"Ghost rats!" Scrabble corrected his earlier announcement. He didn't know what to do about ghosts, so he decided to get out of the way.
The rat keeps with Scrabbler, following him and biting him in the leg. Which surprisingly doesn't cause a wound, but the goblin suddenly feels weakened.
Menrozzar's mind whirls - they have no means of harming the creatures. Wait - there was that holy water they found! And that oil of magic weapon! "Ivan! Use that oil of magic weapon we found! Maybe that will help hurt these ghost rats!"
Mernozzar pulls out one of the vials of holy water, then throws it at the nearest rat.
Menrozzar throws the vial of holy at Scrabbler. That wasn't the plan, but with the rat between his legs that is the result. At least it's only hholy water, which the goblin is unaffected by.
The rat is caught in the splash and fades out of existance.
'Oh! Why didn't I think of that? Good show Menrozzar! I wonder what else could be down here? We'd better be careful...' thought Daseem. He felt like he should say something, but only managed to grunt something that sounded approximately like, "W-w-ell done."
Now the excitement was over, Daseem peered into the rathole to see if they'd missed anything in there.
Menrozzar's breathes a sigh of relief as the ghostly rat fades from existence. "I can't help but wonder if someone burned the plague house down for the sole purpose of trying to destroy the spirits that do not rest easy here. Is there anything in there, Daseem?"
AH, well done there laddie. Twas' worried these specters would prove too difficult. An' ifn' they did, they were a durned fool. Fire ain't no way ta' be dealin' with the spirits O' the dead. Ivan grumbles As things calm down.
He too glances around, having felt something odd with his shield.
"Bupkis never heard of ghost rats before!" The goblin searches around the room, and a little way into the tunnel. He picks up a few small stones to use as ammunition later.
Edgar casts Detect magic and takes a look around the room, "Neither have I Bupkis, though you were certainly effective in hurting them; And you two Menrozzar, good thinking with that holy water!"
Scrabbler sat down on the floor in the puddle. "Don't feel good."
"What wrong Scrabbler? Need healing?", Bupkis asks the other goblin.
"Feel sleepy. Achy. Not as strong." Scrabbler said, rubbing his skinny arms.
Bupkis replied, "Bupkis can heal wounds, but not sleepy or not strong. Maybe Tyari helps?"
Scrabbler nodded and stood up a little slowly. "After we done here. Don't wanna quit."
Ivan scrapes the dirt away to see what it is he felt. A green arm comes out. With some digging - the tools are still there - you unearth the hastily covered corpse of a half orc. You're not entirely sure if you know him, as he's started to decay already.
The macabre corpse still wears a suit of sturdy chainmail, and his pockets hold a foot long, carved wooden stick, a fine silver dagger, a red gold symbol, and six black onyx gems.
Menrozzar examines the corpse of the half-orc, then looks at the red gold symbol.
Ivan, being a dwarf, quickly grab up the jewels and inspect them before sliding them away for future distribution.
Anyone want a chainmail suit? looks fine still, ifn' ya can get past the smell.
he spends more time looking over the golden symbol. Anyone know what this durned thing does? Anyone recognize the symbol?
No one has an idea what that symbol might stand for.
"We'll take it back to town. Perhaps Tyari will recognize it. We should, however, see if there are any other orcs buried down here. Edgar, can you tell if any of this stuff is magical?"
”I’m always up for a visit to Tyari, but whatever that is, it isn’t magical. that stick is though...” Edgar trails off as he takes a closer look at the stick.
Daseem eyes the stick suspiciously, suck things where beyond his ken. Somewhat nervously he asks, "S-s-since we're here. I-I-Is there anywhere we have yet to explore? Mm-mm-maybe to the south?"
Edgar is at a loss what exactly the magic on that stick is.
"Maybe tracks person went other door." Bupkis backtracks and goes out the southwest door and listens at the other door right beside it.
Edgar watches as bupkis investigates the door to the north before deciding, "Good idea Daseem, lets check the south door." he says while nodding to Edwin, who attempts to open the door.
Scrabbler moves over to the door Daseem and Edwin are opening and crouches next to the doorway, ready to slip inside when it opens.
Gripping his hammer, Menrozzar waits behind Scrabbler, ready to attack anyone behind the door if need be.
Scrabbler opens the door. An old cast-iron furnace and a pile of coal occupy the corners of this cramped chamber. On top of the coal you find a bound and gagged boy that tries to escape his bonds. Besides the ash and fallen rubble clutter the area around the furnace where the chimney above has collapsed.
Menrozzar gasps. "Othdan? What happened? How did you come to be here?"
Menrozzar enters the room and moves over to the coal where the boy is bound, setting down his lucerne hammer to untie him.
Tears of relieve run down the boys cheeks. "I was out here at the plague house. When I spotted Daktani here, he came for me, knocked me down and when I woke up again I was here in the dark."
This was clearly no place for a boy, so despite his tick Daseem spoke up, "G-gotta get you to s-safety! Can t-talk on the way. Was there anyone e-else out with y-you?"
'If there was one child out on a lark, there could easily be another.' reasoned Daseem.
"Who Daktani? Sound bad!", Bupkis exclaims. He moves back to the others grouped in front of the southeast door in the tunnel room.
"Othdan??? you must of been no more than a babe last time I would have seen you!" Edgar says once Menrozzar has freed the boy." and I can't believe that filth Daktani is still robbing folks! did he take anything from you lad?" Edgar says while dusting the boy off.
"Did you make it all the way in the house??? I never made it past the gate myself.... was there any other guys around Daktani might have gotten as well?" Edgar will say, trying to win the boys confidence over in case there is anything else to know.
"I was out here alone. No he didn't take anything, but my knife. Not that I have much with me."
Edgar's talk brings some confidence back to the boy "Lucky me, you made it further now. Can we go now?" He asks. Othdan is eager to get out of this dark prison.
"We finded a knife. Meybe yours?" Scrabbler said, trying to be helpful.
Menrozzar curses at Daktani's name. "That cutpurse will spend a bit more time locked up after this. Now he's a kidnapper, not just a petty criminal. Still, we should get you back to town."
"Can you show it to me?" Othdan asks. Their hopeknife is an invaluable item to most Trunau natives.
"Bupkis, do you have the hopeknife we found buried in the ash? It might belong to Othdan."
Always something of an outsider despite the best efforts of his sweetheart to integrate him into the town, Daseem watched the interaction between Othdan and Bupkis as the little goblin gave him the hopeknife. The locals where deadly serious about such things, and Daseem was intensely curious about how the lad would react.
Ivan leaves the talking this time to most of his companions, carefully watchin the boy as they spoke. If everything seems up n up, he looks to the lad. Ye can walk can't ye boy? Ifn' ye ready to leave, the way out should be safe, considerin' we jus came from it. We still got some things ta check out round here though.
Othdan looks at the knife. "No, that's not mine." he tells, shaking his head.
To Ivan's offer he replies anxious "Is it dark outside?"
"Sun gone down," Bupkis replies to Othdan. "Bupkis explores rest of basement!" he says to the others; he opens the southwest door and moves down the corridor.
Not wanting to be left out, Scrabbler joined Bupkis, his enthusiasm shaking off the weakness in his muscles for now.
Edgar tries his best to console the boy,"Hey don't worry Othdan, I'm sure we'll catch Daktani and get your knife back," he says as he unconsciously touches his own chest where the knife would be if he still had his.
Bupkis and Scrabbler are off to find out what else there is in this basement. And they are in for an ugly surprise. As they pass through the corridor beyong the room with the large sword depected on the floor they trigger a trap. The sharp jaws of bear traps close around their ankles locking them in place.
Scrabbler howls in pain and tries to get the trap off his ankle.
But he wasn't strong enough to pry open the jaws of the trap.