Room 66 - Mulching Room
The door to this 15'x15' room has a finely printed sign that says "Please Keep Door Closed" (matching the print quality on the door of 69 and label in 70). Either opening the door or inspecting the edges while shut reveals that there is cloth around the sides of the door to give a tight seal. The reason for wanting that is immediately obvious from the exceedingly strong acrid/decay/wood odor that starts to come out of the room, and a voice says from above the door says "<expletive of choice>, in or out, hurry up!". Anyone actually entering the room capable of smelling must make a DC 8 Con save or be subject to the Poisoned effect until such a save is made (the DC goes up by 2 after each of the first three failures; it goes to DC 6 if they leave the room).
The smell apparently comes from the huge pile of sawdust, poor quality boards and logs, chamber pot leavings, and plate scrapings slowly decaying in the middle of the room. This is where Picus Rubro in 67 gets rid of the leftovers from his woodworking and also any bodies or other annoying things. There is currently a decaying, headless, Bugbear body (see room 70), a nearly stripped clean halfling skeleton, and parts of several other humanois under the sawdust. It appears anything unmulchable is removed from the bodies before they are put in. The cleaning of the parts is being done by a Swarm of Rot Grubs.
The request to hurry up comes from the Gale Mephit (see below; whose name is "West Wind's April Storm Herald" in Auran and sounds something like "Oh-Shwish-ooo-ooo") that has been bound to guarding the smell. It will use its Gust Breath to keep the smell in if the party dilly dallies. If attacked it will retreat to near the ceiling to defend itself and yell for help in Auran and loudly repeat the <expletive of choice> as needed. (The phrase above is the only thing it knows in common).
Oh-Shwish-ooo-ooo doesn't have much hope that help will come. But there is a 3'x3' poorly made frame of sticks leaning against the north-west corner that Tum Tum (see 65) can look through and use if the mood strikes him. It is also possible that Grandma (in 64) might have one of her children look down the hall if it continues long enough.
View attachment 273680
Gale Mephit
Small Elemental, Netutral Evil
Armor Class: 12
Hit Points: 17 (5d6)
Speed: 30 ft. fly 30 ft.
Str 6 (-3), Dex 14 (+2), Con 10 (+0), Int 9 (-1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 12 (+1)
Skills: Perception +2, Stealth +4
Damage Resistance: Thunder
Damage Immunities: Poison
Condition Immunities: Poisoned
Senses: Darkvision 60ft, Passive Perception 12
Languages: Auran
Death Burst - When the mephit dies, it leaves with a 5' radius blast of wind. Unsecured objects within the area of effect are automatically pushed 5 feet away and torches and candles are extinguished. Creatures must make a strength save and on a failed roll are also pushed 5 feet away. Those failing the save who are forced into a wall must make a DC 10 Dexterity save or take 2 (1d4) blugeoning damage.
Innate spellcasting 1/day. The mephit can innately cast Cyclonic Wave, requiring no components. (As Thunderwave but 1d8 Blugeoning Damage instead of any Thunder damage, and the effect is only audible to 100 feet as a huge blast of wind and not thunder). Its innate spellcasting ability is Charisma.
Actions
Claws: Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5ft. one creature. Hit: 4 (1d4+2) slashing damage.
Gust Breath (Recharge 6): The mephit exhales a 15-foot cone of wind. Each creature in that area must make a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 5 feet away from you. Objects being neither held nor carried are pushed up to 10 feet away.
Challenge: 1/4 (50xp) Proficiency Bonus: +2
