Having gathered all treasures we could from the Urgathoan tomb, we returned to the dwarven mine and headed south toward the foul smelling pit. The shaft was fitted with block and tackle, and as Rem’e readied his pistol, I pulled the rope to lift a suspended set of planks suitable for seating two – and safe by Liadan’s reckoning. By lowering this seat until the ropes grew slack, we determined the shaft descended approximately forty feet to its floor.
Rem’e tossed a torch into the pit where an undead dwarf shambled towards the flame. Uncertain of what lay beyond our vision, I bathed Ariza and Rem’e in the protection of Sarenrae so that they might be unseen by the shuffling corpse, and Liadan and I lowered them carefully down. Halfway they found the stench particularly foul – Rem’e described it as reminiscent of the black powder from the crypt – but the halfling and gnome are hardy and made it to the bottom without trouble. Though the walls of the shaft were rich with thick veins of gold, the floor contained only a pail of nuggets and the unfortunate dwarf, beard braided with onyx and blind to our companions’ presence. No passages proceeded from that deep hole.
Rem’e and Ariza whistled, and we drew them back up. After they described the scene, I asked to be lowered down where I poured the Dawnflower’s light into the unfortunate creature below but could not destroy it. Spent, I returned to the tunnel. Ariza attempted to lure the creature toward the lift using blood from her wounds, and when that failed, Liadan felled it with a single magic missile from above.
Now safe, Ariza and Rem’e descended to the shaft’s floor. While Rem’e stood guard, Ariza cut six polished onyx beads from the dwarf’s hair and gathered the pail of gold nuggets which we estimated worth over a hundred gold pieces. Searching the shaft further uncovered nothing – no black powder, no hidden passages – just the hole, empty and forbidding. After their ascent, I dropped once more into that horrid stench to see if some dark magic were at play, but my efforts discovered nothing.
The work of clearing the mine seemed complete, and we returned to our camp to eat and rest. The following morning we followed Liadan’s directions to the grounds above the crypt to seek out ruins and the tomb’s entrance. But after a day’s search revealed only the crumbling remains of an ancient stone archway, weathered and mostly buried, we determined that further excavation would wait for those more prepared for the job. And thinking on the brothers Grold and Durn, we knew it was time to return to Amber.
After a final night’s rest, we packed and headed back over the open grasses of the frontier. Though the first day was calm, our second march was interrupted by a fierce band of hobgoblins. Three approached us from behind.
“Elf scum!” they cried, and pointing corybantic talons at Ariza and Rem’e shouted in excitement, “Look at those! Look at those!” The largest of the lot stepped forward and grunted, “Put away your weapons!” To my left I discerned three more villains arriving to flank us.
“Hello, Hobgoblins!” said Rem’e stepping forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. And before the hobgoblins had a chance to ogle further, Rem’e’s hand flashed to his pistol and shot the leader. And the weapon met its mark … but delivered only a glancing blow.
With a roar they rushed forward as Liadan raised her flaming hands to pour fire over two causing the leather of their armor to smoulder. Though Ariza struck another with a thrown dagger, the relentless attackers continued. Hoping to strike fear in the leader, I cast my divine magic at him, but he merely shuddered and pushed on undismayed.
The hobgoblins, now fully engaged, shot Liadan with terrifying accuracy and knocked her down with a crushing sword blow where she lay bleeding and unconscious. Despite a shot from Rem’e’s gun that dropped the leader to one knee, he sprang up inflamed with battle-hunger, knocking aside a dagger thrown by Ariza. Seeking to protect Liadan from further onslaught, I ran near and poured fire over the two already smouldering hobgoblins. And as five of the enemy surrounded me, Rem’e cried, “FLARE!”, and my eyes snapped shut just as a searing blast of light blinded all before me. Liadan was bleeding badly by then, and Ariza cast flame on the remaining outlier and ran to my aid. With Ariza’s helpful distraction, I slew the hobgoblin between us. But the outlier chased Ariza down and grazed her with his sword. As I danced in the fury of the fight, evading three more blades, my scimitar brought justice down on a fourth villain as he turned to flee. Behind me, Rem’e reloaded with nimble speed and fired into the flanks of the enemy with a blast of gunsmoke and pain while Ariza, swinging her deadly blades, struck the outlier twice.
Dropping to my knee, I reached for Liadan and revived her, but was hit twice while Ariza was likewise staggered by a mighty blow. Rem’e finding her in dire need, shot the hobgoblin towering over Ariza, knocking it back but not ending it’s fight. And while Liadan rose behind me to rejoin the fray by pouring an arcane missle into the nearest combatant, Ariza blearily swung at the outlier only to topple over, sorely hurt. I quickly filled the air with the energy of the Healing Flame to bring some comfort to those of us hurt in the battle. As the hobgoblins continued in such a frenzy that one stumbled and fell, Rem’e saw the outlier raising his sword over the fallen Ariza for a killing blow and with a fury of rage and gunpowder sent the interloper backwards in a blast that blew him ten feet out of his boots to sprawl dead in the grass. As Rem’e blew the smoke from his pistol, the remaining two fighters, eyes wide with surprise, scrambled to flee.
All of us, now revived, struck after the fleeing enemies but thwarted them little: Ariza swung with a dagger that did not meet its mark; Rem’e shot with alchemical cartridge that caused a burn but did not stop them; I swung in vain with my sword, meeting empty air; and Liadan ran forward to deliver a shocking grasp, causing the recipient to squeal and jump but not stop running. Finally, I managed to lay one low with a bolt from my crossbow, and we gathered our breath and watched the last hobgoblin flee across the plain.
A search of their corpses uncovered nothing of use, though Ariza found an emblem emblazoned on their shoulder pads: a depiction of a very proud phallus at attention, surrounded by two large stones. With her dagger, Ariza collected the emblem for later research. It seemed unusual that a hobgoblin patrol might be so far afield from Turtsaz – if they were from there, and we decided to inform the mayor’s office on our return.
After some healing and a lightening of my pack (as Ariza snatched the potion of cure light wounds for safekeeping), we hoofed it back to Amber without trouble and headed straight for the mayor’s office.
Rhun ab Elad, Emissary of the Dawnflower