Once everyone is healed up with the nasty bard’s wand, it is a pleasure to leave behind the stench of the flushing chamber. Following the tunnels, the Pathfinders come to a ‘T’ intersection. To the south is what appears to be an abandoned guardpost. A corner of the room with the remains of some game involving carved bones and a rat carcass has been hastily deserted, with bottles knocked over and spilled as the goblins guard fled. The guardpost seems to be guarding a tunnel that narrows enough to be impassable by anyone but Ekkie or Hakotep, and smells bad enough that neither of them wish to venture into it.
Turning north at the ‘T’ leads to a pair of rooms on either side of the hall, which seem from the smell of them to be empty kennels. Each is a square stone chamber that stinks of feces, urine, and unwashed animal fur. Gnawed bones, rotting chunks of meat, and filthy piles of rags litter the room.
Continuing along the tunnel, which twists and turns a bit, the party arrives at some sort of crude audience chamber. Two rows of pillars support the arched roof of this long hall. At the far end stands a makeshift throne constructed from the broken remains of a smashed statue and other cracked blocks of masonry. Standing before the throne is a large, fearsome-looking bugbear.
As the party steps into the doorway of the chamber, the bugbear stamps the haft of her horsechopper on the stone floor and calls out in a guttural voice, ”What do you want, intruders? Why have you come here?” As the bugbear speaks, everyone but Rokdor can see a goblin hiding behind the pillar to the north of the throne.
The bugbear's eyes widen at Hakotep's claim of sovereignty over her sewer domain, and she shifts her attention to Oldmar. "You come to reclaim? Is there something in particular you seek to recover, stout dwarf? If we are to parley, we should know each other's names. I am Inoklar. What are you called?" She lowers her weapon to her side and gestures to Oldmar to approach, saying, "Come, we will discuss this."
Inoklar waves Oldmar forward, saying, ”Ah, the Lucridius clan is it? Interesting. And yes, we all want prosperity, don’t we? Please, come and speak with me. I’ll thank your companions to wait there in the hall while we talk, though. A good parley is one on one, not a gang of you surrounding me, eh?”
"Overlord? I have no overlord!" Inoklar replies. "I alone run the Nightsoil Marauders, and will one day run Magnimar! Now, come show me this 'destruction' you offer, dwarf!"
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Oldmar flashes a rare smile. "Oh? Who's that then?" He waves at the skulking goblin behind the throne. "Your muse?"
"You live on lies. You live on fear. You live on injustice. The light of the Dawnflower offers redemption, if only you would walk the path. Only judgment awaits those who shun the embrace of righteousness, whether by my hand or not. There can be peace if this war you have begun is ended. You can have prosperity, if this harassment and racketeering you oversee is finished. You can have life, if this gang is ended. Leave your evil ways and see the light."
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While always happy to engage in interesting conversation, Gaelwyn decides this is not the time and steps into the room before lobbing an alchemist fire at the bug bear.
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Gaelwyn’s flask flies straight and true, sailing the length of the room and breaking on Inoklar’s armor, igniting the fearsome bugbear! She takes a furious step toward the party, then focuses her attention on putting out the flames all over her. Her efforts are fruitless, however, and she continues to burn.
From behind one of the pillars steps a goblin, previously unseen by even the most percipient Pathfinders in the party! He hurls a flask of fire towards the party, but it sails over the heads of Oldmar, Gaelwyn and Rokdor and smashes on the floor by the doorway!
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Gaelwyn will move Northeast to advance to cover behind one of the pillars and prepare to attack anything that comes into reach.
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Hakotep begins intoning a spell while Gaelwyn takes cover and prepares to attack any foe who approaches. Ekkie moves into the room, then stops, eyes wide with fear as she sees Inoklar. Bolstered by his friends entering the chamber, Oldmar approaches the bugbear, axe held high! As he gets close, however, he steps on a false floor, where the flagstones have been replaced with a thin sheet of grey parchment. His foot breaks this material, unleashing a shower of thick, sticky resin that hardens as it hits him, gluing him in place!
Sobestian begins singing while Rokdor charges across the room, easily noticing and avoiding the false floor now that she knows it’s there. Her divided attention, however, causes her strike to miss! Ekkie continues to stand still, as if fixed in place or, perhaps, unsure where her loyalties lie at this moment.
The last of the flames on Inoklar flicker and die as she holds her horsechopper aloft and spins it in a frightful display of her prowess with the weapon. She calls out, ”You dare to attack me, in my stronghold? What joy I will take in killing you all!”
Meanwhile, the goblin that Rokdor attempted to boop takes a step backward and returns the favor, but his swing is poorly aimed. And the goblin that has been trying so hard to hide behind a pillar now steps out, tossing a flask of fire at Oldmar, lighting him on fire once again!
The goblin standing by Inoklar slows for a moment, his eyes drooping and confusion evident on his face. He gives his head a wild shake, whacking it into the stone pillar by his side, and manages to stay awake, resisting Hakotep's spell!
Sobestian launches an arrow at Inoklar, but his aim is confused by the fact that he thinks the female bugbear is a 'fellow'. Oldmar struggles to free himself from the sticky mass he's trapped in. He's unsuccessful, but the stuff seems to be drying up and crumbling off him.
Rokdor steps forward, still trembling from Inoklar's fierce words. Her hammer swings in a flat arc, just missing the goblin's jaw!
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Gaelwyn will move 20 feet up along the North wall of the room until he can see the goblin then stop and hurl a flask of alchemist's fire.
He then prepares to charge Inoklar looking him up and down. "You are the biggest, hairiest goblin I've ever seen. Are you a hob-goblin? I thought they all had blue noses, not big noses?"
Gaelwyn lights a goblin on fire! Oldmar continues burning, though the flames flicker out as the fuel is exhausted.
Inoklar raises her horsechopper and shouts at Gaelwyn, ”I am a bugbear, fool!” She then points at little Ekkie and cries, ”You! Help fight off these invaders or die with them!”
The burning goblin frantically slaps at the fire covering him, succeeding in putting it out, though he looks to be in pretty bad shape when he’s done. The other goblin steps back and slices into Rokdor!
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Hakotep finishes his lullaby and tries to put the goblin to sleep again.
The Godking then cautiously moves into the room and holds out his scepter to Ekkie. "Now Ekkie, I believe you accepted my rule, did you not? Do not fear this brute, we will soon take him out and install you as the new leader in this realm!"
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"A bear bug? Is that some parasite like a flea? " Gaelwyn charges the bug bear and attacks with his greatsword
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