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The Adventurers reach the rim of the Caves of Chaos, around 7:25 am, without incident & this is what they see while crawling out from the trees & thicket & lying on their bellies:

The dark forest you have been passing through has been getting more dense, tangled & gloomier than before. The thick, twisted tree trunks, unnaturally misshapen limbs, writhing roots, clutching & grasping thorns & briars all seem to warn & ward you off, but you have forced & hacked your way through regardless. Going through the dark forest that presses close to either side brings you at last through the thick belt of trees & now the strange growth has suddenly ended - you have crawled out of the thicket onto the rim of a ravine-like area.

The walls of the ravine rise rather steeply on either side to a height of around 100 feet or so, you guess - dark, streaked rock mingled with earth. You have no doubt you can climb them, but you'd need both hands. Clumps of trees grow here & there, both on the floor of the ravine & up the sloping walls of the canyon, which could hide almost anything up to & possibly including a giant.

A narrow stream, likely the Goblinwater, trickles down the center of the ravine, forming great muddy puddles in several places, its source hidden in the trees that cluster at the west end of the ravine. The opening to the east appears to be about 200 feet wide. The ravine runs at least 400 feet eastward, to where the western end you are near rises in a steep slope.

Here & there, at varying heights on all sides of the ravine, you can see the black mouths of Cave-like openings in the rock walls, crude paths leading up to them; more perhaps, hidden by the trees. The sunlight is dim the air is dank, there is an oppressive feeling here - as if something evil is watching & waiting to pounce upon you.

There are bare, dead trees here & there as well, & upon one a vulture perches & gazes hungrily at you. A flock of ravens rise croaking from the ground, the beat of their wings & their cries magnified by the terrain to sound loud & horrible.

Amongst the litter of rubble, boulders, & dead wood scattered about on the ravine floor, you can see bits of gleaming ivory & white - As a chill wind blows into your face you feel sure that you have in fact discovered the famous Caves of Chaos, where many an adventurer has sought fame & left only his or her bones behind!

The Caves of Chaos Valley Map: Note: The Goblinwater Creek flows into a patch of trees on the floor of the Valley, from your vantage point, near the western center side down through the center of the valley.
The Party is directly above & slightly to the left of the 3rd visible cave opening from the right of the line of caves up top.

Ok, Adventurers, begin your Actions & Dialog!

Gus

Gus let's his background slip-out for the 1st time. Either he does not realize it or he does not care.
He says, This won't be much different than robing graves.

Gus is ready to go! He turns to the others and says,

Ok, Durgan. Will you help us investigate where the Goblinwater appears to originate under that patch of trees down below over there?

Once we go in Trindon is coming with me to make sure the party can assemble inside safely. Ain't that right little guy?

Gus has no idea what Trindon does but his small size and lack of armor gives Gus the idea that he might too be a rogue. Gus is becoming imperious, but not irrational.

Strombrow "I dislike the hiding spots for very large things here but unless anyone has any other ideas, I suppose a straight forward trail to the line of trees where the Goblinwater emerges, will have to suffice." Strombrow acts as if he did not just hear Gus talking about robbing graves and just continues on with his talk.

Odderick: "That's, uhm, a lot of caves. Do we have any clue where to start?"

Dungeon Master:

For a little refresher, remember what Rondoel reported about the kidnapping!

Here is what you see of the area the Goblinwater Creek appears to originate:

Strombrow "Hmm well does anyone remember where Rondoel said the kidnapping occurred?"

Garbonzo to Trindon: Trindon, if you go into that cave with that elf, you bet your arse I'm gonna the next man right behind you, and you better let him do the heavy lifting up there. Stick to his back pocket.

Trindon: No doubt. I knew you'd be saying such things.

Rondoel says to the group:

"Remember i mentioned the Merchants were taken by Hobgoblins, in the Sylvanian Elves realm & brought here & hopefully still are here."

Odderick, to Rondoel: "I don't suppose the hobgoblins have hung their shingle outside a cave. Do you, or, uhm, do any of our august company know this area well enough to direct us to the hob's lair?"

Strombrow "Hmm yes. Well anyone know how to look for Hobgoblin sign? Also hmm how will we know which cave to look in? I know this place is called Caves of Chaos so I am sure there is reason to beleive there is more than just one cave here."

Gus

If a ranger can pick up a print we can choose. If not, we enter at the nearest point and get to work. Let's not burn daylight.

Which entrance is nearest?

Strombrow "Hmm for yet another time I find myself agreeing with Gus." he then shrugs.

Rondoel Says to the Group:

Sighs.
"I begin to wonder if the evilness of the place is beginning to affect everyone's mind here, what with the short memory & nightmares."

"I followed the Hobgoblins with the merchants coming into the area, so i of course now have an idea what Hobgoblin prints look like."

"Also Gus if you take another peek down & to your left i think you will spot your closest cave opening...again."

"Or perhaps we go to the Goblinwater & follow it right into the trees, as Luna suggested?"

"So folks, looks like we have ourselves 3 options to start off with."

"Which one shall it be & do we continue into a cave area whether or not we find Hobgoblin prints???"

Luna: "Courage, and coherence above all! The last days we have been no better than jetsam and flotsam on the fickle sea of fate. Whichever route henceforth, it must be - - - together"

Strombrow "Lets just go to the nearest opening."

Gus and Clem

Gus waives Trindon over. Gus approaches the cave opening to his left while moving silently. He pokes his head inside.

MS 30%
[1d100] = 37

Gus addresses the party: If we are running next time you see us be ready to fight.

Clem
Clem takes a position near the entrance so he can listen as Gus and Trindon enter. Clem stays where he can not be seen from inside.

Gus and Trindon will get in a little way and then the entire party can form up.

Boc, being a ranger, Checks out the ground near the opening to the cave for any prints that may have been made by his quarry, or any other type of goblin for that matter.

If he finds the prints then he will call out to the group so that they enter the correct cave first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Durgan stays with the rest of the group, the aura that the land around him emanates makes him uneasy.

Odderick: "These caves are all, uh... inhabited, right? By monsters? Hostile monsters that might not react well to our presence? If we go cave to cave, we'll at the very least have worn ourselves out by the time we find the right one. And it's entirely likely our battles will alert the hobgoblins, and send them fleeing with the Kmarties."