Elinor puts her hand on Abbas' shoulder and leaves it there until a random movement causes it to slide off.
"Climb? Dressed like this? You'd have to put me on a rope and lower me down like a sack of rusty potatoes. I'm not sure my dignity will stand it."
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Heading back to that main room, the one with the statues, you see it unchanged. There lies Abbas' small pile of "treasures" and the empty cages and the pillared ring and the 2 entrances not yet explored. Back to the surface, or to what was the "right" option or the "straight ahead", the one Bryndyn detected a draft from?
Taedric shrugs, "Can't help but think we're missing something.... but, aye."
"I divvent naa, I think we're here now and either there's a purpose to it or we make one. What's the worst that could happen?"
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Abbas stands next to Taedric and provides light, waiting for the party to decide on a route. He opens his mouth to voice an opinion then shuts it again.
Don't even know why we come here? Best be quiet and let the cleverer ones be cleverer than me. Da said I missed so much a ship could sail between my ears. And he was always right.
Elinor realises they're looking at her.
"Oh, that one," she says, pointing 'straight ahead'.
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There is no drama in the trip across the floor. The opposing tunnel seems identical to the one you just left, save when you come to the place where the trap is, you find a doorway instead. The door was wooden and there are the marks of ornate carving, but having smashed to splinters there is little remaining to tell what the carving was. The destruction of the trolls made it this far. On the other side of the door there is a small room. It is in similar disarray. It appears to have been fairly oppulently furnished and those furnishings stood the test of time until the trolls came. Now they are like the door, destroyed. There are over-turned bookshelves here as well, the books scattered and torn, though large numbers of them are in fairly decent repair.
Off this room are 5 doors, 2 on each side, and one straight ahead. The wrecking crew has ruined them all.
Pluchak follows along with the rest of the crew, but when it comes to looking down dark tunnels, he knows he can help while the others sort out if there's anything to be salvaged from the mess. He pays particular attention to the four doors off the straight path.
Taedric shakes his head, "Typical. Blasted goblins."
Elinor scans the books quickly in case there's a copy of The Evil Plan of the Wifey in the Tower or a bodice ripping romance then joins Pluchak to see if he's spotted anything in the darkness.
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Pluchak discerns nothing from the dark in the doorways from this room. It is quiet and dark here.
The books are an ancient treasure trove! There are none of recent vintage but the titles, focusing largely on religious titles holds literally hundreds of books. Of the the religious books, a surprisingly large number focus on Aroden, and are esoteric treaties on the faith, the deity, the expected conduct of worshipers etc. More than a few take small pieces of scripture and expand and expound on them for 100's of pages.
There are also books on science and the trades here. Farming, metal working, mathematics, healing, engineering and nearly any other advancement of culture you can think of. There are no bodice rippers, but there is a slim treatise called "Haugins Ear: From Barbarism to Enlightenment" that catches Elinor's eye. 3/4 or more of the books have only superficial damage. 1/8 or so are salvageable, 1/16th are partially salvageable and the remaining 1/16th is irrevocably ruined. The books have been burned, torn and used as latrines.
"This must be ancient history, they's well into decadance."
She'll pick it up for later study.
Taedric sighs, "Figures the little monsters would destroy the things with value.. Still, anything we might salvage that might have some clues about what's going on would be useful "
Unless there's another entrance, it's back the way we came and take the third exit.
Taedric takes a moment to search the area, looking for a hidden exit or hoping that Trumps' sense of smell might notice a change.
Yeah, if Elinor did not take them I would have.
If there's light and time, Elinor will likely demonstrate that this is indeed the case by reading out the funny bits e.g. where it says The folk of Haughin's Ear are renowned for their generosity and public spirit... (probably in a variety of silly voices). (Or, The Lady in the tower is definitely not evil.)
I call horse s~++ on that one!
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The doorways Bryndyn investigated led to sleeping chambers. Three of are fairly small chambers, but the 4th is larger, more opulent and has a private bathroom. The door at the end of the room you are in opens into a large bathroom with large tub dominating the center of the room. The bath tub is fill of water, and in fact water continues to trickle into it from a hole in the wall, while at the same rate water over flows the tub and seeps through rocks in the floor.
As expected all of these rooms are in a desperate state of disrepair, having been preserved for many long years and destroyed recently by the vermin that arrived before you got here.
Take care Narnel, good gaming.
Onwards!
Taedric nods.
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The last path is like the others at first, but soon the worked stone gives way to a natural passage. It is clear that at intervals the rock has been chipped away to achieve a uniform minimal width of about 15 feet. The floor has also been worked so that any uneven spots are corrected, all the while the path slopes gently downward.
The first 200 or so feet are unremarkable except as noted, but somewhere there after a goblin body is found bearing terrible wounds. It appears that the creature bled out while fleeing from something deeper in the dark.
"Ha! Action."
Any sense of how long it's been there? Blood still wet, congealed or long dried?
Taedric says, "Only good goblin's a dead one, but this might be a sign of something else bad."
"They were protectin' something down here, let's keep going. You guys were here for a reason, let's find it."
Elinor strips off her gauntlets, puts her fingers in her mouth and gives a shrill and piercing whistle.
"We're coming! Ready or not!"
She shrugs at any disapproving looks.
"What? It's not like they's not going to hear us anyway."
She picks up her shield again and strides deeper into the tunnel (and renews the light spell on her sword if necessary).
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The passage continues on, and in short order another goblin is found, it's head bashed in. A few feet later, one is missing an arm and a leg. Then another dead goblin is seen. Another one. Another. Now you are at a dozen. As you find the 13th body you also find that the passage way opens into a vast natural cavern. It is difficult to see the far side, of to estimate how tall the place is but it could be 80 feet or so to the center of the domed ceiling. The roof and floor are covered in stalagmites and stalactites and there are enough of them that there are no clear fields of vision.
Just off to the right side you can hear a steady scratching sound. The floor in front of you has another group of dead goblins strewn about. From the brutality of their death it is hard to tell how many, but 5 would be a good guess.
DaWay
Enaris
French Wolf
Sigil
Abbas of Cheliax
