Third Expedition - The Caves of Chaos

[GreyWolfVT]

Cormac asks the hobgoblins "I've another question what did you do to the goblins?"

[KingOfCowards]

Old Sham will usher the talkative prisoner up front with him, hands bound behind its back. The other hobgoblin he will put Saeros' care, to keep him at unease.
This will move everybody back a line in the marching order.
The dwarf will interpret Cormac's last question in goblin (I didn't see any additional languages on Cormac's character sheet).
For now we'll follow the hobgoblins instructions, but warily. Stopping to pause at the intersections, for noise or pursuit.

If Ampersand wants to scout ahead, I am fine with that. It will give us some eyes ahead of the group.

[Spartakos]

When Sham asks Cormac's question, the hobgoblin with the deep voice grins broadly, displaying the prominent sharp teeth his folk possess. "What we should have done long since. They taste good enough, and a few of their females were decent looking, for when you can't find a willing bedmate. The strong take what they want from the weak; that is the way of the world."

[GreyWolfVT]

Cormac actually nods a little agreeing half with what the hobgoblin's reply was. "I assume they saw through the ploy the goblins attempted in claiming they killed the ogre."

[Zhym]

"I'll disappear," says Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third, taking a swig of the invisibility potion, "and scout from the, uh, opposite of the rear!"

[Gelatinous Q]

Lardo will do a quick search of the dead hobgoblin that was larger than the others. He'll hand off his torch to Kal and take up the rear guard, keeping to the shadows.

[Scott308]

Eglistrum Paharis

The mage will take his usual place in the marching order.

[badams30]

Brother Henry - Priest

Henry pats Kyle and Kal on the back and says "let's go find these captives, eh, guys?" Henry smiles at Valentina and assumes his place in the line. As he waits for the gang to move out he whispers to Lardo "Do be careful, old friend, okay?"

OOC: Henry waits patiently

[Spartakos]

Lardo, since you're searching the 1 dead hob, I thought it reasonable that you'd search the other as well.

Lardo does a quick rifle of the dead hobgoblins; each is wearing a fairly well-wrought jack of iron scales, over a padded jerkin and breeches of some tough leather (horsehide, perhaps). Sturdy boots and a broad belt complete their outfits. Each is armed with a serviceable broadsword, in crude scabbards of fur and leather, and each carries a heavy-bladed knife as well. They have nothing else of particular value except their purses, which contain a total of 14 ep.
Your prisoners are similarly clad and armed (though I assume, when binding them, that you removed their weapons).

Ampersand gulps a mouthful of potion, and promptly fades away (please be sure to deduct it). The party gives him a bit of time to get ahead for scouting, then follows, Sham prodding the one prisoner ahead of him.

The hobgoblin leads the group at a sedate pace down the corridor, which turns to the left, and to a good-sized room filled with crates, barrels, and sacks. A cursory inspection shows that it holds general supplies; foodstuffs of varying sorts (chiefly hard biscuit, salt beef, pickled fish, and the like), barrels of beer and wine, bolts of cloth, ingots of iron and bronze. The group also spots a very large (200' or so) coil of finely cabled silk rope.

(If you wanted to take any of this before proceeding, please note what and who's carrying it)

There are no exits visible, but the hobgoblin thrusts his jaw toward the far wall. "There is a hidden catch, near the floor. Foolish goblins never knew it was there; we've been stealing their choicest prizes for years. When the time was right to strike, it made for a conveniently ill-guarded entrance."

Sure enough, the hidden catch is found and a section of wall slides almost noiselessly aside; it is clearly a more cunningly-designed secret door than the one to the ogre's cave, and reveals a dark corridor. A whispered hiss from Ampersand causes the group to pause for a bit, so he can scout ahead.

(Going with both Sham's statement about following the hob's guidance, and Ampersand's statement about scouting. I assume, for scouting purposes, you'll give Ampersand at least a little time, so he can report back if he finds anything important.)

Scouting:

Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third catfoots lightly down the corridor, his gnomish eyes accustomed to dark tunnels. The corridor runs straight and long for a fair distance--20 yards or more--and then opens into a small square room. This room appears to be a smaller version of the goblin storeroom; it too is filled with crates and barrels, though Ampersand is not able to judge their contents, for their are two things here the other room lacked.

One is that a corner of the room has been cleared except for some rude bedding; huddled there are a half-dozen goblin females, clad in nothing but iron shackles joining wrists and ankles, with loose chains between allowing walking, but making running or fighting difficult if not impossible. The other is a pair of hobgoblin guards, leaning on their spears and chatting with each other, occasionally glancing over at the goblins. None of them seem to notice the gnomish arrival.

There is a single exit, in the opposite wall from the long corridor; the room is unlit.

Actions, Ampersand? If they take longer than a round or so, I'll let the group decide if they're waiting longer or following after you.

[Zhym]

Question: is the exit on the opposite wall a door, or an open passage?

[Spartakos]

Open passage.

[Zhym]

Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third pauses a moment and thinks about his options. He could go back right away and tell the others what he's found, but the next step will almost certainly be to fight these two hobs and maybe slaughter the goblin women or at least argue about what to do about goblin women. And what would their hob guide do faced with two hob guards? Messy.

He nods and sneaks across the room to the exit as quietly as he can manage.

[Spartakos]

Ampersand manages to creep across the crowded room without nudging or disturbing any of the contents or occupants, and slips out into the corridor. He immediately sees a glow of light ahead, and after a short trip (20' or so) down the hall, he stands on the threshold of another small room.

It is square, and holds only a small rough table and a few chairs, and is lit by a single torch in a wall sconce. One of the chairs is occupied by a hobgoblin warrior, who has a hobgoblin female sitting in his lap. He is playing with her hair, and the two are clearly canoodling. A loaded crossbow sits on the table close at hand, and a pair of shields and pair of maces are propped against the wall.
Another female sits in the other chair, on the other side of the table; there is a jug, bread, and cheese on the table, and she sips from a cup of something, occasionally eyeing the the couple. She has a mace across her lap and her shield rests against her chair. Standing more alert and pointedly ignoring the couple is another hobgoblin warrior; he has a slung shield and a mace in his belt, and holds his own crossbow ready.
Both of the warriors wear scale armor; the females wear light dresses of plain but embroidered fabric, with short hems for easy movement, and laced sandals.

There are two doors, both closed; one is in the wall to Ampersand's left, and the other is in the opposite wall, but the far corner.
Ampersand notes that the alert guard's gaze periodically shifts between the lefthand door and the open doorway, but he pays little attention to the door in the far wall.

To the rest of the group; Ampersand has now been gone a couple minutes, and you hear nothing from down the tunnel. Do you wish to wait, or do anything else?

[Scott308]

Eglistrum Paharis

The mage will stand and wait for Ampersand to return, or some sort of noise indicating he is in trouble.

[badams30]

Brother Henry - Priest

Henry waits, taking the time to drink some water and pray.

[Zhym]

Knowing he has no way to sneak through a closed door without being noticed and not wanting to trying tricking his way past six hobs—failure would make him a dead gnome—Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third sneaks his way back to the waiting party.

I can post a report IC after confirmation that AMKHWB3 makes it back intact.

[Spartakos]

After a few more minutes, which seem to draw out like a blade, a small cough announces the return of the party's invisible gnome.

Ampersand, feel free to report on your findings.

[GreyWolfVT]

Cormac waits for the scout to return.

[KingOfCowards]

I guess I am glad that we waited. Normally I would have kept moving after a minute of two.

In a hushed whisper, Sham asks the wall that he assumes contains an invisible gnome, "What did you find?"

[Zhym]

Ampersand Mxyzptlk Kerfuffle Humperdink Wongdoodle Biddleshaft the Third tries to describe what he saw.

"There's a store room ahead," says his voice out of thin air, "with some tatters piled up like a bed. It has six goblin women, all bound up in chains, and a pair of hob guards who may be causing them pains. With no light in that room, it's shrouded in gloom.

"But on down the hall a light soon will fall from a room with four of hobs and two doors with...uh, knobs? Two hobs are canoodling, oblivious to all, their weapons laid useless propped next to a wall. The other two try to ignore them, though it must be hard. They watch and seem ready, alert and on guard. The door to the left seems to have their attention; the other, 'cross the room, seems to be beneath mention."

He exhales heavily.