Nakahama

"Hang on a moment. I'll get the recorder." Sorato's quick lope for the exit is somewhat cramped by having to duck and squeeze a bit through the passage, which, while no doubt spacious for jimen tori, is rather cramped for a moderately tall adult human. Still, in two shakes he's back, flourishing his holorecorder.

"Got to document this," he says with a quick flash of a fugitive grin. He pans the camera around the dusty party, then points it down the tunnel. "Shall we?"

Was this the jimen tori Special Place?

At the moment, it was hard to say, although one could certainly see how it could be. It was a large cavern, impressively spacious, with plenty of nooks in the wall for nesting, and indeed the remnants of some nests remained. The central pool was a pool, large and deep and dark, both it and the chamer warmed enough by thermal energy to encourage life to thrive, not just survive. Looking into the dark waters, the shapes of fish could be seen, many of them, enough for a whole flock of jimen tori. Perhaps hundreds at a time, and more if the nearby tunnel could be occupied.

The only thing it was missing was a flock.

"Oh this looks like it!"

She checked the pool for fish, casting a light over the surface.

"And let's be sure to get the measurements to complete a map and check all potential exits and entrances."

"There may be a step yet to guide the jimen tori here."

She studied the chamber looking for the best place for light sources and cameras.

Shiwahime, not fit for smallish tunnels or caverns, stood outside and tried to peer in.

''Huh, cozy''

Sorato follows Haruhi and the others down into the chamber with the recorder. "Huh! Cave fish." His tone is wondering as he crouches at the edge of the pool to get a closer look at the pale swimmers. Actually, they're likely not a truly eyeless isolated stygobite population, because there is a bit of light filtering in here through cracks and down the tunnel--enough for the jimen tori to not run into the walls, anyway. This pool may be connected to outside bodies of water, too.

He dips his fingers in the water. "It's warm. And," he touches a fingertip cautiously to his tongue, "pretty fresh. This really would be a special place for birds. A volcano lizard couldn't fit down that rift." Large as the jimen tori are, the fully grown ones likely have few other predators.

While the others had gone to look in the water (or in the Motos case just look from outside) Sumiko had turned on her lantern and shined up at the roof of the cave. Examining it for any signs of potential instability or anything else.

"It looks solid as well. Assuming the cave entrance can be secured and buildingwork can be prevented this could be a great home for the birds."

The Bayushi squeezed, with difficulty, through the opening. Thankfully he was tall but not big, his back might resent the effort later.

He dons his mask, the golden eyes scanning around the cave's nooks and crannies. Offering a cone lantern to Haruhi as he passes her by.

He squats by the water, his voice sounds distorted, echoing unnaturally in the cave. "Should we check th-" Stopping mid sentence to peek his mouth out lest the noise scares the fish too much, or any animals near the entrance. "Check the depth of the pool? See if it's collecting rainwater or if it's a volcanic spring?"

She took the lantern from Bayushi-san with an appreciative smile.

"It would be good to determine the source of the fresh water and fish. That needs to be included in the map for the reserve. And we may want to see if there are other potential entrances/exits that could be opened and fortified that are less likely to be disturbed by construction above."

"Without someone diving into the water that might be tricky to find out" Sumiko commented as she walked around the walls of the cavern, inspecting it as she did

"The way the jimen tori spirit described it, makes me think it is a spring that flows away from here." Kiyoshi said. "I could ask the water."

"If you can" Sumiko nodded "it would be bad for us to go through this effort to bring the jimen tori home only for the water and fish to end up blocked later."

Consulting his densai, he whispered to the water kami and waited for a response.

- - -
[D8 LM - Can you dig it?], Commune Water, 2 CR for extra questions, 4 total | 6k3 ⇒ 21 (TN: 20)

"Blrblblrlblrlbl."

A spirit rose out of the water.

"Hello, my friend. How did you come here?" he asked.

"Always moving, I am." The water spirit said. "From one place to another I go, up and around and out and down again."

"Through earth, carried up by fire, then out into air?" He asked next.

"My journey is far longer than that." The water spirit said. "That is only a part of the great cycle of my journey, neither to ever end."

"Do the fish leave here with the water?" He tried a different approach.

"They come and go as I do. I welcome them as I begin my journey, and I see them off as we both return to the sea."

From the entrance Shiwahime was trying to see was was happening

''Hey...is there someone else there or is he talking to fish?'' she asked, curiously