GM Sphen Rise of the Runelords: (Clever Subtitle)

Game Master Sphen86

Dol was trying to get past the horse to the northern door. But, as the horse appears to be in the way of that I will settle for examining C18 to see if there was anything in the makeshift stable.

Yeah, going around the horse seems like a decent approach here. Most of us are short and easily trampled, haha.

As the druid communicates with the horse, Mizzug watches in wonder. Finally, she inquires "Iffen ya kin speak ter it...why den ya do dat ta start with?"

With a shrug, she moves towards Loth at the door and waits for the others. "Wes shud make sure none left wanna 'urt us."

Well, hi there little guys! Bumbo smiles widely and opens the cage, letting the rabbits run free at their leisure. Toot snorts, and turns away from the apparently safe room. Bumbo takes some time to look around, though, searching through the shelves for anything useful, then detecting for any magical auras within.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6

Razkiv looks to Mizzug with a smile, "Sometimes with big strong beasts it is a slow negotiation before you can earn trust"

Razkiv moves to cover Dol, eyeing the rabbits. 'No time to eat now'

THE RABBITS LEAP TO THE ATTACK, SLAUGHTERING YOU ALL INDISCRIMINATELY!!! THESE VORPAL HARES SHOW NO MERCY AND YOU ARE ALL SLAIN WITHIN MOMENTS!! LAY YOUR CURSES UPON BUMBO FOR UNLEASHING THESE UNHOLY TERRORS UPON THIS POOR, UNSUSPECTING WORLD!!

”Auuuuuughckh....ckh....ckh.....” .... *thd*.

Look at the bones

Loth falls over, one leg entirely lost to the rabbit menace, and with his dying breath he can only say... "Bumbo... why....?"

Loth moves up to join Bumbo and checks out the room along with him.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

I have doomed us all...

Eyes going wide, Mizzug watches the hippity hoppities scurry about, slaughtering her comrades one by one...helpless, she thinks back to her days in the tribe.

'We's usta eat deses 'ike were nuttin...ne'er taught I's gun die ter a widdle bit o stew...'

As the world go dark...her last thoughts of failure hang in the ether.'

"Makes a sense Razzy." chimes Mizzug thoughtfully. "Ya is a big wise."

After the fluffy and destructive menace consumes the world, we shift to a reality not even a full step to the left. One in which bunnies do NOT unexpectedly turn out to be the ending of all things. In this world, the released rabbits simply hop about. They are tentative and sniff the air cautiously. But will slowly begin making their way towards the outside and grass if allowed, eventually creating burrows. This place will likely eventually become a good home for them, mostly cut off from natural predators.

A reminder that most of the next two week I will not be on much. I'll post Mon-Wed next week, then it will be sporadic through the 4th of January. I'll be off of work and home with the kids, so they'll have my attention.

So... nothing in C18 then (other than the recently vacated horse)?

If the horse moves away from the northern hallway, Dol will start checking those rooms.

Yeah, sorry. Nothing in C18 worth noting. Just mashed up grass and horse apples.

The horse does not move, you'll need to go around or risk it getting ticked.

OK. Back out to C11 and then C19 next.

"Let's give it some space, we can likely circle around."

Just to be safe, Loth carefully opens the door and peers inside.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (16) + 13 = 29
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (8) + 9 = 17

Back through C11, stepping over and around the corpses of goblins, and through the doors to C19. Loth carefully cracks one, scans the room, and can open the door to get a full look when he sees nothing moving.
This large throne room is decorated with hanging furs along its walls, mostly black-and-red striped firepelt skins, various dog pelts, and in some cases, what look like horse hides. Four square timbers support the ceiling, their faces studded with dozens of iron spikes, with the lower reaches decorated with dozens of impaled and severed hands in various stages of decay. To the northeast, a wooden platform supports a throne heaped with dog pelts and horse hides. Dog skulls adorn the armrests and a horse skull leers over the throne's back.
There are three additional doors here, two to the east, one to the north.

What's the next step? Explore this room? Move to another? Split up and do both?
Also, please remember to keep your pieces moving as well. At the least, it helps me keep track of where you guys are looking.

Loth decides to check out the throne a little closer.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (6) + 9 = 15

Toot moves in, inspecting the throne with Loth. He seems curious about the adornments.

Bumbo moves along the eastern wall and taps on the northern, eastern-leading door. Hallo? If he hears nothing, he opens it.

Dol scans the throne room for anything of interest, then proceeds to the northern door and listens for creatures behind it.

Perception(Throne Room): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7
Perception(Door): 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (6) + 3 = 9

Razkiv looks at the pelts, a little sad that so many fine animals would end up here. with a shake he moves to help the others search.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (5) + 11 = 16

Please move Aventail to accompany Dol...

Mizzug joins the other in searching the room. Eyeing the massive chair with mild confusion, she keeps her attention on the task at hand.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (20) + 6 = 26

Presumably leaning on stories of the ancient king known as Jab-A the Hutt, many of you search the chair for hidden controls or compartments, the floor around it for trap doors, hidden passages behind it, etc.
And after a through search, you can all determine that there is nothing out of the ordinary beyond it being a goblin throne.

@Dol: You press your ear to the door and hold your breath to listen, but hear nothing beyond the soft scrape of your allies boots as they move around the room.

______

Happy New Year Everyone!

When Dol's finished, Loth quietly opens the door and has a look around.

Stealth: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (7) + 13 = 20
Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (17) + 9 = 26

Razkiv moves over to Dol, he places a hand on his shoulder. "Stay behind us, you are more important then the ax swingers."

He moves to back Loth.

Bumbo gestures to Toot to send him over that way, then takes up his own spot, sling ready

Official description for C23:
Several rugs made from dog or horse hide lie strewn over the dirt floor of this room. Against the north wall stands an impressive collection of horseshoes, each nailed to the wall. To the east sits a ragged padded chair next to a rickety desk that may have once been an expensive antique. In the northwest corner sits a canopied bed covered with silk sheets and sporting an elaborately carved headboard that features nymphs and satyrs cavorting in a forest. The bed's sheets are stained with dirt, while the headboard is bashed and battered.

The door swings silently open, and the first thing you notice is the smell, then the furnishings. Well over 100 horseshoes line the walls, trophies as much as the animal hides displayed in the room you're currently in. You seem to have found a bedroom. And from the smell, a goblin's bedroom.

______

Back from break and ready to go full tilt boogie. I'll be back to posting 4 times a week.

"Gods, the scent here is horrible. Let's see what we can find and get out here quick."

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23

Wrinkling his nose at the smell, Dol nods in acceptance to Razvik's advice and watches as Loth looks through what appears to be Ripnugget's bedroom for discarded artifacts.

Razkiv follows Lolth to help poke around.

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (7) + 11 = 18

@Razkiv: With some quick moving around of the bedding, you locate a silver jackal's head with eyes of garnet. Anyone trained (at least 1 rank) in K(Religion) recognizes a silver (un)holy symbol to Lahmashtu.

@Loth: Your keen eyes notice one of the chairs sits a little unevenly, and a quick knock reveals a hallow leg. You deftly remove it and locate a heavy iron key. A quick look around this room shows that whatever it goes to, you haven't located it yet.

____

Where to next?

"Bah! More Lamashtu symbols! Maybe they stole it from that ancient ruin. Surely we can sell it to someone who wants to melt it down and take the gems.

Good work locating that key, Loth. Now, let's keep exploring. We still haven't found whatever is behind these goblin attacks."

C21 is next, and Bumbo was checking that door out already, I think

Yup; Bumbo will stand aside if Dol would like to open the door.

Razkiv eyes the jackal head for a moment before placing it in a pouch and heading to the next door, waiting for a nod from Loth.

Aventail dutifully follows the smallfolk, not really sure of what to make of the goblin’s socio-cultural or religious expression.

Description text incoming: (presuming someone opens the door to C21)
This room contains a small armory of crudely made weapons (mostly dogslicers and shortbows) and several small goblin-sized suits of studded leather armor and dented shields. To the south stand a pair of workbenches.

Razkiv goes quickly through the "armory"

Perception: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

Looking at the hanging weapon "That might make a good gift for ole' Daviren Hosk" He moves to pull it from the wall.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (3) + 9 = 12

Loth is uncharacteristically distracted and notices nothing of note in the room.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 = 12

Bumbo looks around with a lack of interest, seemingly not focusing on much at all.

A rather boring armory, all said and done. Which room next?

Razkiv moves to the ?last? door out of the room. hall to C29

Presuming you mean C15...
The hallway itself is deserted and empty. C15:
An open flight of wooden stairs winds up to a trap door in the ceiling, thirty feet above.
There you find most of a deck of playing cards, seemingly put together with cards from multiple decks (some cards missing, some duplicated, at least 3 different card backs), and a half of rat that looks like it was recently being chewed on. From the top, you also notice the horse seems to have vacated the courtyard.

______

I'm going to admit to a mistake here. I legit thought there was a door leading from the throne room area to the stairway down in the north part of the fort. Only after looking at it today did I realize that you literally HAD to go past where the horse was to continue on. I promise I was not trying to railroad you guys and I apologize.

Railroader! [*flips table and storms off*]

"Ah, looks like the horse is gone..... somehow. Let's head that way." Loth heads up the north door in the courtyard and follows the hallway to the staircases, where he slows his pace and tries to listen for any signs of life upstairs.

Perception: 1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

"That be k. Hopes da big beasty be ok."

"Which cards ya tink be da cheatin ones? Always bein a cheata, yeah?"

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (16) + 6 = 22

Razkiv follows Loth as he heads to stair 1, checking the side room as he does.

Perception: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (20) + 10 = 30

Apparently my post yesterday got eaten by the server goblins. It wasn't a very good post, so hopefully it gives them a stomach ache.

C22 is nothing. I don't even know why they bothered to give it a description.

C24 is much more interesting.
This small, foul-smelling room features little more than a reeking hole in the ground, its rim stained with refuse and waste.
Why is the toilet interesting, you ask? Well, there is a secret door! {insert gasp} More of a panel, it slides to the side to reveal a small room with a large, rusty iron chest.

@Loth: You hear nothing down the stairs.

@Mizzug: The cards seem to be marked by goblin teeth, but not in any discernable pattern.

@Razkiv: You found a chest. I hope Razkiv likes large chests, because one has been revealed to him.

"Loth, look what II found, is it safe to move?"