1: Dovedale

As Trina leaps after Grabbo, the goblin yelps in a high pitch while trying to escape. While the halflings is quick enough to lay hands on him, the slippery goblin slides from her grasp with a skill that goblins only seem to have in times of desperation. He disappears into the small hole, and you are left alone.

What do you do?

"Leave him. Contemptible creature! We have the good will of the chief. Pray that it holds! Come, this way! With haste!"

It takes about an hour to make your way through the passages, and it is with luck that you recognize a few of them, difficult as that might be with only a bullseye lantern to provide light. The sounds of goblins bickering can still be heard, though quite faint at this point; they do not seem to be following you. Eventually some light peeks in from up ahead, and you find yourselves at the end of the cave, with Stinkfoot's niche just up ahead and the exit beyond.

OOC:

Krom is with us!

Oren collaborates with his companions and the group manages to find their way out! The elven swordsman was keeping rearguard and so as they come upon the hidey-hole Stinkfoot inhabited Oren is only aware of it by the odor.

"Smells like we're almost out!"

When the realization that they had wandered back to the entrance the only thing Malard felt was a relief. The goblins had been frightening, but the prospect of being lost in the caves was far worse. Even though he's not claustrophobic, he's more than a little bit happy to be almost free of this place.

"I think we can all thank fate that we're out of those caves," he says. "The only question is, 'now what?' I suspect the chief didn't exactly have a sudden change of heart and that the fallout from this little adventure might be a harsh reprisal against us and our ward. We may be forced to confront Gravelbeak after all. "

"Yes, I was wondering about this as well. Very likely once the hex wears off the horde will come after us. If we must fight them we need a choke point where their numbers will not overwhelm us. I would think either here, at the entrance to their tunnels or just inside the maze would be best..."

"I would ask that you take me to my river, that I may tend to it once more. Now that I know what Gravelbeak had planned, I and Salvel can better prepare for him. No more will I be taken unawares. But we must hurry; though the spell may last days, it did not sound as though his tribe agreed with the enchanted words."

"With luck." Odilo starts, huffing from race through the caves. "One tribe will become three. And they’ll busy themselves with their own squabbling destruction for a time. Let the townsfolk gather their strength. It’s not for us to solve every problem of man or beast."

"Fair enough my friend, but we kicked this hornet's nest and I fear our responsibility is not absolved quite yet!"

Oren stays close to the entrance to the goblin tunnels, listening for sounds of imminent contact.

Snoring can be heard coming from Stinkfoot's niche. It would seem that the goblins trust the maze as a security system enough to sleep on watch.

"Perhaps we should help our new friend back to her home while we have the chance," Malard suggests. "At the very least, we get the river back to normal, and then figure out how to deal with the goblins."

"I agree. Haste is of the utmost importance! If nothing else, our friend here must survive. Though, I wonder…"

He turns then to the water spirit:

"Diminished, though your powers may be from your captivity, is there anything you can do to dissuade the goblins from pursuing?"

Odilo is thinking of flooding the chambers, or collapsing the walls with mud and rock for a time.

The nixie, weary from her captivity, drops her head in shame. "Alas, there is little I can do to help, until I have regained my strength. I can sing a peaceful slumber, but none of my magicks have returned to me. Bring me to my home, and I will aid you however I can." With this, she begins singing with a soft voice, and the snoring coming from Stinkfoot's nook grows louder.

"Oren. Exile. Let us break the mechanism on their entrance and be away! A fight for another day! Our strength will be greater with an empowered nixie, and not a weakened captive by our side!"

Oren looks doubtfully back towards the entrance one more time before breaking off.

"I don't think it's wise strategically, but then what would an adventure be without throwing caution to the wind! Let's hurry, to the river!"

Malard nods in agreement and goes to untie his donkey before re-joining the others.

"Anyone know how to jam a door?"

Oren looks for rocks to wedge and branches to brace against the door in short order...

"Beyond my expertise, I’m afraid." he says, rubbing a streak into his sleeve now that the air was back at him.

"Perhaps, brute force?"

After bringing back his donkey, he looks over the door, and apologizes. "Sadly, I'm not much help either," Malard says. "I could set an alarm, but I'm not sure we'd be close enough to hear it when our pursuers make their appearance."

Jabrano has been silent for a while, clearly affected by how much the situation got out of hand.

"The longer we linger here, the less space we put between us and them." she says quietly. "Besides, there's probably more than one exit."