[1] The Lower Road

You can't really tell what they say to each other in the few moments that follow, but there are clearly two leaders among the troglodytes, and one of the supporters of one is being blamed for throwing that slimy moss into the other leader's bowl. Everything happens to quickly for actual battle lines to be drawn - instead it's an all out brawl. Knives and clubs come out, and one over there in the corner is nocking an arrow...

It's hard to tell through all this, but seven of the trogs appear to be on one side and five on the other. There's already more than a few injuries, and as one trog vaults over a table and grings his plate down on the head of one of the smaller ones, there's at least one down for the count. If you were all to get an attack or two in, it wouldn't go noticed.

One by one the combatants fall and sides fracture and change as each one sees an opening to become higher up in the pecking order. Finally, after just a few minutes, there's only five left standing, and only one of the original leaders is on his feet. The other in unconscious under a half-overturned table, and while most of the rest are also simply knocked out, three of them are clearly dead.

Just as they seem to have it worked out of their system, Astrid casts her spell and the second-largest one snarls and rushes at the leader, but trips and falls, and gets a knife through his back for his troubles. The big one clearly makes a challenge in the same vein as 'Does anyone else want some?' and the others fall back and flee, licking their wounds.

Not a single one of them is uninjured now, and they're fairly-well spread out. To succeed here, though, and keep the favor of your tiny reptilian worshippers, you'll have to convince them to leave or put them down.

[ +- ] Battle Map

Astrid drops from the ceiling right behind the largest trog and electricity spears through it, dropping it dead in an instant. She vaults over the table and gets her hands on one of the smaller ones as well, dropping it too, although that's not quite as much of a feat - it was very injured already. The one sitting next to it leaps up and swipes at her with it's claws.

Verin leaps down to the other larger trog and while it's steel, not electricity this time, it turns out that both are equally good at spearing things dead.

As the second trog falls, the first one rises, lurching toward S'sylin to receive instructions.

The sudden commotion from the main room brings another couple smaller trogs running, expecting to be able to see another fight - trogs are nothing if not vicious, even to their own kind - but upon seeing you, they scream and yell for assistance. "Smoothskins here! Up! Get up and fight!"

Astrid's incantation reverberated through the air, seizing control of the first troglodyte's mind before its cry is even fully out of its throat. The abrupt hush was palpable, and out of it, S'sylin's spear whistled past his thrall with unerring precision, finding its mark and silencing the second just as well as the previous spell - though somewhat more permanently. You strain your ears to detect any sign of additional threats, but only stillness hangs in the air.

Despite the apparent reprieve, however, you know that the surrounding shadows conceal more dangers - at the very least the remaining troglodytes are lurking in the shadows. But the absence of any sign of the rest of them is concerning. Are they hiding because they fear you? Are they looking for the best moment to escape? Or are they waiting for an opportunity to strike?