A would keep a wiped expression, even when helping themselves to a few hearty sips of Dragon Blood. They'd accept the scroll from Sam with a nod. The elf would busy themselves with reviewing it as Sam finished administering his information. Once done, the scroll would be rolled up and tucked away in their bag. And when everyone was ready for teleportation, they'd take another gulp of the red liquid before following the group.

Taking in the new areas sights and sounds, A would hold themselves tall. They'd offer a formal respectful bow to Ludvick, awaiting their turn to give a short return introduction. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. You may call me A. We do appreciate any information you provide." Offering a hand for a handshake.

The elf would take out their notes one more, jotting them down and updating them as Leon made his inquiries. A hint of a curious smile tugged at the corner of their lips, threatening to break their blank visage when his protection stone was brought to their attention. They hadn't seen such a thing before, and rather admired it too.

When Leon would glance their way, sharing some concern for the heat, A would look back down to their spellbook. They'd begin flipping through. The best they might be able to do is provide their own personal 'air conditioning' with their shape water, if they were lucky. But, if it were to be a test of their endurance, so be it.

A probably had not prepared themselves as well as the others for this mission, but they were as ready as they were going to be at this point. "Ready." The elf would nod.

Bugs followed along with the others, content to listen this time around.  He had picked up some new equipment as well and was hoping to break it in. 

After all was explained Bugs smiled and responded, "Well, we have faced an underground keep, a dragon, lots of orcs, a temple of strange creatures and an undead Medusa.  I'm excited to add a mad wizard's volcanic lair to the list."  He draws hisbblade and hoists it in the air towards their path.  "Come friends, adventure awaits, Sally forth, huzzah, and all that."

Ramious grins and follows the sword brandishing bugs. 

A would follow from the far back. 

"Seems like we are ready." Leon says as Bugs starts to lead the way. he attempts to fall back to his normal rear-guard, but, seeing A is waiting for him to move out first, he shrugs and follows just behind Ramious.

"Some manners!" The gnome looked pleasantly surprised and ceremoniously answered A's handshake. (By the way, the collection of the scrolls that elf carried also got an addition - three detailed pictures of every weapon:  Wave -  is an exquisite trident, engraved with images of waves, shells, and sea creatures; Whelm - a powerful warhammer, covered with runes and obviously forged by dwarves; and Blackrazor  - the great sword, that shines like a piece of night sky filled with stars with the black scabbard, decorated with pieces of cut obsidian.)

Bernar's boasting was met with a healthy dose of skepticism, though, expressed only with looks - Ludvick was well mannered enough not to express this kind of feelings loudly, especially considering the audience - for you did have it. Some armed people wearing tabards (you could count three of them) were standing aside, waiting for the conversation to end (house guards, probably). There were some other people - peasants, from the look of them, and quite poor, most likely locals - but those were kept behind the lines and did not look like they would want to talk either.

"I wish you luck." Ludvick Rywiriss slightly lovered his head and added a moment later. "And safe return. With the weapons." 

-------------------------------------------------

By the gnome's signal three guards approached the group (they seemed to be more impressed with Bernard's short description and general look of the group). "They will show the way and will wait outside... for a while. In case help is needed." Guards did not look like they can provide mush help nor willing to "wait for a while" but all nodded and moved ahead, showing the way. Not that you could miss the mountain, and there was some sort of a path too - after so many people walked back and fort here but they led you forward nevertheless.

A couple of hours walk was not hard and finally you came to the "mouth" - dark cave continued to breath and now you could also hear a whistling noise coinciding with the wind cycle. If it were not for the continuous roaring of the Plume, this whistling could be heard for a great distance.

The cave is about 8 feet in diameter and 40 feet long. At the end of the cave, near the roof, is a long, horizontal crevice about a foot wide. The air is sucked into this crack at great speed, creating the loud whistling noise and snuffing out torches. Shortly the rush of air slows down, stops for a couple of seconds, and then comes back out in a great blast of steam. This steam is not hot enough to scald anyone who keeps low and avoids the crevice, but it does make the cave very uncomfortable, like a hot sauna bath interrupted by blasts of cold air.

The ceiling and walls of the cave are slick with the condensed steam that runs down them. The floor is covered with several inches of fine muck - but there is a path there, cleared out by those who came before you. It ends at the small trapdoor with a rusted iron ring set in it , the door is shut for now but you were told there is a staircase underneath. Indeed, once opened, it reveled a 20-foot-square vertical shaft and the beginning of a spiral staircase that leads down.

The guards stopped at the good safe distance from the cave, unconvincingly wished you luck and stepped aside, allowing you to get in and explore the breathing terror to your liking.

"Looks like some darkvision is needed again..." Leon says to Bugs. he will cast darkvision on them both, if Bugs wishes it that is.

Ramious watches Leon fall back, then A fall back further...and scratches his chin, a bit confused, but then just shrugs and turns back to Bernard, "A'ight, let's go." 

Ramious walks next to one of the guards on the way, "So, what's the name of the town you live in?  How long you been here?  Who do you work for?  Do you like it round here?  Got family?"  He does his best to learn a bit about where they've come to and the people here, curious about how long this guy has been a guard, and what else the area is known for besides the volcano. 

When they finally arrive at the cave, Ramious looks around, "Where's this beast that's s'pposed to be right at the entrance. I don't see it." 

He pulls his shield off his back and puts it on this arm. 

Ramious learned quite a lot! Not at first - even cleaned up the tiefling remained a brute, an adventurer, a vagabond - someone without stable job and loose ties with society. Or so adventurers often viewed by less ... adventurer's folk. But Ramious' winning personality and natural charm eventually made the guard to open up. Guards name was Edgar LeBlanc, the youngest son of a minor noble, serving Duke Alagondar himself - a very prestigious position he would not want to loose. He married recently, thought he was about to get a promotion, and was a cat person but usually kept that shameful preference a secret.

He was not from that place, of course, that was just a village, or not even that - a few huts in the shadow of dangerous volcano. They all came here from Neverwinter - some voluntarily, some were sent as a punishment. Edgar was on watch the night Blackrazor disappeared. Fortunately, in another wing of the house, but still decided to go to stay away from the Duke's wroth. As much as he (and everyone else) hated it here, it was better than hanging.

Two hours passed like a blaze!

"Down there," answered another guard - not Edgar - to the question about the beast. "And the entrance is down there too too. Sorry, but we are not going there. You had to see poor Jorvik, running away from there! He said he did not remember how he got up."

Ramious grins to Edgar, slapping his shoulder heartily when he talks about cats. "I'm a cat guy too. I think i'd like a big cat....with stripes...big enough that I could stick a saddle on 'im and then ride him into battle.  I'd call him......Battle Cat!  I'd get him some cool armor or something. It'd be awesome.  Well, great getting to know you!  See you soon...uh...hopefully." 

Ramious heads down towards the entrance with a little hop to his step.

With A taking his normal spot, Leon shrugs and follows Ramious in. He tugs gently on the hilt of his greatsword, making sure it is not too-snug in its sheath.

Hop had to halt - to get to the trapdoor, that led down into the mountain, Ramious had to crouch a bit to avoid the steam-bath (may be Sam should not have spend his cleaning spell after all?) but you all got inside the cave safely, and after the trapdoor was opened - able to see the staircase leading down. (Bernard got his Darkvision from Leon and could enjoy the view of the mud, fungi and alga around as well.)

The staircase is badly rusted but, as the gnome said, appears to be sturdy. The air inside the passageway is warm, humid, and rather foul. You reach the bottom of the stairs (100ft of climbing!) with a splash—the floor is submerged beneath a foot of water! - and immediately felt the floor thrumming to a continuous low vibration. Floating on the water are splotches of green and white subterranean algae (or fungus?) that also clings in patches to walls and ceilings.

The floor feels slippery ((movement is reduced by one-third (speed 30 becomes 20, speed 20 becomes 15))), and water would hide any trap, should one exist. It will be very difficult to keep silent, run (without falling), or depend on invisibility (waves and foot-shaped holes in the water give one away).

The good thing, though, there is no beast anywhere. Nor bones or dead bodies either - just a corridor (10ft high, 5ft wide) running straight as far as you can see (about 30ft ahead), and then probably turning.

"This is going to be slow-going." Leon says with a frown at the water. He looks to the others. "Best be prodding the ground ahead with a staff or something, as we wouldn't want to step on something, or off a ledge, without knowing about it first."

Bernard thanks his friend the darkvision.  "When we get our next pay, there are a set of goggles I saw with this enchantment.  I'm gonna get me a pair to be less of a burden on your casting."

When getting down below he says, "Well, I guess this is one way to test if the boots are waterproof..."  he then hop down and per Leon's suggestion pulls out a spear from his quiver and then begins to search for traps.

Perception 25

Ooc, Bugs has land stride which says he doesn't become hindered by difficult terrain.  Does this apply here?

((Do not think Landstriding works here. From description it is about land as an "open ground" and underlines "plants" in two sentences - that do not slow you down or damage you. Here we are dealing with water in the tunnels. I would say it is not just "difficult terrain" but a specific dungeon feature. So, no.))

A followed silently, not expecting them taking up the rear position to cause that much of a shuffle. They’d tuck the additional detailed scrolls in their bag, keeping their notebook out to update anything along the way. Once inside the tunnels, the elf would consider trying to destroy the water, but it appeared it may be a more permanent feature than initially thought. There wasn’t much they could think of to contribute to the suggestions. They’d nod to Leon’s suggestion of probing with a pole as they went.

Ramious pulls out a section of rope....and..assuming Bernard doesn't object, ties it around Bernard's waist....then grabs it firmly with his hands, wrapping it around his hand a couple times.   He grins, "There ya go Bugz. If you fall....I got you."

Bernard moved forward with the spear probing the water covering floor ahead. It seemed harmless and careful walk did not activate any trap either. The initial impression proved right - the corridor did turn and few step past the turn (neither the spear nor Bernard's senses could not reveal anything suspicious) you had to stop - something was blocking the way. Something you could not see and yet material enough to stop the spear - or any attempt to get through. Behind that invisible barrier the corridor converged into three different corridors. In the middle of the intersection on a flat stone raising a few inches above the water, sat ... a creature. BIG creature, with the body of a huge lion, long wings and the head of a humanoid female.  It could be even beautiful (in the "beauty of the predator" kind of way) if not for the rather mangy, bedraggled look of the beast (no doubts that was the scary beast the guards were talking about). The beast yawned and looked at you silently but expectedly.

 (The corridor turned out to be 10ft by 10ft, so, everyone can fit into the square behind the barrier)

Leon follows just behind Ramious.

Catching Bugs' spear hitting some potential invisible barrier, A's head would tilt, curious if they may have knowledge of what it could be. Same with the unique creature that was staring at them expectantly.