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

[Marullus]

You ruin your dagger (mark it off) but there isn't much for it to hook onto. Your repeated results result in it banging on the trapdoor and falling continually back to the ground. Knocking on the door seems to have done the trick, though - the bars are slid back and it is opened from above. You see two pinched goblin faces peering down into the hole at you.

Tog yells up, having a rather pointed conversation with them. Finally the door closes with a slam and the locks slide back into place. Tog turns to Carchannoi and says, "I told them everyone else is dead. We are chastened in the hell-pit and we collected gifts for Guhra."

You wait several minutes. The mounds of detritus begin to squirm again at the edges of the torchlight, inquisitive bright eyes peering at you from the darkness.

The trapdoor opens again and ropes are lowered.

[sirravd]

I ascend first, Tog behind, and prepare to meet Guhra once more.

[Marullus]

Fast-forward to it, then.

You are led back up the winding stairs, carrying your new hammer and with your pack filled, Tog carrying your longsword and looking official as she struts along as your squire. As you reach the high chamber where Guhra holds her court, you are held waiting outside the archway for several minutes. Finally, you are shoved in, her soldiers menacing as they flank the room, her draped southern-fabric curtains still oddly out of place both with the dwarven construction and the goblin mess and floor clutter.

"You bring me gifts, wizard?" she smirks. "Where is Lickspittle? I would have his tale of your cowardice."

[sirravd]

"As for cowardice, you could hardly beat Lickspittle", I say. "He turned his back on some stirges and fled. Naturally, they stuck their probosces in him when his back was turned, and that was that. Ah well, I'm sure a monarch of your status has no shortage of slaves handy."

"It is a custom among my people", I continue, "to recite a little benediction before presenting gifts." Whereupon, without waiting for her permission, I launch into a Charm Person directed at her.

[Marullus]

Carchannoi takes a risky chance, casting his spell in full view, before the goblin court. Luckily, his presentation of it as an elven custom allays their suspicions long enough for the enchantment to take root on Guhra. Carchannoi feels his enchanted whispers wiggle into her ears and mind and releases the enchantment towards the Gobliness leader.

Guhra frowns, waving off the elven words curtly. "I don't need elf-speak," she continues in Common. "Tell me of what you found. Tell me what you give. Tell me of the deaths." Her smile widens toothily in anticipation.

Carc Charisma [1d20] = 3 Guhra Wisdom [1d20] = 2
Contested check. 13-3 = 10 for Carc, 9-2=7 for Guhra. He gets away with it.
Guhra save vs spells [1d20] = 9

[Marullus]

Accounting items:

• Did you get the goblins to pull Gurzlak up with the ropes? Or did you leave him to the rats?
• Tog is a Retainer and requires at least a 1/2 share of treasure. You got the hammer and gave her the longsword, so that is okay. She expects 3 of the gems. Did you handle that before the audience? (She expects so.)
• Did you account for the sacks of coin in what you packed for 60lbs? Or did you leave some behind? My understanding was you left them with the dead goblins.

[sirravd]

Crap. I forgot to pull up Gurzlak and the sacks of coin. Well, I can go down later and retrieve them.

I tell Guhra of the deaths in gruesome detail, embellishing freely (mostly about the cowardice and wretched fighting of the fallen). "As for treasure", I say, "I have found this..." and present Guhra with the cheapest-looking of the gems. "This is called an 'elfstar'. In days gone by, it was the token whereby our adventurers learned to really cast spells and enter a witch's coven. I think it a most fitting gift for milady." I also present Tog with the three next-cheapest-looking gems.

"But tell me", I ask, "have you heard tell of a goblin named Guhnk passing through here?" I describe Gunk's appearance in great detail.

[Marullus]

You hand Guhra a cracked striated green malachite. She wrinkles her nose. "Elves have no sense. This is crap. I want your necklace." She points to the amulet.

You gave Tog the flawed blue-green turquoise, the flawed deep blue lapis lazuli, and the flawed white chalcedony. With your winsome explanations she seems satisfied.

You ask about Guhnk. Guhra nods. "The wolf riders spoke to him. He has King's Guards, hunting the Deceiver. You know of this?"

[sirravd]

I decide not to argue, and hand her the necklace.

"Yes, I know Guhnk", I say. "He is a madman. He tried to enlist me into this quest of his –- finding this 'Deceiver'. When I refused, he began shrieking at me, calling me 'a deceiver in my own right', or some such. Frankly, milady, he is terribly dangerous. I hope you will pardon my insouciance in suggesting that you dispatch him forthwith."

[Marullus]

She is pleased, and puts on the amulet. She listens to your words about Guhnk thoughtfully, nodding to herself.
"What is it you wish now, elf? You go to chase your dwarves?"

[sirravd]

"Not yet," I say. "I am a newcomer to these lands. Please, tell me of the politics of goblin-dom. What is the name of the King? What are the names of the other warlords of your status? Are they often at odds? Are there, for instance, tracts of land that are disputed Scandals of which you have heard tell?"

[Marullus]

And like that, Carchannoi has insinuated himself into the chamber for the evening. He takes a seat as the conversations continue, and the discussion amongst Guhra, Carchannoi, and the lieutenants continues until dawn begins to rise through the tower's vertical slit windows.

You learn that goblin politics is a chaotic affair with little in the way of rules and the only obedience of these evil little beings is to Power. There is no rank structure at all to speak of, but instead an unusually-democratic process of collescing into power-masses to determine outcomes. Goblins group around leaders - dozens of such warband leaders names are mentioned, and they roam the countryside as such, finding sustenance and looking for new ways to gain power over their peers. When a group grows obviously superior, other warbands join onto them rather than being beaten and subjugated by force - this usually corresponds with control of a particularly portentious location, such as Guhra's control of this tower, which ties the other warband leaders in this room to her.

The Goblin King doesn't have another name. This is largely because the title can change monthly, or even weekly, as coup attempts result in sudden changes of power within the large goblin central halls. Once someone claims the title of Goblin King, they refer to themselves solely as that (and often pretentiously in third person) due to the respect this commands from the goblin community as a whole.

The current Goblin King is an anomaly - he has remained King for over two years. He gained some Great Power in the unholy ruins beneath the old goblin hole and he cannot be killed - his wounds seal shut and his evil grows more profound. He took over the old goblin hole and led the exodus when the humans attacked them, bringing all survivors to the New Hall. It is a dwarven mine which he led them to directly. It is big and fits everyone, and they were lucky to find it completely vacant. He has recently made bargains with human wizards and gained control of a hell hound which breathes fire and is the size of a horse which he delights in feeding goblins to when they displease him.

There are several other powerful goblins of her stature which were significant mentions:

• Dmukaz: The priest of Sdubok. Has a cult of fervent followers in their own portion of the Goblin Halls.
• Balex: A strong warband leader and primary lieutenant of the Goblin King with major loyalties in the Goblin Halls.
• Nezr: A Warband leader, but significant as the protector and cohort of Smergl the Old and Ulgaz. Smergl and Ulgaz have harnessed true magics. They delve into the dark-secret places, and marshall much power.
• Blagz: An offshoot of Guhra's band. He's establishing a pack of wolf-riding goblins for raiding the human farms once more. They occupy the top level of a ruin in the forest north of here.
• Klubsish: A powerful and tall goblin with sway over some ogres. Runs a well-populated ruin to the northwest.

As the sun rises, the goblins disperse to sleep-chambers throughout the tower, avoiding the dreadful lights.

Next action?

Date: 19 May 2021
Time: 8:00am
Light: Overcast daylight (100% cloud cover)
Condition: Carchannoi (heavily wounded)

[sirravd]

I ask Guhra:
(1) How does she feel about the Goblin King? How strong is her allegiance to him?
(2) If Nezr's magicians are so powerful, is there any suspicion/rumor that they have tried to find the Goblin King's secret, or attack him with magic to which he is not immune, etc.?

[Marullus]

This question leads to confusion and frustration. Goblins have no real inherent concept of loyalty or allegiance. There is only respect for power. She is not aware of Nezr's magicians powers, nor is she aware that they have challenged the king at this point.

Guhra and the other lieutenants have gone to rest; no more questions tonight. What's your next action?

[sirravd]

I find a place to sleep in the tower, asking Tog to watch me while I sleep; after a few hours, I ask her to wake me up and I will take the watch.

[Marullus]

You find a cobwebby room that no others are in and take your eight hours of rest to allow spell memorization, then Tog sleeps until sunset, rising at a more goblin-friendly time.

Date: 19 May 2021
Time: 9:00pm
Light: Sunset (then None)
Condition: Carchannoi (heavily wounded)

Carchannoi healing [1d3] = 1
You are back up to 2hp.
Let me know any change in your memorized spells.

Next action?

[sirravd]

I memorize three Charm Persons, then seek an audience with Guhra –– opening with my "prayer to Sdubok" (charming as many of her bodyguards as I can), and then asking her: "I would like to return to the dungeon for further exploration. Do you have slaves whom you would be willing to send down with me? If so, I would like to return tomorrow."

[Marullus]

You enter the room and begin to sing your praises to Sdubok; they buy the ruse once more, but Guhra is impatient and interrupts you before you finish your first casting. "I don't want that crap in here. What do you want?" You request slaves for exploring. She frowns. "No, I don't have any to send. You wish to go, go yourself." She seems indifferent to your needs and distracted by her other business. She waves you off, turning to the others and continuing their conversation in goblin.

Ruse:
CHA [3d6] = 11
Request:
CHA [3d6] = 14

[sirravd]

I shrug. "I will be gone from the tower shortly, milady, at least for some while. Is my horse still alive?"

[Marullus]

Your horse is alive but notably unhappy as it is stabled with wolves and with goblins getting more brazen with their pestering and trick playing.

Mark off three days of fodder. Are you riding back to the city?