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"Galbix, is there anything dangerous in there? Anything alive? Or living dead?" Piers tries to elicit a useful answer that won't omit anything crucial due to goblin cunning or stupidity.

The party considers, questioning their prisoner/guides.

Galbix shrugs. "No. We just go there when we want stitches,", he says, indicating the dwarf-made pants he wears under his chainmail tunic.

A clang and clattering of stones echoes from far down the tunnel behind you.

Date: 3:40pm, 26 July 2021
Light: Bremen's Torch (4:20pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Dorbeck (Dead), Baxtaw (Moderately Wounded), Bremen (minor wounds), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

"Sounds like something just dropped that gate" says Piers. He waits a moment and then asks: "Talking of which...do you think I should use my magic to detect traps now? Or later, once we find the secret door?"

Piers indicates the two goblin guides. "These two might avoid leading us into a trap to save their own skins. But then again, there may be a trap they don't know about".

"The secret door and beyond may be much more likely to be trapped".

Baxtaw- He tells Piers. I would hold your spell till we get into the secret door. Put one of the goblins out front if they hit a trap. So be it. He then turns to Bremen. You think them goblins are trying to sneak up behind us? Maybe we should head into the stitcher building. Baxtaw looks to make sure the goblins they have in custody are leaving some trail of trail for his friends to follow.

"Hey Hunbrlex, Galbix", calls Piers. "The faster you find this secret door, the more money we'll give you. How far away is it now?"

He turns to the others "We should probably try to at least keep half an eye open for this door as we walk. Just in case our helpers miss it in the darkness...".

Do we have these guys on a leash, or are they just walking? If it's a rope leash, who's holding it? I guess we can let it out a few feet more.

At an opportune moment, when the goblin's backs are turned, Piers indicates that maybe somebody else should hold one of the ropes. He's not the strongest person, STR 12 and may not be able to hold on if they both try to bolt.

Encouraged onward, the goblins lead you further up the hallway."Yes, yes, this way... Just further," the offer. Piers is wise enough to catch that Galbix looks longingly and with disappointment at the messy chamber that was on your left before hurrying ahead.

A rattle-rattle-clang down the hallway behind you is the unmistakable sound of the portcullis retracting up into the ceiling. You then hear a crunching, chewing noise that is wholly disturbing.

You are far enough up the hallway that the previous side passages are completely out of sight. You have three archway openings where you are now.
-- A double-wide archway is first, on your left. Within it is the wide, gaping shaft of an unadorned mine, at least 50' across. Pulleys and lines hook to the ceiling above, steps spiraling downward from the outside rim. Dump-carts lie overturned and derelict on the top platforms to either side.
-- Just ahead on the right side is a regular arch and side hallway. It goes in about 20' and then turns left, parallel with the main hallway, but sloping gently downward where the grand hallway continues sloping upward.
-- just ahead on the left, past the mine shaft, is an ornate double archway, a massive chamber opening within, the shadowy forms of squat buildings and workshops barely visible beyond the torchlight.

The goblins urge you forward, towards the second opening on the left.

Date: 4:00pm, 26 July 2021
Light: Bremen's Torch (4:20pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Dorbeck (Dead), Baxtaw (Moderately Wounded), Bremen (minor wounds), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

Piers listens to the crunching sound and a disturbing thought comes to mind. "The goblins said Scatha can't resist the smell of dwarven blood. I think he just ate Dorbeck. He's behind us..."

Neegan- I think you may be right. If he behind us we can set a ambush here or wait for him to return to his lair.


OCC- I still think we need to rest to regain our spells. We are fighting a dragon we need all the advantages we canget.

"Uh oh," says Lug. "I was hoping the big dragon would be taking a nap."

"Don't suppose anyone wants to go drop the gate on the big lizard's head?"

Damn. Wish we had thought of that. We could have used that to our advantage. Bremen eyes the rest of the group, wondering if any of them have a bit of dwarf blood in them.

...or on them. Father Clauson looks dubiously at the blood-covered shield he is carrying.

"I think we need to get out of this hallway," says Piers "before we get a blast of dragon-fire up our posteriors. The goblins want to go through that archway up there, second on the left. Is everybody good with that?"

I think we need to rest up too.

"Yeah," says Lug. "Out of the hall is good."

"Hey, I've got a great idea! We should have someone stay here and keep the dragon interested while the rest of us go and steal all its treasure real quick. Grab and run is as good as killing it, right?"

The group whispers their fears in the darkness until the realize the chewing has ceased. Inescapable dread fills you as you feel something growing closer in the tunnel.

Following the urging of your goblin guides, you duck into the large vaulted hall of the workshop floors. The space stretches on - the vaulted ceilings continuing up as far as your torchlight shows such that you know you're seeing less than a quarter of the room. Squat buildings and workshop forges are arrayed along clear pathways as you enter the space, like a small industrial town in and of itself within the chamber. Immediately on your left are dump-chutes connected to the mine shaft top on the other side of the wall, the ore bins flanked on either side by massive smelting furnaces used to liquefy the metal from the stone. Two pathways extend off to the right, leading between rows of buildings. On the nearer path you see what look like mason's workshops on the nearest end: many small figurines, mugs, and other carved works within. On the farther path you see the glint of metalworkers tools and projects.

The goblins dive into the nearest metalworker's shop, scurrying to hide before the ominous presence in the darkness can reach them.

Actions?

Date: 4:10pm, 26 July 2021
Light: Bremen's Torch (4:20pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Dorbeck (Dead), Baxtaw (Moderately Wounded), Bremen (minor wounds), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)