The Forgotten God (Table 1) (Inactive)

Game Master Rednal

We don't do sneaky! Deities smash!

Makallun'abad grins at Hadran, thoroughly impressed. "You've more tricks up your sleeve than I had anticipated, friend. Let us make haste, before they can react to our lovely little plan."

"I agree, in we go then. Rest well Midfoviing. You have my thanks. We will have a large meal in celebration at the next city."

Hadran leaps down the hole.

Beseth leaps down the hole as well, calling to Midfoviing, "Don't take too long, you don't want to get attacked up here while we are all down there."

"Don't worry. Midfoviing is... strong..." the tired girl said, clearly trying to put on a brave face. As for the room itself...

A long, formal banquet table dominates the center of this room. A desk and table occupy opposite sides of the room, and two sets of double doors, one in the west wall, the other in the east, are the chamber's only visible exits. Standing within the room is a lone female hobgoblin wearing the insignia of an officer - you're not familiar enough with their habits and symbols in this day and age to say exactly what her rank is, but she's clearly above the rank and file, and she looks carefully at the three of you for a long moment.

"Not the usual entrance, but not bad, not bad at all." she said in fairly smooth common, touched by only a hint of her native tongue. "I don't suppose the three of you would care to bargain?"

"We can talk, but you may not like the deal. Our terms are you leave the keep. We have been hired to reclaim the keep. It matters little how we do it. Where is the commander and his spell casters. Should we not be bargaining with them? Or our you the commander?

Hadran stands leaning on his sword, looking between the two sets of doors expecting reinforcements at any time.

"Beseth, Thane. Can you secure the doors. We wouldn't want any zealous soldiers barging in here and messing with our talk of their surrender."

Makallun'abad nods, all too happy to guard the door. "The fewer skulls that need cracking, the better."

"We are willing to hear your offer, but I can give you no promise that we will agree." Beseth adds as she assists the dwarf in watching the door.

The hobgoblin grinned slightly as Hadran spoke. "Honestly, we weren't too keen on holding onto this place anyway." she said. "I am indeed the commander of the hobgoblins here - they obey me, and for a mere 300 in gold coins, we'll leave you to whatever it is you want with this place and not come back." There was no hint of lies in her words - she was clearly the mercenary type, and money alone would be enough to get her to leave.

That seems a little low. . "What's the catch?" Beseth couldn't help but ask.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (9) + 6 = 15

"We will need to examine what you have collected here. We came looking for something ourselves. I imagine you too may have and with a low demand as 300 probably found what you are looking for. That is only ten gold per man. I agree with Beseth. Why so little if not hiding something. Your words seem true enough though. I am going to detect magic, this is not hostile."

Hadran cast detect magic and studies the commander for aura's as well as the room.

The hobgoblin woman snorted slightly. "Because we're going to take things on the way out, of course. You have my word that whatever you're looking for isn't going to be up on this floor or on the ground floor - it'll be down the stairs in the mess hall if it's anywhere, and we won't be heading that way on our way out. The stuff up here has some value, sure, but not enough to send people in all special-like to retrieve 'em."

There doesn't seem to be much magic in the room, though the hobgoblin's bracers and cloak both have an aura, as do several bottles in her belt.

"I understand. You get paid to fight and you have done what you were paid for. Can you tell us who sent you here and why?"

"And how do you have any idea what we are looking for? It's not like we've introduced ourselves and told you what we are looking for." Beseth wasn't trusting this woman, at best she was hiding something, and at worst she was simply buying time until the room they had gotten themselves into was surrounded from the outside.

Makallun'abad seems to stand down his guard just a tad as the others talk, but he still keeps a watchful eye on the door. "Hope this doesn't turn sour..." he whispers to himself, not particularly interested in making more enemies when surrounded by thick stone walls that would prevent an escape.

"Molthune hasn't been as timely in their payments as they should've been. Maybe next time they'll understand that they need to keep up their end of the bargain." she answered. "As for why I'm sure what you're looking for isn't here... we examined the place quite thoroughly when we arrived. Unless you're looking for some kind of, I dunno, plate or something? If it's sentimental value, could be anywhere, I suppose. If it's more than that, it's not up here."

"Molthune was who was expected. They will see honoring their deal is important then. I am willing to make a deal with you to leave peacefully with your men if my two companions are. What say the two of you? Should we pay the three hundred gold and spare them?"

Beseth was willing to call their bluff, for if it wasn't a bluff it seemed they wouldn't be leaving with much anyway. "I do not care to dirty my hands with their blood, if they will leave for 300 gold, I say we let them."

"Wonderful. Show me the coin and let's make things happen." the Hobgoblin said, smiling widely. "Stories of my people aside, we do deal fairly when there's a good deal to be made. It's not good business to betray your clients unless they betray you first." An odd way of looking at it, but it seemed to be her honest opinion - in its own way, greed was a surprisingly reliable trait.

Hadran reaches into his pouch and starts to pull out coins. When done three stacks of ten coins sit on the table.

"Thirty platinum coins. Now round up your men."

I can pitch in if you like, Hadran. I'm pretty sure I owe you, anyway.

I think he took it out of the party loot

Beseth watches carefully as Hadran hands over the money, ready for anything.

The hobgoblin eyed the stack for a moment - clearly counting it and checking to be sure the right number were there - before scooping them into a bag and turning around to open a door. Outside, in the hall, were quite a few gathered warriors... with weapons aplenty.

"All right, you louts!" she bellowed. "We got us some pay, and those idiots down in Molthune weren't the ones who gave it to us! Pack your things, grab whatever **** you want, and let's move out!" At her words, the hobgoblins exploded into motion, snatching things off of the walls and stuffing them into bags, shoving open doors to dart through the rooms... it looked like little other than pure anarchy, but in less than five minutes, the hobgoblins were trotting out the front gates with some well-stuffed packs on their backs... and the Keep was rather emptier than it had previously been.

The good news? All the doors on this floor - and the one below - seemed to be unlocked now, and there weren't going to be any traps to worry about.

From the back of the room, Midfoviing peeked through the hole. "I just saw a bunch of hobgoblins leave." she said, confirming their exit from the keep.

Makallun'abad shrugs. "For goblin-blooded folk, the hobs are surprisingly easy to deal with... though not cheaply."

No it's out of my wealth. I have party gold of 90gp on my sheet, I thought that is all the party has.

"It is fine. Our payment will recoup the loss, and while we need wealth in these mortal forms it is all means to an end. The important thing is finding our lost power. Let us explore here while we have the chance. Midfoviing if you have some strength back please fly down and come back in through the main gate. Shut and lock it behind you and then take some more rest. We will explore this place and try and be quick about it."

The fallen gods will set out in search of this place and the relic of power that was found.

I am not certain, you are probably correct.

"Honestly, I expect this fort is worth more then we just paid, though it seems that the hobgoblins were not paid for the fort so perhaps it's not." Beseth comments.

Midfoviing nodded and disappeared from view. About a minute later, you heard a thump from the front doors - and the investigation was on. Of note:

-There were a few extra passages in and out of the keep, as well as some cunningly-concealed doors on the inside.

-In the barracks (Area A9), there was a strongbox the hobgoblins had evidently been unable to open. Cracking it was rather less difficult for the three of you, and inside was an Amulet of Natural Armor +1 on an ornate gold chain, as well as a love letter addressed to a border guard named Tei Enthumi and signed by someone named Perine Gessimir.

-There were two half-elven slaves in the kitchen (Area A11), both of whom looked extremely happy to see you.

-The Library (Area A14) has been heavily used in the last few days, and notes scattered around the room make reference to something called an 'Arcane Engine'.

-The Soldiers' Mess (Area A12) had a staircase in the floor, heading to a lower level beneath the keep.

In Kitchen

"Hello, I am Hadran. We have sent the hobgoblins away. You work here right? We have secured the keep on behalf of Nirmathas. Would you be so kind to make us a meal? You are safe now. We are going to make sure the rest of the keep is secure."

Library

"An Arcane Engine? I would like to look over these. Not sure what all of this could mean. Let us come back here when we finish our search bellow."

Hadran leads the others down the stairs to the lower levels.

"Perhaps they were with the hobgoblins, and they were simply left behind as a parting gift." Beseth comments, having a bit of difficulty seeing her own people as slaves. "Tell me, what are your names?" she asks the two slaves

"R-Reda." one of the slaves said, before gesturing to her companion. "T-that's Cathran. She can't talk very well right now." The reason was obvious - there was significant bruising around Cathran's throat (and across the rest of their bodies, for that matter) - the two of them had clearly suffered more than a few beatings.

Still, it wasn't long before they managed to start passing around bowls of a warm soup that had been cooking. Notably, the amount of soup they'd been making wouldn't have been much for supporting the hobgoblins - but it was easily more than enough for everyone remaining to have their fill.

didn't know they were hurt.

"Thank you for the food. It seems the hobgoblins were not so nice to you. Allow me to help with the pain"

CLW: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (1) + 3 = 4 one on each
CLW: 1d8 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

"There that should feel better. Did you two here anything from them? Why they took this place?"

Cathran rubbed her throat a bit, clearly impressed by the magic and its ability to help. "The Hobgoblins... were friends... with Vos." she said slowly, a bit pained but in much better shape now. "He brought them in... they killed the soldiers from Molthune, who didn't seem too happy about something going on down below. That friendship doesn't seem to have lasted very long, though... We were brought in from their village, though - I don't know anything else about what happened here before that."

The Stalwart Peak runs a hand through his stone beard as he thinks about the situation. "Whatever the reasons, we will need to search this place."

"So you are not servants here? If you are here against your will we will escort you to your home once we finish here. Thank you for the information and the food. Please sit, eat, talk with us."

Beseth was even less comfortable realizing how...docile these slaves were, if her suspicions were correct they did not recently become slaves. "If you have any information regarding this place, please share with us what you can, it will make exploring it easier."

Reda shook her head as she sat down next to her companion, but the two of them did start eating. "They kept us here in the kitchens - put a bugbear in here to watch over us. He... killed some of our friends." She shivered slightly. "We didn't exactly have the luxury of exploring the keep - I don't even know its layout. The hobgoblins didn't seem to like this place much, though. Something about it seemed to be making them nervous."

"I see. Well thank you for the food and what you could tell us. Stay here for a bit. Pack any food we will need for the trip back to your homes. We have to check out bellow, but will be ready soon after."

Hadran finishes the food and drink before him. He then looks to his companions.

"Let us go check out what lies bellow."

Makallun'abad nods, finishing his meal quickly. "Right, let's."

Beseth nods, looking back at the half elves before they depart from the kitchen. "If you are not here when we return, I won't hold it against you." she states simply, hoping that they understand what she means.

The two looked at each other. "We'll wait." Cathran said firmly. "Safety in numbers, right? So... be careful."

The area beneath the keep was almost certainly accessed through the stairs in the soldiers' mess. On closer examination, you can see that the flagstone tiles of that room have all been pulled up and lie stacked against the walls. The room has been completely excavated, and picks and shovels still lie scattered about. The digging has unearthed an old circular staircase made of a lighter stone than the rest of the keep. The staircase begins at the bottom of a seven-foot-deep pit accessed by a short ladder, and leads down into darkness.

"It seems they found something. Let us be quick about searching. We may have to track down the group that left here."

Hadran leads the way down.

Beseth casts light on her spiked shield and follows Hadran down. "It's likely that we'll need the light below, at the very least it will make searching faster."

The circular staircase leads sixty feet down, and the passage is filled with the bodies of humans and hobgoblins. After a tense descent, though, you're finally able to reach the bottom.

This semi-circular room is drenched in blood. Detached body parts of both hobgoblins and humans lie strewn about amid fragments of ancient furniture and half-dried pools of blood, and broad spatters of blood decorate the walls. The circular staircase winds up into the ceiling, while to the south a large, beige stone door without handles appears to be the only other way out.

In the midst of this was a strange creature wearing a bright red cap, and he was giggling gleefully and singing to himself as he danced in the puddles of blood.

"It speaks the language of the fey. Be on your guard."

In Sylvan:"What are you creature? I trust it was you that killed all of these."

Hadran motions over the room of dead.

K.All: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (19) + 7 = 26 Does this tell me what it is?

It's no wonder the hobgoblins were so eager to leave this place, from the looks of it, nothing ever returned from this path. Beseth pulls out her longspear, gripping it tightly as she watches to see how the creature will respond to Hadran.

The creature spoke again, in the same language as before.

Makallun'abad looks the creature over with a critical eye, his hands slowly curling into fists. "I don't like the sound of this, even if I can't understand him," the Fire Beneath the Mountain whispers to his companions.

"It says these men died from traps, but there is nothing here but death."

Did my Knowledge check tell me what this is? I'm leaving my text unspoiled as I would tell the others what I said.

Sylvan: "We are in search of something. Perhaps you can help us find it."

Hadran speaks knowing his words play into the creatures motives if it seeks to attack.

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16

"How do we know that it didn't kill them, or at least plant the trap that did." Beseth asks with suspicion.

"We don't, I'm not saying I believe it just repeating what it answered. If you have questions ask and I will translate. It may understand us and playing at a game so keep your guard."