2. The First Delve

Gabbro slows down as they pass the archway, to take a slightly longer look at the interior (for map-sketching purposes).

Ricard eases his way up to the door and listens over top of Pickles...

Looking through the archway on the left as he passes, Gabbro can see a large (30’ x 50’) room. The archway he is looking through is 10’ from the southern wall. There is also a similar archway 10’ from the northern wall. You get the impression that the chamber was once used as a dining room, but now the floor is littered with smashed tables and benches. Amongst the debris, Gabbro can also see broken weapons and a couple of humanoid bodies.

Further south at the door, Pickles and Ricard listen. There are no sounds of armour or weapons, nor of any movement or activity. Just whining, pitiful conversation. You can’t understand the language - but you know it’s not kobold or orcish.

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Day 3, 11:00 am
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 4/7
Jessica, Cleric 1: 5/5
Luther, Cleric 2: 9/9 (Lantern)
Pickles, Halfling 1: 4/4
Ricard, Fighter 2: 12/14

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

Fenwick readies her spear and forms up behind Ricard.

"I've kind of got a bad feeling about this."

Luther is ready to help whoever is on the other side of that door but also has mace and shield ready just in case.

Pickles draws his trusty bow, notches an arrow and holds it ready. "All your’s Ricard, I’ve got your back." The Halfling indicates with a nod for the Fighter to knock or open the door, his choice.

Jessica unlimbers her warhammer.

"Hmmm." Gabbro considers where they are. "This isn't far from where we've seen orcs south of here, and we spoke with the Open Sores not too far from here. Do you think this might contain some of their prisoners?" He looks at the others gathered around the door. "Do we know if it's locked yet?"

"Did we decide to knock?"

Ricard readies to ease open the door but waits for the answer before he does.

Ricard opens the door, gently, and not with a boot...

The door opens to reveal a kitchen area. A large wooden table dominates the centre of the room. Scattered across its top are various cooking implements and a scarred chopping block. Three wooden casks sit along one wall.

As the light from Luther’s lantern spills into the room, there is a series of squeals followed by loud shushing. The source of the noises is a group of goblins. Four of them are huddled pathetically beneath the table, whilst a fifth is crouched behind the casks with its hands over its head.

Mapping information: rectangular room, 20’ x 30’. You enter through the middle of the eastern wall. There are no other visible exits.

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Day 3, 11:00 am
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 4/7
Jessica, Cleric 1: 5/5
Luther, Cleric 2: 9/9 (Lantern)
Pickles, Halfling 1: 4/4
Ricard, Fighter 2: 12/14

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

::First it was kobolds running an Inn, now goblins in a kitchen?:: Gabbro stifles his disgust and tries to smile. "Hey! What's cookin'?" ::Everybody's got to eat, I guess...::

Fenwick takes in the scene and gets the impression the goblins are hiding from something. She scans the room for threats.

Upon Gabbro’s greeting and the realisation that they’ve been spotted, there are collective shrieks followed by the raising of hands in a ‘we surrender’ gesture and pleas, in accented Common, of "Don’t hurt us, don’t hurt us!"

Fenwick can see no obvious threats within the room; the five goblins appear to be the only occupants. They are all wearing leather armour and equipped with short swords (i.e. they are not cooks or kitchen hands), but their behaviour is entirely non-threatening. Rather, they seem terrified.

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Day 3, 11:00 am
Fenwick, Elf 1: 5/5
Gabbro, Elf 1: 4/7
Jessica, Cleric 1: 5/5
Luther, Cleric 2: 9/9 (Lantern)
Pickles, Halfling 1: 4/4
Ricard, Fighter 2: 12/14

Link to Gabbro's mega-maps ...

Luther will step in with the lantern "What has you so upset?" Trying to see if we have something else to worry about while keeping an eye on these goblins making sure it isn't some ploy.

"Goblins! Ordinarily, I would say that we should dispatch them and move on," Jessica says, looking at the obsequious humanoids. "But killing this bunch would be an affront."

"We have no reason to hurt you (much less kill you)," Gabbro glares at Sister Jessica, not because she's wrong, but because the talk of killing is going to make these little buggers hysterical, "But tell us: what are you doing in here? You aren't cooks."

Ricard smiles a crooked grin and folds his arms across his chest, leaning back against the wall just inside the room as he waits to hear the goblins' tale.

Pickles looks both ways down the hallway before entering the room behind everyone else. He looks curiously around at the hiding Goblins, before being distracted by the thought of food stores. With a shrug of the shoulders the Halfling starts checking cupboards.