"Nothing I can't handle," Grelda says, beads of sweat rolling down her green skin. "I grew up in among the ruins of Lirgen. Heat and humidity were constant companions."
"I think it feels rather lovely," Basil opines.
"This must be a side effect of the aeon orb's waning power," the witch adds.
Tom creeps ahead of the party to investigate the room to the north. This large, rectangular room has an arc of faintly glowing runes on the floor to the northwest. The east side of the room contains a battered xulgath corpse slumped against the wall.
A trio of horrid-looking xulgaths cautiously examine the body, keeping a safe distance from the runes. Putrid bile oozes from gill-like folds in their colorful, bulging necks. Luckily, they don't seem to be very perceptive, and Tom escapes their notice for now.
The room to the south contains a 15-foot-deep pit in its southern half. A short ramp leads into the pit, but stops after 5 feet, ending with a sudden drop-off that descends to the bottom. The crumbled mudbrick that was once the rest of the ramp litters the bottom of the pit. At the bottom of the pit, a trio of grotesque abominations slough about, moaning piteously. While their head and torsos are vaguely human, their arms are rubbery and move awkwardly at their sides. They don't notice Tom, either.
"Of course, Sef" Tom creeps ahead, and returns a few minutes later and relays what he saw.
"I do not know what those slug monsters are," Grelda says, "but the xulgaths are of a variant breed known as bilebearers--for obvious reasons. Bilebearers coat their weapons with the viscous substance or secrete a concentrated dose that suffuses the air around them and disables foes. They smell even worse than regular xulgaths, if you can believe it."
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"I AM MARRIED LITTLE-KNIFE TOM!" Ashlion booms, laughing as he pulls Tom up from a potential fall into the batsh*t. "NO NEED TO BLUSH!"
The heat doesn't phase him much, its much like the jungles he and Tygrah called home for some years so he lounges until Tom returns to tell of what he's seen.
"I WILL SMASH THEM ALL AND KEEP LITTLE-BLADE AND LITTLER KNIFE SAFE!" He proposes. "SUNSHINE, YOU WILL HEAL ME IF SLIME THINGS ARE LUCKY!" He continues to grin, showing large, very white teeth. "READY?"
"Ready as I'll ever be." she responds, ready to cast a spell if needed.
Tasha readies her blade and nods.
Tom sneaks back into position, then on the count of three, Ashlion leads the charge against the xulgaths!
The cleric focuses her inner fire and directs it towards a xulgath!
Overconfidence seems to be Tasha's bane as the smell begins to overwhelm her.
Her stomach heaves and she attempts to rein in the impulse to vomit.
Pushing past the feeling, though, she moves forward to stab at one of the creatures.
"The Flamboni sisters are married too..."
Tom’s trio of daggers all strike home, taking down the first xulgath. Tasha's sickness causes her to miss, but Ashlion and Ruine pick up the slack, killing a second xulgath with steel and flame.
The last xulgath shrieks and tries to flee, but Ashlion’s speed allows him to catch up and crush its skull with a single mighty blow!
"Sunehine" looks at Ashlion, confused. "What do you mean they only bend, Ashlion? I'm not following."
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Ashlion chortles and slaps Ruine on the back. "YOU ARE VERY FUNNY SUNSHINE!" When it becomes apparent that she does not, in fact, understand what he meant. "WELL SUNSHINE, WHEN A MAN AND A WOMAN (OR MANY) LOVE EACH OTHER VERY MUCH THEY..." He then proceeds to explain loudly and in detail, with hand gestures, exactly what he is talking about.
Sunshine eyes go wider and wider as her head moves further and further back on her body. When he finishes his very vivid and illustrated explination she meekly responds "Thank you for clarifying."
As Ashlion's description grows more graphic, Tasha looks away clearly annoyed.
Grelda inspects the runes on the floor here. ”A summoning circle, designed to keep creatures inside. Whatever killed this xulgath in the circle may still be lurking within. Let’s give it a wide berth.”
Tom sneaks ahead again, moving past the west half of the summoning circle and peeks into the next chamber (G14). A campfire illuminates this long room and the row of broad, square columns bisecting it. Rough pallets for a dozen xulgaths are scattered throughout the room, though only three are currently present—two warriors and a scarred female wielding a greataxe. Unfortunately, the female spots Tom and hisses an alarm!
Tom throws two daggers at the female before retreating back to his friends.
With bold strides from her long legs, Tasha approaches one of the warriors and stabs at him with her narrow blade.
Tasha moves in and stabs the nearest warrior, then Grelda crushes its skull with a large rock! Tom scores a hit on the female before falling back.
The female snarls a command, and the other warrior rushes down the hall to the east. The sound of a large gong ringing echoes through the tower! Meanwhile, the leader hefts her axe and moves to engage Tasha, landing two hits!
Tasha raises her shield to absorb some of the damage and then throws away the broken remains.
The tiefling attempts to roll past the axe-wielding female to get closer to one of the pillars.
She then stabs at the woman ...
... before using the pillar for cover.
In a flash the cleric is behind the tiefling, pressing on her wound and slapping a salve on her.
Tom {A}smears another oil on a knife and 2 shining projectiles streak across the room at the female xulgath!
Tom and Grelda hit the axe wielder but Ashlion and Tasha miss. The xulgath slices Tasha again while the one that left to sound the gong returns, bashing Ashlion with his club.
Ruinë quickly surveys the wounds of her companions and determines that no one needs assistance presently so she takes the opportunity to fire off a divine blast of energy.
Tasha tumbles back past the foe facing her to take up a flanking position with Ashlion.
She then stabs at the flanked xulgath.
Tasha confidently stabs the axe-wielding xulgath, then Ashlion cleaves down both enemies with a broad swing of his maul!
"Well, the alarm has been sounded," Tasha says with a sigh. "But according to the troop we ran into outside, there can't be that many of the things left." She gestures to the southeast. "Let's continue on."
The entrance to this series of three connected chambers is blocked by a rich velvet curtain bearing the image of storm cloud emitting lightning. Lingering magic causes any creature touching the curtain to feel a prickling of static electricity and smell ozone.
The chambers beyond are crowded with furniture and luxuries. To the west, a massive four-poster bed at the center of the south wall is littered with colorful silk pillows. A nearby brass brazier gives off bright light and is surrounded by thick carpets, more pillows, and crates overflowing with clothing in all styles and colors. To the east stand another brazier and a desk covered with religious treatises bearing annotations in flowing handwriting.
One of the crates shakes slightly, and you hear grunts of effort from within. ”Hello? Is somebody there? Please, let me out!” comes a woman’s voice.
A naturally suspicious sort already, with the temple's alarm having been sounded, Tasha's acceptance level is at an all-time low.
"Who are you?" she says, keeping her weapon ready as she approaches, but doesn't open the box.
”My name is Balenni! I am a scholar who came to study this temple when those foul xulgaths captured me! They stuck me in this crate! Please, let me out!”
"Where are you from, Balenni?" she asks, holding up a hand to Ashlion, indicating to wait a moment.
Ruinë starts to move to, but is intercepted by Ashlion. "Ashlion, please let Balenni out of the crate! How horrific! Are you injured?" she asks
Apparently, the cleric is so distracted by the wounds on her party however she fails to help the man. She sets about trying to heal Tasha and Ashlion with greater success.
Inside the crate is a pretty woman with creamy white skin and dark hair. Her eyes are brilliant hazel, and she wears a scholar’s outfit with a low cut top and tight pants. ”Oh, thank you! Thank you so much! My hero!”
She clambers our of the crate and purses her full lips as she leans in to try to give Ashlion a big kiss in gratitude!
”Oh, but I insist...”
Balenni firmly wraps her arms around Ashlion’s neck and pulls him into an embrace, passionately kissing him on the lips!
Tom looks at the tawdry display in disgust, and when her touch withers his skin, Tom seems to be the first to notice.
"Get OFF of him!"
Tom throws a small pouch of flour on the ground in front of her to distract her with a *POOF* of smoke!
Ruinë looks away when she embraces Ashlion, not wanting to see another demonstration about when a man loves a woman. With Tom's outburst however, she turns her attention back and gasps in shock "Betrayed!" she announces "But I freed you!?"
In anger, she shoots a ray of fire at the traitor.
Tasha sneers at the woman.
"Do you think we would fall for such an amateurish attempt? I have seen children pull a better scam!" she says in an attempt to ridicule the woman.
Grelda taps her chin. "Balenni... Ah, Harlock mentioned her name! He said she sowed dissent among the Gozren hermits which lead to their demon worship--it makes sense if she's a demon herself!"
The witch blasts the woman with magic missiles.
Balenni takes several hits, grunting in pain as Tom's knives stick into her, Grelda's missiles batter her, Ruine's flames scorch her, and Tasha's blade grazes her. Despite all of that, she remains locked in a passionate embrace with Ashlion, draining his life force. "Why don't you just keep watching, darling? You might learn a thing or two," Balenni says to Ruine with a wink.