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Prologue: Shadows of the Past Turn 9: Goblinville
Tearing himself away from his debate with Nanoc on the virtues (or lack thereof) of singing the praises of the party’s victory over Calcryx, Danton scratched his chin and looked back and forth between the unconscious wyrmling and its flash-frozen keeper, both of which lay unmoving on the stone floor. “I
tend to think 'tis wisest to return Meepo and Calcryx to Yusdrayl and
the kobolds immediately,” he said finally. not terribly interested in carrying this wyrm around, especially with its keeper unconscious. I think that prudence dictates that we should wrap its mouth up with some strong rope before it breaks loose or blasts us with more of its snow—one blast of that was enough for me!” “Huh,” muttered Nanoc to no one in particular. “Tie up his mouth? I never would have thought o’ that. Guess it ain’t a bad idea.” “I must admit that it is an interesting creature,” continued the soldier while Nanoc set to work binding Calcryx with ropes. “In Furyondy we generally fight off dragons that have fiery breath--but in any case, this one is clearly better tamed for the time being. A little rope around its neck as a leash held by Nanoc might not be a bad idea either. One wrong move, and our friend here can give it a little tug. If Nanoc can take care of the wyrm, then I can sling our frozen kobold friend over my shoulder while we take them both back to Yusdrayl.” “I have no objection to ‘cashing in’ the dragon and kobold,” said Mauser, “but certain other arrangements, particularly the growing size of our group, do concern me and require some discussion.” At Mauser’s words, Danton frowned and drew the cleric aside, along with Nanoc and Telemachos. Erky remained on the far side of the ruined trophy chamber, poking through some of the debris in search of anything more of value. “Though
I understand Mauser's feelings about adding members to the party --
and thereby watering down our shares of the booty,” began
Danton, “my thought is that we should invite Erky to
join us in our pursuit of the Hucreles. I think that we owe him
nothing in terms of a share of booty for Calcyrx -- my thinking is
that he frankly owes us for his liberation from the goblins. So we
can still split the Calcyrx reward four ways. But I'd be inclined,
out of basic fairness, to cut Erky in for a share of the Hucreles'
reward, though not necessarily an even figure. After all,
fundamentally, he is still in our debt.“ “Ol’ Erky seems pretty good in a fight,” said Nanoc with a shrug. “I think that it'd be great ta have him along as long as he wants ta join us. An’ as long as he un’erstands ‘bout my axe an’ any special stuff you guys want, why it’s only fair ta give him a share o’ the loot!” Telemachos frowned. “I’m inclined to agree with Mauser on this one—I think that Erky should be grateful for his liberation and not be cut in. However, if he should prove a faithful, loyal companion in the end—meaning until we take down the Frog Man, perhaps we can give him a ‘gift’ to help send him on his way. We can decide the amount later, after we loot the Frog Man's dead body and chamber." Mauser raised his hands in a placating gesture. “It would seem that you all have misunderstood me—to a degree. Our new gnomish friend would surely be a welcome addition to our merry band, what with Nanoc's propensity for finding things to attack us. On a personal level, I think it will also be nice to have a traveling companion with whom I can discuss all matters theological on a higher level. If Erky pulls his weight, I don't have an issue with sharing any treasure we find. However, he doesn't need to know what we've been promised for the recovery of the Hucreles, so his share of that (should he live to see payment) should be a small cut.” Danton scowled and whispered, “Last time I checked, Erky was the only reason that Telemachos recovered as quickly as he did, enabling us to resume our exploits much more quickly than we could have otherwise. Moreover, he could be a useful contact down the road—long after we leave the citadel. Friendships and alliances can be far more valuable than items with an identifiable cash value—as I should think both of you ought to know. We can haggle over the details later, but we will be cutting Erky in on a share of profits earned subsequent to his recovery.” “Darn tootin!” agreed Nanoc. “Now, let’s roll! Rewards are a waitin!” Without another word, the half-orc slung the unconscious Calcryx over his shoulder. “Fine,” said Telemachos, “I agreed that we could do something for him from the outset, but with the issue settled for now, let us be off. I would rather not spend a minute more than I have to down here. We have already tarried too long. Let us find the young ones, kill this Frog Man, and collect our reward. There are other adventures to be had, after all. And more important quests to pursue,” finished the fighter in a lower voice as he gathered up the frozen body of Meepo. “Just one more thing,” said Mauser, “or perhaps two. First, I think we should be very careful when dealing with the kobolds now. Once they have their dragon back, they may not be quite as hospitable to us. Maybe I'm just too suspicious of everyone, but let’s be on our guard when we deal with them. Of course, if we tell them we are going back down to take on the goblins and Belak, they may just decide we're still useful.” “Second,” continued the cleric, “I find it interesting that the goblins were keeping kobolds for prisoners... I wonder if the kobolds have managed to capture any goblins. I'd like to question any prisoners they may have and see what more we can find out about this Belak druid and this Twilight Grove. If this grove is some sort of evil growth, it should be especially vulnerable to fire. Perhaps our kobold ‘friends’ can also provide us with more oil for the task.” None of the others objected to Mauser’s proposals, and the group broke up to gather its things and get underway. As it did so, Telemachos called out to Erky: "Your pardon, Erky, but I have not yet properly thanked you for helping to save my life. That javelin wound was no small thing - I much prefer to throw one in the Furdyondian Games than to be on the receiving end of one! Once again, thank you. I will be honored to return the debt, though I hope we are not in that situation at all. By the way, you're not a bad fighter yourself." “Thanks,” replied Erky from across the chamber. “I’ve had to learn to take care of myself in my travels. As for the healing, well, it was the least I could do after you fellows sprung me from a year-long imprisonment.” “C’mon, Erky!” bellowed Nanoc. “We’re movin’ out! I think yer gonna be a great addition. Now the only thing ta know is that any magic axes we finds belongs to Nanoc here. Say, did I ever tell ya the story o’ when Justin an’ his crew fought their first dragon? Well, it all began when…” With Nanoc regaling the gnome with the outlandish-sounding exploits of his adopted father’s adventuring party, Danton had to physically interpose himself between the half-orc and the pit trap just outside the chamber in order to prevent Nanoc from walking right into it. Fortunately, Nanoc eventually lowered his voice somewhat and the party was able to make its way back through the darkened chambers of the Sunless Citadel as far as kobold-held territory without further encounters. Danton then used the keys of the unconscious Meepo to re-enter kobold territory. Thereafter it was not long before the party passed through Meepo’s personal chamber and picked up a visibly excited party of kobold escorts that grew in size as the group made its way back to Yusdrayl’s audience chamber. By the time the group arrived in the long column-filled hall where Yusdrayl held court, the kobold leader had evidently been alerted to their coming, as she already sat in her makeshift throne with a retinue of kobolds surrounding her in a half circle. “So,” said Yusdrayl when the group stood before her, “you have recovered the dragon. I trust that it yet lives…and that its keeper does as well.” Danton nodded and bowed with a flourish. “You are correct, Yusdrayl. The wyrm is merely incapacitated—twas Meepo himself who suggested that we knock the beast unconscious in order to bring it safely back here. As for the Keeper of Dragons, well, he hath been caught in a blast of the creature’s icy breath. Our healing arts have kept him alive, but he will yet need additional care before he can resume his charge of Calcryx. I am certain that your people can take care of both and provide each the care that he needs.” “Of course,” said Yusdrayl, nodding towards several of the gathered kobolds. Wordlessly, three kobolds took Meepo out of Telemachos’ hands, while a half-dozen of the creatures carefully relieved Nanoc of his burden. “You will be wanting your reward, of course,” said Yusdrayl in her high-pitched voice. “And you shall have it. As I have heard about your exploits against the goblins and the kobolds you freed, I shall throw in something extra. You shall have both the key and a scroll of divine power.” At another nod from the small figure on the throne, another kobold approached Danton and handed him both the metal key that had previously been fixed in the mouth of the dragon on the back of the throne, as well as a rolled up sheet of parchment tied with a thick string. “Huh,” grunted Nanoc under his breath. “No axe, but at least these kobolds got some honor and know when to kick in wit’ a little extra reward. Mebee they’ll throw in more later if we take out even more goblins for ‘em so they don’t have ta worry ‘bout ‘em comin’ up here an takin’ their dragon again.” “You are most generous, Yusdrayl,” said Danton. “We yet have business with the goblins and will soon return to it, but I would ask you one more thing ‘ere we go. We have heard much of the ‘Twilight Grove’—or Twilight Zone as I shall call it—somewhere below where the Frog Man—er the Outcast—makes his home. Would you mayhap know the way there? Might this key you have given us lead the way through an otherwise impassable stone door to the world below?” Yusdrayl shook her head. “I do not know what door the key opens, but I doubt that it has anything to do with finding the way to the Outcast. We know not exactly where the entrance to his realm lies, but it must be somewhere in goblin territory—we know that the vile creatures come and go from the Outcast’s presence with ease. I hope that the key will lead you to some treasure, but I do not believe that it will take you to the Outcast.” “Interesting,” mused Danton. “In that case, we shall be on our way.” “Er, just a couple more questions before we go,” interjected Mauser. “Might you have any oil you would be willing to sell or trade to us? And might you have any goblin prisoners to whom we could speak? They might be able to provide us useful information as we penetrate deeper into their territory.” Yusdrayl shook her head. “We have no prisoners at this time—those that we can’t immediately ransom back to their fellows usually end up in our cookpots fairly quickly. As for oil, our stocks are so limited that we cannot afford to part with any. However, if you mean to take on the goblins again, you should be able to find oil. They seem to have no shortage of the stuff, as they are always flinging it at us during their attacks.” “Fair enough,” said Danton, glancing sideways at Mauser. “Then we shall be on our way.” The cleric looked as if he might have had more to say, but he held his tongue as the group turned and exited Yusdrayl’s audience chamber for the second time. While the group made its way back to Meepo’s chambers, again with a party of kobold escorts, Danton thought aloud: “I think it likely that the key opens at least one of the two stone doors we have encountered, if not more than one, but the first lies far from the goblins and ‘twould seem is not the way to the Frog Man and his vile tree. But the other door is on our way back to the goblins and ‘twill cost us nothing to check the key there along the way.” Wordlessly, the Velunese slipped the metal key into one of his pockets and then passed the rolled up parchment to Mauser. “A healing scroll,” (scroll contains one casting of cure light wounds) said the cleric after unrolling and examining the parchment. “This could be most useful.” The escort of kobolds left the party when the group passed through the doorway at the end of the long hallway beyond Meepo’s chambers. When the kobolds closed and locked the wooden door behind the party, the group was on its own in hostile territory once again. “I guess it will be a while before I stop getting the chills every time a door shuts or a lock clicks,” muttered Erky with a shake of his head. “Not to worry, little guy,” said Nanoc, “yer with us now! I’m sure glad we didn’t leave ya with those kobolds—eatin’ goblins? Yu-uuck!” “Perhaps just a bit more quietly, hmm, Nanoc?” hissed Danton. “Although the goblins no doubt already lie in ambush, we need not announce our coming from a mile away!” “Tag ‘em an’ bag ‘em!” whispered Nanoc with a smile as he turned and stalked into the darkness while Danton lit a new torch. The half-orc’s voice carried slightly through the darkened chamber and the others could just make out a few words: “How many I got so far? Let’s see, there was those first rats…” *** Although Danton had the group stop at the stone door in the second chamber beyond the end of kobold territory to test Yusdrayl’s metal key there, Danton was unable to find any keyhole in which to insert it. After several minutes of frustration and with little idea of what else to try, the group decided to push on and Danton once again pocketed the key for future use. Once past the stone door, Danton put the party into its maximum stealth mode, urging his associates to move as quietly and carefully as they could, no matter how much it might slow them down. The group made its way slowly through the long hallway that led to the rat lair, turned westward at the first wooden door after the keyhole-less stone door, and then made its way carefully across the empty room that led to the first goblin line of defense. At that point, Danton raised his stealth to a whole new level and motioned for the others to do the same (move silently: Danton: 14+6=20, Nanoc: 11+3=14, Mauser: 14-1=13, Telemachos: 15-6=9). Cringing at the noise made by some of the others in the party as their boots scraped on flagstones, Danton crouched and listened at the door before the goblin defensive bulwark (search: 2+8=10, listen: 3+5=8). He could hear nothing, but still motioned for the others to draw their weapons as he signaled for Nanoc to open the door. When Nanoc pushed open the wooden door, trying to do so cautiously, his sharp eyes immediately caught movement beyond the low wall. “We got goblins! But least they ain’t had time to put back more foot-hurters!” he called out as he rushed across the chamber a second time. “Here we go again—after your, of course,” muttered Danton as he stepped aside for Telemachos to join Nanoc in his mad charge. [Initiative: Goblins: 11, Danton: 19, Nanoc: 20, Mauser: 15, Telemachos: 23, Erky: 20] If the goblins had heard the party approaching, they still reacted slowly to the group’s charge across the now caltrop-free chamber. There were at least a half-dozen of the creatures manning the defenses now, but they fumbled for their javelins for several fatal moments before bringing them to bear. Nanoc and Telemachos were already leaping over the wall before the goblins could launch their missile weapons (jump: Telemachos: 9+3=12, Nanoc:12+6=18), and while Telemachos failed to clear the wall, Nanoc passed over it by a good foot and landed amidst the humanoids, throwing them into chaos. Moving to cut down the goblin nearest the exit to the chamber, Nanoc decapitated the creature in the blink of an eye (attack: 15+8=23; hit; 14 damage). The huge half-orc then physically interposed himself between the remaining goblins and the exit, daring any of the creatures to try to get past him. While Telemachos jumped down from atop the wall and the remaining party members reached the barrier and began to climb over it, the panicked goblins finally got off their volley of javelins. They concentrated their fire on the two most obvious threats, Nanoc and Telemachos, but the barbarian ducked under their wild fire and Telemachos, now having seen the goblin throwers in action, blocked the only javelin that came close with his shield. With the goblins now fumbling for their short swords, Nanoc and Telemachos hammered into their ranks. While Telemachos struck down first one goblin (attack: 12+7=19; hit; 8 damage) and then another (cleave feat gives second attack: 17+7=24; hit; 6 damage), Nanoc simply stood his ground and hacked at the first goblin to approach (attack: 6+8=14; miss). As the remaining party members jumped down from the wall with weapons drawn, the last three goblins fought for their lives, two attacking Nanoc and one Telemachos, but they were hopelessly outmatched and failed to pierce the guard of either warrior. With Mauser and Erky moving to flank the last goblin facing him, Telemachos made short work of it (attack: 9+7+2 flanking bonus=18; hit; 12 damage). At the same time, Nanoc eviscerated one of his two attackers (attack: 13+8=21; hit; 8 damage). Moments later, Danton slipped his rapier into the back of the last goblin (attack: 17+1+2=20; hit; 7 damage). “Now that was my kind of fight,” said the Velunese with satisfaction as he wiped the blood of his blade onto the goblin’s own tattered cloak. “Much better than our previous encounter here.” “Yes,” agreed Telemachos, “I think I rather prefer skewering them than taking their javelins in the chest. “I’m thrilled that you all enjoyed it so much,” said Mauser with an acid tone in his voice, “but don’t get too excited yet—I’m sure they have the second wall defended too. I must say that thus far there has been little reward for much effort in this citadel. I begin to understand why none of the locals—save the lost Hucreles—ever bothered to try to loot it.” “All right! More goblins!” bellowed Nanoc. “That’ll mean I can run and jump again! Did you see how they scattered when I came down among ‘em like a lightning bolt?” “Truly something for the bards to set to song,” agreed Danton, “right after they pen the little ditty about our epic battle with Calcryx, eh? Until then, shall we proceed?” Uncertain whether the sounds of battle would have carried to the next goblin defensive line and whether that second line would be restocked with defenders as the first had been, the group nevertheless sought to move as quietly and carefully as possible once more (move silently: Danton: 11+6=17, Nanoc: 4+3=7, Mauser: 19-1=18, Telemachos: 8-6=2). Unfortunately, much to Danton’s frustration, both Nanoc and Telemachos made a great deal of noise as the party advanced. While Telemachos’ armor constantly clinked and rattled, Nanoc simply seemed too excited at the prospect of further combat to bother with placing each foot carefully to avoid making noise. And so it was that when the group finally reached the corner around which stood the second goblin crenellated wall and Danton stuck his head around the corner to take a look, he was not at all surprised to see a half-dozen goblins waiting at the ready behind the wall. “Truly a shock!” the Velunese hissed when he pulled his head back. “Some stray noise hath announced our presence to the villains and they are prepared.” “That means party time!” said Nanoc. “You ready, Tel?” “Damn straight,” replied the Furyondian, hefting his sword and shield. “Very well,” said Danton. “Just remember amidst your glorious slaughter that we cannot afford to have any goblins escape. That is crucial!” Without another word, the two warriors charged around the corner and battle was joined. [Initiative: Goblins: 3, Danton: 16, Nanoc: 5, Telemachos: 24, Mauser: 21, Erky: 18] As before, the speed of Nanoc and Telemacos’ charge was such that the goblins were caught flat-footed and failed to get off their volley of javelins before the duo reached the low wall. Once again Nanoc leaped over the wall with ease (jump: 16+6=22), while Telemachos was too weighed down by his armor and equipment to clear the barrier (jump: 6+3=9) and landed atop it instead. Whether out of valor or foolishness, the goblins held their ground, finally throwing their javelins when the two warriors were practically amongst them. One javelin thrown at Telemachos was very well aimed and would have hit the fighter in the head had he not seen it coming and brought his shield up to block it at the last moment. Nanoc was not so fortunate, and the huge half-orc caught a javelin in the side as he flew over the wall (hit for four points). However, Nanoc’s revenge was not long in coming, as he slammed his axe into the center of mass of the same goblin that had hit him at the same time he landed on the far side of the wall (attack: 14+8=22; hit; 13 damage). With the goblins thus preoccupied, the remaining party members were able to move forward in the wake of Nanoc and Telemachos unmolested and they all climbed quickly over the low wall. At that point, the goblins fanned out, leaving one foe for each of the five party members to face. Telemachos quickly charged his much smaller foe, bashing him in the face with his shield to distract him and then bringing his sword in for a lethal strike (attack: 15+7=22; hit; 7 damage). Nearby, Mauser employed a similar tactic, feinting to one side with his shield before slamming his heavy mace into his foe’s midsection (attack: 20+2; critical hit; 7 damage). The goblin gasped once in pain and then collapsed unmoving. Danton slashed at the goblin facing him, but the creature, more nimble than the Velunese would have guessed, leaped out of the way (attack: 2+3=3; miss). Fortunately, Danton easily dodged the creature’s clumsy counterattack. Hoping to finish his foe quickly, Nanoc brought his axe down in a devastating arc, but when the goblin jumped and rolled aside at the last moment, all the half-orc accomplished was to smash several cobblestones in the floor (attack: 4+8=12; miss). With three goblins down, Mauser and Telemachos were now unopposed and the duo moved to flank the goblins facing Erky and Danton. The goblin hacking at Erky never saw Telemachos coming, and the fighter cut him down before he even realized he faced a second threat (attack: 16+7+2=25; hit; 8 damage). Mauser tried the same tactic with the goblin that was fencing with Danton, but the creature must have sensed him coming, as it spun out of the way of his mace (attack: 9+2+2=13; miss). Although relieved to see his foe thus distracted, Danton was still unable to pierce the goblin’s defenses (attack: 6+1+2=9; miss), and it backed away, trying to face both Danton and Mauser at once. Correcting his previous mistake of underestimating the goblin’s mobility, Nanoc brought his axe in sideways this time and he rushed forward when the goblin backed away. The result was that the greataxe slammed into the goblin with all the half-orc’s strength behind it and the goblin crumpled in an instant (attack: 19+8=27; hit; 15 damage). Danton and Mauser harried the last goblin, even as Telemachos and Nanoc came to their assistance. When the goblin glanced up to look at the onrushing warriors, Mauser took advantage of this error and clocked him on the head with his mace (attack: 11+2+2=15; hit; 5 damage). The goblin dropped where he stood. “Let me see what I can do to help out the two of you a bit more with your injuries,” said Erky, looking at Nanoc and Telemachos. “I didn’t do so well in that fight, but fortunately I can contribute in other ways as well.” The gnome approached first Telemachos, to whom he applied two minor healing incantations (gain two hit points) and then Nanoc, who received a somewhat stronger healing spell (gain seven hit points). “All right,” said Danton when the gnome was finished. “We’ve now blasted through the goblin defenses—again—so hopefully there will now be less resistance, at least for a little while. But let’s still put a premium on stealth, shall we? Much as some here might enjoy a non-stop running battle, such is not likely our wisest course of action. Now, we shall first retrace our steps to the chamber where we found Calcryx and then we shall enter uncharted territory. Be wary.” The group moved cautiously through the northern door of the goblin defensive chamber and into the hallway beyond. As Danton then led the group west, he noted with interest that the goblins had reset the pit trap at the western end of the chamber. Rather than mess with the trap again, the Velunese simply led the group around it and up to the door, which was once again shut. He neither saw (search: 3+8=11) nor heard (listen: 17+5=22) anything unusual and proceeded to unlock the door, taking the task slowly in order to be sure it was done right (open locks: “take twenty”: 20+7=27). When the lock opened, Nanoc led the way into the wrecked trophy chamber, which appeared pretty much as it did before, with ruined bits of furniture and goblin trophies scattered everywhere. Having searched the area before, the group simply passed through it quickly this time and Danton set to work once again on the door on the southern wall (search: 19+8=27, listen: 20+5=25). Finding nothing of concern, he methodically opened this lock as he had the previous one (“open locks: “take twenty”: 20+7=27). When Nanoc pushed through the doorway and gazed into the chamber beyond, he saw that it was lit by several torches mounted in crude wall sconces, the first light sources that the party had seen since entering the goblin-held portions of the Sunless Citadel. The torches burned fitfully, filling the air with a haze that blurred sight. A double row of marble columns, similar to those in Yusdrayl’s ‘throne room’, were carved with entwining dragons and marched the length of the long hall. Although the haze made it impossible to judge the length of the room, Nanoc could see that it was only twenty feet wide. Although Nanoc and the other party members that entered the chamber behind him could not see the far western end of the long hall, they could see the southern end, only fifteen feet from the doorway. In the center of the eastern wall stood another wooden door, this one closed. With Danton moving just ahead of him to scan for any unpleasant surprises (search: 13+8=21), Nanoc moved farther into the chamber, with the rest of the party trailing behind. Erky and Mauser fanned out slightly to either side, while Telemachos remained near the doorway where the party had entered the chamber. It took twenty minutes of careful movement, but Danton was eventually able to survey the entire hall. He found four additional wooden doors, all closed, scattered about the hall. One was located on the south wall, near the western end, another was in the center of the western wall, while the last two were on the north wall, the first near its western end, and the other approximately fifteen feet farther east. The hall ran a total length of sixty feet from west to east, although visibility was less than half that in the haze produced by the smoky torches. “Plain ‘ol darkness would be better!” groused Nanoc. “This darn smoke fouls up my eyes but good!” “Which way from here?” asked Mauser as he looked down at the map that Danton was quickly updating with his observations in the long hall. “Soon deeper into goblinville,” whispered Danton, “but first I want to check out something—just in case we need to make a quick exit later.” Motioning for the others to follow, Danton led the group to the single door in the eastern wall. After verifying that it held no surprises (search: 8+8=16, listen:7+5=12), the Velunese motioned for Nanoc to open it. The door was unlocked and opened easily. Beyond the door was a twenty-foot by twenty-foot chamber, whose northern and southern walls were stacked halfway to the ceiling with ill-made barrels, boxes and crates. However, a clear path allowed easy access across the room to another door on the east wall. “I thought as much,” said Danton, satisfaction evident in his voice. “If my map is right, that other door should lead back to the room with the goblins second wall. Let’s find out, hmm?” Checking both the open area of the floor and the door on the far wall carefully (search: 4+8=12, listen: 12+5=17), Danton led the group across the chamber and up to the closed portal. When he was satisfied that all was clear, he motioned for Nanoc to open the door. Sure enough, just as Danton had predicted, the doorway led back to the room where the party had now fought goblin defenders on two separate occasions. “Good,” said the Velunese, “that’s a quicker way out if we are forced to choose the better part of valor at some point. Now, let’s rifle through these crates—carefully I might add—and see if there’s anything of value.” It took nearly a half-hour of cautious rummaging to go through the goblin wares, but in the end, the effort proved worth the time. While most of the barrels held only brackish water and the crates contained rotting meat and jerky, one smaller crate held five pints of oil. “So,” mused Mauser, “Yusdrayl spoke the truth regarding the goblins and their oil.” “Cool!” said Nanoc excitedly when Mauser turned up the oil. “Now Danton kin use his lantern again an’ we don’t have ta worry so much ‘bout runnin’ out of torches an’ you guys not bein’ able ta see down here.” “Oh, no, my friend,” said Danton with a cruel smile. “For once you are the one with civilized thoughts and I the man with mayhem and destruction on his mind. While this oil would serve nicely in my lantern, I mean to use it for other, more violent ends. For I fear that we shall have to face not only the Frog Man, but his ‘Dark Tree’ as well. I mean to hoard this oil—and any other we may come across—to burn that foul tree to the ground. Until the tree is reduced to so much kindling and embers, my lantern shall see no use.” “Good, very good,” said Mauser, his eyes glowing almost as if he could already see the tree burning before him. “Let it burn.” With the storeroom looted of its only items of value, Danton led the group back into the long hall. Without any particular idea of where to go next, he followed the long southern wall until he reached its single near the far end. After conducting his standard examination (search: 19+8=27, listen: 7+5=12), he motioned for Nanoc to proceed. The door again opened easily and beyond it was another twenty-foot by twenty-foot chamber. Like the previous goblin guardposts the party had seen, this room was filled with garbage, rotting bits of food, and other foul-smelling detritus. Other than yet another cold fire pit and a half-dozen tattered leather hammocks, there was little to be seen. Only one other exit was visible, a closed wooden door at the southern end of the east wall. Nanoc began to make for the door on the far side of the chamber, but Danton held up a hand. “Hold, my friend. While we may explore this area further later, my map suggests that yon door must lead back to kobold territory. And if I recall correctly, Yusdrayl hath hinted that this be the ‘front door’ and that it be trapped to the hilt by the kobolds the goblins or both. Let us go another way for now.” “Huh,” grunted Nanoc. “I forgot all ‘bout her sayin any o’ that.” “One must learn to pay attention to the words of his interlocutor when engaged in diplomacy, Nanoc—and to remember those words later when their relevance becomes clear.” “S’pose yer right,” admitted Nanoc grudgingly. With the group back in the long, smoke-filled hall yet again, Danton continued his circuit of the doors on the walls, this time coming to the single door on the west wall. This time when he scanned and listened for any surprises (search: 17+8=25, listen: 16+5=21). While the group had encountered nothing living since blasting through the two lines of goblin defenses, when Danton placed his ear to the door this time, what he heard immediately made him motion for total silence with his right hand. For beyond the door, Danton could hear all manner of sounds that suggested a large number of goblins or other creatures moving about, talking, shouting, running, and all sorts of other activities. “Tis Goblinville Central behind yon door!” whispered the Velunese when he removed his ear from the door and turned to look at the others. “They do not appear to be aware of our presence nor to be lying in ambush, but rather going about the daily business of…whatever it is that goblins do.” “We could go another way,” mused Mauser, “but Yusdrayl said that the way to Belak and his grove lies through the goblin territory…and this would seem to be the heart of that territory.” “Let’s do it!” said Telemachos excitedly. “Goblinorama!” was Nanoc’s only comment. “Very well,” said Danton, “but we must be prepared to fall back should their numbers be too vast. And let us start by merely taking a look—there is no reason to fight the entire goblin tribe if stealth offers us a way to bypass them, agreed?” All of the others nodded, Nanoc and Telemachos more doubtfully than the others. Because this door was not locked, Nanoc was able to open it easily. When he did so, the party looked out into what was unquestionably the largest chamber that it had seen thus far in the Sunless Citadel. At least sixty feet from north to south and fifty feet from east to west, the chamber looked as if it might once have been a cathedral, judging by the carvings of dragons all along the walls and the raised area to the south. However, whatever it might have been, the chamber was now clearly a goblin lair, and was filled with the filth of many years of goblin life. Scores of wall and floor-mounted sconces filled with violet-glowing fungi provided a dim illumination. In the weak light, dozens of goblins went about their daily business, which seemed to consist of arguing, eating, sleeping, shouting, fighting, sewing, and more sleeping. There had to be at least three or four dozen of the creatures in total. The southern wall, beyond the raised area of the floor, was home to a heaping pile of assorted items, including everything from wagon wheels to broken arms and armor to chests, small statues, antique furniture, and artwork. Unfortunately, the stash did not seem to be particularly well cared for. For whatever reason, the torches in this chamber did not produce the same thick smoke that those in the long hall did, and the party members could take in the entire, huge chamber. Aside from the entryway in which they stood, three other doors were visible, one on the west wall, near the far southern end just short of the dais, one on the northern wall, and the third and final one in the northwestern corner of the chamber, where the wall actually curved inward for a distance of some thirty feet. “This is Goblinville all right,” muttered Danton, “but which way to the Frog Man and his realm?” Danton’s question would go unanswered, at least for the time being, for at that moment one of the dozens of goblins in the vast chamber finally noticed the interlopers peeking around the edge of the doorway. A shout went up, and then another, and within a matter of moments, all hell broke loose. The vast majority of the goblins in the chamber appeared to be noncombatants, and it showed in their behavior: when the alarm went up, most of them scrambled in sheer panic for the exits or the far corners of the room, bumping, jostling, and trampling one another as they went. However, while most of the goblins appeared to be too old, too young, too unskilled, or too cowardly to have any desire to take on the adventuring party, there were a handful of exceptions. From out of the chaos emerged seven male goblins, three of them noticeably larger than the others, that marched purposefully towards the party. The three larger goblins all wielded longswords, rather than the shortswords their fellows used. “C’mon, boys,” said Nanoc. “That looks like a challenge ta me—let’s go out an’ meet ‘em.” “Bring it on!” agreed Telemachos. “So much for stealth,” muttered Danton as he and the others formed a rough line between the party’s two strongest warriors. Danton kept close to Nanoc, with Mauser on his right and Erky closest to Telemachos. The goblins were evidently smarter than average, as the three bigger ones lined up across from Nanoc, Mauser, and Telemachos, while the four smaller ones acted as if they intended to take Nanoc, Telemachos, Danton, and Erky. “Don’t suppose we could discuss this like civilized beings?” asked Danton rhetorically. In response, the goblins snarled and charged. “Didn’t think so,” muttered Danton wistfully. “Olidammara preserve me from fools who lack the sense to negotiate.” [Initiative: Goblins: 18, Danton: 19, Nanoc: 9, Mauser: 5, Telemachos: 13, Erky: 6] These goblins proved faster than any of their fellows thus far, and only Danton was swift enough to get a swing of his own in before the miniature wall of humanoids slammed into the party, but his attack went wide (attack: 3+1=4; miss). While Danton, Erky, and Mauser were all able to block or avoid the goblins’ attacks, the pairs of humanoids attacking Nanoc and Telemachos were smart enough to spread out and attack from two different directions. This advantage made their attacks difficult to avoid, and Nanoc was hit twice (11 damage) and Telemachos once (3 damage). Wincing from the wound to his leg, Telemachos struck out ineffectively at the larger goblin attacking him (attack: 3+7=10; miss), while Nanoc was no more effective (attack: 2+8=10; miss). Fortunately for the party, its two clerics were more accurate, with Erky striking down the goblin that had attacked him and Mauser taking his foe out of the fight with a single blow to the head (attack: 14+2=16; hit; 6 damage). While Danton and his opponent continued to flail ineffectively at one another (Danton attack: 2+1=3; miss), the four other remaining goblins continued to press the attack against Nanoc and Telemachos, without regard to the fact that Mauser and Erky were moving in to flank them. Nanoc was struck again by the smaller of his two attackers (8 damage), while Telemachos managed to hold off both foes. Badly injured now from multiple wounds, Nanoc dug deep to find the determination to keep on fighting. With his breath pounding in his lungs, the huge half-orc cut the larger goblin that had attacked him in half even as he saw Mauser approaching the smaller one from the rear (attack: 12+8=20; hit; 15 damage). Unfortunately, the cleric’s attack on the second goblin missed badly (attack: 3+2+2=7; miss). On the other side of the melee, Telemachos finally cut down the larger of the two goblins attacking him (attack: 15+7=22; hit; 8 damage), but his immediate spinning attack on the second one went wide (cleave attack: 2+7=9; miss). When Erky subsequently stabbed the second goblin in the back, he drew blood, but the humanoid remained standing, now caught between two foes. Growing weary of his extended duel with the goblin, Danton finally managed to draw blood with a lightning slash, but it was hardly a mortal blow and the goblin kept fighting (attack: 16+1=17; hit; 1 damage). To either side, the other two surviving goblins, now bereft of any flanking advantage, flailed futilely at Nanoc and Telemachos one last time before being cut down by the two warriors (Nanoc attack: 14+8+2; 24; hit; 19 damage; Telemachos attack: 12+7+2; hit; 10 damage). Facing the only remaining goblin, Danton extended himself for another attack, missed (attack: 5+1=6; miss) and then felt the creature’s short sword slide between his ribs (hit for 6 damage). Grunting in pain, the Velunese staggered backwards and might have been in serious trouble as the goblin pressed the attack had not Telemachos decapitated the creature from behind at that very moment (attack: 20+7+2=29; critical hit; 22 damage). With the vast chamber having finally emptied of goblins during the extended fight, the area suddenly became very quiet as the party members gathered together and Mauser and Erky examined the various wounds that Nanoc, Telemachos, and Danton had suffered. In order to patch up the trio, particularly Nanoc, the two clerics had to expend the last of their spells for the day (Telemachos +1 HP, Danton +2 HP, Nanoc +15 HP). “Jeez, Danton, you really stink with that sword!” blurted Nanoc while being healed by Mauser. “At first I thought that fight o’ yours might last all day, but then I think you was actually gonna lose to that tiny feller ‘till Tel took ‘im out for ya! Instead o’ you teachin’ me where ta stick a fork an knife at the table, I think I better be learnin’ you how ta use that blade o’ yours! Otherwise ya might be getting beat up by yer little sister next!” “Har, har,” muttered Danton. “I know not whether to laugh or cry at such a paltry attempt at humor. But considering the pain in my midsection, I think I shall postpone the decision until later.” “The real issue is what we do now,” interrupted Mauser. “With the mayhem our foray caused here, every surviving goblin in the citadel—at least on this level--must know of our presence. The fact that no more warriors have emerged to take us on suggests either that we have decimated their ranks or that they now choose to wait for us to come to them.” “With my luck, curse Vecna, ‘tis probably the latter,” said Danton. “But as long as we are here, we may as well search the area for anything of value to take for my…er…our pains.” With Danton leading the effort (search: 10+8=18), interrupted by the occasional painful cough from the Velunese, the group picked its way through the mass of items collected by the goblin clan and ‘stored’ haphazardly at the southern end of the chamber. After a good twenty minutes of searching, the group had turned up a pair of small marble statues, three silver rings set with some kind of stones, and an intact chainmail shirt. “And now ‘tis high time for a good long rest,” pronounced Danton when the group had finished its search. “Let us fall back to our previous campsite near the goblin’s second wall.” With the absence of spells and the various injuries the party had suffered, no one objected. The group retreated to the chamber Danton had specified without incident, Nanoc set out his caltrops once again around the various entrances, and the party began a long period of rest (+1 HP to each injured character). Rather than break camp after eight hours rest as they might normally have done, the group decided to wait until late afternoon the next day when Mauser would have a new complement of spells available. Most of the the group used the extra down time to clean weapons and armor, while Mauser asked Erky to provide him instruction in the essentials of the goblin language. The long period of rest passed without incident, suggesting to all that one of Mauser’s two theories must be correct. When the group was finally ready to move out once again, Nanoc gathered his caltrops and Erky and Mauser used all of their minor cantrips to provide additional healing (Danton +3 HP, Nanoc +2 HP, Telemachos +2 HP), while saving their more powerful magic for later use. Once ready, Danton led the group cautiously back through the goblin storage area and the long smoke-filled hall into the huge chamber where the party’s last great battle had taken place. All of these areas were now completely silent and empty, with not a goblin, save for those the party had killed, to be seen. “They’ve gone totally into defensive mode,” mused Mauser. “They know we blew through their outer bulwarks twice now, so they’ve fallen back to whatever inner defenses they may have. Either that, or they’ve fled the coop entirely.” “Yeah, right,” grunted Danton. “Olidammara could not be so generous to his poor, mistreated supplicant. But in any case, we might as well be systematic. We’ve got three doors, so let’s make our way around.” Although no one had noticed it during the fighting the previous day, the door near the southwestern corner of the large chamber had actually been opened and left open during the mayhem. When the group gazed inside, they saw a twenty-foot by twenty-foot chamber that appeared to be yet another abandoned goblin guardpost, complete with crude hammocks, firepit, and discarded cooking implements. There were no other exits. Moving on quickly, the group next came to the (still-closed) door in the northwestern corner, in the center of the curved portion of the wall of the huge chamber. Danton checked the door (search: 18+8=26; listen: 4+5=9), but detected nothing untoward, and then motioned for Nanoc to open the portal. When the half-orc did so, the door opened easily. Beyond the doorway was a forty-foot diameter domed chamber. A circular shaft pierced the floor in the center of the room and dim violet light shone out of the shaft, revealing sickly white and gray vines coating the shaft’s walls. The light from the shaft was supplemented by four lit wall torches set equidistant around the periphery of the chamber. A crudely fashioned throne of stone sat against the curve of the northwestern wall. A large iron chest served as the throne’s footstool. A thin and twisted sapling grew in a wide stone pot next to the throne. Aside from the hole in the floor and the doorway by which the party had entered the chamber, one other exit was visible, another door near the center of the eastern side of the dome. In front of the hole in the floor stood a collection of determined-looking goblins. There were nine of the creatures, and four of them were considerably larger than any of the humanoids the party had seen or fought thus far, standing well over five feet tall and looking much more solidly built. The four larger creatures all wielded longswords that appeared to be of human manufacture, and one of them also wore a shirt of chainmail and a metal helmet. The four larger goblins and the four additional warriors blocked the party’s way ahead, while the ninth goblin, smaller than any of the others, stood directly behind the helmeted, chainmail-wearing one. After a moment of hesitation as the two groups examined one another in silence, the goblins screamed as one and rushed towards the party. As the goblins surged forward, the twisted sapling in the pot by the throne animated, exploded out of the dirt and joined the charge. ________________________________________________________________ Notes for turn 10: Because of the number of enemies the party is facing, I wanted to stop at this point to give you guys the opportunity to decide on your tactics. As specifically as possible, please let me know who will do what in the fight, who will take on which foes, what your top priorities are, and any other information you judge relevant. Please also let me know what you will do next if you win the fight. As an alternative action, you should also let me know what you will do if it goes badly and at what point (if any) you would flee. If you have any questions on either the immediate tactical situation or anything else, let me know. Please send postings for Turn 10 by the end of Friday, June 2nd. Items gained this turn: metal key, scroll of cure light wounds, five pints of oil, 2 small marble statues, three silver rings, chainmail shirt Undivided Loot previously gained: 473 silver, 107 gold, 3 gems Items used/lost this turn: 2 torches FOES DEFEATED:
Current Status of the Party: Nanoc AC: 17 Equipment: great axe, 2 short bows, short sword, studded leather armor (2 sets), 46 arrows, 2 quivers, backpack, waterskin, 11 days trail rations, bedroll, 2 sacks, 2 flint & steel, bearskin, tent, 50’ rope, 16 pounds of caltrops, 1 sap Gold: 2 Mauser AC: 18 Spells Available: 0
Level (4): none Equipment: quarterstaff, heavy mace, light crossbow, scalemail, 40 crossbow bolts, small wooden shield, backpack, pouch belt, 50’ silk rope, 5 torches, waterskin, flint & steel, 2 holy water flasks, peasant outfit, bedroll, entertainer’s outfit, cleric’s vestment, healer’s kit, 9 days rations, four jade dragon figurines, ½ potion of cure light wounds, 1 sap, scroll of cure light wounds Gold: 0 Danton AC: 15 (16 vs. one opponent) Equipment: rapier, 6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 13 bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks, waterskin, 13 days trail rations, hooded lantern, 7 flasks of oil, notebook, pen, ink, gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from Yusdrayl Gold: 9 Telemachos AC: 16 Equipment: Longsword, short sword, 2 daggers, long bow, quiver and 40 arrows, scalemail, large wooden shield, backpack, large sack, flint and steel, 14 days rations, waterskin, bedroll, tent, 1 sap Gold: 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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