Cauldron - To the Lower Levels pt 2

Check the opposite door. Find nothing. Open the door. See Goblins carrying buckets of embers, a hobgoblin and more distant figures in the dim light. A large work table is in the middle. A cage hangs from the ceiling. This one has a live fire beetle in it. Two dwarves and a halfling are chained to the table. Move into the room, shooting at a goblin and missing. The party follows. The halfling and dwarves dive under the table, free themselves and attack their captors, which are soon defeated. I heal one of the dwarves that was rendered almost dead by a hobgoblin. The halfling is called Maple, the dwarves are Lorthor and Sandor Ironfold. They tell us what they know of the area and event. To the west are guards. A dinning room is to the south. The best route to the auction is south. I listen and hear guard noises behind the west door, confirming part of Lorthor’s story. Elwin tries and thinks he has jammed the west door lock. Quietly open the door to the south. A dinning room. Table and chair, dirty crockery scattered about. Four doors. Think SE door leads to a kitchen. West door has a small sliding peek hole that is currently open. Room to west is lit, the glow shining thru the peek hole. Brak lifts Elwin up to look thru the hole. He sees a large chamber. A black clad figure haggling with another one. Four chained children and four hobgoblin guards. Several caged fire beetles provide light. Brak lowers Elwin and I look. A large spiny critter is by the black figure. I think it is a howler. While I am watching the black figure sell a boy to the other one, a large spherical creature with eye stalks appears in the room’s center. A beholder! The hobgoblins cower away. A female figure also floats in the room. The beholder states “I have come for Terram. You should not have taken him. Terram, come with me.” The black figure gives the boy to the pair and the three blink out. The black figure, Cosmo, and the other, Pillarack, resume bargaining for the other three kids.

We choose this moment to charge in. Surprise them. Two other doors to the north have peep holes as well. We didn’t notice that Elwin and Maple have wondered off to the suspected kitchen. Halflings and their stomachs! Pillarack takes his money and runs out the west door. The howler moves and shoots quills at Gracie. Brak shouts out a mighty yell and cleaves in two one of the hobgoblins. Cosmo moves to the stairs by the three kids and yells out “The children are still for sale, we don’t have to fight!” Aerrion yells from across the room, “How much?” Cosmo responds “600 gold.” Gracie and I approach Cosmo and the kids to bargain their release. Brak is holding the north door bar in place while eyeing the other hobgoblin, who is very content to stay still after watching the demise of his fellow guard. Jian mentions “Its getting dark.” More danger coming? Aerrion keeps yelling bids while Gracie and I are trying to talk Cosmo down on price. It is obvious that Cosmo is eager for a deal but Aerrion’s impatience makes us have to settle for 900 gold value in trade goods. Could have got a better deal. Cosmo was eager to settle and get out. Send for and get the trade goods, some of the armor and weapons we found earlier. Get the kids and both sides move out of the room. While we were recovering the kids, the halflings were in the kitchen freeing a human captive and terrorizing four goblins. They left the goblins locked in the kitchen.

Meet back up to and move to the elevator. At the top, the Cuthbertians show some small bit of respect when they notice the three kids and other freed captives. Escorted to Jenya. Townsfolk see us come out of Kegan’s shop with the kids and others. Some urchins run off to spread the news. Jenya is relieved to see us. Before we can tell the tale, a messenger arrives with a note. Jenya reads it and smiles. “You did rescue all four. Terram was delivered to the orphanage.” Arrange details of our payment for the kids recovery. Also begin the claim process for the area below that we cleared. That could take awhile. Several days pass while we celebrate and work out details of payment and the claim. Leena offers to make potions for half price. Jenya mentions the other job of finding the Reg Gorge priest is still on the table but since they have lost track of him, the urgency is gone. During one of the bar runs to celebrate, Jian introduces Gracie and Elwin to a card game she knows. Something called Three Dragon Ante. While Gracie and Elwin claimed to have had fun, Jian managed to lighten their purses to the tune of about 80 gold. Its obvious that Jian has more to her then just magery!

Oosana.

Loot - Party receives 2550 for completing the mission. After selling what we found, works out to about 617 gold each, leaving 425 in the party fund.

XP Kills - 1100, Story - 600, Roleplay - 100
Everyone gets one Reputation point and two action points.
Brak spent one.