Episode 8

Having dealt with the goblins in the area, our heroes looked around. The excavated room had no other exits, but a dirty pile of unearthed items included 22 gold pieces and a holy symbol of Bahamut. Florence cleaned the amulet off as best she could, then hung it around her neck, and immediately felt it enhance her holy powers.

Thus rewarded, the group checked their equipment, and retraced their steps to explore the western exit from the first room. Xagoth had previously peeked around this corner, but this time Dexter lead the group in a stealthy approach. The corridor turned north and opened into a narrow chamber with wood doors in the north and west walls, and iron double doors to the east.

Dexter's sharp eyes detected a trail of blood drips, of varying ages, between the two wood doors. Apparently something, or someone, often travelled this way while dripping blood. With this cheery thought the team investigated the western door first, but it simply opened into a storeroom of sorts, the crates, boxes and barrels holding water, a weak watery ale, and mouldering rations.

The northern door proved more interesting, with the chatter of goblin speech heard beyond. Walf, Dexter and Aravin quickly planned a frontal assault, and Walf smashed through the door, discovering a torture chamber. With a shout of challenge he leaped immediately to attack the nearest goblin, a spear wielding warrior, pushing it to the front of an Iron Maiden standing against the wall.

Dexter was next through the door, the surprise of the attack allowing him to apply his deadly knifework to a second goblin.

On their heels Aravin ran into the room and unleashed a scorching blast of fire at the hulking hobgoblin torturer. His second fire burst caught the torturer again, and a third goblin, but also caught Dexter unawares, seriously injuring the rogue.

A smoking Dexter missed his next attack against his opponent, and then the surprised goblins regained their wits and counterattacked. The two goblins who Dexter and Aravin had attacked both fired their crossbows at Aravin, and proved their sharpshooter status by hitting their mark. A third until now unregarded sharpshooter hit Walf with another crossbow bolt.

Flinch and Flo both entered the room as the goblin warrior Walf had attacked tried to move away. Walf was ready though, and the cowardly creature felt Walf's steel the instant its guard dropped.

At the same time Flinch's arrow found the torturer, and Flo blazed forth her Beacon of Light, substantially healing the wounds the allies had received thus far.

Xagoth now entered the fray, leaping onto the torture rack and roasting the hobgoblin torturer with a tower of demonic flames. The torturer barely survived this assault, and the flames continuing to dance over his flesh promised further pain to come.

Walf dealt the goblin warrior a final blow, killing the creature. His blade then slid sideways to deal an additional grievous wound to a nearby goblin sharpshooter. During this display of martial prowess, the torturer had seized up a pair of red hot pokers from the room's firepit, and now flung them at Xagoth, striking the warlock with the implements.

The unearthly flames still plagued the hobgoblin though, and with this last desperate act, he finally expired from the fire's damage.

John had pursued a sharpshooter into a barred cage in the corner of the room. Now he struck through the bars, his first blow glancing from the bars, a second thrust being foiled by the width of the blade. The goblin, confident of its safety behind the bars, danced and taunted the warrior, when an unexpected third thrust burst between the bars, grievously injuring the goblin and silencing its taunts.

With the fight's outcome no longer in doubt, a sharpshooter sprinted for the exit. His path took him past Walf and Flo who both landed hits, killing the creature just as Dexter killed another sharpshooter with a poker he has picked up from the firepit.

The remaining sharpshooter, cowering in the corner cage in fear of John's rage, died on Flinch's arrow, and the battle was over.

During the fight, the heroes had become aware of a short corridor to the west. Now that they were able to look around, they realised that three small cells opened off that corridor. In one, a filthy, scrawny goblin cowered. As the adventurers approached, he begged them in passable Common to let him out.

Spug's Map

His name was Spug, and he promised to help them in any way if they could free him from the cell and the "rats and bats and reptiles" that plagued him there. There were no signs of bats, but when the door was opened, Spug immediately stamped on one of the tiny biting lizards that occasionally scuttled around. This endeared the goblin to Walf a little, and the group generally agreed to let Spug accompany them for a bit to see if his information would be useful.

Once he had cleaned up a little and eaten (with apparent relish) some food retrieved from the storeroom, Spug took a piece of char from the firepit and drew a rough map of the area on the floor. He pointed out a secret entrance to Balgron the Fat's rooms, and the group decided to put this claim to the test.