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She looks a little flustered by the skill at which Saint Gudule and Talondreal weave words at her, "Hmph, fine then. I am Tarrin, priest of the Grey Master and commander of the Echo Wood...merrymen." she then pauses for a moment, clearly thinking about something. "Well, you're certainly competent it seems, how about you do me a favor, probably one it seems like you were planning on doing anyway, and I don't call my entire base here and take you prisoner?"
Unless you immediately refuse or attack her, she explains her favor, "I need you to continue exploring the spire, preferably clearing out the lower levels. It seems like, for the most part, you've already done that with the two higher floors based on your presence here."
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A grin beams on Saint Gudule's face as he hears the name of the gang.
Echo Wood merrymen! Echo Wood merrymen! Try not to laugh! Try not to LAUGH! he thinks trying VERY hard to suppress his need to burst out laughing.
He coughs to regain composure.
"Indeed. We cannot speak for our whole troop. Can we discuss?"
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Regnum cocks his eyebrow at the woman's suggestion that everyone listens to her. To the group he quietly whispers "Well, we are already going down to explore, and we aren't official members of the Society, so why not a different employer? While not the best employer, it would still be better than working for ASPIS, correct?"
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She gestures towards the door, "Leave this room, turn right, and its the first set of double doors on the left. I'll walk you there so no one tries to stop you; you'll have to pass through one of our guardrooms that guard the stairs heading down. As to contacting me, you have a transport token by now I imagine? Simply touch the pillar with the token matching the floor you wish to go to." she says as she tosses a token to you, "This is for our floor, floor 3."
If you need nothing else, she'll lead you to the stairs for the next floor. "Sometimes troglodytes come up from floor 4, so imagine that's what you'll find on that floor. After that, I couldn't say."
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You pass through the guard room where Tarrin briefly explains what is happening to her guards.
One wall of this chamber is ftted with arrow slits, looking south toward a large room with a distinctive green glow. A barred wooden door leads to the room beyond the arrow slits. Tarrin opens the barred door and sends you on your way.
The Emerald Spire protrudes from the western wall of this room. Stairs lead up from the central portion of the room to an iron gate to the south and a reinforced wooden door to the north. Four arrow slits to the north look out over the room. Next to the east wall, narrow stone steps descend deeper into the dungeon.
Floor complete!
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You return to town, make purchases, then return to the spire. It seems the society has sent you another undercover agent when you report Jawhar quitting the society. She joins you on the journey back to the spire, which is about an hour walk.
Once you arrive at the spire, you place your token against the spire and travel back to floor 3 (Splinterden) before taking the stairs down to floor 4 (Godhome).
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 is a doorkeeper of sorts here. This humanoid’s scaly hide is dull gray. Its frame resembles that of a cave lizard, with a long tail and crests on its head and back.
He welcomes new arrivals by saying in Common, “We welcome you to Godhome. You wish to make sacrifice now, or visit? Take holy grub maybe?”
The troglodyte is a feral, savage cave dweller. They are among the most populous denizens of the upper reaches of the endless caverns of the underworld, equally at home raiding the settlements of those who dwell above or below ground, yet for all their race’s fecundity and sprawl, as a whole they represent only a minor threat. At times, great leaders can draw legions of troglodytes to their command to create vast and deadly armies, but left to their own devices, troglodyte tribes are content to keep each other under control with numerous feuds, cannibalistic raids, and bitter civil wars.
The troglodyte is one of the oldest of intelligent races, and ruins found in some remote caverns testify to the fact that their empire was once among the largest in the world. At the dawn of time, the troglodyte civilization was generations ahead of other humanoid races—while those races hid in caves and worshiped fire, the troglodytes raised vast cities of stone ziggurats and twisting canals, kept other races as slaves, and worshiped ancient and inhuman gods and demons. Yet as the other races evolved and grew increasingly civilized, they outstripped their onetime troglodyte oppressors. Today, the roles have changed—now it is the troglodyte that hides in caves and lives the life of a feral savage.
Religion is strong among troglodyte tribes, and their shamans and priests are universally the highest regarded members of a clan. A troglodyte chieftain is not always a cleric or druid, but those who do not have divine power are usually mere mouthpieces and puppet lords that answer to the beck and call of the local seer or shaman. Troglodytes generally worship one of the countless demon lords, particularly those of a reptilian or primeval shape and form or those whose Abyssal domains most closely resemble the tangled caverns troglodytes prefer. Troglodyte druids are usually neutral evil if they dwell with their own kind (and are universally feared and respected for the eerie command they have over beasts).
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Saint Gudule chuckles when he sees Regnum and Barm retching.
"What odor? Bwahaha! Oh, by the way, I once met a drunken farmer. After I worked with him several days, he said that the troglodyte is a feral, savage cave dweller. They are among the most populous denizens of the upper reaches of the endless caverns of the underworld, equally at home raiding the settlements of those who dwell above or below ground, yet for all their race’s fecundity and sprawl, as a whole they represent only a minor threat. At times, great leaders can draw legions of troglodytes to their command to create vast and deadly armies, but left to their own devices, troglodyte tribes are content to keep each other under control with numerous feuds, cannibalistic raids, and bitter civil wars." he says, proud of himself.
Seeing that the others don't seem to recover quickly, the ganzi adds:
"And he also told me that the troglodyte is a feral, savage cave dweller. They are among the most populous denizens of the upper reaches of the endless caverns of the underworld, equally at home raiding the settlements of those who dwell above or below ground, yet for all their race’s fecundity and sprawl, as a whole they represent only a minor threat. At times, great leaders can draw legions of troglodytes to their command to create vast and deadly armies, but left to their own devices, troglodyte tribes are content to keep each other under control with numerous feuds, cannibalistic raids, and bitter civil wars. Yes! That's all true!"
Scratching his shifting chin, the man's face brightens.
"Oh and I heard that religion is strong among troglodyte tribes, and their shamans and priests are universally the highest regarded members of a clan. A troglodyte chieftain is not always a cleric or druid, but those who do not have divine power are usually mere mouthpieces and puppet lords that answer to the beck and call of the local seer or shaman. Troglodytes generally worship one of the countless demon lords, particularly those of a reptilian or primeval shape and form or those whose Abyssal domains most closely resemble the tangled caverns troglodytes prefer. Troglodyte druids are usually neutral evil if they dwell with their own kind (and are universally feared and respected for the eerie command they have over beasts). "
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"Good good, yes? Follow this one." he says as he opens the door and leads you around the area.
D2: 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.
He then leads you into another room.
D3: 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, coppery metal leads east, and passages exit 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 are two other trogs here, both eat a little of the pink substance.
"This is holy grub. We eat it lots, you try? No need, but taste is great!" he says as he gestures to the pink substance.