"I say we do not stay in these tunnels a moment longer than we need. Let us move forward and inspect the dagger more thoroughly once we are back on the surface."
"Better safe than sorry, Jack. I'd do well to make sure we're prepared fer whatever comes."
"I do not think the dagger will be so useful that we cannot wait to repair it... But if you prefer to make some preparations, I am willing to wait."
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Stepping gingerly past the hissing remnants of ooze and its half-eaten meal, you enter tunnels that likely haven't seen a repair crew in decades. Piles of broken bricks lie scattered in places where they've fallen from the wall or ceiling, and a the fungi here are much more varied than mere moss--brightly colored toadstools and strange black mushrooms that are slimy to the touch.
Layered under the usual unpleasant smells of sewer is the stink of wet dog.
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Stepping gingerly past the hissing remnants of ooze and its half-eaten meal, you enter tunnels that likely haven't seen a repair crew in decades. Piles of broken bricks lie scattered in places where they've fallen from the wall or ceiling, and a the fungi here are much more varied than mere moss--brightly colored toadstools and strange black mushrooms that are slimy to the touch.
Layered under the usual unpleasant smells of sewer is the stink of wet dog. You're close.
Sniffing the air, Fruggig hunches in the saddle and gives Dribbles a reassuring pat. "Dogmonsterz iz close, I smellz 'em." he mutters to no one in particular.
Nathalion takes a moment to check the ooze victim's body for identification papers and valuables. (If there's enough of the body left to do so.)
"I smell it too." Whispers Nathalion. He clinches his fist his quarterstaff, feeling the pre-combat jitters.
Uuzkhangr whispers to the others, "Smells like wet dog. I guess Dogmonsters and dogs aren't that different then."
Uuzkhangr makes his way carefully down the tunnel.
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Squeezing through a narrow stretch of tunnel you find yourselves in a side-room that's larger than most you've seen lately. The moss and fungi here are more sparse, at least on the ground, and a double handful of cracked bones lies scattered about on the floor. The wet dog smell is unmistakeable here, and the several more paw-prints can be seen tracked in the muck at your feet.
At the doorway is another small bridge, and as Nathalion's light drifts through it it reveals the largest chamber you've yet seen--an great cistern with a light stream of water dripping into it from above, probably sixty feet across.
The bones in this room are smaller, seemingly discarded leftovers, but after a few minutes' examination you can pick out the bones of dogs, cats, one or two goblins, and rats.
As Nathalion's light drifts into the large cistern room it also reveals more of the abandoned maintenance platform on the other side of the bridge from you. Though Nathalion's light doesn't quite illuminate it, your keen eyes spot your quarry upon a brickwork stairwell ahead. Two large hounds, grey-black in color, are lounging at their eleveated spot, tongues rolling out but heads raised in sudden curiosity, batlike ears twitching alertly.
"Nat, they're just ahead. Move the lights away from us and get ready to fight."
"Looks like the cast off bones of eaten things." Points out Nathalion, in a too loud whisper.
In response to Gaziq's warning he sends the lights ahead, then dips them under the surface of the cistern water. Not too deep into the water, he still needs the light.
Uuzkhangr murmurs a few words and sprinkles some herbs on himself, and then on Zyxl. The he turns to the others.
"I'm ready."
Nathalion casts mage armor on himself. He also casts magic weapon on his quarterstaff to up the damage.
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The murmuring of spells and readying of weapons has drawn the hounds' attention; they start lazily stretching and padding across the platform with the confidence of predators who have never met their match.
As they step into the circle of Nathalion's light, you see that these Dogmonsters have only a tenuous connection to the dogs you've ever seen; their shape is generally canine but seemingly warped and misshapen. Thick with muscle, their hides are hairless and pebbly like a lizards, and their jaws seem too large for their heads--with far too many teeth to boot. Their eyes are what alarm you most; they don't have any, with smooth patches of skin over their sockets like some sort of cave fish. Their ears are quite large and batlike, constantly twitching in response to every little sound.
As they pad closer both monsters suddenly crouch low, ears tilted forward towards your group. A pair of low, throaty growls slowly start to build in intensity.
You've never seen creatures quite like this before, but whatever their ancestors once were, they aren't canines any longer. You gather from their behavior that they're still of animal-level intelligence, at least.
You have heard before of creatures magically fused by bizarre magically energies or the experiments of madmen. Looking more closely, you think you can pick out aspects of hound, lizard, bat all fused into one horrific creation. These creatures are almost certainly not natural.
The Dogmonster closest to the sewage cistern has a gash along its left shoulder, about four inches long, that has been stitched back up. A quick check at their paws confirms that these creatures lack any fingerlike digits.
While the rest of you ready spells and weapons, Fruggig loosens his sword in his scabbard and pulls out a small pole with a rectangular length of pale grey cloth attached to it. Upon it is a surprisingly professional-looking image of a black-and-red beetle rampant before a crossed sword and lance, above a pile of objects that appear to include a wine flask, gold coins, and a severed dog's head.
Fixing the pole firmly into a slot on his saddle, the goblin unlimbers his lance and drops his visor down. "Iz time ta get paid!" he chuckles. "Imma go up da wallz and come around behind 'em, we kin squish 'em between us. Dribbles here kin throw up on 'em but dey duzn't sizzle as good as dey suppose ta so don' use acid unless iz real good!"
"Guess color spray won't work." The wizard doesn't sound at all surprised, Fruggig had mentioned something about the dogs being eyeless.
"They're some sort of...artificial chimeras, made by magic." Gaziq mutters, a clear tone of disgust in his voice. "Who would want to create a beast like that..."
"Right."
Nathalion focuses on his ring, it is the conduit for his power. He converts the stored energies in his ring into a spell that is written in his book. One that he had not memorized for today.
A flashing silvery bolt shoots from Nathalion's ring finger, darting without effort to strike one of the dog-creatures.
"That one has stitches. These dogs have a master somewhere."
Uuzkhangr gets ready to rush forwards.
"Zyxl, stay with me."
Raleigh darts over the bridge to engage the monsters. He leaves room for the rest of the party to follow if they choose, and levels his spear to strike the first one that comes in his reach. Hoping it would work to draw their attention to him rather than the goblin flanking them, or the more fragile party members.
For just a moment, his eyes widen and he see's something before him. It's unclear whether this is his gut talking, or just practice paying off, but he seem's to correct his own movements.
Borumaru advances and attacks one of the do-like creatures!
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Their hearing might be good enough to know trouble is brewing, but it doesn't seem to be enough as the group gets the drop on the Dogmonsters. Borumaru takes the lead, his blade flashing as the nearest dog as he rushes forward. With a triumphant cry the servant of Shizuru slashes the thing across the shoulder and jaw.
Raleigh follows in Boru's wake, strafing right as a bolt of magical energy flies from Nathalion's fingertips to strike the wounded dog-thing. Lunging forward, the hound sidesteps until some intuition makes the half-elf dig his heel into the stone, bringing the spear-tip a few inches left and letting it strike true.
"Yeah, juz like dat! I'm goin' up an' around!" the goblin-knight cries, kicking Dribbles into motion. As the beetle clambers up the side of the sewer wall and onto the ceiling the dangling goblin calls out advice. "Look, if'n ya timez yer attacks wit yer buddiez' rushes, den da enemy can't focus on everting at once!"
Since Nathalion blasted the abomination Boramaru attacked, Gaziq takes aim at the one in front of Raleigh and fires an acid bolt.
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Gaziq's crossbow bolt strikes true, drawing a raspy yelp from the dog as Uuzkhangr and Zyxl advance across the bridge. Every blow struck by the party draws forth that same thick, viscous blue blood shot through with streaks of silver.
Snarling and slavering, the eyeless hounds lunge forward, jaws stretching disturbingly wide.
Fortunately for Boru and Raleigh, the monsters' twitching ears telegraph their attacks, and those bone-crushing jaws catching nothing but air.
Uuzkhangr roars and rushes the nearest dog-creature, swinging his scythe.
The scythe slices cleanly through the air, missing the dog completely.
, Uuzkhangr curses.
Zyxl flutters forward and snaps at the dog with its foreleg.
Nathalion advances on the dogmonsters, then takes an extremely difficult shot. He will have to throw his staff in a curve around
Uuzkhangr to hit his target.
Borumaru stares at the nearest "dog-monster" in search of a weak spot. When he finds something that might fit the description, he attacks with his silver blade!
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Gaziq hustles across the bridge to get a better angle on the fight, but it looks like his comrades are dealing with the dogmonsters rather handily. "Try to leave one alive if you can. If it has a master, it may try to escape to him. For all we know, someone is making more of these things."
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Deftly sidestepping the creature's snapping jaws, Boru reverses his grip on the katana and plunges it into the dogmosnter's breast, drawing a yelp and whine from his opponent.
The creatures seem to be quick learners, though, and the flurry of attacks from Raleigh, Nathalion, and Uuzkhangr all fail to find their mark against the startlingly quick dog-things. Zyxl's long claws find their mark, digging furrows along the creature's forepaw but not closing in time to maintain the grip.
Flecks of stone and torn bits of moss rain down as Dribbles clambers across the ceiling and along the wall above the melee, while Fruggig himself clings tenaciously to the saddle. Safely past the fight, the giant beetle steps back down to the floor, while the goblin pumps his lance in the air with the a triumphant "Ha!"
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Wounded and outnumbered, the dog-things whine and growl but hold their ground, lunging forward with those toothy jaws once again
Wary and hesitant, the dog snapping at Borumaru catches nothing, but it's fellow clamps onto the duergar's leg, shaking its head like a terrier with a rat--and yanking the dwarf off his feat even as it tears a chunk of flesh from his leg!
Nathalion moves to get a clear throw at the dogmonster that had tripped Uuzkhangr. He hurls his staff again at the construct that had tripped his companion.
Zyxl moves in and with a buzzing sound, snaps at the dogmonster with its forelimbs.
Borumaru flicks his blade and slashes again at the "dog" who attacked him.