"Is that really it?" Daschia asked, peering into the tunnel entrance. The petite elf stared into the tunnel, but even her keen eyesight could not penetrate the murky depths.
Moments before, it had been obscured by brush before being cleared away by Bhathig and her ax. It was not her preferred use for the weapon, but it did in a pinch. They had followed the directions provided by Rusty, a crusty old prospector. Well, less provided and more bought for with a discount after Bhathig had let Rusty spend some quality time with her massive breasts.
Bhathig sniffed. "Doesn't smell like much," she said.
"Look, if Rusty led us astray, I'll personally cut off his balls and present them to him, okay?" Lanex Sin replied. The lithe thief produced a slim dagger. "But this tunnel is where Rusty said it would be, all right? And it doesn't look like a lot of other people have been around. Look at all the cobwebs, dust everywhere, it's been a while since anyone has been this way.
The three adventurers looked at each other, a silent consensus passing between them. They had come this far, out to the borders of the civilized world, in order to make their fortune. Each had their own reasons... each had their own dreams they were pursuing. However, those dreams would require coin to bring them to fruition, which is why they were here, in the hinterlands, hunting for treasure.
Lanex pulled a silver necklace from a pouch, an aquamarine gem wrapped in wire dangling in the center. She rubbed the gem and it began to glow with a soft blue light. She had liberated the necklace in one of her last robberies in the city of Pallonia. She had left quickly, most of her amassed fortune securing her safe passage away from the watchful eyes of the City Watch and the local gang of thieves who frowned on freelancers such as herself.
The gem gave off a soft light, enough for her to see a few feet in front of her, but hopefully not so bright that it would give away her presence to whatever might be lurking within the depths. The gem hung down between her modest breast, all but the tops concealed by the form fitting black leather armor she wore. The gem had the added benefit of leaving her hands free. She ducked into the tunnel, head brushing the ceiling. She knew Daschia would have an easier time of it, but Bhathig would feel incredibly cramped in the close confines.
As she moved deeper into the tunnel, the light from her amulet played out over carved designs in the stones. Tall, ethereal figures march in procession, bearing covered gifts. Various races were also depicted, nearly all of them shown in chains and on their knees. She wasn't sure how long they walked, the tunnel curving and descending down into the ground, but never branching. Eventually it opened up into an antechamber. Blue-grey globes hung suspended from chains in the ceiling. Stone furniture in the form of couches and chairs were strategically placed around the chamber. Sunlight filtered in from some hidden aperture, casting dim light throughout.
"Not the most comfortable of places, huh?" Lanex said.
"Oh, there would have been cushions and divans all over here," Daschia said.
"They might have built the furniture out of stone... and maybe metal? I don't know. But they were definitely interested in comfort as well. Well, for the aristocracy at least."
"Mmm. I can tell," Bhathig added. She pointed out a pair of rusted iron rings bolted into the wall. "I'm guessing not everyone got the cushy treatment."
"Well, no," Daschia said. "Slaves, captives, and well... anyone the old Empire perceived as lesser wouldn't have the best time of it."
"No wonder they collapsed," said Lanex. "Nothing to stoke the fires of rebellion like treating everyone around you like crap."
But we aren't here to admire their decor, but to see what treasures we might find, right? So let's get to it! What way do you think we should try first?"
Three separate passages led out of the antechamber, not including the one the trio of adventurers had descended from.
Bhathig gave a shrug of her muscular shoulders, left mostly bare from the straps of her leather chest armor. Given her size, it was difficult to always find armor that fit well and covered everything. As a result, a stretch of her green muscled midriff was left bare. She trusted her skill as a warrior to keep herself free from harm.
"I say we go straight ahead," the orc warrior said, pointing into the shadow shrouded passage.
Daschia and Lanex looked at each other, then nodded in agreement. Lanex produced a small bit of chalk and made a mark on the wall next to the passage. "In case we get turned around," she said by way of explanation.
The trio crept down the passage, ears and eyes alert. Lanex led the way, taking care with her approach. Simply because they had not seen any sign of anything living down in the ruins did not mean that there might still be some creature that had made it their lair. Or perhaps there was some long dormant trap waiting to be sprung by the unwary. Tavern stories were full of ruins inhabited by savage tribes of goblinoids or the castoff mutants of wizardly experimentation pushed to the edges of the world by civilization's expansion.
She passed a side tunnel then stopped, the light from her necklace reflecting off a bit of metal down the passage. She held up her hand, Daschia and Bhathig stopping behind her.
"What is it?" Daschia asked.
Lanex shook her head and gave a small shrug. She slunk down the passage, eyes and ears straining. She stopped just before entering the chamber. A small silver coffer rested on top of a stone table. There was no way to tell what it contained, but the coffer itself was probably worth more than she had stolen in any single year. She licked her lips, and her hand drifted down to her dagger. She took a step forward, then paused, her boot hovering over the floor.
"Something wrong?" Bhathig asked.
