Broken Glass

It must be true then that they exist in the underdark caves. These few would not likely last well enough if their presence was discovered.
 
As he lifted a boot, caked in clay, water slowly crept into the print and pulled the disturbed fines into a spiraling cloudy mix. These rot trolls they hunted...prevented from suffering the decay of the mere...perhaps that was why the glass trails were so thin? Agvith described then harvesting panes of it...but it was hardly thick enough here... barely showing as crystal dust spread over the mud tracks. The snails suffered the same perhaps? Not likely... but he wouldn't know without getting ahold of one. He gloured ahead at his companions as his thoughts continued to wander ahead. What about the lizardfolk? They were so ingenious as a species. How much did they understand? They lacked the curiosity to explore the possibilities though. Grandfather told of deserts of destruction spread by ancient evil. Maybe there was a lesson there if you could study the magic and compare it to the mere? Not likely. Not even Candlekeep itself would hold those secrets he supposed.
 
Problems seemed too big to solve sometimes. Looked back up at the group ahead...he felt small. A distraction on the battlefield. The gnome pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, dark veins showed beneath the tan skin. Digging his nails into his palm and squeezing exposed the veins further... a moment later the pain he had been trying to ignore pierced his arm and into his chest. Depths of the abyss, he knew that was a mistake. He needed more though.
Eethyl slowed his pace slightly and quietly muttered a few words of magic. The power in his viens pulled into his hand, spreading through the channels beneath his flesh and appearing to crack the skin as shattered glass with necrotic magic. He bit the tip of his tounge to push the pain back. Maybe that would work... overload the trolls blood and accelerate the decay it held back causing a collapse? Worth a try.
 
The gnome sighed. He couldn't keep his thoughts in order. Sorting through his conflicted thoughts was like making his way through the thickest part of the mere fog.
"I don't need to touch you to tell you that you are allowing the enemies boot in the hearths jam. Let it go Eethyl." The words echoed through his mind clewr as if spoken next to him. He couldn't see her ahead but he nodded toward where he knew she flew. "Thank you, I didn't realize I was allowing another foothold."
He looked back at his hand and tugged the shirt down a little more as the black veins continued to retract from his hand up his arm. Worth a try...