Totte - deep earth example

The party

• Susy plays Sarafinta, a nimble and charming thief. Her talents are str 2, hea 2, dex 5, cha 5, per 4, int 2; her relevant skills are melee 2, shooting 1, gemcutting 2, pickpocketing 2, gaming 2, stealth 3, trailing 3, disguise 2, writing 1; she wears no armor, but wields a dagger and a shortbow. Sarafinta craves the luxuries and intrigue of the upper classes, trying to charm, swindle and buy herself into them.
• Brigitta plays Dvorak, a survival-specialist. His talents are str 4, hea 3, dex 5, cha 3, per 3, int 2; his relevant skills are medical 3, swimming 1, climbing 2, camp making 3, foraging 3, tracking 3, alertness 1, melee 2, shooting 2, stealth 1; he wears a large gambeson and wields a medium sword with a shield. With Sarafinta preferring the city and Dvorak the wilderness, they make the party frequently switch environments.
• Marcel plays Marcellus, the group's muscle. His talents are str 5, hea 5, dex 5, cha 2, per 2, int 1; his relevant skills are jumping 2, climbing 1, melee 4, formation 3, shooting 2; he wears a lamellar coat topped by a closed helm plus a body shield and carries a battle sword and a short spear, all for only light encumbrance. Marcel is not so stupid as his character; he deliberately created a heavy infantry fighter who can defend the others, provided that he is not outflanked.
• Kunta plays Karamo, a versatile mage. His talents are str 2, hea 3, dex 3, cha 3, per 3, int 6; his relevant skills are melee 1, shooting 1, earth science 2, languages (Zefer) 3, elemental magic 4, health magic 2; he wears no armor and carries a small shield and a smallsword into battle. Karamo is calm and liked by everyone.
• Keffi is a character played by the GM. She is a rat, either an intelligent one or a princess polymorphed into animal form. Her talents are str -11, hea 3, dex 4, cha 2, per 5, int 4; her relevant skills are jumping 2, running 3, swimming 2, alertness 2; melee 1, stealth 2; she wears no armor and wields no weapons. Keffi often acts as the group's scout, though she is well aware of her vulnerability.

The preparation

Susy: "Ok, now we have three orders. The alchemist wants chess-moss, red umbrellich, blue umbrellich, zapwort and any other uncommon fungi that we can find; Lomaron and his partners will take gems, muher-droppings (that do not resemble ordinary poop) and will pay 1,200 silver arais for a shadow dagger or 2,500 for a sword; Old Pointy-head wants a live spriggel. Should we put up an advertisement that everybody can send their shopping list with us?"
Brigitta: "We cannot carry too much. Remember, it will be more climbing than walking down there."
Marcel: "But the magical bag! The wizard said we could keep it as payment if we succeed, right? He is a fool! That thing is worth more than all the other stuff that we could possible carry back to the surface."
Brigitta: "To us, yes, to him, far less. He also said that it could hold something like a sheep at maximum, so don't set your hopes too high."
Susy: "Talking about shopping, do we have everything we need? We now have iron rations to last us 30 days; 2 large waterskins; one small cooking pot; 3 lanterns and 2 casks of lamp-oil; half a dozen torches; a load of candles; a tinderbox; 4 bedrolls; 200 feet of silk rope; a few wooden planks; a large pick-axe; a small pick-axe and 4 backpacks to carry everything. Everybody must bring his or her own water, weapons and other personal thingies."
GM: The pile of non-personal equipment weighs about 95 kilograms, so 24 per person."
Susy: "Not exactly! Marcellus will carry the most, won't he?"
Marcel: "Ok, as long as I can dump it real quick in case of a fight."
Brigitta: "More than a third of the load is food and the fuel is significant too. We'll eat and burn through that along the way, so once we climb back up we will be a bit lighter."
Marcel: "From this town, it's half a day riding to the cave, no? Let's make that a full day of walking, otherwise we have to set the animals free once we get there. Besides, it's good exercise for Sarafinta and Karamo!"
Susy, Kunta: "Grrm."
Marcel: "We leave at dawn, so we can at least do the part above ground in daylight. That means we have one more evening to relax. Innkeeper, drinks!"
GM: "So you make yourselves a little more lighter by emptying your purses. The morning brings heavy clouds and strong wind, though not rain. It is cold."
Marcel: "I lead the party with a brisk pace. Dvorak, please keep an eye out for bear-tracks."
GM: "The trek is uneventful, the only attacks that you suffer are pains in your feet. You reach the cave in late afternoon."
Brigitta: "Let's camp a little inside the cave, so we are sheltered from the wind." (to the GM) "We use the normal watch schedule."
GM: "Again an uneventful night. In the morning the sun is weak, hidden behind even heavier clouds."
Brigitta: "How appropriate. We light a lantern and descend."

The cave

GM: "The walk down the lava tube is a little more difficult than before because of your loads. Using your map you can easily find the way back to the gorge. It looks like your rope is still there."
Brigitta: "All right! But I haul it up and check it just to be sure."
GM: "It is still in good condition." Considering some observation that Dvorak might not notice, she makes an improvised feat check. She compares Dvorak's ability of 2 * perception 3 + camp making skill 3 = 9 against a difficulty of 6. Behind her screen she rolls a random die roll that comes up with a 4, so the feat result is 9 - 6 = 3, a clear success. "Actually, you notice that repairs have been made to some ravels."
All: "What?!"
Marcel: "I suddenly throw a torch down the cliff. That'll surprise them!"
GM: "You hold a lantern, not a torch. Do you want to throw that down?"
Marcel: "No, no! Damnit, there goes the surprise advantage. Let's send in Keffi then."
GM (assuming the role of Keffi): "Squeek! Squeek!"
Kunta: "It's to steep even for her. Marcellus, shine a light down please."
GM: "The light of the lantern does not reach far enough. You see only a dark gray vagueness."
Susy: "In that case we tie the other lantern to a rope and gently lower it down."
GM: "That is better. You see nothing out of the ordinary down there, though the circle of light is limited."
Brigitta: "I don't like it. There could be stranglers waiting below, just out of sight."
Marcel: "We have to take the risk, otherwise we are stuck before we have even begun. I will climb down. You keep your missile weapons ready."
GM: "You reach the bottom without trouble."
Marcel: "I unhook the lantern and explore the neighborhood."
GM: "You find nothing out of the ordinary."
Susy: "I'm with Marcellus. I climb down too."
After a little hesitation, the others follow. More searching is done, again without result.
Brigitta: "You can never be too careful. It seems that whoever did that is gone. Let's proceed with the plan and try the left passage now. By the way, we dose the second lantern again to save oil."
GM: "That passage is much narrower, not only in the beginning but apparently a long way. It twists and turns like a gnarled snake; you have to climb more than you can walk."
Brigitta: "This is not a lava tunnel! It had better lead somewhere interesting. Keffi, would you be so kind to do a little scouting?"
GM: "Squeek!" "She runs off and returns a quarter of an hour later. She squeeks and leads the way forward at a slower pace."
Brigitta: "We follow."
GM: "You pass upon a substantial patch of blue umbrellich."
Marcel: "There is the money! Let's do some harvesting."
Susy: "No, leave it for now. We will pick it up on the way back. That way it stays fresh longer and we don't have to carry it all the way through the tunnels."
GM: "After an hour or so the tunnel suddenly breaks into a vast cave, to big to illuminate with your lantern. Echoes from your noises confirm the size. You seem to have come out somewhere at middle height. A moderate slope goes down, a reversed one up."
Brigitta: "Let's explore a bit. But cautiously and stick together, people."
GM: "The slope ends in a lake, that seems to fill the entire bottom of the cave. You estimate the width of the beach at about 40 meters. The beach does not encircle the lake; at the sides there are steep cliffs. At one point you find some faint tracks."
Brigitta: "Can I identify them?"
GM: "Make a tracking feat check, difficulty 6."
Dvorak's tracking feat ability is perception 3 + 2 * tracking skill 3 = 9. Brigitta rolls a 2 but then a 7 on the random dice for a end result of 9 - 6 - 1 = 2, success.
GM: "Somebody dragged something onto the shore and probably off again too. There are footprints of several people."
Brigitta: "Can I identify their species?"
GM: "That has a difficulty of 9, too high with those die rolls, so no."
Kunta: "It may be a boat, possibly moored on the other side now. There may even be a ferryman. Do we dare call out?"
Susy: "I'd rather cross on our own. Swimming is not an option with Marcellus in armor and all the stuff we plan to gather. Argh! Why do we need a boat underground?"
Kunta (to the GM): "What's the temperature here?"
GM: "Some 10 degrees Celsius or so."
Kunta: "I can freeze the water. Not all of it, but a sizable chunk to make a raft. If we wrench or paddle it across fast enough, we can make it before it melts away, unless this lake is vast and shoreless, in which case we turn back halfway. You will have to do the physical labor as I need to keep concentrating on the ice to keep it whole. Give me half an hour to prepare the work."
The GM agrees and establishes the difficulty for this magic feat at soften/strengthen 8 + large object 4 + extended duration 2 + extended casting 0 + full concentration 0 + no change 0 + no trigger 0 = 14. Kuruma's ability is intelligence 6 + 2 * elemental magic skill 4 = also 14. Kunta rolls a 6 on the random die roll, so no modifier is applied and his ability is just high enough. The party jumps on the chilly raft and start paddling furiously with their planks.
The GM does not know enough about the physics of melting floating ice to calculate how fast the raft will disintegrate. Recollecting knowledge about skating in her youth she guesstimates that it will take an hour or so. To increase the tension a bit she halves that. "The raft is not as streamlined as a proper boat and your paddles are primitive too, so you speed is low while your muscles start to ache with fatigue. Meanwhile the raft gradually becomes smaller and thinner. Still the other side of the lake is not in sight, though it looks like it is starting to become less dark ahead."
Susy: "Paddle for your lives! I just remembered that my character cannot swim!"
Marcel, Kunta: "Me neither!"
GM: "Fortunately, shortly after the lantern that stands on the prow illuminates the opposite bank. You can all safely unload, Karamo the last."
Marcel: "Phew! But we cannot rest yet. We must explore this area. If there are enemies we must not give them time to prepare."
GM: "You find that the beach is similar to the first, though wider, deeper and more curved. To the right is an exit, a tunnel with rough edges that is much wider and somewhat straighter than the entry tunnel. There are no enemies to be found, but you do stumble upon a strange construction on the beach. A few dozen bulbs that look a bit like inflated bladders are tied together with some unknown type of fiber. It is tied to a handful of paddles that stick out of the gravel, apparently made of the bones of a large creature. These have weird curling blades at the ends."
Susy: "There is our 'boat'. The return trip may be easier. Let's take a little rest and then go forward."

The hallway

GM: "After a well earned rest you explore the tunnel. The light of the lantern reveals beautiful stalagmites and stalactites in hues of white, orange and even blue. There are pools of water in low areas, suggesting some kind of stream, but if so it is a trickle. Anyhow the floor is not sloping up or down. The tunnel turns many times and gradually becomes narrower."
Susy: "Let's hope it does not run into a dead end."
GM: "After a while you spot a sign painted on a rock ahead, near the ceiling."
Kunta: "What sign?"
"It is not very large, you have to get close to it to shine the lantern on it."
Marcel: "That we do."
GM: "Suddenly there is a snapping sound and the ground falls away under your feet. Anyone who makes a successful alertness check with a difficulty of 7 can jump clear. As this is as much a matter of physical reaction speed as mental, use dexterity instead of perception."
The feat abilities for the characters are Sarafinta dexterity 5 + 2 * alertness skill 0 = 5; Dvorak dexterity 5 + 2 * alertness skill 1 = 7; Marcellus dexterity 5 + 2 * alertness skill 0 = 5; Karamo dexterity 3 + 2 * alertness skill 0 = 3; Keffi dexterity 4 + 2 * alertness skill 0 = 4. Each player makes random die rolls, the GM handling Keffi. Sarafinta scores a modifier of +2; Dvorak -1; Marcellus 0; Karamo 0 and Keffi also 0, so the results are Sarafinta 7 (success); Dvorak 6 (failure); Marcellus 5 (failure); Karamo 3 (failure) and Keffi 4 (failure).
GM: "The floor tilts some 80 degrees and then slams into something with a very heavy thud. All but Sarafinta glide down the rotating slope and land on a floor many meters lower. The lantern breaks into pieces, plunging you into darkness. Fortunately the ground is rather soft, so you, being sturdier than the lantern, do not suffer any real falling damage."
Marcel: "Auw! What is making it soft?"
GM: "You feel feathers, small pieces of something hard. Clouds of dust make you sneeze."
Brigitta: "Quick! Who knows what is down here? We must make light immediately. I light the other lantern."
The GM gives it a 1 in 3 chance of surviving the fall. She rolls a d6, which comes up with a 3. "It is broken too."
Brigitta: "By Lugh! Is the tinderbox still whole then?"
GM: "Yes."
Brigitta: I use it together with some of those feathers to make a fire."
Susy: "Meanwhile I feel my way into some hiding spot. Who knows what is coming?"
GM: "All right, you can do that. Brigitta, please make a camp making feat check, difficulty 9, -2 for the fluff but +2 for the darkness, so again 9."
Brigitta's ability is dexterity 5 + 2 * camp making skill 3 = 11. She rolls a 2, again a 2 but then a 3 on the random dice for a -2 modifier, just within limits.
GM: The feathers kindle easily and quickly a fire lights up. You find yourselves in a roughly square cave, some 10 meters down from the trapdoor. As said, there is thick layer of dust, speckled with broken bones. A rusty iron bar pokes out of the dirt just a hand from where Karamo has fallen. While you glance around, the fire spreads rapidly through the dry floor fuel."
Kunta: "Stamp it out, smother it, fast!" (to the GM) "I use my cloak."
GM: "It is no use, the fire spreads more rapidly than you can put it out."
Brigitta: "Clear a space in a corner! We might be able to hold out there while it burns out."
Marcel: "I use a plank as a shovel to push the dust aside."
Kunta: "I use one of the waterskins to splash the most critical areas."
GM: "Fighting desperately, you manage to hold off the fire and escape with only a couple of minor burns. The fire rages as quickly through the dust as it started. After a minute or so it is dark again. Your lungs are filled with a foul-smelling smoke that makes you cough for quite a while."
Marcel: "Nice job, Dvorak."
Brigittta: "As if you saw that coming."
Susy: "People, this is not a time for arguing. We must get you out of there. Can you climb out?"
GM: "The slope is too smooth and at a very difficult angle. Even you couldn't do it."
Susy: "I carry some of the rope. I will attach it to a sturdy rock and lower it down. It will take more time in the dark, but I make sure that it is long enough and fastened properly."
GM: "That is workable. Working slowly in the dark, which remains black even when your eyes get used to it, you climb out one by one. In which order do you escape?"
Marcel: "I will go first and help the others by pulling them out. Karamo next, then Dvorak. Keffi can hitch hike with anybody."
Brigitta: "Have it your way."
GM: "When Karamo is nearly at the top, there is a harsh voice in the darkness: 'Yrrh ghala ak lue terviz!'"
Marcel: "I draw my sword and ready my shield in its direction!"
GM: "Karamo -"
Kunta: "I tighten my grip on the rope and absorb the shock of the fall."
GM: "Good. The rope goes slack, but you manage to half slide against the slope and thus break your fall, but it brings you back down to Dvorak again."
Susy: "I duck behind a rock."
GM: "There is another voice, much less loud. There seems to be a short conversation going on, followed by some chuckling."
Marcel: "Show yourself, whoever you are!"
GM: "They fall silent; nothing happens."
Kunta: "Marcellus, parley! We are divided and blind, they have us by the tail."
Marcel: "I don't speak grotto or whatever they are mumbling."
GM: "From your left comes a familiar though loud 'Squeek!'"
Marcel: "Good Keffi! I move to intercept. Carefully, because I don't want to fall into that pit."
The GM is secretly moving an attacker close. She decides that he intends to do what Marcel wants to avoid and that this requires a successful grappling attack of at least 2 grip points. First the attack must break through Marcellus' defense. The ability of the attacker is dexterity 4 + melee skill 2 + javelin 2 = 8. The defense of Marcellus is dexterity 5 + melee skill 4 + battle sword 4 = 11, but he gets a -4 penalty for fighting in the darkness. Random dice are rolled for 1 and then 4 for a -1 penalty, so the feat result is 8 - (11 - 4) - 1 = 0, a close success.
Next grappling damage is determined. Here the ability of the attacker is strength 4 + dexterity 4 + javelin 0 = 8. The GM assigns him a +2 bonus because he is using the javelin as a lever to topple Marcellus. The latter defends with strength 5 + dexterity 5 + battle sword 0 = 10. Again he gets a darkness penalty, though the GM halves it because with grappling he can rely more on touch. The random die roll is a 6, so the feat result is (8 + 2) - (10 - 2) + 0 = 2, just enough to match the limit that the GM has set. Thinking for the attacker, she ponders that that intruder is more dangerous than estimated before. (to Marcel) "Somebody sticks something between your legs and topples you over it before you can stop him. You fall back into the pit."
The GM also calculates falling damage, as Marcellus does not have a rope to hang on to and the dust layer is gone. Damage is 2¼ * √9 meters - dexterity 5 = 1.75, rounded to 2. "You suffer 2 pain points of falling damage, a moderate wound."
"The voice calls out again, now near the trapdoor: 'Kalaf hehu lamerel ghoz.'"
Kunta: "We do not speak your language! If you can, please switch to Huranese or Zefer."
GM: "The voice answers in broken Huranese. 'Intuders, lay your weapons or get gelliam! Whow are youw, and whatta is youw things here?'"
Kunta (to Marcel): "Sheath that sword!" (to the GM in here role of the people above the pit) "We are traders from the town of Herrimanul. We come in peace, only to fall into your hostile trap! Cease your attacks and lend us your hospitality, so that we may converse on friendly terms."
Marcel: "I sheath my sword. Karamo, I could use some healing."
Kunta: "Not now!"
Meanwhile the GM checks if Sarafinta is detected. She makes a stealth check using mediocre light conditions, as the newcomers can see in the dark. The difficulty is 9; Sarafinta's ability is perception 4 + 2 * stealth skill 1 = 6. The random die rolls come up with a 1 followed by an 8, so the end result is 6 - 9 - 1 = -4, a clear failure.
GM: "Sarafinta, the voice is now directed towards you. 'Whow is thatta bind thatta bughm? Come outh fastly, or youw be dead to!'"
Susy: "Damnit, how can they see me in this blackness? They must have some kind of night vision. I step forward proudly, shaking my hair and throwing a mysterious glance in his general direction."
GM: "Somebody else steps in close behind you ..." (Susy remains stoically calm) "... and takes your bow and dagger."
GM: "The rest of youw, climb out, one for one. Above, give your weapons to me friend slow. Then we will speak more."
Kunta: "We comply! Dvorak, you first, then me and Marcellus last."
GM: "You do as ordered and are disarmed in turn, though the others make no attempt to shackle you or something like that." (assuming the role of the captor again) "Follow me friend and no tricksteries! Youw are watched."
Susy: "A moment please. We need light to be able to walk through these tunnels."
Brigitta: "Also, I need to tend to my friend's wounds and for that I need light too."
GM: "There is a short interchange in the local language. 'This we allow, but only for the wounded man. Walk must be done in duath, with user a rope.'" (to Brigitta) "You can light a torch with the tinderbox. The first thing that you see as you look up is an ugly white-skinned dwarf with huge eyes, a flat nose and ears like a cat's. He is hardly more than a meter tall. He wears a kind of thick gambeson of unknown cloth and points a crossbow with a barbed bolt at you. You spot the silhouettes of three others at the edge of the light circle."
Susy (under her breath): "Yuch!"
Brigitta: "I hand the torch to Karamo and tend to Marcellus' wounds."
Karamo could try to heal Marcellus with health magic, but his ability is rather low. The group knows this and lets Dvorak do his work. His healing ability is dexterity 5 + 2 * medical skill 3 = 11. The difficulty for a moderate wound is 7. Brigitta rolls a 3 on the random die roll, so succeeds with ease. The wound is a bruise, or rather a whole set of bruises. The healing work reduces it to a light wound.
GM: "That is enough. All youw grab thatta rope and line youw. Stop thatta firewood."
The adventurers comply and march off into the darkness.

The dwelling

GM: "You stumble forward for what seems like hours. The dwarves do not allow you to rest. At last you seem to arrive in a populated area, as there are sounds of hammering, creaking and many voices. Now the column halts. Your captors converse with others of their kind. It is still pitch dark. Finally they speak again. 'Welcome in Neftihiya. My name is Aghranemi, I am the Utheff of this dwelling. Our hunters have told me that you have asked for our hospitality. It is given. Please set yourself down and accept our food as a token of our friendship."
Susy: "Thank you. Please accept some of our food in return. Ehm, could we light a torch first?"
GM: "There is a ban on firewood in this dwelling."
Susy: "A candle then?"
GM: "That is well." (stepping out of Aghranemi's role) "When you light a candle, you see that you are surrounded by a large crowd of dwarfs, old and young, male and female, all pale white as described before. Some offer you bowls filled with unknown food and flasks with drink. The leader clearly is a dwarf who wears an enormous leather helmet that is three times wider than her head, adorned with spikes and strange patterns."
Susy: "I bow deeply to her. We give them some of our bread and water - no, let's not seem niggardly - my miniflask with Itenese wine. What do we get?"
GM: "It looks like some kind of moss topped with fungi. It tastes bitter and smokey, not nice at all. The drink is water, very slightly acidic and also quite bitter. Meanwhile the dwarfs seem equally appalled by your food. They nibble a bit, but nobody seems to swallow anything."
Susy: "It's the gesture that counts. I say to Aghranemi: 'You speak Huranese very well.'"
GM: "I learned it from a dungskin slave a century ago, but I still remember the words. I apologize for your mishap, but you must know that the outer marches are dangerous territory, prowled by Gnofhui and various predators alike. We rarely get visitors, but have heard of you dungskins who live under the terrible fire. You said that you wanted to trade. What do you want to barter with?"
Susy: (to herself and the other adventurers) "Damnit, we are equipped for travel, not for trade. And they neither like our food nor our fire." (to the GM) "Ehm, well, we brought this silk rope! It is stronger than hemp yet no thicker or heavier. See how it shines in the candlelight!"
GM: "That is of some value, though not much. What else have you to offer?"
Kunta: "Well, you see, we did not bring much because we are a scouting party. But if provide us safe passage, we can bring you cloaks of damask, perfumes, gold and gems, more than you can dream of!"
GM: "I do not know what damask is and gold and gems we have plenty of." (the party is suddenly alert) "We - what? Oh, the hunters tell me you have wood. Is that so?"
Susy: "We do, we do! Here are six planks of the finest Huranese oak, cut and prepared by a master carpenter!"
GM: "We will take eight dozen of those, if you can bring them. Also I would like to see that damask, though I cannot promise that we will buy any. What do you want in return?"
Brigitta: "Well, some gold -"
Susy (shooting a sharp glance at Brigitta): "No, not gold! We are interested in gems, spriggels and maybe a few shadow weapons, if you can spare them. Lets' say a handful of gems and a sword or two for these planks, more once we return with a large load of wood?"
GM: "That seems a bit excessive. For now, a sack of gems for the planks. Custom dictates that you leave one of you in our custody while the rest travels back to the fire to fetch the wood. In the meanwhile we will try to catch some spriggels. Shadow weapons are not subject to ordinary barter. If you want any, you must succeed in the Test of the Spear to attain the rank of kolaye, then the smith will forge you one that fits your soul."
Marcel: "I know how to wield a spear. What's involved in that test?"
GM: "It is not about the weapon, but its mode of operation. You must penetrate the realm of the Kherki-beetles and brings us one of their eggs. They are large, even for the likes of you, armored by their skins and have mandibles that can cut a man in two with a lucky bite. Look, there is one in that cage. Their sense of smell is weak, but they sense vibrations from ayleks away. Only the most daring and cunning warriors can hope to achieve kolaye."
Marcel (to the GM) "I take the candle. What does it look like?"
GM: "It is a giant beetle, as big as a man, with shining chitin skin and arm-sized mandibles. The skin looks like it might be as good as plate armor."
Marcel: "I may be able to take one down with my sword. Let me stay behind as hostage. I'll use the time to find the weak spots of that monster, if you don't mind of course, and then go off to get you an egg."
GM: "The Kherki are not one but many. This task requires more wit and silence than strength."
Susy: "Then I will do it." (to the party) "Together with Keffi!" (to the GM) "I am nimble and silent. Besides, Marcellus needs a week to recover from his fall. I have one request: something to see in the dark as well as you do, because I must be able to evade those beasts and find their eggs."
GM: "If you succeed and swear to become a citizen of Neftihiya, we will grant you that boon. But that means that you will have to forfeit life under the great fire."
Susy: "Eh ..."
Kunta: "Sarafinta, if you really want to do this, then we will go back to the surface and and fetch you a potion of night vision. That will do just fine for a single mission, without binding you to the underworld for the rest of your life."
Susy: "Yes, I'll do it. This is our chance of fame and fortune."
The party rests for a night (or day, such is not relevant underground), gets their weapons back and then returns while leaving Sarafinta behind. Both the rebound trip and Sarafinta's stay with the citizens of Neftihiya are played out with less detail, with the GM alternating attention between each of the two parts of the split party. When Dvorak, Marcellus and Karamo return, they indeed bring a potion of night vision that they have bought from Old Pointy-head, plus a load of wood that they have carried with great difficulty through the tunnels. Meanwhile Sarafinta has helped to catch a spriggel. Then they start preparing for the dangerous mission to the nest of the Kherki-beetles. If they succeed, they may expand their partnership with the underworlders, or return to the world of sunlight to pursue other contracts.