The spider is shredded into many grotesque pieces as the party dispatches it with ease.
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Lugrok simply watches, setting his great axe end up, leaning against it as the rest of the party slaughters the single, poor, hungry spider with ease. He looks down at Urk, who snorts once and sits as well, almost as if he was pouting.
Then, Wrofyx spoke once more, another joke, this time involving boars. Lugrok thought about it for a moment before letting out a bellowing laugh.
"You hear that, Urk? Fat Penguin made a joke! And it had boars!"
The half orc continued laughing wiping a single tear from his eye.
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Ringo surveys the the room as well as the spiders corpse.
Perhaps some wizard could use parts from this creature? Or maybe it has something, or someone, caught up in it's webbing?
"Hey Wizard-wanna-be, any good parts of the spider that might be desirable?" He says teasingly as he turns to look in Gronak's direction.
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Gronak grabs a leg and pulls, tearing out some of the spider’s meaty bits with it, and tosses it to Urk.
”It may be useful to feed the next pack of wild dogs we face.”
He wipes off his sword and sheathes it, then pulls a torch from his pack and lights it, using the flame to burn away excess webbing and provide a better view of the room.
A small cocoon hangs in the webs, holding the remains of an unfortunate dog that fell into the spider’s clutches. The desiccated carcass is still wearing its leather collar, which is studded with lapis lazuli stones and has a silver tag reading “Kita.”
The Western wing is empty saved for an old door.
The door appears unlocked and functional, and opens to a spiral staircase leading up.
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Lugrok frowns slightly, watching the others cut down the webbed carcass, looking over at Urk, who himself was now staring at the spider leg in front of him, then back up at Gronak. He looked down at his wee companion and spoke.
"Be not too saddened by this animals passing. The spider was a hunter, and the dog became its chosen prey for that time. It is simply the circle of life and death that is Nature itself. But I will gather the rocks, to commemorate the animal which you do not know, if it brings ease to your mind."
He set off just outside, grabbing some rocks to make out a cairn for the passed hound, leaving Urk inside to help watch the area in case something else should happen.
The party takes 20 minutes to give the poor, desiccated dog a funeral worthy of its name... "Kita".
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Gronak remains quiet through the “funeral”, focused on watching and listening to see if their initial skirmishes in the tower have drawn any attention.
The customs of some of these people show such ignorance of the dangers that exist in this world. If this helps to give them purpose, so be it. Hopefully this quest will not result in one of their own deaths.
As soon as the service wraps up, Gronak is eager to move ahead to the stairway, taking the lead.
The party begins the climb up the stairs and come to a door at the second level, while the stairs continue up.
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Lugrok grunts at the spectacle, not really understanding why they are doing this for a dog. Circle of life. Natures way. It is what it is.
Let them lament. Its the city dwellers way to commemorate every moment with some kind of service.
He kept a wary eye around them in case something else decided to not abide by the solemn event taking place in front of him.
Once the event came to a close, he moved back to his place within the party, Urk trotting next to him best he could. When they came to a fork in the stairs, as it were, he looked at the others.
"If we are looking for someone, we should check every floor. It is possible we may find them in one place, or many places..."
He just let that sit in the air.
Urk grunted, almost sounding like a chortle, for what would pass for one from a boar.
Ringo examines the door, and it appears functional... though a rank odor is emanating from it.
Upon opening the door, the party receives the full blast of the horrible stench. Inside... Racks for weapons line the walls of this chamber; above the racks hang various shields, pieces of armor, weapons, and standards on display. Most of the racks are empty, but a few weapons remain in place. A horrible stench fills the room as well, akin to the smell of rotten eggs mixed with the reek of an open sewer. Two creatures seem to grin at you as they throw Javelins at Ringo
The gnome turns yellow as he is sickened by the stench, and both Javelins Hit Ringo, one squarely in the chest!
- Bold may act!
Lugrok
Trog
Gronak
Trog
Urk
Dragos
Wrofyx
Ringo
These humanoids' scaly hides are dull gray. Their frames resemble that of a cave lizard, with long tails and crests on their heads and backs.
These appear to be young Troglodytes. A chaotic evil race by nature, their stench can sicken most air breathing creatures as if poisoned just by being near them.
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Lugrok blanched for a moment as the rancid air wafted toward them from the room and down the stairs.
"By Grabthar's branch, what is that stench?"
He quickly pulled a small piece of his furred mantle over his face to see if that would help against it. Seeing Fat Penguin dry heave and then hearing the obvious sound of weaponry piercing skin followed by the grunt of pain, he prepped his great axe in hand, but not before speaking a few syllables in a mystical tongue and touching Gronaks weapon, which caused it to light up with a greenish-yellow light, filling the stairway about them.
"Foul stench! Foul beasts! Let the light drive you away!"
A low bark fell from his throat, telling Urk it was time to play fetch...
The creature, gleeful at his first throw, decides to draw another Javelin and throw again!
but it bounces off the side of Ringo's armor (barely!)
- Bold may act!
Lugrok
Trog
Gronak
Trog
Urk
Dragos
Wrofyx
Ringo
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Gronak charges forward, bellowing out a battle cry as he passes Ringo and enters the room.
”Return to the hell that birthed you, foul beasts!”
He does not seem overly concerned with the smell, but also hopes that focusing on breathing out will help... briefly.
He takes a mighty swing with his Greatsword.
Gronak comeas out of seemingly nowhere and slices his target in half.
- Bold may act!
Lugrok
Trog
Gronak
Trog
Urk
Dragos
Wrofyx
Ringo
Between Ringo and Urk, the other troglodyte is taken out in a bloody mess.
Most of the few remaining arms in the room have rusted away, making them useless in combat.
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Lugrok smiles as he watches Urk do a little victory lap around the room, the boar snorting in cheer as he took out a Very Important Enemy(tm).
"Ringo, do you need some healing or will you survive another encounter with things like such?"
Even while waiting for an answer, he began scanning the room, prodding at things with the tip of the axe in his hand.
The party sifts out a masterwork silver dagger, a masterwork light steel shield emblazoned with a leaping dolphin, and a banner depicting a bird made of living flame. The banner belongs to the Band of the Phoenix, one of Absalom’s most famous hunting lodges during the Age of Blades. The banner is worth 100 gp.
There is no moss or other materials appropriate for healing present.
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Poking his finger through the hole in his hide vestments, finding it stopping at his mended flesh, Ringo smiles slightly at Dragos.
"Gorum indeed be praised!" Ringo stows the guisarme on his back as he motions to towards the shield. "Well I suppose, utilizing the shield we've just found, I could strike a defensive posture as we open the next door?"
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Lugrok huffs a bit, not finding anything of use around the immediate area that could help Ringo. Hearing some words fall from Dragos' lips, and the slight glow of godly power, his search is stopped. No need wasting time on something that is irrelevant now.
Seeing Ringo and Gronak prepare themselves for the next door, Lugrok moves a bit behind them, keeping Urk at his side. He waves Fat Penguin over, pointing to the area behind him.
"Be here, Fat Penguin. It will keep you away from whatever may be there and you."
Wrofyx casts his spell to open the door.
Judging from the shelves lining the walls, this darkened room might once have been a storeroom, though its contents have long since succumbed to the passage of time. A crack in the northern wall has apparently let in some rainwater, which has collected in a large puddle on the floor.
This dog-sized lizard waddles up to the party. It has two horns, one on either side of its head, and green scales that crackle with sparks of lightning. As it excitedly gets near to Ringo, it sniffs at his feet...
Ringo jumps as the electricity sparking off its scales bounces onto the stone Ringo was standing on. The beastie ducks into a defensive stance at Ringo's quick movement.
Ringo tosses a slice of jerky to the lizard as it chomps on it, the electricity seeming to settle down. It waddles a few feet away to munch on its snack happily.
Wrofyx explains this is a Shocker Lizard - a small magical beast.
The party can enter the room fairly safely but finds the contents moldy and useless.
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Lugrok looks about the room, his sight taking in the details.
"Urk, do not bite that. It might hurt you."
Seeing a door to the east of the one they entered, he motions his head toward it.
"Two doors. Nothing has come charging through them just yet. This is not a good choice however; means we could be attacked from two sides should enemies behind either."
He pulls back to the room where the trogs had been, Urk remaining within close distance to his friend. Lugrok holds his axe in ready, should something come from the other door from this room.
"We will watch this door and shout an alarm should something come forth from it. Thoughts?"