On the suggestion of Fazrick and backed up by Rogar's experience the four examine the many openings in the ruined walls until eventually Fazrick finds tracks that belong to kobolds. However the gap in the wall with the tracks is more a steep narrow hole than proper opening that would force them to crawl through one by one. Not wanting to lose the trail by going through the front gates or a larger crack in the dungeon walls they do so though Zandar and Graciel are anxious.
The group is able to crawl through without too much trouble although at the end the tunnel hooks causing trouble for Zandar and his staff. As Zandar carefully tries to maneuver his staff through twisted in the small tunnel the other three emerge into a large stone room lite by dim glowing blue runes with faded cravings on the walls and darkened three ways to go. As they wait Fazrick produces a quill and paper and begins making a map while Graciel prays to her goddess and Rogar offers to help Zandar.
"If you let me just give it a good yank I'm sure I can get it through." offers the mercenary swordsman.
"And risk damaging it? Thanks but no thanks!" replied the young and increasingly frustrated wizard among with plenty of grunts and dark mutterings about kobolds and tunnels.
"Come on, it looks plenty flexible and a bit of splintering won't do that much," again tried Rogar as he dropped into a crouch beside the small tunnel entrance. "Years ago I fought beside a wizard whose staff got snapped in half mid battle and he carried on just fine."
"Probably because he had used up most all the spells in it already. I would like keep access to mine since I haven't used any yet. Still you did give me an idea." said Zandar before going quiet leaving Rogar to wonder what idea that was.
If the warrior had spent more time around that wizard from his mercenary days and others he likely would have realized when one got an idea it was best to put some space between you and them. But unfortunately Rogar continued to wait as he heard a tapping sound and a whispered word that sounded like 'earthwave'. Then he was bowled over as stone and dirt shifted very quickly with a rumbling scraping sound enlarging the tunnel entrance significantly and pinning him underneath the moved earth.
"There much better," said Zandar as he emerged and gave his robes a pat to get some of the dirt off. "Hey wheres Rogar?"
"Ah geesh." grumbled Fezrick as he looked over from his map making and spotted the trapped swordsman. Coming over he grabbed the wizard and forced him to help too, who muttered about people not knowing when to get out of the way of a spell.
Graciel finished her prayer and started to move to help when she heard a new sound coming from the center pathway now that the noise from Zandar's spell faded. It was a dry scraping sound a bit like pieces of worn wood rubbing against each other. Holding up her holy symbol she cast a spell that made it project a strong beam of light down the tunnel.
"Skeletons!" she shouted as easily a dozen of them trudged towards them. Wearing very damaged bits of armor and clothes and equally tarnished weapons the undead creatures advanced at a steady slightly off balance pace into the room.
"Dammit all!" swore Fezrick as he dug faster and elbowed Zandar. "Use some of your spells to buy me some time!"
"Yeah, uh, right." said Zandar as he grabbed his staff and after some gesturing started shoot multicolored orbs out of his free hand that made the animated bone beings creak and stumble. Graciel drew a shortsword and helped to keep the skeletons away with heavy blows. And things were looking fairly good until a voice like a wind rustling dead leaves spoke up.
"Obscure!" and with it came a bolt of greyish light that struck Zandar causing him to stop shooting in shock.
The shock passed as nothing seemed to happen and he started shooting again. As he did however Zandar found his aim worsening and having to stop as his hair kept getting in his eyes. Grabbing his hair and pulling it out of the way he felt it actually growing not just longer but gaining volume and a silky smoothness that made it easy for strands to slide through his fingers, and he admitted to himself felt rather nice to do just that. Rolling his head around then throwing his head back let him momentarily get his lengthening locks out of his vision and shoot off some more orbs as well as see his hair was a nearly waist long thick mass of lustrous brown.
"Taste my steel!" roared Rogar as he drew his blade and charged into the undead with Fezrick wielding a dagger and mace on his heels.
Cracking and crunching echoed about the room and down the pathways as the four dealt with the skeletons. And soon enough the floor was littered with chunks of bone and the deteriorated equipment the undead had used. More scrapping followed though as Fezrick and Rogar began searching the remains for anything of value while Graciel helped Zandar with his hair.
Using their magics they had determined it was a curse and fairly strong one at that. They were also able to dispel enough of it to stop it continuing to grow Zandar's hair any longer. But as they couldn't get rid of it completely the wizard was stuck with thick waist length mane as the curse would regrow it to that length if it was cut. So Graciel was arranging it in a single long braid as she chuckled about how much her fellow priestess would like to have hair like his.
"You are not helping." grumbled Zandar as he did his best to ignore how good it felt having someone touching his hair so much.
"You know I think he looks good with long hair," chuckled Rogar evilly as he kicked a broken rib cage into the 'nothing good' pile. "Do something with his boring mug and slim him down some and he'd look down right pretty."
Fezrick chuckled at that and with a quick glance around to make sure no one was looking pocketed a slightly dirty silver bracelet that had heart designs all over it. Resuming his search for loot the rogue failed to notice as the seat of pants felt just little snug as his butt swelled and softened.