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Recalling that both Robin and Vala ran unheeded down the corridor, and sensing the Vala is deep contemplation - Agriver traverses the steps downward. Touching his wayfinder he casts illumination down the winding stairs.
Glancing for signs of "Joe's" movements the paladin continues to the bottem of his descent and surveys the room for details.
The party winds its way downstairs for about 300 feet.
An acrid, nauseating reek fills the air at the bottom of the stairs—a musky, reptilian stench. Robin, Ayame, Yon, Rboud and Vala all feel very sick at the smell....
The stairs descend to a small chamber of smooth, hewn stone lit by a dim greenish light from two strange, torchlike devices on the walls. A metal door with a simple latch mechanism glows with a dim green light in the middle of the north wall. The walls and ceiling are decorated with drawings and writings in bright colors. The depictions are abstract but somehow alien and disturbing.
A male Troglodyte stands and appears to greet you "Приветстваме ви да". He appears to be in plain clothes and weilds a walking stick.
"Oooo a troglodyte! Wait.... i think... he said 'welcome'?" Janira appears confused trying to interpret.
Everyone recognizes it as a Troglodyte - a foul smelling lizard-like humanoid.
The Troglodyte changes to common: “We welcome you to Godhome. You wish to make sacrifice now, or visit? Take holy grub maybe?”
'Why have you brought me to this disgusting place, manling?' glares the she-wolf. She is torn between attacking the creatures and vomiting... and holds back, knowing that the latter would not be distinguished enough for her, and the former might cause the latter. She considers biting Robin, but decides to wait... for now...
" Grub yes. Things to eat, things to drink. The god gives them to us! I can take you. Sacrifice? Give the god some iron-metal, and it will bless you and send you on your way! All good visitors make gifts of iron-metal to the god!”
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Agriver looks at the creature confused but trusts in the goddesses wisdom. At hearing about an "iron-metal god" the paladin searches his memories of any cult of order that would have such a thing.
Mulling it over he turns to the rest of the group. "Let's respect his wishes, while I know I personally wont be eating a ... grub - I would be curious to see what his metal god is. That being said stay on your guard and be ready for hostiles."
The paladin nods at the troglodyte and gestures for him to lead on.
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Vala doubles over and hurls at the stench, waving others on to ignore her. After a minute she stands, cleans her face and tries to recover her dignity.
At the creature's mention of the metal God Vala will clutch at the dagger hidden beneath her opposing wrist, more in protection of her beloved blades than in hostility.
Walking near Agriver, keeping her distance from the smelly creature, Vala will whisper. "These guys are usually evil. Don't know why these ones appear so peaceful. They usually live in groups too. 20 to 80 or so. And they see very well in the dark, better than usual darkvision."
Agriver is confused by the mention of the iron-metal god... nothing he's ever heard of.
Everyone in the group gets the impression he is genuine in his statements... no hidden objectives behind his words.
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Seems it's settled, he's welcoming us with open arms, to show to us some metal god. Though let's see these grubs...
Yon steps forward, hand outstretched. Then, speaking in Tower-Born, he says, "Please show us to this Iron god, and hand me a grub. We may be new here, but we wish only to show you the respect you show us."
"Follow Slaagh" The Troglodyte turns and makes his way through the door. As you pass by, you notice the door is a strange copper colored metal.
Two light-sticks are mounted on the walls of this chamber, and every surface is adorned with crudely rendered paintings. Passages lead north and east. A short corridor in the north wall leads to a larger room. In the middle of the south wall, there is a large door made of a copper-colored metal. It glows like the light-sticks.
He continues into the next room. This room contains a large stone vat in the middle of the eastern wall. It seems to be filled with a pasty, pink substance. Just north of the tub, a tall door made of lustrous, coppery metal leads east, and passages exit the chamber to the north and south. Three torchlike devices in the wall glow with a soft green light, as does the metal door.
Two more Troglodytes are in this room, apparently touching up a painting on the wall.
Noone is seriously affected by the smell in the room.
Slaagh speaks once more. "Holy grub. Eat yes?"
Janira steps forward to the vat.... "i think it is meat? But that smell.... ew. No thank you."
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"Yes, I eat the holy grub." Yon says as he approaches the vat. He reaches in, and tries to grab at a grub.
Pulling his arm out, tendrils of the the sticky pink mass trailing, he holds a small handful of the meat... stuff. He takes a bite. Not big. Not small. And leaves a blotch on his nose and cheeks as he chews.
He gulps it down hard, holding back tears.
The ever-cheery Janira turns away cringing hard as Yon digs into the... meat.
Slaagh appears genuinely confused by Janira and Yon's reactions. He takes a hanful and eats it - then smiles merrily at the taste.
Rbuod can't stand the smells in this room. And that ... meat!(?) Ugh! why a beast would place that in his maw and chew? Rbuod can't know, nor does he desire such.
To him, these creatures seem like fowl predators. Why he and we are following them into their hole is not something he can comprehend.
He seems to think, Perhaps Ayame was right though words never enter his mind.
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Looking around cautiously - Agriver furrows his brow, not at all comfortable in such a confusing situation.
We tried to reason with the bandits – and they attacked us. But they were evil – now we have things that should be evil by all rites… but they are not. They speak of an ancient god – none of my training identifies this .. diety. There is something not right here – it doesn’t make sense.
”Yon, what is magical? The doors seem odd, as does obviously the pink pool… and the grubs? These creatures as Vala said are normally evil – unsure why these are different.”
At the mention of the grub, the paladin tries to not show his disgust and solemnly raises his hand to pass.
While the party continues interacting with the troglodytes, Agriver will continually focus on each troglodyte and all the confusing physical objects
”Slaagh, can you tell me of your metal god? I wish to learn.”
'Don't you go near that, manling!' the she-wolf seems to say to Robin. 'Not safe. Smells rotten.' Robin nods at Ayame, and doesn't copy Yon's actions.
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Replying to Agriver, in Azlanti, "The taste is poor, and the texture is like lutefisk, but these ... hosts... here seem ...accepting... of our presence, for now. Let's not be hasty with our judgements."
In his mind Yon adds, What makes these who are evil different from our hosts in the fort? Why is he on edge down here, but not there?
Slaagh responds to Agriver "Skaa-orm thagh, the god in the box. It is very powerful! Give gift to the godbox, receive his blessings."
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"Hm. Glowing sticks. Not quite torch-like. This place is messed up. Oh, damn - that vat of goo. No way I'm eating that. The coppery door too though. I wonder how the lights work. Magical or mechanical?"
You see Vala investigate the light-sticks along the walls as you pass. Coming to the door with the vat of disgusting-ness Vala shakes her head adamantly then places her focus on the door, resting her hand on it.
"And these paintings. Maybe they hold some information"
Vala looks closely at the paintings, waving Janira forward to do the same.
"these pictographs are intriguing. Lots of bright colors.... I think this translates as 'this is godhome' - fascinating." Janira takes out her journal and writes notes.
At Janira's statement, Slaagh responds "yes - Godhome. Come - fresh water this way." he leads you back to the hallway, and down the corridor towards the familiar glow of the spire itself.
A stone tub filled with water stands against this chamber’s western wall. Three glowing light-sticks illuminate the room. A door of copper-colored metal stands in the western wall, and passages exit the room to the north and south.
Three more Troglodytes are in this room, hissing and burbling.. as if to chant a prayer.
Janira and Vala appear worse for wear in this new room of Troglodytes.
Slaagh offers you to drink. The water appears perfectly clean.
"didn't the reports say the spire usually has an arcane mark on it?"
"Thagh is powerful and generous. We are thankful for his blessings."
Slaagh appears unconcerned. "we cannot fathom the divine workings of Thagh. We give thanks and offerings and he shows us favor."
"present metal offering, and he will take it. Open exit to continue on your way." He indicates toward the door to the east as the exit.
"are you prepared to make offering?" he steps towards the door to the north awaiting an answer.
Slaagh does not give an answer to further questions on the doors/lighting... as if he thinks he already answered as best he can.
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A cruel smile crosses Robin's face as he thinks about his response. "Slaagh, I don't know if I can make an offer... you see, my brother and are devoted to a different god. However, perhaps we could be persuaded if your people would be willing to give an offering to our god. Unfortunately, I must say, Hanspur's traditional offerings are often frowned upon my those on the surface world... as being perhaps a little too harsh, a little too costly."
He winks at Yon before continuing. "Yes, perhaps in the name of friendship, we could each make offerings to each others' gods. That would seem right."
Slaagh stares unhappily at Robin's statement. He turns quickly to Agriver "It is not for me to decide. The GodBox will judge the worthiness of your offering."
Slaagh nods as Yon steps forward. He opens the door
A hexagonal, metallic structure about ten feet wide and almost twenty-five feet tall looms in the center of this high-ceilinged room, emanating a greenish-white light. All kinds of gears and armaments are stuck to its silvery sides, including dozens of weapons, shields, and pieces of armor, as well as lanterns, buckles, and tools. To the north and south of the object stand two large stone statues, each depicting a troglodyte with its arms upraised in adulation. Four copper-colored metal doors lead out of this chamber, one from each corner of the room.
Slaagh enters the room, walks up to the 'GodBox' and kneels reverently before it. Yon steps into the doorway...
Yon steps forward, offering the flask.
The flask flies out of Yon's hand and hits the godbox with a thud, sticking to it.
Rboud, following Yon, steps to the doorway, becomes very agitated and leaps back through the party away from the door.
Slaagh nods satisfied. "The GodBox has accepted your offering, but it is not enough. What else have you to offer?"
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Cynic to the core, Robin asks, "How do you know that it is not enough? Seemed to me that it was plenty."
Robin is getting a little ancy... to him it seems that the trogs just want to steal all of their metal items. He realizes, in this continuity, all of his arrows have metal arrowheads, not to mention his armor, blades, and the like. He is bristling with metal.
"The GodBox has not opened the door. Only he can decide if the offering is sufficient."
Slaagh is not eyeing anyone's' gear. he is genuine in his answers.
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Seems magnetic, like the stones the alchemists sold my father when we were in Riddleport - best keep my armor clear of it... this creature obviously wants a weighted amount ... sacrificed...
Agriver keeps back and hands Yon his mundane heavy flail. "Give this to the box... I would hope its weight satisfies our hosts..."
Looking at Vala "Do you know anything about this device? Can you inspect it and find out if there is more than meets the eye?"
With that the paladin keeps his distance and continues to observe the troglodytes.
"I have shown you what I can - all that remains are the living places and the way down - but you have not earned that priveledge yet - the GodBox requires offerings from all good visitors."
Rboud is quickly comforted by Yon's touch.
While Yon feels a tug, the flail does not fly out of his hand immediately. As he steps closer, the flail is ripped out of his hand... as well as his wayfinder out of his pocket. Both are firmly stuck to the GodBox.
Free of metal, Yon takes a moment to observe the GodBox. In the center of each face of the hexagonal object is a vertical slot about three inches wide and close to seven feet tall.
An eerie hum is heard from the east, as well as two large clicks. and Slaagh smiles. "the offering is accepted. He has granted you passage. This way please." he starts to lead you