Episode 9

Trusting Spug's map and information, Walf suggested that a smallish strike team including Artin, Dexter and Xagoth sneak up the secret passage and attempt to take Balgron at unawares and without much help around. Then himself, Aravin, Flinch and John would be free to either follow them, or — as he suggested — charge through the iron double doors near the torture chamber to create a diversion. Initially the group went along with this plan, and the three probed the secret passage to make sure it looked as they expected. However, when they rejoined the group, it was decided that the point of using the secret passage was to engage the boss goblin without getting caught up in a fight with his minions, making a diversion unnecessary, so the whole party would travel as one up the secret passage to attack Balgron.

Walf went along with his friends' idea, even though he still felt that a divided attack would be more fun, and stepped along the passage as quietly as possible beside Dexter. At the end of the passage was a narrowing stair, leading up to a door. Dexter stealthily slid the door aside into a hidden recess, and slipped into the dimmed space beyond. It was a corner of a larger room, curtained off from the rest, mostly occupied by a large bed and a small chest. On the bed was the snoring form of a hugely obese goblin squeezed into tightly fitting leather armour. It couldn't be anyone other than Balgron the fat himself.

Dexter silently slid to the bedside and, taking his time, apparently relishing the situation, stabbed his dagger into the hulking form's exposed throat. Balgron's eyes flew open, and a ghastly gurgle escaped his mouth, but before a second had elapsed he was dead. Dexter quickly checked the hideous creature's warm corpse, finding two keys — which he pocketed — then shifted to the tapestried curtain and peeked underneath. In the room beyond he saw several wooden legs, possibly beds and/or tables, and a pair of goblin feet.

Returning to the passage, Dexter whispered to the party what he had seen. Then himself and Walf silently entered the room, taking up position behind the curtain, followed by Xagoth and Flinch. Finally John made his way up to join them but, not paying attention in the dimness of the passage, he tripped on the top step and fell loudly on his face. Dexter rolled his eyes and Aravin sighed, as, having lost the element of surprise, Walf slashed the fabric, and the party leapt into the room. The goblin bodyguard in the room, not expecting half a dozen adventurers to leap out from his master's bedchamber, was overcome almost immediately.

While the short-lived fight took place, Flinch wandered over to inspect the chest. She found it locked, but wasn't able to detect any trickery about it. Just as she began to wonder about opening it, Dexter stepped to her side and held up a key. She eyed him warily as he unlocked the chest, and inside they saw a pile of gold and... "A wooden stick," Flinch muttered.

Hearing this, John, Aravin and Xagoth both turned and joined them. John took up the stick and studied it closely, determining that it was more than just a stick, although precisely what he couldn't say. He passed it to Aravin, who declared it to be a magic wand, possibly able to boost the power of the spells cast by one wielding it. However, he also declared it to be of less use than his orb, so passed it to Xagoth. "Well, it's not an implement rod," said Xagoth, "But it might come in handy." He tucked his staff into his tightly-fitting black trousers and held up his new wand.

Ignoring the boys and their stupid talk comparing their sticks, Flinch reached into the chest and withdrew what felt to be over five hundred gold pieces. She passed most of it to Artin and Walf, the two members of the party most capable of carrying a few extra pounds without hindrance, but made to pocket fifty six gold pieces herself; however Dexter's eyes hadn't left her, and he asked if she would also be passing on the rest of the gold. "Oh how silly of me, some of the gold must have fallen into my purse," she said lightly, "It's not like I was going to keep any of it for myself!" and passed it to Dexter, who passed on the fifty four gold to Walf and Artin. "Ahem," said Flinch, "perhaps now you would like to pass on the rest of the gold as well?" Without a word, Dexter handed over the two gold pieces.

Aware that they were still, in fact, deep within an enemy fortress, quite possibly surrounded by armed foes, Walf ignored the petty squabbling of his party mates, and stepped over to the large doors. He listened intently at them, but didn't hear anything beyond, so carefully tried the latch. The doors were locked. He waved Dexter over, who unlocked them with the second of Balgron's keys, and Walf gently pushed them open and peeked through. Outside the doors he saw a well lit corridor running several feet before it was blocked by a heavy leather curtain, just past a wooden door; and to his right a second corridor curved around parallel with it — just as Spug's map suggested. He stepped through the door and crept around the corner, seeing another heavy curtain past another door. In whispered conference with his friends, he suggested that they check the rooms before stepping into what Spug called the "recreation room" beyond, to ensure they would have no goblins behind them if they got into a tangle.

Artin and Xagoth made their way along the first corridor, straight out from the doorway, and guarded the curtained passage and the "sleeping" room, while Walf and Dexter slipped around the corner again, towards the doorway of the "storage" room.

Walf leaned against the door, checking over his shoulder that Dexter was near at hand. The large warrior's hand closed on the door latch, which clicked open unexpectedly. Left with little other option, Walf thrust the door open with his shield arm, and let out an unstealthy, "Oh, bugger!" as he found himself groin-to-face with a startled goblin. He charged into the room, crushing the pathetic creature against the wall with his shield, killing it. Dexter slipped into the room beside Walf, and silently glided up to yet another heavy leather curtain hanging before them.

Just as Dexter reached out a hand, the curtain was suddenly wrenched aside by one of three goblin cutters in the room beyond, backed up by a leather armoured goblin warrior. The cutters slashed at Dexter, whose agile form dodged two of the three blades, and Walf leapt at them, his first blow missing the two diminutive creatures before him. Suddenly John, who was standing just beyond the doorway, saw an opening and called it to Walf, who landed a terrible blow on the nearest goblin, killing it.

Hearing the combat, Aravin ran in, and seeing his party mates facing three aggressive enemies, called forth a burst of flame that engulfed the goblins. One of the cutters succumbed to the flames, while the other and its warrior partner were put to great discomfiture. The wizard left the remaining goblins to his allies and withdrew in search of more opponents.

The goblin warrior struck futilely at Walf as Flinch's arrow found the heart of his cutter ally; his dismay was short-lived as Dexter and Walf, acting on John's skilful calls, closed in on the unfortunate creature and dispatched him.

Inspired by the sounds of combat and not wanting to be left out, Artin and Xagoth exchanged a glance, then without speaking converged on the closed door they guarded. Artin thrust the door aside and fearlessly charged into the room. A goblin standing by the door stabbed at her with its spear as she passed, but her dwarven armour easily deflected the blow. However it didn't ease her righteous retribution, as she turned and smashed the creature with her warhammer. Xagoth followed her into the room and saw the dwarf valiantly battling with a handful of goblin cutters and warriors. Aiding the holy warrior of the light with his powers of darkness, Xagoth opened his assault, thrusting a goblin against the wall with arcane forces, and scorching another with a pillar of starlight.

Meanwhile Aravin had left the room turned back to the door and using his magic to throw aside the heavy curtain which hung across the corridor outside. He ran through the curtain, seeing three powerful, well armed and armoured goblins beyond. Drawing power from some deep reserve, he bombarded these hated foes relentlessly, and one then another beneath the storm of arcane acid and fire that burst upon them, until just one remained. Wounded and terrified, the pathetic creature hurled its javelin at Aravin, and ran, through the other curtain towards where it believed its leader to be sleeping.

Flinch slipped down the other corridor toward the door of Balgron's sleeping chamber. There she intercepted the fleeing goblin warrior, and skewered him with a pair of arrows. She then moved to the doorway where Artin and Xagoth had gone, to see if they needed any help.

She ran past Xagoth into the room and loosed a rain of arrows, bringing down the last of the cutters and wounding the remaining warrior. Artin drew herself up and, glowing with divine power, brought her warhammer down on the bloodied and battered goblin warrior, shattering his skull; destroying the last enemy of the goblin-controlled quarter of the keep.

Heartened by their decimation of the goblins, and the ease of dealing with Balgron — thanks to Spug's information — Walf decided to let the small goblin free; however Spug said that his interests were probably best served by sticking with the adventurers — after all, he had never been that keen on Kalarel or his evil plan. Gladdened by what he took to be the goblin's comeraderie and team spirit, Walf handed Spug one of the many gold pieces from his bulging coin purse, then headed back to Balgron's bedchamber. When everyone was inside, Dexter re-locked the double doors with his key, and everyone (apart from the Eladrin, who finds waking meditation restful enough) lay down for a well-earned sleep.