The audience with the ogre-mage Queen Moldavite ends with a simple wave of dismissal from the Queen. Her ogre guards quickly shepherd the group of visitors out of her great hall / temple and march them off on their appointed missions. One ogre leads Grakk the minotaur away towards the east to take up watch duty at the rocky outcrop south of the Oytwood. Die-Arda takes control of Rog with a rope tied around the dog's neck as a make-shift collar and lead. He walks with the rest of the group as they are lead back south through the marketplace. Two of the other ogre guards head off in the opposite direction with instructions to organise guards at all the sewer exits.

The whole 'city' is a fairly tightly packed settlement inside a defensive wall only about 1200-1500 feet in diameter. The spot that the group is lead to is at a crossroads about three-quarters of the way to the southern end of the city, which means the northern end of the sewer system exiting the city would be about 1200 feet to the north. The marketplace is about 300 feet to the north, the palace a further 300 feet north of the marketplace and the temple perhaps 300 feet east and a bit north from the current location.

The ogres point to a sturdy metal grill, 3 feet wide, set in the ground in the middle of the intersection. It is heavily crusted with dried filth. With deceptive ease one ogre lifts the grill and points down into the pit below it.

Below the grill is a 6ft diameter vertical shaft 12 feet deep, which ends at a horizontal shaft (6ft diameter) that heads off towards the northwest. There are a series of metal rungs forming a ladder down the southern side of the shaft. There is enough light in the shaft for those with lowlight vision but it looks like it will be pitch black in the sewer tunnels.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:54, Sun 14 June 2015.

Bulldust peers into the pit and sniffs.  "Smells like dis is da right place."  He hesitates for a moment, stroking back is spiked hair uncertainly.  The queen had not seen fit to gift him a hat.  He takes out the 3 foot long red pennant, the one with the gold flaming sword emblazoned on it that had come with his new longspear, drapes it over his head and ties it off under his chin.  He smooths back his hair spikes under the makeshift hood.  He grins "Now I's da queens royal shit-hole cleaner."

The bugbear drops his longspear point first into the pit, then lowers himself into the pit from the rim, dropping the last few feet.  He will arrange his longspear into the horizontal tunnel and sniff for enemies and traps, first peering ahead into the darkness then checking the condition of the iron rungs.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:35, Sun 14 June 2015.

Riza curses as she sees the utter pitch black of the sewer tunnels. After a string of curse words in draconic she turns to the others thats too dark for me to see, anyone got a light? She doesn't wait too long before rummaging around the nearby ruins of the buildings to find anything she can use for a couple of makeshift torches.

Once she has a light source she will make her way down into the sewers with the others, visibly annoyed.

Minmorc will grin at Rizas rummaging and will head down after Bulldust. He'll keep Vera out in case he can put her to good use but just in case things get too tight he'll draw a pitiful nameless dagger as well. "Oi Bully, looks like deys gonna see and hear us comin, time ter flush out der toilet, hur, hur, hur."

"Sorry Lizzy Rizzy I's got no lights cos I can sees in de dark, and dem killers can sees us comin if wes got lights. Youse can closes yer eyeses, den it dont matters if its dark. He He." she snickers. Sometimes its good to be a little green gobbo in a poo hole. She nips down the ladder, unless Bully says its not safe.

"Better'n gettin' our heads bitten off," Dregz stares down the ladder, trying to convince himself of the truth of his words.  "Wese are tough mudders - wese can do dis !"

Ensuring the Holy Book is as well wrapped as he can manage, the little goblin takes to the ladder.  Like Moffa he has no need of a light down there in the darkness, but won't object if others of his tribe do, particularly those who'll be waving around the heavy metal.

"Is not so ..." <cough, cough, retch> "... bad."

Riza's quick search of a ruined house nearby quickly turns up an old hooded lantern that looks like it was simply abandoned in a corner when its oil ran out.

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 7):

To those sensitive to such things, Arlein casts a cantrip for no noticeable effect.

The party will hear Minmorc ransack his haversack. When the cursing stops Minmorc will call up "don't have no oil but I gots these!" Two torches and a tinder twig will be thrust up out of the man hole. "Does man poo burn like Ork poo does?"

"Only when der poo is dry." the brown-skinned Goblin responds casually to Minmorc's question. "Aldough sometimes youse can make de poo-pits explode." he warns as he climbs down the ladder and looks both ways along the sewers.

While the group gets itself ready Minmorc will ponder the ramifications of being knee deep in exploding poo pit. "So... Should wes ave two torches ter fight fire wid fire?"

Riza fiddles around with the lantern, fills up the lantern with oil from her pouch, and gets it lit. we'll save the torches for when the lantern runs out minmorc, good we have them as backup though She hands the lantern to raven, here can you carry this, all my weapons need two hands to be of any use unfortunately, plus i can skulk around if someone else is holding it Riza will then head down into the poo tunnels with the rest of the group

Ooppses reaches out for the lantern, as he thinks raven shoulds have her wing free too. Plus it saves him from having to atttack things.

Riza shrugs and hands the lantern to oopses, either way as long as someone holds the lantern she's happy

OOC: What is your marching order going to be?

In this 6ft diameter sewer two small-size characters can walk side by side but medium-size characters (Bulldust, Minmorc and Raven) will need to go single file. Bulldust and Minmorc are over 6ft tall and will have to stoop to walk about down here. They will suffer a -2 circumstance penalty on a lot of skill checks and attack rolls. Medium size characters will also suffer a -2 circumstance penalty (non-cumulative) on attack rolls with one-handed or two-handed blunt or slashing weapons (not light weapons).

OOC: It looks like we have Riza out scouting, Bulldust and Minmorc up front, Oopses (with the lantern), Moffdust and Dregz in the middle and Jurz and Raven guarding the rear. Is everyone happy with this arrangement or would anyone like to be somewhere different?

Jurz is happy to drift towards the rear of the group so that he can keep a watch to the rear.  Which, conveniently, leaves most of the fighting to the big'uns.

However, he draws his scimitar, so that he is ready should they be attacked from behind.  "Ready when you are." he mutters happy to leave battle tactic to those who make that their business.

Tactics... We're winning, keep stabbing, we're losing, run and/or hide right?  ; )

Tactics are for paladins.

Dregz is more than happy to trail after Bully and Minmoc - let's face it, anything that might get past that pair is going to struggle to get around their cooling corpses.  Though the little goblin priest will suggest to Oopses that he keeps a precautionary distance between himself and Vera.

"An' dey descended into der noisome darkness," Dregz intones.  "Noisome means dat der will be lots of noise," he preemptively explains to Bully.

When everyone is down the ladder they head off along the first of the sewer tunnels. The bottom of the tunnel is wet and slippery with a foul-smelling mess that soon coats their boots. The sewer tunnel heads northwest for about 170 feet before opening up into the base of a 15ft diameter chamber about 10 feet high.

There is a short, 6ft diameter, vertical shaft leading upward from the top of this chamber to another metal grill like the one they came down into the sewers before.

Two other horizontal 6ft sewer tunnels lead out from this chamber to the north and west. About 5 feet down the western sewer lies the body of a dead goblin and 20 feet down the northern sewer are the bodies of another pair of goblins. Even from this distance it is obvious that there is an awful lot of dried blood splashed around all three bodies.

OOC: Main game map updated.

Minmorc will plant his boot on Bully's behind and give him a good push into the middle of the chamber, Vera at the ready. He'll wait a few seconds to jab anything that drops on Bully, if nothing falls he will move to the western tunnel and from ten feet jab the goblin body there. Either way he intend to give something a good jabbing.

Bulldust unfortunately does not have boots, he's barefoot.  The low ceiling means he is hunched over and constantly watching upwards for anything that will bump his head, so his feet are getting an intimate feel for what lurks in the sewer.  "I wonder whos dat wos?" he muses as a particularly fresh lurker oozes between his toes.  He wonders what they're capable of when allowed to congregate in a tunnel like this.  "Can dey make a poo swarm?!"  That thought is alarming.  Grasshoppers can, so why not poo?  He decides its probably true, shudders, mutters "Nurzhan wouldnt have liked it down ere.  E's lucky e's dead."

The bugbear pauses momentarily at the intersection to look up then sniff the air, then looks down to see which way the poo juice is running.  He lurches forward past Riza and into the center of the intersection when pushed.  He dares not look back, fearing it was the dreaded swarm that bumped him.  Instead he straightens his back and stretches as he looks both ways into the darkness, then prods at the grating overhead with his longspear to see if its loose.  "We is only halfway ta da marketplace.  Da norf tunnel goes ta da far end ov da city.  Da west tunnel goes off ta da side ov da city, so we should look in dat one first."  If he notices nothing else in the north tunnel he will edge past Minmorc into the west tunnel and along past the goblin corpse to get a good look at what lies ahead.

In reply to Bulldust (msg # 22):

Oopses waits his turn to get into the intersection, pointedly not looking at the corpses.

The little goblin priest is alarmed at the sight of his dead kinsmen and hurries over to the one in the western sewer, his big boots splattering noisily as he does so.  While not inclined to touch the corpse, he looks over it for a sign¹ as to the cause of its demise.

¹ either physical evidence or whatever portents that Bargrivyek deigns to provide.

Bulldust notes with envy that Dregz is wearing boots ... large boots.  He wonders if Bargrivyek bestowed them, and who he'd have to sacrifice to get some.

OOC: Just need to sacrifice anyone wearing boots your size ... present company excepted.  ;>

Jurz, of course, is excrementally knowledgeable and knows shit - because it is part of druid training.    He knows that bears DO shit in the woods and that if the bluebird of happiness flies overhead, its poo splats in the same way as any other bird poo.  He can tell the difference between rat raisins and the   chocolate-drops that rabbits make, he understands the difference between night soil, meadow muffins, manure and bullshit.  From the odour of the ordure he can identify some species of animals and from lightly squeezing a dropping he can tell you how old is.   Indeed, he has quite a lot of poo down pat.  However, he tries really hard not to think of that now.  Instead he keeps a look out to the rear.

Even when they come to the junction and the splashing and shouting attracts his attention to choice of tunnels and the dead goblins -  he does little more than shiver briefly, before turning his attention rearwards again.

OOC: Ahh!  Such beautifully crafted musings on scatological metaphor to go with Sunday breakfast.  Truely purgative!  Jurz is hereby promoted to the rank of Coprolite.  :-)

OOC  Boys!

Moffdust picks her way carefully along the sewer, avoiding the worst of what it offers. She considers casting Detect Magic as they march along, but decides against it. If anything here seems 'magical' she really does not want to know.

Riza moves carefully through the sewers to the left tunnel, spear ready she gently prods the goblin corpse... And if there is no movement she will spear the corpse just in case.

Once she is sure it is truly dead she will move a bit closer to investigate

The exploratory technique of 'push the front guy forward' proves quite acceptable this time as no traps or ambushes are sprung by Bulldust's sudden entrance. When he jabs at the overhead grill with his longspear an orcish face appears above (but carefully out of reach of the jabbing spearhead).

"Has yous finded anyfing down dere yet?" the orc asks eagerly.

Bulldust can't see anything else of interest down the northern sewer so he starts exploring up the western one. He can't see anything different up the western sewer yet either but it does extent beyond his 60ft darkvision range.

The western goblin corpse receives a lot of attention. It doesn't respond to Minmorc's prodding with his greatspear or Riza's spearing from closer range so Dregz and Riza move up to inspect it more closely. The corpse was evidently hacked about quite mercilessly; far more than would have been required to kill it, and there is a lot more splattering of blood all around it than you have previously seen. Some of the blood had washed away but above the waterline (there are only a couple of inches of sluggishly moving water in these sewers) the blood is already dried. Dregz's inspection shows the goblin's leather armour is hacked open and ruined. A broken wooden shield lies nearby and a rather crude-looking and slightly rusty, small dagger is discarded nearby but whatever other weapon it might have carried has gone missing.

OOC: Main game map updated.

"Yeah!  I found some orc brains."  Bulldust replies to the orc at the grating before he moves on along the west tunnel.  He will follow the west sewer to see where it goes, longspear at the ready.

"Ders sum dead Gobbos wot got hacked up real good." Minmorc will then follow bait, er, Bulldust down the western tunnel.

"Is dem dead gobbos some of yous lot or some of ours?" the orc asks through the sewer grill.

Moffdust gawks at the dead goblin then calls up to the orcs. "Wes all ok. Dey was youse gobbos. Sliceded not bitten. Dese killers has knifeses not teethses." She steps past the corpse and follows Minmorc into the western tunnel.

The western sewer is about 240 feet long and ends at another 15ft diameter pit with another 6ft vertical shaft overhead leading to a grill at ground level above. This time Bulldust and Minmorc see 3 goblin faces peering down at them.

"Who goes dere?" one of the goblin guards shouts down.

The little goblin shakes his head in horror at his kinsman's terrible wounds, muttering a prayer to Bargrivyek over the body.

Bulldust calls up the the goblins "Poo goes dere!  Its Team Arda-Nuf, da shit kickers wot is clearing out dese sewers.  Dis section is OK, so wes goin back now ta where dem orcs are, den wes going in da norf sewer towards da market.  Dere are some of youse gobbos dead back dere, unda where da orcs is. Youse can go get em out if ya wants em."  He uses the height of the chamber at the end of the sewer to stretch his back and turn his longspear around to point back the way they had come, then he heads off back to the junction and turns left (norf) and keeps going.

So Bulldust is (perhaps appropriately) the first one down the northern sewer, too. As he passes the other pair of dead goblins it is obvious they were both hacked about well beyond the point of death and dried blood is again splattered around them. Again the only weapons remaining are a pair of discarded small daggers and an equally crudely-wrought, small morningstar. The latter lies clear of the blood-spatter but bloodstains still clearly show on its spikes.

The northern sewer runs for about 240 feet before it opens out into another big pit. This time the pit is 20ft diameter and has 3 other openings in the sides as well as another 6ft shaft and grill above. The sounds of the marketplace drift down from above. As well as the tunnel that Bulldust enters from on the southern side of the pit there is a 6ft diameter tunnel heading off to the southeast, another 6ft tunnel to the west and a 10ft tunnel to the north.

OOC: Main game map updated with smaller outline of sewer system added to show general layout discovered so far.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:45, Tue 23 June 2015.

Minmorc will follow along behind Bulldust and will occasionally make comments about how much he likes his new pair of heavy duty iron shod boots that are doing a great job of keeping his feet warm and dry. When they get to the next chamber he'll look over his shoulder at the party and say "we's gots anudder chamber, doz we wanna check out everyfing or doz we wanna go straight an get outta here real fast?"

Jurz has been happy to follow along at the back, keeping his ears and eyes out for anything coming at them from behind.  However, once Minmorc asks for option, he takes some time to look around the new pit.  There are three exits, as well as the shaft above them, so he looks for any signs that might show which way the gobbo slayers went.

He knows there was a lot of blood splattered about at the killing, so he pays particular attention to places where blood (or anything else)  might have scraped from the killers' clothes onto the sewer's sides.

Moffdust frowns and looks impatient to get out of the sewers like Minmorc suggests. "I tink wes must look in all dese sewerses, else de Queens guardses could says wes didnt looks everywhere. Maybe wes should splits up an search dese small passages first. Den wes can gets all togedder ta gos down de big tunnels. Bully and Minmorc could leads de sides teams, an some of usses could stays ere in de middle."

Minmorc will scratch his head. "Err.. Okays, how's bout me, Riza and Oopses goes dats way, Bully, Moffa an Dregz goes dat way an Jurz an Raven in der middle?"

"Dats right!" Moffdust nods emphatically. "Wes goin west. Get goin Bully. We makes it quick, den we meets back ere." She pushes him towards the west tunnel and calls back over her shoulder "An if youse needs our helps, jus scream!"

"Well awright Moffa.  But if we see any killers den we come back fer da ovvers.  Youse got ta share dem around, not kill dem all yerself.  Same goes fer youse Minmorc.  Lets go Dregzie!"  He points his longspear into the west tunnel and stalks off quietly squishing the lurkers as he goes.

"Wese gotta come back wid at least one nasty," Dregz agrees with Moffa.  Splitting the party is a concern for a goblin whose god is hells-bent on getting folk together, but the sewers are not pleasant and he's willing to overlook it just this once in the interests of getting out of here sooner.

Tucking his Holy Book under one arm, the priest pulls a dagger from his boot, holding the point before him as he follows Bully and Moffa into the west tunnel.

Riza grins and moves towards to the tunnel Minmorc wants to go down. come on then lets go hunting With a smile she skitters off to hopefully kill something

The group moves on past the dead goblins and joins Bulldust at the next pit, which sounds like it is located beneath the marketplace, judging by the sounds drifting down from above. There is no sign of guards at the grill up above but no reason to believe that there are none up there either.

Faced with a choice of three more sewer tunnels leading off from this pit the group decides to split up to explore them more quickly.

Minmorc, Riza and Oopses (carrying the hooded lantern and Arlein the cat) head off down the southeast sewer tunnel.

Bulldust, Moffdust and Dregz head off down the western sewer tunnel.

Jurz and Raven are left at the 20ft diameter pit. 

OOC: Main game map updated. The western pit is about 480ft from the central pit where Jurz and Raven are. The eastern pit is about 410ft from the central pit. Note that each pit has steel rungs forming a ladder up one side to reach the grill high above.

Jurz keeps his counsel and lets the others decide on the split.  However, he checks that there are rungs upwards, just in case he needs to escape from this pit.

"We's bedder not stays in der middle." he mumbles to Raven as he moves to one  side of the tunnel system.

PM to Moffa and Dregz ...

Dregz opens his mouth ...

Hmmmmm...

Moffdust joins in the pantomime ...

In reply to Moffdust (msg # 53):

Oopses squirms and sgwiggles as the orc picks him up by the shell. Noose nots da Rats torch waving agerily as he jerks around.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:15, Wed 01 July 2015.

Bulldust's group in the western sewer are very quiet, Jurz and Raven in the middle pit are fairly quiet with barely a whisper between them, but Minmorc's group are quite jovial. A faint echo of Minmorc singing a childhood rhyme even reaches Jurz and Raven's ears, although Oopses' squeal that follows doesn't exactly sound like a squeal of delight.

Jurz stands in the shadows,  listening and watching for anything of interest.  He is somewhat surprised that raven doesn't take some sort of cover, perhaps even flying up the manhole thing they are standing under.  Indeed, he had thought of climbing up there himself.  But then Raven is choosing to act as bait and stand still in the middle of the chamber ....

Jurz hears Oopses squealing away somewhere in the distance.  It isn't a nice squeal, but that probably means that Minmorc has beat him at cooking, or something like that, again.  Either that or the orc is challenging himself to see how many enemies he can kill using the little goblin as a club.  He shrugs, they would come get help, or at least shout if they needed it.  Not sing nursery rhymes.

With thoughts of Minmorc and the cooking competition and dreams about winning stuff for the gods running through his mind, Jurz glances down.  Is that two eyes in the water there?  No.  Just two turds, bumping against each other as they float like two short, thick lumps of wood down stream.  Maybe Minmorc would like that as a game, he muses.  Betting on which turd stick gets away quickest.  Perhaps we could call it Poo Sticks?

OOC: Minmorc would be more likely to play battle ships, each player trying to sink the other players floaters. Bonus points for direct hits on the poop deck.

Dregz frowns ...

Moffdust reaches out...

Bulldust silently helps ...

Minmorc, Riza, Oopses and Arlein return to rejoin Jurz and Raven in the 20ft diameter pit. For some reason Minmorc is now carrying Oopses in one hand with the hooded lantern waving about rather wildly in the struggling goblin’s hand. Arlein is still riding on Oopses back and she narrowly avoids being flung off by the goblin’s struggles. Minmorc's greatspear is pointing behind him, back up the southeast sewer tunnel, but there is no sign of anything following behind them.

There is no sign of Bulldust, Moffdust and Dregz returning yet, and no sound from the western sewer tunnel.

"Found der big rats, mebbe we goes back fer dinner later but nutting down der wid blades. I'm gunna gets dis muck off my new boots, any of yous wanna go look fer Bully?"

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 62):

Oopses settles down into a grumpy mood as he resigns himself to being Minmorc's lantern. "Sures they needz help, they mights be neaking up on umthin."

"Errr, I fink Moffa can sneak up on stuff, I fink Dregz could sneak up on stuff If I took his book away and I fink Bully snuck up on imself once..."

Bulldust quietly puts down his longspear ...

Private to Bulldust ...

"I'll go and have a look" Jurz offers, bored with hanging around in the middle, then sets off, cautiously, along the sewer.

Bulldust moves silently(ish)...

Dregz frowns.

Moffdust's eyes widen at that.

Bulldust, Moffdust and Dregz meet up with Jurz about halfway back along the western sewer tunnel and they all return to the 20ft diameter junction pit together to rejoin the rest of the group, to discuss what they have found and plan what to do next.

Bulldust tells everyone what he saw.  "Dere was dis secret door an a low tunnel, den a room wiv free beds and free people sleepin.  Dey looked old an dey was each wearing a red cloff hat an dey was small like a gobbo.  On da floor dey had weapons and farmer sythes an a lantern.  Dere was anover door out from dere room.  Dont know if deys da gobbo killers - we could go back an ask em, or spy on em."  He waits for questions, then asks "What dis youse find?"

"Bunch a big rats. I reckon we goes in fast, kills two o der sleepers an ask der fird one sum questions. Mebbe takes im back ter der pretty Queenies as a present."

"Dey are wrinkled an' wizened," Dregz reports (while he's not seen them himself, he's perfectly happy to embellish Bully's first-hand account), "an' dey've got scythes which are notab ... assoc ... very popular with death priests.  Dey may even be undead, demselves !"

"We must be careful not to get bitten !"

"I's not thinkin o bitin dems, I gonna stab em wid Vera. If yer hungry eres sum pig jerky or yous can  go an gets a big rat. Good eatin on der big rats. Make a rat burger, or rat rotisserie style or makes swamp rat stew. Now I donts mean ter brag, but I make a mean swamp rat stew." Minmorc will pull a handful of jerky strips out of a belt pouch and offer them to the group.

Bulldust politely declines the offered jerky.  "Da ceilin is only half a spear high in dere passage, so ya wont get Vera in dere.  We could bundle dem up in dere blankies dem sit on dem - like you does wiv Oopses.  But youd have ta be quiet cos yd wake em up."

hmmm those scythes sound woth taking, lets kill them but leave one with no arms or legs then ask him questions... or gift for queenie sounds good too.... this way was it?

Riza prepares her spear and heads in the direction of the small old men with scythes

OOC: Just a quick note to clarify about large weapons in narrow corridors.

Bulldust's longspear and Minmorc's greatspear are about 10 feet long. At a 90 degree bend in a 5ft wide corridor the diagonal dimension across the bend is about 14 feet, so it is quite possible to carry those weapons around that bend in the tunnel. It just isn't possible to turn the spear around (i.e. to turn around and attack behind you) within a 5ft tunnel or 6ft sewer.

In the 6ft diameter sewers or 5ft square corridor two small-size characters can walk side by side but medium-size characters (Bulldust, Minmorc and Raven) will need to go single file. Bulldust and Minmorc are over 6ft tall and will have to stoop to walk about down here. They will suffer a -2 circumstance penalty on a lot of skill checks and attack rolls. Medium size characters will also suffer a -2 circumstance penalty (non-cumulative) on attack rolls with one-handed or two-handed blunt or slashing weapons (not light weapons). No penalty on attacks with stabbing weapons at opponents in front of you.

Moffdust screws up her little green face in disgust "We is in a sewer Minmorc!" She takes all the jerky from his hand, spits on the hand and gives it a rub to clean it then replaces the jerky and takes a strip for herself. "Wes don't want no tummy crummies!"

She waves her jerky strip around as she speaks through a mouthful. "Dey coulds be noisy until de heads is off, an wes dont knows what's behind de next door... Maybe elfses!" She suggests reasonably. "Can youse sneak in an haves a looksee?"

This message was last edited by the player at 02:16, Sat 18 July 2015.

Jurz takes a strip of the jerky and starts chewing on it reflectively.  "I don't tink it would be da elvses, dey live in da woodses." he says reflectively "But it might be someting else behinds de door." he sort of agrees with Moffa.  "But I tink we should just goes in an bash 'em.  If we's can kill dem quick, we's can check de door after.  Or we's can tell Oopses to watch it." he adds.

Then he looks up an Minmorc with a grin "Maybes deys is part of youse Red team?" he asks "Or maybe's dey is a different red team?"

Minmorcs eyes narrow. "Ders only one red team. Dese little buggers gotta go." Minmorc will head off after Riza, ready to introduce these wizened little goblins to Vera.

"But dese got de red hats. If dey ain't in da red team, youse should take der hats off of dem." Jurz adds as he follows along behind.  Just in case Dregz is right and they are undead, he makes sure that some of the O'Baddy holy water bottles are close to hand.

"Dey're our hats !" Dregz seems incensed that these probably undead creatures would impugn the honour of Team Arda-Nuff.

Bulldust splashes along behind Dregs and Jurz, happy that his friends have decided to kill the little people he found and that his longspear will make it around the bend after all.  Then he has a thought and stops to scratch his head under his conspicuously red hood.  "If deys undead den why would dey be in bed an snorin?  De dead dont snore, do dey?  I fink deyre somefing else - like nomes."

"Gnomes ! Gnomes is worse than der Ghouls !!"  Dregz is horrified at the mere thought.  "Kill dem quickly !"

Riza and Minmorc lead the way back down the western sewer with Minmorc still carrying Oopses around as lantern holder and Arlein riding on Oopses back. When they reach the secret door Bulldust, Moffdust and Dregz found, Minmorc gets them to open it for him then he leads the way into the 5ft square tunnel leading northward beyond the secret door. There is dim light coming from around a bend 30ft down this corridor. The corridor bends to the west for 5ft then ends at an another 3ft square secret door. However this door is wide open and the low light comes from inside a ten foot room beyond that door. Against the far wall of this room (i.e. only 8-10ft from the door) is a small bed with a small sleeping figure laid on it. The figure is about the same size as a goblin. There is a grubby blanket pulled up over its body and its face is covered by some sort of grubby red beret that muffles the snores emanating from the sleeper.

Bulldust has already seen and reported that the room extends further to the left (south) than he could see from the corridor. The room is 10ft wide (westward) and 20ft long (southward). There is another door in the southwest corner (closed) and a dim lantern sitting on the floor in the middle of the room. There are two more beds with two more red-hatted sleepers in them. One is covered but the other looks like a little old man, short like a halfling or goblin. There are several weapons lying around plus three large, agricultural scythes beside the beds.

OOC: Main game map updated. Characters can squeeze past each other in the 5ft corridor if they suddenly want to get to the front (or the back).

Seeing his foes before him Minmorc will act quickly to enact a complicated and ingenious plan - he'll take a five foot step into the room and stab one of the garden gnomes.

Bulldust leaves his longspear on the floor of the passageway.  He is a bit hunched over in the low passageway but he manages to squeeze past everyone "scuse me, sssh, oops, sorry, scuse" and into the room just after Minmorc.  He clamps a big hand over the mouth of the nearest sleeper (not the one Minnorc stabbed) and tries to lift it out of bed by its head.  Maybe this can be the one we keep alive for questioning.

Moffdust whispers "I wonders, did dey says dere prayerses before dey wents ta bed." She keeps a hand over her own mouth to stop herself from giggling as she weaves through the chaos and bloodshed of the bedroom to the far door.  She presses her ear against the door and listens. Cat peers out from inside her cloak and listens too.

Riza moves quickly to the final old man and spears him with her spear, determined to make this a quick encounter.

On the way to the Gnomes chamber, Jurz mutters a few words [Language unknown: Reek nt t Nadin (sanartain omeore'preman)] and then seems to change colour slightly and become just a little bit tree like.   He has a bad feeling about this.  Going into battle with something that has been terrorizing the town above without Rog at his side, just doesn't feel comfortable.

He continues to mumble in Druidic and his flaming scimitar appears in his hand just as the group charge into the Gnomes room.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:51, Sun 26 July 2015.

"Der blessed gods won't save dem now !" Dregz avows in a whisper to Moffa as the bigger humanoids wade in.

Minmorc's complicated and ingenious plan got a bit more complex as it went along. Seeing two more sleepers in the southern part of the room he weaved a bit further into the middle of the room before skewering the southernmost sleeper (r3) in its bed.  Incredibly, the sleeper wakes up and opens his mouth to scream in pain as the greatspear pins him in his bed. He looks like a little wizened old man, only about 3 feet tall and with a bright red cap on his head.

Riza is close behind Minmorc and actually slips past him to plunge her smaller spear into the same redcap when she realises it survived Minmorc's attack. Her spear also pierces its body but it still refuses to die.

Bulldust follows them in and simply grabs hold of the second sleeper (r2) by the head and hauls it up out of bed.

Moffdust weaves nimbly through the room to the southern door and presses her ear against the wood.

Jurz had cast a spell on the way and casts another spell as they enter the room. A flaming scimitar appears in his hand and he slashes it down at the northernmost sleeper (r1), searing through the blanket and scorching its flesh with a nasty burn. This sleeper instantly wakes up as well. It looks much the same as Minmorc's and Bulldust's foes, but perhaps even angrier.

Dregz whispers to Moffdust as she passes and he follows to the doorway to watch the fun but he is nearly bowled over by Raven as she hurries forward to join Jurz in attacking the closest redcap (r1). Her rapier pierces straight through its upper arm but doesn't seem to have injured it much at all. There are only a few drops of blood to mark the spot when she withdraws her blade.

The two wounded redcaps open their mouths and scream in pain and anger.

OOC: Main game map updated. r3 looks seriously wounded and r1 looks moderately wounded. Jurz's magical flaming scimitar seems to have done full damage but Minmorc, Riza and Raven's weapons were less effective (i.e. damage reduction 5 against those attacks).

Jurz screams back at the wizened old Gnome, but doesn't hesitate to slash at it again.

---
16:55, Today: Jurz rolled 6 using 1d20+3. Hit it again (please).
16:56, Today: Jurz rolled 2 using 1d8+1. Dam -Just in case it is tangled in the bedsheets.

Bulldust will keep his spiked gauntlet clamped over the gnomes mouth (rolled 19 unarmed attack) while he shakes it for 5 hp. subdual damage (maybe 6 hp for two handed shake) as he tries to lift it up by its head to get a better look at it.   He doesnt know what language to use with little old gnomes so he just bares a mouthful of fangs.

"Cor, deys tough little buggers ain't dey!" Minmorc roars with laughter."Vera, hold im down, I's bringin Helen out ter play!" Leaving the greatspear to pin the tough little bugger in place Minmorc will draw the greatsword from the scabbard in his backpack and will try to stick it in it too.

OOC: Partial update. Only Jurz, Bulldust and Minmorc have acted so far this round.

Jurz slashes again at the northern redcap (r1) before it can disentangle itself from the blanket on its bed. It makes such an easy target that even the goblin druid can’t miss and his blazing scimitar scorches the redcap once again.

Bulldust manages to maintain a secure grip on the second redcap but despite the bugbear’s strength the redcap doesn’t seem to be hurt at all by the tight grip on its head.

Minmorc lets go of his greatspear Vera to draw his greatsword Helen and slashes savagely down at the southern redcap (r3) before it can free itself and get out of bed. The red-glowing greatsword cuts deep and the redcap slumps down, unconscious and dying.

Moffdust keeps her ear pressed to the door and her eyes wide open and glued to the horrors unfolding in the room. The fighters seem to have it well in hand, so she does not feel obliged to join in the carnage. She is a little unsettled that the little sleepers are much tougher than expected. She decides on caution and takes a scroll from her pack and quietly casts Shield on herself.

In reply to Moffdust (msg # 99):

Oopses is stuck in the hallway, probably for the best since the room is littered with sharp objects.

OOC: Partial update. Jurz, Bulldust, Minmorc, Moffdust have acted so far this round.

Moffdust listens at the door for a moment longer. Whatever she heard prompted her to pull out a scroll and read a spell from it.

Oopses cowers at the back of the line, guarding the rear and watching the Jurz and Raven battle the first redcap since there is no room for him to move closer to the action.

"Der gnomes are vicious things," Dregz tells Oopses as the carnage continues. "Tough n' horrid."

The little goblin pokes his head around the door, before pulling it back quick smart.

"It's lookin' a bit confusin' in der," he assures his kinsman, "but I think we're winnin' !"

"Voices!" hisses Moffdust "Behind dis door. An dey sounds cross! Can someone spike de door shuts?"

"Dese one in here is cross too." Jurz mumbles as Moffa tries to get people to stop fighting and pin the door for her.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:11, Sun 02 Aug 2015.

Minmorc will shrug his pack off his shoulders and will pass it to Riza. "Ere cleva Riza, I gots sum rope an sum spikes in der middle o der pack. I reckon Bully has had enough cuddles wid der little fella, I reckon we should gift wrap him fer her pretty royalness. An Jurz, dat ones yer kill an all, yer want me ter stick Vera in Im an finish im or can I kill der cross stuff behind der door?" Minmorc looks like a kid in a candy store with a handful of chocolates and instructions to only eat one at a time.

"Stabs dis one first." Jurz calls, well aware that once this thing got free of its bedclothes, he could well be toast.  After all, everyone else's weapons seem to be bouncing off of the wizened gnomes, which meant he would be its most likely target.

Moffdust nods emphatically when she realizes Jurz danger. "Yes, stabs it! I'll hold de doorses." She plants her back to the door and braces against it with her full 30 lb weight. She adjusts her stance a little so that if the door is flung open she will be behind it and not slammed into a wall.

Bulldust gives the gnome another shake for good measure and keeps both hands clamped around its head.  "I got sum manacles tucked inta my belt.  Maybe birdie Raven can lock em on im."

Riza hurriedly takes some rope from Minmorc's backpack and ties up the struggling evil old man. She manages it but not too well, it's rather hard to tie someone up when they are struggling.

Moffdust behaviour at the door startles her though and once she is done with the old man she readies her spear again incase something comes through the door.

OOC rolled 12 use rope
This message was last edited by the player at 09:19, Thu 06 Aug 2015.

"Good job, fanks Riza."  Bulldust keeps the bound gnome's head  pressed against his chest with his gauntletted right hand over its mouth while he moves to the door next to Moffa. He braces his foot against the bottom of the door to prevent it from being opened (assuming it opens towards him) and slips the manacles from his belt with his left hand.

"I think we've caught one," Dregz informs Oopses in a puzzled tone. "Maybe we eat it later."

"Or maybe it's for der Queen ?!!"

Minmorc manages to slay the southern redcap while Bulldust keeps the second one in hand until Riza can lend him a hand to tie the redcap up.

Jurz and Raven battle valiantly against the northernmost redcap but it survives long enough to scramble out of bed and grab a rusty battle axe off the floor. Jurz burns the redcap again with his flaming scimitar, Raven's rapier pricks it's flesh again but it is Minmorc reaching over the top with his great spear that finishes that redcap off.

Moffdust and Bulldust make sure the southern door stays shut but as the battle in this first room ends, the sounds of shouting from the next room can be heard through the door. Obviously a warm reception awaits anyone who opens that door.

The relief in Jurz is obvious, as Minmorc helps dispatch the redcap.  While his flaming blade does some damage, it really wasn't enough to kill the thing quickly.

Bulldust still has a live one by the head, and has been shaking it up to keep it disoriented, but the druids eyes narrow as he looks on.  "Dat ones still alive." he says pointing at it with his burning blade.  "An der queenie didn't says to bring hers one back dat is still alive." he says.  "We's should kill dat one while it can't fight back an den see what is behind de door." he offers by way of tactics.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:09, Sun 09 Aug 2015.

Riza and Bully have managed to tie the third redcap up securely enough for now. It might break free eventually but Bully doesn't need to keep holding it, although his hands are covering its mouth at present so it can't shout or speak.

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 114):

" YAZZ!" cheers Oopses from the tunnel.

Minmorc will tear a couple of strips from the bedding and will wad one up and stuff it in the captives mouth. He'll then take the other one and strap it over the top. He'll look around for a sturdy hook on the wall or ceiling like a torch sconce or for a lantern and if he can find one will suspend the captive from it. He'll make sure there aren't any weapons or sharp things near it. While he works he'll roll his eyes at Jurz. "Dats why I calls im a present, not orders. Bosses always wants a prisoner... Dunno why... Mebbe is cause dey wants the meat real fresh, mebbe cause they want a bit o der fight too, I dunno. But Bully done good holdin im and Riza done good tyin im, seems wrong ter waste dat if we don't need ter. Moffa, got any clue wots makin all dat noise in der next room?"

Jurz had never thought of that, but then that may well be to do with relative sizes.  "Where, I comed from, der bosses wanted der bad guys dead or gone away. An de mugginses dat was doing der lookin an der chasin, jus wanted to goes back home again." he says explaining the goblin way of doing things.

"Back in da tribe we's eeder killed it,  or we's hid from it."

Dregz quite agrees with what he can hear of Jurz's objections to making a present of the creature to the Queen. "If dey're dead den dey can't say dey didn't do it," he confides quietly to Oopses, not quite daring to raise his voice to contradict the big orc.

Moffdust regards the door coolly. "I doesnt knows dere language, but now deys shoutin an dey sounds cross. Dey wasnt shoutin before dem gnomses started yellin cos wes was killin dems." She shrugs. She crouches down and looks under their beds, leaving Bully to hold the door.

Minmorc is clearly getting annoyed by the shouting from the door so he shouts at it. "Oi, if yer too dumb to speak common yer too dumb ter get a vote on wot we does wid yer buddies. We's gonna kill em, catch em or eat em an wid yer jabber I'm finkin smurf an turf is on der menu tonight!"

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 120):



"Minmorc, I only knowz how to make gnome-pie and smurf-cakes outta dem." Oopses shouts from the 'safe' back of the group.

"Mmmmmmmm... Smurf cakes..."

Just a couple of private notes to particular characters ...

"Da voices sound like more of dese little guys.  We best get ready ta fight em."  Bulldust leaves the door and hangs the gnome by his bound hands on the hook as Minmorc suggested.  He retrieves his longspear from the passage, then returns and pushes a couple of beds closer to the door and turns them on their sides to make a barricade that the gobbos can shelter behind.

GM: Which way does the door open?  Is it hinged on the left or the right?

The door opens into the room you are in. The hinges are on the left side (South side). There is no lock or bar on this side of the door.

"Perhaps it's der larder ?" Dregz offers his opinion on the locked door mystery.

For the time being, Jurz leaves the door to the bigs but goes and stands by the wizzened gnome that Bully has hung up.  He inspects it closely, just to check that it isn't up to anything and waves his flaming sword around a bit, just in case.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:37, Fri 14 Aug 2015.

Bulldust sets up his barricade 5' from the door.  He picks up another bed with his left hand like a tower shield and measures it for a fit through the door.  "If dey dont come fru soon Im goin in after em.  Get da door Moffa!"  He prepares to charge through the door with the bed.  Crazy maybe ... but there are props and he's determined to use them.

With all of the activity at the door Riza relaxes slightly, not much to do until the door is opened either way, instead she has a change of plan. She moves herself to the far end of the room furthest from the door and switches from her spear to hr trusted bow.

With a sly smile she pulls out one of her 'special' arrows as she doubts the bow will damage more of these ugly men if that is what's behind the door.

OOC prepped drow poison arrow

It doesn't take long to finish preparations in the first redcaps room. Two redcaps are dead (r1 and r3) and the third (r2) is tied up, gagged and suspended from a sturdy hook in the middle of the ceiling. The ceiling is ten feet high so he is 7 or 8 feet above the floor and safely out of the way for now.

Bulldust rigs a bit of a barricade across the middle of the room using two of the small beds turned on their sides then he takes up position in the south end of the room holding a bed in front of him, turned up on its end to act some sort of tower shield. It is only 5 feet long and 2.5 feet wide so he can see over the top of it and reach around it.

Riza readies her bow and heads up to the northern end of the room with the goblins behind the barricade of beds. Minmorc is alongside Bulldust on the south side of the barricade, shouting at whoever is making so much noise on the other side of the door.

Bulldust has to step back a pace to pull the door open into the room and as soon as he does so two more ugly little redcaps rush into the room with a third one close behind them. All three are armed with scythes bigger than they are but they seem to have no trouble wielding the awkward weapons.  The first one (r4) slashes at Minmorc with his scythe but doesn't quite penetrate his armour and the second (r5) tries to slash Bulldust around the upturned bed/shield but only manages to slash the bedframe.

OOC: Main game map updated. Riza and Raven can shoot their bows over the heads of the goblins in front of them if they wish to.

As the door opens and more of the redcaps burst through the door, Jurz turns his attention from the one hanging in the middle of the room towards the newcomers.

Trying to use the small bed as cover, he reaches across to touch the nearest enemy with his flaming scimitar.

---

11:12, Today: Jurz rolled 6 using 1d20+3. To hit the new redcaps.
Damned dice roller.  *searches in dice-roller bag for another one*

Seeing as how there's a more than acceptable amount of mayhem about to erupt, Dregz puts his finger to his lips to warn Oopses, then sneaks back down the narrow passage to peek out up and down the main sewer tunnel.  Just to be sure there's no more of the dreadful redcaps (or anything else for that matter) creeping up from behind.

Most cos the little goblin wants fair warning if there's going to be something to entice one or more of the bigguns to charge back his way, weapons waving !  But also to protect both the tribe and himself, from either physical hurt or accusations of inattentiveness.

As the little buggers come rushing through the doors  Minmorc keeps up a steady stream of insults and takes a hasty swing with Helen. As the little Brutes lunge puts a scratch in his new paint job Minmorc let's loose a bellow of pure rage and puts everything he has into a savage downward swing.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:55, Sun 16 Aug 2015.

Bulldust considers charging in Dregz' direction waving a bedframe, but that will have to wait.  He lets go of the bedframe and longspear and readies his white-tipped flail, swinging it wildly at the redcap r5.

In reply to Bulldust (msg # 134):

 Arlein rolled 20,2 using 1d20+1,1d3-1. Claw Drez.

Riza focuses and takes aim at one of the ugly old men. (R5) gonna gets you ugly bugger
But she curses as her arrow flys off course

OOC rolled 10 to attack r5

Moffdust casts Magic Missile at redcap r5 then crouches down behind the bed. "Dose scytheses looks nasty." She hopes Bully doesn't get too badly cut up.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:18, Wed 19 Aug 2015.

Raven loads, aims and fires her light crossbow over Moffdust's head at the next ugly little redcap.

Jurz greets the first of the new redcaps with a wave of his flaming scimitar. It misses but perhaps is just sufficient distraction for Minmorc to hack that redcap (r4) apart with two mighty blows of his red-glowing greatsword.

Bulldust throws down the bed he was holding and swipes at the next redcap (r5) with his white-tipped flail. He misses, then Riza's arrow whizzes just past the redcap's ear too. But Moffdust's pair of magic missiles simply cannot miss and Raven manages to plant a crossbow bolt in its shoulder as well. That redcap is now moderately wounded but that only makes it even more angry and savage than before.

Meanwhile Dregz ducks back through the crowded room and squeezes past Raven, Oopses and Arlein in the narrow passageway. Arlein takes great offense at his rudeness and lashes out with her claws, drawing blood with two long scratches across Dregz's face.  Dregz reaches the exit to the sewer and peers both ways down the sewer.

The wounded redcap (r5) snarls and moves up over his fallen comrade's body to slash at Minmorc because he is too big a target to ignore. The wild swing of his scythe misses Minmorc completely and sails harmlessly over Moffdust's and Jurz's heads. The next redcap rushes in behind him and swings at Bulldust but the blade of his scythe is stopped safely by the blackened armour Bulldust wears.

But the noise in the next room rises again as even more redcap reinforcements rush into that next room and peer in through the doorway.

OOC: Main game map updated.

It seems the little feller in front of Minmorc is small enough to ignore as Minmorc pays no attention to its wild attempts to reap the bed sheets. Instead Minmorc fixates on the one in front of Bulldust. "Oi, oi, I saw dat! I saw you tries ter hit him, red card fer you, red card fer you!" The "red card" appears to be a rather large, rather bloody sword...

There is no bravado or threats from the Goblin druid -  that is the banter of big folks, where as he still half hopes that he won't be noticed.  Instead, eyes wide he reaches across the bed again to touch the closest redcap with his flaming scimitar.

Bulldust reciprocates Minmorc's foe swap and flails wildly at redcap r5, again missing hopelessly.  "Dere's one ... two ... five! more of em next door.  Plenty fer all of us, just hittin em is da bit I'm not good at."

Moffdust cannot resist the grouping so she casts Grease on the 10' section in front of Bully and Minmorc and out through the door. "Grease!" she yells to warn them. "C'mon Bully! Hits dem."

Dregz whimpers.

"Grease is der word !" he calls out.

From outside above the grate at the top of the sewer pit, goblin voices drift back down to Dregz.

"Grease is der word!"
"Grease is der word?"
"Is der word dat I heard."
<Whack>
"Yeah, we's heard it too but wot der cark does it means?"

"It means youse better shapes up Dregzie, cos I needs a plan." she whispers.

In reply to Moffdust (msg # 146):

 oday: Oopses rolled 15 using 1d20. int check.


"Grease lotsa grease! Down dat hole! We gonna have da puging ritual!"

Riza curses at her last attempt to shoot the ugly man and at the loss of one of her special arrows, she picks a normal one and let's fly hoping it will strike true... With no luck

Her arrow flys off course again

OOC rolled 12 to hit red cap. Curse these dice

This time Minmorc ignores the wounded redcap in front of him and hacks at the one (r6) attacking Bulldust instead. His red-glowing greatsword carves a fearsome gash in the redcap's chest but the grievously wounded redcap refuses to go down just yet.

Jurz swipes his flaming scimitar at the redcap (r5) in front of him but does little more than just scorching the ugly little creature's cheek. Bulldust, Riza and Raven try to hit him as well but they all miss.

Moffdust ducks behind the cover of the upturned bed barricade to cast a spell that creates a slippery layer of grease beneath the feet of the two wounded redcaps and the two closest to the door in the next room. The closest one (r5) immediately slips over and falls flat on his back but the others manage to keep their feet on the slippery surface.

The fallen redcap (r5) quickly manages to scramble back up onto his feet again and picks up his scythe once more. The grievously wounded one behind him (r6) snarls at Minmorc and swings his scythe at Minmorc in return. His swing is so wild that he completely misses, loses his grip on the scythe so it sails over Minmorc’s head, then the redcap finally passes out and collapses face down on the greasy floor.

The next redcap (r7) tries to leap forward through the doorway to take his place but slips on the grease and falls flat on his face as well. But the next redcap (r8) behind him uses the other fallen redcaps as stepping stones to move into the room and attack Bulldust. His scythe is swung with ferocious accuracy and cuts deep into Bulldust’s leg inflicting a serious wound.

But the other three redcaps behind them suddenly turn and hurry away out of sight toward the northern end of that second room. Moments later another secret door is thrown open in the northern wall of the narrow passageway right behind Raven, Oopses and Arlein. The three redcaps and a drow elf stand menacingly in the new northern room beyond that small door. The closest redcap (r11) readies his scythe although the small doorway (only 3ft square) will make it a bit difficult for him to attack.

Meanwhile Dregz is at the southern end of that narrow passageway delivering cryptic clues to the goblin guards above the sewer grate. Finally the boss of those goblin boyz shouts down to Dregz, "Alright, you liddle greasy monkey! What's goings on down dere?"

OOC: Main game map updated.

"Foul, foul! Red card fer you too yer cheeky little bugger!" Minmorc is now deeply enraged, spittle flying as her swears, curses, ducks flying scythes and swings Helen at the Red Cap that hit Bulldust.

Though the goblin priest can't see what's going on back in the room from his vantage point, listening carefully he's at least able to discern that some of the redcaps are fleeing.  That they've lasted as long as they have is amazing and speaks of bright and lawful magics assisting them - certainly the redcaps appear as able to resist all but the most fearsome blows of his compatriots as the heavily armoured yoomans he tried to avoid fighting in the recent war.

"Some o' dem is gettin' away," Dregz informs the guards above. "Two, uh, o' dose some're knights !"

Well-a, well-a, well-a, uh ! ;>

In reply to Dregz (msg # 151):

Once again Jurz reaches across tto hit the nearest redcap.  However this time the noises from behind, bring more urgency to his thrust.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:10, Tue 01 Sept 2015.

"Ow!  Dose syfes really hurt!"  Bulldust considers his options.

"Youz is fightin' knightses down dere? Where is dey? Which ways is dey going? How many is dey?" the goblin guards up above the sewer grate shout down at Dregz.

In reply to Goblin guards (msg # 154):

Arlein is quite annoyed  with Oopses stupidity and Dregz ignoring. Leaning around the corner she hisses at the red caps.

// Moves to Raven's square.

"Um, yup.  Makin dem fall over den hittin dem while deys down is da best option." Muses the contemplative bugbear.  "Good job Moffa!"  He swings his flail belatedly at r5 in an AoO as it tries to rise, giving it a solid thump.  Then he swings the flail awkwardly at the legs of r8 to trip it, but misses.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:16, Mon 31 Aug 2015.

Moffdust giggles as the redcaps fall over in the grease then gasps as more appear behind. Like greased lightnin she fires another grease spell through that secret door to slick the floor and trip some more. She hopes. "Grease!" she whispers to avoid confusing Dregz any more.

OOC: just realised r8 has been chopped to bits by Minmorc, so Bully just failed to trip r5 instead.  Can Minmorc and Jurz also have AoO against r5 for standing up from prone?

OOC: Yes, of course they can. Sorry, I missed that.

OOC: I hope they're at a serious negative to armour class standing up with a roll like this ; )

Still frothing and spitting Minmorc takes a swing at the Red Cap. "How dares yer try ter stand up from Prone!"

Jurz just keeps jabbing at the nearest redcap - first as it stand up, and then again once it is upright.

However, he lets Minmorc do the talking.  That might distract the enemy from the fact that Jurz is poking them as well.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:32, Wed 02 Sept 2015.

"Der's less of dem now," Dregz assures the guards above.  "But dey sure are tough !"

"We're gonna get der toughs before der toughs get goin' !"

Looking infuriated Riza reaches into her pouch and shouts "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Before lobbing a flask of alchemist fire at redcap r5. "Burn in hell you little snots!" She screams

OOC rolled 13 to attack r5 with damage 3 :(

Bulldust hits the redcap (r5) in front of Minmorc as it scrambled up from the greasy floor. Jurz leans over the barricade to let his flaming scimitar tap the redcap on the head as it rose and Minmorc slashes his red-glowing greatsword through the ugly little man's chest before it even realised it was dead. (All three may well claim credit for that kill later on!)

Minmorc again targets the new redcap (r8) attacking Bulldust and slashes the red-glowing Helen down at it so hard that this redcap too is grievously wounded and barely able to stand. Bulldust swings and this time he misses with his flail.

Riza lobs a flask of alchemist's fire at the only redcap still standing in the south end of the room (r8). It smashes over that grievously wounded redcap and bursts into flames. He succumbs in seconds and collapses across the unconscious body of another of his comrades (r6) which also suffers from the flames.

The last redcap in the south (r7) slides back out of the grease before scrambling to his feet  in the southwest room, ready to slash with his scythe at the first creature to come through the southern doorway.

In the north Moffdust greats the sudden appearance for three more redcaps and a drow with another grease spell inside their northern room. The redcaps manage to keep their feet but the drow elf slips and falls on her face with a loud clatter as her black plate armour hits the stone floor.

Raven drops her bow, whips out her rapier and stabs the first redcap (r9) in the northern room, managing to draw blood from the ugly little man and Arlein the cat hisses at the redcaps around the edge of the doorway.

The first redcap (r9) swings his scythe at Raven through the narrow doorway and manages to hit her despite the awkward angle through the narrow opening. The long blade of the scythe slices deeply into Raven's belly and she is grievously wounded!

Arlein's hisses suddenly take on a more manacing tone and a great jet of steam shoots from her mouth to engulf the three redcaps in the northern room. All three of them duck aside to avoid the worst of it but they all still scream at the pain of their burns. The closest one belatedly swings his scythe at Arlein as the steam finishes gushing from her mouth but this time he is unable to hit his target. The second redcap manages to keep his feet in the grease as he rushes forward and slams the door shut again before they can be boiled alive by more steam from the magical cat. You just glimpse the drow slithering back out of the grease and struggling to stand up again as the door closes.

OOC: Main game map updated.

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 164):

"Bully dah big uns back here, it's a dark lord!" Oopses shuts as he backs down the hallway towards dregz, away from the door.

Minmorcs eyes gleam with mad glee at the chaos of the melee, framed by fire, splattered with blood the mad ork has fully embraced the moment. Noticing that one enemy still stands to challenge him Minmorc launches into motion. Performing a quick spin Minmorc lashes out with a heavy iron shod foot, kicking Bully's beddy barricade forward to bridge the grease and fire. As he comes round he wrenches Vera out of a red cap corpse and springs forward onto the smouldering mess in front of Bulldust, thrusting the great spear at the remaining red cap. Down on one knee Minmorc will call over his shoulder "get in der, Bullfrog style!"

Jurz sees Minmorc smash the bed barricade down and then go down onto one knee as he trusts with his spear - and somewhere in the heat of the battle  the Orc's rage seems to affect him.

"I'm coming Minmorc ..." the goblin screams, as he rushes around behind the battle  and scrambles up onto the large Orc's back.  Then he jumps over and tries to  touch the redcap with his flaming scimitar.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:01, Tue 08 Sept 2015.

Dark lords working with good knights ... Dregz shakes his head.  Something is very wrong with that picture.

Perhaps they've been holding the Drow hostage !  Not that she'll appreciate the rescue, but that's better than being flayed alive for not trying.

From the sounds of things there seems to be a concerted effort back there by his friends to get past the redcaps ... "whatever gets youse through der knights !" the little goblin priest calls back encouragement.

Raven clutches at the grievous wound in her belly with her left hand and slips her rapier back into its scabbard. She grabs her crossbow from where she dropped it then pushes past Oopses and Arlein as she staggers back down the narrow passageway to where Dregz is guarding the exit to the sewer.

At first Dregz backs away in terror, a-feared that the terrible cat is coming for him ... but once his Darksight reveals Raven staggering towards him, the little priest rushes to help her, his commentary on the battle and his helpful suggestions forgotten as he fetches his magic healing stick from his pocket, calling on Bargrivyek to help the Kenku.

"Make da grease go away now Moffa, we got dem.". Bulldust drinks a potion of CLW then moves to the closed door where the drow was seen, picking up his longspear as he goes.

Moffdust dismisses the grease in the room where Minmorc is standing but leaves the other one running. She pulls a scroll and casts Magic Weapon on Bullys spear as he passes, moving up towards the closed door with him. "Dat was a dark elfses in dere! Stick her wid de pointy endses Bully."

Oopses shouts the news that the big'un is a dark lord and he shouts it loud enough that even the goblin guards up top will hear him.

Minmorc knocks Bully's bed-barricade over on top of the burning redcaps, grabs Vera and plunges it into the last southern redcap (r7). The ugly little fellow is grievously wounded but pushes free of the spear point.

Jurz pushes past the bed-barricade and sneaks past Bulldust then clambers up over Minmorc's back and shoulders to leap through the doorway, flaming scimitar extended before him to slap the wounded redcap with the blade of flame. The redcap (r7) screams in pain then collapses unconscious on the floor. Somehow Jurz manages to keep his balance when he lands and skids a few feet on the greasy floor until he is stopped by the body of the fallen redcap.

Raven clutches the awful wound in her belly and staggers past Oopses and Arlein on her way back down the narrow passageway to where Dregz guards the exit to the sewer. Dregz greets her with his magic stick so Bargrivyek can start to heal that wound.  Raven is still seriously wounded but now able to fight on if required.

Bulldust gulps down a potion that starts to cure his scythe wound, picks up his longspear and hurries over to the northern secret door. Moffdust dispels the southern patch of grease with a word and a wave of her little hand then hurries up behind Bully.

Voices can be faintly heard for a moment through the secret door then there is a click as the door is locked from the far side. Jurz also sees another northern door slam shut (just to the west of the stair in the western room) and hears the click as a key is turned to lock that door too.

OOC: Main game map updated. The northern room is indicated as 'obscured' because you can't see what is happening in there while the secret door is closed. The positions of creatures are where you saw them last – not necessarily where they are now.

If a mount Minmorc is he'll be the fastest and strongest one of those too. The last of his rage fixated on this task Minmorc will hoist Jurz onto his right shoulder and left shoulder charge towards the door next to the stair case. Either through it or off it, Minmorc, Jurz and that door have a date with destiny.

Bulldust also tries to kick open a door but it seems unlikely his attempt will succeed.  He looks around for something to use as a crowbar or battering ram for his next attempt.

As Bully turns his attention back to the room it suddenly becomes apparent that the corpses of the dead redcaps seem to be dissolving away before your eyes. Their filthy clothes and weapons and other gear remain behind on the floor where they lay. Four of the seven redcap bodies have already disappeared, two more are still burning from alchemist's fire (beneath the bed Minmorc dumped on them) and the one in the western room is still there. The captured redcap tied with rope and suspended from the ceiling is still alive and struggling.

OOC: There are several medium-sized weapons scattered around the room so if you are looking for a sword, mace, morningstar, club, spear or battleaxe you will easily find one. The beds are about 5ft long and have wooden frames and straw-filled mattresses and a blanket each.

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 176):

Arlein flicks bully with her tail, sliding it against his leg.


/cast open spell, should both the freshly locked doors.

Moffdust completes the casting of a Magic Weapon spell from a scroll on Bully's spear. She notices the redcaps dissolving "Dey makes very tidy corpses doesnt dey?" She sees Arlein rubbing against Bully's leg "Nice kitties. You dont gets to eats dere eyeballses unless youse is quick!" She takes another scroll from her pack and prepares to cast Knock at the beginning of next round (unless Arlein's spell does the trick).

"Youse feelin' better ?" Dregz inquires worriedly of Raven, stick poised to bequeath further healing courtesy of Bargrivyek, should the birdy-woman require it, or be incapable of answering him.

"At least we get ta keep dere weapons, an dem nice red hats fer our team." Bully muses, thinking of replacing his own poo-smeared red hood.  "Fanks Moffa.  Fink I'll try out da drow elf, dem little buggers is too ard ta hit.  Min can come fru and get em."

Following Minmorc's example, Bulldust grabs a bedframe and stands it in the locked doorway ready to push it into the room if he needs to bridge the grease, and it may yet shield him again from those painful scythes.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:54, Sat 12 Sept 2015.

As Minmorc hoists him up, Jurz settles himself down ready to attack anything that comes near them.

Minmorc scoops up Jurz onto his right shoulder where the little brown goblin quickly settles into place with his flaming scimitar raised above Minmorc's head. The flaming blade blackens the ceiling beams overhead but neither of them notice it. Minmorc charges the next door with his left shoulder leading. The door was a good wooden door with a good lock on it but it was never designed to withstand the full force of a raging, 360 pound orc barbarian – and it doesn’t. The door flies open, knocking back the redcap standing behind it and Minmorc’s momentum carries him and Jurz a few feet into the next room.

This northwest room is the largest so far and is clearly some sort of temple. The walls are draped in black curtains, the floor is black stone and the wooden beams of the ceiling are blackened by soot. A black stone altar stands in the middle of the floor surrounded by a six-pointed star etched in silver on the floor. Behind the altar stands the male drow elf in his black, full-plate armour, but now instead of arms a pair of ten-foot long snakes writhe from his shoulders, hissing and baring their fangs.

As Minmorc and Jurz steady themselves after bursting through the door and the first redcap (r9) scrambles back to his feet a second redcap (r11) hurries through the only other door visible in the room, on the eastern wall of this room and moves forward to menace them with his wicked-looking scythe.

Riza hurries around to stand in the doorway behind Minmorc and Jurz with bow in hand.

Back in the passageway near the sewer Dregz waves his magic stick and calls on Bargrivyek again to finish curing Raven's wounds.

Meanwhile Bulldust tries unsuccessfully to force the secret door open in the northern wall of the narrow entry passage and Arlein's hisses at the secret door have no more effect than Bully's muscles did.  Moffdust first fetches out a scroll, unrolls it and reads the words of a spell to enchant Bully's weapon. When all other attempts to open the secret door fail Moffdust reads the words of a magic spell from another scroll and the secret door flies open in front of Bulldust and Arlein.

This northeast room is smaller and has a single bed and a desk and a wooden chest as furniture. Two other wooden doors lead out of it in the northern and western walls. The southern half of the floor is slick with grease and a single redcap (r10)stands on guard between the edge of the grease and the open western door. Arlein, Bully and Oopses can glimpse the black drapery of the temple through the open door but cannot see the altar or the drow in the temple.

OOC: Main game map updated. Start of new round but Moffdust has already acted this round to cast the Knock spell from a scroll.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:09, Mon 14 Sept 2015.

Minmorc bursts out laughing and brushes bits off door himself and Jurz. "Hur, hur, hur, I huffed an I puffed an I blew yer house down." Minmorc will yell whoop! Take a five foot step north west and as Vera thrusts forward his eyes will narrow and he will snarl "now, come ere little red ridin hood."

Bulldust drops the bedframe he was holding through the door to stand on the greased floor inside the room, then he steps onto the bed and lunges at the redcap r10 with his newly enchanted longspear, and misses hopelessly.
OOC: rolled a 1!  D'oh!  Stupid bugbear!

Jurz settles himself on Minmorc's shoulder and prepares to ride out the shock of charging the door down.  Once through he will start to  hang down the back of his new mount, using armour straps and anything else he needs to keep a secure seat.  Then he will reach out to touch the nearest redcap with his flaming blade.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:49, Sun 20 Sept 2015.

Moffdust shakes her head sadly at Bully. "Boyses!" She takes another scroll from her pack and prepares to cast a spell next round.

She looks around the room for some rope. Maybe an offcut from tieing up the redcap dangling from the ceiling? "Has someone gots some ropeses? Dats fer my next trickses. He he."

OOC: just realised she is getting ahead of herself... so many scrolls and so few turns! :)
This message was last edited by the player at 15:13, Sat 19 Sept 2015.

The sight of the snake armed drow makes Riza's scales shudder. With a hiss in reply she sends another arrow flying from her bow, hopefully with a bit better luck than she had against the strange old men. Besides Minmorc, Jurz and bulldust seemed to be having fun with the, anyway.

OOC: rolled 20 to attack drow, rolled 6 to damage drow

OOC: Partial update: Minmorc, Bulldust, Moffdust and Riza have acted so far this round.

Minmorc laughs and steps forward beside the redcaps, swinging his greatsword Vera to cut down the left redcap (r9). The ugly little fellow was already wounded from Arlein's jet of steam and the wound from the glowing greatsword is more than he can withstand; he collapses unconscious at Minmorc's feet.

Bulldust tosses a bedframe through the secret door to land on the greased floor of the northeast room, then he steps through after it and lunges with his longspear at the redcap (r10) guarding the next door. Unfortunately the awkward manoeuvre is too much for the young bugbear to pull off successfully and he is lucky not to drop the spear as his thrust slams into the floor beside the redcap.

Moffdust snatches up a length of rope from under one of the beds.

Riza shoots an arrow through the doorway at the dark elf in the temple but it is a difficult shot because the heavily armoured drow has partial cover behind the black stone altar and the arrow glances harmlessly off his black full-plate armour.

OOC: Main game map updated.

With no enemies in reach Jurz waits, half-dangling, ready to touch the first enemy he can reach with his flaming blade.  "Yeee haaa" he shouts at Minmorc, and anyone else who will listen.

In reply to Jurz (msg # 189):

 Oopses rolled 8 using 1d8+2.  Oopses casts cure light on Raven.

Minmorc will step over the corpse of little red and will howl as he brings Helen the hell blade down on the last gnome. With a soft "woof" Minmorc will seem to deflate slightly and the rage clears from his eyes. Seeming to pay attention to his surroundings for the first time He will ignore whatever remains of the redcap and will focus first on Jurz, then on the Drow. "Hur, allo Jurz. So what's wiv der dirt elf wid der snake arms?"

OOC: Oopses - Raven is already fully cured by Dregz. The only characters wounded at the moment are Bulldust (down 3 points) and Dregz (down 2 points); both only lightly wounded. Oopses can do something else instead this round.

Minmorc has already acted this round, so hold that thought for next round. :o)

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 192):

Oopses passes then, it's scary back in there.

"Do youse ..." the priest pauses in the face of Jurz's "Yeee haaa !" echoes down the passageway ... "think dat we wo ..." and again as Minmor lets out a howl.  "Never mind," the little goblin shrugs at Raven.

"It's a mighty struggle down der !" Dregz continues the progress report for the goblin guards above.

OOC:  GM, is there a fire in the temple? (soot blackened beams)

"Thanks Dregz! Thanks Bargrivyek!" Raven exclaims as the magic heals her. "Now I want payback! That little red nut is going to pay for cutting my feathers like that!"

She whips out her rapier and hurries back down the passageway then squeezes through the secret door to join Bulldust in the greasy floored room. She jumps across to the bed on the right side of the room.

OOC: There is no fire in the temple, although it looks like there must have been fire used in decorating it. There is dim light throughout the temple, perhaps like some sort of lowlight version of the Light spell.

After Minmorc, Bulldust and Riza have attacked it is Raven's turn to rush in to join Bully in the little eastern bedroom.

Oopses is at a loss as to what he can do to help. Dregz continues reporting the action to the goblin guards up above the sewer grate.

The goblin guards are suddenly full of questions.
"Where is dey? Where's the fightses? We wants to sees it too! Sounds likes fun! Can we's joins in? What's a dark lordses? Dat's not one of dem undeady kingses, is it, like a mummery or sumfink?"

Then the last two remaining redcaps counterattack.

The eastern redcap (r11) obviously doesn't fancy being stuck at longspear's length from Bulldust, so he steps forward onto the end of Bully's bedframe to attack the bugbear directly. He swings his scythe in a vicious swipe that slices open Bully's leg. Bully is seriously wounded.  However, this does finally give Oopses the chance he was looking for and he chants a prayer as he reaches through the secret doorway to touch Bulldust's leg to cure the worst of that wound.

The western redcap (r11) steps in closer to Minmorc and slashes at the big orc's unprotected legs. The savage blow cuts deep in Minmorc's thigh leaving him seriously wounded.  This is a nasty turn of events but at least it brings the redcap close enough for Jurz to reach down from Minmorc's shoulders to scorch the ugly little creature with his flaming scimitar. Now that redcap is seriously wounded too.

Finally the plate-armoured snake-armed drow priest steps out and edges around the eastern side of the black stone altar, keeping the redcap between him and the intruders. He chants a menacing prayer as he approaches then one of the snakes lashes out but it is the fallen redcap at Minmorc's feet that the snake strikes. The unconscious redcap seems to shrivel up at the snake's touch then crumbles away leaving nothing but empty clothes, dust and a single gleaming tooth lying on the floor. The drow priest laughs maniacally and looks thoroughly invigorated by this diabolical spell. Both 10-foot long snake arms rear up above him, poised to strike again.

OOC: Main game map updated.

Minmorcs howl is one of pain, but two can play at that game. Following Jurzs lead he'll put everything he has into a vicious downward chop. With his rage draining away Minmorc will glance around, taking in the temple. "Errr... Jurz, what's wid der snakey dirt elf?"

"He's da baddie boss." Jurz responds to Minmorc.  "He's need smacking good." the goblin continues as he leaps down from his mount and steps up to the snakey drow, poking at it with his flaming scimitar.

"So... Dese little fellas be der baddies an der dirt elf in der full plates der boss. Oi, dirt elf, yer wanna be a prisoner before or after a good smacking?"

Moffdust casts Animate Rope from a scroll onto the length of rope she found then tosses the rope towards the redcap r10. Her throw is not good, but is it close enough to entangle the redcap ...? "Dis is not my bestest tricks." she mutters before commanding the rope "Loop - And - Knot!" struggling not to say it in goblinese plurals lest the rope become confused.

As the redcap closes in and attacks Bully, Raven leaps off the bed to land behind him, flanking him with Bully. Then she stabs him in the back with her rapier!

OOC: Partial update: Minmorc, Jurz, Moffdust and Raven have acted so far this round.

Minmorc's attack killed the redcap (r11).
Jurz jumped down beside that redcap and hit the drow priest with his flaming scimitar, lightly wounding the drow.
Moffdust's animated rope falls short and not close enough to entangle the last redcap (r10).
Raven moves around behind that redcap and stabs it in the back, which leaves the redcap moderately wounded and angrier than ever.

"Der Dark Lord has turned into der giant snake !" Dregz supplies the next breathtaking instalment to the guards above, the accuracy of his report somewhat hampered by distance and all the other shouting and fighting going on.

Bulldust is startled when the redcap leaps over the grease and onto the bed.  He winces at the pain in his leg when it scythes him, then winces again when Moffa's rope falls short.  He was about ready to bail and leave the fighting to Raven when he feels Oopses hand on his leg and the pain goes away leaving him only lightly wounded.  "Fanks Oopsie!"  With courage renewed he gets a flash of inspiration (usually not a good thing for a bugbear!).  He steps back off the bed and flips it up to spill the redcap backwards onto the grease and the rope, then tosses the bed aside.  He levels his longspear in case he gets the opportunity to poke the redcap while its down ... and flanked ... and entangled ...

The goblin guards voices drift down from above the sewer grate again and this time they are starting to sound annoyed.

"Oi, haves youz finded der magic mushroomses down dere? Youz been munchin' dem already or sumfink? Dat ain't der ways to makes friends! Youz gotta shares dem wid us!"

"Der guards says to watch out for der magic mushrooms !" Dregz bellows a warning to his stalwart comrades.

Bulldust feels something soft and squishy between his toes when he steps back, wonders if its a magic mushroom, hopes its not the cat, or one of dem lurkers ...

Bulldust drops his longspear and steps back onto the greased floor but manages to keep his balance. As he bends down to pick up the bed the redcap cackles in glee and slashes his scythe at Bulldust again. Luckily Bulldust was fast enough to duck under the vicious blade and yanks the bed out from under the redcap's feet. The redcap's feet skid a bit on the greasy floor but somehow he too stays upright. Bully heaves the bed aside to land on top of the other bed already in this room but now he is unarmed, apart from the spiked gauntlets he now always wears.

OOC: Bulldust is now in the southeast corner of this little bedroom, so there is a clear line of sight from the secret door to the redcap. The rope was beside Bully's feet on the bedframe so it has now slid down onto the greased floor close to the redcap.

"well donts just sits dere Ropie," Moffdust cries in exasperation at the rope, "Loop - and - knot! Loop - and - knot! Tie up dat lil ol uglies in its hatses! An youse leaves my brudders alone fa Bargrivyekses sakes!"

The little goblin heeds Moffa's warning and her call to his god.  Hurrying back down the passage, Dregz finds his way blocked by Oopses ... but hopping up and down the priest catches a glimpse of the offending redcap, and that is all he needs.

"FALL !" Dregz screams at the redcap with all the authority of Bargrivyek behind his command.

In the other room, Jurz recognizes Dregz's voice, but wonders what the seasons have to do with anything.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:24, Sun 27 Sept 2015.

Bulldust blinks in surprise at finding himself in the corner of the greased room.  He must have bumped his head when he stepped back through the secret door and gone sideways instead.  He purses his lips in a moment of contemplation "Such is life."

Gathering himself, he glares at the redcap and raises the spiked gauntlet intent on finishing this...

Moffdust looks around the room for what else she can find to aid Bully and Raven in their desperate struggle. "If only I could finds anuvva orcsies ta throws in dere!" She picks up anything that looks useful.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:18, Sun 27 Sept 2015.

Riza is infuriated by her ineffective attacks but tries again. She lets go another arrow while humming a strange tune, "Evil elf - snake... Evil elf - snake.... Alone in the world with a little evil elf - snake"


OOC: rolled 22 attack and rolled 5 damage

Previously posted this round:

Minmorc's attack killed the redcap (r11).
Jurz jumped down beside that redcap and hit the drow priest with his flaming scimitar, lightly wounding the drow.
Moffdust's animated rope falls short and not close enough to entangle the last redcap (r10).
Raven moves around behind that redcap and stabs it in the back, which leaves the redcap moderately wounded and angrier than ever.

Bulldust drops his longspear and steps back onto the greased floor but manages to keep his balance. As he bends down to pick up the bed the redcap cackles in glee and slashes his scythe at Bulldust again. Luckily Bulldust was fast enough to duck under the vicious blade and yanks the bed out from under the redcap's feet. The redcap's feet skid a bit on the greasy floor but somehow he too stays upright. Bully heaves the bed aside to land on top of the other bed already in this room but now he is unarmed, apart from the spiked gauntlets he now always wears.

OOC: Bulldust is now in the southeast corner of this little bedroom, so there is a clear line of sight from the secret door to the redcap. The rope was beside Bully's feet on the bedframe so it has now slid down onto the greased floor close to the redcap.

... and now the rest of the round (with apologies for the delay):

With the rope now close enough to the redcap, Moffdust screams her command and the rope loops and knots around the redcap, binding its arms and legs tight, then Moffdust scurries away to see what Minmorc, Jurz and Riza are playing with in the black temple-room.

Dregz hustles back down the narrow passageway and commands the redcap to fall but the stubborn little creature just will not go down. It struggles vainly to free itself from the rope, without success, but somehow still manages to stay upright on the greasy floor. But Bully takes care of that by the simple expedient of lunging forward to grapple the redcap and falling over on top of him on the greasy floor!

Riza suddenly sees a clear shot at the drow priest and shoots an arrow into its shoulder just below the pauldron of its full plate armour.

The drow priest retaliates by lashing out with the two serpents that writhe from its shoulders instead of arms.  One snake manages to bite Riza while he is busy with his bow  but the other snake's fangs are thwarted by the magic that Jurz used to toughen his skin like bark before the battle.

OOC: Main game map updated. Bulldust is grappling redcap 10 who is tied up by rope and they are both prone. The drow priest is moderately wounded. His snake-arms have 10-foot reach.

The priest is most affronted that the redcap disobeys him ... but mollified as Bully steps in to enforce Bargrivyek's will.

The horrid Dark Lord with the snake arms gives the little goblin pause ... but he rallies as the terrible creature sinks its fangs into Riza, and his eyes blaze at the affront.  Opening his bag, Dregz dips in his hand to launch his pet into battle ...

"Get 'it Robber !" he commands with all his god's righteous anger.

That done, the priest fumbles in his pocket for a stone.

The near miss from the snakes head seems to calm Jurz down slightly, and rather than shouting his anger at the snakeyman, he steps  forwards on the side away from the Altar.  "See's hes needs smacking good." he calls back to Minmorc as he reaches out with his flaming blade, trying to burn it again.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:46, Mon 05 Oct 2015.

Minmorcs arms tremble as the exertion from the fight catches up to him. Holding the wound to his thigh with one hand Minmorc will step between the Drow and Riza and reaching out will attempt to channel some of the pain from his leg into the enemy preist. "Ere, ave some o yer own medicine."

When the Robber bat comes flying in to attack him one of the drow priest's snake-arms lashes out at it before it can get within 5 feet of him. The serpent's fangs pierce the tiny creature's body and it falls lifeless to the floor before vanishing altogether.

However, that seems to take all of the drow priest's concentration for the moment and the snakes do not immediately lash out while Minmorc's concentration is focussed on trying to channel his own pain into the drow priest.

Moffdust steps 5' closer to Riza. "Oooo, is youse poisoned Dusk Lizzie Rizzie? I has some antitoxinses fer youse." She pulls a small vial from her pouch. Peering past Riza and Minmorc she glimpses the drow and quickly casts Grease - no just kidding! She casts Daze hoping it may just have an affect.

OOC: the remaining grease spell has expired (duration was 3 rounds)
This message was last edited by the player at 11:17, Tue 06 Oct 2015.

Bulldust breathes a heavy sigh of relief seeing the grease is gone and the redcap is tied up.  He has been been completely useless against them, apart from grabbing them and taking the odd scythe cut for the team.  He pushes himself up off the floor and grabs his longspear as he stands.  "Can you finish im off Birdie Girl?  I cant hit none of em lil fings, probly not even wen deys all tied up.  I'll go try out da elf."  He moves through the door and pokes at the elf from a flanking position opposite Minmorc and Jurz.

"Robber !!!" Overcome with anguish Dregz stops worrying about stones and slings and stares at the Drow, his emotion swiftly turning to hate.  "Youse killed 'im !"

Raven takes one look at the tied up redcap and decides he can wait. Or maybe someone else will decide to finish him off with a coup-de-grace?

The drow priest is a bigger treat at the moment. She ducks and scuttles forward past Bully to put herself in a flanking position and stabs at the drow with her rapier. Unfortunately it is very difficult to find a weak spot in his full-plate armour! But at least now they have got him surrounded and flanked on all sides.

Riza recoils as the snake bites her, and quickly it is apparent that she has been more affected by the bite than just mere fang wounds. The beloved bow falls from her hands, her eyes glaze over and she lets out a surprisingly loud, hissing scream.

All thoughts are forgotten as the lizard puts all of her focus into the drow and steps in and tries to sink her teeth into the drow

At the back of the battle behind Oopses and Arlein Dregz fishes out a little fuzzy ball from his little grey bag. He hurls it into the next room where it unfolds into his little bat Robber. But poor Robber bat is struck from the air and killed by a single bite from one of the drow's snake arms, much to Dregz's dismay.

Jurz steps closer to the wall (south of the drow) to get out of Minmorc's way and slaps the drow quite effectively with his flaming scimitar, burning the dark flesh of one of the drow's  snake arms. Minmorc steps forward protectively in front of Riza clutching the wound in his leg. He chants as he reaches out to touch the drow but the dark elf manages to avoid his hand.

Moffdust steps up behind Riza to offer her a flask of antitoxin then recites the words of a spell at the drow. Unfortunately it has no effect on the drow at all.

Bulldust grabs his longspear and steps through the doorway to lunge at the drow from a safe distance where he is flanking with Minmorc. The tactic works and his longspear pierces its armour to seriously wound the drow priest. Raven follows Bully in then slips past him to move between the drow and his black stone altar, where she is flanking with Jurz. Unfortunately her rapier is unable to find a weakness in the drow's heavy armour this time.

Riza screams in pain as the effects of the snake's poison bite take hold and ignores Moffa's offered antitoxin.  Instead the fury in her drives her forward past Minmorc to try to bite back at the snake that bit her. She nearly succeeds too, but it narrowly evades her sharp little teeth.

The drow priest suddenly finds himself seriously wounded with enemies flanking him on three sides, so he steps a pace or two southeast, putting his back against the wall to bring all his enemies back in front of him again. Then he lashes out again with both of his snake-arms and manages to bite both Riza and Raven! 

The two tied up redcaps continue to struggle against their bonds but are unable to break free of their bonds.

OOC: Main game map updated.

Minmorc will jab himself with his wand of cure light wounds and will grin at the Drow. "Well dirt elf, look like yer gotta choice. Drop der plate an der snakes an come an meet der queen, or yer can keep fightin an see how long yer can last when Clever Riza gets all bitey. Hur, hur hur, my bet, not long."

With a growl, Dregz rushes forwards, Holy Book tucked under one arm as he snatches his flail from where it is tucked into his belt.  He pushes past Oopses and Arlein, snarls at the bound redcap, barely restraining himself from lashing out at it, then rounds the corner through the opened previously-known-as-secret doorway.  Eyes blazing with anger the little goblin priest lets his precious burden slide to the ground before wrapping both hands around the flail and hurling himself upon the Drow, swinging at it with all his inconsiderable might !

"Youse killed Robber !" he repeats his accusation with venom.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:02, Sat 10 Oct 2015.

In reply to Dregz (msg # 229):

Since everyone's back is turned the goblin.


whispers dm;

Bulldust glances through the door at the redcap struggling on the floor.  "Someone really should finish im off." he mutters as he steps forward 5' pushing the door shut as he goes to prevent the elf from escaping that way, and to give Oopses more privacy.  He plants his foot against the bottom of the door, then thrusts the longspear at the elf again but his aim is not as good this time.  He waves the spear tip menacingly at the elf ready to strike again should the elf give him the opportunity.

Moffdust creeps forward 5 feet and hides while she peers around the door. She readies a spell...

Still in a fit of rage but clearly under the effects of the snake bite Riza lashes out with everything she's got. However the second snake bite seems to have debilitated her even further, while her anger is still strong her attacks are about as effective as wet paper.

"You'se stop bitin dem" the small druid shouts as he reaches out to touch the nearest snakey arm with his flaming scimitar.

Raven turns and launches herself toward the corner of the room. She twists and weaves her way around behind Dregz until she is in the corner flanking the drow priest with Jurz, then she stabs again with her rapier. But once again the full-plate armour proves too tough for her blade to penetrate.

Bulldust will of course let Oopses and his cat come through the door before he blocks it, if they want to come that way.

Minmorc uses a wand to partially heal the wound in his leg and cheers himself up by taunting the drow priest and urging him to surrender. The drow priest responds with furious defiance.

"Never! You will all pay with your lives for this outrage! Bow down to the might of Erythnul and swear allegiance to him before he slays you all and feasts on your bloody corpses!"

Dregz bursts through the doorway from the east, drops his holy book and rushes in to attack the drow with his little flail. His attack is virtually hopeless, of course, but it draws the same response that met his Robber bat moments before.

Oopses follows Dregz as far as the doorway and peeks into the temple room.  Bulldust chooses that moment to step forward from just north of that door, slamming the door shut in Oopses' face as the bugbear lunges at the drow priest again with his longspear. His time the point fails to find a weak spot and is turned aside by the heavy armour.

Moffdust creeps forward to the doorway behind Jurz in time to witness Riza leap forward to claw and bite ferociously at the armoured drow priest. One of her claws actually manages to draw blood, too. Jurz slashes at the drow again with his flaming scimitar dealing another serious burn beneath the breastplate of the drow's heavy armour.

Raven twists and weaves her way around behind Dregz until she is in the corner flanking the drow priest with Jurz, then she stabs again with her rapier. But once again the full-plate armour proves too tough for her blade to penetrate.

By now the drow priest is grievously wounded but he laughs maniacally and shouts at everyone around him.

"Fools! You will never escape the vengeance of Erythnul! Surrender your souls to Him, join the Many and rejoice in the glorious slaughter to come!"

And that's when Moffdust points her arm from the doorway, recites a brief incantation and hurls a pair of brightly glowing magic missiles straight at his face. The drow priest collapses to the floor with blood gushing from numerous wounds.

OOC: Main game map updated.

Minmorc will burst out laughing and will point at the downed Drow "and the quarterback is toast, hur, hur, hur! Dat was pretty Moffa, dat was real pretty!" Still chuckling Minmorc will drop Helen and the wand of cure light wounds on the pile of red caps and will pull out the wand of lesser vigor. Crouching down he will scoop up Riza in a bear hug with one arm around her waist and will jab her with the wand. He'll then look around and start to try to piece together what's going on. "So... We came ter find wot was rippin up goblins an we found dis mob... I wanted ter give one ter der pretty Queen as a present... So... Is dey all dead? Is der dirt elf dead, cos if not I wanna give im to der queen, she'd ave fun wid im...might give us summin nice fer a prizner too... But we should keep his stuff so any of yer got a can opener?" While Minmorc waits for responses to his questions he will attempt to calm Riza by stroking her head and tunelessly singing about a soft kitty, or maybe a warm kitty.

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 238):

Arlein growls meanacingly at the red cap pair.

 Today: Arlein rolled 6 using 1d20 ((6)).

Riza initially struggles ineffectively in minmorcs grip before calming down, her rage subsiding she seems out of it and makes a few meowing noises as she comes round. Likely due to minmorcs song.

She shuffles over and collects and stows away her beloved bow once again "well that took more out of me than I expected...." Looking around she sees moffdust "well done on finishing off that dark elf" she also remembers her initial offer of antitoxin before she glazed over. "Sorry about before, would I be able to have that antitoxin, the snakes have definitely sent poison through me"

She will then search the dark elf for anything interesting taking her time, however if he wakes up again she will be sure to put a claw through its eye.

"Aww, dats nice."  Bulldust can't help but be impressed with the Minmorc's tenderness, and empathize with poor Riza with her meowing.  He offers her a set of manacles to chain the elf if she wants to keep it alive and claw its eyes every now and then until she feels better.  But it is the menacing cat growl from beyond the door that has him worried.  He flings open the door to see if Oopses and his cat are still OK.  He will step in and prepare to finish off the roped up redcap.

In reply to Bulldust (msg # 241):

"Eyzz been thinkin."

Once bitten, but not at all shy, Dregz snarls back defiance at the Drow and his threats ... then sits down suddenly clutching his wounded arm.

"Dat's not good ..."

Moffdust helps Riza drink the antitoxin. "Dat will helps youse a bit Lizzie Rizzie. Sorry Dregsie Is only gots de one". Praps Bargrivyeks will helps youse." She helps Riza search the drow body.

The little goblin shuffles slowly back over to his Holy Book, clutching both arms weakly around it, careless of his wound as he huddles in the corner, muttering prayers to his god.

Jurz sort of half growls in frustration as he goes to stab the snakey-drow again, but makes sure that he gets on last poke with his flaming scimitar, before he looks around the room.  Knowing there is  an altar  type thingy to look at, some curtains that could have more of the little redcap gnomes behind them, and a staircase in the other room to go down -  he doesn't want to discard the spell.

Instead he reaches into his pack with his free hand and fiddles about as he searches though a scroll case -  all the time keeping his flaming blade away from the precious magical papers.

"Ere it is." he says, as he finally pulls a spell out.  "Bargrivyek must has knowed dat youse would need dis." the  Kobold Druid says as he smacks Dregz over the head with the rolled up scroll that contains Neutralise Poison.

"I'se needs someone to help hold dis scroll out while I reads it." He says waving the said scroll about.  "I'se can't holds it and holds dis," he waves the flaming blade around "at the same time."

Dregz shakes his head firmly, "Bargrivyek will save me," the priest assures his kinsman, his voice weak but confident.

Minmorc takes care of Riza, jabbing her with one of his wands. Her wounds start to heal up but it looks like it will take a few minutes for the magic to finish. Moffdust feeds her vial of antitoxin to Riza as well. When she can get free Riza crawls over to start searching the drow priest.

Arlein the cat hisses and growls at the two tied up redcaps but they just snarl back at her and struggle even harder against their ropes.  The one on the northeast room with Oopses finally breaks free of the rope binding him so Bulldust lunges at it and stabs it with his longspear, lightly wounding it before the redcap can get up. When the redcap leaps back to its feet Bully seizes the opportunity and stabs at it again but this time the redcap manages to avoid being skewered again.

Hearing the commotion Raven rushes back through the door to help deal with the redcap. She can't get into a flanking position yet but still manages to prick it with her rapier. She draws blood but the incredibly tough little fellow just snarls and glances around desperately looking for its weapon.

Dregz moans and cradles his arm as the poison of the snake bite courses through his veins. He crawls off to the corner of the room and huddles there hugging his Holy Book.

There is another door leading north from the room where they are fighting that redcap, a desk on the east side and a locked chest in the southwest corner of that room.

OOC: Main game map updated.

Current health status described as:

• lightly wounded (up to 25% of hit points lost),
• moderately wounded (up to 50%),
• seriously wounded (up to 75%),
• grievously wounded (up to 100% of hit points lost) and
• mortally wounded (dying, in the -1 to -9 range).

Arlein, Jurz, Moffdust and Oopses are uninjured.
Bulldust are lightly wounded.
Dregz and Minmorc are moderately wounded.
Riza is moderately wounded but is already healing quickly.
Raven is seriously wounded.
Dregz, Riza and Raven were bitten by the drow's snake arms.
7 redcaps are dead and have vanished leaving empty piles of clothing behind.
2 redcaps are mortally wounded but have stabilised before bleeding to death.
One unwounded redcap is still tied up and suspended from the ceiling.
Redcap 10 is seriously wounded.
The drow priest is mortally wounded and close to death.

Bulldust lunges at the redcap with his longspear, but misses again.  "See!  Missed it again.  Dese lil fings is cursed so I cant hit dem."  He edges over 5' to the east to allow more room for others to join in, but keeps his longspear lowered in case the redcap tries to pick up its scythe.  "Get im Oopses!" he adds encouragingly, standing behind the goblin.

Jurz will shrug at Dregz's refusal to takethe spall, and put the scroll away.  Then he will wander over to check the stabilized redcaps over for useful stuff -  before he puts them out of their misery with his flaming blade.

"Grrr... Bloody red caps!" Minmorc will drop the wand of lesser vigor next to the wand of cure light wounds and will snatch up Helen the Hell blade. "Oi, Dregzie, I want der Drow alive, if yer use der wand o curin on I'm yer can give herself some vigor, I gots some killin ter do." Minmorc will launch himself into the battle, vaulting Raven to strike at the red cap.

The little goblin priest nods slowly, painfully rising to his feet and staggering over to the fallen Drow before sitting down heavily at his side.  Keeping one hand on his Holy Book he looks over the two wands carefully before picking one up and leaning close to the dying foe to use it.

Moffdust grabs the manacles that Bully left with Riza and snaps them on the drow, hands behind his back. "Just is eyeses den Rizzie. E dont needs dem does e Dregzie? He he he." She snickers wickedly as she resumes searching the elf.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:25, Sat 17 Oct 2015.

Riza finishes her cursory search of the drow and moves to the snakes instead, pulling out a few empty vials she begins to milk the snakes venom while she can.

"Found a small key him, might open something up nearby"

She is prepared to start eye gouging if the drow begins to cause more trouble when it wakes up
This message was last edited by the player at 13:58, Sat 17 Oct 2015.

Minmorc and the others in the eastern room quickly finish off the redcap there. As it dies its body vanishes but a single tooth remains where its head hit the floor.

Riza begins milking the poison from the fangs of the drow's snake-arms while Moffdust tries to figure out how to use a set of manacles on those snake arms. Dregz picks up one of the wands dropped by Minmorc and points at various places on the drow's body before aiming it at the drow's eye. Dregz seems barely strong enough to wield the little stick and somehow the wand ends up skewering the drow's left eyeball! The unconscious drow shudders once then stops dead. Literally.

The battle is over and mopping up can begin. The drow's full-plate armour can easily be removed from his dead body with just a few minutes of work. The brass key that Riza found turns out to be the key to the locked chest in the eastern room. Ten redcaps are dead (Jurz finishes off the two that had stabilised close to death) and each is found to have left behind a single tooth. Among their piles of clothing are found a number of small red gems as well. The last redcap is still securely tied and suspended from the ceiling although it is still struggling and likely to break free eventually.

Raven searches the desk in the eastern room and discovers some scrolls covered with the drow's incomprehensible scribblings. Beneath them she finds a heavy iron key that proves to fit the lock on the northern door in that eastern room.

The stairs in the southwest room appear to lead up to ground floor level but are closed off by a door (barred on this side) at the top of the stairs.

OOC: The chest has not yet been opened. The northern door has not yet been opened. The door at the top of the stairs has not yet been opened.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:50, Thu 05 Nov 2015.

Having helped slay the last goblin Minmorc will roar his victory and will slap Bully on the back, celebrating with his comrades. Hoisting the locked chest onto his shoulder he will strut back into the temple room, drop the chest next to Riza and then freeze when he sees the wand sticking out of the Drows eye. Howling his anger he will snatch up the two wands and storm off towards the remaining red cap and Vera. Without saying a word he will sheath and stow his weapons in his pack where he can easily reach them, tuck his wands into his belt and start rolling his shoulders and neck to relieve some of the post rage strain. Turning on the captive boxing bag Minmorc will howl and do his best to pummel the red cap unconscious.

Jurz makes sure that all the black red stones are collected, and then wanders back to watch the spectacle of Minmorc going through contortions and punching redcaps.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:06, Fri 23 Oct 2015.

Dregz cowers back as Minmorc approaches then resumes glaring at the corpse of the Drow once the big orc goes to discuss his frustrations with the remaining goblin.

"Goblin teeth," the priest remarks, softly.  "Give me one."

If someone obliges, Dregz will examine it carefully, consulting his Holy Book if necessary.

Moffdust snickers softly at Dregz's slip-of-the-hand. "Clumsies! Deaths by healing wandses. He he he." She takes the eyeball that comes out when the orc removes the wand and gives it to Riza. "Fer afters."

She searches the redcap corpses in the room to the south of the temple to pickup the teeth and gives one to Dregs. "Here Dregzie. Dere shoulds be enough dat wes all gets one."

If she has time she'll run along behind the curtains to see what's lurking there.

While he's waiting, Dregz looks about him, trying to spot Robber's corpse ...

The little priest nods weakly as Moffa helpfully supplies him with a tooth.  Squinting, he holds it up, examining it with startling intensity as he mutters under his breath.

Bulldust retrieves his manacles.  He collects up all the rest of the teeth from the redcaps and piles their weapons in the temple room.  He takes an interest in the iron key that Raven found.  "Lets see whats in dere." he suggests nodding towards the locked door.  He stands beside the door and readies his longspear.

Raven bobs her head in a quick nod and gets ready to open the northern door. With rapier in one hand and the iron key in the other she unlocks the door and pulls it open.

The northern room turns out to be a prison cell, complete with one prisoner shackled to the wall by a three-foot chain from his left ankle. The prisoner looks more-or-less human, apart from a pair of short black horns jutting from his forehead. A short, fat, middle-aged man with a small pointed beard (goatee). He was sitting on the crude wooden bed in the cell facing the door as though waiting for it to open.

When the door opens and he sees a bugbear and a kenku in the doorway his lip curls in a sneer. After a brief pause he blurts out, "You've got to be kidding!"

Meanwhile Minmorc vents his anger on the last remaining captive redcap and eventually beats it unconscious. Jurz and Bulldust make sure all the redcaps' clothing is searched thoroughly and the final tally is 40 red gemstones (sorry, red not black) and 10 teeth from them.

"Boo!" says the bugbear, because he does not know what else to say.  Have we actually found the devil?

Minmorc will unhook his tenderised Red Cap, sling it over his shoulder and will head back to the temple, pausing at the cell to see what Bully's booing at. "Looks like you woz gonna be Red Cap food, so wots ter stop you from being our food?" Minmorcs heard of long pig, maybe this is long goat.

In reply to Minmorc (msg # 265):

Oopses stands around.

Once he has finished collecting stuff from dead redcaps, Jurz drifts over to look through the door at the possibly soon to be released prisoner.  He waves his flaming blade about as he looks at it "Ooooh." he says when he sees it.

Riza focuses on the chest giving it a general search around the outside for anything suspicious before using the key she found on the drow.

Upon hearing the commotion behind the northern door she shouts out "Oi ! Whatever you found can we kills it, or try out my new poison on its?"

Moffdust emerges from behind the curtains. She found no doors or anything interesting. She pokes her head around the door to look at the prisoner. She gasps "Ahhh! He's a beauty. Can wes keeps im pleeeze? Dont lets gives im ta dat bad ol Queen Moldaviteses. You dont wants ta see da Queen does youse?"

The strange horn-headed prisoner suddenly jumps to his feet when he catches a glimpse of Minmorc in his bright red, spiked armour. He is only stopped from rushing forward by the short chain anchoring him to the wall.

Moffdust chimes in with words intended to calm him but they have the opposite effect. He throws his arms up and leaps in the air, crashing back down awkwardly because of the chain.

"Yes! Yes, it's a dream come true!" he screams ecstatically. "Yes, by Nuffle's Sacred Number, yes, take me to your Queen!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:21, Thu 22 Oct 2015.

"S'magical," Dregz holds up the tooth wonderingly. "P'raps youse plant 'em and dey grow into der redcaps ?"

As an afterthought the little priest notes, "Der armour on dat one is magical too."  He slowly raps his knuckles on the drow's full plate armour.

"Letz just leave him chained up and tells de queen he is downs here." Jurz pipes up, as he recognised the creature  "Dese Teiflings are 'bout as slippy as a mud eel covered in river slime." he adds scowling at the chained creature.  "I's don't trust it as far as Minmoc can throw it."

"E wants ta see da queen.  Maybe e's worf somefing?"  Bulldust scratches under his red bonnet which itches.  "Oi, Horny, whats ya name?  An whyd ya wanna see da queen?  Whats in it fer us?"

"Les' take dis one back too," Dregz continues to glare malevolently at the dead drow.

The prisoner scowls at Jurz's words but brightens up when Bulldust chips in.

"Present me to the Queen and I will make sure you are well rewarded, but the choice is yours. Someone will earn that reward but it doesn't have to be you! My name is Shelby, Shelby Wright and I have a dream! There is red spiked armour in that dream and a Queen who's very interested in what I have to tell her. That dream is gunna come true, I tell you!"

Jurz squints hard at Shelby Wright  "Hmm.  Slipperies." he  says softly.

Minmorcs eyes glaze over slightly and his words come out slurred. "Der Teifling knows der sacred number and has shared der Nuffle dream. E shall be unchained from dis place an taken ter der queen. Any who hurts im will be made ter scream." With renewed energy Minmorc will produce sacks from his back pack and will help gather and bundle any weapons, armour and items of worth, he'll even take down and bundle up the curtains. As he works he seems to notice that he's still hurt and will  use the wand of vigor on himself.

"Da Tiefling has charmed Minmorc." Jurz shouts out in alarm "He's bin doing der magics an he is inside der head of Minmorc!  I's can see der magic arounds his hed!" Jurz continues excitedly pointing at the teifling.  "He's sliperies ..."

Riza carefully opens the chest to inspect its contents, once having a look through she will help Minmorc stashing stuff away plus what she finds (depending on what it is of course)

"If Minmorc says let im outs do it, I'll be more than happy to skewer im if he tries to run"

"Dat's not Minmorc sayin, dats de teifling saying in  Minmorc's head." jurz replies shortly.

"Oh well let's just torture and kills him then" Riza grins evily "choppy, choppy"

"If der queen don't like im, she'll kill im, e tries ter run, I'll catch im, but I wants ter hear wot e has ter tell her."

"Anyone can put foughts in Minmorcs head, its mostly empty up dere.  Even da gods put in somefing about red costumes an all da gobbos an orcs workin togever an stuff."  Bulldust approaches the tiefling, dangling his manacles as he goes.  "Ive been wantin ta put dese on somefing, but da lil fings got roped up an da elf had no hands, only snakes, so now its gonna be you, till we get ya ta da Queen.  If ya tries anyfing tricky den Riza will choppy ya up.  Now lets av ya hands."

If the tiefling complies he will manacle his hands behind his back then set about loosening the wall chain, using a redcap pick to dig the bolt out of the wall - Bulldust is good at digging holes.  It does not occur to him to find a key.  If this all works he will give the ankle chain to Riza to terrorize the prisoner and help Minmorc carry curtains and weapons.

Shelby is equally excited by Minmorc's pronouncement and alarmed by Jurz's response.

"Yes, yes, the dream! We're gonna set up the greatest team ever! I'll be rich! We'll be rich! No, no, I don't do magic, I do deals! I swear it!"

He seizes on Bulldust's suggestion as a workable compromise and eagerly accepts the manacles and even points out the key hanging on a hook behind the prison cell door (too far away for him to reach) that will unlock the manacle on his leg.

Riza opens the chest and peeks inside.

Dregz eyes the Tiefling with suspicion, but it is the open chest that pulls his attention away from the unfolding drama. (Has Minmorc been possessed or is it merely a divine vision ?  Will the Tiefling behave himself or will Riza chop him up into tiny pieces ?)

"Der's sumfin' magical in der," he warns the Lizardwoman as she rifles through the chest.  "Strong magics."

In reply to Dregz (msg # 285):

"I really has an idea guys."

Moffdust continues to ogle the prisoner while the others discuss his fate. "Aw but e's such a beauty..." she says dreamily. As soon as Bully has him manacled she hops up on the bed to get closer. "Shelby Wright." she purrs, tasting the sound of the name. "Dats a lucky namses dat is. I spose wes can lets de Queen have youse, Shelby." She strokes his round belly then pulls him down to sit on the bed next to her. She traces a finger over his little black horns. "But youse looks so delicious." She whispers in his ear "I jus wants a little bitses..." She bites off his earlobe and hops off the bed looking back at the tiefling lustfully over her shoulder "De queens wont miff dis little bitses." 

"Was youse finkin what I was finking Oopses? " she wonders as she chews.

In reply to Moffdust (msg # 287):

"Whats if da Queen only wants uz dead, and if we goes back she treyz tah kill us while we hurt?"

Riza removes something from the chest and then locks it up again with the key. "Plenty of gold I this thing, let's take the chest back with us, or put it in one of the sacks if it will fit we can sort it out later"

Jurz quiets when it is clear that the tiefling is goung to be taken to the queen all chained up still, although he frowns somewhat at moffa's antics.  Then his eyes open wide as she bites off his ear.  "Oooooh."

Hearing Oopses comments Minmorc will scoff at the little Goblin "Her Queeniness izza Ogre wizzard wid lotsa Ogre guards, if she wants us dead wees dead." Hearing the commotion inside the cell Minmorc will drop what he was doing and storm into the cell to loom over Moffdust. "Bad Moffa, dats a bad, bad Moffa bitin Shelby. Spit it out!"

Gulp.

Moffdust swallows he mouthful, then smiles sweetly up at Minmorc.

"An wes gotta goes back to get Rog!" the goblin druid scowls at Oopses.

"Dats my sister."  Bulldust warns Wright in case he starts getting ideas about her.  He takes the key from the wall and puts it in his pocket then resumes hacking the chain bolt from the wall.  You can never have too many chains on a tiefling he thinks.  He keeps a close eye on the prisoner as he works, and he has a pick ...

"Ah you little b ... your sister? You gotta be kidding!" Shelby's reaction to Moffa's unexpected love bite changes from pain and anger to utter disbelief when Bully steps in and warns that Moffa is his sister.

Minmorc tells Moffa off and asks her to spit out the severed ear but Moffa swallows it instead.

Bully works away to break the manacle chain out of the cell wall and succeeds eventually, although there is still a six-inch lump of rock attached to the end of the chain like a crude ball-and-chain on the prisoner's leg. With the other manacles locked in place on Shelby's wrists he certainly does still look like a prisoner.

Riza lifts something black out of the chest and slips it into her pocket as she relocks the chest, announcing there is plenty of gold in the chest.

Everyone chooses to ignore Oopses conspiracy theory about the Queen intending to kill them all, except Minmorc who points out that the Queen is so powerful they couldn't stop her if she wanted them dead anyway.

Bulldust shoves the chained rock into Shelby's lap for him to carry.  "Dere ya go, all free!  Howd yer get locked up down ere anyhow?  An wheres dat stair go up past de locked iron gate?"

"I thought I told you already?" Shelby started to protest. "Never mind, it was like this. I was searching the sewers near the Queen's palace looking for a secret way in. I heard a rumour there is one, you see. I need to get in to see the Queen but she isn't seeing visitors at present. But I was caught by a band of redcaps and a drow who ordered them to keep me as a prisoner for sacrifice later tonight. I don't know about any stairs or locked iron gates. They brought me in here through a narrow passage from the sewers."

Minmorc will raise his hand ready to strike Moffa and with a visable effort will stop himself and will point at her instead. "Hrrmphf... Dunno what dat was about but it stops now, if anyone threatens Shelby I'm gonna hurt dem, bad." Minmorc will pull the wand of cure light wounds from his belt and will tap it against Shalby's ear then he'll shepherd Shelby back to the temple and will finish loading loot. He is clearly very annoyed and once everything is packed or carried he will hoist the captive red cap with one hand and will draw Helen with the other. "Kay, Shelby, you stays wid me, lex go has a look at dis door." Unless anyone has any further business Minmorc will head up the stairs and hopefully through the door above them.

As soon  as Minmorc threatens one of the 'tribe' to defend his new friend, Jurz takes a sharp intake of breath  "Charmed ...." he mutters as he flicks his flaming blade from side to side.

Riza looks to Jurz with her head to one side, "I doubt charmed Jurz, sounds like Minmorc talk anyway. Come on either way lets get the hell out of this stinking put and to the queen"

"Oooo Min Min, youse looks so delicious when youse cross, I could jus eats youse all up!" Moffdust laughs as she teases the orc then runs to hide behind Bully. "An I jus cant pass it up when Mr Wrights comes along."

She takes as much of the salvage as she can carry and goes upstairs to the iron gate. If she can't squeeze through herself she will unhook Cat from her cloak and set him flying through the bars to scout ahead.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:29, Mon 26 Oct 2015.

The stairs in the southwest room lead up to ground floor level but are closed off by a door (barred on this side) at the top of the stairs. Minmorc easily removes the bar from the door and is then able to push the door open.

Everyone who follows him upstairs finds themselves at the ground floor level of a ruined house. The roof has partially caved in but still provides shade over the part where this basement door is located.

Out of the front windows of the building you are able to see a group of six goblin guards gathered around a sewer grate in the middle of the street in front of this ruined house.

"Dats my sister."  Bulldust warns Minmorc.  "She can bite whoever she likes."

When Minmorc returns to gathering up the gear, Bulldust shoulders his share of the load.  He shoves Shelby towards the stairs and follows him up.  "Whyd ya need ta see da queen?"

Shelby looks Bully in the eye and replies, "Because that's part of the dream, too! She's going to love it, just like in the dream. Loving the dream, living the dream. Dream Queen, dream team!"

With a frown and a nod towards Riza, Jurz fades into the background as Minmorc lowers his fists and Moffa darts away, as sassy as ever.  Then, with his pockets full of teeth and red stones, he trails the others towards the surface and the return of his riding hound.

However, the troubled expression never leaves his face and he is on full alert for any unusual behaviour from Minmorc or trickery from ther teifling.

Minmorc will frown at Bully as they make their way back to the street "yer gotta be careful wots yer bite mate, bite der wrong flings an yer gets yer teeth broken." Minmorc will head out to the group of Goblins. "Oi, gobbos, dun killed der fellas wot been rippin yer up. Worts der best way ter get back ter der Queen?"

Dregz eyes narrow as the big Orc threatens his kinswoman and the priest's lips begin a litany of silent prayer ... but stops as Minmorc backs off. 

Hearing the druid's words, Dregz nods slowly in agreement. "Maybe," he mutters.  If push comes to stick-em-with-the-pointy-end, there's Bully, Jurz, himself ... and probably Oopses that'll stand by Moffa, though he's not sure which side Riza or Raven will choose.

Before he leaves, the goblin reopens the chest that Riza rifled through, looking for the magic that he could sense in there. 

"Don't forget dis !" he entreats the bigguns, even Minmorc.  Violent and bad-tempered the Orc may be, even charmed, but he's still the strongest of the group, and in his weakened state, the little goblin can barely manage to stagger around with his Holy Book. "Der's gold 'ere !"

Once assured that the gold has been pocketed, Dregz is content to follow the main group, though he keeps most of his attention upon Minmorc, and his hand near a magic stick at his side.

OOC: Riza had locked the chest again using the key she found on the dead drow priest. Dregz wants to open it again to find the magic item he could detect. So there are a couple of questions for both of you.

• Did Riza remove the key or just leave it in the lock?
• If she has the key, will she open the chest for Dregz?
• If not, what will Dregz do about it?

"Where's der key ..."

Riza looks over to dregs, "I gots the key, there is heaps of gold in there. Come on let's get it up top we can divy it out later on"

"Der chest is too heavy !" the priest bemoans, refusing to leave the treasure trove.  "Either we pockets der gold or der bigguns will 'ave to carry it."

Riza sighs and rolls her eyes. She will start to drag the chest herself and shout out " Oi bigguns! Need a bit of help down here"

"Youse is de best of gobbos." Moffdust grins at Jurz and Dregs, and winks at Oopses, happy knowing that the other gobbos understand the irresistible nature of ear biting and are ready to back her up. "Now lets go see de Queenses."

Bulldust shakes his head at Shelby.  "Wot?  No, sorry I asked, dont say anyfing more."

He turns back when Riza calls for help.  "Oo Oo.  Good finking, dont wanna leave dat behind."  He wraps up the chest of gold in some of the black curtain material to disguise its value, then shoulders the load and follows the others out.  He does glance back over his shoulder at the star shape inscribed on the floor around the altar, and wonders what would have happened if someone got pushed in there ... but he won't lose any sleep wondering.

"We turn up to der Queen with dis chest an' she will take all the gold," Dregz wisely prophesises, as the lizardwoman tries to drag it off and Bargrivyek inspires him to speak.  "We should fill our pockets now."

Raven suddenly looks rather agitated when Dregz suggests the Queen will take all the treasure.

"Wait, wait," she tells Bully. "Let me try to open it. I never get to practice with these."

She pulls out a finely crafted set of lock picks and sets to work on the lock as soon as she can. After her attempt fails she hands them to Dregz.

"Here, you try. They're good tools but I'm just out of practice. See what you can do. I don't wants the big bad Queenie to take all the shinies."

Hopefully the argument about treasure is happening in the temple and not in front of the Goblins up stairs. If this is the case Minmorc will comment "Hows about we goes ter der hidey spot on der way to der Queen and stash der loot, den go ter der palace and talk to der pretty Queen about Red caps an dirt elves an Shelby and not say nuffin bout wot we found."

"What?  Takes him to da hidey spot?" Jurz asks pointing at the tiefling.  "Dats crazy." he says looking at their prisoner. Jurz is clearly very unhappy about the tiefling.

"Yer don't seem ter gets it, I fink der same god dats givin me magic has givin im a message fer der Queen. I fink ees bin sent ter help us out. Soon as ee started talkin I gots dis fing in my ead sayin dat if team arda nuff had a feller wot talks good dey could talk folks inta payin us more and givin us stuff. An if he can't den we can kill an eat im."

Minmorc will stop when he notices the fear on the Goblins faces and will say "Pfffft, if youse is dat scared of Shelby an der Queenliness an all I can go ter der hidey spot, stash der stuff an den meets yer at der palace. Wid your little legs I reckon I'd get dere first."

"I trusts him about as far as I can frow him." Jurz responds, not really worried about Minmorc's god.  "Hez bads for us.  As soon as youse seed him, youse started to freaten us.  His head was glowing magic when he was talking bout youse god.  Hez bin in youse head an making all der stuff up to make youse his friend." the goblin says letting the words tumble out fast.

Minmorc laughs at this. "I bin threatenen yous since I met yer! All he wants is ter come wid us an Moffa done gone an bit im and yer reckon I'm der one actin crazy? I'm gonna take der red cap an Shelby ter der Queen, you Gobbos do wot yer want." With that Minmorc will resume the original plan of heading up the stair, opening the door and approaching the Goblins on the street.

"Once I's got Rog back, I's will" Jurz  says softly.

"It's a tuff one," Dregz cautions Raven, but is pleased to watch her attempt to pick the lock of the chest, though his attention is torn away as Jurz and Minmorc argue, and his hand slowly falls to grip the wand once more as he watches the exchange.

When the big orc wanders off, the little goblin relaxes.  "Dat's good.  If der prisoner is trubble den only Minmorc will get der blame.  We can grab all der gold now an' whatever der magic thing was in der, den take our time before we go back up."

In reply to Dregz (msg # 324):

Oopses follows the mad orc, he has been caught up in too much trouble and the orc is usually best at getting him out.

Dregz narrows his eyes at Oopses, unhappy at his kinsman's betrayal ... though at least Raven seems more interested in staying with the gold.  He looks to Riza speculatively pondering what the lizardwoman will do.

Riza calmly watches the exchanges back and forth between the party members. Her head tilts to one side in curiosity as raven tries to pick the lock. "You know the easiest way to open a lock is with a key... And if you want to get into the chest you'll have to come along cause I got the key"

She turns and follows Minmorc "let's get going bulldust, best get the chest hidden before the goblins up top hear about it... Besides we can divy up the gold later after we see the queens"

"Boys boyses!" Moffdust emplores them all to stop bickering. She runs after Minmorc before he can reach the street. "Wes not trustin eachudders, but wes got ta sticks togedder! Wes all wants a shares of all de golds and wes all wants ta hear wot de Queenses says. So I'll waits ere and guards Shelby dears while youse all goes back ta de hideys an stash de goodses. Den youse comes back ere an wes all goes ta de Queenses togedder."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:01, Fri 30 Oct 2015.

"Yer right Moffa.  I wanna hear da queen, an I wanna share of all da treasure."  Bulldust takes off his red bonnet and scratches behind one ear.  "An I wanna see how Minmorc feels about Shelby once es got down da road away from im.  We can go upstairs den slip out da back away from dem gobbos.  But someone else should stay ere an help ya guard Shelby.  So whos dat gunna be?"

"Is'll stay." Jurz grins and waves the flaming blade at the Tiefling.  "What is we's doin wid the gnomey fing?" he says pointing at the redcap.

Dregz tries to block Riza from following after the Orc, thinking perhaps to persuade her to his point of view ... but very quickly backs down, deflating somewhat and yielding the lizardwoman passage.

Riza eyes flash with anger as dregs blocks her path. "I'll stay too with shelby, if he runs away I'll make sure he regrets it... Let's just get this sorted out or I'm taking shelby to the queen myself and youse guys can worry about the gold"

Riza calm down a bit as soon as dregs steps aside.

"Well what's it going to be?"

Minmorc will snarl as Dregz tries to block Riza and will nod at Riza's decision. "Righto Riza, you look affer stuff ere an me, Bully an Oopses'll stash der stuff." Minmorc will leave the red cap with Riza and will draw his great spear. He'll then go upstairs, ignore the goblins on the street and head straight for the holy hides place.

Jurz frowns at Riza, then counts goblins.

OOC: OK, I think the current situation is as follows:

Minmorc (with greatspear and haversack full of drow armour) and Bulldust (carrying treasure chest draped in black curtains) and Oopses are heading back to the temple to store the treasure there. The goblin guards out by the sewer grate don't pay them any attention as they are just guarding the sewer grate to stop anyone coming out.

Riza, Moffdust and Jurz are staying at the drow/redcap house with the redcap prisoner (beaten unconscious and still tied up) and the tiefling Shelby Wright (still wearing his stone ball-and-chain and manacles, but at least his ear is not bleeding anymore).

What is everyone else doing? (i.e. Dregz, Raven and Arlein)

In reply to Wyrm of Wyrd (msg # 335):

Following oopses ;D

Raven decides to stay and guard the prisoners. She keeps her rapier ready to stab either of them if they cause any trouble.

Dregz pokes around the four rooms for a while, before finding a quiet corner away from Riza to settle down with his Holy Book.

[Language unknown: "Th whncar olenc Stevtaas ingof?"] Jurz asks, as Dregz pokes about .

Minmorc, Bulldust, Oopses and Arlein are gone for nearly half an hour before they finally return to the ruined house where the others wait. They no longer have the treasure chest so presumably it is safely stored away in the temple that has become your safe refuge in Gorna.

The goblin guards at the sewer grate out in the street look bored.

The subdued redcap has woken up but after being jabbed by Raven's rapier a few times he has stopped struggling against the rope that still suspends him from the hook in the ceiling downstairs.

Shelby Wright is sitting on one of the redcaps beds downstairs. He is impatient but is willing to wait. Not that he has much choice, of course, but he doesn't bother trying to persuade anyone to set him free.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:47, Sat 31 Oct 2015.

Dregz greets the return of the others with sullen glances, though he does spare Bully a nod.

By the time the others return, Jurz is back keeping watch with the others, waiting for the chance to get back to where Rog is being held hostage.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:47, Sat 31 Oct 2015.

Private line ... nothing to see here ;o)

Once he's back with the rest of the group Minmorc is clearly impatient to be heading off. He'll go down stairs to gather anyone that's in the basement and will then head off down the street, taking the most direct route to the palace.

Bulldust greets the other gobbos with a huge grin.    Then in Common tongue he adds.  "Fought dey all should know where all de stuff is, so we all get a share, jus like taking turns on watch."  He looks pleased with himself; its quite an achievement for a young bugbear to learn concepts like taking turns and sharing.

He's also eager to get moving to see the queen.  He adjusts Shelby's manacles so his hands are in front so he can carry his rock, then hauls the teifling to his feet and points him towards the stairs.

Riza follows quickly behind Minmorc eager to get this visit with the queen over with.

In reply to Riza (msg # 346):

"We should take dat one too," Dregz insists stubbornly, pointing at the dead Drow.  "Der more bodies der better it will be."

"Yes." Jurz agrees with with Gregz,  "Der Queenie said shes wanted what was making der trouble, an it was de dark elfs who was making der troubles." Jurz agrees with Dregz.  "Der gnomey fings was doing what she said."