Journal #4 - January 2010

Real Date: 17-Jan-10

Game Date: 06/01

The party head back up the stairs and stake the door shut, deciding to explore further on the level they came in on rather than plumb the depths of the undead horde they fear below. They hear some goblins arguing and discover three of the ugly spuds accompanied by two drakes. Naturally, a fight follows... The room the goblins had occupied was heavily excavated. Amongst the gold and weapons on the goblin bodies they find a holy symbol shaped like a dragon's claw.

Treasure Haul
22GP
3x Shortbows
3x Crossbows
40x Crossbow bolts

Experience: 125xp each

After an extended rest whilst on watch with Arranis, Ash hears the distant sounds of battle. He asks Arranis but he can't hear it... and neither can anyone else in the party. Ash also feels colder and is suspicious that this might be a targeted attack on him but isn't sure... maybe he's just more sensitive to the memories of the keep than the others and can hear the echoes of battles long fought? Time will tell...

Deciding that they are now brave enough, they descend the stairs and find a roughly hewn room or cavern in which they are attacked by giant rats and an ochre jelly. The jelly is really nasty, causing acid damage and even subdividing into two equally vicious jellies - twice the jelly, twice the fun! In combination with the rats the jellies prove to be formidable foes, nearly finishing off Balasar with their deadly secretions, so they bravely run away and rest overnight to lick their wounds.

Experience: 60xp each

Game Date: 07/01

Exploring further they hear more goblin voices behind closed doors and formulate an elaborate plan to draw them out with halfling taunting whilst the burly fighters hide behind the doors, ready to ambush anyone that comes out. The plan works insofar as Tryn gets shot in the arse with a crossbow bolt! A second attempt at the ambush draws out a hobgoblin who is quickly dispatched in one round, thus proving that it WAS a good plan after all. They rush into the room from which the hobgoblin had emerged and find a torture chamber with more goblins. 

After finishing off the goblins they find one imprisoned in a cell. They question the wretch, named Splug, who says that Balgron had ordered them to dig but doesn't know what for. Bartering for his life and freedom he completes as much of the map as he can for the party and tells tham about Balgron and his goblin retinue of five elite warriors and eight normal fighters. They set him free after Ash tries to bluff him into believing that he has cast a spell on a rope to bind him that will explode if he betrays them.

Treasure
55GP
55SP

Experience: 125xp each