IC I

[thirdkingdom]

The glands atop the beetle's carapace seem like they should, in theory, be valuable, as they shine with a strange bioluminescence.

[sulldawga]

Themon carves off one of the glands and looks to see if it still glows. If it does, he will extinguish his lantern and stick the gland in there.

[VonAlric]

Beykoyun

"Which way to we want to go now?"

[kalstone]

Tiarsus

How about back to room 23 and head southeast?

[sulldawga]

Tiarsus

How about back to room 23 and head southeast?

Works for me.

[BaltoBruiser]

Brooku

Will expertly cut away the glands of the beetles and mount them to unlit torches so they can be used as light sources.

Beetle bellies make good light. and hands one to Mutton....

I had added harvesting to my skills in post #219. Does Brooku also have a general idea of how long these glands would last as light sources?

[shaidar]

Tiarsus

How about back to room 23 and head southeast?

Works for me.

me too

[Dicey]

Aye

[thirdkingdom]

Brooku

Will expertly cut away the glands of the beetles and mount them to unlit torches so they can be used as light sources.

Beetle bellies make good light. and hands one to Mutton....

I had added harvesting to my skills in post #219. Does Brooku also have a general idea of how long these glands would last as light sources?

The glands are easy to pop out. Examining them, Brooku gets the feeling that they will last somewhere from 1 to 6 days.

[thirdkingdom]

Fourthday, Sixmonth, Forty-thirdyear of the 16th Cycle
11:00 am
Eighteen turns elapsed
The Redoubt of the Crocodile Kings
Hex 13.42

The adventurers return back to the room they have labeled "23" on their map* and head back down the wider tunnel. Like everything else in this section, it appears to be completely natural, untouched by the hands of Man . . . or goblin, for that matter. As one might expect from a natural tunnel, it varies in width and height, but always remains wide enough that the adventurers are able to march two abreast. The tunnel runs for about forty feet before widening into a cone shaped chamber, with the tunnel entering at the "narrow" point of the cone, which is about ten feet in width. The rest of the chamber is about forty feet long and widens to about thirty feet at the far end; two tunnels are visible exiting the southeast end of the cavern, going off in a rough "Y" from that end, with one going basically south and the other to the south-east.

What catches the adventurers attention, however, is two-fold. First, three more crystals are visible, refracting the gentle glow cast by the fire beetle glands, as well are two of the strange, crystalline spiders lurking on the western wall. The second thing is more subtle: barely audible, perhaps more of a vibration than a sound, the adventurers can hear the sound of hammer and pick on stone. It's hard to tell where it is coming from, but it seems to be coming from above them, and to the west. The distance is also impossible to tell. Could be a few hundred or more.

Upon hearing this the goblins freeze. "It is the Kindly Ones!" they hiss, "or the slaves the Kindly Ones force to mine and dig for them, at the least!"

*Which is fantastic, btw. Just a note, though, that at a certain point what you are mapping might extend *under* Area 25.

[shaidar]

Atticus

"Maybe we should investigate the rest of this level before considering going further this way." he whispers.

[sulldawga]

Themon

Turning back for now is fine with me. At some point we will have to confront these so-called Kindly Ones but I'd rather do it after we've secured a clear route of retreat.

[Dicey]

“What are the Kindly Ones?” Dirk asked the goblins. “What do they look like? Besides slavery and mining those not-very-puissant crystals, what other acts of ‘kindness’ do they do?”

[thirdkingdom]

“What are the Kindly Ones?” Dirk asked the goblins. “What do they look like? Besides slavery and mining those not-very-puissant crystals, what other acts of ‘kindness’ do they do?”

Megshag

"Oh, they do no kindness," the goblin says, "that is merely what they call themselves. Or perhaps it is the name of the Court. I do not know. We have never seen the Kindly Ones, as out people escaped from the long before we were born. But the elders say they are tall, and pale of skin, with pointed ears, and wide, almond-shaped eyes. They speak with a sweet and honeyed tongue, but every word is a lie. They brought our people here from Faery to labor in the mines, digging ore that can be found nowhere in Faery."

[Dicey]

‘They sound scary,” said Dirk. “Let’s do as Themon suggested.”

[thirdkingdom]

‘They sound scary,” said Dirk. “Let’s do as Themon suggested.”

Megshag

The goblin nods, eyes wide. "It is the Kindly Ones the elders threaten us with when we are whelps: be a good goblin, or the Kindly Ones will pluck you from your sleep and force you to mine for them."

[thirdkingdom]

Where would you like to go next?

[kalstone]

Tiarsus

"Do we want to try our luck with the stoned-wellers or do we want to try another exit from the circular room?" Referring to room 10

[sulldawga]

Themon says, I am in favor of at least investigating every doorway.

Room 10 door sounds good to me.

[VonAlric]

Beykoyun

"What room is that?" He looks at the map for a moment. "Right, that other room had some writing talking about stone dwellers and such. Sure, let's head back to that the room you're suggesting."