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Looks to me like it's hungry. How bout we give it some of those gems we found?
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"What, has someone taken your stones?" Gronilda looks at the scorpion clueless until Grymwold proposes to give it gems "Ah! That has sense. You want a food payment or something?" she takes the gems proposed by Grym and throws one at the scorpion to see what happens.
She checks there is no trap on the doors to see the way is clear.
Zarena smiles at Grym's plan and watches to see what happens when Gronilda throws one of the stones to the scorpion.
"What, has someone taken your stones?" Gronilda
Maybe one too many hits to the head Grym says with a shrug
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The creature's entire body seems to vibrate with excitement as the gemstone flies through the air. It scrambles forward and intercepts the stone before it hits the floor, catching it in its front claws.
You watch in as the creature's mouth parts seem to dissolve and reform around the gem, becoming part of its body. Once finished it snaps its claws together as if to applaud the kind gesture, then it turns and happily retreats back up the wall and into one of the empty crevices.
Having paid the "toll" to continue past the scorpion, Gronilda takes a careful look at the doors to the south and doesn't spot any traps.
"Good boy" Gronilda sees the scorpion retreat, then after the doors are checked, she pulls them open "Let's see what lays ahead"
Casting detect magic to scan the area if the next room does not have any enemy within.
wonder if we can train him to be a kind of guard dog
Grym moves forward through the door after it's opened
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Gronilda pulls open the doors ahead...
Enormous salt crystals hang from the ceiling here, glittering in the light of a glowing blue crystal set in an inhuman, insectlike statue in the center of the floor. Mist drifts along the floor of the circular chamber, swirling in the gentle currents of air. The western wall has collapsed into stony debris, but on the eastern wall a carving of a huge, withered dragon's face leers above a metallic door set deep in the stone. Woven mats made of dried grasses cover the floor, while bundles of dried herbs hang from the walls, filling the room with a pungent grassy odor.
Inside wait four troglodytes! One (Blue) is adorned with elaborate bone jewelry and blue clay markings. Another (Red) more prominent troglodyte carries a morningstar, and wears large blue crystals on her robes. With them stand two troglodyte guards. The four foes brandish their weapons as they notice the party.
A nasty, unfamiliar stench emanating from the robed troglodyte also fills the air...
, Red, Gronilda, Grymwold, Lizzie, Blue, Yellow, Green
(fail)
Zarena feels sick, but she uses one of the wands of magic missiles, aiming at Blue.
Managing to shrug off the worst of the stench, Ghost races forward to attack one of the guards.
The vile stench is almost staggering, but Saélihn pushes through, focusing her shot on Morningstar, wielding Red troglodyte.
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Zarena holds one of the magical wands aloft, and a purple missile flings through the air, slamming into the troglodyte with the bone jewelry.
Ghost charges forth and lunges at the guard, the troglodyte leaping out of the way at the last moment, while Saélihn fires a shot at red - but it goes wide.
That same troglodyte moves forward and holds its morningstar aloft. Thousands of stone fragments tear from the walls and swirl up into a miniature tornado around its body. The creature points its weapon ahead, stones explode around Gronilda and Grymwold (and the two troglodyte guards).
But the oracle isn't done. It points at Grymwold and chants a spell...
passed
fail
Grym raises his shield in time to block most of the stone shards but then feels a wave of magic paralyzing him in place. GRRRRR
With the situation being such a clustermess, Lizzie wasn't keen on using a ranged weapon. However Grymwold stiffening up, she slightly grumbled inwards.
She passes by Grymwold, quietly saying: "Tag me when you're moving again."
Cautiously she tries stabbing the red lizard.
Gronilda does her best to endure the onslaught of magic, then she points to a point at the back of their enemies and invokes the power of her god "Erastil bring your booming voice onto these evil lizards!"
As she completes the spell, a sound burst explodes in the room, hitting all the troglodites except yellow.
Finally she moves forward menacing the first line of enemies with her axe.
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Lizzie slips past Grymwold, her dagger flashing but missing the red-eyed troglodyte leader.
A thunderous boom erupts as Gronilda completes a spell, the sonic blast dropping the green-scaled guard instantly. The blue troglodyte staggers on its feet, dropping its spear, while the robed leader braces itself against the loud sound.
Seeing Gronilda's power, the yellow-garbed troglodyte launches an assault on her but she deflects each wild swing with ease.
Zarena uses the wand again, aiming at Blue.
Darting around to get into better position, Ghost continues snapping at the troglodyte facing Gronilda, though the enemy proves a skilled defender.
Taking advantage of the troglodyte's distraction Saélihn gets off a better shot, though the effort to prevent heaving from the sickening stench causes her shot to merely graze the warrior's arm.
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From Zarena's wand, another force missile flies across the chamber, striking the unarmed troglodyte.
The red-eyed troglodyte retreats a step from Lizzie and Gronilda, raising its morningstar again. Suddenly, dirt, gravel, and sharp jagged stones erupt from the ground in a violent storm that engulfs much of the cavern. The stinging fragments rips through (almost) everyone's flesh. It also shreds the yellow troglodyte who crumples to the ground.
The troglodyte oracle is casting stone call
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Grym engages in a silent struggle (full round) to overcome the paralyzing magic. Anyone watching his face in the midst of this battle might be able to notice a slight grin form as he shrugs off the magic effect
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Regretfully the debris is too much for Pawnies who collapses as the rocks fall on him.
Gronilda tries to protect herself the best she can with her shield, then moves past Lizzie, looking for better, defensible ground, and grows up to giant size to swing at the remaining smaller troglodyte , trying to leave the boss alone "For Phaendar!!!"
From her position, she menaces any of the two trogs.
Seeing Pawnies go down, Zarena picks him up gently and moves with him out of the area of devastation.
Lizzie pushes through, moving 5ft towards the troglodyte and continues fighting defensive, stabbing at him.
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Gronilda doubles in size and shouts a maginficent battlecry, swinging at the blue-robed troglodyte and cleaving a deep wound into its scales. Zarena rushes to Pawnies' rescue, and Lizzie tries to get around the defenses of the leader, but can't seem to hit it.
Despite Gronilda's intimidating size, the blue troglodyte looks up at the dwarf with a menacing glare. Gronilda swings while the troglodyte is distracted by its casting, but fails to hit.
Saélihn cries out in shock and pain, as an explosion of atone and crystal leaves her covered in cuts and bruises. Determined to end this fight sooner rather than later, the huntress utters a druidic incantation, imbuing her bow with great power and enormous pull.
Ghost presses, getting into better position to attack the red robed trog from behind.
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The focus required to cast the baneful spell on Lizzie is just the opportunity Ghost needs to sink his teeth deep into the back of the leader's leg, tearing into him with fierce savagery.
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Lizzie makes another step towards the oracle.
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A no-longer-paralyzed Grym makes his way through the treacherous terrain and takes a swing with his blade at the robed caster
Banner+1, Flanking+2
Inspired by the Hemmlock banner, Gronilda ensures her position, despite the shaking in her legs. With an automated but not resolved swing, he tries to take down the troglodyte once more with her axe.
Pawnies moans as he is moved by Zarena, seems the dog will be ok despite the brutal wounds.
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The Hemlock Banner shines overhead, filling Gronilda with memories of hope among Phaendar's survivors. She swings her axe, but the wounded troglodyte ducks away at the last moment.
Trapped between the enlarged dwarf and the cavern wall, panic fills the troglodyte's eyes. With a gesture toward Gronilda's weapon, it creates a slick coating of grease across the axe handle...
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"You want my axe? Take it!" Gronilda swings her axe with all her might trying to take the head of the troglodyte before he can manipulate her with his spells.
Moving forward carefully, Saélihn pushes through the sickening feeling, taking advantage of the trog's distinction to fire off a well placed shot.
Working in tandem with Saélihn on instinct, Ghost sinks his teeth into the troglodyte, tearing them to the ground.
Seeing that both wolves are stable, Zarena leaves them resting out of harm's way and ducks back out so she can see well enough to use the wand again, aiming at Red, the only one she can see.
3/12 charges used -- 4/10 rounds of sickened
"Is everyone ok?" Gronilda asks while she grasps her holy symbol seeing the many wounds and the fallen dog friend "Those falling rocks where awful. This could had gone any end, we had to risk a bit and fortunately made it"
The dog fortunately recovers, almost as if nothing has happened, he barks happy to be alive!
The dwarf taps the animal's head and smiles "Maybe we should examine the bodies then move to the eastern doors"
All good here..Sorry, I was pretty useless there. I'd rather face a Fireball any day than be paralyzed by magic. It's a freaky feeling being magically held like that
Grym assists in examining/looting the bodies
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Zarena nods, making sure the animals are okay, and after she gets over her sickness she assists in searching/looting the bodies.
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Taking a few moments to take a few deep breaths as the sick feeling wears off and the majority of her wounds are healed, Saélihn moves into the cavern, running her fingers through Ghost's fur in appreciation of his good work in the fight and standing guard as the others search the fallen enemies.
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Examining the corpses reveals the following loot:
Looking around the chamber, the door to the east is otherworldly, being made of polished, blue steel. 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 like an insect and an old woman - spins freely, and the wheel of pictograms depicts a beetle, a rock, a wedge, a hammer, a crying face, a flame, a claw, a door, a metal bar, a figure standing in triumph, and a bottle.
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Gronilda examines the items and tries to decipher the auras and taste the potions to know what are them.
Gronilda examines the unusual head and notices something "Hey! Remember the inscription a bit before? Some of the objects are here depicted"
"This looks like a puzzle. Seems we have to turn the eyes first to the rock, then the metal bar, but what would be the final position, the Woe?" the dwarf thinks for a bit until she points one possible solution "Perhaps the crying face? What do you think? Shall we try that combination?"
Zarana moves up to see the puzzle. That's a clever solution. Hopefully it will work.
She backs up around a corner when it is tried though, just in case.