Deathtrap Dungeon: Meat and Greet (IC)

[techmaster-glitch]

   The group continued into the deeper levels, accompanied by what little information Nadihya had to offer. Xephelon didn't have much to say on who the original inhabitants were, though he rather thought it was them and not scavengers who were responsible for nothing being left behind. Scavengers were never so clean.
   Speaking of cleanliness, Xephelon -was- interested in the apparent fact that all the internal waterways flowed with pure water, even after being polluted...Xephelon was very curious if there was some kind of ambient magic effect somewhere. Either that, or the source of the water was clean, and the waterways were built in such a way as to prevent contaminants from spreading. Something worth looking into either way.
   Continuing on, they came across a positively massive cavern, this one worked in the same way as the others. It implied that the previous inhabitants of the area were of the colossal variety, and yet...as Zyrais noted, there weren't any telltale signs of such habitation.
   Most curious.

[WhiteFox]

Thesslay gently scraped her nails over the stone wall. "Hard to say, Missstresss Kittrik. The need for water typically indicates a mortal society, but there doesn't seem to be any considerations made for food."
   She cocked her head, thinking. "Quite curious are the aqueducts. Their design would suggest a fairly intelligent society, and is supported by the scale and quality of the construction." She tilted her head to the other side. "The architecture is extremely minimalist, and has little ornamentation, but shows an extremely advanced understanding of design aesthetic. Much like greek architecture.
    "If I were to hazzard a guess... I would say that our previous occupants were not only highly intelligent, but valued logic and reason as virtues. Hence the emphasis on form.
    "This may have been an ascetic monastery of sorts, which would shy away from embilishment... but, in that case, there would be areas constructed for ceremonial purposes, or the floor plan itself would be significant. A map would be needed to determine that." Thesslay scrawled a reminder in her book.
    "There is a possibility, that this... speleocropolis, I suppose you could call it, was abandoned before completion. It would certainly explain why the stone shows no wear from use, and the lack of interior decoration."

Conferred with Mech regarding a few details on the architecture.

[VAE]

Phew!
If this expression existed in Deep speech, or if chuuls had any reason for gasping , Glup would definitely have used it.
He has finished the modification to the machine -- the large top emitter has stopped its futile attempts to send a signal through several hundred meters of iron ore, and a RJ-45 socket, and a long s/stp cable extending out of the room...

:: I should call Nadhiya to test it:: he thought but looking around he noticed everyone has left.
::!@#$%:: he thought, and then said a few curses that made the rocks around sweat a bit. (Deep speech , thanks to the Drow has a very developed insult/curse vocabulary)
Then , he noticed a figure strongly resembling the giraffe he has spoken to before at the other end of the hall
He began walking in his direction

[Liatai]

"An interesting idea," Kittrick said, following the group. "Perhaps, if it were meant to be a monastery, it would explain the scale of the rooms. The shafts, as well. They may have been designed to invoke a religious experience; a great expanse both above and below, and the constant danger of falling from the path..."

"I must admit, I am most curious as to whether the spiral motif will be repeated throughout the complex." She looked up at the ceiling of the new chamber, both judging its height and scanning the walls for carvings. "My, this would be large enough to even hold cousin Kip... A map would be most useful, indeed. Madam Nadhiya, if I may ask, have there been any attempts to chart the caverns?"

ARGH. That first line should not have taken me so long to write right! >.< Dang writer's block.

[Mechanisto]

Nadhiya continued slithering down the ramp as she addressed the various questions and comments. "Large inhabitants no doubt, Zyrais... but there are several levels of varying scales, and all seem to have been designed with equal care.

Thessaly's and Kittrick's wondering seemed to catch her attention. "Logic and reason? A monastery, you say? That never occurred to us... though a stronghold or battlement would be equally spartan. I don't know anything about military architecture, though."

"As for a map, all we have are architectural layouts from the rooms the Kobolds were refurbishing. They chart out each individual room and corridor, but not how they fit together... and we have no maps at all of the natural caverns and tunnels that border the whole place. It's one of our priorities, of course... we can't do any civic zoning without an idea of the overall layout."

Regarding maps: It's on my to do list. But it can wait till after the introductory chapter.

[Liatai]

"Madam, I am an archaeologist. When we don't know what something was designed to do, we default to saying that it had religious significance," the gryphon said with a joking smile. "If any assistance is needed for the mapping project, I for one would be honored to help. That way, I can also assist in recovering and preserving any artifacts that come to light during the process. Knowing the layout first-hand will be quite the boon for my courier duties, as well."

[techmaster-glitch]

   Xephelon continued following along silently, taking in the information he was hearing as well as everything he saw. He didn't have much to comment on the theories of the room's former purpose, that wasn't his forte. However, questions about mapping then came up. Nadihya explained that a good number of individual rooms were charted, but they hadn't been connected on a bigger map yet, and none of the natural caves had been records at all.
  Xephelon, for a brief moment, thought of assisting with mundane mapmaking. But before he realized how absolutely foolish that was to someone of his skills, he began thinking deeper... He recalled some spells he had seen cast before, very minor ones. Individually, they didn't help much, but if you put them together...
  "I believe that mapping the complex and the tunnel systems by hand may be unnecessary." Xephelon spoke up. "How many general magic-users do you currently have under you, Lady Nadihya? Specifically any who have divinatory spells. Or...Zyrais, was it? You seem to have magic related to seeing things, that could likely be sufficent... are there also any illusionists present? Does anyone here know any illusion magic at all? Lady Nadihya, if the spells I need are produced, I can take samples of them and craft a device that should provide a complete and accurate map of the entire complex (or at least parts of it, depending on its strength) and have several more, ah, features than something simply scribed on parchment. This device should also only take a few hours to create, no more than a day..."

[Drayco84]

Zyrais followed along while listening. While he was disappointed that the area was virtually uncharted, it also meant that the place might hold many undiscovered secret passages and/or areas. So, the griffin was an archaeologist? Odd, but then again, he himself had performed a number of unusual jobs...
He heard Xephelon's offer, and it intrigued him...
"That depends on the plan you're thinking of, Xephelon..." He began. "My scrying spells might work for the task, and I would need to set up surveillance for the area anyway. But, I will need a large mirror or something to 'project' the image onto, and I have difficulties with making the spells permanent. Of course, it would also help if I had my familiar with me..."

[techmaster-glitch]

   "Oh, that's not quite what I'm thinking actually, Zyrais." Xephelon replied. "No scrying spells...more spells like 'discern direction' and 'location', or 'detect environment', spells along those lines. As for the illusion spell, only a minor image conjure is necessary. In fact, could attempt to recreate or create these spells from scratch myself, I am only asking for examples to save time. Things like this go much faster with examples. I can modify, rearrange, and adapt the spells in any way I need once I know how to duplicate them, even simply use them as a base for an entirely new effect."
  Xephelon paused for a moment with his exoshell clanking on the stone floor, continuing to follow the group. "I'm not sure what you mean by your familiar, though... and what is the next room we shall be seeing, Lady Nadihya?"

[VAE]

Looking at the giraffe, which seemed to think about something, Glup asked
"You know whegle can i find Nadhiya and otheglsh?"

[Drayco84]

   "Well, I know of those spells..." Zyrais began. "But since they're not ones I use on a regular basis, I'd have to look them up in my spell-book, which I may not have brought as the things are rather rare, expensive, and are usually family heirlooms..." He explained, rooting around in the pockets of his coat for a few minutes, encountering several small crystals, about a dozen throwing stars, his laptop computer, both of his handheld consoles, that thrice-damned pear tree, rope, some rations, a few flasks of water, several flasks of cold coffee, his staff, and a-"Aaaaaaargh!" He suddenly exclaimed, pulling out a foot-long, dragon-like creature with golden-red scales and a two-foot long, venomous tail that was lodged in his arm.
   "Dee! Tail! TAIL!" He exclaimed, quickly casting a cure-poison spell.
   "Whoa! it's bright out here!" The creature telepathically exclaimed. rapidly blinking it's golden, reptilian eyes.
   "TAIL!" Zyrais hissed again.
   "Oh, fine." It replied, painfully yanking it's stinger free from his arm and jumping to the floor.
   "Nnnnnrgh!" He growled through clenched teeth, then patched up the injury with a low-level healing spell. Once that was done, he sighed in relief and closed his eyes and began counting... "One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six.. Seven... Eight..."

  ---A little bit later...---

   "Forty-seven... Forty-eight... Forty-nine... Fifty..." He finished, opening his eyes
   "Wow, that mad, huh?" It replied.
   "What were you doing in my coat, Dee?" He asked, calmer but still annoyed.
   "Well... Huh... It's been so long I can't remember..." It replied.
   "Ugh..." He sighed. "Did you happen to see my spell-book in there?"
   "What have I told you about asking me stupid questions?" It replied. "It's dark in there, as in zero light, and thus I can't see anything." Zyrais rolled his eyes and sighed heavily.
   "Okay, did you encounter my spell book?" He asked.
   "Yes, it hit me on the snout as I went in there." It replied. "Now feed me."
Zyrais reached into his coat and pulled out a piece of meat that had been marinated in red wine before being dried. The creature climbed up onto his back, then wrapped it's tail around his shoulder and sat down, before finally taking the treat and chewing.
   "This..." He began, facing Xephelon. "Is the answer to your question. This is Dee, my familiar. Like all familiars, she gets a steady but small portion of my magical essence. This allows a familiar to live a much longer life in exchange for whatever favors you can coax out of them. Some magic users don't bother with them as certain... Species... Are a bigger pain in the ass than others..."
   "Hey, I didn't nuke the anger management classroom." She replied. "Thus, I didn't warrant the need for one of the 'tutors'..."
   "Anyway, Dee is a pseudo dragon. They look like miniature dragons, but they don't breathe fire. However, they still bite, and the stinger on their tail releases a decent quantity of an unholy, pain-inducing venom similar to a wasp or bee sting, but with more potency." He explained.
   "My claws do work, ya know." She replied. "And if you'd learn how, I could use some of the same spells you know..."
   "And give you access to magic missile and electric grasp?! Never!" He exclaimed aloud, before realizing that he was supposed to think it.
   "Ha ha." She shot back.
   "Anyways..." He sighed again, reaching into his coat and rooting around for a bit before pulling out a waterproof, zippered binder. Opening it up, he carefully leafed through the book. "Detect magic... Detect plot holes... Detect traps... Detect legal loop holes... Dang, this thing needs to be alphabetized... Detect secret doors... That might come in handy later... Ah, discern environment... This sound like what you're looking for?"

Hoooooleeeeeee crap! Didn't expect this to take so long to write... Anyway, for those familiar with D&D rules, pseudo dragons are in the Monster Manual I and can be a familiar if you have the feat. As for me, I prefer to change a little bit of stuff around like allowing them to be any color, although reds are the most common. I'm also aware that I'm mentioning a ton of D&D spells here, but not using the exact same name for most of them.

EDIT: Fixed text and tags to use italics. Quotes are used to indicate what's meant to be overheard and understood by another.
EDIT2: Indents added for clarity.

[techmaster-glitch]

   Zyrais said that he was familiar with the kind of spells Xephelon required, but he didn't cast them regualrly and need a reference for them. He then made quite a show of pulling a multitude of items from his coat (that seemed to hold a greater volume of items than it should have...), before finally pulling out a small and apparently very painful and very alive lizard-creature, who's barbed tail had gotten caught in Zyrais' arm. He cast two spells over the injured area, and counted for almost a full minute before looking at the little reptile. They then silently exchanged a number of animated glances and pointed gestures at each other, as if they were having an irritated or tedious conversation. Zyrais then explained that the creature was a pseudodragon, and his familiar. Xephelon was quite a loss at what to say about all this, so he didn't.
  Finally, he pulled out a large book filled with arcane scribblings, and began flipping through it until he believed he found what Xephelon wanted.
  "If it is a spell that gives the caster perception to the dimensions of his surroundings and the locations of features therin, then yes, I believe the spell will be sufficient for my purposes, even if it is not exactly that." Xephelon replied. "I will only need to see the spell cast several times while I carefuly examine the arcane energies and how they flow together. Once I understand how the spell works, I can use it as a base for what I intend to create, rather than having to invent the magical means alone. Thank you very much for your aid."

[WhiteFox]

Thessaly scribbled a note: Zeph. likes to make drudge work for spellcasters that could easily be done by minions.



Nethalzar turned his head to look over his shoulder. "Ah... Mister Glup." He sipped his wine. "She's on a tour with the rest of the group" He pointed with the glass down the hall, where the tour group had left. "They haven't been gone long. I've sent a scribe along with, she should be taking comprehensive notes if you need to be caught up on anything."

I was wondering when you were going to say something, dan. 

[VAE]

"Thanksh!"
An uneven galloping noise was heard among the corridors as a five legged creature rushed forwards  to the group.
After the repeated process of catching up with several stalagmites, cursing ,and continuing the search , he finally noticed something blue and moving in the distance,
Luckily it actually was Kittrick.
And the rest of the group.
He came closer, If he had mammalian lungs he would be pumping air like  blacksmith's bellows - as the present situation, his gills were fully open allowing  air to  circulate..
"Did i mish anything impogltant?" he asked those present.


Hmm i left it there like that for some reason, but i cannot think of why now i suspect something to allow you to describe what you are doing there or so... Dumb, i know

[Liatai]

"What sort of device might you have in -- my word!" The gryphon took a step back, eyes wide in alarm, as Zyrais drew a small dragon-like creature out of his pocket, its tail embedded in his arm!

After a few spells and a few moments, the angel began describing it as a pseudodragon. A 'false dragon?' Perhaps it was some sort of mythos, then. While he and Xephelon discussed spells, she craned her neck forward, one paw raised like a curious cat, to try getting a better look at the creature.

Her attempts to observe Zyrais' familiar were interrupted by a loud clattering, galloping sound. She turned to see the chitinous creature from before -- the brain merchant, Glup, she believed his name was -- barreling toward the group. She took another step back to give him some room; thankfully, he pulled to a stop before plowing into anyone. Part of her wondered how he had managed to cross the narrow, spiraling walkway in the large shaft at such a breakneck pace.

"Not at all," she answered with a polite smile, tail twitching, wing feathers slightly ruffled. "We were just... discussing the existing architecture and the layout of these caverns."

[VAE]

"Good enough, i wash woglied fo' a while. I think i managed to get it woglking! Jusht needsh to be connected to the telephone wi'e " 
Glup was rather glad he missed the first part - in his consideration, architecture was like soil - useful to walk or put stuff on, nothing fancy to talk about, and that which experts ranked excelllent being full of crap...
He looked around, noticing someone  resembling an oversized rodent with bat wings. Then he noticed the pseudodrake.
"Who agle you?" he asked the being , looking at everyone else with suspicion.
::So architecture... I bet they were running experiments with life creation, and now they pretend these two mishaps are not there. But they don't fool me!  There were more cunning customers who did not!::

[WhiteFox]

Thessaly lifted her finger from the page, and glanced over at the chuul. "I have notesss you can review, if you like." She said, offering her notebook to the giant lobster.
   The comment on the page was still wet: "Investigate allegedly unholy venom of the pseudodragon and possible alchemical/ritual applications."

[Mechanisto]

The Naga listened to Xephelon and Zyrais before responding. "The only spell caster I currently have at my disposal is... well... myself. I had to hire a contractor to build the portal room. My restoration and ressurection powers are extensive, but my divination powers are limited to vague omens and celestial appeals..."

Her eyes widened as the sound of clawed feet trampling ever closer filled the hall, and she flinched closer to the side of the wall. She remained tense until Glup had finished joining in on the conversation.

"...need I remind everyone that there are no guardrails?"

[Drayco84]

   "Oh, I'm aware..." Zyrais replied, not bothering to hide his disdain and still sticking to the wall. "Do you have any estimates on when or if a guardrail is going to be installed?" Turning to Glup, but still sticking to the wall." Oh, Glup? You missed the freshwater aqueducts."

[VAE]

"Fgleshwathe' aqueductsh? Shoundsh nice!  Agle the'e cavesh with poolsh ash well? "
The crustacean turned to Zyrais and asked with amusement
"How come you agle shaking? Can you not fly with thoshe wingsh?"

[techmaster-glitch]

   Xephelon was quite surprised at Nadihya's news. "You are saying that you have no subordinate magic-users at all in this dungeon? It seems that I shall have more work to do than I initially thought, much work indeed, many things to create..." The slightly droning voice coming from the exoshell devolved into some kind of low humming that varied in pitch and tone as the three light-eyes flickered and began alternating between dim and bright. He didn't seeme to care or be aware at Glup's sudden arrival.

[Mechanisto]

"I'm sorry if I wasn't clear earlier... but aside from the tribe of Kobold Engineers, I don't have any Subordinates whatsoever. That should change swiftly, once we form a committee of significant personages... recruitment always picks up in the presence of strong leadership."

"Ah... here we go." She renewed the orb of light in her palm, strengthening it's light as they descended into a much darker level of the dungeon. Whereas the previous level had looked like a subterranean city with huge canals and bridges instead of main roads, this level was almost entirely natural. It was a massive cavern, with raw stone walls and corridors that had been carved by countless centuries of rushing water. The cave's blue-black surface glittered and glistened from Nadhiya's magical light, and a few crystal formations lit up like faint glass lanterns.

A few signs of architecture could be seen here and there; the area surrounding the elevator shaft was built like a dockside, in the same fine architectural style as elsewhere. A few stairwells and pathways could be seen leading off into the dark distance, more like hiking paths than proper roads. The air was filled with the constant sound of flowing water.

"Access to these levels has been restricted since the work began... they haven't been refurbished, and we've only done very minor explorations. The caves go on for miles, with several caverns either partially or fully submerged in water."

-----

Back on the main level, the crowds continued to flow and move. The portal chamber continued to admit a regular flow of visitors, invited and otherwise, and the conversation became slightly more active... though no less paranoid or cautious.

A robed figure, adorned with red symbols, eyed the crowd. His hood obscured the look of frustration on his face, and his body language spoke of well restrained anger. His hidden expression changed, however, as he saw someone emerge from the portal room; female, and dressed in a similar style as himself... though her robes were far less obscuring. She was avian, with pale feathers and a delicate figure.

She nodded in greeting to everyone she passed by, but steadily made her way over. She and the hooded figure shared only a glance in greetings. "How goes, good sir?"

He grunted; an expression that somehow carried equal amounts of rage and boredom.

"And here I was worried you might have learned to actually have fun at these little social gatherings." Her smirk lessened to little more than a very subtle smile. "What learn you, here?"

"The place is neither a trap nor an ambush... but his lordship was right to send me ahead of you. This place is full of old angers... a bloodbath waiting to happen. It is not safe for you."

"You think I cannot handle myself? It seems civilized enough to me."

"Perhaps now... but the way you play, I doubt it will remain so. Your word-craft and politicking may spark something dire."

"Now now, sir... we both have our orders..." The avian seemed about to say something flippant, but a more serious look replaced it at the last moment. "I shall remain cautious. Let me know if you discover anything relevant."

"Humph... I already have. Over by the pastry table..." He nodded, without pointing. "...an undead. I've seen a few more about, as well."

The lady arched an eyebrow. "That... is relevant. Stay away from him for now. Such things are best dealt with my way."

[VAE]

Going into the new enviroment, Glup seemed to get excited.
He began to touch the algae and stalactite covered walls with his tentacles, ascertaining some things, listening for a bit and then began walking towards where he assumed was the nearest water flow.
He did not need the magical light even , due to the fact one of the rare benefits his eyes had was ability to see in darkness.
:: This place seems perfect for residence! Looks like old home in some ways! I think i will take a dive!::

[Liatai]

Kittrick, on the other hand, padded very carefully along the natural pathways, sticking close to Nadhiya and the light. A gryphon's eyes were sharp -- they needed to be able to spot prey from the air, after all -- but she did not want to risk making a false step with so much swift-running water around. Not only would it be dangerous and embarrassing to take a tumble into the current, but it would also hurt her career prospects. This was still an interview of sorts, and who in their right mind would hire a clumsy courier?

"I wonder if these formations are natural..." she mused, examining one of the glowing crystals as they passed.

[techmaster-glitch]

   Xephelon registered that the only ones actually established in the dungeon so far were the 'kobolds', which Xephelon inferred as the little lizardy thing that had delivered his invitation. No wonder there was virtually no infrastructure to the place yet.
  They descended into what seemed to be the lowest levels of the complex; a system of natural caves and tunnels. Nadihya illuminated the tunnels with a refreshed light spell, showing a few streams of water, as well as several crystal formations. The green lines and light-eyes on the exoshell suddenly got brighter. Well well, it seemed as if this place was a repeating cycle of one step forward, one step back, and one step forward again.
  "Crystal formations! Excellent! Any regular crystalline substance is ideal for magic enchantments; they are superior to any other material in retaining magic energy and constructs, and thus are very efficient when used as a core for items and devices. Lady Nadihya, I believe I might regularly extract crystals from here if they are of sufficient quality, as I will then not need to acquire them from an outside source or manufacture my own (synthetic crystals are superior still to natural ones...if they are made properly, which is exceedingly difficult). This will greatly expedite and ease the creation of any magical devices that are needed..."
  The exoshell turned to Zyrais, the three light-eyes flickering. "I shall procure a sample now, and if it is good enough, use that as the core of the device I intend to make that will eliminate the need for maps. If you aid me with your spells as soon as this tour is over, I may even be able to have the device completed before the day is out, depending on how complex the spell is and how much energy it requires."
  Xephelon then turned to the nearest crystal cluster and strode towards it on his four metal spider-like legs, fairly stable on the wet, slick rock. When he reached the formation, he extended all four of his arms and examined the formation, until he found a likely candidate; fist-sized chunk that could be extracted while preserving the single crystal lattice. Tiny enchanted blades popped out of the arms and cut at the base, and a little persuasion with a touch of infused transmuting magic to help separate the chunk to ensure the lattice was preserved as it was disconnected from the rest of the formation. This process would take several minutes. As he did so, he also carefully examined the crystal to discern just what kind it was, and whether it was natural or artificial.

[Drayco84]

   Zyrais sighed yet again before answering Glup.
  "Yes, I can fly with my wings, but at the same time, I can't." He began. "Those who regularly exercise their wings can fly, but I have to infuse them with magic in order to actually fly with them." He explained, still following the group.
  When Nadhiya led the group to the caverns on the lowest level, something had him on edge. He quickly empowered the gem on his forehead to shine a beam of light towards whatever he was looking at again.
  "Do you feel anything weird, Dee?" He asked.
  "Yes, I feel like I need to tinkle, and your shoulder sounds like a good spot." She replied.
  "That's not weird, that normal..." He sighed.
  He listened to Nadhiya's admission of lacking subordinates without surprise. Good help was, and still is, quite hard to find. And magic users? Ugh...
 "Yes, I can understand why this area hasn't been explored. especially since experienced spelunkers will be needed, and that's assuming that there isn't anything unpleasant down here. Plus, water-breathing magic or devices are probably going to be needed to fully explore the area." Zyrais sighed again.
  "Let me know the results of your findings, Xephelon. I'm trying to try a quick experiment that will take a few moments..." "Dee, keep watch for me."
  "Oh, I guess..." She sighed, as Zyrais closed his eyes, focused his magic, and sent out an empowered magic detection spell.

Mechanisto, check your PMs.

[Mechanisto]

Nadhiya continued moving at a slower pace as they moved past the cavern level, keeping an eye on Xephelon like a mother hen, but not actually saying anything.  Most of the crystals were large, perhaps a yard tall, but a few smaller ones were growing close to the lip of the shaft. The first thing Xephelon learned about the crystal, of course, was that it was tough... extremely so. The stone it grew out of was incredibly strong and resistant, making it very difficult to work. It was only a matter of time, though, until the extraction was complete. There was no telling what sort of properties (physical or magical) the crystal might have inherited from the rock.

Zyrais felt his spell work successfully, but the outcome was disorienting. The magic users in the tour group stood out, as expected. The crowd from the main level above stood out as well, but the information from the detect spell came back heavily distorted; many of the guests had obviously warded themselves against scrying and detection. The sheer number of wards, however, caused the spells results to come back extremely distorted, as if a thousand rubber balls had been shot out of a cannon. The amount of defensive overkill was almost funny.

More disturbing, however, was the sense he got from everything else... nothing at all. The caverns, the corridors, and however much of the rock wall he was reaching through, were utterly blank. There was no magic as far as he could see. This usually meant an area was being shielded against detection.

(See the OOC thread for details on the crystals.)

[VAE]

As the characters stumble in the darkness, they hear a PLONK! and Kittrick is sprayed by several large drops of water as she stood the closest while examining the crystals.
In other words, it seems Glup has found a deep enough stream running through, and decided to go in full-steam.

[Drayco84]

   Zyrais first felt the numerous wards and protective magic from the dozens of guests on the tour group and the numerous guests on the main floor. Yeesh, talk about paranoid! Protection from scrying and detection spells? Few could detect an individual's particular aura in a crowd of that size, and those that could wouldn't be put off by anti-scrying wards... Plus, the defensive wards bordered on insane. He briefly considered launching a few magic missiles into the crowds to watch them bounce around like a pinball in the middle of a large group of bumpers, but decided against that as Nadhiya probably wouldn't like that...
  His mood took a turn for the serious when he failed to detect... Anything... From the caverns and tunnels around him to as far as his magic could reach. Which was outright bizarre, as there should've at least been... Something... Like enchanted items, recently cast spells, spirits, magical creatures or animals, alchemical plants or minerals, ley lines, nexus points, or even just... Something... Thus, somebody or something was shielding the area from detection, and something that could shield an entire area was never something to screw around with... Zyrais opened his eyes and Dee jumped back up onto his shoulder.
  "What'd you find out?" She asked.
  "Something is shielding this area from magic-detecting spells and it's freaking me out. He replied.
 "Nadhiya, has anything odd happened during the few explorations that have been done? Because something odd is going on here and-"
  "Hey, that lobster-thing just dived into the stream. Betcha twenty bucks something eats 'im." Dee suddenly stated, staring off in a different direction. "Hey, where's my camera?! She demanded after diving into the pockets on the inside of his coat.
  "Glup! You don't know what's in there!" Zyrais exclaimed, wondering what could possibly eat a creature that size, yet not really wanting to know...

Yes, I'm paraphrasing the GM. And admit it, watching magic missiles bounce around like pinballs would be interesting.
EDIT: Fixed effects of the spell.

[WhiteFox]

She glanced over at Xephelon. "Did it occur to you that the entire reason this little soiree is being held is because the lady Nadihya is looking to hire some subordinates? I mean, that's what we all came out here for, right?"

She continued scribing notes as she spoke: Look into possible fossilized life forms in local stone.

Note: Xeph does not seem to consider biological materials as ideal enchanting materials.

More for us, I suppose. She thought.

Argh. Sorry for the poor timing and late reply to Tech.
Also: Using italics for written text. Sorry for any confusion.