Beside the doorway you came through there’s a closed door on the north side of the room.
Landolf wiped the orc gore on his rapier off on some of the defaced upholstery.
"What do you make of that axe?" Landolf asked the group, glancing at Adelaida & Krizta. "It looks funny. We've run into far too many tainted objects and nothing in this place is to be trusted. Does your training in the Faith tell you anything?"
After re-examining the prior room, he called out to them. "These mirrors are false: someone on the other side can see through. This place was made for someone untrustworthy. I can see why Etelka would favor it."
Krizta walks over to take a look at the axe to see if it is safe.
Krizta walks over to take a look at the axe to see if it is safe.
[dice=Evaluate (38)]1d100
[dice=Lore (Sigmar) (38)]1d100
Krizta notices that it’s a beautiful weapon, very shiny metal and what looks like real gems inlaid into the haft of the axe. A large ruby red gem is mounted onto the end of the haft.
Krizta shrugs and picks up the axe to see if it speaks to her of despair like that staff did before. She was already tainted, and doomed to fail her God anyway, so better to test it herself rather than infect others.
"A good find." Valghaz said, with gritted teeth, as he removed the last arrow. "Should fetch a good price. Good thing the urk scum didn't ruin the weapon."
The axe seems to shimmer…
Gurda and Hans ran after the fleeing goblins and have been lost to sight.
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Krizta shrugs and picks up the axe to see if it speaks to her of despair like that staff did before. She was already tainted, and doomed to fail her God anyway, so better to test it herself rather than infect others.
The axe seems well balanced but made for someone much stronger than Krizta. Other than that, it’s a run of the mill beautiful bejeweled axe.
”We should have it appraised later.” Valghaz said. ”Whomever it belonged to may offer a reward. And if not…well. It should fetch a good price, aye?”
Yeah, selling it would probably net us a large sum. Good idea. Guess we'd better go find Gurda and Hans.
She straps the axe to her side and goes to find their lost companions.
[dice=Lore (Reikland) (34) -30 = 4]1d100
Yeah, selling it would probably net us a large sum. Good idea. Guess we'd better go find Gurda and Hans.
She straps the axe to her side and goes to find their lost companions.
By the time you get outside it’s much too late for the youngsters…their bodies lay slumped near the front door of the tower, pierced by goblin arrows.
May Sigmar grant them a better life on the other side of mortality.
Valghaz shrugged. "Let's bring them back to. Get some good-will from the town and we can drop them off at the Garden of Morr, aye? Well, after we finish with this place. Fookers got me good with their arrows, but I've got some fight in me left."
"At least they found some rest. May Sigmar guide them."
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Let's secure the bodies of the fallen children first, then the place. How do you feel Brother? May I check on your wounds?
If allowed, Adelaida does what she can to help Valghaz feeling better
Let's secure the bodies of the fallen children first, then the place. How do you feel Brother? May I check on your wounds?
If allowed, Adelaida does what she can to help Valghaz feeling better
[dice=Heal (36)]1d100
Adelaida is able to use some tricks picked up on various battlefields over the years to stitch up the worst of Valghaz’s wounds.
"At least they found some rest. May Sigmar guide them."
A large wooden table stands in the middle of the room, surrounded by eight high-backed wooden chairs. Cabinets around the walls once contained silver and other dining ware, but their doors hang open and they are gouged and befouled.
There’s another door across the dining room from your entry door.
By contrast to the rest of the house, this room is still tidy. The height of the table and work benches are suitable for a Halfling.
There’s another door on the other side of the kitchen.
The room is filled with Halfling sized bedroom furniture. There’s no sign Goblins visited the room. As you look around you suddenly hear a sneeze coming from under the bed.
Krizta gets down on her hands and knees to look under the bed, suspecting a halfling is here.
Not seeing any signs of goblins in here though, she isn't sure if it is a goblin sympathizer or not.
"We ran off the goblins. We're from the Empire. Come out from there: we have questions about what happened here."
A plump Halfling female cautiously peers out from under the bed. Seeing that you aren’t goblins she crawls out from under the bed, stands and dusts herself off and gives you a courteous bow.
”Well now, I must say I’m very pleased to see faces that aren’t puke green. I’m Dumpling Hayfoot of the Eicheschatten Hayfoots, or Hayfeet as some would say, not that they’d be correct. Chef for Mistress Etelka, or at least I was until she went off and left me surrounded by Goblins. Lucky for me the crazy one upstairs thinks that to be a wizard you have to eat wizard food, whatever that is. As long as I cooked ‘wizard food’ he made the others stay away from the kitchen. Can you rescue me from this nut house? Please take me to Grissenwald or wherever else I can get a coach or boat to a better place. The Mistress can do without proper notice as far as I'm concerned, for there was nothing proper about the situation she left me in.”
"We would be happy to help you out of this situation, but we could use some help ourselves. We came to this manor in search of Lady Etelka, or for information about her. Her activities have caused great alarm in some quarters of the Empire and we need to do what we can to set things right."
"Additionally, we need to make sure the greenskins aren't nesting here any longer. We slew several of them and one big orc. If there's another up above or any others you may know something about, that would help us get you out of here safely."
"We would be happy to help you out of this situation, but we could use some help ourselves. We came to this manor in search of Lady Etelka, or for information about her. Her activities have caused great alarm in some quarters of the Empire and we need to do what we can to set things right."
"Additionally, we need to make sure the greenskins aren't nesting here any longer. We slew several of them and one big orc. If there's another up above or any others you may know something about, that would help us get you out of here safely."
”She seemed like such a nice lady when I started working here. Now don’t get me wrong, she definitely kept herself to herself, never asked me to sit and have a cuppa like a good Halfling boss would do. Anyway, that’s water under the bridge like they say…”
Dumpling rummages around a bit in a chest of drawers until she finds a tin of cookies which she offers to each of you. Taking a good look at Valghaz she offers him an extra cookie.
”A man with a thin, weasel face called several days ago with a letter for the mistress. He and the mistress then left: they said something about going to Norn's River to get some Bare Pills. They said they were planning to go to Kemperbad first though.”
”Did you fight a Goblin with an oddly bulging head who’s wearing one of the mistress’ ball gowns even though it’s about 3 feet too long for him? His name is Gutbag and the other Goblins are scared of him. He’s almost always upstairs in one of Madam’s private rooms.”
Valghaz bowed his head in thanks as he took a cookie, not wanting to be impolite. Upon eating it, the dwarf’s bushy eyebrows raised and he quickly devoured the second. Magic. He thought, as he felt the ache of his wounds lessen. Must be magic.
”Nay, we have not. But the grobi filth should die.” Ha said, brushing the crumbs from his beard. ”And ye have me thanks for the food. I’ve never tasted it’s like before.”
Landolf felt warm as he ate the cookie but didn't otherwise notice much. "Thank you. We'll need to see to that goblin but we'll be back. Keep yourself hidden for now," he said to Dumpling.
That was one strange cookie.
As the group gathers to go up the stairs, Landolf felt a moment of caution. "We should be ready for anything. This goblin made the others afraid of it."
Krizta thanks Dumpling for the delicious cookie, somehow feeling a little less cynical and more hopeful after eating it.
Then she gets ready to go back into battle, keeping her flail out.
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Adelaida takes a cookie.
It's been a long time I ate one. My mom used to make some, from time to time, but that is a whole different recipe, I guess. Those cookies are really delicious. No offense to my mom, may Sigmar bless her kind soul.
Could the battle-hardened warrior have a sweet tooth?
Dumpling is thrilled that you all liked her cookies. She explains that it’s an old family recipe. She sketches the upstairs layout and explains that Madam never let her into those private rooms. She goes on to explain that Gutbag never let the other greenskins upstairs either.
Clockwise from the top of the stairs, Dumpling draws four doors on the second floor. She labels the doors: Study, Parlor, Guest-room, and Etelka’s bedroom. Unfortunately she doesn’t know which room Gutbag will be in.
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"There's no telling what a goblin might find interesting, but Etelka's effects might still be found in the Study, if any remain. Should we see what we can find out?"
Krizta nods, and then goes up the stairs as quietly as possible, flail ready, expecting that they are all going together.
The doors to the study are locked and have obviously resisted the Goblins' attempts to break them down. The door has visible hack marks, and there are splinters of wood on the floor. The Goblins' crude attempts at picking the lock have left a kitchen knife jammed in the keyhole, and the lock's mechanism is ruined.
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”Grobi filth fooked this up right good, didn’t they? Stand back. Let’s see how this door holds up to me pick.” With the patience of a miner, Valghaz went about breaking the door down.
[dice=Str51]1d100
[dice=Str51]1d100
[dice=Str51]1d100”Grobi filth fooked this up right good, didn’t they? Stand back. Let’s see how this door holds up to me pick.” With the patience of a miner, Valghaz went about breaking the door down.
Door smashed open…
Inside, a stuffed reptile as large as a horse hangs from the ceiling and a stuffed bear stands next to the door. The bear’s eyes seem to follow you as move about the room. On the west wall is a bookcase containing a selection of books on Goblins and their kin. Among these is a grimoire containing Arcane spells that none of you can understand.
A quill, an inkwell, and a few small sheets of parchment lie on the desk. The desk drawer is locked.
Krizta starts to go into the room to help search, but when the stuffed bear's eyes move she backs up again, thinking that is just too creepy.
"Ach." Valghaz said as he strode in, lacking the imagination required to find the place disheartening. He began by searching through the room, looking for any goblin hiding places, or just valuables to loot.
Upon finding the locked desk, he began to pull on the drawer, seeking to brute force his way to the contents. He planned to keep going unless someone stopped him...
Inside the drawer are a vial containing a thick green liquid and a letter that reads…
Dear Elteka,
The person bearing this letter is a trusted member of our society. He brings sufficient funds to finance an expedition to the Barren Hills, where lies, according to our researches, that which we seek. The importance of this item to our cause cannot be stressed too highly. You are to leave as soon as possible.
Our agents in Kemperbad will provide all the assistance you require. Once you have the item, bring it to us at Middenheim as quickly as possible.
Istak Graksk Tzeentch
Landolf was worried about all of the banging around, but if they were lucky the dress-goblin might take Valghaz's property damage to be its own companions and come to investigate. He waited with his rapier drawn while Valghaz saw to the desk drawer.
After hearing the contents of the letter, he gave a low whistle. Their efforts had paid off. "This conspiracy goes deep. I warrant Etelka wasn't supposed to let anyone see that letter."
And that proves the woman, as noble as she might be by birth, is an agent of Chaos, a traitor to the Empire, and a threat to erase violently, after the Witchfinders get the names of her accomplices.
Krizta registers everything people are saying, but still can't "bear" to go in the room with that stuffed animal that seems alive. It seems the embodiment of all of her childhood fears.
She tries to act casual and determined though.
Even as you consider the criticality of the letter, you become aware of a high-pitched, squeaky chanting coming from behind the door labeled Elteka’s bedroom on the map that Dumpling made for you…
Even as you consider the criticality of the letter, you become aware of a high-pitched, squeaky chanting coming from behind the door labeled Elteka’s bedroom on the map that Dumpling made for you…
”Well then. Sounds like we have one more gobbo to kill.” Valghaz said as he made his way to the room upstairs. ”Lets paint the walls with its blood.”
I don't know what's in the vial, but I won't test it on myself.
Suddenly a thought occurs to Adelaida, and she pauses on the stairs, following Valghaz
What if "Dumpling" was a scam, a soldier of the forces of Chaos trying to set us up? What if Elteka was their unwilling victim, a loyal citizen of th e Empire used as a scapegoat, transformed into a monster that we eagerly march toward to kill or be killed by? Maybe I'm overthinking this...Maybe the letter we found was forged...
She fervently pray Sigmar for guidance
Krizta follows Valghaz with her flail ready, thankful that they are going away from the creepy living stuffed animal thing.
Landolf's spirit quailed for a moment as he heard the chanting. His mind filled with images of a warehouse full of blood and dark lightning. He tried to open his mouth to say something encouraging but failed to find any words. He gripped his rapier tightly and followed his friends.
The door to Elteka’s bedroom is firmly held shut. From inside you hear what seems to be a 3 part conversation, one-part is said using the foul language of the greenskins and has a fairly deep tone, one-part is said is some strange language that you feel you’ve heard before but the words fade from memory almost as fast as you hear them and the last part is spoken in broken Reikspeil in a high falsetto voice. That part of the conversation you can understand…it seems to be the words of a master praising a super-genius, brave and powerful apprentice.
Krizta is frustrated by the delay, and the evil going on here, and hurls herself at the door, hoping to break the hand, finger, or foot of whoever was holding it closed, based on how they were holding it.
It was painful, but if there was one thing that Krizta was good at, it was enduring pain.
Krizta is frustrated by the delay, and the evil going on here, and hurls herself at the door, hoping to break the hand, finger, or foot of whoever was holding it closed, based on how they were holding it.
[dice=Strength (35)]1d100
[dice=Toughness (45)]1d100It was painful, but if there was one thing that Krizta was good at, it was enduring pain.
Krizta hits the HARD! but instead of flying open the door actually seems to be even more tightly held shut than it was before her attempt.
Krizta rubs her shoulder and shrugs.
”Either magic, or just well made. Either way, let me try.” Valghaz said as he took his pick and swung it at the door.
With a shrug Valghaz decided to just knock. Who knew? Maybe whomever was inside would open the door. Regardless, stealth was long gone