now only a few stagnant pools remain. The first sign of a predator in the area are a few cracked bones, then Dav'eed sees it. A large Black Spider, the thing is still, clinging to where the wall meets the ceiling. Its many eyes gleam in the feeble light put out by the torch. Dav'eed realizes just how far the faint light reaches in the impenetrable darkness underground. His companions a good 100' feet back, a bright halo of light slowly advancing.

The spider is aware, and ready as any great ambush predator would be. A slight motion beneath the beast, on the floor, a child is pressed into a crack, retreating as far as the wall would allow. It does not appear to have noticed the child, or Dav'eed, its attention on the slowly advancing torch light.

Dav'eed eyes the child, the spider, the child again, and the light from his approaching party. Making tactical calculations in his mind, he decides on a course of action and waits to the count of 10 to allow his friends to come about half the distance closer before firing an unseen arrow towards the spider! (Attack w/adv (unseen): 24 Sneak attack damage: 7)

He then runs back to his group (move and bonus action dash), calling out in a low, but strained, voicer, "Giant spider! Get ready to attack!!"

Rothgar prepares to mee the spider as warned

The three of you move quickly but cautiously back to where Dav'eed encountered the spider. Keeping an eye on the ceiling as you go. A matter of only a few seconds had elapsed yet upon returning, the child, or rather a halfling in fact is picking itself up off the floor.

With the torch light illuminating the room, it was fairly large, a small pond or lake formed here, swirling and eroding the room. Several cracks and fissures, most too small for even a child or halfling to crawl into. The river spread from this point to feed the many wells of the lower town. Now, all dry, the water forming only small puddles of scum and stagnation. the river split at this point, aside from the fissures. Three river beds divide aa they race downward towards the river, and from there the sea.

A small passage, Rothgar would need to bend in half to pass the entrance, exits this chamber on the left side. The sound of rushing water can be heard from below the gentle slope. The right side offers a larger and easier tunnel, a faint and gentle smell of fresher air, a promise of a way out. Between the two, the main river continues on, bending slightly down and to the left. The harder rocks have been exposed, creating a cascade. Like stairs descending slowly, the river would have washed with a beautiful babble from one landing to the next. The stench is stronger here, a malodorous air climbing the stairs to greet you.

"Are you OK?" Dav'eed calls out to the halfling. "I tried to lure the spider away - wanted it to chase me and meet my friends here...Anyway, I'm Dav'eed, and this is Gonye and Rothgar. Were you captured by the trogs in the square? How many others were carried down here with you? We're trying to rescue them." Dav'eed speaks and approaches slowly, trying to not frighten the person after the events of the past hour or two.

The halfling is visually uneasy at dividing his attention between the ceiling and the newcomers, his eyes dart nervously from one to the other potential threat. 'They hurt the spider, maybe it tries to hide until they leave - waiting for easier prey?' He starts moving slowly towards the group, hunched down as if taking cover, his gaze, however, fixated on the crevasse into which the spider retreated. Heavy armour under his priestly vestments scrapes against the jagged stones. 'If the spider doesn't see me, it's certain to hear me.' "I'm ok... more or less... I think," he finally says to Dav'eed when he realises that there isn't any point in remaining silent anymore. "I don't know much... really," he tries to touch his head and realises that he still has his shield donned. "Some reptilians bagged me and I could only escape because the spider made a meal out of the one who carried me," he explains while he advances with his gaze still rested anxiously on the spider's resting spot, "Huh, I guess, I should be grateful to it. Gramma always insisted on keeping the spiders in the house." 

The spider has scurried into a hole, escaping the danger of combat to hunt another day. The river spreads through cracks and fissure feeding the hill the town sits upon. You of course can head back, a survivor in tow. But with a new ally, perhaps the Troglodytes can be dealt with. The victims returned alive. You have choices to make as to how you wish to advance. 

With no signs of the spider, the halfling safely makes it all the way to the group where he finally fully stands up to an impressive - for a halfling - height of 4 foot. The garbs of a priest that he wears didn't take the underground treatment lightly and are partly torn. Underneath, the metal of chain glints in the torchlight. His deep blue eyes, that almost seem to be glowing from within his skull, meet theirs with a grateful warmth. Placing his right hand over his heart, he bows slightly and speaks with a voice filled with genuine appreciation., "Thank you, Dav'eed, Gonye and Rothgar. May Yondalla's blessings be upon you all. I owe you my life. Your bravery and strength have saved me from a dire fate. I am Zelaerys, a humble servant of Yondalla. You have my deepest gratitude, and should you ever need aid, know that I am at your service."

 (EDIT: embarrassingly, I wrote my characters name wrong, now it has been corrected - was Selaerys but should have been Zelaerys.)

"Well, you look like you can hold your own in a fight, so if you're up to it we're heading after the trogs to try and free the townsfolk. You are free to return to town, of course...the way behind us is clear. But we've already lost one of our team and could use your help. Whaddya say, Salaerys? Wanna be a hero?"

Zelaerys clasps Dav'eed's forearm in a firm grip - stronger than one might expect from such a small figure - with a gesture of solidarity. "Yondalla's blessings guide my path, Dav'eed. I will not turn back when there are lives to save and darkness to banish. I am with you. Let us free the townsfolk and bring light to the shadows. Together, we will be the heroes they need," he says as he shakes his shield with a painted Cornucopia in anticipation.

"Excellent, reinforcement."

Dav'eed smiles warmly at the halfling cleric. "Welcome to the team! Let's keep going, then. I've been scouting ahead since I'm pretty stealthy and can see in the dark. The others follow behind so the light from their torch doesn't give us away. I try to lure creatures back to them, like with the spider. If I find the troglodyte camp, I'll be sure to come back and report so we can back a plan. Oh - do have any weapons? I have some extra daggers, and can loan you my rapier if needed..." He waits for the response, sharing weapons if needed.

Once they are set, Dav'eed will scout ahead once more, following the stench and avoiding the small crack where the spider went! (Stealth: 22)

"I have no need for your weapons, my friend," Zelaerys responds with a light, friendly touch of his hand to Dav'eed's side. "Through staff and shield do I channel the great mother's favours, or, if it comes to it, her wrath against these foul creatures. I, too, can see in the dark, but stealth does not suit me. I can, however, guide your efforts and maintain a line of communication with you even a hundred feet away." 

A minute or so after Dav'eed vanished into the darkness of the tunnels ahead, Zelaerys stays with the group but whispers to him, "I can whisper to your distant ear and only you can hear. You may reply silently and only I listen your words. Are you alright? And is it safe to follow?"