Turn 80 -- Druckner Goes Fishing

Looking at the body in the pool and then the surrounding cavern, Gnore tenses and grips his bastard sword even tighter, he strains to see any sign of trouble. "Looks like someone forgot how to swim...or someone helped him to forget..."

Ortho whispers, "Wal, now, don't this look invitin'? Ah think Ah'll mosey over this way a bit ta see what Ah might see."

Randor tenses as well as he sees the body, his eyes falling about the cavern also. "I don't like this one bit," he remarks dryly, "and not having eyes that can pierce this darkness only makes it worse. If whoever that was is floating now then they aren't wearing anything that would pull them down, which could only mean they were killed. Unfortunately," Randor continues reaching down to his hammer as he looks around, "that could mean that someone decided to kill them or that there is something in the water. I don't suppose any of you dwarves or elves can see if there's anything in there?"

The priest then reaches down and picks up three small stones, "Just in case," he explains.

Ortho continues his slow walk along the right-hand wall of the cavern, oblivious to the words of the priest. The dwarf keeps the stone of the cavern to his back keeping a wary watch and holding his new shield before him, ready for whatever may come.

While one dwarven priest warily walks along the cavern wall, the other gazes at the floating body in the pool, "Well, let's pull the poor soul out. Perhaps the body will yield some clues as to its demise. Anyone have some rope?"

Dain gazes forlornly at the water, "I don't think any of us really want to go in the water, but I agree the body should be recovered. It might very well give us some clue as to its method of demise. Perhaps one of us could use the boots of levitation to retrieve it or perhaps Ortho would care to test out his wings?" Not waiting for a response from the others, the mage moves slowly to the water's edge and kneels down to search through his backpack. After a few brief moments of searching, he pulls out a small, empty flask gently dips the flask into the water, retrieving a small sample and succeeding in not getting any of the water on his hands. He then brings the sample up to his nose and sniffs. The water smells like any other pool found deep in the former mine. Nodding his head, Dain next drops a small piece of metal taken from his pack into the flask. The metal falls to the bottom of the flask and abides there harmlessly. Satisfied, Dain turns to the others as he stoppers the flask and puts it into his pack, "Apparently the water is not very acidic, so it shouldn't be harmful to touch."

Kersath turns a skeptical look to the mage, "And you'll back that little hypothesis up by swimming out there to the body?"

Dain's cheeks become red for a moment and he shuffles around on his feet momentarily, "Well, uh no, I meant the water should be safe. I can't vouch for what might be living in the water..."

"That's what I thought," says Kersath as he turns back to the others. "Perhaps Druckner or I can attach a thin piece of rope to a crossbow bolt and hook the body over to us?"

"There's a nugget of sense!" beems Druckner as he unslings his backpack and begins pulling rope from it. Taking a crossbow bolt from his quiver he begins making the bolt and rope ready.

From the back of the group, Kre begins to shake his head slowly, "...ummm....Talimar, I don't think that that's a good idea. I mean if the body's dead then lets leave it in one piece and not desecrate if any more. I heard once about dead bodies that house magical traps and when disturbed they erupt in a poison cloud or a shower of spikes. I've had a friend or two die that way. Let's just lasso the body and pull it ashore, we don't have to shoot it."

Talimar frowns at Kre's squeemishness, then shrugs, "If you think you can lasso the body, go ahead and try."

"Too late," says Druckner as the recoil of the crossbow signifies the launching of his bolt into the rump of the dead body. The bolt lands solidly with the rope trailing behind. The red-bearded dwarf smiles from ear to ear as he turns toward Kersath, "Well I landed 'im, you pull 'im in!"

The dark elf frowns at the exhuberance of the dwarf but takes up the rope anyway. Ever so gently, he begins to pull the corpse toward shore. The body stirs for a moment but then the bolt pulls loose, ripping the decaying flesh out with it. "Great shot," says Kersath to Druckner, "but it appears the body is too decayed to hold the bolt. Any other bright ideas?"

Druckner's brow furrows as he looks at the ripples trailing away from the body. "Well maybe if we shoot...."

"Here, let me do this," begins Kre as he makes his way to the shoreline, pulling out a rope of his own from his backpack. Making a loop in the end of the rope, the young thief shortly begins twirling the rope around his head several times. Finally, with an expert flick of the wrist, the rope goes sailing forth toward the floating body. The lasso lands with a splash draped over the head and part of the upper left shoulder. Pulling ever so gently, Kre draws the lasso tight on the neck and shoulder of the deceased. With a satisfied grin, he slowly begins to pull the body toward the shore.

Feeling uncomfortable in the cavern, Talimar begins to walk along the shore of the pool, opposite that of Ortho, an arrow knocked and his eyes scanning the cavern as well.

In the center of the cavern, the others gather 'round as Kre slowly hauls the body to the shore. As the body is perhaps 15 feet from the shoreline a cry comes forth from Ortho.

"Ware! Orcs in the cavern!"

As the others turn, they see what appears to be a small contingent of perhaps eight or so orcs enter the torchlight at the mouth of the cave.