Bolstered by the antitoxin and Sighere's spell, Ryll shrugs off the effects of the Troglodyte's stench, and aims a frost bolt at the Trog chieftain.
Zdena takes a step forward and attacks the nearest troglodyte.
Premek's spell washes over the subterranean lizards, dazzling them in its array of color and light. Ryll's crossbow bolt slams into the chieftain Ighiz doubling her over. While Zdena's mighty falchion removes a large chunk of the pink-robed troglodyte's skin, but it still stands in stunned disarray from the cat's magical effect.
The bluish Troglodyte reels from the magical assault, attempting to blink its draconic eyes to clear them, but is unable to do so...
Kinig raises her battleaxe, finally not sickened by the stench of the place, and swings at the same target as Zdena, trying to overwhelm its defenses. Taidal steps into the middle of the crowd, firing over Malgrim's shoulder at the blue-skinned troglodyte.
Kinig's battleaxe swings wildly and misses, proving the smith is better at making weapons than using them. Though Taidal's arrow finds it target, burying in the chest of the troglodyte.
Sighere steps up a little to survey the room and the effect of Premek's spell. Noticing the green one is unaffected he targets them and starts to cast.
Malgrim steps into the room clearing the door.
As Malgrim's hand drops to their drum their face turns a bit green from the Trog stench.
Sighere's spell goes off, and Malgrim begins an inspiring tune on their drum, encouraging the heroes to greater achievements. The yellow-robed acolyte quickly casts a spell, and the floor under Sighere and Zdena becomes incredibly slippery, covered in a fine layer of grease everywhere. Lirosa steps behind her brother, trying to get a clear shot at the chieftain; and Pharus attempts to move ahead through the greasy area...
Sighere's target is momentarily dazed by his magical assault. Lirosa's arrow flies wide of Ighiz, shattering against the far wall. Pharus, however, is able to carefully advance through the magical grease, teaming up with Malgrim on the same opponent. Pharus growls, Where are they! as he advances.
Premek skates across the grease to get out of green's reach (assuming you can take a 5' step across grease?), then turns and sprays acid at pink.
Then hisses towards Zdena, we got this guy, the boss won't be exposed for long!
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Zdena lowers her stance as the ground becomes slippery, but remains standing and focused on her opponent... until Premek is suddenly there spraying acid at it.
She pauses in confusion for a breath before carefully stepping out of the greased area, past the unconscious trog, and up to the leader.
Ryll carefully moves forward to strike at the blinded, blue-tinted Trog.
Premek gracefully slides out of the greased area, covering the pink-robed troglodyte acolyte in acid, yet it still stands in its stunned state. Ryll carefully picks her way forward, aided immensely by her new boots, and plunges her shortsword into the magically incapacitated Trog, ending its miserable existence. Zdena carefully makes her way forward, delivering a powerful blow to Ighiz, the Troglodyte chieftain.
Kinig steps around the stunned troglodyte acolyte, setting up a flank with Ryll, and swings her battleaxe powerfully at the spellcaster, scoring a thin wound to its thigh. Taidal steps to his right and fires through the crowd of people in front of him, but his arrow flies over the head of the other robed spellcaster...
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Premek ducks into Malgrim's shadow and somehow disappears from view even more thoroughly than normal. A moment later he is catching his balance 5' away in the grease, without having passed through any intermediate space. He announces his presence there with a spray of acid...
Malgrim steps around the green tinged troglodyte, their drum still beating to inspire their friends. Looking a bit green themself dispite the breeze around them Malgrim stabs at the Trog they have flanked.
easily navigating the slick surface Sighere moves off to the side
Malgrim's rapier thrust finds the green-skinned troglodyte, drawing some blood. The yellow-robed acolyte steps behind Malgrim, threatening to pinch them between the trogs, while incanting a quick spell. It reaches out a taloned hand, and hisses at Malgrim, its eyes popping from its head as it attempts to scare them from the combat.
Ighiz, the troglodyte chieftain hisses in Terran, මෙම ස්ථානය සදහටම අත්හරින්න! මැවුම්කරුවන්ගේ ගල අපවිත්ර නොකරන්න!
The troglodyte hisses and spins on Malgrim, attempting to draw their blood.
Lirosa steps to her left, trying to get a clear shot through the press of people at the door, and fires an arrow at the pink-robed acolyte, alas to her frustration the arrow flies overhead again, and in frustration, she draws her shortsword, and makes to advance into the scrum.
Meanwhile, Pharus raises his stone sword, taking advantage of Malgrim's clever positioning, and hacks down at the green-skinned troglodyte. scoring a massive hit on the trog's back, leaving it bleeding from the primitive, but effective, weapon.
Lastly, the green-skinned troglodyte raises its club, lashing out at Malgrim with a fury, its free claw and jaw following up on the club strike. None of its fury lands on the bard, who easily evades all the attacks from the creature.
Premek moves to take concealment in the doorway.
Then sprays acid at pink.
Zdena flinches as the chieftain's spell washes over her, but when nothing seems to happen she takes her opening.
Spellcaster, vicious. Overconfident-assumed that would work and stopped looking at me.
As the chieftain's attention turns toward Malgrim, Zdena takes another swing.
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Seeing the yellow robed Trog move behind them Malgrim braces for the imminent attack, but when the Trog begins chanting a spell instead Malgrim whips their sword around and strikes at their claw-like hands curled in spellcasting.
Having fouled the robed trog's attempt at spellcasting Malgrim brings their sword in close and then thrusts out at the green tinged Trog.
If that hit
Seeing that the pink Trog is well in hand, Ryll Turns her attention to the green-tinged Trog.
Zdena's quick reflexes and subsequent attack on Ighiz, the chieftain of the tribe fells her in a mighty blow! The caster drops to the ground, unable to recover from her injuries!
Premek's acid attack likewise incapacitates the pink-robed troglodyte, rendering them unable to think, much less act.
Ryll's quick sword work takes down the green-skinned troglodyte, leaving just a single, yellow-robed acolyte standing. Whom Sighere immediately dazes to prevent any further spellcasting attempts for the moment. Taidal quickly snaps off a shot at the spellcaster, but given the melee around her it also flies wide. Kinig crosses the room to help menace the remaining spellcaster as well.
Pharus continues deeper into the chamber to support Malgrim and Kinig, On yer right Malgrim Storyteller! swinging his primitive sword for naught as he misses.
Lirosa nimbly crosses the greased area, deftly stepping through the magical impediment as only one of elven ancestry could...
Round 4:
Ryll,
Premek,
Zdena,
Kinig,
Taidal,
Malgrim,
Pink (Robed) - 39 HP,
Yellow (Robed), -13
Ighiz (Chieftan) -53 hp,
Lirosa,
Pharus 7/12 HP from upstairs fight
Green -19 hp
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Premek gracefully slips back into the room...
...and starts wiping his greasy paws on pink's robes. Ick! He glances at yellow but that seems pretty well in hand.
Malgrim stabs at the last Trog.
But can't get through their scaly hide.
While Malgrim's blade missed it's mark their fingers don't.
The steady beat of the drum continues to inspire your all.
Zdena glances around and sees the others having a little trouble with the last troglodyte.
Zdena cuts down the last acolyte in the room, and after a moment or two, you realize there are no enemies left in this chamber. Then you hear a vague banging on the other side of the southern wall, help, let us out of here... a woman's voice can be heard.
Pharus jumps to the wall, Ehonn, I'm coming for you, we're all here to save you! a look of relief washes over the one-eyed huntsman's face, but quickly that is replaced with frustration as he tries to figure out the vault like door.
The door to the south is otherworldly: polished blue steel in an otherwise worked stone chamber, it is decorated with a ring of pictograms, and at the center is a depiction of an unusual head with bulging eyes and wisps of hair radiating in every direction. The head- which looks at once an insect and an old woman - spins freely, and the wheel of pictograms depicts a beetle, a rock, a metal bar, a wedge, a hammer, a crying face, a flame, a claw, a door, a figure standing in triumph, and a bottle.
Pharus struggles with the spinning head for a moment, before sighing and stepping aside to let the rest of you look at it. How do you open the damn door? Why is this so difficult? he kicks a rock in frustration.
Lirosa and Taidal dutifully begin looting the bodies of the troglodyte chieftain and acolytes, amassing a small pile of useful gear that they had:
Feather
Feather
2 Potions
2 Potions
Pine Wand
MWK Morningstar
Bandages
Ornate leather Bracers
Aquamarine Neckalce worth 150GP
a bluish Oil
Potion
Heavy Crossbow x2
20 bolts
MWK spear x2
Star crystal worth 25GP
Dust
I assume you have to turn it to symbols in some sequence. Some of those squiggles were on the wall in the other room. I don't know if we can figure out some clues there? At least try to follow the sequence from there?
Dunno, but they have a very complex aura. Interesting.
Some kind of protective shield of faith, against attacks, for about a minute.
This one makes a weapon magic for a little while.
More owl wisdom here.
That's all I've got.
Zdena nods thoughtfully. She flips through her notebook for a blank space, sketches out a circle, and scribbles around it "bug, rock, metal, wedge, hammer, cry, fire, claw, door, guy, bottle".
Kining, you want 'nother look at those real old carvings? Will watch your back.
Zdena leads Kining (and anyone else who wants another look) back to the first room on this level to look at the carvings.
Premek will go back too, and try to at least pick out the order of those symbols. But not without asking Sighere for some guidance.
These feathers are powerful, but I just can't figure out what they do
This wand is enchanted with Hold Person. Has 9 charges left.
These are bandages of rapid recovery. They... Do just what it sounds like.
I'll take another look at those carvings. And that inscription. Might be able to puzzle out something.
Malgrim swigs another potion of guidance and sits down with Premek and their notebook to puzzle out the inscription.
That's a potent wand. I think you {Malgrim} or I could use it, or owl shoulders. I've still got the other wand though.
Not really sure about this stuff either. The bracers however I recognize, they have a simple protection enchantment places on them
Mmm, I see it now. The bracers won't combine with armor, so they are best for you {Sighere} or me. You're the big easy target though, so maybe you better put them on. I would need to have them... adjusted... anyway.
Zdena leads the party back to the room with the inscriptions, and Kinig answers, Well, it is sort of similar to Dwarven, but I can't figure it out.... she looks hopelessly at the carvings, pointing out similarities to what was in the room behind them now.
Premek and Malgrim put their heads together, and puzzle out the ancient language: Grandmother, in seeking the Excavator, turned her
eyes to the Stone, and to the Steel, and finally to Woe. having put that together, the group paces back to the lair of the chieftain, looking again at the carvings around the 'grandmother' figure.
Again, trying to figure out what combination of symbols fit the passage interpreted by the scholars: beetle, a rock, a metal bar, a wedge, a hammer, a crying face, a flame, a claw, a door, a figure standing in triumph, and a bottle.
Sighere looks at it for a bit Sorry, I just don't follow
I suppose Grandmother is already in the center, so she doesn't need to be selected again.
Zdena writes down the sentence, struggling a little with spelling "excavator." Finally, she just writes "digger" and moves on.
Back at the puzzle, she nods at Premek's interpretation.
Don't see how any of these is digger. Maybe just means they keep a digger in there? She shrugs. Okay. Rock, metal, crying. Bułka z masłem.
She puts the notebook back in her belt pouch, takes a nervous breath, and starts spinning the device so the bulging eyes point at the rock, then the metal bar, and then the crying face.
The eons-old vault door swings silently and smoothly as Zdena selects the properly sequence of symbols.
Beyond the strangle metal door lies a chamber, perhaps 20 feet across. A three-stepped riser fills much of the room, atop which lies a vague insectoid stone sarcophagus similar to the statuary in other rooms of this subterranean structure.
Six of Sighere and Pharus' tribesmates sit on the steps of the dais, looking tired, injured, and hungry. Drof the Berserker, Ehonn Fair-hair, Pirnsik Eagle-talon, Lanu Spirit-blessed, Hausis Star-Child, Aagye Spider-Child each introduce themselves in turn. Pharus and Ehonn embracing with tears in their eyes for love thought lost.
There are four lidless stone coffers which are placed around the dias which contain valuables:
115 CP
730 SP
335 GP
10 PP
14 amethysts 25 gp each
9 aquamarines 30 GP each
1 bronze buckler
Two fist sized chunks of white stone [spoier= spellcraft DC DC 18]steadfast gutstones[/spoiler]
A belt of interlocking jade plates
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Sighere runs in and begins greeting and examining the few survivors
Premek walks around the space, sniffing and looking at things.
Weird place. The buckler is your most basic enchantment, not sure about the other stuff.
He pauses to see if he can get some friendly skritches from the villagers.
Then he climbs up to take a more detailed look at the insect-ish sarcophagus.
Aagye Spider-child pauses to reach down and scratch behind Premek's ears, You are a spirit-kitty aren't you? he's got slightly crazy eyes when he says that, but you realize that's perhaps just how he is...
The insect-like sarcophagus is definitely closed, but not sealed....
Sighere takes quick stock of everyone's physical condition, and finds that they are slightly dehydrated, and hungry, but in good enough shape other than that. Drof the Berserker is one the the tribe's warriors, and known for his battle-madness. Ehonn Fair-hair was sort of the seneschal of the village, keeping track of who's where and what resources were about. Pirnsik Eagle-talon, is an archer and huntsman. Lanu Spirit-blessed, is the other apprentice shaman in the village of Thornwood. Hausis Star-Child, is rumored to be partially descended from the spirits herself, and is a weaponsmith and leather-worker. Aagye Spider-Child is sort of a wild hermit living at the very edge of the village, and was the cousin of the village shaman. It was said he was a holy man, but wasn't very good at taking care of people, or making actual sense of what the spirits had to say.
Premek winks at Aagye in response to his query.
Sighere makes quick introductions to the rest of the party And then some "Uncle" He responds to Aagye.
Ryll watches Aagye warily as he reaches for Premek, but relaxes when her small friend appears to be amused by the interaction.
Looking around the room, she frowns. Offering her waterskin to the villagers, she asks quietly Do you know if the Trogs brought any others from your village here? Perhaps being held in other chambers?
Sighere looks up at Ryll's question, the trepidation clear on his face. You can tell he wants to know the answer but was afraid to ask.
Ehonn shakes her head in the negative, No, they overwhelmed us with their magics, and carried us away. The others, the others weren't so lucky... How did you find us? We weren't sure we were going to get out of here.