Valthur nods and heads for the staircase.
"Very well, let's get this over with."

Catching her breath and looking to be in very poor shape, as if she were conscious during her earlier ordeal with the one razorfiend's juices, Aldara does not even have to say that she is not at all opposed to remaining behind.  Catching her breath, the sorceress offers, her voice unsteady, "I... You'll need me if we need to escape." She takes a swig from her waterskin, hoping to steady herself.

Taerix resumes his place, keeping one eye on Sarah and the other, so to speak, on the way they had come.

Valthur leads the wounded party away from the entrance chamber, up the spiral stone staircase. The staircase leads upward 15 feet to a domed chamber with stone ribs rising to support a central keystone overhead. Massive stone double doors block passage to the east.

"Let's try knocking this time," the Sister suggested of the double doors.  "Wait a moment, though," she added as an afterthought and bowed her head.

"Avandra bless us and guide our steps as we near the end of our long journey," she intoned. "Let your Grace fill us and give us the courage to do what must be done."

"All right," she said, looking determined.  "Let's go."

OOC: Bless, +1 to hit and damage for the next 60 minutes.

Valthur wipes the sweat from his face with a blood stained hand. As he does, he considers the likely outcome of their mission. "This ghostlord, whoever he is - if he can summon spirit lions like the one we just met, will have no problem killing us ll if he so chooses, especially in the sorry state we're in... and yet, what other choice do we really have?"

With a deep breath, and checking (hoping?) one last time for someone wishing to stop him, the dwarf mumbles an inaudible "Moradin help us" and knocks firmly on the stone doors.

OOC: Valthur will knock upon the door unless someone intervenes.

Valthur knocks on the heavy stone door and moments later the party hears brief scuffling on the other side, followed by a muffled voice:

[Language unknown: Be...Areessers antughmen?]

Then a different voice:

[Language unknown: Ainpr mansomcom oulce larreawhi voreaunot. T plev.]

The the sound of shuffling feet and a metallic clinking sound.

Moments later, the stone door is thrown open and Valthur is now standing face-to-face with an obviously surprised, very bald, orange-faced hobgoblin in dark brown robes. Behind him, two similarly attired hobgoblins look just as suprised.

The hobgoblin's mouth hangs agape, its jaundiced eyes wide-set and alert.

Aldara hangs at the back of the group, wary of the goblinoids, but provisionally open to communication.

"Vaaaalthur?" Eoni asked nervously.  This had been an unexpected turn in their exploration.

At Eoni's prodding, Valthur does his best to negotiate with the surprised hobgoblins in their tongue. He attempts to look confident, but at the same time not overly aggressive. In the end, the effect looks more like he just finished drinking a mug of rotten mead, but he nonetheless carries on.

[Private to group Goblin: "Uhhh, we've come to speak to the the ghostlord. We have something that he may find desirable."]

Clearly outside his element, he turns a quick glance to Eoni for suggestions.

The robed hobgoblin at the door's surprised look remains; however his two companions behind him, further inside the stone chamber, surprised looks are replaced by one of interest.

[Language unknown: P anyyinrut ilss, Cepeis Taceprin...art entsanati?! Ha ni miho ekai unous di lomail wias it repo wa k ss wi an witpreardwas. Eces Unwateho le ngaidi...ekrut...iosich wil out blewhiany m aveyinave ai era...somanyion."] This coming from one of the hobgoblins further back in the room. The one at the door remains standing there, the surprised look not vanishing from his face.

The two hobgoblins in the room appear quite tense now.
This message was last edited by the GM at 11:53, Wed 09 Jan 2019.

Sarah hand slowly moves to where she keeps her darts . . .

Hobgoblins finally registered in Eoni's mind.  Perhaps they shouldn't have been surprised, given their current quest.

"Valthur," she said steadily, "tell them we're here with a gift for the Ghostlord."

Taerix keeps his hands ready to go for his weapons, but out in the open where the hobgoblins can see them for the moment.

Master negotiator that he is, Valthur holds up a single finger to ask for a moment of time. [Private to group Goblin: "Ahhhh, one moment please."]

He turns to the others. "I told him we have a gift for the ghostlord and the ugly one in the back wants to know what it is!"

"Tell them it's a locked chest," the Sister said carefully.  "A gift from Azarr Khull, and we may only deliver it to the Ghostlord.  The Ghostlord has the only key."

She'd actually been worrying about the chest for a while now.  How was the Ghostlord supposed to open it?  They'd never found the key and she didn't know if bashing it open would damage the phylactery itself.

The problem of the locked chest set aside once again, they had more immediate concerns to address with these hobgoblins.

Valthur turns back to the hobgoblins, this time with a bit more confidence. [Language unknown: I ac i les rutpr Ermeut Rutaveday. Of werthuame ntolel ac ac ithughratons ntterick p ard astallatipro. M ilith ure us. ]

The two robed hobgoblins with the room turn and look at one another for a few moments, while the third, at the door, remains wide-eyed and alert, standing between the adventurers and his compatriots.

One of the hobgoblins int he room shrugs his shoulders and gestures with his head toward the door. [Language unknown: "Ousto llwil. I areie re trme di Ulilntev she, i was ch nde anyrutble utnd th, ertina. Lanot mese ard th oresettra Re teril se ee. Ekpaad, tiosetcon..."]

With this, the hobgoblin rebukes his companion at the door, [Language unknown: "Sach, astdayany sti redvirted preblepre. Diei ivll ons aiure reasst reil, foulwi, me il ureourund onou eartrantewer hoitri, wh ughfornot."
]
The hobgoblin at the door looks confused for a moment but then complies with the other's request and opens the door wide. He beckons the adventurers to enter.

Although the chamber is empty of furnishings, it is far from unremarkable. The ceiling arches overhead, supported by stone ribs that run up the walls. Each of these ribs bears carvings of thorny plants and twisted branches. Between each rib, the stone walls are carved with the images of lions pouncing on and mauling human victims. Massive stone double doors stand to the east and west.

The adventurers are standing just outside the west double doors, though the hobgoblins have invited them inside the chamber, to await the Ghostlords arrival. The hobgoblins wear only simple monastic robes and do not appear to carry any weapons; however, all three wear a looped chain around their waist, the end of which is an iron skull fashioned in the likeness of a dragon.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:24, Fri 11 Jan 2019.

Aldara makes her way through with the others, but still near the back of the group.  She can not help grimacing at the artwork as she walks.  It was way too close to home for the enchantress, and whatever was harmed on her, for her to enjoy at the moment!

Given the change in circumstances, Sarah leaves her darts where they are.

"I think it's time for the chest now, Marklin," the Sister said as they entered the chamber.  It had rested safely in the armsman's backpack for their journey, but now it had reached it's final destination.

Hopefully, it would not also be their final destination.

Taerix quietly follows the others, keeping an eye on the hobgoblins without trying to look like he's keeping an eye on the hobgoblins.

Marklin looks inside the chamber and doesn't look too happy about seeing his companions waltz inside. He mutters in a low voice, "Great, so now we're throwing our lot in with the likes of hobgoblins?!" The fighter shaoes his head in disbelief, breathes out loudly, and comments, "This aint going to go well. Mark my words."

He turns to Valthur for solidarity on this point.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:34, Fri 11 Jan 2019.

"They're going to get the ghostlord," Valthur explains to the others. "We are supposed to wait here."


"I don't like this any more than you, my friend, but if this fillacatory somehow convinces the ghostlord to be on our side, then I guess it's worth walking into this death trap."

He turns to Eoni for reassurance. "That is the plan, right? This box is supposed to make him play nice? How sure exactly..." His voice trails off as he considers the very real chance that the ghostlord may prefer to simply kill them all and pry the box from their dead fingers.

Seeing Valthur enter the chamber with the hobgoblins in monastic robes, Marklin looks skyward for a few moments and whispers a few words, then shrugs and enters the room with the others. He takes a position nearest one of the robed hobgoblins, his posture tense and his sword arm always hovering within a few inches of the pommel protruding from his scabbard.