This proves that Betas and Karens do have a sense of humor

Haha I'm sure it will be friendly - just like all monsters Alice tried to tame so far. But good point, I'd like to see the skeletons climb up here to attack us. We can off them one by one.

lol Alice is back and at peak performance

>come down
no way. if the guys hostile which i assume hes gonna activate all the skeletons. we have a great choke point up here.  and Yulya needs to rest. unless they come up here we wont fight in our current state.

Alice tries to determine what the light source she saw from above was and goes deeper into the undisturbed cave.
Hmm, I was wrong! Clearly none of the bandits made it down here. They probably didn't see through the illusion. Well I wouldn't have either. That's Yulya for you!

Remnants of FORGE OF SPELLS:
A pedestal catches your attention, the source of light, a fine orange glow emanating from the air itself as if generated from something out of phase of space and time. Markings can be seen and read in three distinct languages explain the forge of spells once sat here but now it's nothing but an impressive foundation. With a heavy heart, The Great Works are abandoned.
This impressive chamber was the heart of the Wave Echo Cave machining operation for the mines. Here, and in secret, the dwarves, gnomes and halflings took raw metal and made all they needed. A now dry channel is where the dwarves diverted the water from the waterwheel above to power another set of waterwheels here, all rotted to the point that only fragments remain. The 'Great Works' marks a fascinating history of the work done here. Of all the rooms this one is the largest thus far, the only thing keeping it from collapsing in on itself is the way its ceiling was domed.

Alice inspects the large chamber with amazement.
What's this?
Remnants of more advanced human technology before this planet fell back into the stone age? Is this the place those dwarves wanted us to reach? Then the jewel we were supposed to bring back must be on that pedestal...

Alice is relieved all the machinery looks very humanoid-made and shows no signs of the alien technology of the Men of Iron.

More than a dozen withered corpses lie scattered around the machine shop room—individuals still wearing remnants of aprons smocks and heavy gloves for working, they appear to be smaller than dwarves, perhaps more gnomes or halflings. All unceremoniously thrown into the now dry channels.

Alice looks at the skeletons with unease.
Is this another bulette nest? Should I get rid of their skulls or not?

Alice considers her next move when another light catches her attention. Bursting into a green flame.
The terrifying hovering skull, no larger than that of a human's head, slowly moves toward Alice.

Alice is delighted and claps her hands
Ohhh a green Mormesk! How cool! Are you related to the blue guy one floor higher? Where's the rest of your body?
Hey hey! Do you wanna be my familiar? We could have lots of fun exterminating pests together!



Before you attack me listen! Do you understand me? We're the NPWC, the Neverwinter Pest and Weed Control! We were sent here because you have a pest problem! Bandits and some crazy drow elf necromancer have infested the Wave Echo cave! We're only here to get rid of them! So don't pointlessly attack me, let's fight those guys that cause trouble in your home together! I don't know what they're up to but it's no good!



Alice pauses and thinks for a second.
Oh, might you be the Undead Watcher? I have heard about you! You appear to be quite famous! I am Alice, a traveler from another world, professional pest remover and passionate ear collector. What's your name?

Alice sincerely hopes she is able to befriend the skull as her pet, but in case dialogue is impossible and she is attacked, Alice will use her full movement of 3x40ft (dash+bonus dash) to retreat back up and report.

Cat senses nothing of interest.

Down the ladder:

Alice once more borrows the Ring of Dark Shadows from Yulya and descends into the shaft, her spear ready.

The water wheel shafts and gearing make their way down along the same wall as the ladder but stop short at a watermark, this area was at one point flooded, this was a maintenance shaft to the area below. About 40ft down, a long passage heads East. Alice follows the desolate and deserted path East. Under rocky overhangs and in nearly every wall, passages exit in every direction but they're dark and the integrity of the walls is suspect as rubble is piling up. Many have collapsed, even the timbers have been removed or rotted away. Anything steel remain now only as rusted dust and flakes, that which was made of dwarven metal alloys remain. Powered by this contraption, now aging poorly, ruins of a grinding wheel and other stations that have long since been salvaged and scavenged for parts though some are remarkably intact. A machining table, drill press, and other metal shop equipment lead you to believe something very significant was made right here in the mine.



[The machinery are shown in these rings as pictures rather than rendered on the map.]

Remnants of FORGE OF SPELLS:

A pedestal catches your attention, the source of light, a fine orange glow emanating from the air itself as if generated from something out of phase of space and time. Markings can be seen and read in three distinct languages explain the forge of spells once sat here but now it's nothing but an impressive foundation. With a heavy heart, The Great Works are abandoned.

This impressive chamber was the heart of the Wave Echo Cave machining operation for the mines. Here, and in secret, the dwarves, gnomes and halflings took raw metal and made all they needed. A now dry channel is where the dwarves diverted the water from the waterwheel above to power another set of waterwheels here, all rotted to the point that only fragments remain. The 'Great Works' marks a fascinating history of the work done here. Of all the rooms this one is the largest thus far, the only thing keeping it from collapsing in on itself is the way its ceiling was domed.

More than a dozen withered corpses lie scattered around the machine shop room—individuals still wearing remnants of aprons smocks and heavy gloves for working, they appear to be smaller than dwarves, perhaps more gnomes or halflings. All unceremoniously thrown into the now dry channels. It is very likely this chamber has not seen another living soul in centuries, no footprints but your own grace the dusty trail.

Whatever the mythical 'FORGE OF SPELLS' was, is truly gone without a trace.

Alice considers her next move when another light catches her attention. Bursting into a green flame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y48Wdsr1KHs



The terrifying hovering skull, no larger than that of a human's head, slowly moves toward Alice.

Cat's rage has expired.

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