The party is unable to find any openings in the Bugbear's defense. Another potentially skull crushing blow misses Valya.
Fatigue on both sides is starting to set in but so far Grulk looks determined to stand his ground.
Initiative
You guys
Grulk
Everybody is up!
With Tico's help Valya lands a massive slash on the Bugbear.
This is enough to break the Bugbear's courage and he flees!
The Bugbear flees, around the corner, leaping though a canvas sheet covering a secret door and featherfalling down 30 feet to safety before taking off running.
Nar and Tico are finally able to take clear shots against the Bugbear who only makes it a few steps along the roof of the first floor before collapsing under his wounds!
Combat over!
The climb down from here looks particularly difficult, but with some time and some rope is fairly trivial.
Full description of this room:
This strange chamber pulses with the green glow of the column of glass-like crystal that forms the core of the tower. The walls of the room are damaged, and the roof is cracked. The spire in the center juts up, just peaking above the crude ceiling. A bed and a side table sit in the northern half of the room, and archery targets line the eastern section of wall.
None of the items in the room seem particurally valuable but assuming you eventually recover Grulk's corpse and find...
leather armor, composite longbow (+2 Str), morningstar, a that appears to be me of a tiny cloud, 3 garnets worth 50 gp each, 124 gp
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Sabi spends some time looking through the side table, and under couch cushions for loose change.
Sabi helps carry as much back as he's able, which admittedly, isn't much.
"Now, shall we gather the prisoners are head back to the fort? I could use a bath."
(When they do eventually return, Masao spends some time trying to speak with the goblin prisoners. ... He'd like to practice learning the language ... )
Nothing else of value there.
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"Now, shall we gather the prisoners are head back to the fort? I could use a bath."
"I agree, Sabi. Is everybody ok?", Tico take a look around, and seems that he have a hurry.
"Let's do it fast. I have bad feelings about that wizard that Girl was talking about".
As soon as they catch the prisoners at the previous room, Tico insists to come back fast to town. Besides the wizard, he have other interests in the city.
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If everyone is ready to head back, I believe it is time to collect our wards and head back into the fort. The bath a night's rest sound pretty good to me. Hopefully this whole structure isn't like this first floor.
Nar will dutifully collect the Goblins and make sure to help escort them back. He will also provide each of them a use of his lay on hands to help heal what wounds he caused.
Oh and Tico may I have my wand back?
Returning to Fort Inevitable is of little trouble. There is almost a glow of triumph around the party as you return victoriously.
At the city gates you are taken aside into a sorting room where all the loot you have recovered is sorted, identified and cataloged by the Hellknights who are both exceedingly detail orientated and fair in their taxation.
The Goblins are swiftly tried and hung
While the Paralictor does not make the time to personally take your report Signifer Hast is quite curious about what you've found and will ask overly detailed questions regarding any magical phenomena, especially the lighting.
Signifier Hast probes deeper about the lighting [b]"So you're saying that once you gained some elevation the effect stopped? Hmmm, I wonder how deep
What sorts of stuff are you guys looking to do while in town?
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Nodding at the efficiency of the Hellknights as they sift and catalog the recovered items, before turning to the Signifer as he begins questioning the team
Apologies Signifer Hast, my own observations are likely to be of little use to you, given that I was unaffected by the lack of light.
Valya excuses herself as early as politely possible and moves straight to the market to get herself some new gear.
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Masao uses his newfound wealth to purchase some gear and upgrade his armor.
He'll also sell his slightly used studded leather to the armorer.
This initial adventure was fruitful for him. He was able to practice speaking a new language with the goblin prisoners before they were hung. His prowess with controlling his elemental powers is growing as well, and he's learned some new tricks.
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If everyone is ready to head back, I believe it is time to collect our wards and head back into the fort. The bath a night's rest sound pretty good to me. Hopefully this whole structure isn't like this first floor.
Nar will dutifully collect the Goblins and make sure to help escort them back. He will also provide each of them a use of his lay on hands to help heal what wounds he caused.
Oh and Tico may I have my wand back?
[dice=Lay on Hands, Goblin 1]1d6
[dice=Lay on Hands, Goblin 2]1d6
[dice=Lay on Hands, Goblin 3]1d6
"For sure, my friend, here it is", Tico gives the wand back to its owner.
"I'll try to buy another when we arrive the town", he says with a smile in his face.
After returning home victoriously and dealing with the Hell Knight bureaucracy you are invited to dinner by Abernard Royst, a retired wizard and adventurer of some renown.
He's got wild white hair and is quite cantankerous.
Over a nice meal served at his house "Everybody in town has been talkin' 'bout your victory over the goblins over at the ole green spire. To cut to the point though, I'm looking for something down there, and I hear you're planning on going down and I'd like to make it worth your while to get the piece I'm looking for."
He will carefully pull out a small ornate wooden box that appears unusually heavy, says a word over the lock and then opens with a key.
Inside is a strange almost shimmering piece of pale green metal, about the size of a finger join that looks like a chip from a sculpted item with a serrated edge.
"This piece was brought out by adventures much like yourselves in an expedition over 20 years ago. I'm looking for the rest of the statue, if you happen to come across it in your expeditions, I'd pay fifteen hundred gold for it. I imagine it won't be easy to locate though."
After just a couple minutes examining to piece he'll put it back in the box with an arcane lock and smile.
"Enough business for now though, it's time to drink and share stories."
A very nice wine is served and he'll start by sharing a story about his party's victory over a group of goblins trying once again to recreate the great goblin kingdom of Zod.
Royst responds with a bit of annoyance "If I knew what the rest of the statue looked like I'd tell ya, likely smaller than you fist though."
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We could always drop I somewhere between the spire and the fort. Its a broken statue, if ever questioned we would simply say we didn't think it was worth much
She eyes the paladin
We need not discuss this now, we will find a way
She raises a toast, sipping delicately at the wine.
Now Royst, what can you tell us of the spire, the better to prepare us for our second foray?
He responds "No need to smuggle it by them, that my friend would be far too much trouble. My interest in the item is no secret, I've been asking adventures headed into the spire for a decade now to find it for me."
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Tico and his friends were welcomed as heroes in Fort Inevitable, mainly for the fact that they take with them many goblins prisoners, to the delight of Hellknights.
The cleric's fame spread quickly among the most influential residents, which allowed him to buy a few land for a good price. " The beginning of a dream ", there Tico will build its base of operations against the slavers.
While at Emerald Spire, Tico learned a lot about the behavior of Goblins, its form of communication, and had been devoting to learn their language, as he would probably have to put it into practice again.
Before going to meet Abernard Royst, Tico purchase some scrolls and a wand similar to the Nar, " now I have mine, ha! , thought the smiling cleric.
During dinner, Tico behaves well and listens attentively to what the old Wizard have to ask them.
" I appreciate the honor, my good man. It will be a pleasure to help you, but can we know why are you willing to pay us more than this stuff really worth? " Tico says while sipping some wine.
Royst responds, not especially nicely "It's like the fish that got away. Anyway, it's one of those sky metals, plenty to be interested in them."
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" This wine gave me a little willingness to go to the toilet, I'll be back in one minute " Tico rises and once in the bathroom, he casts enhanced diplomacy and uses touch of glory on himself.
Shortly after he returns to the table and between one conversation and another, he tries to extract from the old Wizard any information on why he doesn't participate in local politics, if he knows any slave trader, if there is some sort of black market in town, if the slaves of the city are conformed about their current situation, among many other things involving the tyranny of Cheliax.
Responding to Valya "I've heard rumors about the levels below, but the fragmented notes I've collected over the years may not be as detailed as you like, but I've got some idea what lies below, just not a good sense of order."
You are all served quite delicious looking bowls of chocolate pudding. After savoring a bite he continues.
"From what I've been able to gather, the first 3 levels below the surface are each quite distinct. One of them survivors claim to be overrun by spiders and ruled over by some sort of lich who was able to suck the very life out of people. Another had Troglodytes worshiping some ancient device fallen from the sky, and what I suspect is the deepest of the three was nearly completely flooded. Hopefully everything below it isn't also filled with water. I'd be interested in hear how well this lines up with reality, when you come back though."
Royst chats with Tico a bit, and while he avoids directly discussing politics he does proudly announce that he holds no slaves, instead pays his servants a fair wage, and he gets better pudding that way. He is clearly not in favor of the Hellknight's tyrannical style and use of slaves but as an old man he doesn't seem to have either the drive or energy to get involved with politics.
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Sabi mulls over the conversation while sipping at his wine. He expresses grattitute for the fine meal ("The finest we've seen since long before arriving.").
As much as the sage is avoiding politics, he's certainly playing a very political game, and it's making Sabi a bit uncomfortable. He looks forward to retiring for the evening and further adventuring on the morrow. Hopefully nothing that will scratch his new mithral shirt.
While Tico thinks the old man got the message, it's late enough into the night and the wine that he's not entirely sure.
With just enough time to get back to your inn Royst calls an end to dinner and sends you along your way.
Any business other than routine shopping before heading back out?
With shopping completed and another interesting Fort Inevitable personality met the party trecks back through the Echo Woods to the Emerald Spire.
The surface level appears to be empty of any real threats although significantly more full of vermin such as rats and spiders that have been eating supplies left behind by the goblins.
One particularly bold centipede drops on you from the darkness that is present in the surface level but it is not dangerous enough to be a real threat to you.
The additional lighting is of little help on the surface, even the ioun torch doesn't illuminate more than 5 feet.
When descending the stairs though the light quickly spread out and puts you all a bit more at ease...
At the bottom of the stairs is a chamber made of stone blocks. The ceiling is almost 20feet tall and you see several featureless stone slabs that you can only assume are doors.
In addition to your light there are occasional patches of luminescent greenish-white furry mold that provide dim illumination.
In an alcove to the east you see the remnants of an extinguished torch.