2014 - 09/18 - From the journal of Thelga, priestess of Saranrae
General Summary
The entrance to the cave was as it’s been in the last few visits our temple has made to clear its inner workings of scum, but it seems goblins have moved in again. Two of them attacked us after Ezren cleared the moss with a fiery spell. Arberitha confused one of them by being friendly, which is definitely the first time I’ve seen a human warrior so eager to talk to a goblin. Tessara’s more pragmatic approach dispatched the other without delay. Arberitha’s friend led us inside to explore its bedchamber, though Tessara’s aggression eventually scared it away, leaving its treasure chest behind.
The next room contained a fountain that I believe was dedicated to Desna’s luck-worship. Tessara drank some of the water, which appeared to do her no great harm though she bounced for several minutes afterward. From this room, we could hear talking and Arberitha rushed headlong to see where it was coming from, tumbling into the argument of more goblins. Again, she showed rare friendliness for the monsters by waving and introducing herself as, “just visiting.” The self-named King Fatmouth seemed unimpressed and ordered his minions to attack, resulting in a quick withdraw from our mighty fighter. Tessara also investigated with much the same results and we all fled to the far side of the fountain room.
Through that exit was a room full of red light and a magical voice which ordered humility in exchange for survival. Arberitha managed to avoid the flames on her knees to retrieve the magical gemstone, which Ezren identified. I suspect this will be an important artifact in the coming trials.
Beyond the altar room, we encountered a giant spider brooding over the body of a dead goblin. This proved a difficult battle (I must admit to being overcome with heavenly excitement and got tangled in the webs, necessitating rescue), but we eventually prevailed and managed to retrieve the goblin’s body. It possessed features surprisingly like those of King Fatmouth, perhaps even a familial relationship. It also possessed gold and a masterfully crafted toy dragon.
The next chamber contained a pillar with magical writings with which I was unfamiliar, though there was more plain writing to the side in regards to the goblins’ fear of “the wyrm” beyond the crypt and its breath being death. Ominous words indeed. Ezren seemed enthralled by the pillar and stayed to study it while Arberitha rushed ahead, pursued by Tessara. Our intrepid warrior plunged into the deep water without a backward glance and stirred up a sleeping Reefclaw, which promptly chased her down. I did my best to help Tessara’s long-distance rescue attempts with Saranrae’s blessings and Arberitha finally slayed the watery monstrosity and claimed its treasure. About this time, Ezren decided to join us, newly able to breathe water thanks to his puzzling over the pillar. He searched the deep water but was unable to locate anything of interest.
We continued on, only to find ourselves back and facing the goblin rabble once again. Much bolder this time, they rushed us in spite of Arberitha’s attempts at friendly conversation. Tightly packed into a narrow bottleneck, the battle proved a challenge and we nearly lost Arberitha once the goblin monarch decided to start slinging spells at us. Saranrae’s power preserved her, though (and probably a decent amount of Desna’s luck) and we prevailed, beating back the rabble until Fatmouth was wobbly with fatigue. Due to our stunning show of strength, Fatmouth conceded that we were stronger (and that Ezren “might” be a better wizard). He invited us to share in the comforts of his court, mostly the contents of a sizable treasure chest and the meager safety of scabby blankets. But his goodwill is better than his ire and he may prove to be a worthy ally.
Respectfully submitted,
Thelga Sunshammer
Priestess Acolyte of Saranrae
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