Rosia Lightfoot's Journal - Part 21

Disaster has struck the party! As we questioned the goblin further, it became apparent that he did not fear us at all, in fact he seemed to think that we were about to die horribly. He kept saying, "Unkulggar is released, the Hammerfists are coming!" In the distance we could hear what sounded like hammers striking anvils, and the deep booming of drums. We thought to parlay with the goblin leader, and we set our captive free with a message that we only sought safe passage through the goblin territory. He ran off into the darkness, and it was not long before we could detect the massing of goblin forces to the south, and to the north and east. We were not too worried, as we still had our secret exit to the west.

A goblin voice rang out in the darkness, apparently the goblin leader, and we tried to bargain with him. However, he demanded that we pay a tribute to him, before he would let us pass. He wanted 5000gp in gems and coin. Perhaps all of our treasure put together might equal this, but we were not about to part with our hard-earned booty. Ran spoke to them, and tried to offer them an alternative deal, but they didn't seem interested in getting their fallen comrades' armour and weapons back as payment...

Whilst this "negotiation" was going on, we tried to formulate an escape plan. Isaak reminded us that he had a scroll that would make us all invisible. I wanted to use this scroll, combined with a simple illusion spell to make it sound like we were still behind the barriers, in order to sneak east, hopefully by-passing the majority of the goblin forces. However, we could not arrive at a consensus, some of the party wanted to go west, and use the secret area as a stronghold. We thought it best to make sure that the secret area was still secure, so I sneaked in and cracked open the secret door to the north-east. In the corridor to the north, I could see goblins moving about quietly, tapping on the walls and clearly searching for concealed doors. They must have worked out how we able to surprise them. It was only a matter of time before they discovered the secret area, and our advantage would be lost.

I reported back, and a heated debate followed. Unfortunately this took so long that the goblins gave up waiting for a reply and attacked us. We had no choice now but to retreat to the secret area. Alas! When we opened the secret door we were confronted by goblins, and also some larger goblinoid creatures with hammer-like devices attached where their hands should be: the Hammerfists had found us!

Now we were stuck in the corridor like the goblins had been when we attacked them: we were caught in our own trap! To make matters worse, a large grey creature appeared from the east. This was Unkulggar, and Isaak told us later that it was a Grey Render. I have drawn a sketch of it here:


It proved a most fearsome foe, and Oren was nearly ripped in half by its powerful arms. Oren and Quercus fought to the east, and Curbag to the west. Ran summoned a host of creatures to aid us, and Isaak used his magic to help Curbag. I tried to move to a position where I might help, but the close quarters we fought in were ill-suited to my type of combat techniques. I cursed the fact that I had not paid more attention to the acrobatic skills, then I might have moved about the battlefield more freely. I vowed to devote myself to them in the future.

The fight did not go well for us, Oren was badly wounded by the Render, and Curbag had taken much damage from the Hammerfists. Ran had used up all his spells, and finally transformed himself into a large bear, and moved to the west to help Curbag clear an escape route for us. Curbag had been so badly wounded that he had to retreat, and the goblins poured in from the west. As he moved back he was struck down by the foul creatures, and I watched in horror as he fell under their blows. Quercus had also been watching, and he lunged forwards with a healing prayer on his lips, he reached out to touch Curbag, but at the last moment a goblin kicked him aside, and the spell was wasted. Even in the heat of battle I could hear Curbag's death rattle, and could do nothing to help him...

We were desperate now, one of our comrades had fallen, and Oren was close to death as well. We pushed to the west, into the secret area, but there were too many goblins, and another Hammerfist as well. Things were looking bad for us, but then we heard the sound of horns blaring out, and the bugbears from the north area joined in the fight. Never have I been so pleased to see these ugly creatures! They had obviously decided that we had softened the goblins enough for them to make a final stand against them. It seems we have changed the balance of power in this part of the dungeon.

So, we are saved, but Curbag lies dead. We carried him to the safe room, and Quercus prepared his body so that it would not decompose. Perhaps we can bring him back even from the very jaws of death itself? I miss Curbag: who will carry my equipment now...?

Rosia Lightfoot's Journal - Part 20

Just as we thought things were looking better, it all went pear-shaped. The goblins had a sorcerer amongst them, and he cast a web spell at us. It caught a couple of the wolves as well, but the goblins obviously thought the sacrifice was worth it, and I think they were right! Even those of us who managed to avoid getting completely entangled in the web could only move through it very slowly, as the sticky strands clung to us and held us fast.

As I struggled to dodge through the web, the goblins began to move some wooden barricades down the corridors towards us. They had covered them in pitch and set fire to them, and I remembered from our experience with the kobolds how the web strands burned briefly but fiercely. As soon as the flaming mobile barriers got near to the web it burst into flames, burning those still trapped within it. It also freed them from the web, but there was nowhere to go expect back into the remaining web, or through the burning barricades. To make matters worse, the goblins were firing their crossbows at us through slits in the barriers.

We eventually managed to finish off the wolves, and move to the north passage, finally all free as the last of the web burnt away. I had been badly burnt by the flaming web, and also had a goblin quarrel stuck in my arm. I was forced to use my healing potion, lest a stray bolt finish me off. Curbag was also badly wounded, and it was only thanks to Quercus that he survived the battle. We decided that it would be better to retreat and regroup, as there was no easy way to get past the barricades. We headed off north, and the goblins did not follow, so we were able to reach the safe room and rest for a few hours to regain our strength and let Quercus work his healing magics.

After our defeat at the hands of the goblins, I was all for leaving this area as quickly as possible, but Ran wanted to go back and attack them again! We argued for some time, and I eventually persuaded him to at least look at the nearest exit to the north, to see if it was passable. However, as we moved to the south, we could see watch fires lit by the goblins. They had set up more of their barricades and had effectively blocked our way. After some consultation, I remembered the secret area we found earlier, and noticed that one of the secret doors out of it opened up behind a goblin barricade. I volunteered to check out this door, and see if we could take advantage of the knowledge we possessed, knowledge that was hopefully not available to the goblins.

I donned my magic glasses, and moved silently through the shadows to the secret door. I opened it carefully and was able to see a band of goblins behind one of the mobile barricades, oblivious to my presence! I closed the door, and went back to report to the others. We formulated a plan: I would go first and try to use the element of surprise to knock out one of the goblins, so that we could question him after the fight. Then the others would quickly move in, and we would be able to use Oren and Curbag as the vanguard, with the others behind to give them aid as necessary. The goblins would be trapped between our fighters and their own barrier!

The plan worked perfectly. I snuck up right behind a small goblin, and hit him over the head with my sap, and he fell unconscious at my feet. The goblin next to him raised the alarm, but by this time I had moved aside and the others charged through the door and began the attack. Oren fought as though possessed! His axe cleaved through the goblins like a scythe through wheat. Even when a goblin mage began to fire spells at him, he did not flinch! The mage was quickly taken down by our own spell-casters, and Ran added to the mayhem by summoning another of his giant badgers right in the midst of the goblins. Even the goblin reinforcements that came round the barrier could not stop us. We drove them back and eventually they fled, leaving a pile of bodies, and one unconscious goblin.

We moved the abandoned goblin barriers to block the corridors in our favour, and then began to question our prisoner. Despite facing death at our hands he did not seem afraid, and Curbag was impressed at both his bravado, and the skill and discipline of our goblin foes. He has not given us much information so far, and some of the others are keen to finish him off, but I think we can use him to send a message to the goblin leaders, and perhaps bargain for safe passage through their territory. The debate continues, and the fate of our prisoner hangs in the balance...