Pax pushes Sekkar away from her in a huff after the monster disappears. "Get off me! I gave it what it wanted. It insisted on more and seemed aggressive about it. It's a monster! Everything down here are monsters! You all seem so quick to try and make deals with demons."  

Shooting angry glances at Sekkar she sheaths her swords and walks over to Gorlak and grabs the rope so he doesn't wander again.

She takes a deep breath, and says, "But fine, you gave it some treasure and it left. Fine. It warned us about some pool to the south before it left. It has some jelly with mental powers in it."

Still trying to control her anger, she turns to Rhayna, "Where did you go?"

Rhayna stands very still until the creature takes the censer from her hands. She then blinks a couple of times, trying to process everything that happened in the last couple of minutes. She snaps out of it when Pax demands to know where did she go. She shakes her head, as like waking from a dream, and fixes her spectacles. She takes a deep breath, to calm herself down, then it seems that the strange elation from earlier returns to the Cleric. She smiles slightly. "The Lady gave me a gift, but I did not know what the gift was, and now I know. I experienced it. I travelled through the fungi patches, and I was able to visit some the other parts of this cavern system. You could say that I 'scouted' ahead." Rhayna kneels down, gives the Myconids a big hug, she then whispers to them with a big smile. "I communed with the fungi. Thanks to the grace of the Lady!!" She stands up, and continues. "Pax is right, the creature kindly warned us that we should avoid going south. I actually traveled to the east, and I may have a better idea of what is ahead of us. Therefore, I would like to suggest that we take the other path." Rhayna concludes without taking notice of Pax's tone.

Pax's bad mood evaporates.  She looks a bit embarrassed actually and seems to be considering as she looks at her feet.  "Underdark is more than just a cave. The world here....is different. I'm adjusting. I thank you for your patience.  Please, lead east."

Kastix will exmaine the mushroom he knocked over, covering his mouth with his shirt and trying to keep good distance away, "He did whatever he did for a purpose. I am not even going to try and unreveal Rhayna's situation right now," 

Nature" 17

Sekkar let Pax go when she stopped attacking everything that moves. "You want to kill yourself woman - go ahead, but do not endanger others. And if it's still spores talking in your head - get rid of them sooner."

"Speaking of spores..." he looked at Rhayna, and sniffed the air around her, "are you part mushroom now? Who is that Lady you are talking about?" So much was going on around, he missed the part about Rhayna's daring adventure.

The creature has departed, apparently content with Rhayna's gift and leaving Zeno's scattered coins untouched.

As Pax approaches Gorlak he suddenly becomes aggresive and tries to bite her, but just as suddenly returns to his catatonic state. He stays this way for the best part of a minute, sometimes appearing more lucid, sometimes trying to wander off, but then seems to recover his wits.

Kastix has seen this mushroom in his time underground, and knows that it was referred to by Shuushar as 'the devil's mushroom', and by Hemeth as 'timmask', although he's not seen this effect before. The spores is released are clearly poisonous, but seem to induce a state of confusion.

Now that Rhayna has regained her bearings, she realises that her fungal voyage was actually to areas south-west of their current location.

"I think the guy's high," Kastix states as he cautiously gives him a kick to see if get a reaction.

Pax nods, "I think those mushrooms drugged him.  If I had a bag, I'd grab a few of 'em and use 'em when we needed, but I don't have any extra bags and I'm not tainting my whole backpack with spores.  Anyway, let's get going, west tunnel...right Rhayna?"  

The group look confusedly at one another, unsure exactly where Rhayna has been, what she has seen and heard, and where she is suggesting they go. Gorlak seems recovered and returns to his sullen, patient waiting. The faint sound of shouting echoes down the tunnel to the west.

Map updated presumptively with Rhayna's information. Red circle for current location.

(Apparently Rhayna's player got a whiff of Rhayna's mushrooms. Thus he was slightly disoriented on his last post.)

"Did I say east, ohh silly me, I actually meant west." Rhayna replies to Pax, slightly embarrassed at her mistake. "Perhaps, if you commune with the Lady, she may help you find peace inside of yourself." She closes her hand and bows slightly. (FYI. @Pizazz. Rhayna is not trying to imply anything. She's just a little bit high on "mushrooms".)

Rhayna sees Sekkar aproach and sniff her. "Am I part mushroom? Hummm... That is a good question Sekkar. I don't believe so, however, I do commune with fungi now." She sincerely smiles at the Lizardman, like what she just said is totally normal. "Ahh the Lady..." It seems that happy thoughts comes to the Cleric. "Well, she is everywhere. She is every mushroom, mold, and every spore. She has graced me with the ability the travel through fungi patches, and that is how I was able to move further ahead in a very short time."

She looks at Pax. "Yes, I have visited some smaller caves south west of us, and I hope that I can guide us safely out of here." Rhayna starts to walk westward. "Up ahead, we should see a cave with some zombies, but we don't have to worry about them. There is a Derro there, however, and if anyone wants, we can ask him what is he doing there." She looks at Stool and Rumpadump. "Let's go little fellows."

Pax, pushing the now coherent prisoner in front of her, follows Rhayna.

"I have plenty of peace inside of me already thank you very much." She doesn't sound convincing.

"Let's just get out of here. Let's see if we can get back to the route we already know," Kastix states. 

Kaylyn quietly watches the exchange after Rhayna's return.  "I'll follow your lead Rhayna.  Let's keep moving."

For a moment Sekkar looked pretty skeptical but then shrugged: "Whatever works. Lead the way."

The shouting dies away after just a few moments as the group travel along the passage. The tunnel widens and narrows but remains relatively flat and sandy, extending for about 500 feet before curving to the south and then east. To the right a branching tunnel extends to the south. Directly ahead to the east, a ledge overlooks a dark pit, in which several humanoid figures move slowly around a foul-smelling cavern that seems to be strewn with some kind of putrid refuse.

If you have any actions to take, please make a presumptive skill or ability check...

Rhyana points to the dark pit. "Ohh, it's nothing interesting there. It's just a couple of zombies. Although..." Rhayna checks ledge to see if there is anyone on it. (Perception: 8)

Pax looks around the dark room with keen eyes. Perception : 7

She takes 10 minutes to cast Detect Magic as a ritual and look for any magical auras. 

Kaylyn looks down into the pit, Pensive looking over her shoulder to see what they can see.  Naturally she also casts Detect Magic at the same time.

Seeing Pax set up the ritual,

"I can do that anytime, no ritual needed.  Keep an eye on Gorlak so he doesn't try and get away."

Kaylyn perception 16

Pensive perception 11

Pax shrugs and stops casting the spell. Not noticing anything in particular she turns her attention to the passage south, "I assume we're heading down this passage to the south here next?"

"If there is no exit there - then there is no point in getting there either. Where does that tunnel lead?" Sekkad nodded at the branching tunnel to the sought.