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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MarauderX" data-source="post: 1547090" data-attributes="member: 9990">Sesson 9: Viper Lair to SukyskinThe fire raged on, still separating their new monkey-like comrade from them.  Little did they know, but he was bravely venturing deeper into the goblin compound.  The others began quelling the flames with a dampened blanket, and once the flames were starting to get under control Alex leapt through the smoke and over the fire to the other side.  On the other side he saw three dead goblins, their bodies contorted oddly.  Using the glowing rock Jerrin had handed him earlier, he made his way through to find the monkey-man growling at him to open the door he stood in front of.  Alex decided instead to open the doors to another room that they had passed up, and noticed a weapon trap similar to those he had accidentally set off in the other rooms.  Bypassing the crossbow trap, Alex swung the door open to reveal another room with crude goblin furniture, clothing and scraps of food strewn about.  Alex finally popped open the door the monkey-man had been originally concerned with, and swinging it inward they were met by a ghastly sight.  Two glowing braziers revealed a host of goblins pointing crossbows their way and snakes seemed to be everywhere in the room!  Just as they were about to get their bearings they were covered in flour once again, and they were in a cloud of dust.  Bolts zoomed by them and several struck their mark but behind Alex the monkey-man charged in.  Several goblins had snakes in their hands and tossed them at the monkey-man as he came forth, and the snakes struck him with their venomous bites.  Summoning forth a wolf, the monkey-man then directed it to attack a larger goblin that had snakes draping from his shoulders.  The goblin was tossed to the dirt floor by the wolf, and then mangled to death by it.  Alex fired several shots before he and the monkey-man pulled the door closed and relocking the door.  Alex watched the monkey-man rip away the two snakes clinging to him and kill them under foot.  Meanwhile the others had decided to open a door they had passed by earlier.  Cyprian smashed the door down after a few blows, and looking through the splinters revealed an empty space beyond.  Jerrin stepped into the room first and he felt his foot drag against something and an instant later a crossbow bolt zipped over his head.  Inspecting the bolt they saw that it was poisoned like the others.  Searching the room revealed very little, with dung-filled puddles dotting the floor.  Soon they exited and began dousing the tunnel flames and kicking at the pile to suppress the fire.  A few minutes later they would be able to create a relatively safe path around the fire to the other side.  Once on the other side, Jerrin, Thovaas and Cyprian met up with Alex and the shorter monkey-man.  With a brief description of the room beyond the door they had just shut moments ago, the group formed a plan.  Using Thovaas’s shield, Jerrin stood behind it as Alex opened the door.  Jerrin then summoned several wolves before conjuring a swirling fog to obscure vision within the room.  Goblin cries of astonishment and a few from pain were heard before a barking goblin voice started to take charge.  The monkey-man jumped through the doorway and into the fog.  Cyprian fired into the thickness and it found its mark – in the monkey-man.  The others poured through as well and they felt through the morass to find goblin targets.  Soon they had dropped several goblins, and several more were heard to be leaving through the tunnel opposite the door.  A few more tried to escape only to be brought down by Thovaas and they moved towards the dark, narrow tunnel leading upward.  Alex then led the way along the dark tunnel, and just as he turned a corner two snakes blocked his way.  Squeezing past the others, the monkey-man persuaded the snakes to go forward in front of him as they continued.  Rounding another corner, the monkey-man saw a pair of goblin eyes gleaming down the hall and rushed forward to attack.  Midway down the hall something gave way beneath his feet and sent him careening downward into a spike-filled pit.  Weakened even more by the poison covered spikes, he relaxed his body as he groaned a warning to the others.  Alex used his rapier to dispatch the two snakes that were preventing him from continuing down the corridor.  The others, seeing what had happened, helped the monkey-man out of the pit before one by one they leapt across the pit.  On the other side they emerged from the tunnel to see the stream ten feet below them and a cleverly constructed door made to blend perfectly into the cliff side with several plants helping to conceal the cracks for an opening.  Looking into the conifers beyond the goblin’s escape route, they only saw the movement of a few branches where the escaping goblins had run.  Turning back inside, the group cautiously waited for the fog to dissipate before searching the main room with the braziers.  In that room the walls were covered with snakes, snake skins, and pictures of snakes.  The entire room glowed in a creepy green-yellow light as the fires from the braziers danced, and the group searched the room as Cyprian took up a scouting position above the main entrance.  They started to find various treasures in each of the mounted snakes along the walls, and soon they had gathered a decent sum which they had piled in the middle of the room.  Centered on the room’s axis was an unfinished goblin-sized throne with flea-infested furs slung over it.  Pitching it forward the group found a box with snake carvings all around the outside.  Suspecting yet another trap, Alex searched the box and found that it was neither locked nor trapped.  Opening it they saw small bottles of various liquids.Resting for nearly a full day, Jerrin tended to the monkey-man’s weakening wounds as Alex and Thovaas sifted through the rest of the goblin compound for anything they might have missed.  Finding nothing else, they were content to rest and start searching for the Wolfskull tracks the following day.  Cyprian led the group to where they last saw any signs of the Wolfskull’s passing, and began to realize the trail might have run too cold.  However, listening to the others speak of a Stone Forest, Cyprian had an idea that one of the elders back at the homestead might know where it was located.  They started back immediately and traveled through the thicker woods much of the day as they headed north and west.  That night they were sleeping peacefully when Cyprian heard someone coming through the woods.  Sure enough Martin crashed his way right into their camp once more.  Cyprian expressed pleasantries with him, and Martin talked absently about making plans, finding goblins, and how he supposedly chased the goblins towards the group for them to slay.  He asked Cyprian for some food or gold, as in his mind he had done half the work of scaring the goblins their way and any treasure should be split with him.  Cyprian mentioned that the goblin lair was full of food as well as rich with copper and that he should visit it soon before other robbers claimed his prize.  He was thankful, and kept chattering to Cyprian until it was Alex’s turn to keep watch.  Alex asked Martin questions that kept the half-orc yakking for some time until Alex got bored and went back to sleep.  Cyprian stayed awake to keep an eye on Martin, as it seemed Martin was keeping as much an eye on him to see if he would fall asleep.  Again chatting unremittingly Martin was cursed at and then warned by someone from the trees.  Martin mentioned food and gold a few more times, and soon a gold piece landed in his lap from above.  Surprised, Martin sprang up with joy and looked upward to the dark trees wishing that it might rain more gold so that he could make more money from it.  Instead he received another warning and counting himself fortunate Martin left the group to sleep a few more hours.  It took the party two more days of quiet traveling to reach the homestead of Sukyskin, and there they were greeted by Pyotr and the others once again.  The homestead was getting quite crowded and several tents had been set up in the clearings near the main building.  Building had progressed to fill the gap in the fence where the barn had burned down, and the pure white horses were still corralled nearby.  Once inside they saw that a small group of merchants had stopped through selling the standard fare of wares from Kargam.  Though they had a good selection of items the prices were extremely high, as the merchants had sensed the homesteaders need for goods.  Pyotr told them that the two prisoners were becoming difficult to control, and that his son Matvey or others might be susceptible to the smooth tongue of the woman being held.  They were even becoming belligerent at times and he asked the party for any help, guidance or solution they might have.  Next he asks how the hunt of the goblins played out, and lastly, with dismay already in his voice, he asks whether there was any sign of Stephan.  The party explains everything they had seen, and ask whether anyone might know of the Stone Forest.  Pyotr directs them to have Kuzma tell one of her stories, as recalls her mentioning it before in one of her tall tales of old.  Thovaas then politely asks Kuzma of the Stone Forest and she gives him a wink as they all sit around the great hall.  She takes a prominent spot in the hall as she makes the most of the attention she has for the moment.  Then she regales everyone with her tale.</blockquote>

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