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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 2854295" data-attributes="member: 18280">Area 6:  Pool SlideIn ages past, water once flowed from the alcove down into Area 6, and the humidly has kept this area looking much as it once did.  What looks like bacon is actually called “cave bacon”, a mineral formation composed of calcite with alternating bands of mineral impurities.  Tiny openings in the cave ceiling reach the surface.  Although they are now somewhat choked with the roots of plants, this area seems to dimly glow during the daytime if viewed without an artificial light source.  These openings are a food source for the cave, allowing small insects and spiders to dwell herein.Exploring this area requires an Escape Artist check (DC 10) for Medium creatures.  Anyone searching this area may find a rusted iron buckle from a belt that was long ago eaten away (DC 10) eight scattered ivory buttons (DC 12, each worth 1 sp) and a silver brooch that looks like a stylized bird in flight (DC 20).  The brooch appears to be worth about 50 gp, but is actually a brooch of shielding lost here long before the dragons came.The steep slope is made of shale, but close examination (Track DC 15) shows that the rock has been pitted and moved by the passage of the dragons.  Climbing down the steep incline quietly is difficult but not impossible (Move Silently DC 20).  Far more dangerous is the chance of rock sliding beneath one’s feet – traversing this slope requires a Balance check (DC 15).  Those who fail fall, sliding down the slope toward the water below.  This is very loud, echoing along the cavern walls and automatically alerting the choker in Area 7.  Sliding characters are allowed a Reflex save (DC 15) to catch themselves before sliding into the water at the bottom of this passage.Climbing back up this passage requires a Climb check (DC 10) due to the shifting stones. The water in this pool is varies from an average of 3-5 feet deep to 10 feet deep in the deepest areas.  This pool drains into a 20-foot deep but relatively slow-moving underground stream flowing into Area 10.  Along the bottom of the pool, a few long cracks 1-2 inches wide allow water to seep down farther into the earth, giving this additional drainage.  At the DM's discretion, characters who explore these cracks might find them leading into the ceiling of a water-filled cavern network even deeper underground.This area provides a swimming hazard, but is otherwise safe.  Of course, Small characters that slide into the pool must swim or drown – a feat that wearing heavy armour makes difficult.Because of the depth of the underground river, the dragons are more than capable of swimming from Area 8 to Area 10, and then to Area 6.  For this reason, the passage to Area 7 shows none of the pitting and wear that the passage to the pool did.  The slope to Area 7 is also not as steep as the previous passage, and is made of more solid stone.Although climbing this passage is easy (DC 0), circumstance modifiers for trying to climb it at speed while in combat might require an actual check.  Characters who somehow escape (but do not defeat) the dragons in Area 8 might discover Artix rising out of the pool here while Ferix comes from behind.</blockquote>

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