[[ OOC: Well... In case this changes your mind... The 'fire-cleaning' of the webs was interrupted by the enemies' exit, but it's not like it was going slowly... Burning the various webs won't take hours - maybe ten minutes ]]

The skipper brings the vessel back close, while he replies: "There's room for only one at a time... So I'll have to take each of you individually. But if you all wish to reach the same destination, you will all arrive there. You have nothing to fear, as long as you are on my ship - I am used to sailing in much more dangerous waters than these. Just pay - and you'll arrive".

Elias listens carefully to the Merrenoloth’s words, his sharp mind parsing every syllable, looking for deception. "Only one at a time… but the same destination, provided we pay." He nods slowly, acknowledging the fiend’s response while still wary of what it might not be saying.

He glances back at Tarysaa, considering her earlier concern about burning the webs. Ten minutes. That’s all it would take—not hours. The thought shifts his perspective.

Turning to the others, he speaks calmly but decisively:

"We have two choices before us—pay the Ferryman, trusting that he delivers us safely, one by one, or press forward and burn the webs, clearing a path ourselves. The latter is slower but keeps us together. The former is faster, but it requires we trust a fiend to honor his word."

He folds his arms, his gaze sweeping over the party.

"If we burn the webs, it won’t take hours—ten minutes at most. And while it may bring more spiders, at least we’ll be facing them together, rather than separated, waiting our turn for passage."

His blue eyes flicker toward the Ferryman, his voice lowering slightly.

"I do not enjoy placing my fate in the hands of a creature that thrives on transactions and hidden clauses."

Then, looking back at the group, he asks, "So—do we buy our way forward? Or do we fight our way through?"

Ardana, finally on balance after a chaotic battle in this dungeon, manages to bring her sword down, slashing its head, cleaving an eye from its head, and the spider collapses at last.   She signs, and cleans her sword, looking around at the rest of the group.  

I'm fine, it is not a grevious wound.

 Ardana passes her hand over the wound, muttering a prayer to Helm under her breath and its appearance improves somewhat.  (Lay on Hands for 10)

 We should move on.   Continue clearing the webs and let us see what remains behind them.   I do not trust the ferryman.

Koran looks thoughtful for a moment before answering.  "I would rather trust our feet and remain together.  I think that means braving the webs.  A simple torch could make burning them away go faster.  Does anyone carry one?"

Tarysaa hears what is being said, "I have no torches; only candles and my spells.  It appears we shall be moving ahead 'on foot' which is fine with me."

Turning, she goes back to throwing motes of fire into the webs in the room.  Fire Bolt

To Hit: 16    Dmg: 10 fire  {game log}

Elias nods in approval, satisfied with the group’s decision. “Good. We stay together, and we make our own way forward.”

Stepping back, he watches as Tarysaa resumes her work, her firebolts igniting the thick webs, the flames creeping and curling along the silken strands. The smell of burning fibers and decay thickens in the air as the fire spreads deeper into the chamber, casting eerie, shifting shadows along the mold-covered walls.

Elias tightens his grip on his staff, his ears alert for skittering movement, knowing full well that fire was not only their weapon—but also their beacon to whatever else might be lurking within.

“Stay ready,” he murmurs to the others, his sharp eyes flicking between the dissolving webbing and the darkened corners of the chamber beyond. “I doubt the true occupants of this place will let us pass unchallenged.”

((21 perception - Elias is vigilant to listen for anything else that may approach))

The cobwebs finally give in to the tireless action of Tarysaa's magical fire. Our heroes are presented with

a large room in which the strong smell of vinegar lingers despite the ventilation provided by the fact that a large section of the ceiling has collapsed. Towards the center of the area, however, a disastrous collapse has caused debris and earth to fall into the room, smashing the barrels that were underneath - in that part, on the ground, nothing remains but a pile of heterogeneous debris that acts as a small island in the flooded room.

There are several large barrels with the names of fine wines along the sides. The wine inside, however, must have long since turned to vinegar.

Aside from the large entrance - and the even larger hole in the ceiling - the room has no other exits.

(The colored part is the one that corresponds to the collapse in the ceiling - and consequently to the island in the floor)

Elias steps forward, his boots splashing lightly in the shallow water as he surveys the cleared chamber, his nose wrinkling at the sharp scent of vinegar that hangs thick in the air.

“Well, that explains the smell,” he mutters, eyeing the rotting barrels that once housed fine wines, now reduced to nothing more than soured remnants of their former luxury.

His gaze drifts toward the collapsed section of the ceiling, noting the way the light filters in from above, offering a rare break in the dungeon’s otherwise oppressive darkness. The pile of debris in the center of the room catches his attention, the only solid ground amid the flooded ruin.

After a moment of studying the area, Elias turns to the group, his voice thoughtful but laced with curiosity.

“No other exits. Either this was a dead end from the start, or we’re missing something.” He gestures toward the pile of collapsed stone and barrels. “If anything of value was buried in that mess, it may be worth investigating.”

Then, with a flick of his hand, he gestures upward. “And there’s always the hole in the ceiling… though I suspect we’d prefer not to start climbing just yet.”

His keen eyes scan the room again, looking for hidden doors, submerged passageways, or anything that might suggest this chamber held more than just ruined wine. “Thoughts?” he asks, opening the floor to the group’s insight.

((10 investigation roll to search through the room...maybe someone else will be helping him search or give him the help action?))

Tarysaa Perception Check:  22  <-- is that a help action or is it some roll modifier given to Elias?

[[ OOC: The Help action does not need a roll - you just declare you are helping your fellow party member and, if this makes sense, they gets Advantage on their roll. Tarysaa rolled Perception (and not a low roll) so for now I assume she did not help Elias but she took a look personally, keeping her eyes wide open. Of course she (or someone else) can still Help Elias, if it's something the character would think of doing and if they would think it's a good idea. ]]

The Harpells' envoy and the expert scholar examine the room independently, with different techniques and from different points of view.

Tarysaa's keen elven senses detect nothing in the room that suggests other exits.

And Elias's analytical mind sees only clues that seem to support the hypothesis that this was a dead-end from the beginning... trying to carefully move a few barrels, it is evident (from the very little dirt underneath) that they must not have been moved for a long time. Moreover, moving a barrel little is already difficult now, that the buoyancy of the water helps in the task. It is difficult to imagine a secret passage behind the heavy barrels... unless it was one to be used extremely rarely; because it would certainly have been very uncomfortable to use.

Koran will assist Elias in his search.

Elias crouches near one of the barrels, his hands carefully testing its weight and position, his eyes narrowed in concentration. As he shifts it slightly—even with the aid of the water’s buoyancy—he feels the resistance, the sheer weight of age and neglect. Beneath it, the stone is clean, undisturbed, further confirming his suspicion.

He slowly stands, wiping his hands on the edge of his coat, and turns back to the group.

“No hidden passage,” he says, his voice firm with conclusion. “These barrels haven’t been moved in decades, perhaps longer. Even with the water helping us, they’re difficult to shift. If there’s something hidden back here, it was never meant to be used with any regularity—if at all.”

He casts one last glance around the chamber, taking in the collapsed ceiling, the broken casks, the lingering scent of vinegar, then shakes his head.

“No—this place was never meant to lead anywhere. A storage room, long forgotten, now ruined by time and collapse. We’ve reached the end of this path.”

His gaze shifts back toward the corridor behind them—the one that leads back to the Merrenoloth. He sighs.

“I suppose it’s time we speak again with our silent friend by the boat.”

[[ OOC: If Elias wishes, since Koran gave him Help, he can roll another time and we keep the best result of the two rolls (simulating in this way the Advantage condition.
In the meantime I continue the narration as if you were returning from the Merrenoloth. ]]

The impassive Fiendish helmsman stares at our heroes as they return to him.

Once they are close, he asks: "So you are willing to let me carry you across these waters? The price is very reasonable... For a transport, I am content with a soul; the sacrifice, before me, of a sentient creature with reasonable free will - at least enough to make moral choices. That would be my preferred payment..." he sighs "But I realize that there is not an abundance of souls in this desolate place. So, to adapt, I may as well accept 10gp instead."

"I will make your voyage safe," he continues, "but when you have to disembark, if there's danger or hostile creatures waiting, I will not be obliged to defend you. The fare includes one way. If you need me on the way back, call my name, Geados, and I will come. And asking the same price for which I took you on the way out, I will take you on the way back."

Elias approaches slowly, the flickering magical light catching on the still surface of the water and casting dancing shadows across the Merrenoloth’s rotted robes and skeletal face. He listens carefully, his expression neutral, but his mind races behind his calm exterior.

When the fiend finishes, Elias lets the silence hang for a breath, then nods once.

“A soul… or ten gold,” he repeats, his voice even. “It’s good to know that even in the lower planes, there’s still a place for practical economics.”

He looks over his shoulder at the others, then back to Geados, eyes narrowing slightly.

“So the price is clear, and your terms are fair—by fiendish standards, at least.” He gestures toward the boat. “One passenger at a time. One-way trip. Safe until we disembark. And if we need return passage, we pay again, in coin or something more costly.”

He turns to the group, voice lowered just enough for a private discussion.

“It’s not ideal. We’ll be separated until we regroup at the destination, and we won’t know what’s waiting for us when we arrive. But if this is the only way forward…” He lets the sentence hang.

Then, more softly, to Tarysaa, Koran, Wood, and Ardana:
“If any of us go ahead, the first thing we do is secure a landing point for the next—establish ground, check for immediate danger. We don’t spread out. We wait. We move together, one at a time, but unified in purpose.”

Then, back to Geados, he gives a faint smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Ten gold, was it? Let’s begin.”

((With that - Elias hands the ferryman 10gp and steps on the boat))

[[ OOC:  Just so all the options are clear... Of course it is also possible to swim, instead of using Geados' services. Which of the two options is more dangerous... it's up to the party to decide.

Anyway @qalsip1977: With that "Let's begin" Elias means to pay and go first? So I continue with the narration of his journey? Or is it more of an invitation to the party to discuss together? ]]

Wood watches as Elias pays the ferry man, we have another option, the passage the water nymph us guarding.

Elias freezes mid-motion, coin in hand, just before placing it into Geados’s outstretched, skeletal palm. He turns his head slowly to look at Woodrow, considering his words carefully.

“Another option, yes,” he says quietly. “But I fear it’s not an option so much as an invitation—one extended by someone who’s already under the thumb of the Lords from Below.”

He tucks the coin away for the moment and steps slightly back from the boat, speaking so the group can hear but in a tone laced with caution.

“That narrow corridor Thetis guards? That’s their door. She all but admitted it. If we walk that path, we’re marching into their parlor like sheep to the slaughter—or worse, we’re expected. We lose what little surprise we might still have.”

Elias looks back toward the boat, then again to the party.

“The ferry may be dangerous, but it’s neutral. Geados doesn’t care who we are—only that we pay. He’s not their ally. Thetis… might not be their enemy.”

He shrugs slightly. “Unless someone has a compelling reason to walk through the door they want us to use, I say we stick to the shadows and take the current.”

Then, glancing at Woodrow with genuine respect: “But I’m listening if you think it’s worth the risk.”

"Yes, we have the other option.  In order to use that option we have to either fight the fey, or wait for them to be told we're coming and see if we get permission to use that path.  This looks to be a less inherenty violent option."

Wood returns his sword to it's scabbard, This is the way. ((couldn't help the star wars reference, lol)

Elias sighs softly, the weight of indecision pressing against his chest like the damp air in these ruins. He glances between Wood, resolute and ready to fight, and Koran, who still holds onto the hope of avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. Then his eyes settle, just briefly, on the direction of Thetis’ corridor—and there's something unspoken in his gaze.

He crosses his arms, his voice quiet but steady.

"I won't lie. I don’t trust that passage. It’s the Lords’ door—gift-wrapped in warning and waiting. If we go that way, we're not just walking into their realm... we're doing it their way."

His gaze softens slightly. "But I also don’t want to hurt her."

He turns to face the group fully.

"I know she's not telling us everything. I know she’s a pawn, maybe even a lure. But she's also a victim. Bound, betrayed, afraid. If we storm that path and she stands in our way… I don't know if I could strike her down."

He looks to Ardana, Tarysaa, Koran, and Woodrow in turn.

"We can’t stall forever. We have two paths—fight our way through the front, or drift in through the back, one by one. Either way, we face what waits in the dark."

He pauses, then asks simply:
"So... which road do we walk together?"