Crimson Sands of Time

Trisk will listen for any sounds, particularly those of birds and animals.

Perception: 18 

Trisk hears soft breathing, which ceases for a moment and shifts to a series of snorts kr sneezes as the source of the sounds becomes clear. 

You see this creature sleeping in a clearing.

Picollo finds the water refreshing. Upon drinking it, she is no longer thirsty.

(Secure your gate and glyph keys)

Piccolo, now feeling somewhat better, her throat no longer burning from the radiant light, studies the sleeping creature and moves silently toward the west taking a path around the beast, to get a better view of the other passages

(perception with disadvantage due to exhaustion 18)

It does appear that the last room took a large toll on the small girl (exhaustion and some damage)

tetrevess quietly enters and studies the creature (18 arcana, 14 history on some unusually poor rolls in the log).

”curious.  let the poor thing sleep, If we can. Might wake up grumpy.”.  he thinks to the others.  

Trisk nods his head in agreement not wanting to answer out loud and risk waking it up.

He moves silently around the creature and joins Piccolo and Tretevess on the other side.

<It's in the north area of the eastern part of the cave (screenshot posted before adding token)>

As long as you don't wake ut, the behir continues to slumber.

Tetrevess recognizes the creature as a behir. Vicious things known to swallow humanoids whole, but even without the recollected knowledge, the faint whuff if ozone might caution ine to the shocking potential of meeting the business end of the behir's electric breath.

Not much ekee here, besides trees. In the west side of the room, the passage to the north us blocked by a white gate. <You do not presently have the means to open this gate.>

Note for PCs who are Chosen of their deities, (so Sam and Picollo)

A pool in the cavern to the south glows with pale gray light.

The peculiar girl goes to the glowing pool, smells it, and drinks again. (She has heard something about his area) 

Trisk follows after Piccolo, not wanting to be too far away if anything happens.

He makes his permanent illusion into a copy of himself.

Quote from shimshon123 >>

The peculiar girl goes to the glowing pool, smells it, and drinks again. (She has heard something about his area) 

 Picollo takes 22 necrotic damage (split as usual with Trisk)

To the south, the rock wall opens to reveal another cavern. Broken and gnawed bones are strewn across the turf in this forested cavern. Against the eastern ledge is a black gate. On the wall southwest of the gate is a contact stone.  Something moves. They've spotted you.

Three trolls live in this area, two males that fight constantly and one immense, dominant female that lazes near the black gate. They wait to be fed or given prisoners to play with.

What do you do?

The trolls are right in the middle, by the Grey circle, with the female near the black gate.

https://www.owlbear.rodeo/room/V64TuMcUPJi8/TheAridCatch

As soon as Randy sees Piccolo drink the water and get poisoned by it, he covers his nose. "Uh, you might wanna stop. Not everything here is drinkable you know. Even a guy as reckless as me knows that." He bluntly says, ignoring the reason why Piccolo did so. Eyeing the trolls, it seems like they needs to do something to convince them to either leave or let the group pass. Sure they could try and take them on in combat but that's just like that beholder; No point wasting energy 

"I don't even know if our rations will be enough. Much to my irony, I don't want to start another unnecessary conflict." He mutters to the group. "Something tells me we should trick them into thinking that there is food in another section. That way once they move out of the way and go somewhere else where they can 'eat', we can get towards the black gate without a fuss. I just don't know how, though. Any suggestions?"

On drinking the toxic water, Piccolo spits it out, but not before taking 5 necrotic damage (Trisk takes 5 damage)

She shrugs, seeming to get more and more frustrated, and goes and stands next to Trisk, like a petulant child. Then, she notes the Trolls.

She pulls out her instrument and plays a few tentative notes to the trolls

"Hello" in musical telepathy. (Playing a few friendly notes).

(OOC: My PC can use Hypnotic Pattern to charm and incapacitate the three Trolls, we should be able to do our attunements, black gate, and leave?)

Trisk notices Piccolo didn't seem to like the water and offers her some from his waterskin, "Here, this should taste much better."

Piccolo grabs the waterskin and washes out the horrid taste of the pool. Then she smiles at Trisk in thanks, and looks back at the Trolls, hoping they are friendly.

The trolls respond to the music with whT surely must be broad smiles.  Speaking to one another, the males muse in their own particular dialect, "food?" "toys." The pair quarrel briefly, each staying his position with more emphasis and adding little to the nuance of the discussion, until the female resolves the debate, declaring "first toys, then food." At this the two trolls cease their quarrel and dash toward the group.

Suspecting that the trolls would not be friendly, moves Toward the incoming Trolls and Piccolo changes her tune: (Initiative: 18)

Party:
You see floating lights of her spell and the Trolls looking dazed. You see one among you going to the gate and getting the key attuned. (Don't attack them while you do this or you'll break the charm)

Then she plays a slow melodic melody, attempting to lull the Trolls with her magic.
(Hypnotic Pattern: 30foot cube, centered to get all three: DC wisdom save 21 or charmed and incapacitated, speed 0 unless take damage)

She will also glance back several times at the sleeping creature in the other room

Held action: Bonus action: cunning action: If Trolls move to within 10 feet of her, she will dash away from them.

2 trolls fit in the cube. Too spread out for all three. Both males or one plus the female?

(One male, one female), Then she plays, a quick tune communicating

"The party sees an image of the unaffected male troll continuing to advance, and them attacking it."

And goes back to her hypnotic pattern spell.