Session 2, part 1
Several seconds pass. Thrallin is still submerged. His companions stab and swipe their weapons methodically into the inky water, but cannot find their targets.
Several more seconds pass. Thrallin is still submerged. A goblin body breaks the surface of the water, limp and unmoving, save for the stained rattle of breath entering the lungs through an artificially introduced cavity.
Something blunt impacts Pikkit's leg and she swings her heavy pick through the fluid veil, but concealment continues to foil her attack. Wroth, however, moves around to the other side of her and drives his battleaxe down toward the spot presumed to accommodate Pikkit’s attacker. His blow is massive; chunks of goblin bob to the surface of the water.
Soon after, Brunta jabs with his spear and feels the unmistakable sensation of stabbing goblin-flesh. A second unconscious goblin bobs to the surface of the opaque cave water.
At this point, three goblins emerge from the water, flying wildly in different directions as Thrallin bursts into the air, shouting. "Dammit! They had me pinned, down there! Bastards got me beard wet!"
When the goblins land, far outside of the range of even Wroth's superior darkvision, they scamper off to safety.
Thrallin wastes no time killing the unconscious goblin in front of him, but Brunta spares the life of his foe. He casts a minor healing magic on the creature and tosses it over his shoulder to be interrogated later (despite the fact that no one present can speak in the goblin tongue). When it is retrieved, however, Brunta's badger takes to gnawing on the goblin whenever the unusual nature-dwarf looks the other way.
The soldiers press on. What looked to be a minor enlargement of the tunnel soon widens beyond the point of visibility in all directions. Funny, that miner didn't say anything about this...
A few small centipedes swim by. Brunta is especially intrigued by the concept of swimming centipedes, but Thrallin quickly dispatches them.
Brunta seethes as Thrallin cheerfully explains, "Hate them things."
They press on. Somewhat later, the ground beneath them begins to slope steeply. Within their line of vision ahead of them, they can see rocks sticking out of the water. These may well be stalagmites, but if they are, the tops have been worn or ground away by something.
It almost looks as if some massive creature sheared away the tops in passing.
Brunta speaks heavily, "I bet those centerpedes were tha babies o' a really big mama. An' yer just went an' killt 'em!"
"Yep. We're dwarves, Brunta." Thrallin’s voice is calm and slow, as if he is explaining to a little tyke the nature of the world. "We kill things. That's what we do. We mine, we smith, an' we kill."
After a while, Brunta concedes that he can’t really refute this statement.
Wroth breaks in with a hushed whisper. "Shaddup, brudder! Somethin' moves, up there!" He is referring to a point to the left, beyond the range of the other dwarves' vision. With Wroth taking point, the group proceeds toward it.
Suddenly, Wroth isn't there, anymore. He is rapidly sliding down into the water, flailing his fully armored arms. Wart and Brunta both dive into the black water and struggle with the heavily encumbered dwarven fighter, finally dragging him back to safety. Apparently, he accidentally stepped into a massive hole.
In his embarrassment, Wroth punches his brother in the face, leaving the beginnings of a fine shiner.
From this point forward, the soldiers probe the ground with the blunt end of Brunta's spear before proceeding.
