"I'm fine with proceeding, but if you all want some rest we can go downstairs. No need to hide it if you're tired, kids. What do you want to do?", Oskar takes a step back from the door and waits for the others to answer.
Seldlron, blinded once more, decides to use one of his sunrods. He takes it out of his pack, activates it and slides it under his belt. While doing so, he states to Oskar "I hear no complaints, let us see where stinky went." With a javelin in each hand, he puts a foot on the door. "Any buffing before we do this?"
"I could use a rest, but I do have a bit left in me. Let us press on."
Tiresias snaps out of his daydreaming and shakes his head "I am fine, my friends! Let's move forward!"
Seldlron pushes the door open with his foot.
As the door slowly creaks open you can hear the sound of heavy breathing, and the stench of the Trogs. Taqan moves up behind Taqan as the sound of a gleeful cheer escapes the room. A Trog larger than the others charges out right into Seldlron.
The Large trog over estimated its speed and its claw hits the door frame.
Seldlron is surprised only in that the trog missed him. He suspected an ambush or trap as their arrival was certainly announced. He drops the javelins, draws the greataxe and gives it a routine yet trained swing.
Seldlron smiles as he takes a 5 foot step.
"Good hit, kid!", Oskar draws his bow and takes a shot before signaling for his wolf to charge at the trog.
"Can't aim properly with all this stench!"
"Thank ye, olde hairy one. Still, 'tis but a mere fraction of what I am capable of with this blade."
Seldlron looks down at his bloodied greataxe. "It may be premature, but I hereby name you Harm. We are in this together, Harm, and I expect the best from you henceforth."
The remaining young Trog's eyes go wide at the sudden death of the larger Trog. It looks through the door, back over its shoulder then bursts through the door.
The door blocks most of Taqan's attack but he manages to nick the Trog.
Feeling a bit of pity as well as frustration from this little guy, Seldron says "Alright, already. Just stop yer fleeing and surrender!"
"Delicate little flowers, these troglodytes are."
Seldlron ignores the stench thinking it smells like chicken.
He walks to the doorway, not entering for fear of traps and peeks about.
"Taqan, can you do your thing and make sure it is safe to enter?"
Taqan will cautiously creep into the room, taking his time to check for any more javelin traps or other ones.
After taking 15 minutes scouring the room Taqan comes back to the door.
"A man found no traps, but A man found a Man."
He then leans against the door, a cryptic message.
"A man or a corpse?", Oskar carefully enters the room.
Seldlron cannot see enough of Taqan's face to know if he is joking. "A man? Where? What is he doing? What weapons does he carry? Does he appear to be a caster?"
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Taqan will shake his head, looking back at the group.
"A man was laying unconcious behind bars, appears beaten. A man will lead you."
With that Taqan will go back into the room, lighting a torch upon the way.
Upon arriving at the cage you note what looks like crude tools that on the ground just outside of reach of the cage.
They appear to be used to torture
There is a chest along the Eastern wall with a lock on it. The man in the cage is hard to see because his back is to the group, he is dressed in only his under clothes. You cannot tell if he is breathing or not.
Taqan whips out his tools and sets to work on the locks.
Taqan steps back, the lock is off the doors but he cannot get the cage door to swing.
The man is breathing and alive but unconscious
Seldlron pulls on the door of the cage to open it.
He smiles at Taqan as the door easily opens.
"Is he alive? Is there a healer amongst us?"
Oskar walks up to the man and checks his life signs.
"Ehhnn...I think he's a goner, sorry, kid.", he shrugs.
Having total confidence in Oskar's healing abilities, Seldlron takes his time searching the room. He checks the dead trogs for anything of value or interest, the chest to the east and the remainder of the room.
"Lukas, those magic missiles seem to never miss, but they only deal a small amount of damage." "Do you care for bow or daggers? I really have no use for them as these javelins feel good in my hands."
Lukas looks up at being directly addressed. It seems he was concentrating on not losing his last meal. Successful, he replies, "Ugh, I thought those smelled bad on the outside. I am quite partial to daggers, yes. I am not trained in archery, though."
As Seldlron is searching the man, he lets out a large sputter of breath. His face is a mess of bruises, his finger joints, there is dried blood all over the front of his clothing.
"...Maybie he's turning into another undead, should we burn his corpse or something?"
Seldlron is startled by the movement of the corpse. He looks like he just saw a ghost and quickly backs away. As he reaches for Harm, his fear subdues somewhat. "Yes, Oskar. Either he is undead or you are no physician. Well, let us find out." Seldlron takes the waterskin from his backpack and pours some on the man's face, ready to run if it attacks.
A hand clovers the bruised and beaten face, you hear some coughing and spuddering. The body twitches away from the stream.
"Enough O' that. Least that big bastard didin try in drown me."
Seldron stops the flow of water and chuckles as the man is not acting at all like an undead.
"Speak your name and whom you serve. What thanks do you have for those who liberated you?"
Seldlron backs away from the tortured soul, giving him room to compose himself. He offers Lukas 5 daggers. "Here ya go my pale friend. As many as you wish are yours. I have retained one for myself. Rule 9 of the fighters handbook, always carry a dagger."
Seldlron looks to Oskar. "I did not mean it as harsh as it may have sounded. About you being a physician, and all. Nobody is perfect and you remain my most favored physician." As he turns back to observe the caged man, he mumbles to himself "Only physician I know."
The man leans over and spits out some blood and what looks like a tooth.
"Ah dammit, now my smile won't be a pretty and that Estelle I love so much won't hang off my every word. Well she will still but it is the fact that now I look more like me old dad."
He then moves to a sitting position, looking up at Seldlron.
"My name is Balenar Foresend of the Pathfinder Society, I came out here to look at the mysterious siege castle. Ran into a group of Trogs that came up from be low. They proved to much and that big ruddy bastard." Balenar looks around the room. "I assume you killed him already, well he was prepping me for something dark and unspeakable. Not that I cannot speak but I have no idea what they were doing really."
He then looks down at his wrists still in shackles. Jingling the chains he looks at all those gathered.
"Well let's see if we can't get you out of those things. There must be a key around here somewhere." Seldlron first checks the large trog and then the rest of the room.
Seldlron unlocks the shackles. "Are you in need food or water? We even have a very accomplished physician with us."
Seldlron's attention goes back to searching this room. He leaves the chest to the talents of Taqan, however.
He searches trogs for anything of value or interest. And he searches the rest of the room.
"I think I got enough water," Balenar shakes his head. "What do you have to eat? All I can smell is Trog so it has to be something stronger than that."
There is a way finder in with Balenar's gear
Looking in the chest Seldlron says, "Balenar, would you happen to be missing a Mstr work chain shirt, mstr work buckler, master work rapier, a thigamajig, and a couple potions?" He gives Balenar a day's worth of trail rations. "Sorry, bud, that is all I have except this trogloloin here that has been shunned by my entire party, excepting the wolf over there. Be glad to cook some for ye over yonder flame."
"Oskar, reckon you can put that tooth back in his head so that he may continue to charm the ladies?"
"Well, you know how it is, kid, most of my patients were dwarfs or animals.", he shrugs. "Anyway, nice to meet ya, Pathfinder, do you know if there is anything in this tower that needs cleaning besides those stinky trogs? About this tooth of yours, i'd trust magic more than my hands."
Balenar looks down at the tooth in his hand then up at Oskar.
"Don't worry bout it, just means that I have a new story to weave. As to your question about cleansing, there are was that big Trog that beat me and about a dozen or so others. I don't think the big guy was the leader though but I am not to sure."
Seldlron takes the chain shirt out and holds it up to his chest. "Yep, that will do." He puts it and the rest of the items he found in the chest into his backpack. He picks up the two javelins and begins trying to find a way to place them in it where they are pointing up and stable.
"The big one wasn't the leader? Maybe there is something even bigger in here."
"I guess you can use my shirt if you would like, just give me yours then? I will let the Lodge know that I attacked here and get some new gear while I am at it."
Balenor turns to Lukas, "Bigger or maybe just smarter? I couldn't tell you were he is though, they attacked me on the ground floor."
"Guess we'll just have to keep looking, he's probably at the top of the tower feeling very important and having no clue his little army is gone. Does anyone need some healing before we move foward?"
He must have not heard me question him. Seldlron hands the Pathfinder his shirt. He then points out each item he took from the chest, assuming they belong to him as well. "A man should have his equipment in a place like this. Aye Oskar, let us clear this level, find a secure location and perhaps call it a day? Balenar, with some rest, healing, and your equipment returned will you join us in securing the remainder of this tower? What are your abilities in battle? What spells can you cast?" .