You find nothing much of interest in the throne room. Examining the sinkhole room, you notice a buried spiral staircase at the bottom of the sinkhole. It would probably take several days to excavate.
In the guardhouse you find a 2 gp peridot and a chipped gremlin tooth in one of the piles of dung.
You find nothing interesting in the maggot and fly rooms.
It is when you start searching the dining room that something interesting happens. As Hilde first sets foot in the rubble, a half-dozen ghostly kobolds rise from it in a howling vortex.
You may either retreat quickly, try to scare them off if you are trained in Intimidate or try to exorcise them if you are trained in Religion. If not, let's roll for initiative.
"Begone, spirits! Return to your rest and leave this place behind! Go to the Great River and be judged!"
Suddenly out of his element, Henry will quickly retreat out of the room at his earliest convenience.
Being kobolds, the spirits are easily swayed and succumb to Eddred's admonition. The spirits vanish as a swirl of smoke and you can search the room in peace.
You find a number of small bones interred in the rubble. Searching it more thorougly takes half an hour, but since you aren't in a hurry you take your time and find 3 gp, 20 sp, a box with components for a caltrop snare, a wolf canine tied with a strip of leather, and a vial of black adder venom with the word “YUM” clumsily written on it among the bodies.
Tindertwig jumps off the rickety throne. He gestures to Dirtbag.
Youses kens haves its.
The crocodile displays a tongue at the goblin.
The two join the others in Searching the rooms. The goblin seems to be interested in most of the findings; although, every time he shows something to the crocodile; he shakes his head in the negative.
Wees shoulds bees findings da downstairs? Wees needs ta evict sum meanies?
The goblin doesn't even take notice of the ghost kobolds.
Gits! wees bees ta kings ov dis places!
As you return to the lighthouse room, you note that there are ripples on the surface of the bloodstain, which somehow looks like a deep, red pool.
There is a square window set into the door to the west, which looks out on a small building by the water outside.
The staircase winds its way out of sight. Climbing it, you find it ends at a locked bronze trapdoor in the ceiling.
"Well, chaps," says Eddred. [/b]"I am very nearly out of alchemical items for the day, though I'm unharmed and happy to provide fire support. At what point should we consider resting?"[/b]
"I'm probably okay to keep going. I don't wanna be the one bringing the group down cause of a couple little injuries."
Tindertwig yawns.
Mees bees fines ta keeps goings.
Dirtbag shakes his head.
"Onward then! Hilde, would you please take the lead? And Tindertwig, would you please back him up? I'll remain in the rear with Henry, who can support you as needed."
"Let's look outside first." Hilde checks the door, then conceals herself in case there's anything hostile outside.
Outside you find a small ruined building. There is also a small island connected to the larger island with a low wooden bridge that sports a larger single-story building amid the thick reeds that grow on the smaller island.
The southern portion of the little stonewalled building ahead of you has collapsed into rubble, exposing what remains of a boathouse to the elements. The shelves and boats within have decayed into heaps of rot and moss. The embers of a relatively fresh campfire smolder nearby.
Behind it there is a wooden pier, much of which has collapsed into the swamp, leaving about ten feet of moldy, soggy boards slumped against ancient wood pilings. A rowboat tied to a piling looks much more recently built.
"Think there's more of them gremlins about?" Henry asked as he looked around for clues.
There is nothing of interest in the ruined boathouse but there are a couple of interesting things in the rowboat.
The first is a stack of fish pastries filled with salmon and shaped like fish.
The second is a carving of a flying bird decorating the inside of the boat near the bow.
Also there is some sort of cave under the pier. Most of it seems to be submerged and it is partially concealed by hanging seaweed but the cave roof is a few feet above the water's surface so it looks navigable.
"Huh, strange. They serve these kind of cakes at the Crook's Nook in town. I haven't heard of anyone coming up to the lighthouse lately, though."
Tindertwig--and Dirtbag--shout with absolute joy, as they notice the stack of fish pastries filled with salmon and shaped like fish.
Dese gremlins bees knowings dat wees bees da newest kings! Suches un displays!
The crocodile seems to agree, as he is seen eating some salmon.
"Hm. Interesting."
You would just have to hold your heads down a little to get into the cave. The cakes are stale but not moldy, so maybe a week or so.
"I don't think we should go in there yet," Henry said, watching the cave. "I reckon we can keep going around the keep proper, or check out that little house over the bridge. What's everyone thinking?"
Tindertwig twirls in a circle; spinning, spinning, spinning, spinning, until Dirtbag knocks the goblin down.
Tindertwig happens to be facing (on the ground) the little house over the bridge's direction.
He then promptly pukes.
The crocodile has a huge grin.
Hilde is about to say something when Tindertwig has his eructative event. Stepping upwind, she nods. "Yes, let's check the house."
The bridge seems much sturdier than the drawbridge you passed earlier and shows no sign of tampering. You note a faint light flickering above the pier on the far side of the building.
The doors seem to be stuck so you'll need an Athletics check to Force them Open. They do not seem to be trapped, though.
Tindertwig jumps up, spits, kicks Dirtbag; and stumbles on after the group.
Crossing the bridge, the goblin sees that they are heading to and separate building.
Shoulds wees bees clearings outs da first building first befores wees gits here?
Hilde slips on wet grass as she pushes the door, and mutters a dwarvish imprecation under her breath.
"If I could give it a try, Miss Hilde?"
Tindertwig looks at Dirtbag. Dirtbag points at the stuck door, nodding.
The goblin reaches into his backpack, pulling out a crowbar.
He then does a few stretches before working on the door.
The crocodile nods in approval.
The goblin actually slips on some still fresh food stuck under his shoes, falls flat on his face, and groans.
The crocodile seems to be belly rolling, as he laughs.
After Hilde's and Tindertwig's tries, Henry puts his shoulder to the door and gives it a good shove, which does the trick.
You find yourselves in some sort of study that features several bookshelves, a desk, and two chairs. The books and objects here lie in disarray with torn pages strewn haphazardly across the room.
In the middle of the room a glowing ball of light the size of a torch hangs in the air, and from it comes a disembodied voice: "Who dares intrude into the lair of the mighty Spookywisp?"
There are three visible exits: two doors to the left and a pair of double doors at the far end of the room.
As the disembodied voice fills the air; our goblin--and crocodile-- were attempting to get back to his, respective, feet. Unfortunately, that name is way too ridiculous for the semi-dizzy goblin--and crocodile--to hold their tongues!
Sppokywisp!? Spookywisp?! What the f**# kinda name is Spookywisp!? What, did they run out of cool bad guy names; and, you just thought that Spookywisp would do?! You woke up one morning, and said to yerself ...
The goblin's voices imitates the voices.
You know what name would strike fear in the hearts dat hears it! Spookywisp! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa...
Dirtbag isn't faring much better!
It may be your imagination but the voice of the floating light sounds a little shriller: "Spookywisp is a great name. Moreover, it is my name and you are trespassing into my den. Now go away before I zap you!
"I've seen a lot of little glowing balls of light hovering around in the Fogfen before, but I didn't know they talked. That's a new one for me. Um, hello, Mister or Misses Spookywisp? Are you the one that tries to lure people deeper into the swamp?"
Hilde watches the glowing ball silently, occasionally looking around the room for signs of other creatures.
The ball of light seems a little bit mollified. "Ehm, I am a nice spooky light, not like the kind that lures people into the swamp or anything. I only zap bad guys, really, like smelly goblins and such. And I could use your help. There is a shiny at the other end of this building and I don't have any hands to pick it up. Could you get it for me? In return I will tell you three secrets."
Hilde can't see any other creatures from where you are standing.
"That sounds pretty promising, what do you guys think?" Henry asked, looking at his companions.
Hilde nods reluctantly. "It depends on what's between us and the shiny, whatever it is."
"There is a mean, blank-faced doll guarding the shiny, but nothing you heroes can't handle, is it?" The ball of light sounds vaguely hopeful.
"I... haven't seen anything like that while wandering around the Fogfen. Why's it moving and mean?" Henry looks between the floating ball and Eddredin particular, this sounded like something he might know about.
Tindertwig and Dirtbag crawl their way out of the room and back outside; where the raucous roaring of laughter is heard!
Hilde shrugs. "Information is always worth something. How long have you been here, Spookywisp?" One eyelid twitches as she says the creature's name, but her voice is steady.
"Oh, just a few days... er, but I have uncovered many mysteries. Now, do we have a deal?
"It might take a little while. We'll need to rest before we try to fight the doll." She pauses for a moment. "How big is the--what you're looking for?"
"Hmm," says Eddred. "An abhorrent practice. Best destroyed, if you ask me."
"Oh, you can easily carry the shiny. Carry it back to me, then I'll tell you all my secrets, yes?"
Hilde is about to leave when she catches herself and turns back to the glowing ball. "One more thing before I forget. What does the shiny look like?"
"Oh, you'll know it when you see it. Aren't you going to get it?"
Sppokywisp! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!
The goblin seems to be having trouble becoming a bit horse!
"We'll be back in the morning. We're pretty beat up," Henry said while tapping his battered shield. "But we'll come back first thing, Mister? Spookywisp. I'm excited to see the shiny thing, honestly. We're just, you know, injured. Can you wait one more day?"
"I suppose I can. Spookywisp does not sound happy but you can't read any emotion from the floating ball of light.
Do you want to return to Otari to heal up a bit or do you want to explore the rest of the main building first?
Sppokywisp! Hahahahahahahahahahahahah!
The goblin seems to be having trouble becoming a bit horse!