Five backpacks, 20 iron spikes (one of which sealed the door), 4 spears, a longbow, 3 lanterns (no oil remains), 2 sets of leather armor, a suit of chainmail, a wizard’s robe, a wooden holy symbol of Abadar, and a crowbar.
Why would we kill you? Zadira asks. Then she thinks about it...
Um, are the bones... fresh? Has he been holed up in here eating his companions because he's too scared to walk around?
Grelthe is winded from knocking down the door and doesn't notice the man until after Melkar addresses him.
Really Melkar? He's obviously already terrified.
Grelthe puts her flail away and puts on her friendliest face, showing the man her empty palms while sure makes a quick detect evil at him. (Assuming nothing flares up...)
Hey, hello there. It's okay, we aren't going to hurt you. Will you please tell us who locked you in here and what happened to you? I have some food & water to share.
She pulls out a trail ration and her canteen, holds them out to the man, and smiles.
Unfortunately her tusks don't add to the appeal of her smile for the man.
Zadira watches with amusement, but she is ready to step in if things go really south.
Catary makes a show of sheathing her daggers.
"Easy tere. We're not here for to kill you."
She turns to the others.
"He has lost his mind wit fear. I do not haf a spell ready for dat, but I do haf a scroll. What do you tink?"
Melkar sheepishly lowers his scythe. "Very well. Heal him up and see if you can get a story out of him. Find out why he's the only one left alive if he's such a coward."
Are you sure he's lost his mind? We don't really know what happened here. I wouldn't use a scroll just yet.
Eventually Kayla wanders into the room. any thing interesting in... whoah, who do we have here? Hi I'm Kayla. she says as she moves on up to greet the terrified person, her hand out to greet him.
"I don't mean dat he is insane, chust dat te fear has overcome him. Remofing te fear could help."
The man snatches any offered did or water, but doesn't so trembling. You've got to lock the door! The goblins are everywhere! He squeaks.
The bones are all less than a few weeks old. Six at most. Worrying... some seem to have been butchered later than that up to just a few days ago...
Grelthe whispers to Catarya the spell might come in handy, but let her try once more first.
Once the man responds, Grelthe looks confused. We have cleared out most of this level and haven't come across any goblins. It is likely they left the area already. Did you lock yourself in here? I would close the door, but we had to break it down to get in. You are safe though, we are capable warriors and can defend against anything that might try to enter. Will you tell us what happened to you and your companions? Grelthe asks while gesturing at the bones.
"Goblins? You're worried about Goblins? What level are you, anyway?"
"How long were you here, anyway?"
Catarya concentrates on the man, trying to read his aura.
Zadira, relieved that the guy just seems to be a goblinophobic loon and not a cannibal who is going to try to slice them up for lunch, starts searching the rest of the room.
As she does so, she says Do you want us to escort you to the exit? We'd be happy to help you escape the ... scary goblins.
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Melkar watches his companions cater to the foolish weakling, his patience diminishing rapidly. "Well?"
He does not detect as evil.
The man looks you over and seems to decide you're telling the truth. He whimpers, My name is Gelver. I was part of a group that made it all the way to here before we got ambushed. So many goblins! He shrieks and hides under his shield again. Please get me out!
The bones, however, aren't all goblin. Zadira, as you search around you kick a skull that is distinctly human.
We start leading him to the exit (unless anyone objects), but on the way, Zadira asks What happened to the rest of your party?
He trembles are the memory. Died...Goblins.
I'm not sure if he's in a state where he can make it back to town by himself, but we could take him to our camp site? Then come back and finish clearing out the level? Or if he's not comfortable being outside alone, we could put him in one of these empty rooms with a door to close while we clear out the level, and then head back to camp? Then maybe we could take him back to town tomorrow after we camp for the night? We might be able to upgrade some gear in town while we're there. What do you guys think?
The only things worth taking to resell are the chainmail and longbow, I'll stick them in a backpack and ask Gelver if he wouldn't mind carrying them, my pack is getting a bit full. I'll also pick up the crowbar, as that seems useful, and the holy symbol to take back to town out of respect. What is Gelver wearing (armor/weapon-wise)? And does he look injured?
Zadira stops walking to talk to Grelthe.
If we have to take him all the way back to town, then let's just bring him with us for a bit. My map looks like we only have one door left. Even if that branches off a little, we're almost done, and then we can go camp for the night.
Whaddaya say Gelver? You come with us for another room or two, and then we'll take you to our camp, and in the morning all the way back to town. ... And if we see any goblins, Melkar here will kill them for you. He's an expert.
He nods vigorously.
Vance takes one look at him when you coax him out and says jokingly, Now I feel like part of a collection.
Gelver takes one look at Vance and squeaks in fright. He practically teleportes behind Melkar and (ineffective) hides behind his shield.
Um... so... next door?
Zadira starts back to the room where the last door is, and if they make it there without further incident, she casts Open on the door.
I would recommend Gelver put on some of the leftover armor and grab a spear first, just in case.
Good idea Grelthe. Let's do it.
Ok, so Gelver is willing to follow us into the unexplored room to our west. Yes, so let's do that. :)
The immediately obvious features of this room are the stone stairs leading downward and the huge statue against the western wall. The statue is a ten-foot tall carving of a human skeleton with each hand resting on the head of a stone wolf. It stands upon a stone dais five feet tall. The stairs lead down and their construction suggests that they go down for quite a while, possibly more than one level.
Grelthe eyes the statues suspiciously.
After encountering those snake constructs by the last stairs down, maybe we shouldn't get too close to these statues. The good news is it looks like we have already cleared out this whole level.
Also I detect evil at the statue, cause why not.
Zadira detects magic on the statue, and sees if there is an inscription or anything else unusual about it... can she tell who it is?
(is History the correct knowledge for this?)
<--more than that if it involves hazards or stonework
Hmm, these stairs seem to go down farther than the ones by the brass snake. Then there are the ways down in the pit just outside and in the Well room also. Lots of choices. We should talk them over tonight perhaps while we camp.
Seems like a good plan to me, is everyone else on board with the plan of camping, then going to town tomorrow? Or would you rather continue adventuring?
Catarya shrugs.
"I can continue. But I will turn back if tat is what people want."
I would totally rather continue, but we can't take this guy with us. If he is afraid of Goblins, he's not going to like other things that we find deeper... and I would be sad about getting him killed.
Melkar is skeptical about the plan to bring Gelver along. "Look, there's something pretty disturbing about him. Even if you don't think he's evil, Grelthe. From some previous experience in this area, I'm confident a man who has eaten a room full of goblins and his friends will never be right again. If you wish to care for him, I won't stop you. But I will happily sacrifice him to any creatures who come along if need be."
When they find the stairs, he nods. "A return to town before venturing deeper seems wise to me. I'm a little worried someone will get too hungry otherwise," he adds with a glance at Gelver.
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Kyla pulls out a pastry, (almost gone) she hands it to the weird man (the one that isn't one of our party) you can try some of this, its really good.
looking to the group, we need to get him out of here. travelling further with him would be a problem.
Grelthe looks surprised, then thoughtful.
"I guess I didn't think too hard about how he survived in there. But people in desperate situations can turn to desperate measures. I don't think he's a threat to us. Even if he did turn on us, he'd be outnumbered. I was hoping camping with us might calm him down enough to trust us with the truth. Returning to town would make him the town's problem, but perhaps there is someone he knows there who can help him reintegrate."
She turns to Gelver, "What town are you from? Is it Zelkor's Ferry?"
P-p-port P-p-peril... He shudders. (So not Zelkor's Ferry.)
Does Zadira know where Port Peril is?
Do any of you know where Port Peril is? I'm sure we can find him a doctor if we take him back to Zelkor's Ferry, but it would probably be best to take him home to someone who cares about him.
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Grelthe frowns. Well, that's unfortunately not anywhere near here. However by reselling what you have in the backpack there you might be able to book passage on one of the keelboats toward a more civilized area that can get you the rest of the way home. I'm not sure of the cost of fare. I've seen Catarya down at the docks, maybe she'd know.
"Port Peril. Bah," Catarya nearly spits with disgust.
"I'fe been tere. On te mainland. Eet's a town full of pirates."
She shakes her head.
"But eet's te only beeg port between Sargafa and te Inner Sea. Hard to get to here from te rest of te world witout going trough dere."
Kayla takes her pastry back, since he decided not to take it. but Kayla has a bit of worry on her face when he mentions Port Peril. stepping away from the man, her hand on her blade defensively.
Kayla... what's up? Do you know Port Peril?
As youall muse on the fate of the crazy man, something, or somethings, squishy start to drop from the ceiling! Only Grethle notices in time!
Giant Leeches drop from the ceiling all around you! Three ooze out from cracks in the statue and one even crawls out from behind the door! In an instant you are all either flanked or, in Grethle's case, about to be!
Melkar and Catarya get the worst. Leeches fall directly on their shoulders and immediately latch onto their necks!
It's a GM Christmas Miracle!
Zadira is crappy at hand to hand combat, but doesn't have much of a choice, so she pulls out her sword and starts hacking at Light Blue Leech (whose name is Tony, but you would only know that if you spoke Leech, and really... who speaks Leech?).
(non confirmation I am assuming)
Grelthe cries out in surprise and instinctively lashes out at the leech between her & Zadira as it falls: