Lonely Lava Cavern

Sam stood on the cliff's edge, getting a good look at his surroundings. He looked up, seeing that the Cavern had a very high ceiling. He was about halfway up from the bottom of the cavern from what he could measure by eye, standing in a small grotto. He saw big patches of glowstone embedded in the ceiling and hanging down like stalactites.

There was also large openings in the walls that went back a few meters. Sam comes to the conclusion that those openings are actually man-made. They were most likely the leftovers of a mining operation. Two meters above him is a small roof of stone. He continues looking around. Four meters in front of him there is a tall spire that was almost level with where he was standing.

On the top of the spire was a jagged dome with pockets of gravel in the stone. It was a total of eleven meters tall, with lava bubbling and frothing around the base of it. He judged that the gap between him and the spire was too wide to jump across safely. To his left upon the lava lake, he managed to spot a small metallic chest lying on a small island.

The small island was connected to the concave wall in the corner, forming a small roof of stone. To his direct left is a narrow ledge with the wall connected to a small roofing of rock that would force him to half-squat to pass when he reached midway. The ledge then stops a little after that. There is a outcropping of stone which wraps the entire lava lake.

The outcropping goes downward at a sharp angle until it meets the lava below for eight meters. The cliff-face has plenty of crevices and cracks formed on it from excessive heat. He determines that the closest he can get vertically from the outcropping is the narrow ledge to his left, where he would only have to climb or jump down three meters to reach it. In the wall level with the outcropping of stone below the narrow ledge is a small dimly lit tunnel that has obviously been dug with tools.

He is definitely going to check that tunnel out when he gets down there. To his right was a five meter drop off directly leading to the ledge that wrapped around the cavern from earlier. It was a much harsher drop than the one on his left and thus less suitable for descent. Sam didn't see anything of interest from there anyway. As he looked around, he saw movement in the openings high near the ceiling and occasionally some stone being shifted around. He didn't hear any groaning or feral cries though, so that must count for something right?

Sam considered his options, choosing to descent from the narrow ledge to his left to check out the dimly lit tunnel below. It's easiest to climb down from that side and even if he falls he would just get some minor scrapes and bruises. He stepped onto the narrow ledge, wincing slightly as some small rock fragments and gravel fell off. He always was proud of his height and large physique, despite being inconvenient sometimes. Now, he couldn't help but wish he was a bit smaller as he shuffled forward on the precarious edge.

He went in facing the wall, his back to the cavern as he put his hands in small cracks and holes in the wall for stability. He listened to his surroundings, as he reached midway on the ledge. He squatted, thanking that the ledge got a bit wider at this part. He stuck his head through first along with one arm, finding a small pocket to stuff his hand in. He tugged it first to ensure the rock wasn't loose. and then pulled the rest of him out as he found other leverage points. He heard bones rattling occasionally in the distance, but it was pretty faint.

He reached the ground, heaving a soft sigh of relief as he walked towards the dimly lit tunnel. He felt the gravel giving in a bit, crunching under his boots as he appeared in front of the entrance. Looking inside, it was a rather narrow passageway. It went about five meters in, where he saw a chest at the end. A large chunk of glowstone was stuck in the wall above it. Three meters into the passageway was another narrow opening that led further in. He was about to step inside, but paused.

He thought for a few moments and picked up a rock on the floor. He first put his back to the wall next to the entrance, then hurled the stone hard into the passageway before hiding himself from view. He strained, listening as the stone came to a stop for any movement in the tunnel. 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi...Nothing.

He got off the wall, walking into the tunnel holding his sign. He went up to the off-shoot, looking in. It led to a shorter dark passageway similar to the one he was in. Sam first placed the sign in his inventory then put his hand on the chest, flipping it open.

[Chest Contents:}

{Torch x2(White)}

- Description: A vital source of light for adventurers on a budget, this tool is capable of warding off unintelligent beasts that are afraid of fire in a certain radius. Lasts 24 hours when lit aflame. Do not wave or place it around flammable materials! -

{Small Fire Striker(White)}

- Description: An important tool for any adventurer, it is used to create sparks and light fires. -

Sam placed one of the torches in his inventory. He lit a torch with the fire striker and held it in his left hand. He put the chest and fire striker away, equipping his Knockback II Sign in his right hand. Sam walked straight into the off-shoot, listening as he walked into the inky black hallway. He stopped as he reached the corner, suddenly feeling quite excited.

There is a thick stone door in front, just past the corner where he stood.