Makara IC

As she continues to concentrate, particularly on the area on the other side of the door Steam believes she detects four separate necromantic auras.

Adelinde sits down with the others with a sigh, idly strumming a gentle melody on her lyre as she catches her breath post fight. "Well... glad that's over."

At around this time Mibis returns (or at least re-enters the area with which Ketha can sense her telepathically). It informs Ketha that it went down a tunnel that connects to the one above them and that it went down another tunnel that didn't go downwards and came to a large room and there were many (more than two) giant ants there and it came back to tell her.

---

If Paper wishes to RP the way Mibis says this and Ketha's response that'd be cool, but not required either.

Steam & Parveth
As the ritual completes and the genasi gets her magic vision, she winces and covers her eyes with a hand. "Oh, wow! There is...just so much magic hanging out in here."

The wood elf looks over to her, an eyebrow raised. "What do you mean?"

Steam spreads her fingers a bit and peeks through them into the room. "It's not centered on anything; there's just like, so much magic everywhere. It's kind of pretty, like a...a rainbow ocean, but also it burns my eyes so much because there's hundreds of them all in the same place."
Turning her face to the wall and door behind her for relief from the magic kaleidoscope, she finds the necromantic islands in the magic sea. "There's also probably some undead on the other side of this door. Either undead or necromantic hats. Definitely one of the two."

The wood elf sighs again, but doesn't get up from her sitting position. "Of course there is."

"Good work. Return to me." Ketha sends messages directing Mibis down the hole...

"Mibis found ants," informs Ketha to the group, pointing in the general area of Mibis' directions. "At least three, maybe more, in a large room."

Parveth & Steam
"Good," the wood elf says with a nod. "I still think we should take an alternate route to removing them as opposed to direct confrontation, but the plan to poison them has circled back to our lack of poison."

Steam stops concentrating on the spell, and shakes her head a bit to help clear her vision. She returns to waggling her feet; her smile and optimism here to stay. "I mean, you could apologize to the guards if they're still out there, and then we might be able return to the first plan regarding the poison. Y'know, that's still an option. And also actually explain what we're trying to do. And offer that we could hang around the area to drive off any giant ants that come above ground while our longer-term plan is in action. Or we could also figure something else out, y'know, whatever."
She gives Parveth a cocky smile. Parveth returns an unimpressed stare.

Steam then turns to Ketha and Adelinde, giving them a friendly smile. "So! Where do you two hail from? I've already heard Parveth's story, and lemme tell ya, that's a tale we don't have time for right now. Maybe tonight. We could be around a campfire, some light music accompanying."
Parveth gives her a questioning eyebrow.

Ketha leans her head back, closes her eyes, and thinks back to the place she was born. Pleasant memories are welcome at tiring times. "Thaloom, south of the Anvil, near the furthest mountain. But we knew it as Koslamaz' Rest."

Steam
The name seems to spark some memories in the genasi. "Heyyy, I've been there! I mean, we only passed through, but we stayed for a night on the trip down. It's a nice place!...decent food and drink at least. What kind of a job did you do there before moseying on down to here?"

Steam
The water genasi nods slightly and smiles. "Fun stuff, fun stuff. Do you have a big family?"

The dragonborn nods in response...

Adelinde considers her response quietly as she tunes her lyre before giving a small sigh. "My full name is Adelinde Aronway. I was born in the town of Dela' Neev, on an island not terribly far north of here, where I generally studied any number of things or hunted with family. I was headed up to Anvil with the intention of traveling through the sister cities when these...... people... captured our ship and dragged us into their selfish nonsense." She says, getting noticeably angrier as she continues before stopping and taking a deep breath to calm down.

Steam
The genasi smiles and nods slightly at the dragonborn, pausing for a moment to see if she was going to say anything else, but becomes distracted by the tiefling's statement. "You're from an island? That's so cool! And traveling the sister cities is a really great idea! Once we're done here and Parveth gets her thing, you should come back to Lf'ern with us! I haven't been to Kergan's Hold, and we only stopped for supplies in Asatol, but I could definitely show you around Lf'ern and then we could continue on to the other cities!"

Parveth nods slightly in agreement. "Lf'ern is a very beautiful place. I greatly look forward to my return there."

"I mean, Anvil and Thaloom are cool and fun and all, but Lf'ern...whoof, you need to go there. We'll all go! Just gotta..." Steam's energy falls back to a more normal level for her. "Just gotta get rid of those ants first."

Ketha remains silent at Steam's suggestion. Instead, she changes subject. "How are your families like?"

Parveth
"I am a Xiloscient. That should suffice."

Steam
Steam rolls her eyes a bit at Parveth's statement, but continues regardless. "My family's good! It's been a bit since I've seen them, but I imagine they're getting along fine. I'm from a fairly big family too, most of us Genasi but a few half-elves as well." She pulls her hair back a bit to show a pointed ear, before letting it bounce back into place.
"I do miss J'naas though, even if we only lived on its edge. The safety it offered; its gentle embrace all around you; the empty stillness and yet constant motion. It saddens me that not all can enjoy its delights." She pauses for a moment, before adding with a grin, "The giant crabs are pretty fun to mess with too."

"Giant crabs? That sounds interesting. And possibly a little creepy, I'm not sure which more so." She says with a small laugh. She tilts her head back, looking at the ceiling for a moment with a hum as she thinks and continues to idly strum her lyre. "My family was...pretty strict I guess? I had my parents and three siblings but wasn't terribly close to all but one. I can't really complain too much about it though."

"Maybe giant crabs prepared you for giant ants," comments Ketha...

Steam & Parveth
The genasi nods and gives a small "Ah," in understanding to Adelinde, reading that she doesn't seem to want to discuss her family much more.
Steam giggles at Ketha's comment, and says, "I hope so!" before standing up, stretching slightly, and offering a hand to help Ketha up. "Well, only one way we're gonna find out."

Parveth rises as well, retrieving from her pack the grappling hook and attaching it to her length of rope. She eyes the tunnel above them, before gently lobbing the hook in an attempt to get it to catch.

Athletics:

Steam watches the wood elf prepare to head back into the tunnel towards the ants, before casting a longing gaze to the shut stone door. "So uh, we're just going to ignore this door then?"

While by no means an expert throw, it didn't need to be since the ceiling is barely out of reach. The hook catches easily enough.

At about the same time, the torch that had been sitting on the ground (because nobody ever said anything about picking it up) finally dies out, leaving Ketha and Steam unable to see (at least for the moment).

---

Ok so the Short Rest has finished now, don't forget to heal using your hit dice (and don't forget the bonus from Song of Rest).

When the light goes out, Ketha stands up, holds Mibis up, and channels their connection to see what Mibis can...

(Rest Roll: 8 (Rest Dice, 2/3 Remaining) + 3 (Con) + 4 (Song of Rest) = 15)
(Current Health: 28/31)

Ketha/Mibis sees the room exactly the same as it was before the torch went out, except a little dimmer.

Parveth & Steam
The wood elf gives the rope a tug to test the strength of the hold of the hook, and provided it seems capable enough she climbs up.

The genasi continues standing in the darkness, waiting blindly with a small grin for Ketha to grab her hand.

Athletics:

The rope seems secure, but as soon as Parveth tries to climb, her weight brings down about half of what's left of the ceiling and she lands on her butt and has small stones and dirt fall on her. Nothing that seriously hurts.

Ketha pats Steam on the back as she moves to Parveth and offers her a hand too. "Can you stand?"

Parveth & Steam
The wood elf sighs slightly, and manages an only slightly stung, "I am fine." She rises without accepting the offered hand, and begins coiling back the rope and hook.

The genasi is surprised by the pat on the back, and staggers about a bit in the dark, turned around. She feels about in a space next to her, making sure no one's there, before stepping back and conjuring a fire there. With the newfound source of light, she's able to see Parveth covered in dust and with new rubble on the ground. She says with concern, "Ooh; did it give way again?"

Parveth cuts her eyes at her. "Whatever might give you that idea."