Bartan will also follow Hajar.
Paige will follow to building C. Also. Crackling energy of natural fury now flowing in her druish veins...
I am getting used to this. Lets kill some evil minions!
Everyone leaves the Spire of the Serpent, and goes through a hole in the western wall in order to not be spied upon by whoever guards the western entrance to the Great Dome.
Protruding from beyond the safety of the western temple wall stands a fortified gatehouse built around a forty-foot-diameter dome covered in pale blue, flaking mosaic tile. Behind the dome stand a pair of slender spires. The top of the northernmost spire sheers of at a jagged angle about three-quarters of the way up, while the other bears extensive cracks circling its foundation.
The doors blocking the west gate are of recent construction, crudely fabricated from wood salvaged from elsewhere. The hinges have long since rusted out, and the doors are wedged in place.
Khayal approaches cautiously, by now the gnolls may know something is amiss.
perception
The doors are newly constructed. We should burst in rapidly with no warning! Take the occupants by surprise. If Hajar kicks open the door I will cast a thundercloud inside...
As you say.. Hajar says somewhat dubiously, but he charges the doors.
Before Hajar can reach the doors, Yazi on his heels, several javelins come out of various narrow arrow slits to either side of the entrance. The javelins miss the man and woman, and a loud voice croaks and snaps like a frog clearing its' throat at night.
"Smooth skins wait and come no closer! We miss on purpose!"
Hajar doesn't speak their tongue but he understands the intent. They shouted a warning...did anyone understand them?
Bartan speaks their language. "They are asking you to come no closer, and that they missed on purpose. I think they wish to parley."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Hajar, having known Yazi now for some time, chuckles at her gift for the double entendre.
"My friends, I apologize if it seemed that we were rushing to combat. Our quarrel is with the Carrion King and his minions of the Rough Beast. We have no quarrel with you fine dragon-bloods."
What are they?
Sounds like frogs barking and snakes hissing come from behind the door.
"You are servants of the Rough Beast? We serve him as well. Wait there for our shamans. We will take you to Grundmoch!"
The slaves said lizardmen, and troglodytes, as the tongue-tripping name is known, are usually feral, savage cave dwellers. Religion is strong among troglodyte tribes, and their shamans and priests are universally the highest regarded members of a clan. They're not known for being good, or nice.
"They're going to take us to their leader... but they follow Rovagug."
Ug, Troglodytes. Nasty little unnatural vermin. We should kill this shaman as soon as it presents itself...
Hajar's eyes narrow at the mention of the Rough Beast. We charge when they open the doors. he says in a low even voice.
Hajar says a prayer to the Dawnflower, asking for her blessing.
|
Gritting her teeth in a snarl she'll move up behind Hajar and lock one arm around his throat. "Are you out of your f#@*ing mind? We are not charging blindly when they open the doors! Especially when we know they have a whole barricade's worth of pointy objects on the other side waiting for us!" she says completely in a growl. "Does wanting to talk instead of fighting sound like normal Grumpies behavior? Something's going on, and unless you want an EXACT repeat of what happened when you stormed the main building I suggest we at least hear the leader out."
Hajar, wait until the Shaman is 10 ft out the door toward us with his pratorium guards. Then charge him. I will distract the rest. When the shaman falls under your blades, retreat to the west. We will draw their angry @sses out under Natures open sky where we may slay their Rough Beast worshiping tail feathers... Paige is beginning to hate this 'Rough Beast' character too.
Paige begins to cast a spell. She will attempt perfect timing on this! Her goal is to begin the full round spell now. As soon as the door opens and the Shaman steps out toward us 10 ft she will finish the spell Summoning a Giant Worker Ant RIGHT IN THE FLIPPING ROOM BEHIND THE SHAMAN, thus distracting everyone inside.
Paige has gotten much more bloodthirsty recently... I'll need to speak to her and see if something is wrong... Bartan muses to himself. He whispers to the group in Common "I will not argue if the group wishes to fight, but they wish to speak to us as of now... I see no reason to resort directly to violence."
The makeshift doors open, their parts revealing four standing lizard-men. Their scaly hide is dull gray, their frames resembling that of a cave lizard, with a long tail and crests on its head and back.
The guards hold wooden javelins in both hands, pointing up. Between them, another troglodyte, this one dressed in thick fur hides and tanned leather, with a greataxe strapped to its' back. Looking from character to character, the shaman spoke.
"Come, smooth skins. Keep your weapons sheathed and your hands visible and motionless. We will take you to the great Grundmoch, who now fights the Unchosen!"
Those hides on the shaman...they're Gnoll fur.
"You see? They wear the skins of our enemies. The enemy of your enemy is your friend, and all that."
To the trogs: "I hope I will not offend by covering my face. The musk of your people is pungent to us smooth-skins."
Bartan ties a bit of cloth over his face.
Hajar growls I will not work with ANY follower of Rovagug. You may go with them, I will stay here.
Paige allows the energy of her spell to dissipate, the bluish glow around her hands subsides.
Oh crap! Decision time...
Thinking hard Paige decides the best thing to do is go with the others. Hajar, I will give the call of the Nightingale if we find ourselves in danger. Then come to our aide, okay?
Paige gives Hajar a friendly kiss on the cheek. Then follows the filthy lizard men.
Finding it hard to decide who to go with, Khayal goes with the majority of the group, knowing his brother can handle himself, at least for long enough.
Leaving the steaming paladin, the four adventurers follow the lizard-men into the building. The shaman gives no sign as to curiosity as to one of their party being left outside. The four trogs stay to watch the single remaining smooth-skin.
Inside, you see faded tiles that have cracked and crumbled into small piles at the foot of mud-brick walls. Once colorful mosaics are painted with sloppy, blood-scribed warnings written in Draconic and punctuated with gnoll scalps spiked into the walls.
“Death to the hyena infiels!”
“All hail Grundmoch the redeemer!”
“Rovagug claims the stink of hyena flsh!”
The writing is fresh, not more than a few weeks old.
The party is led past another set of double doors. On either side, narrow wings extend for fifteen feet. Three large pillars run down the center of each of the wings. Swept against the walls lie piles of rubble from a collapsed ceiling. Strange calligraphy on the walls are almost faded to the point of illegibility.
They appear to be short prayers to Rovagug.
Through another set of double doors the adventurers and their guards arrive at the central room of the building. The broad dome crests twenty feet above the floor, supported by stone arches inlaid with glittering fragments of rock crystal. The dome itself is damaged, missing several sections that have been crudely repaired with stretched hides. Beyond the arches, tiled walls square of the outer perimeter of the dome. Set into the floor beneath the dome is an elaborate mosaic of an intertwining sun and moon. The once stunning inlay is badly chipped. Chained to several of the arches hang the half-devoured remains of slain gnolls, their corpses crawling with flies. Most of the bodies are missing the majority of their legs and feet. A single word has been crudely carved into their chests.
“infiel”
Two more shaman troglodytes, holding scraps of raw meat, look up from where they are attending three large but low-bellied lizards on the floor.
Monitor lizards. They are large enough to pose a threat to humans, and in some native societies are often mistaken for dragons.
The stench of the lizard-men is particularly strong here.
You are sickened for 10 rounds. (The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.)
Creatures that successfully save cannot be affected by the same creature's stench for 24 hours.
The lead shaman turns around and talks to you.
"Wait here. I go to get great Grundmoch!"
He then leaves for the southern staircase at the rear of the chamber.
Bartan gags but pulls himself together. "He's going to get the leader, named Grundmoch."
Unaffected by the smell Paige looks around the room. Someone should free those innocent monitor lizards.
After several minutes, the shaman returns with a lizard-man clad in armor and carrying a long-handled greataxe. Looking over the adventurers, the trog leader speaks, in heavily accentuated Common. "I am Grundmoch, cleric of Rovagug. Our guards say someone disrupted the traitorous gnolls' lookout to the Great Dome. Are you they? What business do you have here, in the House of the Beast?"
The lizard-men standing at the entrance appear to be getting bored. One or two make to re-enter the temple, only to be cuffed back in line by an older one.
Paige whispers to Bartan...I'll bet I can charm the monitor lizards. They would have this troglo-whchamacal-him eaten in just a few seconds flat.
Hajar stares intently at the followers of the Rough Beast. Ready to charge and cut them down without compunction.
"Bah!" the chieftain replied. "The gnolls foster their ranks with slaves and wealth for new recruits. Ghartok, the Carrion King, wants all the former glory of the House of the Beast for himself. And for its' secrets to be found."
Grundmoch looks at Yazi shrewdly. "But if you are here to stop him, then you are here to stop me, since we did act together, until Rokova betrayed us. The caravans are our major source of slaves to work the excavations." His clawed hands tighten on the handle of his ax. "So tell me, smooth-skins, why should I let you leave this place alive?" The lizard-man's tail makes a certain movement, and the shamans in the room become more attentive.
"We are here to stop the raids on caravans... we have no direct quarrel with you. We are well known for our fighting prowess, and would not hesitate to kill all of you if needed... but why should we do so? If you wish the gnolls to be taken care of, simply allow us to leave and do not come to their aid when we slaughter all of them. We can leave you in peace."