Book One, Chapter Four, Post Twenty-Three

The entrance to the quarry becomes visible to Sabal first before any of the others. At first it just appears to be a large cave, but scattered tools and rusted cart tracks indicate that this resource has long been abandoned.

Sabal feels a small creature scramble over the top of his boot, but when he looks down to see what it was, it is gone.

“So who are we meeting here?” Quiberron asks. “I don’t see any houses or lights. Are we sure the apothecary said they lived here?”

"He did say that, actually...that she lived here,” Terrence confirms with a nod. “He didn't say she was a person, though. Maybe she's a giant scorpion. Is that a thing? Intelligent giant scorpions that sell their venom instead of injecting it? If free enterprise makes inroads into the beast community we humanoids are in real trouble. I could probably sell a lot of matinee tickets to a play about giant scorpions. Kids love slops like that. Am I talking out loud? I'm kind of nervous. Did I mention that I'm not crazy about scorpions?"

Quiberron uses his mage hand to pick a pebble up off the ground. It floats over to Terrence. “Terrence, would you mind imbuing this stone with some light? I’d like to see a bit further away.”

"LET THERE BE LIGHT!" the actor bellows.

“Right…. Thanks,” says Quiberron, looking a bit askance at Terrence. He uses his mage hand to hold the light thirty feet away and moves it in a slow circle around the group, stopping at last inside the mouth of the mine. “Anyone see anything that looks like... well... like someone we could buy venom from?”

Nothing about the cave seems to particularly stand out. The mouth opening is supported by beams of wood that are slightly chewed by time…. But all in all it appears safe enough.

"Well, if the job calls for shouting until someone comes to greet us, I may be the man for the job. It's been noted that my voice is on the loudish side. On the other hand, we could descend unbidden into the lair of an unknown party that we've been warned is dangerous. Any thoughts?"

"We need to know what's in there before we go on inviting it out. Someone light on their feet needs to go in,” Flynn suggests. “Someone quiet."Flynn gives Terrence a severe look.

"So who here knows their way around the shadows? I can't. Subtlety has never been my strength."

“I can send Bart in for a quick look. He can see in the dark and he’s pretty fast,” offers Quiberron.  “May not be able to get all the way down the tunnel though. He can’t fly too far away from me and still tell me what he sees.”  As he speaks, the owl glides down and settles on his shoulder.

"We can't send him in unarmed! He can borrow my dagger," Terrence says, holding out the blade.

Sabal notches an arrow and stalks carefully into the cave. "I will follow... to keep the owl safe."

Quiberron nods then closes his eyes and extends his senses into his familiar. The world around him, which had been dark and shadowy, becomes clear and alive when viewed and heard through the owl’s senses. Bart takes off and flies into the tunnel to explore.

As Bart flies into the cave after Sabal, Del looks behind the group to make sure no one else is around.  She fidgets anxiously with her pendant.