(I/C)
Brendon gave the room a short look over, not hearing anything past Lyra and Lannis. “From the looks of this room it looks like some cheating lover got what he deserved.”
“I’m not sold on the cheating lover narrative, but we should get out of here,” Lannis said, pointing at the north door.
Abraxas looked behind the group to the hall, waited a moment, and then turned to the door, Kovid right behind the fighter. “Thor’s thunderous testicles,” he swore in a whisper, twisting his beard once and letting it go. “Hob really must have pissed on Corfard’s corn muffin.”
“Sounds disgusting,” Abraxas said, “Remind me the eat nada hobgoblin corn muffin, si?”
Korvid laughed. “Either way, that rolling noise might have been a counterweight alert. Don’t know for sure.”
Wyn whispered, “Dee alarm idea you had dwarfriend sounds plausible... means we can’t stay in dat room.”
“Vaminos,” Abraxas said.
As the group went to the NORTH door, Abraxas grabbed the handle and with a twist, pulled the door open.
Revealing a set of stairs going down!!! “Oh come the fuck on,” Lannis said. “Now they’re just fucking with us. No elf would have this many Nergal Damned basements.”
Wyn looked past, “And why not? Do you not zink that elves can need basements?”
“Seriously, no.”
“Well, as usual, for a man who says he knows so much, you are wrong again.”
Lannis guffawed, watching Brendon and Kovid whisper to one another and then step down the stairs a few feet and look. “I haven’t been wrong once, and if I was, it’s because you were mistaken. Let me tell you, Swampthing, the next time I’m wrong around you will be the FIRST time I’m wrong around you.”
The dwarf (<Stonework, Yellow 2) and the scout (>Find Traps, Red 91) looked down the steps, the lantern behind them, allowing Kovid’s infravision to partially kick in. “Well, let’s get the idea that hobgoblins dug this basement out of the way, because this stonework has been here for at least 4 centuries. I can safely say that the steps go down maybe 20’ and then open up to a passage. I can faintly see the passage goes straight, might be a door on the right hand side at the end…and…,”he squinted, crouching low, and then chuckled. “And you’ll never believe this, but there is ANOTHER set of stairs past there going down.”
“Sacre blue!” Wyn exclaimed. “Do we go down?”
Meanwhile, Lyra had been hanging back, finally getting the chance to look at the dead hobgoblin hanging from the ceiling and the state of his death. (<Int +2 bonus, White 11) Feeling a bit ill, she inched into the room and using her club, pushed the body a bit so she could see the cuts clearer. “Um, guys?” Lyra said sticking her head out and looking at the group.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think this hobgoblin was killed because of a lover’s quarrel. The lover idea is a little farfetched. And you would think plain old theft sounds about right, but this is a little dramatic for a punishment.”
“Oui,” Wyn agreed.
“And it wastes a perfectly good el lecho,” added Abraxas.
“Well, this the 2nd or third time we’ve seen or heard anything about Corfard. I thought at first it might have been a hobgoblin’s name, or some such…”
“I assume there is a ‘but’ coming up,” Lannis offered.
“Yeah.” She sighed. “These cuts are done ritualistically over what is referred to as chakra points or in some races, places where magic can enter the body.” She tapped the hobgoblin with the club again. “Cut up and hacked, these cuts are right over the 4 main chakra places. I don’t know who Corfard might be, could be an obscure goblinoid saint or hero, but this hobgoblin was killed here a few days ritualistically right here in this castle and was done so to RELEASE what magic he might have had in him.”
“Oh fuck.” Lannis said.
“And the blessing wasn’t as a punishment for Theft and Treason.” Lyra continued, growing pale as she talked, “It was magic to further the taint of Theft and Treason. Hence the Blessing. This…hobgoblin was killed in a ritual right here for some reason to further the taint of Theft and Treason.”
Kovid snarled, “Two of the Four traits Goblinkind extol.”
“What are the other two?” Brendon asked.
“Murder and Mayhem.” Kovid stopped and looked around. “You know, we’ve walked for a bit, all around the outside and came in through the south…but if I was a betting dwarf…I would say that this room right here is pretty damned close to the middle of the castle.”
Lannis (Int 18, no roll) snapped his fingers. “Which means it’s the middle the rainbow ward. And it’s an elven ward, probably woven together by the Ispan to keep out goblins and their ilk – being most deadly to them. So what better way to hasten the ward’s demise than with a ritual in the heart of it that does the exact opposite?”
“They are looking to collapse the rainbow ward and do it quickly.”
“But why?” Abraxas asked.
“Don’t know,” Lannis said. “But it can’t be good.”
(>Group Listening, Grey/Red 20). “Um…” Lyra started, and then stopped as she heard running feet WAY too close and charging down the hall to the group.
“Damn it!” Swore Lannis, “We failed a fucking listening check?!”
“Wot do you mean,” Wyn asked, “I don’t unnerztand!” Looking at the three walls of the hallway and then the fourth one.
“Don’t tell me we also failed a surprise roll?” (Surprise Check, Red/Black 4) “Well thank god for small fucking favors!”
“I have no idea what you are going on about?!” Brendon said.
Abraxas gripped his sword and snarled. “It means there are enemies coming and will be here any second!!” He looked around? “What are we to do!?!”
(Initiative Check: Party Steel 6, Enemy Red/Black 6 – TIED. 2nd Check: Party Blue/white 5, Enemy Red/Black 3 – Party wins!)
Time is 1:53
(OOC)
Explore XP: 15 base for Abraxas, Lannis, Wyn
20 for Kovid and Brendon
25 for Lyra
The party has initiative for this round but the enemy is NOT here yet and will appear before the round is over. So you have a choice – redress the battle lines, Go into the small room with the hobgoblin, retreat down the stairs, or fight in the order you guys are in now. You have a max of 20’ to move at this time so make it count.
As usual, let me know if you are front line, support front, missile fire, or spells/other. Also let me know where you want to be in the line assuming you are facing the foe.
You do NOT know what the foe is as they are running towards us but not talking while doing so. You also know there are a NUMBER of them, but do not know the exact amount. You DO know that it came from down the long hallway from the WEST that the group has NOT been down yet.
Good luck!!!
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