Jurz's lightning bolt has the desired effect and immediately causes the orc youngsters on the southern ledge to dash away into the two southern tunnels leading off from that ledge. Except for the three dead youngsters at t19 where the lightning bolt struck, of course. Jurz doesn't see any other disturbances apart from the general chaos of the orcish rout.

Dregz finally manages to prise the 6-inch-long section of black rod from the ceiling of the alcove and soon determines that it would fit neatly on the end of the similar section he still has in hand. As the complete Black Mace was about 3-feet long and consisted of 5 straight sections, 3 slotted discs and the small end piece holding the enchanted gemstone, it is clear the search is far from over.

As if to reinforce that point, the dispassionate voice of Forya en' i' Leitha speaks clearly from the location where it is now embedded in the southern wall of the alcove.

"Ah, that is always so very satisfying. Clever idea that, doing it inside a cave. Makes it so much easier to gather all the pieces of the Mace again, I am sure." Then there is a significant pause before Forya adds, "Oh, dear. It hit him in the groin."

OOC: Forya is 15ft above the floor in the south wall of the alcove at z15. As Forya's voice draws your attention to that section of wall you quickly notice two other black segments sticking out of the wall. A slightly jagged black disc is embedded 2 feet below Forya and another short segment of black rod 5 feet below Forya.

"Doze is ours as wells!" shouts are anyone near Forya, and waves his arms around threateningly.

Then, in a slightly puzzled tone, he asks "Hits who in de groans?"  Before speaking quietly to Moffa.  "Watz a groans?"
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 16:16, Sun 04 Dec 2022.

Minmorc will get a blanket off the bed and lay it out next to the chests. He'll put the Dorkings stuff on it then will help Bully loot the chests.

With all the fervour of a religious zealot and with his tongue sticking out as he concentrates furiously, Dregz carefully joins the two bits of the Magic Stick together then proceeds to use the partial whole to guide him to the next piece in turn, levitating where he must and enlisting the help of the bigguns if they're needed either to prise bits free or scare off any orcs that want to dispute ownership.

Dregz easily slots the first two segments of black rod together then lets it point toward the next segment, which is stuck in the southern wall of the alcove 5 feet below Forya.

The 'groans' are the sound that Dregz makes as he walks between the altar and statue on his way to the next piece.

Jurz needn't worry about the orcs. They are all too busy running or supervising the rout to give any thought to stray bits of black metal that might be stuck in the walls above them.

With the battle won, the bits of rod safe, the bigs collecting the loot and Moffa still playing with fire, Jurz turns his attention - and his well known charm and charisma to important matters.  Stepping back a bit, so that he is close to Shroomzie, he casually drapes his arm across her shoulders and asks, "So wats a nice girls, like youse, doin in places like dis?"

Prises and reprises ! :P

"Jurz, jus asks her ter Nuffle wid you!" While looting Minmorcs voice gets deep and he starts singing my darling I doo doo, can't get a nuffle yer love baby!

Bulldust finishes ransacking the bed end of the room, putting the valuable items in the magic bag.  Then he helps Min and Raven empty the chests onto the blanket then into the magic bag.

He goes out of the treasure room and takes in the scene.  Is the flame wall gone now?  He can see Jurz getting on well with Shroomza and he grins up at them.  Dregz is groaning (?) but getting on with rounding up the bits of the black stick, so Bulldust helps pluck the bits out of the south wall and hands them to the hairy priest. "Any uvvers?"

The wall of fire has gone out. Moffdust stops watching the orcs and flutters back to the ledge and hangs upside down above Jurz and Shroomza - like mistletoe - but only for a moment, not wanting to cramp Jurzie's style she flutters into the safe cave to speak with the other goblins gathered there.

"We's killed the kings and scared off all de udder orcses. Youse can come out nows an loots de empty rooms! An youse can has a tinks... does youse wants de caves or does youse wants ter comes somewhere elses wid usses? Wes can takes youse anywheres youse wants ter goes."

Shroomza talks to the other goblins, who are all female. It doesn't take long for them to decide what they want.

"We's don't wants to stay here. We's are just prisoners here. When the orcs come back we's just prisoners again. We's wants to come away with yous. Take us somewhere we can be with other goblins again."

Once that message is delivered, she leads the other goblins into the nearby cave that is home to the female orcs and they start rummaging through the piles of sleeping furs and other gear in search of anything they can use in the new life that lies ahead.

Dregz eventually manages to track down and retrieve the other 7 segments of the Black Mace. Three were in the south wall of the statue alcove, one was embedded in the eastern end of the cavern above the main exit tunnel, one was in the roof of the cavern near the southern ledge, one was sill stuck in an orc youngster it had hit and killed on the southern ledge and one of the disc-shaped pieces of the mace head had sliced into the groin of the statue of Gruumsh.

Jurz's flirtation earns a warm smile from Shroomza but she is distracted by questions from the other goblin prisoners and ends up joining them as they start looting the nearby female orcs’ cave.

Meanwhile, in the room behind the statue, Bully uses the keys from the orc king's body to unlock the padlocks on the three large chests. He, Raven and Minmorc open two of the chests easily but the middle chest provides a nasty surprise when opened. There is a deafening explosion that leaves the three of them reeling.

All three survive the explosion. Inside the chests is a substantial hoard of coins, gems and jewellery. Most of the coins are copper and silver but there are enough gold and platinum coins in there to be noticeable. Added to the king's armour, greataxe, bow and other items it certainly promises to be a worthwhile haul.

Eventually, when there is time to identify, count and evaluate this treasure haul, the full list is as follows:

• Helm of wounding sight = 6,500 gp
• Gauntlets of destruction = 6,610 gp
• Breastplate of terror = 13,200 gp
• +1 greataxe = 2,320gp
• Amulet of Natural Armor +1 = 2,000gp
• 2 potions of cure moderate wounds = 2 x 300 = 600gp
• +1 mighty composite longbow (+4 Strength) = 2,800gp
• 30,000gp in coins, gems and jewellery
• Total value is 47,015gp in cash and sell price of items, so that equates to 7,835gp each

OOC: In addition, the treasure from the frost giant and clear crystal gemstones yesterday, after paying 10,000gp to the crystal dragon for Forya en' i' Leitha, gave everyone another 821gp each.

And more good news, everyone has now gained enough experience to level up to level 10 (ECL10). Everyone is now on 47,283XP.

”Deres lots of Goblins by de Crystal Mist Mountains by der Hornwoods forests.” Jurz declares  ”I’s gonna be king dere one day. I havesn’t told dem yet, but dat’s OK, dey’ll finds out when I’se ready.”

Once he is sure everything is under control, Jurz wanders along to watch the goblins looting the female orc caves.  Just in case any of the orcs come back.  It has nothing to do with the fact that all the goblins are female …

When it comes time to talk about treasure, Jurz puts in a claim for the Amulet of Natural protection.  One day he will get to be a Big Bear and fight alongside the bigs again …

Bulldust heard the click and covered his ears avoiding the worst of the bang.  Coupled with the orc wound he's still only lightly damaged.

He starts searching the bodies in the great hall and in the side caverns to the south to see what other goods or valuables the orcs have left behind - all these he'll give to Shroomza and the gobbo slaves to add to their new start in Jurz's forest or wherever they choose to go :-)

He does not need any of the named items and is happy for Jurz to claim that amulet.  "I fink I'll get some new armour made up, wiv a dragon on it!  I fink I can get dat in Gorna."

07:53, Sun 11 Dec: Bulldust rolled 29 using 1d20+10.  ref save chest bang.

Moffdust changes back into her goblin self. She grins at Jurz and the goblins. "I tinks dats near wheres me an Bully comes from. When youse de kings Jurzies, we's gonna visits youse an eats all yer humbugs!" She snickers softly at her joke.

She doesn't want any of the orcs' treasures. She tells the party that she will teach herself how to make 'magical tingses' and can maybe make some things for the party if she has enough time in Gorna. "I'se gonna makes de amulets ter keeps our brains in ours headses, like de Protections from de Evils, or from de udder tings dats gonna gets yer brains. Does youse wants dose?"

Considering the black stick's predilection for destroying things that get inside people's heads, Jurz decides that one of Moffa's amulets might be a better option than an amulet of natural armour.

"Yeah Moffa, dat would be great! Can I gets mine shaped like a nuffle ball?"

Moffdust grins atJurz "I tinks maybes youse can gets both!"

She explains that the amulets can be any design you have in mind, or she can choose for youse, and can protect youse from whatever youse afraid of (Evils, Laws, Goods or de Chaoses), dey takes me 2 days each in Gorna, but dey only cost youse 1000gp (her cost to make) "...cos I's gonna summons de magics inta dems!"

She nods at Min an taps her pointy nose shrewdly "Yes dear Mins, I knows jus what deys looks like."

"Can I pays in Humbugs, when I'm der king?"  Jurz asks with a grin.

But you can only wear one amulet at a time  :)

"Dats okay Jurzies, youse can pays us when youse de kings ov de forests." Moffdust grins back. "An I'se can summons de magics inta anytinks youse likes!"

Not limited to 'amulet'... could be jacket, helmet, epaulet, bucket, magnet, puppet, blanket ...

"Dats great, fanks Moffa!  Can yer put mine in a silver ring?  An make it ter keep da evil ones outa my head - dey're da worst!"  He gives his big sister a hug and gives her 1000gp from his share of the haul.

He helps the goblin women to finish looting the dead orcs and side caves, offering to help them carry their loot in the magic bag until they get where they're going.

After he orcs have had long enough to clear out, Moffdust goes to see how Wolfie is getting on and what the view looks like outside. She goes cautiously, and if there are any lingering orcs she will go back and ask Bully to help her with that. When she finds Wolfie she'll tell him all about the orcs inside and about how she's going to make some riding pants that will help her ride him next time she summons him and won't that be fun. Then she lets him go back to Hell for a rest.

Back inside she sits down where the party are sharing out their loot. "I'se had a tinks about de Protections. I can't makes dems outa jus anytings, deys gotta be de right sorta tings, in de right sorta places. So youse can has sometings around youse necks or sometings wrapping up yer bodies, or der costs is 1500gp if yer wants it somewheres elses. An Bully dears, I'se can't makes youse de rings, youse gotta chooses anudder tings." "She grins toothily. "If youse likes I'se can summons de spiders ter knits youse der Vests ov Protections!" (for 1500gp)"Like de hobbitses on de Stairs of Cirith Ungols."

OOC: GM has clarified body slot affinities for Protection magic and the specific items that work with those body slots - thanks! :)
- Around the body: Cloak, cape, mantle = 1000gp
- Around the neck: Amulet, brooch, medallion, necklace, periapt, scarab = 1000gp
You can create an item that uses a different body slot but that increases the cost by 50% = 1500gp
3.5e DMG p214 for body slots, p288 behind the curtain.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Sat 24 Dec 2022.

"Oooorrrrr... I's can adds de Protections ter de magic am-u-letses or magic cloakses dat youse already gots! Dat'll costs youse 1500gp ter adds de Protections."

OOC: please read this in addition to the previous post.
3.5e DMG p282 behind the curtain.

Bulldust is happy to go with that last option, adding Prot vs Evil to his Cloak of Resistance for 1,500 gp.  "Den its a cloak ov protection from everyfing!"

Eventually all of the orc king's treasure is hauled out from the room behind the statue of Gruumsh and all nine segments of the Black Mace are retrieved and reassembled by Dregz, including the topmost piece that holds the gemstone Forya en' i' Leitha.

Moffa scouts the caves in the form of a little black bat and soon determines that most of the orcs are now outside in the 40-foot-wide pass through the mountains. Only a few of the better armoured orc leaders are still at the eastern end of the cavern still watching what is happening, and several groups of orc youngsters are still in the upper caves and tunnels or outside on the upper ledges with no easy way to climb down to escape.

"Thank you. That was most satisfactory. So where are we going next?" Forya en' i' Leitha enquires.

OOC: Main Game Map updated.