The Undying Dragons - Campaign Thread

Ethel will question Avaria in painstaking detail about her explorations.  The underwater tunnels, the cave on the other side... the dwarven corpses.

"Shovels... pickaxes... crowbars... Useful tools for digging an escape, but unlikely tools for a prisoner to come by down here.  I wonder.  Were those escapees, or miners?  Has anyone heard mention of the Hargroves running a mine on this island?"

Not really expecting an answer, Ethel retreats to her corner to study her spell book and mentally prepare herself for a likely combat.

Jisthelek looks at Marrin's hand for only an instant before sticking his own back out and shaking hers.

"Can only use one sling at a time any way," Jisthelek says. Then he grins broadly as he adds "You might not have noticed but there aren't any doors down here except that one over there. If you're quiet you can go where you like."

He looks around his cavern and puts a quick finger to his lips then whispers, "These idiots wouldn't know how to get their hands on dagger if it was sticking straight through there palm."

The goblin then nods his head down towards the hobgoblin cavern.

"The hobbies have been shouting at each other for the past hour or so. Likely means they're up next in the arena and are getting themselves pumped up. Idiots." he says. "I'm guessing you lot will get called in. The Hargroves don't like pitting the hobbies against the orcs unless they've a full house. I'll go check out the burrow when you're in the arena."

"Careful, there's spiders about in there, don't need anyone getting bit and taking ill." Jan chimes in from behind Marrin.

Jisthelek nods at Jan.

"The cave with all the webs, eh?" the goblin adds then looks over his shoulder to make sure no one else is nearby. "A less savvy companion got curious and went in there by themselves. Let's just say we've had an extra portion of rations ever since." 

He starts to head back to the goblin cavern.

"I'll let you know if I find anything," Jisthelek says as he leaves. "Give my best to the Hargroves when you see them this afternoon."

Almost on queue, just as Jisthelek disappears into the goblin cavern, the viewing panel flips open and hobgoblin eyes can be seen scanning the room. The panel slams shut and the sound of a key turning in the lock echoes through the cave. The door opens and six hobgoblin guards enter followed by the hobgoblin commander you saw the other day, the one with the fastidiously-maintained armour, and shifting wary and alert gaze, the one called Drusus Skull-Skewer.

At Drusus's arrival, several of the others in the cavern shrink back against the walls and into the alcoves.

He shouts something in Ghukliak, and even before the echoes of his shout fade away, you can hear what sounds like may feet jogging in time.

Through the entrance to the goblin cavern, six hobgoblins, in perfect unison trot out, led by the heavily muscled and scarred Festan Elf-Cleaver.

Festan nods in a what appears to be a formalized way to Drusus, almost like a salute.

Drusus returns the nod but does not bend his neck down as far as Festan had.

Two hobgoblin guards lead Festan and his six hobgoblin prisoners off and through the doorway and out of sight.

Drusus then looks around the cavern at all who remain.

He holds up five fingers on one hand and two on the other and barks something in Ghukliak.

The four remaining guards move off into the cavern, clearly on orders to select participants to go to the arena.

Avaria answers Ethel the best she can, feeling a little bad for not looking at things closer and trying to understand the situation better.  "Sorry Ethel, I was worried I was gone for too long and Marrin and Jan would start to wonder what had happened to me."

She's glad to see that the meeting with the goblin is going well, at least we'll know if that small tunnel is worth anything.  But even if it is... what if its the way out and we can't use it?  Then what's the point?

She's brought back to the present as the guards come in and she waits to see who they are selecting, sitting up a bit taller as she does.

Marrin nods to Jisthelek and steps back as the hobs jog past, eager to put on a show.

She whispers to Jan,

"I wonder how gung-ho they would be without Festan."

Ethel collects some sand in case they are denied spell foci, then rises to stand near the door, taking it as a foregone conclusion they will be chosen.

Quote from Bartjeebus >>

 

Once with the others, Ethel will gesture them to gather round close.  She hands the piece of fleece to Jan.  "A gift, from Ava and Ula's friend."

 

Jan grins and takes it between her fingers, and chorus of voices chanting "Half Price Drinks!" starts up as she conjures a large framed portrait of Godrick Hargrove with a gaping chest wound and dead, glassy eyes.

She tucks it away with a flourish, before sniffing her fingers and gagging. She magics the fleece and her hands clean, and scented.

The hobgoblin guards don't seem interested in selecting the most challenging opponents for whatever is to come but more on just getting on with the day. They just start grabbing the people closest to the door.

Adelysia Demai, the haughty merchant who has kept quiet since getting here; a small halfling; Xanthe; a thin human who you've heard used to be a farmer; Geffroi tries to slink back into an alcove but he get grabbed as well; another sickly looking human who couldn't get out of the way quickly enough.

Before they can pick a seventh, Hammerdasher steps forward and puts himself between the guards and the other cowering prisoners.

"I'll go you bloody over-inflated gobs," Hammerdasher says.

Marrin sighs very, very hard.

She finds Ava's eyes and jerks her chin towards the gathering and raises her eyebrows in question.

She says to Jan,

"Looks like Mr. Hammerdasher needs a hand. Maybe I can winnow the hobs on the way."

"While letting them go seems an answer to 'what do we do with Xanthe and her dead weight', can't say I like the idea of them being just fed to the hobs because Godrick's knickers are in a twist. You meaning to volunteer? I'm with you, whatever your play is."

Marrin looks over at Jan,

"Not going to lie, I considered that. I'm not there yet. Hopefully won't ever be. I'll be volunteering, and I would appreciate the company but are you up for it? Either way, ställ them, would you?"

She then turns and calls to Jisthelek to get him to come back if he isn't too far away,

"Jisthelek, another favor. Tell Haguur that when the hobs come back they are going to be in bad shape, a good time to start getting our revenge."

She gives Jisthelek a nod then turns on her heel and jogs up to hobs, hands up,

"Wait, you aren't going to take that one? He can barely walk. I'll make sure to give a better showing."

She indicates the sick guy.

The hobgoblins don't seem particularly attached to any of the ones they've selected and appear fine to take Hammerdasher and to take Marrin instead of the sick human. 

Jan saunters up to the hobs grabbing various prisoners.

"Who's going to be in charge of the games today? Godrick running a kissing booth, and looking to smooch some cute hobgoblins? Maybe you should send the bugbears, I hear he likes 'em hairy. Something about experiencing what he doesn't have..."

Avaria hops up and stands in front of anyone she can, whether it be the halfling or Xanthe, but tries to get switched for one of the weaker.

She smiles at Marrin and Jan as she does and then addresses the guards as well. "I'll definitely put on a better show than this halfling, I mean, we owe it to the Hargroves after the last go round."

Ethel still stands by the door, wondering briefly if she is chopped liver as the guards pass her over for weaker prisoners.

Seeing Marrin and Avaria substitute themselves, she sighs.  “Geffroi, go sit back down.”  She moves to take his place in line.  

When she gets a chance Marrin will quietly tell her companions what she may or may not have started with the orcs and hobs.

The guards just shrug at the arrival of volunteers to head to the arena. You get the impression that isn’t very common.

In the end, Ula snaps out of her daydreams and moves to join the rest of you and sends one of the tired and weak prisoners back to the alcoves. The five of you, plus Hammerdasher and Adelysia Demai, the merchant fall in between two pairs of hobgoblin guards.

As you all leave, anyone looking back catches sight of Jisthelek saluting and then walking quickly and quietly across the cavern towards the orc chamber.

The door clangs shut before the goblin completely gets out of sight. The lock is quickly turned and you begin heading towards the guard post. The hobgoblin troop has already long since moved on. As you’ve noticed so far, splitting up the groups heading to the arena is standard operating procedure for the hob guards.

You follow the same route as before – through the guard post, doors unlocking and locking, long tunnels and stairs, until you find yourself being shuffled into the same original preparation room you used when you first arrived on this charming island.

The doorway clangs shut behind you, keys turning quickly in the locks.

As soon as that happens, Hammerdasher looks around at you all and nods. “I knew you lot would volunteer. I was kind of counting on it. This whole arena business didn’t go so well the first time.”

Adelysia shows no signs of the haughty disdain she displayed on the Rose Marie. She looks pale and like she’s about to succumb to a panic attack. She shoots quick glances at Ula but can’t seem to muster the courage to say anything.

In front of you, equipment covers the two tables:

3 daggers; 2 maces; 1 net; 3 shields; 2 short swords; a trident; 2 spears.

Mixed in among the straps and blades is a familiar walking stick, ring, crested wave amulet, and a well used lute balances on top of the whole pile.

Hammerdasher moves forward and starts looking at the gear, swinging one of the maces in an arc, testing out the balance.

“Anything you fancy?” the dwarf asks.

Just as he finishes saying that, the loud roar of a large cat can be heard from the direction of the arena.

Ethel grasps her walking stick off the table.  "I forgot to mention, Geffroi recognized that creature's call earlier.  It's some manner of large desert felid like a lion."

"I have all my magic at my disposal.  Might I suggest we use positioning to our advantage?  If there is a predatory cat out there, it would be wise to keep the hobgoblins between it and us.  Better to fight just the hobs, then hobs and a big cat."

Marrin gives Jisthelek a smirk as the door closes.

She'll pats Hammerdasher on the shoulder,

"When have I let you down! We've got this."

In the room she'll grab a short sword and the lute while commenting,

"Other than getting out of here and into some nicer lodging?"

To Ethel,

"I'm also nearly full on magic. You're idea is good but we need to make sure the hobs are more appealing targets."

She gives Adelysia a meaningful look.

"That means keeping it together. You run and you're dead."