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Company of Chaos - All Around Golarion
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<blockquote data-quote="Lwaxy" data-source="post: 5810210" data-attributes="member: 53286"><p>Bad cold related joint pains, so super slow typing for me.</p><p></p><p>----------------</p><p></p><p></p><p>Climbing up the staircase, Cajun threw worried glances at Mook. He wondered if it was only him noticing that the oracle seemed to have trouble moving, every now and then holding her lower back. The alchemist tried to recall if she had fallen or otherwise could have hurt herself, but there was no memory of any such event. Cajun's remaining attention was on their troglodyte... guides? Captives? He was not sure, other than that he would not trust them. </p><p></p><p>At the next landing the two younglings Hark and... Pilfer? Pilgrim? Cajun sighed inwardly, feeling very confused right now. Anyway, the two of them stopped and talked nervously to Samin, who relayed that they should not stop here because the "violent lieutenant" was living here. The young troglodytes seemed truly terrified about it, and so the party moved up to the next floor with them. </p><p></p><p>All except Cajun. He was not sure what made him stay behind, maybe the need to make sure nothing fell into their backs. Grabbing his hammer and feeling for a flask of alchemist's fire, he made for the door to the room the door off the landing led to. He paused for a moment, straining to listen, but the thick door made it all but impossible to hear what was going on. He thought he heard some snoring, but he could not be sure. </p><p></p><p>There was no way to push the distorted door open silently, so he bashed it right in. Stumbling forward, he noticed a room with old beds partly filled up with leaves and straw and the odd half rotten mattress. From 3 of the beds, sleepy reptilian eyes stared at him in disbelief. The stink was nauseating here, too, but Cajun managed to push it out of his mind, if barely so. Seeing the troglodytes, who tried to wake up with all the slowness of a reptilian body in cold weather, were no real threat at the moment, he switched the alchemist's fire he was still holding in his belt pouch for something less deadly but equally effective. </p><p></p><p>'Sleep bomb' his master at Kassen had called this specific potion, made of the extracts of herbs and spiced with the sort of alchemical agents causing a cloud of gas to form. He had been warned that it would spread quick, so he would have to duck out of the room immediately. But it was also an advantage as it meant the cloud would dissipate quickly. Not the strongest of alchemical gadgets, to be sure, but now he was happy he had thought to bring the gifts of his former master on their journey instead of some of the other things. </p><p></p><p>It worked right as planned. Cajun decided he did not care much for the bitter taste when he could not escape the forming cloud of his assault entirely, but he felt only slightly dizzy and that was over in a moment or two. He was just about to bind his captives, when he heard his sister's voice behind him. "What are you doing? The others are up to find their leader."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah and I'm down here dealing with what Hulk and Pilfer were afraid of. What are you doing here?" the half-orc countered. </p><p></p><p>"Looking for you." Zaza chuckled at Cajun messing up the names of the troglodytes, then went to help him bind them up. "I noticed you were missing, and then saw you throwing something in here. If you think it is necessary to check this landing out, you are probably right."</p><p></p><p>Cajun grunted agreement. Nice to see his sister, at least, show some sense. "Ready your crossbow, sis. I'm going to find this Taruk."</p><p></p><p>"Tulok," she automatically corrected him and did as he asked. "Just don't stand in my line of fire."</p><p></p><p>"Don't intend to!" Without checking if the adjacent door to the next room was locked, he bashed it in with his shoulder, once more struggling for balance. But he had picked the wrong door. This one was full of puddles as cracks in the walls and ceiling of this chamber had allowed rainwater to collect here, flooding the room and giving rise to a profusion of mold and fungus along the walls and ceiling. The only inhabitant was a giant frog, who jumped right up to attack Cajun. Why the stupid thing thought the half-orc looked like food was a mystery, but it seemed hungry enough to not be afraid. </p><p></p><p>A crossbow bolt hit the frog square between the eyes and dropped it immediately. A surprised and happy "yay" sounded from behind the alchemist. Cajun lowered his hammer and grinned at his sister. "Nice shot there." </p><p></p><p>"Thanks. Hey, did you see that?" Zaza waded through the ankle deep water towards a molded and broken table. A moment later she retrieved a small statue that looked like it was jade. "Trust you to find valuable stuff in the weirdest places," Cajun chuckled. </p><p></p><p>They went back to the troglodyte barracks, somewhat elated at their find and easy success towards the giant frog. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Up the stairs, their absence had not been noted yet. The remaining party emerged on the 5th floor. The four wings of the tower were completely open on this level, forming one great, cross-shaped chamber with arched ceilings. The decayed remnants of a carpet ran from the doorways at the end of each wing, meeting in the center, where the spiral staircase dropped out of sight below. A large, throne-like chair stood in the middle of the eastern wing next to a big chest. The light was dim as the daylight shining in through the archways was obscured by the clouds of the storm that was now beginning. </p><p></p><p>A lizard figure looking somewhat defeated, or, as much as anyone could read reptile body language, struck by a loss, stood at the eastern archway, looking out into the distance. A very small albino crocodile was next to the troglodyte, making a hissing sound and thus alerting the leader to the party's presence. </p><p></p><p>Hark and Pilder started to talk very fast to their boss. They were talking over each other, and it was obvious the leader – who looked like a shaman or druid with his tall scimitar made out of some sort of bone – didn't understand a word. A few hisses from him later, one of the younglings started all over again, pointing hastily to Samin, Brenn-Krell and Kronk in the process while ignoring the others. </p><p></p><p>"Great, now we are 'everyone else' " Edawon joked. </p><p></p><p>"I c-can live w-with that," Mook anounced. </p><p></p><p>Brenn-Krell suddenly started coughing. A moment later, more shivers like before went over his body. His transformation back to his true self was beginning. "Bad timing," he gasped. </p><p></p><p>"Worse than you might think," Kronk whispered before turning his attention back to the troglodytes. </p><p></p><p>Just then Mook noticed the siblings missing and was about to mention it, when the troglodyte leader started speaking while coming closer with his pet. He seemed tense, but not openly aggressive. "his name is Tasskar," Samin translated. "And he claims this tower for himself. He says we should surrender as his slaves."</p><p></p><p>"Yeah, a-as if," Mook mumbled. As she said that, the room filled with the same scent from downstairs, pushing back the troglodyte smell. Tasskar's head swirled around and he stared at Mook, hissing something that sounded angry. </p><p></p><p>Samin replied, calming Tasskar down a bit. Edawon wondered how long the tongues spell would hold, and if Samin could do it again. Without a way to talk to these creatures, there would certainly be violence. It was a wonder Samin was so good at negotiations, but Edawon had not known the young man long enough to really wonder about it. </p><p></p><p>"C-cajun and Zaza are g-gone," Mook whispered. "I g-guess they were curious about t-the other l-level."</p><p></p><p>"Despite the warning from those two?" The halfling frowned. "But now that I think about it, we should have checked out that level first."</p><p></p><p>"Y-yeah. W-want to g-go look for them?" </p><p></p><p>"I will. You stay here, he has noticed you and whatever you did with the air seemed to have at least impressed him." With that, Edawon slid back towards the stairway and down, leaving Mook to wonder why everyone was blaming her for some scent in the air.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lwaxy, post: 5810210, member: 53286"] Bad cold related joint pains, so super slow typing for me. ---------------- Climbing up the staircase, Cajun threw worried glances at Mook. He wondered if it was only him noticing that the oracle seemed to have trouble moving, every now and then holding her lower back. The alchemist tried to recall if she had fallen or otherwise could have hurt herself, but there was no memory of any such event. Cajun's remaining attention was on their troglodyte... guides? Captives? He was not sure, other than that he would not trust them. At the next landing the two younglings Hark and... Pilfer? Pilgrim? Cajun sighed inwardly, feeling very confused right now. Anyway, the two of them stopped and talked nervously to Samin, who relayed that they should not stop here because the "violent lieutenant" was living here. The young troglodytes seemed truly terrified about it, and so the party moved up to the next floor with them. All except Cajun. He was not sure what made him stay behind, maybe the need to make sure nothing fell into their backs. Grabbing his hammer and feeling for a flask of alchemist's fire, he made for the door to the room the door off the landing led to. He paused for a moment, straining to listen, but the thick door made it all but impossible to hear what was going on. He thought he heard some snoring, but he could not be sure. There was no way to push the distorted door open silently, so he bashed it right in. Stumbling forward, he noticed a room with old beds partly filled up with leaves and straw and the odd half rotten mattress. From 3 of the beds, sleepy reptilian eyes stared at him in disbelief. The stink was nauseating here, too, but Cajun managed to push it out of his mind, if barely so. Seeing the troglodytes, who tried to wake up with all the slowness of a reptilian body in cold weather, were no real threat at the moment, he switched the alchemist's fire he was still holding in his belt pouch for something less deadly but equally effective. 'Sleep bomb' his master at Kassen had called this specific potion, made of the extracts of herbs and spiced with the sort of alchemical agents causing a cloud of gas to form. He had been warned that it would spread quick, so he would have to duck out of the room immediately. But it was also an advantage as it meant the cloud would dissipate quickly. Not the strongest of alchemical gadgets, to be sure, but now he was happy he had thought to bring the gifts of his former master on their journey instead of some of the other things. It worked right as planned. Cajun decided he did not care much for the bitter taste when he could not escape the forming cloud of his assault entirely, but he felt only slightly dizzy and that was over in a moment or two. He was just about to bind his captives, when he heard his sister's voice behind him. "What are you doing? The others are up to find their leader." "Yeah and I'm down here dealing with what Hulk and Pilfer were afraid of. What are you doing here?" the half-orc countered. "Looking for you." Zaza chuckled at Cajun messing up the names of the troglodytes, then went to help him bind them up. "I noticed you were missing, and then saw you throwing something in here. If you think it is necessary to check this landing out, you are probably right." Cajun grunted agreement. Nice to see his sister, at least, show some sense. "Ready your crossbow, sis. I'm going to find this Taruk." "Tulok," she automatically corrected him and did as he asked. "Just don't stand in my line of fire." "Don't intend to!" Without checking if the adjacent door to the next room was locked, he bashed it in with his shoulder, once more struggling for balance. But he had picked the wrong door. This one was full of puddles as cracks in the walls and ceiling of this chamber had allowed rainwater to collect here, flooding the room and giving rise to a profusion of mold and fungus along the walls and ceiling. The only inhabitant was a giant frog, who jumped right up to attack Cajun. Why the stupid thing thought the half-orc looked like food was a mystery, but it seemed hungry enough to not be afraid. A crossbow bolt hit the frog square between the eyes and dropped it immediately. A surprised and happy "yay" sounded from behind the alchemist. Cajun lowered his hammer and grinned at his sister. "Nice shot there." "Thanks. Hey, did you see that?" Zaza waded through the ankle deep water towards a molded and broken table. A moment later she retrieved a small statue that looked like it was jade. "Trust you to find valuable stuff in the weirdest places," Cajun chuckled. They went back to the troglodyte barracks, somewhat elated at their find and easy success towards the giant frog. Up the stairs, their absence had not been noted yet. The remaining party emerged on the 5th floor. The four wings of the tower were completely open on this level, forming one great, cross-shaped chamber with arched ceilings. The decayed remnants of a carpet ran from the doorways at the end of each wing, meeting in the center, where the spiral staircase dropped out of sight below. A large, throne-like chair stood in the middle of the eastern wing next to a big chest. The light was dim as the daylight shining in through the archways was obscured by the clouds of the storm that was now beginning. A lizard figure looking somewhat defeated, or, as much as anyone could read reptile body language, struck by a loss, stood at the eastern archway, looking out into the distance. A very small albino crocodile was next to the troglodyte, making a hissing sound and thus alerting the leader to the party's presence. Hark and Pilder started to talk very fast to their boss. They were talking over each other, and it was obvious the leader – who looked like a shaman or druid with his tall scimitar made out of some sort of bone – didn't understand a word. A few hisses from him later, one of the younglings started all over again, pointing hastily to Samin, Brenn-Krell and Kronk in the process while ignoring the others. "Great, now we are 'everyone else' " Edawon joked. "I c-can live w-with that," Mook anounced. Brenn-Krell suddenly started coughing. A moment later, more shivers like before went over his body. His transformation back to his true self was beginning. "Bad timing," he gasped. "Worse than you might think," Kronk whispered before turning his attention back to the troglodytes. Just then Mook noticed the siblings missing and was about to mention it, when the troglodyte leader started speaking while coming closer with his pet. He seemed tense, but not openly aggressive. "his name is Tasskar," Samin translated. "And he claims this tower for himself. He says we should surrender as his slaves." "Yeah, a-as if," Mook mumbled. As she said that, the room filled with the same scent from downstairs, pushing back the troglodyte smell. Tasskar's head swirled around and he stared at Mook, hissing something that sounded angry. Samin replied, calming Tasskar down a bit. Edawon wondered how long the tongues spell would hold, and if Samin could do it again. Without a way to talk to these creatures, there would certainly be violence. It was a wonder Samin was so good at negotiations, but Edawon had not known the young man long enough to really wonder about it. "C-cajun and Zaza are g-gone," Mook whispered. "I g-guess they were curious about t-the other l-level." "Despite the warning from those two?" The halfling frowned. "But now that I think about it, we should have checked out that level first." "Y-yeah. W-want to g-go look for them?" "I will. You stay here, he has noticed you and whatever you did with the air seemed to have at least impressed him." With that, Edawon slid back towards the stairway and down, leaving Mook to wonder why everyone was blaming her for some scent in the air. [/QUOTE]
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