I think I will meditate while you are doing reconnaissance. Okini grabs his holy symbol and kneeling, begins praying to regain his connection to the Will of saint Cuthbert.

[Private to GM: 12:39, Today: Orikson rolled 13 using 1d20-2.  strength]

"Take care girl, them spikes is sharp and migh' be poison too." He took careful hold to help lower her to the bottom to check the body. "Anyone see the tracks of the wee pygmy gobbers any where? They be eating them kids we donnae get to them fast!""

The pit smells of dearh and decay. It's walls are steep but with the aid of a rope, Rebecca rapels to the bottom easily. She traverses through the stakes, taking care to not touch any. The skeletal remains of an adventurer is impaled on a couple of stakes. With its dried skin, she can tell it is a human male that was wearing leather armor. One of the stakes is punctured through it. The buckles are rusted heavily. A rusty iron short sword lies on the pit floor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:28, Tue 03 Jan 2023.

"Be he having a pack and a purse? The rusty junk can stay there. Should we take him fer proper burial later when we be done? Careful dear, never know what is on them spikes!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:28, Tue 03 Jan 2023.

Rebecca carefully cuts the straps of the man's packs, throwing them topside. She spends several minutes examining the man, even taking his boots. She retrieves a sheath and dagger as well, the blade without blemish. She then attempts to climb from the pit using the rope.

---

15:26, Today: Rebecca rolled 51 using 1d100 ((51)).

[Private to Orikson: Make a STR roll with -2 to roll]
This message was last edited by the player at 20:29, Tue 03 Jan 2023.

"Good lass, we'll divvy up later! Any purse? You keep the dagger, it might be Master work or magic, it's a fine one, and you might be needing it. You see anyprints form the gobbers, or we bein' gone the wrong way all this time? We need to find those kids afore the gobbers eats them!"

He continues to look around for tracks.

The pack contains adventurer's gear, including a flask of oil, a torch, rotted rations, flint, tinderbox, and whetstone. A belt pouch contains two small gemstones, 5gp, and 30 copper pennies. Another pouch contains dried herbs and leaves, four small vials with blue liguid, well known for curing light wounds, and bandages.

Bec pulls the dagger from it's sheath to inspect the blade. It is without blemish and double edged. The metal is a dark iron.  No knicks are in the blade. It is a master worked dagger.

The boots, like the dagger suffers no damage or scratches. The soft riding boots are master crafted with a rune stitched in silver on the inner lining.

---

[Private to Orikson: Make an INT roll for tracks]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:32, Tue 03 Jan 2023.

"Not likely they come this way", Ola states, kicking at Okini to get up. "Not with that pit there. Do we cross anyway?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:52, Tue 03 Jan 2023.

Bec nods at Orikson, attaching the sheathed blade to her weapons belt.

"I'm not skilled in tracking. I wouldn't know a gobo print from a house cat.", she says. "I bet these are magical."

Holding the boots, she gives the mage a quizzical look. "Can you tell Lloyd? I mean look at this rune."
This message was last updated by the player at 22:40, Tue 03 Jan 2023.

Lloyd suddenly perks up, " Psha! Highly unlikely child.", he states, taking the boots from her.  "However, I shall look them over."

At a glance at the rune, he becomes more animated. "They are indeed magical. This is an elven rune, sncai, meaning to be silenced.

"That is a great find.", he says.

[Private to GM: 06:42, Today: Orikson rolled 8 using 1d20.  intelligence check.
]

"I think we should go the other way and find those kids, we can explore here later afterwards. Lead the way Becca, keep your eyes open for secret doors!"

He got in line behind Becca and followed her as fast as he could.

Orik took the rest of the man's gear that was unclaimed, and put it in his pack. He gives the coin to the cleric to hold until they can divide it.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:11, Wed 04 Jan 2023.

The companions retrace their steps and return to the room in which they entered.  From there the enter the west passage. Several yards into the passage they can see a door affixed in place in the unnatural rock tunnel. At the doorway the tunnel turns south.

---

Range to visible door is 30 yds with torchlight and darkvision.

[Private to Orikson: For a brief moment  there was a draft in the tunnel. Enough to flutter Bec's torch flame.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:10, Wed 04 Jan 2023.

Lloyd stuffs the boots into his pack and follows the others, again taking up the rear position. This time, he keeps a more vigilant watch behind them.

"I felt air, the torch felt the air, keep your eyes open for a door that was opened. Check the door up there Becca!" He readies his axe behind her, keeping watch on her back!

"We may get lucky."

As they walked along the passage, Okini examines the walls, ceiling, and floor.

"These tunnels have been here for some time beneath this mill." Okini says. " I wonder how long they have been down here, these humanoids."

---

11:15, Today: Okini rolled 2 using 1d20.  INT roll . – [roll=1672848905.20506.372706]

[Private to GM: 11:31, Today: Orikson rolled 7 using 1d20.  intelligence check.]

"It looks quite old, I wonder if the miller has been down here."

[Private to Orikson: the tunneled halls and room so far is old. The tunneling into the mill is newer construction. ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:36, Wed 04 Jan 2023.

Bec approaches the door with her torch. Kneeling down she examines the locking mechanism, looking for signs of a trap. Seeing nothing suspect, she checks to see if locked. It is unlocked.

With a glance at the bottom of the door, she sees no light.

She looks at Orikson then carefully opens the door, pulling it open only a crack. Nothing but darkness in there.

"I smell something." She says quietly. "Something cooked."

Pulling the door wide, she thrusts the torch into the space.

---

11:20, Today: Rebecca rolled 36 using 1d100.  Skill - Pick locks. – [roll=1672849259.30467.372707]

11:20, Today: Rebecca rolled 79 using 1d100.  Skill - Find traps. – [roll=1672849233.94133.372707]

" Aaaauggh!", shouts an over sized hobgoblin from tbe corner of a chamber about thirty feet square. "Puuut ouuut thaaat liiight."

The voice is gravelly, yet congenial.

The room, as seen in the torchlight, is carved or mined from the greenish stone and layered in carpets, tapestries, and all manner of decorated pillows that are strewn about. The hobgoblin sits among the pillows with a large wooden low table in front of him. The smell of cooked food is prevalent and comes from a steaming bowl on the table. In one hand he holds an open tome. The other hand is held up to block the light from the torch which ruins his darkvision momentarily.

Ori goes in behind the torch! He looks everywhere he can including up and down as fast as he can!

He flexes his mighty muscles and hands on the battleaxe, ready too hew gobbers!

"Hobgobber! DIE!!!" He screams an swings at it!

---

[Private to GM: 11:46, Today: Orikson rolled 1 using 1d6.  initiative.

11:46, Today: Orikson rolled 18 using 1d20.  intelligence check.]

[Private to GM: 11:52, Today: Orikson rolled 0,7,10 using d6-1,d20+2,d8+2.  Battle axe.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:25, Wed 04 Jan 2023.

Bec does a double take, reeling at seeing the creature before her. She moves into the room to the right.

"You're a hob--"

She draws her dagger as Ori moves past her with a battle cry. Not hesitating she moves to attack.

---

12:00, Today: Rebecca rolled 0,6,5 using d6-2,d20+2,d4+2.  Bec - attack with new dagger. – [roll=1672851632.45074.372707]

Ola instinctively reacts to Orikson charging into battle. She draws steel and rushes in.

---

12:29, Today: Ola rolled 2,13,7 using D6-1,d20+2,d6+2.  Ola - attack with sword. – [roll=1672853384.75219.372705]. Hit AC4, 7 points damage

Hearing the threat, the hobgoblin stands, bringing up with him a pillow filled with stone. He meets Orikson in the middle of the room. Orikson's attack is not timed well and the blade arcs with the hobgoblin still beyond his reach. The "hobber" swings his pillowed stone, aiming for the dwarf's head but comes up short. At the same time, Bec misses with a lunge from her dagger.

Ola enters the other flank and connects with her short sword, doing considerable danage to the black blood-kin.

The hobgoblin's eyes fly wide at the injury and he backs away into a fighting withdrawl.

"Youu taaack mee iin myyy hooome!" It says in broken common tongue. 

---

Begin round 2.

Ori pauses a moment, "Where are the children! Deliver them, and you might get to finish your meal!"

[Private to GM: What languages does Ori speak?]

[Private to Orikson: According to your sheet.... dwarf, gnome, goblin, kobold, and common]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:22, Wed 04 Jan 2023.

Bec holds her attack when Ori speaks up. She puts a hand out to stop Ola as well.

"Wha-- whaaat chiiildren? I haaas noo chiiildren." The hobber asks with a quavering voice. His eyes flit between the companions in the room and to those beyond still in the hallway.

The hobber is dressed in gaudy clothing in various colors. He had dropped the large tome on getting up and now plays at a pendant at his neck.

" I caaan fiiinds." He says, squinting his eyes into a shrewd look. "Yooou paaays. Meee fiiind."

As he speaks he taps the side of his head with a finger.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:33, Wed 04 Jan 2023.