"I would have healed you sooner, but I didn't want to go back and forth with your health the whole time. I would just have ended up out of spells. Let me see how our fallen foe is fairing."
"He's dead Jim!" Just kidding, I hope not.
"That makes a second person that has ran off to warn others. Should we follow her or finish clearing out this floor?"
If the guy is alive, we pillage his equipment, money, valuables, and magic items. We tie him up, cure him, and ask him questions about who he is and his involvement with the goblins and attack on the town.
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I'm just a mercenary, paid to protect the premises around here and the pretty lady you just scared off. Yeah, Nualia asked me to help plan the assult on the town. Paid me well enough to do so. But, you know, maybe not the best decision I've made. I know the people there didn't really deserve that. I didn't realize you all were from there though. I'd like to help if I can.
He has +1 Banded Mail and 400gp worth of gold, misc gear, etc.
Is Nualia the pretty lady we just scared off? If not, who is Nualia?
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No, the pretty one is Lyrie. Nualia is the boss. She's after something in the lower chambers below, but I'm not sure what. I've never been down there. She warned me never to go further than these rooms, and I saw way. To the south, she has a temple room or something there some sort of dog beasts guard. Scared the piss out of me, they did. They're howlin' will put chills down anyone's back. Over in the east cave there's some sort of wiggly monster, from what I've heard from the gobs, so I didn't even look.
Speaking to the party, Do any of these creatures ring a bell with you?
Brenton asks questions about the beasts to see if he knows about the ones the fighter is talking about.
Zeriax eyes the man attentively as he speaks, attempting to ascertain the honesty in his words.
He will step aside with his companions to discuss what to do with the man.
"Everyone deserves a second chance in life, as I am sure all of us have been given more than once... I would take him along with us, and confirm that what he tells us is true. If it is so, and he proves truthful, I would put in a good word for him when he is delivered to the authorities in Sandpoint"
"I do not trust this one - it is easy to falsely admit mistakes after being defeated, and honorless men have no qualms in lying as much as needed to save their own skin. I would rather tie and lock him up where we found the trapped horse until we return, lest he betray us at the first chance..."
Tell us more about this Nualia. Why is she interested in hurting the town?"
"I agree with you Zeriax."
That can't be good at all...
"With Tsuto..." Zeriaxs' eyes narrow as he remembers the mans' betrayal back in town - "If my companions agree, I would offer you a chance to prove that some measure of truth can be garnered from your words, and that your choices have been nothing but mistakes..."
"This sacrifice you talk about is nothing but madness, a madness that must be put down - your knowledge of this place would be your single chance at starting the path to atone for your misdeeds so far - later on, and depending on your actions and assistance, we may compliment your efforts with the authorities, and request leniency - this would be my offer, but we are a group and the groups' will is final"
Turning to the others, he adds - "What say you friends?"
"After you Orik!" Brenton motions to the southern door.
Hardegon is not quite sure if he believes Orik or not....
Brenton believes him.
"Before we decide to let him fight for us, do we let him keep his equipment?
Give him his stuff, but I am keeping an eye on you!
Zeriax hesitates momentarily, then nods - "Very well then, you will have a chance to prove yourself - betray us and you will be the first to fall, no matter what"
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The party moves on.
The lower four feet of the walls in this empty room are covered with crude drawings in mud, blood, and paint. Most of the drawings show goblins engaged in some sort of violence against humans, horses, or dogs. One picture on the north wall is at least three times the size and complexity of the other scrawlings. This image shows Thistletop from the side, the goblin stockade perched atop it like a crown. A cave has been drawn into the center of the image, and looming inside is what appears to be an immense, muscular goblin with snakelike eyes and a dogslicer in each taloned hand. If the scale compared to the rest of the drawing is to be believed, this goblin must be at least thirty feet tall.
Map Updated.
Nice painting ,says Hardegon dryly. What do we have here? poking his sword tip at the illustration of the large goblin...
"I wonder if that is what we heard earlier when I dropped a rock into the cavern."
"When do you need to rest child?" he asks Emrys. "Do you have enough for one more big encounter?"
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Yeah. No prob. And I can tell you what I do know. Up ahead, to the right, is the chick's temple sanctuary. It's protected by monstrous dogs. To the left is the cave of some monster so terrifying, none of us go there. Directly down to the south is where the goblins usually eat and such. I usually avoid going in there cuz of the smell. No matter which direction you want to go, I don't know much beyond those rooms as I mostly kept to myself here. Which way do you want to go?
Oh boy, sounds like fun any way we turn, says Hardegon dryly...
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I could help in defeating the dogs and goblins. Whatever that creature is, it might be beyond us. Or on the other hand, we could try to tackle it with everything we have left. Either way I don't know where we could rest safely in this place.
He ponders.
Maybe in with the horse. Goblins are scared of horses right?
"To be honest, I do not believe we would be allowed to rest inside this place... They will certainly come looking for us"
Zeriax loos over the group - "I would like to press forward and strike a decisive blow to them - directly at the sanctum perhaps?"
"I vote for the easier road to start with. Let us take down the goblins first."
"Very well then, though we risk being more tired out when we have to deal with their apparent leader"
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I never liked them either, the guardsman replies.
He move quietly up on the door, and listens carefully.
Confident that nothing is there, he opens the door slowly.
A single lantern hangs from a hook on the wall next to where the stairs enter this room from the north. Several rickety doors open into this room, and a few discarded dog pelt rugs lie forgotten in the northeast corner. Several doors stand closed around the room, and you see a staircase going up.
Map Updated
Brenton listens to door #1
Hardegon examines the pile of dog pelt rugs carefully...
Zeriax stands motionless in the middle of the room, his eyes locked on their captive and his actions, and his ears attentive to noises coming from surrounding rooms.
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You hear gurgling and screeching from Door 4.
You don't want to go in there. Trust me. I can tell you in that door (#3) there are numerous personal quarters...mostly the goblins, and my room as well. I only walked through here to get to my room, and tried to ignore the others as much as possible as I sent about my duties. To the west is where they keep prisoners, though there are none right now.
Zeriax leans in on the door and tries to ascertain exactly what the noises are.
"If we can get keys to the cells, we would have a place to put any goblins that surrender."
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Told you before, I don't know. I didn't poke my head where it didn't belong. I can tell you the goblins avoid that room, and that's good enough reason for any of us to do the same...just in case the high pitched screams weren't enough reason. The only other thing I can tell you is that I saw them throw some raw meat in there once.