Keep on the Shadowfell: Session 12

The goblin in the far cell was a sorry sight. Small, battered and bruised, and wearing only rags, he was sat hunched over in one corner, the meagre bedding wrapped around his thin shoulders.

As the adventurers peered in through the cell bars, the goblin seemed to shrink even more into the corner. “Don't kill me, please! I'm no threat to powerful and wise adventurers like yourselves!”

“Who are you?” asked Eilonwy.

“I am Splug, a weak and feeble goblin, and if you let me out, I will be your loyal servant.”

“Kaza wants to know why you're in that cell,” said Kaza. “Tell Kaza why the other goblins locked you up, or Kaza will blast you!”

Splug looked at Eilonwy. “Head wound?” he asked. She nodded.

Splug turned back to Kaza. “I was found stealing food and ale. The other goblins don't like me and they don't feed me. And Balgron beats me because he thinks it's funny.”

“Who is Balgron?” asked Gilee.

“He is the leader. He is the big fat goblin who runs things round here. Let me out and I'll tell you where he is.”

“You're a goblin. You'll only attempt to escape.”

“No! No!” protested Splug. “Let me out and I can be useful. I can carry things, tell you things, I can be your loyal servant, if you give me a little food and a little beer. Please?”

Eilonwy pondered the situation for a few moments. “Alright, we'll let you out, but we're going to have to tie a rope to you to make sure you don't run off.” She opened the cell doors and Doomgrad went and tied a length of rope around Splug's neck.

“It burns, it chokes!” cried Splug, as Doomgrad dragged him from the cell. Doomgrad handed the rope to Gilee. “Stupic, fat halfling” muttered Splug under his breath

“So, Splug, where is this Balgron character?” she asked. Splug led the party off to a nearby set of doors.

“Through here is where Balgron and the other goblins eat and sleep. If Balgron isn't here, he'll be at the excavation site.” Jia once more crept down the passageway, her footfalls making no noise. In the chamber ahead sat two goblins playing a game of cards. As soon as Jia dived out of cover to attack, one of them grabbed an alarm bell that sat on their table and began to ring as though his life depended on it. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful in saving his life as the other adventurers came in and cut him down. Meanwhile Eilonwy saw Splug fleeing from the combat, the length of rope that Gilee had dropped trailing behind him. “Damn,” she swore. “My rope!”

More goblins poured into the room from behind heavy curtains, but Eilonwy's holy flames killed many as they grouped up to get into the chamber. Gilee and Doomgrad began cutting down the others. At the back of the group, a larger, fatter goblin could be seen. Seeing his troops falling before the Blue Moon Corps, he fled back the way he came.

Within moments, they had killed the remaining goblins, and chased after Balgron. However, the chamber where he had fled was unoccupied. No sign of a secret passageway could be found, however, they did loot Balgron's treasure chest, taking a large sum of gold coins and magic wand suitable for a wizard.

They left the goblin's quarters and headed in the only direction they had not explored, east from the room with the pit where Bakaan had fallen and been attacked by rats. A flight of stairs led down some distance. At the bottom, the corridor continued to the east. Some distance along, a narrow passageway led south, their lanterns only illuminating a few yards of the darkness.

Ignoring this dark passage for the moment, the party continued east and found a large chamber, with extensive areas of the floor dug up. Many tons of earth had been removed, leaving only small areas of the original flooring intact, connected by narrow wooden planks that acted as bridges. Four goblins stood in the room, on the various remaining areas of the floor. Balgron stood on the edge of the area connected to the stairs, and was shouting at the other goblins.

Jia ran forwards and sank her blades in his back before he could react. Giving a scream of pain, he turned, but Gilee's sudden charge knocked him off the edge where he was standing, and he fell to the bottom of the room, some ten feet below.

Seeing the sudden attack by the adventurers, the other goblins all drew their crossbows. A withering hail of bolts began to batter the party. Avoiding the rickety plank leading further into the room, Jia leapt over a wide gap to engage on of the goblins. As she did so, two large lizards, ran up the ramp that led to the lower level and began biting at Gilee and Doomgrad.