Ezren mutters, "Hmm, no good in tight quarters, can't throw the cane or shoot the crossbow without hurting someone... Only one thing to do!"
The trogs all try to break through the shield wall to get at everyone inside, starting with Anthys.
Anthys blade bites and cuts deep into the troglodyte. It collapses to the ground before him bleeding out.
Qioté takes out the other burned Troglodyte with one thrust. Ezren again reaches out to smack the remaining troglodyte.
Again he comes up short. The troglodyte, not liking where this is going retreats from the door and moves to the door along the south-eastern wall.
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Dissa clambers up the steps and bursts through the door, clearly out of breath. "Hey everyone," he puffs, "sorry I was late. I got lost... on the way to meeting Dreng again." He lists to the left and leans heavily on the haft of his fauchard, seeing the standoff in the room with the Troglodytes.
"Vindler, it's great to see you again! It's been a few days since last we were together. I forgot how dark your eyes are, but at least you're always in a great mood." Dissa smiles warmly at the dwarf.
Turning his eyes to Ezren, he laughs "I remember when you said adventuring was for fools, back when you were young! How silly it must seem to you to be in a tower, flinging your stick at every opportunity."
He looks at Qiote with puzzlement, "I thought you used to have a griffon. How are you, my old friend? I look forward to meeting you again tomorrow."
He seems quite pleased to see Anthys, and stretches out his right arm toward the fighter. "Always great to see another holy warrior. How is your farm? Wasn't your wife from Trunau? Maybe we can visit her today or yesterday."
Finally he turns to the Troglodytes. "I'm sorry we haven't met, I am usually pretty good with faces. Were you about to let us pass while we let you escape?"
Ezren smiles as Dissa appears, "Well I'll be, I haven't seen you general in...well ages. Certainly good to have you aboard! I'll-"
He pauses as his eyes glow a slight blue and an eldritch wind sweeps across him disturbing his gear and hair.
He looks apologetic when he comes out of it, "I would like to apologize everyone, seems I am being called away to help another group of adventurers, so I must take my leave." Without many more words he heads back into the staircase and disappears from sight.
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Anthys looks at the paladin in confusion.
"Wife? No, my good sir, you have mistaken me for another. Wait, did you say maybe we can visit her yesterday?"
Looking at the Jade crescent moon:
It means nothing to Anthys. But as the rest of the General's words sink in, Anthys does suspect he is dealing with one touched in the head. He gives a sigh and turns back to the troglodytes.
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Vindlér looks at the new arrivals suspiciously. It's great to see me...again? And when has anyone known me for being in a good mood? Bah. At least he seems like a righteous one, what with that holy symbol painted across his chest.
"Forgive me, my friend, I'm afraid my memory must be failing me. Remind me of your name and when we met, if you don't mind."
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"Vindler, you're so comical. Do you really not remember? I used to be General Dissa Ray, but not yet. Today please just call me Dissa. We met in a broken tower a very long time ago. Before battles and exploration aplenty, before my body was broken and battered, and before I had more yesterdays than tomorrows." Dissa looks wistfully at his hands, which appear to be young, powerful, and lithe. Physically he looks quite strong, fit, and athletic but he carries himself with the posture and gait of a feeble geriatric.
"I've shared more pints of Dwarven stout with you than I can remember, and certainly I've imbibed many I've been unable to recall in the morning. You always knew your way around a city far better than I, and the best taverns to boot!" There is a distinct fondness in his tone, true reminiscence of a lifelong friend.
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Vindlér simply stares at the "General," a look of confusion on his face. "I don't...eh...we never...wait what? Never mind. Dissa, is it? Well then, Dissa, whoever you are, so long as you know how to hold a weapon and don't break the line when the enemy bears down on us, you're welcome among us....no matter how insane you are..."
The troglodyte comes back in the room, behind him is a larger, fiercer looking trog. Qioté lances the trog as it steps through the portal, dropping it in a wet heap at the threshold.
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Dissa positions his pole arm to reach the larger trog while still granting his companions access to the beast.
Dissa glides smoothly through the room, and re positions his Fauchard to swing at the trog. He plants his left foot forward, traces a semicircle with his right foot, and with a twist of his hips the blade of his Fauchard snaps into the super-trog.
"Can you believe these guys just barged in on our conversation like this? Some people just have no tact." Dissa looks at the super-trog with annoyance.
"A little help Bozmir?" he glances toward his friend for assistance.
The troglodyte steps out of the room he was in and is immediately skewered and slashed to small reptilian bits by Dissa and Anthys.
Peeking into the room it came from you see a brazier of glowing coals sitting in the center of this room, its acrid smoke mixing with the ever-present troglodyte stench. A few knives, pokers, and other metal implements lie atop a rusty iron box nearby.
Taking a key from the fallen troglodyte lets you open the iron box. Inside is a bunch of gear, weapons, armor and even a wayfinder.
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Vindlér sifts through the gear to see if there is a name or any kind of identification among all of it, something like a name inscribed in a wayfinder. He has heard of other agents who had such personalized devices with them, though Vindlér was never one to share such things with others. He also scans over the equipment to see if anything aside from the way finder detects as magical.
Only two scrolls nestled within the gear are magical. Inscribed on the inside of the wayfinder's cover are the initials B.F. and a date.
There are several bones around the brazier, though none of them are large enough for an adult human.
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There is a faint sneeze from far behind you and half a minute later, a young Ulfen man runs in. "Sorry I'm late. The general may have planned to tell me where we're going, but probably tomorrow after we were supposed to get here. He's a bit like that."
"What have I missed? Looks like quite a nasty place to clear out. Are we doing anything other than looking for a pathfind...err" He trails off as he sees the wayfinder.
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"Welcome, Bozmir. We are trying to rescue Balenar Forsend; this would seem to be his Wayfinder. As is our Society's goal, we also hope to explore this place.
So far, we have encountered wild dogs, a giant spider, and a few troglodytes. We avoided the shocker lizard down below. We haven't entered the third level. That door is locked and we'd have to break it down.
Our usual battle formation is a shield wall of Vindlér and myself up front - if you have such training you can certainly join us. Then our allies with reach weapons can attack from the next rank. It works in Lastwall, and has worked well for us so far.
Of course, if the terrain allows a cavalry charge, Qioté has other tactics to use. But that isn't the case here."
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Dissa stands watch for his friends, trying to use his temple guard training for the benefit of his party. He keeps an eye on any doors while they conduct their research.
"For my part, I've never been as good an individual combatant as I have a tactician. I've been able to rally troops, share insight, and impart the blessings of Tsukiyo to those around me." Dissa glows at the mention of his deity, firm in his belief as a conduit for justice and righteousness on behalf of the Prince of the Moon.
"Unfortunately, today I cannot do the things today I used to do tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow will be today's tomorrow, but unfortunately today is not yesterday's tomorrow. Do you know what I mean?" Dissa chatters a little, perhaps only to himself.
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Vindlér blinks back at Dissa in a continued state of dumbfounded confusion. "I don't know if anyone knows what ya mean, lad, but that's not important right now. What is important is that we've got the two of ya here with us now, so we can carry on and rescue Forsend. It would seem he was stripped of his gear before being taken further into the tower. I'll carry his belongings with me, as I can carry the load without sacrificing what mobility I do have in combat. And it seems we'll have plenty o' that to look forward to if these trogs are any indication." He gives one of the creatures a light kick in the side, then looks around the room for their next point of entry in order to continue onward.
Anthys hears nothing on the other side of the door. Making sure everyone is ready he yanks it open and ends up staring out across the Deadlands. This is another room that has been ripped apart by the earthquake, though notably there is a wall to the south rather than wholly empty space. The ceiling here is also notable in that there is one and the floor of the 5th floor looks undamaged in all but the eastern most ends hanging out into space.
A large frog sees you and attacks, hunger in its eyes.
CMD 14 (18 vs trip)
hp 15
The frog lunges out at Qioté, seeming to prefer the smaller targets.
It hits its head on the floor and stuns itself slightly, though it recovers quickly.