Chapter 2 - The Coal Pits

[monstermike]

The group is finally all back together in the mouth of the tunnel looking out into the great dark cavern. They all turn to look down the tunnel deeper into the mountain, knowing that it will lead them either to riches or grim death.

Game time is still 4/4 13:10

Please post your next move in this thread by noon, Saturday, Dec. 18.

[ProfGremlin]

[Hobb Rogue Lvl 2 Att: 2d+28 Def: 1 Con: 22 Luk: 22 Wiz: 10]

Bitsa turns away from the mouth of the tunnel and shrugs out of his pack. He places it against the wall out of the way and draws his sax. Leaving the others to catch their breath in the dim light of the lantern Bitsa slowly eases his way out of the pool of illumination and, trailing his left hand along the wall, makes his way, as silently as possible, down the tunnel.

Bitsa's sandals tread as noiselessly as a shadow on a cloudy day. The hobb stretches his senses to the limit, the darkness limiting his sight yet sharpening his other senses. The rough wall provides a soothing counterpoint to the faint yet acrid scent of raw coal. He strains his ears for the sounds of voices, tools, footsteps. An echo of water dripping seems to come from - he can't tell whether it's ahead of him or behind as the echoes reflect oddly here. He is even aware of the subtle wisp of air movement across his face. Somewhere a vent shaft led to the surface providing a flow of fresh air to the workers. Ahead Bitsa could just make out a bend in the tunnel barely discernible by the lantern light behind the hobb. He stays to the inside of the bend and slowly inches forward until he can just make out the next leg of the tunnel.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

Bitsa peers ahead into the darkness as he creeps around the shallow corner. Though the tunnel is as dark as a coal mine, about 30 meters ahead he can see a vertical slice of wall that is dimly lit by a distant light source - probably a lantern judging by the lack of flicker and the steadiness of the light.

Bitsa infers by what he can see that the tunnel must go northeast about 25 meters, then make another shallow bend to the north for a short distance before terminating near the source of light.

Straining his ears, he continues to hear the steady sounds of mining - picks clinking on rock and shovels rasping - distorted by the weird echo through the tunnels. As he is about to turn back, he hears distant voices in argument. They are too far away and too distorted for Bitsa to make out words, but it sounds like an angry exchange between a goblin voice and a dwarf voice. Then quite clearly, Bitsa hears the lash of a whip and a yelp of pain, followed by another, and another.

[OOC: I'm declaring holiday slowdown mode. Post when you can as you are available to do so. I will respond to each move as best I can, and move the clock forward when enough has happened to fill a move. I won't be putting "post your move by" deadlines until after New Year's Day.]

[gaptooth]

Assessing the impermanence of his staff, Aonghasan makes the Hocus Focus incantation on his bronze mirror.

Moving forward quietly, he strains to see Bitsa who vanished into the dimness. Gazing long down the tunnel, he can sense the hobbit but not see him. Drawing arcane power from his staff again, he whispers the spell Oh There It Is, seeking anything else that may be hidden from sight or shrouded from mortal minds.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

The loremaster mumbles a brief incantation while holding his mirror and gains a secondary magical focus.

[OOC: As yet untested - I did this Hocus Focus powered up to Level 2 as well, so if the mirror works on its first try, you will get 31 uses each reducing WIZ cost by 2, just like the staff.].

Satisfied for the time being, 'Nasan packs the mirror away again and works a second spell revealing things hidden. However, the spell shows nothing to him.

[Bookkeeping: 'Nasan gains a second untested magical focus, burns 3 WIZ. He will regain 1 WIZ when I advance the clock. His staff has 23 uses remaining. 28 AP INT.]

[tenkar]

Tenkar is quite sure that "silent" and "dwarf" is not a combination he has ever heard or used before. He awaits for a sign from Bitsa for an all clear. In the meantime, he shoulders Bitsa's pack with his own.

[monstermike]

Soon, the sounds of whipping and the yelps of pain cease. You hear footsteps and the sound of something being dragged coming closer. Goblin voices are carrying on a conversation, only this time, it's in the common tongue.

1st Goblin: That'll teach you to fall behind your quota, dwarf scum. We'll have The Donald deal with you when he gets back, filth.
Dwarf: (Moans)
2nd Goblin: Where are we taking him?
1st Goblin: Commander said to dump him in tunnel 4 until the shift is over. Then the higher-ups can settle his hash.
Dwarf: (Moans)

The footsteps approach the tunnel you are in, and Bitsa sees forms quickly cross the ribbon of light that is visible to him. Two goblins are dragging a dwarf into your tunnel.

They drag the dwarf in a couple of meters and unceremoniously dump him there. Rather than return to their duties, they hang around in the tunnel for a moment, continuing their conversation.

1st Goblin: I'm actually glad they had the cave-in in this tunnel.
2nd Goblin: How's that?
1st Goblin: Well, the way I see it, the stinking pukes in the other five tunnels have to work that much harder to meet the quota, and that means I get to beat them more.
2nd Goblin: Yeah. Beating dwarves is nice. Ain't The Donald coming back soon with some more though? That piece of crud Effington said they were gonna open a new coal tunnel soon as they got more slaves.

The goblins remain standing a few meters in the mouth of your tunnel carrying on their conversation, their eyes gradually adjusting to the darkness.

Game time 4/4 13:20

Post moves when you can.

[Bookkeeping: 'Nasan regains 1 WIZ]

[gaptooth]

Aonghasan casts Take That You Fiend at the first goblin, whispering "Get them" to his companions.

[OOC: If we get a free surprise round, Aonghasan will cast Hold That Pose on the second goblin at the first opportunity.]

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

Holding his staff high and thrusting his other hand forward, 'Nasan mutters a low incantation. His staff glows and a crackle of electricity shoots from the palm of his hand. The arc lights the tunnel like the flash of a strobe, revealing the two goblins standing near the supine dwarf, expressions of shock on their bestial faces. They wear leather armor, and each is carrying a short sword at his hip. One is still clutching a coiled whip.

With a ZOTZ! the lightning stroke hits the right-hand goblin. Bitsa can smell electricity and cinnamon in the air as the stroke flashes by above his head.

Their night vision destroyed, the first goblin says, "What the? Grunkk - are you okay?" Clearly, Grunkk's neurons have been badly scrambled and he lets out a low "Unhhh..."

Game time 4/4 13:22

Others can still take actions within this same combat round - i.e. nearly simultaneous with 'Nasan's spell.

Edit: [Bookkeeping: 'Nasan gains 8 AP INT and uses 3 WIZ for TTYF. 22 uses of his staff remain.]

[ProfGremlin]

[Hobb Rogue Lvl 2 Att: 2d+28 Def: 1 Con: 22 Luk: 22 Wiz: 10]

Bitsa ducks involuntarily as Aonghasan's burst of eldritch force arcs over his head. Darkness briefly becomes light showing the goblins in stark relief. The little hobb is up and moving almost in unison with the dissipation of Aonghasan's spell. Light from the open doorway conspires with the after images of the goblins burned into Bitsa's eyesight. The thief runs, as silently as possible Only gonna get one chance at this... along the wall and then leaps at the back of the unsuspecting goblin leaning over his friend. Bitsa extends his blade ready to rip out the goblins throat before he can cry an alarm.

[monstermike]

[Interstitial]

Bitsa makes a mad yet silent dash up the tunnel, the image of the positions of the goblins burned in his mind. As he gets closer, he can see them more clearly in the lantern light from the wall opposite the tunnel opening. Grukk is still dazed, lying on the floor, and his cohort is leaning over him slapping his face.

Bitsa looms out of the shadows, and Grukk's eyes widen at the sight of this apparition springing from nowhere behind his companion's back. Bitsa grabs the goblin's sparse hair with his left hand, pulls the head back, and quickly slashes his sax across the goblin's throat, nearly decapitating him. With a gurgle and a spout of black blood, the nameless goblin keels over sideways and dies.

Grukk, still staring wide-eyed at Bitsa, begins trying to pedal his feet backwards and attempts to draw his short sword, his incoherent moans coming faster, "Unnhhh, unnhhh, unnhh."

The dwarf, slipping in and out of consciousness, sees dimly what just happened in front of him, but can only let out another moan of pain.

Game time: 4/4 13:22

[Bookkeeping: Bitsa gets 21 AP LUK for the mad dash and 24 AP DEX for the assassin's strike. Also 18 general AP for the solo goblin kill.]

(OOC: Other members of the party can still make an action during this combat round. Were you already in motion when 'Nasan cracked off his spell?)

[tenkar]

Tenkar lets the packs drop to the ground. He charges forward with axe and shield, excited to finally find a true enemy. After seeing the remains of the deceased dwarves, this encounter has taken on a personal angle...

[monstermike]

Enraged by the mistreatment of his kindred, Tenkar charges around the bend in the tunnel toward the dim ribbon of light. He was already angered by the dead dwarves in the cavern, but the overheard abuse of the goblins was the last straw. The quick flicker of bright light coming from deeper in the tunnel, and Aonghasan's whispered "Get them" set him into motion, charging with his broad axe some 15 or 20 meters behind Bitsa.

In the time it takes Bitsa to complete his killing strike, Tenkar arrives to see another goblin trying to get up and draw his short sword. He gets the sword out as Tenkar swings his axe, but it provides only a feeble guard. The axe blow from the furious dwarf nearly splits Grukk in two.

[Bookkeeping: Tenkar and 'Nasan each take 9 general AP for the shared goblin kill.]

Game time 4/4 13:22

(OOC: The beaten dwarf is still barely conscious. The armor of the goblin Bitsa killed is in pristine condition, though rather bloodied. It would fit Bitsa fairly well.)

[monstermike]

Far away in time and space, on another world that is only a science fiction myth in Trollworld, a heavy, white-bearded man in a red fur suit makes his final delivery of gifts and toys and climbs into his flying sleigh to return to his home at the north pole.

While flying in the stratosphere of this unimaginable planet, he exclaims, "Ho Ho Ho-ly Crap! I almost forgot the delvers!" He slaps his forehead with a fur-mittened hand, then whistles to his reindeer and calls, "To Trollworld! Quickly!" And with a warp-speed blast, the sleigh vanishes from earth's orbit.

Meanwhile, back on Trollworld...

Owynn, Pan, and Herman hear a hoarsely whispered all clear from their companions, and come up the tunnel to join Bitsa, Tenkar, and 'Nasan near the site of the goblin massacre. They take a moment to survey the damage, still hanging back slightly in the shadows of tunnel number four.

The dwarf has passed out momentarily, but everyone can see the glint of the brass collar around his neck, identical to the ones worn by the three dead dwarves in the caverns. This one is stamped VIII.

Suddenly, a portly bearded man in an outrageous red fur outfit trimmed in white steps around the corner and into the tunnel. He steps over the bodies of the slain goblins and beams at the group of adventurers.

"Ho, Ho, Ho. Merrrrry Christmas!" The six delvers stare blankly at this bizarre apparition.

"Oh, that's right. No Christmas on Trollworld. Well, let me explain..." He rubs his mittened hand in his beard for a moment, then says, "No, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. Let me give you the brief version - I'm your friend, and I'm here to bring you gifts. The why is a bit complicated to say the least. Now, let's see what we have here..."

He spends a moment rummaging in a sack. "For Herman, I give you this enchanted pocketknife. It's an ordinary knife in every way, but this one is guaranteed to never break, never rust, and most importantly, never to cut its user. Even you."

"Now, Aonghasan - You're a might taller than the elves I have working at the north pole - something for you. This is the perfect gift for one that places such a high value on bathing, unlike some others..." He glances momentarily at Tenkar. "I have the Insta-Shower. You simply hang this nozzle from a convenient hook or nail, turn the lever, and out comes a spray of clean hot water for as long as you wish."

"And for Pan." He pulls from his bottomless bag something that looks like a large salt cellar. "This is a gourmet's best friend. The AllSpice shaker. Simply call out the seasoning you wish, give it a shake, and out it comes." He demonstrates, "Thyme!" and shakes out a little thyme, then, "Curry!" and out sprinkles dark yellow curry.

Reaching into his bag again, the strange man says, "Owynn, this is the biography of Harry Houdini. You've never heard of him, but somehow, I think you'll like the guy." He hands the hardcover book to a bewildered Owynn.

"For Tenkar, I have something very special." He pulls out a stein. "Ale," he commands and the stein is full of ale at perfect drinking temperature. "Enjoy in moderation, of course."

"Oh, my. My bag is empty." He looks perplexed for a moment, then brightens. "Lastly, for Bitsa, I have a slightly used bag of holding. It holds all manner of things, yet remains easy to carry around. Just the thing for an ambitious rogue." He hands the sack to Bitsa and whispers to him, "You know, you were actually on the naughty list this year."

And laying his hand to the side of his noggin'
He turns from the group and steps over the goblin.
But you hear him exclaim ere he walks out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good fight."

[kwll]

Owynn has been staying discretely behind ever since the party reached the mine, being handicapped by his heavy armor when it comes to move silently. Now he is just standing in the middle of the tunnel, speechless, as he sees the strange red eerie figure walk away and disappear.

Once he is gone, he looks at the book he just received. He is not sure he can recognize the letters, and is suddenly reminded that his literary education is very much lacking. Disappointed, his mind goes back to his present situation. Looking at the agonizing dwarf lying in the ground (to whom the red figure did not give any gift, he notices), he says to Tenkar: "Say, Tenkar, maybe we should tend to your kin. He surely has interesting things to teach us about the mine..."

That said, he reaches for his bag, to put his new book inside, and pull out his first aid kit.