Quote from Ereshion >>

 (( Ithelion perception for RP: 10 ))

Ithelion glances at Shere with a smile, "Judging by the grummbling and teeth gnashing, I'd say the dwarf is on his way at least." She takes a moment to very briefly look through Elosa's senses to see what the others are doing.

Shere chuckles at Ithelion's Statement "I no think he knows its my spell that's contacting him" Shere shrugs

just for fun he messages Krom again "Boo! Its the cat god, Shere."

At Krom's approach, several of the goblins emit a "Eeek!" or an "Ah!" at the sight of the traditionally hated stout humanoid.  *edit - If Daemyar comes in, the resulting clamor and sounds are ones of fury and shrieks of hate.  Grenl is also alarmed but with a knowing nod, shushes them quickly enough.  "Sharpie is resting over there inside, mmhmm.  My granddaughter has told us about you all and I am in your debt."  She stands and kicks the leaking body of the hobgoblin.  "We only wish to find freedom and not a new master; we do as we please, when we please.  I tired of big 'uns ordering us around - Durnn, his captains, the One Below - we'll not start to take orders from you.  We take back some of Durnn's things - thief he was, mmhmm.  But you take the rest as reward."  She looks wisely at you, eyes twinkling, "And if you're smart, you'll burn the entire grove down there to ashes..."

Behind Grenl a ways, not noticed earlier because of the crowd of goblins, lies a large, rounded and broken tower shell.  This is where Grenl indicated Sharpie was resting. You estimate it's about 40 feet in diameter though it's hard to know for sure without going inside.  The door to this area is open and dim violet light shines out of the structure.  Near the entrance, you notice twisted thorny vines, sickly and gray, on the circular walls, covering all the surface they can.   To the right of the entrance, against the curve of the wall, sits a crudely fashioned stone throne.  A large iron chest serves as the throne's footstool. A twisted sapling grows in a wide stone pot next to the throne.

If you have no further questions of Grenl, she gives the order to her people and they will start shuffling towards the circular structure described above.  Several of the armed goblins take a bit of extra time staring at the comical sight of Daemyar with an owl on his shoulder, but eventually they leave as well to follow their leader.

Along the southern wall is a heaping pile of assorted items, including wagon wheels, broken armor and rusted arms, chests, small statues, antique furniture, and artwork.

While you don't hear any more sounds of shuffling feet, you do hear some commotion coming from inside the circular structure, and some hushed voices...

Assuming everyone has arrived, and before Grenl departs, Ithelion retrieves her pack and bows to the goblin leader. "Thank you for your wisdom; I only wish the kobold queen was equally wise." She catches the eye of Grenl brielfy, trying to convey her sincerity. "We will likely follow your counsel."

She glances in the direction Grenl indicated, then makes a couple of whistling sounds, and Elosa hops from Daemyar and perches on her shoulder. After only a moment she takes flight again to check the room. While that happens Ithelions speaks again to Grenl.

"Before you go I would like to return some things that we took from your dead warriors, that you may find useful. We did not want them to be used against us, but you will have more use for them in your travels."

So saying, she kneels down rummages in he pack, momentarily watching though Elosa's eyes, to make sure Sharpie is there and not some kind of trap. If she is, she removes several suits of goblin-sized armour and several weapons and offers them to the goblins.

(( Will update loot after it's confirmed -- IIRC it's maybe half a dozen armour, bows and swords?? ))

[Sure no problem.  Remove them from your list.]

Grenl nods and nods to a couple commoners, who scoop up the items and disappear.

Elosa swoops into the covered circular structure and finds a perch within.  She causes some consternation among the shuffling goblins but their dismay at the owl is less than their fear of Grenl, who seems to be okay with it.  Ithelion, inside the room there are several cots, one of which has Sharpie on it.  She looks rough and is being tended to by another goblin.  On the floor there are lots of bloodstains and a few bodies - it seems there was a bit of a melee before Durnn was subdued.

At the back of the circular room, Elosa spies an opening in the wall and a shaft that seems to lead downwards.  Several goblins are working on passing materials and packs through this opening.  The goblins seem to be being cautious about making noise...

Shere points towards the structure "Hey Sharpie we'rre herre are you alright?"

(( She ends up returning 3 goblin leathers, 5 bows, 2 scimitars and two shortswords -- almost all they took, and she had previously given stuff to Sharpie; IIRC the left many arrows in the rooms ))

When the hand-over is complete, she turns to her companions, specifically looking at Krom, Garnet and Shere, "Do any of you feel up to helping Sharpie's recovery a little. She has done us a great service."

(( If anybody is willing, I suggest we all go...and Elosa is instructed to keep a close eye on the goblins... ))

Shere says to the Elf "I'll help her" And he walks over cautiously to find her. He'll reassure the goblins in goblinoid he's a friend and cast cure wounds on Sharpie if he can get to her 9

Daemyar will examine the chest being used as a footstool and open it

investigation 16 

thieves’ tools 13 

Quote from Stormbringer4729 >>

Shere points towards the structure "Hey Sharpie we'rre herre are you alright?"

@all - A couple of goblins work around the area, creating what looks like a stretcher.  Sharpie stirs at your healing touch and her eyes flicker open and then widen when she is able to focus on you.  "We did it, they dead," she chuckles.  "Stabby, Sticky...." she closes her eyes and shakes her head.  "They fought Durnn and the last of his warriors, and they fought well to the end."

She looks at you all, "Thank you.  Without you, I'd be kobold stew and my people would still be under Durnn and his captains.  We leave, we'll go back through the tunnels and find a new home.  We may all die down there but at least we won't be serving anyone."  The goblins transfer Sharpie to the makeshift stretcher and strap her in with leather thongs.  "Most of Durnn's items we took back, I don't know if Grenl told you, but I suggested that we keep a few things aside for you as a reward." She nods to a table across the room.

Before they begin to shuffle her down the shaft, she bids them to wait a moment.  "One more thing," she grits her teeth as the stretcher comes to a rough stop.  "Do not follow us in the tunnels.  My grandmother and some of the hunters will be trapping them against anyone trying to catch us from the rear.  The tunnels feed into an even deeper darkness that you will be wise to ignore...elf people the colour of ash, monsters with snakes on their head, and other unspeakable horrors live there.  Luckily, Grenl has amulets and tokens and magic that allow us to pass through.  Please, wait for a while after we descend before entering the grove below," Sharpie coughs and nods to the stretcher bearers and they depart if you ask her no more questions...

Quote from nschrock >>

Daemyar will examine the chest being used as a footstool and open it

investigation 16 

thieves’ tools 13 

@Daemyar - You investigate the locking mechanism and note a needle trap connected to the latch.  Attempting to disable it, you play around with the tumblers using your tools [think it should be +7 not +8?  double prof. + dex?] but as you think you have it figured out, the lock springs and the needle catches you on the hand...almost immediately black and purple splotches appear - poison!   Take 1 piercing damage and roll a CON save (DC10).  On a fail, take an additional 5 poison damage.
The trap has been sprung but the lock remains intact...perhaps there is a different way to open it...

@Ithelion - Elosa squawks and watches the goblins file out of the room.

@all - as you watch the last of the goblins file out of the room and descend the shaft to the new dangers below, you all feel mixed emotions at the entire situation.  While there are many sorrows, as evidenced by the many dead bodies that still litter the floor, there have also been many successes.  Your interaction with the goblins shows that there are more to any one group of races or individuals than you thought before, which confuses the ideas that most of you were raised on.  You begin to see how believing the general can lead to slaughter and death...
Your mind races back to Yusdrayal and the kobolds, who are seemingly prepared to march on the goblin village.  With the level abandoned by the goblins, will they become Belak's new cronies?  How do you all fit into their plans?  Will you find a way to destroy or find the cursed tree?  And the fruit - will you find it before it ripens and is sent off to who knows where?  And what of the Hucrele twins, who were sent down into the depths at the behest of a dark-robed druid?

As you look at each other, you are filled with a sense of achievement and those of you who follow a deity feel an immediate surge of divine purpose.  Those of you without a deity feel this more personally.  You all feel more skilfull, stronger, more vital, and more capable...

Advance to Level 3!  
(changes won't take place until a long rest is had...)

As Grenl passes her on the way down into the darkness, Ithelion asks, somewhat flustered, and very awkwardly, "I am sorry, but there was one more thing...I heard tell of a library somewhere in these ruins...do you know of any such thing?"

Ithelion thanks Grenl for whatever answer she gives, then watches as the goblins file out, amazed. Nobility can be found in the most unexpected of places. I must inform Garastas. She has a sense that she is watching history being made, at least for these goblins. The twisting of their fate into something greater and better. Adathar, watch over them if you can. 

When they are gone, she turns her attention greedily to the items on the table... ;-) ... (and in the rooms in general).

Sharpie shakes her head..."Maybe below, I don't know."

If anyone wants to actively search the rooms, please roll a perception check individually.

Items on the table:

- Durnn's splint mail (which is actually a Hucrele item, as evidenced by the Hucrele crest on the chest piece)
- Potion of healing
- spell scrolls - Faerie Fire and Expeditious Retreat
- Talgen's gold signet ring, which has the Hucrele crest worked on it.
- two iron keys
- a pair of moonstone earrings and a matching necklace

Ithelion Perception: 22
Elosa: 16

Quote from callmeLothar >>

Quote from nschrock >>

Daemyar will examine the chest being used as a footstool and open it

investigation 16 

thieves’ tools 13 

@Daemyar - You investigate the locking mechanism and note a needle trap connected to the latch.  Attempting to disable it, you play around with the tumblers using your tools [think it should be +7 not +8?  double prof. + dex?] but as you think you have it figured out, the lock springs and the needle catches you on the hand...almost immediately black and purple splotches appear - poison!   Take 1 piercing damage and roll a CON save (DC10).  On a fail, take an additional 6 poison damage.
The trap has been sprung but the lock remains intact...perhaps there is a different way to open it...

 

 Daemyar has that armor that adds +1 to Dex checks. 
Con save 17 

 Daemyar blinks at the needle entering his flesh, but sees the poison within simply squeezed into a callous, which he non-chalantly squeezes back out of his body, sucking the last out to spit across the floor. 

“A victory. My first true victory in many years, and the first true breath I have taken in these years.”

Daemyar looks at the others. “It has been my greatest pleasure to ruin my enemies alongside you all.”

Aha, I keep forgetting that one. The chitin armor. Thanks and sorry for asking. 

No biggie, stuff gets lost in memory lol.

Daemyar will look around to check out the rooms the goblins left. 
perception 13 

In Room 1 (that's the room Durnn's body is still in) near the south wall, you spot a veritable hill of mundane items.  If you spend time searching, you could find nearly any mundane item that is worth 5gp or less.  

I have put a map here that represents Ithelion's own drawings.  Currently you're all in one of the two rooms at the top left.  All the green blobs are doors that you haven't yet opened:

Ithelion looks up and smiles at Daemyar's words, uncertain how to respond. After a moment, she bows her head slightly, "We would be honoured if you continued to travel with us. Your bravery has been instrumental to our success."

As he accidentally springs the trap on the chest, she winces then holds up the iron keys she found on the table, and tosses them to Daemyar. "Maybe try these, and perhaps...have you seen another chest?"

Her attention is drawn back to the table and she hurriedly places the scrolls and other items in her bag, keeping a close eyes on Erky.

Watch the gnome, she says to Elosa.

Erky walks up to Ithelion and looks at her, not understanding what the hesitancy is about.  "Now that the fighting is over, may I look at the scroll now?  I will do it here in front of you.  I give my word that I will not steal it from you.  I have already told you about the legends and the dwarf," nods to Krom, "seems to know of it as well.  It surprises me that one such as you might trust a goblin but not trust a fellow scholar.  Is not knowledge part of what is good in life or," Erky looks at Ithelion's weapons, "perhaps you have wandered too far and too long on the edge of a sword to remember the words of Oghma?"

Ithelion stares at the Gnome a moment as she stows the items, then hands the scroll of Faerie Fire to Shere, "More your specialty I think" she says. Keep calm.

Turning back to the gnome, she sighs. "There is a time and a place for everything. Recent days have been days for swords, and days for blood, and days steeped in both trust un-looked for and...", she looks down her nose at the gnome, "...trust demanded."

"While you languished in your cage -- and the humans we seek were marched to their deaths -- we tried to broker peace. Any moment now, I expect Ysdrayl to burst through one of these doors calling for blood, and when she finds the goblins gone, she may not react well."

She stows the last of the items and her hand, shaking slightly,  touches the scroll case. "Do not lecture me on the ways of Oghma! His ways have guided me for decades, and those of Corellon have but recently resurfaced and reclaimed their rightful place as well."

She stops speaking, noticing that her hand is now wrapped in arcane energies -- the beginnings of a spell -- which she hurriedly quenches. Her breath is coming quickly, her anger surfacing far too easily. Things were going so well. She bows her head and takes a deep breath. Get yourself together, now is not the time!

"You speak of trust. Trust is a thing which must be earned: Sharpie -- may the gods continue to guide her -- took a leap of faith and saved her people. Perhaps you should take a lesson from her, and trust us. You want to know what this says?" she asks, waving the scroll case. "Why now, why so urgent? True seekers of knowledge are far more patient in my experience; they also know that the scroll has much less value than the words upon it."

She opens the scroll case and starts to read, well away from the gnome's prying eyes... ((Assuming her spell is still running))

Erky
22
Erky shakes his head and scoffs at Ithelion.  "This place is getting its tentacles into you, lass," he quips before going off to study the pile of items in the southern part of the main room.