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<blockquote data-quote="mikeawmids" data-source="post: 7930317" data-attributes="member: 6776411"><p><strong><u>Chapter Nine: Digging for Secrets</u></strong></p><p></p><p>Steeling their resolve, the party descend into the belly of the (House of the) Beast. Sickly green flames flicker from smoky braziers and the air is thick with the stench of carrion. The dungeon beneath the temple was once a tomb, but the industrious gnolls have transformed it into a sprawling excavation site. Wretched slaves toil beneath the whips of their gnoll overlords, piling wooden barrows high with ancient bones and hauling them deeper into the complex.</p><p></p><p><strong>"What are they digging for?"</strong> Nadiyya asks.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Fuk ask!"</strong> Fuk offers, slipping away before anyone can grab him.</p><p></p><p>Stealthily, Fuk approaches a pair of human slaves, too busy with their back-breaking labour to notice the lightfooted little goblin.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Hey! What you dig for?"</strong> Fuk asks.</p><p></p><p>A roll on the Reaction table determines these slaves are Cooperative. They are prepared to exchange information for a promise that the party will break their chains. The slaves know the gnolls are expanding this level of the dungeon, but there are whispers that Rokova - Ghartok's second in command - is using the excavation work to conceal his own search for something else entirely. The slaves don't know what the sneaky gnoll mystic is really after.</p><p></p><p><strong>Q: "Where do we find Ghartok?"</strong></p><p><strong>A: "The Carrion King is usually lounging on his Maggot Throne, below. Follow your nose, you can't miss it - although you may wish that you could."</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Q: "What about this Rokova?"</strong></p><p><strong>A: "He has a room on this floor, although he rarely uses it. He can usually be found with the King."</strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>Q: "What are you doing with all the bones?"</strong></p><p><strong>A: "We take them from the crypts and empty them into a hole."</strong></p><p><em> (they don't know why, only that the gnolls told them to do it)</em></p><p></p><p><strong>Q: "How did you end up here?"</strong></p><p><strong>A: "We were attached to a merchant caravan bound for Katapesh. The caravan master took a shortcut that skirted the Brazen Peaks and we were ambushed by gnolls. Those of us that survived the attack were chained together, dragged here and put to work."</strong></p><p></p><p>Fuk assures the slaves he will be back to free them after the party have dealt with the Carrion King. The prisoners agree to bide their time.</p><p></p><p>A gnoll patrol passes. They snarl at the slaves, but fail to notice Fuk.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Fuk come back soon!"</strong> the goblin promises, melting into the shadows.</p><p></p><p>The party consider their options. If Rokova is working against the Carrion King, it could be worth checking his room, but they don't know where it is, nor do they want to blow their cover searching for it. However, if they can dig up some dirt on the treacherous mystic, he could be a useful ally against the King. Also, they really want to know what he's looking for beneath the temple.</p><p></p><p>The party try to sneak passed the gnoll overseers guarding the mine (using the Quick Encounter rules). The heroes (and Dashki) remain unseen. Fuk spots two hulking gnolls (the slaves called them Unchosen) guarding a door.</p><p></p><p><em>'That has to lead somewhere interesting'</em>, the goblin reckons.</p><p></p><p>But how to bypass the guards without alerting the rest of the dungeon? Can gnolls see in the dark? Dashki says they can. The party recall that Dashki is some kind of self-proclaimed gnoll whisperer. Rather than attempt anything too convoluted, Misfar hits the Unchosen with a Slumber spell. The huge gnolls yawn, then slump to the ground, dozing peacefully. Fuk ensures they never wake again.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Fuk check for traps!"</strong> Fuk announces, after wiping the blood off his axe.</p><p></p><p><strong>"Wait!"</strong> Misfar cries, pulling the goblin back, <strong>"I sense something...."</strong></p><p></p><p>The wizard detects a magical trap on the door, but cannot discern its exact nature, nor can he dispel it without the Dispel power. Instead, he casts Burrow on himself and Fuk. The two of them sink into the floor and emerge on the other side of the trapped portal.</p><p></p><p>They are in a study, of sorts. A large magnifying lens has been affixed to the edge of a makeshift desk, the surface of which is covered by ancient scrolls and faded maps. A bright orange robe has been discarded in one corner of the room. Misfar recalls Zayifid the Wanderer wearing something similar when he visited Kelmarane. Rifling through the notes strewn across the desk, the wizard finds a journal written by Rokova or Zayifid or whoever actually uses this chamber. </p><p></p><p><em>'Several weeks have passed since I came to this loathsone place, yet I am no closer to finding the Tomb of Shirak than the day I arrived! All the clues point me toward the Maggot Throne, but I cannot get close while that brutish mongrel Ghartok occupies it.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>'Rumours circulate of a group of heroes reclaiming Kelmarane from the Kullid tribe. With a small nudge in the right direction, perhaps they can be manipulated into taking out another petty warlord. With any luck, they'll destroy each other and save me the trouble of tying off any loose ends.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em>'I visited Kelmarane in the guise of a travelling priest. In hindsight, I should have come up with a better alias than Zayifid. I baited the hook, now I have to wait and see if they bite.... Once Ghartok is defeated and I crown myself the new Carrion King, there will be nobody to stop me unlocking the secrets of the tomb and claiming the great treasure that lies within!'</em></p><p></p><p><strong>"Son of a witch!"</strong> Misfar curses, tossing the journal across the room, <strong>"That bald bastard lied my face! There was never any army! He just wanted us to do his dirty work!"</strong></p><p></p><p>Misfar converts a Benny into five Power Points and uses them to burrow out. He describes to the others what he and Fuk found inside the sealed room. Zain feels an overwhelming sense of unease emanating from his magical hammer, almost as though the spirit of Vardishal is trying to tell him something. The party decide to stick with the original plan to take down the Carrion King, with a side objective of murdering this Rokova clown while they're about it.</p><p></p><p><em>TBC</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="mikeawmids, post: 7930317, member: 6776411"] [B][U]Chapter Nine: Digging for Secrets[/U][/B] Steeling their resolve, the party descend into the belly of the (House of the) Beast. Sickly green flames flicker from smoky braziers and the air is thick with the stench of carrion. The dungeon beneath the temple was once a tomb, but the industrious gnolls have transformed it into a sprawling excavation site. Wretched slaves toil beneath the whips of their gnoll overlords, piling wooden barrows high with ancient bones and hauling them deeper into the complex. [B]"What are they digging for?"[/B] Nadiyya asks. [B]"Fuk ask!"[/B] Fuk offers, slipping away before anyone can grab him. Stealthily, Fuk approaches a pair of human slaves, too busy with their back-breaking labour to notice the lightfooted little goblin. [B]"Hey! What you dig for?"[/B] Fuk asks. A roll on the Reaction table determines these slaves are Cooperative. They are prepared to exchange information for a promise that the party will break their chains. The slaves know the gnolls are expanding this level of the dungeon, but there are whispers that Rokova - Ghartok's second in command - is using the excavation work to conceal his own search for something else entirely. The slaves don't know what the sneaky gnoll mystic is really after. [B]Q: "Where do we find Ghartok?" A: "The Carrion King is usually lounging on his Maggot Throne, below. Follow your nose, you can't miss it - although you may wish that you could." Q: "What about this Rokova?" A: "He has a room on this floor, although he rarely uses it. He can usually be found with the King." Q: "What are you doing with all the bones?" A: "We take them from the crypts and empty them into a hole."[/B] [I] (they don't know why, only that the gnolls told them to do it)[/I] [B]Q: "How did you end up here?" A: "We were attached to a merchant caravan bound for Katapesh. The caravan master took a shortcut that skirted the Brazen Peaks and we were ambushed by gnolls. Those of us that survived the attack were chained together, dragged here and put to work."[/B] Fuk assures the slaves he will be back to free them after the party have dealt with the Carrion King. The prisoners agree to bide their time. A gnoll patrol passes. They snarl at the slaves, but fail to notice Fuk. [B]"Fuk come back soon!"[/B] the goblin promises, melting into the shadows. The party consider their options. If Rokova is working against the Carrion King, it could be worth checking his room, but they don't know where it is, nor do they want to blow their cover searching for it. However, if they can dig up some dirt on the treacherous mystic, he could be a useful ally against the King. Also, they really want to know what he's looking for beneath the temple. The party try to sneak passed the gnoll overseers guarding the mine (using the Quick Encounter rules). The heroes (and Dashki) remain unseen. Fuk spots two hulking gnolls (the slaves called them Unchosen) guarding a door. [I]'That has to lead somewhere interesting'[/I], the goblin reckons. But how to bypass the guards without alerting the rest of the dungeon? Can gnolls see in the dark? Dashki says they can. The party recall that Dashki is some kind of self-proclaimed gnoll whisperer. Rather than attempt anything too convoluted, Misfar hits the Unchosen with a Slumber spell. The huge gnolls yawn, then slump to the ground, dozing peacefully. Fuk ensures they never wake again. [B]"Fuk check for traps!"[/B] Fuk announces, after wiping the blood off his axe. [B]"Wait!"[/B] Misfar cries, pulling the goblin back, [B]"I sense something...."[/B] The wizard detects a magical trap on the door, but cannot discern its exact nature, nor can he dispel it without the Dispel power. Instead, he casts Burrow on himself and Fuk. The two of them sink into the floor and emerge on the other side of the trapped portal. They are in a study, of sorts. A large magnifying lens has been affixed to the edge of a makeshift desk, the surface of which is covered by ancient scrolls and faded maps. A bright orange robe has been discarded in one corner of the room. Misfar recalls Zayifid the Wanderer wearing something similar when he visited Kelmarane. Rifling through the notes strewn across the desk, the wizard finds a journal written by Rokova or Zayifid or whoever actually uses this chamber. [I]'Several weeks have passed since I came to this loathsone place, yet I am no closer to finding the Tomb of Shirak than the day I arrived! All the clues point me toward the Maggot Throne, but I cannot get close while that brutish mongrel Ghartok occupies it. 'Rumours circulate of a group of heroes reclaiming Kelmarane from the Kullid tribe. With a small nudge in the right direction, perhaps they can be manipulated into taking out another petty warlord. With any luck, they'll destroy each other and save me the trouble of tying off any loose ends. 'I visited Kelmarane in the guise of a travelling priest. In hindsight, I should have come up with a better alias than Zayifid. I baited the hook, now I have to wait and see if they bite.... Once Ghartok is defeated and I crown myself the new Carrion King, there will be nobody to stop me unlocking the secrets of the tomb and claiming the great treasure that lies within!'[/I] [B]"Son of a witch!"[/B] Misfar curses, tossing the journal across the room, [B]"That bald bastard lied my face! There was never any army! He just wanted us to do his dirty work!"[/B] Misfar converts a Benny into five Power Points and uses them to burrow out. He describes to the others what he and Fuk found inside the sealed room. Zain feels an overwhelming sense of unease emanating from his magical hammer, almost as though the spirit of Vardishal is trying to tell him something. The party decide to stick with the original plan to take down the Carrion King, with a side objective of murdering this Rokova clown while they're about it. [I]TBC[/I] [/QUOTE]
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