D&D 5E (IC) Vault of the Dracolich (Dispensables)

[Chronicler]

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[td][sblock="Status Box"]Devan the Dawnbringer
NG (L) Human Sorcerer 1/Warlock 3

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Size: M | Speed: 30 ft. | Senses: Passive Perception 13

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Initiative: +2 | Armor Class: 19 | Hit Dice: 1d6+3d8+8+1 | Hit Points: 28/30

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Spell Slots: 1st-lvl: 0/2, [W] 2nd-lvl: 2 | Concentration: None

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Affected by: Comprehend Languages (1 hour) | Conditions: None[/sblock] "Uhh, yes. All hail the dragon!" Devan shouted in response. "Please, take us to your Chief. We will speak to him. We will not kill you. But if you kill us, we will kill you back. So no killing anyone, okay?"

Tentatively, the wary Inquisitor waved to the rest of the party, motioning for them to follow. "I think they're willing to escort us back to their tribal leader. At the very least, we'll get to make it a bit deeper into this complex." It wasn't much to bank on, but if they could avoid a fight now and infiltrate a bit further, then it was possibly worth the risk.[/td]
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[gargoyleking]

Bobranthus looks quizically at the priest for a moment and then shrugs. Checking his gear to make sure everything is situated and ready to go he considers his options and pulls out the sword he'd taken from the lizards. Thinking better of it, he stabs it into a handy patch of dirt and leaves it there. It was nice, but not worth potentially sparking an unnecessary battle. "The let us go and do this thing."

Squirrels are evil!

 

[Prickly Pear]

Sesto searched the cave for any passages through, however small it might be, but, alas, there was nothing to be found. Not even a trap door in any of the huts.
Disappointed, Sesto gathers his belongings and follows Bob to join Devan.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Location Troglodyte Caves

Warily, the group makes its way down the tunnel (as the troglodytes remove their snares) and into a much larger cavern. Wood-and-mud huts line both sides of the large cavern. Beady eyes peer at the adventurers from every corner in the dim light of the strange moss which hangs down from above in vast, eerie sheets. The wizened troglodyte and his guards (some of whom were involved in the previous altercation, based on their fresh burns, if not from recognising the individual) lead the way down a gentle slope as the cavern narrows and then widens again into an even larger, lower cavern.

This third cavern is the largest so far and is dominated on the left by a wide pit, edged in spears and lined with mounds of dirt; clearly a battle-arena designed for spectators. Opposite this pit, on the right, mounted on a stone dais on a ledge to the right, stands a strange obelisk; one side of it is shaped crudely like a humanoid figure, the other dug-out like a rounded coffin, large enough that one could lie inside it (standing up). There are various arcane markings on both the dais and the obelisk, which is made from a rough red stone.

"Come. Come. Chief is this way." says the old Trog as he gestures past the battle-pit, through another dark tunnel.

 

[gargoyleking]

Bobranthus walks through the caverns with a swagger, his head high and shoulders back. He meets the gaze of any troglodyte that dares to seek eye contact with a steast gaze as he passes them by. He only looks away once they do, or once he walks past them.

Squirrels are evil!

 

[FitzTheRuke]

The Trogs stare and whisper to each other (really a hiss) as Bob walks by. One points at him and says something unintelligible to his companions who nod vigorously.

Bob assumes they think he's awesome.

 

[Prickly Pear]

Sesto follows along, looking left and right for trouble. The Trogs looks on the edge but nobody is making any sudden movements. "Good! They are holding up their end of the bargain, at least", Sesto thinks.
As they walk through the large cavern, Sesto looks at a pit in the ground. "It looks like a fighting pit... I wonder who fights in there? Are they having fighting games or do they pit prisoners and animals against each other", Sesto wonders and imagining how awful it would be to be at the bottom of the pit facing some horror from the dark.
Suddenly, to his right, something else catches Sesto's eye. There seem to be a strange obelisk standing there... With a hollow large enough for a man to stand in. "I wonder what that is?" he thinks. "And what are those markings saying?"
Sesto starts to make his way over to the obelisk to have a brief look — with guidance from Lathander, he might just get some insight into the obelisk.

OOC: Sesto will not continue to the obelisk if the Trogs blocks his way or starts acting agitated. He will look at the markings and try to make out what they say. Insight check of obelisk (with Guidance): 1D20+6+1D4 = [17]+6+[3] = 26 (if Insight check is inappropriate then subtract 6 for Arcana check or subtract 4 for Religion check)

 

[FitzTheRuke]

OOC: Insight isn't appropriate. It's used for interaction with creatures. Both the other two work here, though!

It's a short-range transport device built by worshippers of Bhaal. When active, it would transport someone who stands in it to another like it, somewhere within a thousand feet. From appearances, this one was recently moved up on to the ledge from a clear spot on the cavern floor. (This would have been a lot of work as it appears to weigh many hundreds of pounds). As it now stands, someone arriving by it would have to climb down fifteen feet to the cavern floor (and the dais would not fit more than one or two people.)

"You come see chief now!" says the old Trog, according to Devan.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Location: The Cavern of Urbone, Chief of the Troglodytes

The wizened troglodyte leads the Dispensables to a cavern dominated by a huge mud hut surrounded by a circle of sharp sticks. A giant lizard skull sits atop the hut’s roof, with skeletal giant bat wings to either side creating the appearance of some kind of mock-dragon. In the lizard skull's eye-holes burn torches, giving it an ominous countenance in the dim light of the cavern. Across from the Chief's hut, a large fire-pit smoulders, it's smoke travelling up into a vast chimney far above. Further down the cavern, algae clings to the walls and is farmed in large watery pits. Near the algae pits are three guard-huts, similar to the ones at the cave entrance, and two separate tunnels that descend into darkness, each with two troglodytes guards.

"Urbone, mighty chief of dragon-cave people!" announces the wizened troglodyte, who then presents the Dispensables, saying, "Outsiders who vanquished pit-snake and made guards run!"

Inside the hut, there is a large open area with a dirt floor, six tough-looking honour-guard troglodytes, armed with steel weapons and wearing chain armour, and seated high on a clay throne, Urbone, troglodyte chieftain.
His face is heavily wrinkled, with bits of moss and fungus growing out of parts of his head. He wears a giant lizard skull as a helmet-crown and has the wing bones of a huge bat arrayed on his back to give him a draconic appearance. Scattered before his throne, as a show of his wealth, is a pile of gems and coins, golden plates and goblets, statues and carvings, and other valuables.

He gazes at the group with a cool pride and waits for one of them to speak.

 

[Prickly Pear]

Sesto has learnt to stay quiet and wait for Devan to talk. Devan has a way with words that seems to work with the troglodytes.