As you learned in the last installment, we had finally entered Shadowfell Keep. After winning our first battle, we head inwards towards a path to the right side of the entrance. After a while, we arrive at what is obviously a torture chamber, complete with iron maidens, racks, a fire pit and other such instruments for inflicting serious pain. The wall and tables were thick with bloodstains. The place had seemed to have been used extensively. Inside this chamber of horrors we find another enemy force, composed of Goblin Sharpshooters, a Goblin Warrior and a black armored Hobgoblin wearing a mask, who comes at us armed with hot pokers.
This time however we were better prepared for the Goblins attacks, having learned our lesson from the previous battle. So, while Chuck held his ground against the Hobgoblin and Goblin Warrior, the rest of us focused on taking down the Sharpshooters, who had proven deadly before. Using this tactic, we managed to score an easy and swift win, leaving us free to explore the torture chamber. The chamber itself held nothing of value, unless we were intent on torturing prisoners or some masochist fantasy, but the Hobgoblin's corpse held a nice surprise. He was wearing a magical Bloodcut Hide Armor.
While we were investigating the area, we start hearing cries for help, coming from someplace nearby. We look around and find three cells meant for holding prisoners. In one of the cells there was a rather shabby Goblin, screaming to be released. Good, a chance for some information, and a nicely prepared torture chamber at hand... Unfortunately, there no need for torture as the Goblin revealed himself a coward and squealed immediately. In exchange for information, we offered to release him and let him out of the Keep. He revealed that his name was Slug and that he had been imprisioned unfairly by his brethren, a mercenary group lead by a Goblin known as Fat Boy. They had been hired to guard this level of the keep and prevent any outsiders from reaching the lower levels. Pressed for more information, he revealed that the Goblins were performing an excavation nearby on this level, looking for treasure. He also told us about a secret passage only he knew about, at the excavation site, ang gave us directions on how to find it. Pleased with his information, we lead him to the exit and let him go.
Following Slug's directions, we reach the excavation site unopposed. It was a large excavated area at the end of a hallway, 10ft deep, with small islands of elevated terrain connected by wooden planks. Before we could even see whoever occupied the place, we could clearly hear the sounds of someone digging. We approached with care, trying to sneak up on the workers. I advance stealthily along the wall and peak to see what we were facing. I manage to go undetected and i see that the room is occupied by three Goblin Sharpshooters and a couple of Guard Drakes.
Concentrated on their work, they weren't paying much attention to anything else. Obviously they hadn't heard about an invasion on the Keep.. I move back and tell the others what i see and we decide to strike first, using the element of surprise. The enemies were not very hard, but the tactical situation could prove dangerous. To reach the lower excavated area, where the drakes were, we would have to navigate the planks, which didn't seem very sturdy. Having the best ranged attack, i strike first as my companions enter the room. Chuck is the first to try out the planks and as soon as he steps into one, it breaks in half and he falls flat on the area below. After this, the rest decide it's probably best to climb down. As usual the Sharpshooters proved annoying, because they kept mostly to the elevated ground sniping away, and forcing our meleers to climb up to the platforms to engage them. Anyway, despite the terrain problems, we won this battle without much difficulty.
During the course of the battle, we noticed to our backs that the previously pantless Goblin shows up, this time accompanied by some friends and with his pants on. He still doesn't engage though, and leaves soon afterwards. Still wondering about this strange Goblin, we decide to loot the corpses swiftly and look for the secret passage Slug mentioned to us. Among the corpses we find the results of their digging so far, which inclued some gold and a magical holy symbol of Bahamut. However, after some searching, we aren't able to find the secret passage, and after a while the strange Goblin returns, with a bigger party and waving a white flag. Apparently, he wishes to parley.
Finding this extremely curious, we decide to hear him out. He tells us that he has a message from his leader, Fat Boy, requesting a meeting with us. At first, we are not very keen on this, because it might be an invitation for a trap, but after some discussion we decide to see it through, but on our terms. We tell the Goblin that we would meet with his leader, but only on the condition that the meeting ocurred in neutral ground. We suggest the entrance of the Keep, giving us a chance to escape, if things turned bad. We were definitely not following them into their lair and risk being surrounded. He says he needs to ask his boss for permission and leaves to inquire if he accepts. He returns shortly after, with word that his leader had agreed to our terms. We then follow the Goblins back to the entrance, and quickly realize that Fat Boy didn't fully fullfill our requests. We were at the entrance allright, but a large Goblin force was around the room, blocking the exit, and there were three human hostages standing over the pit trap. A Goblin stood ready to activate the trap. Amidst his guards, there stood a rather large and foul Goblin, who could only be Fat Boy. Despite the situation, the Goblins didn't seem interested in fighting and looked scared and uneasy.
Amazingly, despite his gruesome appearance, Fat Boy was rather polite and revealed that he had been forced to use such tactics, due to his forces being largely reduced by our attacks. They didn't seem that reduced to me, though... He then inquires us of our intentions in the Keep. Noticing their cowardly demeanor, i tell him that our only objective in the Keep is to destroy the evil cleric Kalarel and his cohorts. Fat Boy tells us that he and his band were just hired mercenaries who had nothing to do with whatever Kalarel was doing in the lower levels. He hints that an arrangement can be made to allow us passage, in exchange for allowing the remainder of his band to leave this place. The sleezy bastard wanted money... With little choice but to negotiate, especially since we were cut off from the exit and because of the hostage situation, we strike a deal with Fat Boy. In exchange for the magical holy symbol we had found earlier and 50 gold pieces, they would give us the hostages and leave the Keep. I couldn't help but feel that we had been robbed, though...
After all the Goblins and their women and children leave the Keep, we investigate the area they were using as living quarters and get ready to move on. They had taken all things of value though. However, we do manage to discover that the secret door Slug told us about was a back door into the area the Goblins were occupying. If we had found it's entrance at the excavation sooner, we could have used to surprise attack them and possibly achieve an easy win, despite being outnumbered.
The hostages were in decent condition and we promised to take them to Winterhaven after we investigated the area a little better. We had found a path leading into some natural caves and wanted to go further. More on that, in the next article.
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