Expedition - Carchannoi/Return to the Ogres - 08 May 2021

[sirravd]

I expend a Charm on him. "I think you mean a good gift for Carchannoi, no?"

[Marullus]

Lickspittle's smile widens, showing all his pointed teeth. "Yes, yes, gold.... All the gold is for Carchannoi.... " From under a piece of shattered table, he pulls out and reveals a small box whose latch has broken open, a handful of gold coins inside.

[sirravd]

"Splendid!" I say. "I'm rather encumbered as it stands, but I think Gurzlak can carry the gold. Give the box to him. Anyway, have you ever been down here, Lickspittle? Do you know what's behind that wooden door?"

[Marullus]

The other goblins help as they see Lickspittle finding coins. The room has soon been thoroughly rummaged. They gather almost two small sacks worth of silver coins (30 lbs, 300 sp) and ten gold coins. Lickspittle directs the others officiously, hands in his pockets and looking smug. "Nobody comes here. Things down here eat goblins. Guhra sends those she doesn't like... Nobody comes back. But if you kill them and I say it's safe, then goblins can come and live here too."

[sirravd]

"Aha. Split the gold between Gurzlak and Guhrt; they're strong enough to carry it. We'll enter the dungeon now. Smurk and Guhrt first, me and Tog behind, in the back Gurzlak and you." I ask Guhrt, by way of Smurk, to open the oak door for me.

[Marullus]

You enter the next room through the door, finding yourself in the center of a long room. The far wall is about 20 feet and has a sturdy, iron-reinforced door with a lock on it just a little to the right of center. The room extends 25 feet both to your left and to your right.

On the right side, this chamber holds an odd contraption of metal and wood. It's a 20-foot-diameter circular platform that is tilted heavily to one side. Beneath it you can discern mechanisms that seem to attach to a large crank not far away. Above the platform hang metal weights on thin chains, which in turn are attached to discs and belts that are attached to other winches. It seems as though turning the winches turns and tilts the platform and sets the weights to moving.

On the left side are several large chests whose contents has been tossed and now mounds on the floor - fragile and dry-rotted fabrics and dwarven-sized padded armor pieces are visible, as are carved wooden weapons and miscellaneous trash.

Smurk still holds a torch aloft for you, giving clearer sight about the immediate middle of the room. Lickspittle smirks, hands in his pockets. Gurzlak and Guhrt carry your new-found sacks of coins. Tog asks you, "What next?"

[sirravd]

"Gurzlak, search the chests and the mounds of abandoned equipment. Guhrt, turn the crank on the mobile. Everyone else, stand back –– on the threshold of the room.

[Marullus]

You spend about 30 minutes ransacking the already rummaged room. Turning the cranks is rather impressive - it sets the hanging weights moving back and forth in pendulum-like swings while the platform rocks and tips underfoot. It appears to be a dwarven martial training apparatus. Gurzlak confirms the theme - wooden weapons and the remains of padded armor (long since dry-rotted) confirm this as a sparring place. Amidst the other items, however, he returns with two things - a plain, thick ring of dwarven gold and a solid-looking dwarven warhammer which has resisted the tarnishing of time.

[sirravd]

"Give the warhammer to Smurk, if it's not too big for him," I say. "And try the ring on –- I want to see if it's magical."

In any event, I thoroughly search the remaining walls, running my hands up and down them, looking for small depressions or cracks, and the like.

[Marullus]

Smurk snatches the hammer and Gurzlak grins broadly as he slips on the ring -- like children with new toys, they clamber into the sparring platform as it rocks and sways. After a few minutes of sparring with each other, the declare that both items seem magical. Smurk marvels at the balance of the dwarven hammer (Warhammer +1) and Gurzlak cackles with delight, "It makes him miss me! Bwa hah hah!" (Ring of protection +1)

You search the room thoroughly, but see no sign of hidden doors or compartments.

[sirravd]

"Kindly give me the ring", I say. "I can put them to wonderful use! Now, Smurk –– try to smash down that door with your warhammer!"

[Marullus]

Gurzlak shakes his head in refusal. "No. It is mine." he curls his hands, and the ring, around his axe handle.

[sirravd]

"My friend", I say softly, "that ring is dreadfully toxic to goblins. If you do not yield it to me, it will eat, by and by, into your flesh. Only elves can handle rings of that sort without harm."

[Marullus]

He shows his teeth and hisses at you (a typical goblin gesture of defiance), covering the ring protectively with his other hand.

[sirravd]

Gurzlak is charmed, no? Is his disobedience because giving the ring goes "against his nature"?

[Marullus]

He is still charmed, yes.

[sirravd]

I shrug. This fight isn't worth my time now; I'll send him to the front line, and when he dies I can take the ring for myself.

"Does anyone here know how to pick locks?" I ask. "If anyone thinks he can pick the lock on that iron-reinforced door, go ahead." If the attempts to do so fail, I ask Smurk to smash the lock with his warhammer.

[Marullus]

Picking locks seems far too subtle; the goblins like smashing things much more. Smurk happily hefts his new hammer, stepping forward and hitting the door lock squarely. This hammer seems especially well-suited for doors, and the wood splinters and bursts open. Smurk grins broadly and steps into the room, letting out a gutteral noise as a dart shoots him in the chest.

The other goblins rush forward, but Smurk is convulsing on the floor, dead from the poison in a mere moment, his flaccid fingers letting his new hammer drop beside him.

The room beyond the door appears to have once been the library or study of a scholar. Bookshelves stand against the walls. Several piles of books rest on a reading table in the middle of the room, and the room reeks of moldy paper. This room has the same dimensions as the room before - you enter through the center of the wall, the far wall 20 feet in front of you, the room extending 20 feet further both to your left and right (50' overall). A plain wooden door with no lock is on the wall far to your right while a solid stone door with an ornate lock is on the wall before you, just to the right if center.

Rolls:

Knock down door [1d6] = 3
Roll vs Poison [1d20] = 11

[sirravd]

I take the warhammer (is it 1h or 2h, and how much does it weigh?) for myself. I offer my old longsword to whichever of the goblins was bravest and cleverest within the dungeon.

"Tog, search the bookshelves; Gurzlak, go to the locked door and see if you can spot any more of those dart traps; and Guhrt, bring me everything of value on Smurk's body", I order. In the meantime, I gingerly approach the reading table. If the books are open, I look at the facing pages without touching the book; if not, I open the books, each in turn, with my dagger.

[Marullus]

It is a two-handed warhammer, 1d8 damage, +1 bonus.

You find that many of the books are Journals Of Hagaseth, a wizard of peculiar interests, who resided with the dwarves previously here. In particular, his mundane notes discuss his relations with Duval, son of Duveth, son of Jabal, nephew of Jarkul (dwarven surnames are quite obnoxious that way) who ruled the watchtower and the small but loyal band there. They had some reason for a personal bond of trust but conflicted constantly on issues of policy and philosophy, the dwarf taking strong objection to use of magic for any purpose where proper craftsmanship would suffice.

Guhrt strips Smurk's gear (standard goblin belongings) and shows them to you before packing them away to carry them for you. Gurzlak inspects the locked stone door but finds nothing amiss.

Your investigations into the writings and papers are interrupted as Tog pulls down some blankets from the top of a shelf. She has uncovered a stirge nest, the furry, angry bird-like creatures descending on your group abruptly and with surprise. To your luck, seven of them swarm angrily, failing to connect their blood sucking proboscis to you or the goblins. Two, however, latch on - one to Lickspittle and one to Guhrt - both of whom drop unconscious to the floor within moments due to the rapid blood loss from their small bodies.