As soon as the arrow soars past it, the third mutated goblin disappears into some crevice in the rocks.

What does everyone want to do now?

Flinn sees the gore of the mutated goblin sliced in half and stares at it for a second. Then he turns around and his stomach launches the breakfast as the paladin puts a hand against the wall.

"What?" he says to the voice in his mind "An embarrassment? Well excuse me for feeling bad for killing... even that creature... I'll get sed to it? " Flinn looks at the carnage around him with a disgusted expression "I hope  not"

Rhaenys, who is still concentrated on pulling the cylinder, relaxes the hand that she had extended to cast a spell on the ugly creatures. That fight had luckily been quick, but she wasn't completely sure that it was going to be the last one before they came across the real target. With a sigh, she said to Flinn:

- I'm afraid TruthSeeker is right. You'll ... I mean we'll ... get used to it. We have to. If it makes you feel better, we did try speaking to them and they just wanted to kill us, so there was no other choice but to fight them.

She then turns to Hewelathan and Jodie:

- Do you guys know which way did Tytus go? If not, can any of you see if he made any marking with the chalk Hewelathan gave him? - with Jodie's dancing lights and Flinn's bright sword she figures they'll be able to find any marking Tytus might have made pretty easily.

Flinn takes a sip from his canteen and thanks Rhaenys kind words. 

"Let's... let's go on" he says to the rest.

Hewelathan retrieves his javelin and cleans it off.  He grimaces and tries not to look toward Flinn.  While he's accustomed to blood and dead bodies, the sight and sounds of retching makes him queasy.

Hewelathan arranges the two bodies in repose.  Then he searches them for any sign of their origin or purpose.  (Investigation 16, or add 1 if it should be Perception)  Were the creatures carrying any weapons or other gear?

Hearing Jodie's bow, Hewelathan looks up and, as soon as he's done with a brief search of the bodies, moves toward her.  "More four-armed goblins?", he asks.  Hewelathan speaks loudly even though he's close since he's lost track of which party members have already stopped their ears.

In response to Rhaenys's question, Hewelathan points down the tunnel where Jodie shot her arrow and says, "This way."  He peers down the tunnel to see whether the light from Tytus's torch is still visible.  He looks down the tunnel and listens for the other goblin-thing, Tytus calling for help, or the gibbering mouther.  (Perception 22)

Looking at the deceased goblin-things, you get the impression that most likely they were unfortunate victims of whatever happened here. Probably a normal goblin tribe that took up residence in the cave and then were slowly changed by the aberrant energies saturating this cavern.

Each goblin has a morningstar, a spear, and a hand crossbow. They are probably too small for any of the party to use effectively, though you might be able to sell their weapons if you want to collect them.

The remaining goblin-thing was clearly smart enough to get out ASAP rather than fight all of you... though you all likely know that goblins are rarely alone. It is all too likely that the little guy may come back with reinforcements...

(By the way, if anyone wants to try to figure out what these things actually are, feel free to roll an Arcana check)

Hewelathan: Arcana 21

Rhaenys' Arcana: 17

The creatures are called dolgrim. Alone or in small numbers they are unlikely to pose a serious threat, but it isn't likely that those three are the only ones in the cavern. So it would probably be in your best interest to deal with the mouther quickly and get out of here... it's also worth noting that the professor was apparently not aware that these creatures were here, and might well be interested in these little guys as well if he were to learn of their presence.

After the quick battle finishes, Korba quickly sheathes his sword again and lets out a sigh. He then says, "Do you think the creature we're looking for is living in harmony with these things? Or do they just happen to inhabit the same cave?"

Quote from kevtr0n >>

After the quick battle finishes, Korba quickly sheathes his sword again and lets out a sigh. He then says, "Do you think the creature we're looking for is living in harmony with these things? Or do they just happen to inhabit the same cave?"

(OOC: I'm not sure whether Hewelathan's arcana check was high enough to recognize the dolgrims, but if not, I'll assume that Rhaenys already said what they were.)

Hewelathan shouts at Korba, trying to be heard through the half-drow's wax earplugs: "From what the professor said, I think that the gibbering monster is either simple or insane.  Just mindlessly consuming.  The others, these dolgrim, probably came here because the monster defends the cave for them.  I guess they know about the monster and just try to avoid it.  Or maybe they have secret tunnels or chambers where the monster cannot go?" 

Hewelathan shrugs.  He is less concerned that the gibbering mouther is in league with the dolgrim than he is with the idea that they could end up with a troop of dolgrim attacking them at the same time their group is trying to capture the monster. 

While Rhaenys has her ears unplugged, Hewelathan asks whether she wants to stay here with the cylinder or try to take it deeper into the tunnels (assuming that there's enough room to bring it and still levitate the monster into it).  Now that they've seen the dolgrim, he's worried that if they take the cylinder deep into the tunnels, they may have to fight their way past a bunch of dolgrim to get back to the exit after they capture the monster.  He concludes, "If we can lure the monster back here, I'm hoping that the dolgrim will keep their distance while it's oozing its way through the tunnels.  That way, it's less likely that the dolgrim will be able to get between us and the exit."

If Jodie is going to continue following 120' or so behind Tytus to make sure that he doesn't get into too much trouble on his own, Hewelathan asks Korba whether the half-drow wants to go with Jodie.  It occurs to Hewelathan that Korba may be the most comfortable of the group in navigating tunnels like this.  Hewelathan is also leaving his ears unplugged, which means that he'll be able to hear if the group that's scouting ahead calls for help or needs to warn Rhaenys and Flinn that something is coming their way.

Tytus probably not aware about the skirmish, goes straight to his objective. Still marking his way, he wanders further into the tunnel to find Mouther. Unless he meets some other obstacles that might change his mind.

Rhaenys, with her ears unplugged, listens to Hewelathan's proposal and nods:

- Ok, I'll wait here. I'll keep my ears unplugged to try to listen to anyone approaching and plug them when that happens. Hopefully it will be you guys with the mouther on your trail, and not any of the dolgrim. And well, if any dolgrim end up approaching, we'll try to give them hell. Right, Stafford? - she says, glancing at the staff.

"Stafford?? Have you given me a name? A name beginning with staff!??"

- Well, that's the best I could come up with!

A few of seconds pass by.

"Hm. I actually like it."

"I will continue then... hopefully the mutated goblins stay out of the way... and that thing detects me soon and before our friends that are in front of us. " Flinn doubts and he tries to sound more confident that he feels "Stay behind me " he says, with the sowrd in front of him as he starts descending the tunnel.

(Okay, sounds like Flinn is taking the lead. Got it).

You continue through the tunnels, following the eerie light of Tytus' torch with no apparent source, towards the echoes of the monster. As you get deeper into the tunnels you see more traces of occult activity and evidence that something was done to this place by an intelligent being. More symbols on the walls, used-up torches, and rusty lanterns, etc.

Tytus, of course, arrives first to see the massive cavern... followed shortly by the rest of you.



To your horror, you see not one, but three of the gibbering mouthers in the cavern... surrounding some kind of inky black void and circling it slowly, making their horrific noises. The very air pulses with strange magic that you can tell originates from black hole in the middle of the floor. Arcane symbols surround the black hole, glowing with power.

The cavern is below you, like a deep pit, and it would be about a 15 foot drop into the cavern. The monsters haven't noticed you yet. How do you proceed, and where will you enter from?

Jodie holds back a gasp as she peers over and sees the horrors of the cavern.  "We only need one alive, yes? I could rain fire upon the other two wretches.  Then we lift or lure baby brother out of there.  I can levitate the cage for a trap if it helps.  Or perhaps Rhaenys' staff can conjure some solution." 

"I think we should avoid the void to the Unfathomable, gold be damned."  Jodie shivers at the thought of ghastly torment such a place might inflict. 

Hewelathan nods, "Agreed!  That dark thing in the center...", he shivers, "Just looking at it gave me a bad feeling.  Who knows what it can do?!"  It's a rhetorical question, but if anyone knows enough arcana to give an answer, he'd be happy to hear it.

Hewelathan says, "It looked like the one that was closest to an opening at our level is the one in the middle...maybe 30 feet from the opening on that side of the chamber and 15' feet below. 

"Rhaenys, could you move the creature from that distance?  If so, you could pluck that one out of the chamber and drop it in the cylinder.  If the other two move, or if anything else appears to try to stop us, the rest of us could fight them off until you've got one of them in the cylinder. 

"Once we've got one of them, maybe you or Jodie could blast everything else in the chamber.  It would be good to rid the world of monsters like that.  Just try not to touch or damage that black thing at the center of the room."

“Can we toss one of them into the hole?” Korba asks, knowing there is little that he and his sword can do.

(rolled a 13 Arcana to try to figure out what that black hole is)

Tytus puts out his torch. Comes out of invisibility for the time of planning. 

"I will depend on you for grabbing the thing, but you can be sure i will blast it with everything i got if our plan won't work"

(arcana check for any information on the black orb 10+3=13)

/Tytus will go invisible when talking is done and action starts (unless something suprises us then he might be still visible)/