The Dragon Punchers went on to explore the system of twisting and turning caves the sinkhole unearthed. Near the entrance they found several burrow holes, and a deep pool of water, at the bottom of which were a few shining gems. While the rest of the party looked around, Jinn quietly scouted ahead. The way seemed clear. However, their progress was interrupted by
Emlyn's cry of pain. A toothy maw had appeared on the cave floor and latched onto her ankle. A sort of elemental parasite had taken up residence in the chamber ahead, and was able to manifest itself on stony surfaces. Through the chaos of battle Chari was able to locate the core of this creature and the group was able to quickly dispatch it.
Beyond this chamber a long narrow stone bridge stretched above a yawning, windy chasm. The group secured a line to aid the crossing, but one misstep sent Bart tumbling into the abyss. Emlyn's quick reflexes brought him safely to the other side. This new, low-ceilinged chamber held a small pool full of tiny flowers and pale-colored fish. Here they encountered small creatures made of stone that, while elemental in nature, behaved more akin to small animals. The stonemites appeared to be friendly, and the party enjoyed a brief moment of respite.
Jinn's vision could not penetrate the inky blackness of the passage in front of them. His attempts to forge ahead resulted in injury from something sharp on the floor. Bart used the driftglobe to dispel the darkness, revealing many patches of tenebrous vine as well as a strange, obsidian-like fungus which likely caused Jinn's injuries. The globe had, however, also disturbed a colony of razorbats which fled in a panic. When the bats were clear, Emlyn was able to investigate further and recognized the fungus as darkshine, a plant native to the elemental plane of earth but that only grew where negative energy was in abundance. This left the group with more questions than answers.
The passage opened into a larger room dimly lit by a few patches of cavelight moss. A large pool of water dominated the center of the chamber. Along one wall Chari could hear strange noises resembling the sound of water impacting something at regular intervals. There didn't appear to be any other means of exit, so the group decided to brave the watery depths.
After some rest and preparation, the party made it through a set of underwater tunnels which opened out into a larger underwater cavern full of torchbloom. Thanks to some clever planning and foresight, everyone made it through the tunnels relatively unscathed, despite a few close calls. However, as the party collected themselves and moved forward, their progress was abruptly brought to a halt. With a rumble and crash, the ceiling of the passage collapsed unexpectedly, bringing them face to face with an enormous, armored, worm-like creature.
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