You are still slightly dismayed at the carnage the charmed party wreaked on the mongrelmen village; just because you are a barbarian does not mean you are without honor. Your musings are broken when a group of iron spikes fly through the air and into the paladin’s chest. You hear him grunt and fall to the ground. You look for the source of the danger, and in the gloom of the cavern, you can spy the flying manticore. As the creature continues to throw its spikes at the party, you start to construct your plan.

Moving quickly across the rock floor to the cave’s wall, you easily find handholds and start to climb, all the while angling in the direction of the manticore. You find a small ledge to stand on as you wait for the manticore to fly slightly closer. When it does, you jump off the lodge, landing on its back. With one hand, you drive you sword deeply into its shoulder, and you wrap your other hand into the matted hair of the monster’s mane. The manticore begins to fly erratically, hoping to dislodge you, but you grip even tighter and continue to stab it; you can also feel the jolts as bolts and arrows from your party members hit. There is a sudden loss of elevation as one of the missiles finds a vital spot. You tense your muscles for impact, knowing that the landing is going to hurt.

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Brushing yourself off, you continue to move forward deeper into the cave.

In the distance you see the vague shape of a large tentacled creature, facing the other direction and seemingly unaware of your presence.

From a passageway jutting off to the side of the main path you smell the distinct tang of trolls.

Do you move forward or take the passage to the side?