"Asuna had to take a small vacation break. She said she had to go to the barber as well. So I'm here to help!" The cute little halfling woman says.
"Welcome," Caranthir says to the halfling.
Let us hope she shares Asuna's skill...though Asuna's skill with enchantment will be difficult to replicate.
"Let us continue onward, then," Caranthir suggests.
We meet our adventurers again after several days of recovery. The eliminating of a bandit group from the echo wood was well-received by the Hellknights of fort Inevitable. Despite this success, there is still no sign of the lost wizards, and a single name - Klarkosh - keeps popping up.
It seems Ambrus Valsin has sent another crew rotation for the exploring party, and accompanied by fresh blood, the party descend into the spire dungeon once more, into the towers, past the cellars and down the stairs from the splintered.
An acrid, nauseating reek fills the air at the bottom of the stairs—a musky, reptilian stench.
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.
There's a doorkeeper here as well - a troglodyte. Despite his horrible stench, and his kinsmen's reputattion, he is friendly. “We welcome you to Godhome. You wish to make sacrifice now, or visit? Take holy grub maybe?”
Follow me to the place to make sacrifice, and offer a gift to the god box...
"Curious, he is friendly? But still a little smelly" Enora says pinching her nose.
"Tell us more about this god box if you please."
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!
The stench of the Troglodyte is quite bad.
"The decadent nature of these creatures makes me suspect a trap could be involved here, but I hate to provoke hostility unnecessarily," Caranthir whispers to his companions.
"Well we are good visitors. We surely have some metal with us for the god".
"Very well," Caranthir says. "Anyone have a weapon or other metal item they are willing to part with?" the elf asks.
Good, I knew you would be worthy of the attention of the God Box. I shall show you around.
The troglodyte moves the party through stench-ridden halls. First, the party move into an antechamber. 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.
Next, we come to the grub room the troglodyte guide says.
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, copperymetalleadseast,andpassagesexit the chamber to the north and south. Three torchlike devices in the wall glow with a soft green light, as does the metal door. There's two troglodytes here, touching up the wall painting.
I'll show you the chamber of water as well, the troglodyte says. He leads the party through a long corridor, ignoring a door. 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.
In this room, three troglodytes are chanting some kind of nonsense chant, that passes for worship of their deity.
Are you ready to sacrifice to the god of this place?
"So describe this god of yours, how did you guys end up here and find your god?"
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Bruce will hang back during the tour and make note if any of the doors are locked should he pass by them. He also keeps his eyes open for any potential traps or hidden doors.
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What makes me think WE are the sacrifice? Caranthir wonders as he awaits the troglodyte's response to the halfling. Surely this will not end well...
Skraa-orm thagh, the god in the box. It is very powerful!
Will you make a sacrifice? The god will not let you go any farther until you prove worthy. I will show you!
Bruce follows the tour and notices that the door in the corridor looks rather strange. He also feels a slight tug on his weapons as he passes through the corridor, as if some unseen force is pulling at them ever so slightly.
"What kind of sacrifice does he require?"
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Thistle follows silently behind the group as they move throughout the halls.
He feels the tug on his weapon and armor, and regrips his weapon, holding it a bit tighter. He is suddenly glad his magical shield is wooden. If it is necessary to maintain the current charade of offering a metal sacrifice, Thistle pulls his grappling hook from his bag to place in the box.
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Caranthir waits for the answer about the kind of sacrifice required.
With the way his metal has been reacting, he thinks he knows the answer.
Bruce knows enough about religion to be sure that the Troglodyte god is not a standard member of the any pantheon, let alone the draconic one.
The god needs some iron-metal! Give some of it to him, and your passage will be clear! Slaagh the Troglodyte explains are you ready to make a sacrifice?
Such a small offering! A true blessing will require more than that...
So far, the party has encountered Slaagh, the guide, as well as two troglodyte in the room with the 'grub', and three troglodytes in the room with water.
"Aside from my own arrows, I only have my longsword, which is my only melee weapon," Caranthir whispers to the others so the troglodyte cannot hear.
"I hate to part with my only backup weapon. Does anyone else have something they could offer?" he asks.
"Well I have a kettle in my backpack. That should be a nice offering I guess?" Enora says and picks out her kettle to place at the pile.
"So how much metal would we require for a true blessing?"
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Thistle offers his grappling hook as well, which weighs a few pounds. He will not part with his morningstar or armor, however, and any attempt to take it will result in violence. At least he didn't have to worry about his party members taking it.
So strange, I am intrigued to find out what will happen...
Slaagh looks pleased The god box is merciful, and you'll find that your offerings will be well-received. he says, then proceeds to lead the avdenturers in to the central hall.
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.
The adventurers notice a tugging on their metals items as the move slightly close, as if the box is invisibly pulling on them.
Enora takes the kettle out her bag and walks with it towards the box. If nothing weird happens she lays it over at the box.
Enora moves toward the box, kettle in hand, and feels the tug become stronger and stronger as she approaches, until the force becomes so strong that the kettle is simply ripped from Enora's hands, and flies toward the box. It makes contact with a >clang< and remains stuck there.
A great offering Slaagh says but not sufficient to grant you all passage.
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Thistle steps forward to offer his grappling hook. Seeing how the pot reacted, he decides to stay a few steps back and gently toss the metal hook towards the offering location.
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Another item like that, and the passage should open for you! Slaagh says, as the grappling hook homes in on the box, and nearly embed itself within it.
Enora, geting a better look now, sees several slot in the large box, which seem to be about the same size as the strange plates that make up the doors to this room. Over a hundred different objects are stuck to the box as well - all kinds of object, everything imaginable, including a kitchen sink.
That should please the god Slaagh says as the party makes their offering, and the items ram into the box with loads clangs.
Your passage to the level below is now open.
The large metal box remains active as a large drain for any metallic in the room. Who know what treasure might be stuck to the box?
"I am very curious to see what else is attached to the box" Enora says and moves closer to check on what else is stuck to the box.
"Since we opened the door below, perhaps we could just destroy the object for further study? Clearly it is no god, but something magical." She says with a neutral voice.
Enora already noticed the large slots in the sides of the box, that seem to be just the complement of the strange doors that form the entry to this room. The box has a total of six slots.
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Thistle notices Fellgrim looking at the doors the same time he gets the idea that maybe they could be removed and put into the slots in the box. Unsure of how their host would react, he prepares himself for violence, just in case. He walks over to one of the other doors in the room, and begins the process of trying to remove it from its hinges.
Fellgrim check the doors out, and finds that they are hinged normally. They can be lifted out, but doing so would require great strength.
Thistle gives it a shot, which leads to immediate protests of Slaagh I must ask you to not alter any of the furninshings in this holy place. Please do not touch the door!