Admiral's Story

"Alright, let’s move!" Admiral whispers, slinking out into the tunnel. Ears pricked and swords at the ready, he leads his crew down the tunnel and back through the cell area as quickly and quietly as possible.

You lead your crew quickly and quietly as possible into the tunnel, as your feet slosh in an inch or so water that has gatherer on the tunnel floor as it drips from the tunnel walls. You recognize that you have been in this tunnel already. The portal door you just came through is the first one you saw when after misty stepping through your cell bars. You pass the tunnel on your left where you faced the centipede on the ladder and continue into the vaulted cell room. The bench is turned over and the hanging cell is lies on the floor, no longer chained to the ceiling. The lamps are burning. Otherwise the room is as you left it.

You keep moving and head into the passage that connects the two cell areas. Ruble still lines this passage and there are signs that ruble has been kicked aside.

You lead your crew quickly and quietly as possible into the tunnel, as your feet slosh in an inch or so water that gathers on the tunnel floor as it drips from the tunnel walls. You recognize that you have been in this tunnel already. The portal door you just came through is the first one you saw after misty-stepping through your cell bars. On your left you pass by the tunnel where you faced the centipede on the ladder. You continue into the vaulted cell room, where you and Taresh were held. The bench is turned over and the hanging cell is lies on the floor, no longer chained to the ceiling. The lamps are burning. Otherwise the room is as you left it.

You keep moving and head into the passage that connects the two cell areas. Ruble still lines this passage and there are signs that ruble has been kicked aside.

As you start down the passage, leading the others, you hear chatter coming from the other cell room ahead before your companions do. It sounds like goblin to you, the squabbling of about four or five goblins. Even though you don't understand the language, you gather from the sound of the interaction that a leader is commanding the group to do something and the others are complaining about it.

You are less than half way through the passage.

Admiral’s claws tap against Reaver’s hilt, itching for a fight. He’s not sure how Skeev might feel about attacking his fellow goblins though. "What are they saying?" he hisses to Skeev.

Skeev is initially puzzled by your question, but in response to the urgency in your hiss, he holds still putting his attention in the direction of the cell area ahead and listens closely.

"Goblins. A squad in service to the Ring," he whispers after a moment. "They're asking why they couldn't have been commanded to guard the boat back at the entrance. They complain about being ordered to climb up and check out the warehouse portal. They're scared of the wererat gang up there." He looks up at you and emphasizes, "That means they're coming this way."

He pulls from its sheath his new prized possession, The Wounding Shiv, and examines it while thinking.

"We could fool them. With this (he holds up the dagger) they might believe I could have captured you alone. Pretend to wear some shackles? And I'll say I'm taking you out to the boat." His voice has the tone of a question, like he is looking for your approval.

Admiral regards Skeev sceptically for a moment. "I like it!" he says, eventually. "Let’s try it."

He sheathes his swords and grabs two sets of shackles hanging from a nearby wall. He passes one set to Taresh and places the other set around his own ankles, ready to pretend to be Skeev’s captive. "If they don’t buy it, Plan B is we stab them, okay?"

"Okay," Skeev agrees.

In moments your band quietly organizes: you and Taresh wear unlocked shackles around your ankles, Skeev moves behind you, brandishing The Wounding Shiv in one hand and a chain that is fastened to both of your shackles in the other--if he were to pull on the chain the shackles would become unfastened from you and Taresh.

You urge your disguised party forward through the passage between cell rooms. The goblin chatter gets louder as you get closer to the room where you first encountered Skeev. You step into the room and the goblins there are startled and their chatter instantly stops as they scramble for their weapons.

Apparently there are only four goblins in this unit. You see a larger goblin, who is likely the boss, and who holds a large hammer along with two spear holding goblins about Skeev's build. The forth goblin scrambles to load a bolt in a small crossbow.

When they see Skeev bringing up the rear holding the chain attached to your shackles they are shocked and stop readying their weapons. Their eyes go wide when they notice the blade Skeev proudly points in your direction. The goblin with the crossbow fumbles in astonishment and his bolt falls to the cell floor.

The goblin that dropped his bolt mutters something in goblin in an astonished tone upon seeing Skeev's dagger.

A stupefied spear wielder asks something you guess to mean something like "how?"

You hear another gasp something and the name 'Grak' pops out of the sentence.

"The Nightmare is dead," says Skeev (in common). "I killed it with this blade!"

The goblin boss pipes in with a skeptical tone, "Where's your Hound?" (also in common)

Skeev puts on an air of confidence and boldness and replies, "The Nightmare burst in to this room and dragged him away with the portal key. I followed. The beast was focused on the human. So I searched its lair and found the blade. As the Hound was added to the Nightmare's heap, I faced the creature with this mighty Shiv; dealt it death once and for all! The Nightmare is no more."


"But when I was gone these prisoners came to. They used some sort of magic to get out of their cell. I found them trying to escape. They said they have companions in the warehouse and tried to get the key from me."

He continues with even more bravado in his voice, laying it on thick now. "But with The Wounding Shiv now bonded to me these slaves were no match. I will bring them to the boat quickly. You should check the warehouse for any of their conspirators."


The boss, still skeptical, asks "Why do you speak the human tongue to us?"


Skeev's bold air momentarily slips as the first word of his reply stutters slightly, "It, it's just habit, always stationed in this cursed cell room with humans like the Hound. You know The Ring never likes us talking goblin."

The goblin boss puffs down toward Skeev and turns to his squad puffing up to them. "So, you heard him! We are following our orders and going to the warehouse," He says in common and then commands somethings in goblin. The other goblins reluctantly secure their weapons and start heading toward the passage to the other cell room.

Admiral tries to look appropriately forlorn and defeated as the goblins file past the three of them and out of the chamber. He hangs his head, eyes down and ears drooping.

The instant they’re gone, his ears prick up again and he kicks off the shackles with a grin. "Nice work, Skeev!"

Taresh nods in agreement as he also removes the shackles.

Upon your praise, Skeev, looking proud of himself, triumphantly puts The Wounding Shiv in its sheath. "Almost thought it wasn't gonna." he admits.

"I dunno what we'll find at the boat though." he adds.

"Only one way to find out," says Admiral, leading the way down the tunnel that Skeev said led to the harbour.

You wind your party through the tunnel that leads to the portal door where Skeev was originally meant to be ready with the key and receive incoming slaves.

You encounter no one as you move through the tunnel. When you get close to the portal door you can see that it is closed.

Admiral presses his ear to the portal door, listening for voices or movement on the other side. If he hears no such signs of life, he will wave Skeev forward to unlock the door.

You cannot hear anything through the door. But you notice the faint and welcoming smell of ocean air wafting through the keyhole in the center of the door. Peering into the hole you think you can make out a wide and high tunnel filled with water. Two boats appear to be bobbing up and down on wave-like activity. It is hard to be sure through the obscured keyhole view, but one boat may have prisoners on it. If so, they are stationary. After a moment you see some unfettered movement on that boat; glint of metal makes you think it is a guard, perhaps another Hound. As far as you can see there is no activity on the other boat.

Admiral steps back from the keyhole and turns to his companions. "There’s some kind of guard on one of the boats. A hound maybe. We’re going to rush in, kill the guard, steal their keys, free the prisoners, and steal one of the boats to escape with," he says, counting off each step of the plan on his fingers. "Sound good? Skeev, open the door when you’re ready." He quickly draws his swords and prepares to charge into the room.