Dommer drops a trog with one of his shafts of death, and then aims at the one by the stream with a second arrow. That one falls backwards into the fast moving stream and gets carried away by the current.
Gren and Ringo severely damage the trog who landed the last blow on Herman's unconscious form.
Jestyn make it back up to the group, all battered and bloodied, the large female trog raging behind him and in hot pursuit!
Fizzle halts Herman's descent into oblivion with a tap of his wand, stepping over him to protect him from further injuries. His badger tears the throat out of the trog engaged with Grenwold and Ringo, finishing off the threat!
The trog frog handler with the orange hat sidesteps to the north in order to flank Luke with one of his two remaining frogs.
The trog near Gren takes offense at seeing his brother go down and retaliates!
The robed trog targets Luke's sword with a grease spell.
Round 14 - bold may go
TROGS!!! [orange -7; Teal -6; Large female -4; DEAD or dying: yellow, red, black, frog1, gray, light blue, purple, magenta, green, brown]
Herman -28 [sickened round 4 of 10][Stable: Negative 6 hit points][Unconscious][Helpless]
Arthur -9 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Luke -22 [sickened round 4 of 10][CON: -1; Max HP: 36]
Jestyn -30 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Dommer
Fizzle [sickened round 5 of 10] // Biter [sickened round 5 of 10]
Grenwold -8 [sickened round 5 of 10] // Ringo [sickened round 5 of 10]
Seeing the "Queen", Arthur determines he must engage it, rolling past it to try to flank with Jetsyn.
Once positioned, he swings with his Halberd to try to lay into the creature:
"There she is! Come and get me Trog queen!"
Arthur dances past the large trog female and lands a blow on her, albeit with no real force behind it. He challenges her and she replies, "ለዚህ በህይወትዎ ይከፍላሉ !!!!"
Luke once more tries to destroy frogs.
Luke's sword slips from his fingers and falls to the ground. He is unable to attack the frogs.
Round 14 - bold may go
TROGS!!! [orange -7; Teal -6; Large female -4; DEAD or dying: yellow, red, black, frog1, gray, light blue, purple, magenta, green, brown]
Arthur -9 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Luke -22 [sickened round 4 of 10][CON: -1; Max HP: 36][greased sword on ground]
Herman -28 [sickened round 4 of 10][Stable: Negative 6 hit points][Unconscious][Helpless]
Jestyn -30 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Dommer
Fizzle [sickened round 5 of 10] // Biter [sickened round 5 of 10]
Grenwold -8 [sickened round 5 of 10] // Ringo [sickened round 5 of 10]
Grenwold continues to grind through the trogs, gritting his teeth as he dodges out of the way with his deer. He grins at the trog attacking him, then strikes back himself.
Standard (Gren) - Attack Blue (just left of Gren/Ringo I think is up) Trog
Standard (Ringo) - Attack Blue (just left of Gren/Ringo I think is up) Trog
Ringo follows up, trying to protect Herman still and get through to the caster.
But Ringo can't find his footing and misses.
Gren manages to nick one in the leg.
Round 14 - bold may go
TROGS!!! [orange -7; Teal -8; Large female -4; DEAD or dying: yellow, red, black, frog1, gray, light blue, purple, magenta, green, brown]
Arthur -9 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Grenwold -8 [sickened round 5 of 10] // Ringo [sickened round 5 of 10]
Luke -22 [sickened round 4 of 10][CON: -1; Max HP: 36][greased sword on ground]
Herman -28 [sickened round 4 of 10][Stable: Negative 6 hit points][Unconscious][Helpless]
Jestyn -30 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Dommer
Fizzle [sickened round 5 of 10] // Biter [sickened round 5 of 10]
Luke tries to pick up his sword from the ground.
Luke once more tries to destroy frogs.
Dommer does a new sidestep and flurries his bow again. This time, however, he saves his ki - as he considers it might be necessary another time, and things seem a little more under control now.
Luke picks up his sword.
He then proceeds to obliterate the two frogs with a low swooping arc!
Dommer sends two more trogs to the underworld.
Fizzle sends his ball of fire towards the robed trog and heals Herman some more. The grizzled man comes to, cursing and grumbling still.
The flame hit the trog squarely in the chest, causing severe burns. Meanwhile biter tears the throat out of yet another trog that was still spasming on the ground... the flaming sphere disappears, its magic finally spent.
Jestyn cuts deeply into the large female trog, enraging her further and thus gambling his life in the process...
Round 14 - bold may go
TROGS!!! [Large female -18; Robed Trog -17; DEAD or dying: yellow, red, black, frog123, gray, light blue, purple, magenta, green, brown, orange, teal]
Arthur -9 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Grenwold -8 [sickened round 5 of 10] // Ringo [sickened round 5 of 10]
Luke -22 [sickened round 4 of 10][CON: -1; Max HP: 36][greased sword on ground]
Jestyn -30 [sickened round 5 of 10]
Dommer
Fizzle [sickened round 5 of 10] // Biter [sickened round 5 of 10]
Herman -22 [sickened round 4 of 10][Disabled: 0 HP]
Herman’s eyes pop open and he immediately lets out a foul curse. ”F#+!ing faeries, you won’t get me toda- oh, it’s you.” With a groan, he pushes the badger off him before staggering to his feet. He wobbles a bit, but is too proud to ask for further assistance from Grenwold.
Biter growls at Herman as he's shoved off.
"Rah Rah Rah..."
Gren blinks at Herman, then chuckles, breathing a little heavily through the fight, "us faires aren't gonna let you die, you old apricot."
The large female trog roars, intent on finishing her prey before it gets another smart idea with that large knife of his. She swings her mighty warhammer!
The blow falls squarely into the ranger's ribcage with a sickening crunch. Jestyn falls heavily to the stones, unconscious. The large female bends down, clamps her teeth shut on his windpipe, and pulls...
...tearing the elf's throat out in savage glee, warm blood running down her reptilian chin and neck.
A somber mood settles over the group at the sudden realization that their nigh immortal friend has now perished...
The robed trog roars in delight upon seeing the large female kill one of the intruders, and points a finger at Herman and the gnomes' mounts feet, and the ground becomes as slippery as the bottom of a tub of lard!
Round 15 - bold may go
TROGS!!! [Large female -18; Robed Trog -17; DEAD or dying: yellow, red, black, frog123, gray, light blue, purple, magenta, green, brown, orange, teal]
Jestyn -48 [dead]
Arthur -9 [sickened round 6 of 10]
Grenwold -8 [sickened round 6 of 10] // Ringo [sickened round 6 of 10][Ref save req'd]
Luke -22 [sickened round 5 of 10][CON: -1; Max HP: 36]
Dommer
Fizzle [sickened round 6 of 10] // Biter [sickened round 6 of 10][Ref save req'd]
Herman -22 [sickened round 5 of 10][Disabled: 0 HP][Ref save req'd]
Arthur grits his teeth, seeing the brutality of the Troglodyte Queen, but he hardens his resolve and lashes out at her once again.
Gren and Ringo breathe heavily and avoid slipping, but watch in horror as the hulking monster slays their companion.
Gren and Ringo step out of the grease after avoiding slipping, and move to flank her with Arthur.
Move (Both) - Move to flank (without provoking) - can move out of grease without acrobatics as far as I can tell
Standard (Ringo) - Attack barbarian with entangling gore.
Standard (Gren) - Attack barbarian with longsword
With a sickening thunk, Ringo viciously skewers the hulking troglodyte woman and she looses her footing.
Gren notices the entangle, and tries to hit hard with his longsword!
Taman moves to the east and attacks the big one.
Herman glares at the troglodyte spellcaster as he clutches his side with one hand and holds onto the rock wall with the other.
Without time to mourn his elf friend, the Dwarf breathes deeply. He holds the tears and lets his hand do the job, skillfully pulling the cord of his bow over and over. At this point he has no piety, no mercy; he just does his job efficiently and lethally, praying that Erastil gives Jestyn some sort of comfort wherever he is right now.
If any enemies are still standing, he focus his ki for an extra shot.
Biter tries to avoid the spell.
Arthur gets past the 'Trog Queen' defenses, nicking her with his halberd. Ringo manages to remain upright despite the grease slick, and rams the large female with its antlers, locking horns with the female to obstruct her movements. Gren howls a warcry and slashes at the trog barbarian with his small sword, making a small gash in her left arm. Luke "Taman" Redwood moves over and brings down a powerful attack upon the female. He splits her head in half. She falls the ground, lifeless.
Fizzle heals Luke twice, settling behind the warrior.
Herman stands up shakily, while Dommer puts an end to the sorcerer's life to the west.
Within a few moments, the sickening effect of the stench loses its effect among the heroes. They tally their arrows, wounds and begin to pay their respects to Jestyn, one by one... each wilderness warrior reacting to it in a different way...
Status
Jestyn [dead]
Fizzle // Biter
Arthur -9
Grenwold -8 // Ringo
Luke -1 [CON: -1; Max HP: 36]
Dommer
Herman -22 [Disabled: 0 HP]
On sorcerer:
Combat Gear oil of magic weapon (2), potion of owl’s
wisdom; Other Gear heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, mwk
spear, geode periapt (25 gp)
On barbarian:
Combat Gear potions of cure light wounds (2);
Other Gear mwk hide armor with armor spikes,
+1 warhammer, javelins (5), wolf fang necklace (100 gp)
Treasure: The cavern holds 10 Provision Points’ worth of meat.
Herman grabs one of the troglodyte warrior’s vials and downs the contents, standing a bit more steadily as he store the empty bottle..
”Bah. Monsters.” He pauses, turning to the side to spit. ”Unlucky bastard. Hope it doesn’t hurt too much.” He pauses again, then shakes his head. ”Well, he doesn’t need that stuff anymore. Take what you can use and we’ll bury him when we can. At least we can give him a proper burial rather than just leaving his body at some hobgoblin brute’s mercy.”
Gren looks down sadly at Jestyn, he says quietly "it's just terrible that this happened. Poor Jestyn..." Tears spring unbidden to his eyes, "And you almost died too, if it weren't for Fizzle and Biter. I know you were watching..." He scrounges around, but none of the gear is his size, so he just waits for the others to get healed.
Silently, as he collects back his durable arrows, Dommer blinks solemnly. He hums an old Dwarven song, and slowly approaches the dead elf. Finally, he knees down and says a brief prayer to Erastil. He seems to feel more Jestyn's death than the others - maybe because of their hearty exchanges in the past - and tries hard not to show it.
A life of toil made him naturally hard as rock, and deep down he clearly understands the choices that his friends made and the consequences they may bring. Yet, looking around, he sees the cave might be truly a blessing later, against the hobgoblin legion, and the sacrifices - albeit painful - seem worthy to save so many people. That's just another death who will be charged against the Ironfang.
Jestyn's sacrifice will be remembered!
Herman swats at Fizzlewumpit as the gnome taps him with his wand, but his heart isn’t in it. ”Bah, stop bothering me you incessant pixie,” he grumbles. ”Dommer, take the arrows. Luke, that sword helps nobody on the ground. Arthur, have you finished grabbing all these monsters’ weapons? We can give them to the townsfolk so the poor sods can defend themselves. You two short nuisances go sort through that pack and put the useful stuff in a pile.” The hermit himself walks over to the fallen troglodyte spellcaster and begins picking through their things.
Howdy, Oreld. - says Dommer, waving to the shaman - Unfortunately, the fight proved deadlier than we anticipated.
He pauses for a moment, before continuing.
We... We lost Jestyn. - he doesn't choose the words carefully, rather trying to go directly to the point.
"That is to say, he was unfortunately slain. As is known to happen in war. A hero for the rebellion, truly, Jetsyn gave his all that we might secure this place! A martyr of true heart."
”Save the praise and the chest-thumping until we know there’s nothing dangerous left here,” Herman retorts. ”More of us could join him before this is over. Who knows - maybe they’re the lucky ones rather than the living.” His voice is sour and strained.
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You proceed to secure and explore the entire set of upper caves, which are now devoid of life and eerily silent.
K. UPPER CAVERNS
The Children of Stone live within deep natural caverns
that run beneath a tree-covered ridge. Multiple
entrances lead out of the caverns, but most are too small
to access—mere fissures in the rock that serve as animal
dens. One obvious entrance exists, a low but wide cave
entrance screened by hanging roots that requires a
successful DC 25 Perception check to spot.
Upper Cavern Features: The upper caverns are a
mixture of stone and packed, clay-rich earth. Thin, ropy
roots from the ridge above dangle from the ceilings of
tunnels and caves 7 to 9 feet overhead, brushing the
heads of Medium or larger creatures walking upright.
Streaks of cloudy crystal in shades of purple and blue
run through the stone walls and floors.
The caves are pitch dark. The troglodyte inhabitants
can see in the dark, but build fires in some areas for
cooking and warmth. The tunnels smell terrible thanks
to their inhabitants, but not strongly enough to require
a Fortitude save unless the PCs actually approach
a troglodyte. The troglodytes are similar enough in
behavior and diet that a character who succeeds at
a Fortitude save against one member is immune to
the stench of other average members of the tribe.
Extraordinary troglodytes (such as the 'Trog Queen' and
the acolytes) are unique and require new Fortitude saves
when encountered.
Strange fungal growths cluster at the base of the walls.
The fungi are light tan and spongy, their curved surfaces
covered in fine white fuzz that makes them look dusty.
The fungi release a foul-smelling but nontoxic gas,
which the troglodytes concentrate into bladders they
use as combat weapons and in traps (see stench-gas bladder
spoiler below).
Though the fungus smells terrible raw, it’s
nutritious and has a pleasant earthy flavor when cooked
(will provide additional Provision Points - see spoiler below;
more to come later on this, after you've cleared the second
cave level).
K1. Main Cavern Entrance
Beyond the tangle of roots shading the cave entrance, a
narrow tunnel slopes sharply down. The tips of tree roots
protrude from the ceiling like stained teeth. Faint light from
outside catches on a streak of cloudy teal crystal running
along the length of one wall. Bulbous brown and purple
fungal growths sprout from the ground, and an unpleasant,
faintly sulfurous odor hangs in the air.
The troglodytes come and go through this main
entrance. The ceiling here is only 4 feet high.
Hazard: The Children of Stone maintain a garden
of shrieker mushrooms here as an alarm system. The
largest is almost 4 feet tall, and emits a piercing scream
whenever light shines on it or a creature moves within 10
feet of it, alerting the troglodytes to intruders. The setting
sun also strikes the mushroom once each day, causing a
false alarm the troglodytes have grown accustomed to
and ignore, and canny PCs can use the opportunity to
sneak by unnoticed.
Treasure: The veins of crystal here—mostly rose
quartz, smoky quartz, and milky quartz—are generally
too low quality to be of value, but a few locations still
yield high-quality stones. An hour’s work and a successful
DC 10 Profession (mining) check or DC 15 Strength check
extracts 2d4 gp worth of gems from the vein. This vein
holds a total of 50 gp worth of valuable crystals.
K2. Guardpost
A cylindrical mass of roots hangs from the exact center of
this room. The roots have been braided together to form a
cradle holding a giant violet crystal as big as a human head.
Sparkling veins of crystal line the walls.
Treasure: The violet gem in the ceiling is an enormous
but flawed amethyst. The flawed amethyst is worth 650 gp.
The walls here can be mined just like the walls in area
K1. The passage holds a total of 150 gp worth of gems.
K3. Shrine of Stone
A sharp drop leads to a large chamber. Rough stone steps
have been cut at the end of the tunnel, easing the downward
passage. Faces loom from the walls, cut from the natural stone
in the form of reptilian visages. Their mouths are open, filled
with jagged teeth, and their oval eyes lack pupils, making
them seem blind. The charred remains of a fire sit within a
bowl in the center of the room.
Treasure: Two weeks ago, the troglodytes sacrificed
a young elven cartographer they caught in the woods.
They burned his body over the ceremonial fire after.
Searching the cold ashes reveals a warped, leaf-shaped
gold pin (worth 150 gp), as well as a ring of protection +1.
One greedy acolyte took a liking to elf ’s boots of elvenkind,
and concealed them in a hidden niche (Perception DC 18)
before the ritual began.
K4. Trapped Passage
This steep, sloped passage leads down to the troglodytes’
primary sleeping chamber.
Trap: A spring-loaded spear trap in the floor defends the
tribe while its members rest and alerts them to intruders.
K5. The Nest
The tunnel descends into an irregularly shaped chamber with
many alcoves and nooks along the uneven walls. Directly
opposite the tunnel mouth, a carving on the wall shows a
creature hatching from an enormous egg. A low fire flickers in
a wide, shallow pit about halfway between the tunnel and the
carving. Large stones are piled around the edge of the firepit,
their sides blackened. More stones sit within the nooks around
the perimeter of the cavern, near piles of dried grasses and
animal pelts.
This chamber served as the main sleeping area for
the Children of Stone, both for the troglodytes and
their trained breed of Darklands monitor lizards. The
tribe members heat stones at the fire to later pack
around their sleeping areas to keep warm throughout
the night. The fungal growths are particularly
numerous in this room thanks to the heat and castoff
bits of foodstuff, and the entire chamber stinks of
troglodyte and sulfur.
Treasure: Scattered around the chamber are the
personal possessions of the tribe’s members—much of
it simple jewelry or stone tools. By searching the room,
the PCs can find dozens of semiprecious stones worth a
total of 250 gp, six +1 crossbow bolts, a masterwork dagger,
a suit of masterwork hide armor, and a set of masterwork
stonemasonry tools.
K6. The Fishers’ Garden
A dark, rippling pool covers much of this sloping cavern. Water
drips from stalactites above and tumbles from fissures in the
rock wall. An underwater garden of colorful algae and white
fish fills the pool.
Treasure: The remains of three troglodytes—all killed
by the cave fishers—lie at the bottom of the pool along
with their javelins. Barely visible near the reptile folk lies
the body of an unfortunate halfling wizard who lost her
way in the woods and fled deep into the caverns here to
escape the outraged troglodytes. A character who swims
to the bottom of the 10-foot-deep pool can recover an
iron coffer filled with 120 gp, and a wand of mage armor
(28 charges) made of steel and decorated with engravings
of helms and breastplates. If a PC succeeds at a DC
22 Perception check, she also skeleton of the coffer’s
previous owner—now lichen-encrusted and almost
impossible to see from the surface—still wearing a belt
of fine gold links: a belt of incredible dexterity +2.
K7. The Bloodpit
The stench of death and old blood overwhelms the smell
of troglodyte in this chamber. The floor slopes down to the
north wall where a narrow underground stream flows past.
The sound of running water echoes off the low ceiling, and
a burning torch near the stream sends rippling light patterns
dancing off the wall. Racks against the walls hold the carcasses
of forest creatures, some still draining their life’s blood on the
ground, others mere skins left to dry.
The troglodytes use this area to butcher, drain, and
skin their kills, allowing the underground stream to
carry away most of the gore and filth (and inadvertently
feeding an abundant garden in the nearby pool; see area
K6). The chamber still reeks of rotting flesh.
Treasure: The cavern holds 10 Provision Points’ worth
of meat.
K8. The Greening
Stone shelves have been cut into the walls of this room, and
each shelf is heaped with dried mushrooms, baskets of herbs,
root vegetables, and other fragrant foodstuffs. Empty baskets
and cloth sacks lie in a pile in one corner.
The Children of Stone sort and store here the greens
gathered from the forest and mushrooms gathered from
deeper caverns.
Treasure: This area holds 10 Provision Points’ worth of
sundry foodstuffs.
K9. The Rainbow Nave
The air is damp and moist here, but it’s a fresh, cool mist. A
rough crystal globe hangs from the ceiling, candles burning
within it. The light from the globe refracts off the mist in the
room and the crystal growths on the walls, filling the room
with rainbows. A bubbling fountain in the center creates a jet
of clear water that continually drains back into the ground.
The fountain in the room is an artesian well that jets
from the same underground river that runs through
areas K6 and K7. The well provides continual clean, fresh
water to the troglodytes—untainted by algae and cave
fisher scraps.
While the orb holds no religious significance, the tribe
considered it a point of community pride.
Treasure: The 2-pound crystal globe was the subject
of a continual flame spell years ago, and functions as an
everburning torch. It can easily be removed from the stone
hook in the roof, and is worth 250 gp.
K10. The Bone Chamber
Countless bones jut from the clay walls of this chamber. Grinning
skulls peer down over the ends of femurs and ulnas sticking out
at odd angles. Most of the bones are from animals—some as
large as stags and bears—but some are undeniably human.
This trophy room was the lair of large female trog, the most
powerful warrior in the tribe as evidenced by the honor they
bestowed on her by giving her this entire room.
Hazard: The stacked arrangements of bone are nearly
2 feet thick and rise up to meet the 10-foot-high ceiling.
Creatures colliding with the wall (such as from a bull
rush) must succeed a DC 14 Reflex save or take 2d6 points
of damage as part of the wall collapses upon them.
Treasure: In addition to the bones, many other trophies
claimed or scavenged from the forest line the walls,
including a masterwork quarterstaff, four thunderstones,
two onyx gems (worth 25 gp each), and a scroll case
containing a scroll of darkness, a scroll of false life, and a scroll of ray of enfeeblement. With a successful DC 22 Perception
check, A PC also finds several smaller items: a silver locket
containing a braided length of blond hair (worth 25 gp),
two plain platinum rings (worth 50 gp each), a battered
wooden flute in a silver and velvet case decorated with
mums and cypress (the flute is worthless, but the case
itself is worth 125 gp), and a pearl of power (1st level).
K11. The Winding Dark
The corridor here slopes down at irregular angles and reeks of
dampness. The walls are jagged and covered with sharp stone
barbs. Mossy growths spread across the floor and walls, old
bones lying pale against the dark moss.
This winding tunnel leads down until it abruptly ends
in a wide pit descending 40 feet to the lower dungeon.
Rungs have been carved into the side of the pit, allowing
creatures to climb up and down as easily as they might
a ladder.
LOOT FOUND ON DEFEATED ENEMIES:
stench-gas bladders x5, oil of magic weapon (2), potion of owl’s wisdom; heavy crossbow with 10 bolts, +1 spear, geode periapt (nonmagical, 25 gp), potions of cure light wounds (2), mwk hide armor with armor spikes, +1 warhammer, javelins (20), wolf fang necklace (100 gp)
STENCH-GAS BLADDER PRICE 30 GP
WEIGHT 1/2 lb.
This thin bladder splits when it hits a target. You can
throw a gas bladder as a ranged weapon with a range
increment of 10 feet. Any creature struck by a gas
bladder must succeed at a DC 14 Fortitude save or be
sickened for 1d6 rounds.
check gain 1 Provision Point. Characters gain 1
additional Provision Point for every 2 by which the
result exceeds 10.
Herd: Phaendar’s sheep and goat herds were scattered
in the attack, and many were lost in the Fangwood.
NPCs can recover a single goat or sheep with a
successful DC 16 Handle Animal check. Captive
animals can be maintained with a single successful
Handle Animal check (DC = 10 + the number of
animals) per day. Neglecting to maintain the herd or
failing this check indicates one or more animals have
wandered off. A captive animal generates 1 Provision
Point every 3 days in the form of milk (and eventually
cheese or butter), or can be butchered to immediately
provide 2 Provision Points.
Jet: Jet keeps the resources maintained, making sure
the refugees use the most perishable items first and
helping people pack balanced loads. She knows many
stories and songs that she shares with the others. So
long as Jet oversees the cooking, the camp generates 1
additional Provision Point each day.
One Provision Point sustains a person for 1 day and consists
of a half-gallon of fluid (clean water, or ale, broth, cider,
goat’s milk, or sheep’s milk) and 3 to 5 pounds of stable
food (apples, berries, bread, dried boar, dried venison,
hard cheese, mushrooms, nuts, pickled vegetables, and
smoked trout). The PCs’ followers carry their resources
in a hodgepodge of bottles, jars, and satchels stuffed into
improvised backpacks. Each Provision Point of resources
weighs about 10 pounds. Together one trail ration and a
waterskin also translate to 1 Provision Point, but weigh
only 5 pounds.
Dommer moves around collecting back the arrows he can, especially his durable ones, and helping clean as they move chamber to chamber in the caves. The Dwarf especially makes a point to separate the tools and provisions they find, and tries to foresee how they will organize their rebellion from the new advantageous point.
Upper Cavern
Shrine
The Fishers Garden
Bone Chamber
"Bit behind the times, aren't you." Herman turns to the side and spits as he brushes dirt off a handful of rough amethysts. His rabbit companion sits quivering beside him, occasionally pawing one of the stones into a separate pile. "Hobgoblins came outta nowhere, burnt the town to the ground, and killed anyone unlucky enough to be spotted. These poor sods were the only ones to make it out with their skins intact." The hermit rises to his feet, snatching the stones from the ground and shoving them carelessly into pockets and bags hanging from his belt. "And some of us have got better things to do than stand around waggling our jawbones. Mulch, come!"
As the witch grumps through the tunnels, he stops to grab a handful of fungal roots and shoves them in his satchel as well. If we can make more of those stink bombs, guards could use them to soften anyone trying to invade, he thinks to himself. Of course, they'd have to have good aim - or some way to ignore the smell themselves. A mask? More of Rhyna's stupidly sweet herbal concoction? Shove it straight up their noses, hah! Now if those stupid lizards could do it, it can't be that hard...
"Squeak!"
With the battle ended, and Grenwold taking time to survey the situation, he nods balefully at Herman's assessment. "Herman is right. We tried to save Jestyn, but it was for naught. We dare not tarry in this area without fortifying it, though." Gren thinks quietly to himself and tries to envision some kind of bulwark at the exit of this place. Before he does this, though, he says to the others, "a proper burial for our foes, perhaps? Or at least disposal... they stink, and if this is to be our home for some time, we need to air it out, right?"
He thinks, "burial, with funeary rights, always seems best to me, lest the concentrated death cause them to spontaneously rise or something. Burning won't work - the hobs will see it from miles around." He says this to nobody in particular.
Meanwhile, Luke doesn't care for talk and peeks into each cave once more, in hope that he will find enemies.
"Yes, if nothing else we should dispense with the stench and bury them deep enough to guard against attracting predators, scavengers, or ghosts."
Arthur sighs, stowing his weapons, but not removing his armor as he helps Grenwold with the task of cleaning up the bodies.
The stench-gas bladders would require the beige fungus to remain alive. The trogs obviously found a way to harvest the stench gas from the live shrooms, but you're positive that this stench is probably not good for the long-term health of most humanoids, and posit that the refugees will no doubt set to work to take this fungus down to make the cave habitable. Fortunately, you think you know a way to cook these things so that the smell is negated while providing a nutritious meal. You've never tried it yourself, but you came across a recipe once at Nirmathas Ranger's house.
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Grenwold, Fizzle and Arthur begin the arduous task of clearing out the bodies. Each trip taken results in the shrieker shrooms blaring into the dark forest. It is well after sunset now, and each shroom-shriek echoes deep and far into the woods, who have now fallen strangely silent since you entered the caves. Your digging is made harder by the absence of a proper shovel, and you must all make do with sticks and hands. Feeling exposed while using a light, these woods still strange to the three adventurers, the gnomes manage to convince Arthur to continue working in the darkness, their low-light vision allowing them to see enough in this gloom, while Arthur begins to rely on their direction, moving the earth carefully. Fortunately Biter gets the idea after a while and his powerful badger claws make short work of this digging task. The badger is spent after the digging of the mass grave, and collapses in exhaustion under a large pine tree, falling into a deep bestial snore. However, you now have a 10-foot long pit that's about 5 to 8 feet deep, with enough room to bury all the trogs in one place.
Meanwhile, Herman inspects the various herbal and natural features of the cave, while Dommer sorts through the gear assembled from their invasion. Luke wanders the caves, patrolling for any danger and checking with Dommer regularly. The large Numerian can hear noises and sounds coming from the caves below, and establishes a defensible perimeter in the Rainbow Nave in case any creature making these noises decide to climb up and pay a visit...