"Okay, same as before? We night blind folk stay in the back and then we wait for your signal ? I have a torch to strike as soon as we get the go ahead from rest of you."
"Good work Wolf - we know more about this place at least - we know not to run that way if we get into trouble..."
"Of the two remainin' tracks, I'm partial to the one headin' to the west," Wolf-Eyes says. "I'm ready to start whenever y'all are."
Wolf-eyes spends some time exploring the other two tracks. His tense solo travels yield little fruit though as both remaining branches end the same way as the first - heading about 120' straight north then diving down into deeper mine works.
The westernmost track has a side tunnel heading directly west. In the centre line, a mine cart lies abandoned at a junction, the back portion of it having rotted away completely. At first glance, the mine cart appears to have simply rotted, but when wolf-eyes looks closer it seems as if it was dissolved. The young half-elf leaves well enough alone and returns to the group.
1 - The mine entrance is at the end of a short trail atop a small bluff. Trees, vines, moss and other flora have taken over the area. Broken and rotted mining gear is scattered about including carts, hammers, spikes, etc. There are clear signs of recent activity. There is no light visible inside the mine. A second entrance, choked with overgrowth, can just barely be spotted a bit to the west.
2 - This largish chamber was clearly a storage area when the mines were in operation. Rotted and broken rail carts along with old crates lie scattered about. This chamber has recently been ransacked.
9 - A mine cart lies abandoned at a junction, the back portion of it having rotted away completely.
10 - An old, deep shaft drops into the lower mines at the end of each track line.
"How about we follow the wide tunnel heading east? Seems like that is large enough to allow for any number of cultists down that path..."
"Sounds promising. Wolf?"
Nudging Wolf-eyes and indicating the left-hand tunnel, Morgtii indicates that the party should proceed.
"Let us find what these caverns have to hold, together. Watch and listen with care, but let the darkness not dissuade us from our task."
Raidh breathes a sigh of...relief? Whatever it ease, she seems more at ease now.
"I'll take the rear. Dolph, you go behind Morgtii...
Kee-rik stays on the wall, assuming it doesn't slow the group down.
The group pushes forward down the wide eastern tunnel, which quickly opens into a spacious chamber. Broken tables, chairs, beakers, bottles, and other laboratory paraphernalia lie ruined and scattered about. Dim light filters in from the secondary mine entrance to the south, and a passage leads north to another chamber.
"Let's keep to the left. I bet if we go far enough there might be an entrance that lets all these tunnels run together."
"Perhaps there is something of value yet to be found in this once-laboratory?"
While Morgtii searches through the detritus, Wolf-Eyes creeps forward to peer into the next chamber.
Raidh nods at Morgtii's suggestion, and also looks through the assembled detritus...
Morgtii and Raidh look through the chamber and make some very useful finds amongst the wreckage:
2 potions of cure light wounds
1 potion of enlarge person
3 bulbs of garlic
1 bundle of wolfsbane
Meanwhile Wolf-eyes creeps to the mouth of the north passage. Not wanting to give his presence away to whatever may be lurking beyond, he does not bring a torch forward, so he can see very little in the gloom ahead, but the scent of stale excrement assails his nose as he peers forward.
Wolf-Eyes wrinkles his nose in disgust at the stink wafting towards him.
"I think we should go back an' search another way," he says when he returns to the group. "I reckon they wouldn't be meetin' in what smells like a latrine."
"Well, let's take the potions and the undead fighting gear as well. Or we can make garlicky potatoes later. I like those quite a bit," Dolph grins.
Raidh looks at the the noisome track, and wonders aloud:
"Unless this is exactly the route they take..."
Kee-rik will look for tracks also.
"How shall we divide these treasures we have found?" Morgtii asks.
"Perhaps those who fight face to face should take the healing potions? I have often thought it would be interesting to be bigger, but I do not think I am the best choice to carry the other potion. And what are these?" Morgtii curiously sniffs and runs his antennae over the pungent bulbs and herbs, "Spices?"
"I agree. You up front types, take the healing potions. The spices are useful if we run across particular types of undead, from what I remember. And, like I said, the garlic is also good for seasoning vegetables," he laughed.
Morgtii bobs its head and quickly distributes the items.
Raidh can make out small humanoid footprints in the dust coating the tunnel floor heading north, and thinks she can hear the faint sound of what might be sobbing.
Raidh struggle to hide her excitement, or to keep her voice low.
"Wai...wait! I can hear something - sounds like someone...thing...might be crying. And I don't think it's one of those thawn - look here - small footprints!"
"Is it a trap, or is there a chance we could rescue someone from this awful cult? I suppose there is only one way to find out..."
"Small.... Isabella!!!"
Worried that the sobbing and small footprints may belong to its missing, and possibly injured, friend, Morgtii begins to scuttle towards the source of the noise.
Morgtii hurries forward into a large chamber where several iron rods have been driven into the floor. Manacles affixed to these rods suggest the room is used as a prison. A pile of moldy clothes is heaped in a southern alcove. A malnourished man is chained to one of the posts, and pale and sickly child is chained to another.
As your torchlight spills across the chamber, you interrupt two goblins creeping towards the prisoners with murder in their eyes. They turn towards you, swords in hand, and snarl as they lunge forward!
Initiative Order, status and effects
Kee-rik (10/10 HP)
Goblins -
Rudolpho (9/9 HP)
Wolf-eyes (15/15 HP)
()Dewall (17/17 HP)
Morgtii (12/12 HP)
Raidh (11/11 HP)
"Gobloids!" Kee-rik will move to the closest one, and bite!
Wolf-eyes draws his machete as he advances on the second goblin and takes a swing at it.
Wolf-Eyes whistles to Dewall. "Git 'em!"
The mutt bounds to his companion's side and snaps at the goblin.
Dolph moves five feet to the left and five squares north, before casting a destructive blast at the nearest goblin.
RTA
Damage
Kee-rik leaps forward and bites at the first goblin, but the raider's scale mail absorbs the attack. The goblin shakes free and swings his short sword in an arc in front of him. . .
= HIT;
... cutting a deep gash along the smaller frogman's shoulder.
The second goblin charges past his companion to attack Morgtii with a wild yell...
= Miss
... but the entobian deftly avoids the clumsy swing.
Rodolpho angles along the tunnel wall trying to get a clear shot, but the swirling melee's around him make it impossible for him to land a hit.
Wolf-eyes and his faithful hound move to envelop the goblin attacking Morgtii but neither of them can land a hit on the dextrous humanoid attacker.
Somewhat late to the encounter, Raidh moves up and takes a stab at the goblin threatening Morgtii, her longspear slicing in neatly.
Morgtii tears into the adjacent goblin with both midlegs, desperate to resolve the battle quickly.
Morgtii refuses to back down in this fight, so if the goblin goes down, he'll 5 foot step up into the vacated space, otherwise he'll hold his position.
Totally overwhelmed by the press of adventurers, the goblin that charged recklessly at Morgtii goes down under spear and claw.
Initiative Order, status and effects
Kee-rik (5/10 HP)
Goblin -
Rudolpho (9/9 HP)
Wolf-eyes (15/15 HP)
()Dewall (17/17 HP)
Morgtii (12/12 HP)
Raidh (11/11 HP)
Kee-rik steps 5' to his left and tears into the remaining goblin with his claws as well as his bite.