Meeting Tharn

Meeting Tharn

Two, large, flickering torches light up the room and are set to either side of the door. The place is lavishly furnished, with thick rugs, wall hangings, two soft chairs, and a lavishly carved wooden table, with four chairs. A brass brazier burns in the northeast corner, warming the place and sending a nice fragrance into the air. A silver goblet with a red liquid sits on a pedestal on the far side of the room and a gold inlaid platter sits on a side-table with various bits of meat and cheese. A dark wooden cabinet sits beside a large, opulent, four post bed. A large, iron chest sits on the far wall with a large padlock on it. A man lies prostrate in a chair, head resting on the table, as if asleep. He wears chain mail with a dark red tabard and a sheathed long sword stands in the corner nearby.

<Serena aka Douglas wrote>:
> "If you hadn't charged in here like that, I'm sure
> we could have talked with him and gained some valuable
> information. I do hope he's going to be alright.
> There are a lot of goblins in this place, and I hope
> he doesn't run into any trouble. I think we should
> try to follow him -- wherever he went -- just to try
> and keep him safe."

Blondung walks into the room, "Well I don't think he will have too many problems from the hob-goblins... I got the impression the men outside were working pretty closely with them."

<Serena aka Douglas continued>:
> Serena strides over to the sheathed longsword, picks
> it up and draws it halfway from its scabbard.

The sword looks fairly utilitarian, although there is the initial "T" engraved into the hilt and the grip looks well worn. The blade itself has also seen good use, but has obviously been well cared for, for it still looks sharp.

<Serena aka Douglas continued>:
> "I wonder if this was his? Perhaps I had better hold
> onto it, so that I may deliver it to him when we find
> him. You know, he really did run off in a hurry. I
> never even got his name!"

Blondung grins at Lucretia, out of sight of Serena. "So how come he is your friend all of a sudden?" he asks Serena, a slight mocking tone in his voice.

<Serena aka Douglas continued>:
> She steps toward him, leans down, and peers at his face.
> "Who is this? A very sound sleeper?"

The man is unshaven, and his clothes are dirty, as if he has been on the road for several days. He appears to be sound asleep, and a small amount of saliva has dribbled out of his mouth onto the table. On the floor behind him is a back-pack, it's top already undone.

<Ceely aka Robson wrote>:
> Ceely raises back from Serena, protecting her sensitive
> eyes from the sudden ilumination. She can't help and
> lets a pain scream leave her mouth. She almost falls back
> to the floor again, and decides to kneel on the floor until
> her eyes a fully recovered. She says" Someone! Hurry! Get
> the priest before he leaves the room, or casts another spell!!!!"
>
> OOC - Obviously, she didn't notice that the priest left the room.

After a few moments - her eyes become accustomed to the light, and she peers around, noting the distinct lack of priest.... Serena has picked up a long sword and is now peering at the man asleep at the table.

***

Meanwhile, in the other room:

Hearing that the priest has left the room, Cleo, her eyes still wide with fright, calms down somewhat, and Yvandel and Merrell feel that they can get off her without her running away any more. Larz steps close to her, and looks up into her eyes. "Be calm young girl" he mutters, placing a hand on hers and muttering in dwarven for a moment. Cleo calms considerable, and suddenly seems rather embarrased at her fear. "Don't worry - he used magic on you - I'd have been running for my life too if it had been me!"

<Merrell aka Mike D. wrote>:
> "Not that I expect any of you to suddenly begin listening
> to sound advice, but Herod is right. No magic (unless
> Blondung has more up his sleeve),... "

Blondung look out of the other room as he hears his name mentioned. "I have something held back that may still well be useful" he comments cryptically.

<Merrell aka Mike D. continued>:
> "... no healing, ..."

Herod finally digs out the remainder of the potion he had been searching for. It is half full.

<Merrell aka Mike D. continued>:
> ... one girl who
> thinks our enemies are the incarnations of Sune, and another
> who thinks they are Xvil himself come down to Faerun."

Larz interrupts briefly. "The power of the Father of Battles has removed her fear." Larz glances at the zombie, still cowering in the corner. "A loose end that needs tying" he mutters. Hefting his battleaxe, he steps close, and as the zombie turns, slams his axe into it. It swipes back at him, but he ducks and then slams it again, this time dropping it to the ground. The unnatural glow in it's eyes fades.

<Merrell aka Mike D. continued>:
> "Whatever we do next, it better be quick and thought out.
> For now, quickly, someone should check for the all too
> common secret doors, and four others should watch an exit."
> Merrell lets out a loud 'harumph' in anticipation of being
> fully ignored by the 'mule-like' warriors. "At least don't
> everyone rush into the other room like schoolchildren.
> Bodies to be searched, plans to be made!!"

Larz glances at the various injuries that the party have sustained. "A little first aid wouldn't go amis though," he comments, and starts to dig out his bandages. He applies a bandage to his own minor wound first. (OOC: 3 hp back)

****
OOC: Quick summary as a reminder of the status of the injured.
Balnor - on 7 of 9
Ceely - on 7 of 10
Herod - on 4 of 8
Lucretia - on 10 of 12
Milo - on 5 of 10

Healing = one dose of healing potion left (OOC - if you wanted to split it I'll make an exception and I'd give half it's effects to each person) First Aid could also be applied to Milo and Herod.

****

<Merrell aka Mike D. continued>:
> The raucaus mage belies his own words and slowly walks
> across the room to peer into the other. "Poor bugger's
> probably been drugged... and I'd watch what you touch...
> this guy seemed a rather tricky guy...". He then turned
> his back on the room and focussed on tidying up the other.
> If any of the dead people stand out he will briefly search
> him. If not, Merrell will keep watch down one of the doors.

OOC: None of the dead stand out as particularly special. DM decision, Merrell returns to the secret door that the party came in through and glances down the dark passage way.

<Serena aka Douglas wrote>:
> "Tricky? Tricky because he had to be! If some bloodthirsty
> fighters I know hadn't charged him, we'd probably all be
> talking nicely right now!"

"Kill or be killed - the law of the wilderness" mutters Soggrin, standing in the doorway to the north room, watching the remaining zombie.

<Serena aka Douglas wrote>:
> Serena pauses, considering Soggrin's words. Then
> she answers, "But we are civilized, Soggrin -- not
> wild, lawless folk, like those goblins -- and if we
> follow your "Law of the Wilderness" then we should
> count ourselves no better than they are."

"Civilized?" Soggrin almost spits. "You live in your towns and cities, and consider yourselves civilized, but that is not how man is supposed to live." She says something inintelligable, in her barbarian tongue before continuing. "The open countryside, living off the land and the fight for survival is what true living is all about!" She mutters in a low voice to herself for a moment, and Serena is glad that she is out of eyesight.

<Serena aka Douglas continued>:
> She leans over the sleeping man and nudges him on the shoulder.
>
> "Sir? Sir! Wake up!"

The man stirs a little and then settles his head back down - he appears not quite ready to wake up yet..

<Herod aka Scott wrote>:
> Staggering over to Balnor he will check him to see if there
> is anything that he can do to revive him.

Splashing some cold water over Balnor's face brings him around. As he comes around, his eyes open wide, and he begins to struggle in fear, his head craning around trying to see the enemy priest. Seeing that he is not around, he calms somewhat, but you can tell that he is on a knife edge of fear. He has a nasty lump on his head where he collided with the door, but is otherwise reasonably alright. (OOC: Balnor was also "feared" by the enemy priest, and will be on-edge and skittish for the rest of the day...)

<Lucretia aka Joe wrote>:
> Lucretia moves to the south wall and begins to look for
> any signs of a secret passage...."Come on now people lets
> get after this blasted spell caster, before we have the
> whole horde of Hobgoblins down on us!"
> "Blondung... do you think the crafty bastard could have
> turned himself invisible?

Blondung sits on the edge of the bed, and starts to examine the cabinet. Glancing at Lucretia, he answers the fighter's question. "Anything is possible - but judging from the priestly spells he was throwing at us, I would guess probably not. Unless he had some form of enchanted item to cast the spell for him. You see, the techniques involved in creating invisibility stem from a manipulation of the weave that is easier for those trained in the arts than one whose power derives from their god." Blondung is about to continue in more detail about the theoretical side of the art, before he suddenly remembers exactly who he is talking to, and lapses into silence shaking his head, continuing to open the cabinet. Lucretia examines the wall next to him, but can't see anything that looks anything like a secret door.

Inside the cabinet is a pile of clothes, which Blondung pulls out and lets fall to the floor. Something glints as he moves them, and he snatches out a platinum medallion with several opaque, pale blue gemstones set within it. In its center is a broken horn. It is attached to a gold chain. He holds it up to the light and frowns at it. "I'm sure this is a religious symbol of some kind - but I'm buggered if I can remember to which god!" he mutters.

Lucretia continues to search the walls around the bedroom, walking over the bed to finish checking the south wall behind it. The wall there seems solid too. He starts moving along the east wall, tapping and prodding the wall, looking for anything that might indicate a secret door. He finds nothing.

<Merrell aka Mike D wrote>:
> Sticking near Soggrin, and away from zombies,
> Merrell got a closer look at the room.

OOC: Quick reminder of description of north room. This room is lined with newly crafted wooden bunks. They sit some 3" off the floor and have stuffed mattresses, covered with thick furs on each. At the end of each bed is a small chest. An oil lamp, burning brightly, hangs from the center of the ceiling.

This is the sleeping quarters for the guards. There are a total of 10 bunks here. The south eastern corner of the room is in total darkness, almost obscuring the door. A zombie cowers against the north wall, in between the bunks.

<Lucretia aka Joe wrote>:
> Lucretia, comments...."I believe one of the fellas we fought
> may be alive (#8), could one of you guys check him?" "I think
> he's the one by the southern door."

Larz shakes his head. "Nope. That one was pretty dead when I pulled my battle axe from his back! - but there is one foul undead man still in the room to the north!" he says, shouldering his axe, and stomping in that direction. A short while later, there is a few thuds and chopping noises, and the dwarf returns, breathing heavily, but unharmed.

Meanwhile, Lucretia, now joined by Serena, continues his search around the bedroom. They pull back the chairs to get access to the north wall, and finds no sign of any secret doors.

Blondung pockets the holy symbol he has found, and gets up from the bed. He moves around the bed towards the large locked chest against the east wall. He rattles the lock, then looks towards Balnor, still recovering in the corner. "You think you might be able to open this?" he says.

After a few minutes, there is a sigh and a groan from the man asleep at the table, and he starts to wake up...

The man wakes slowly, and looks around, puzzeled for a moment, his face still groggy. As he sees all the strange blood splattered people around him, and catches a glimpse of the dead warriors in the room beyond, he tries to lurch to his feet, an expression of shock on his face. "Waaa" he slurs slightly, before knocking his chair over, and staggering, only just catching himself from falling.

He shakes his head, and shuts his eyes tight for a second, before he seems to steady somewhat.

"What the heck has gone on here?!" he finally says, his voice still somewhat thick with sleep as his eyes shifting nervously around the party, resting for a moment on Serena, who is still holding the sword she picked up.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he asks, before anyone has had a chance to reply.

Serena pulls herself up to stand at attention. With a toss of her long ebony locks and a fiery glance from her light green eyes, she answers the groggy man.

"I am Serena Shadoweaver, formerly of Lord Nasher's army. These are my companions. We have journeyed here from Neverwinter, on business of our own. Today, we seek a halfling who was taken by the goblins that nest in this ruin. The guardsmen here resisted our -- my -- attempt to interrogate them. The spell-casting fellow ran off before I -- we -- could question him."

"Now you know who we are. Who are you? What brings you to this place? And what can you tell us about the halfling that we seek?"

The man's jaw drops as he listens to Serena's words. "You did all this... for a halfling?" he asks somewhat incredulously. He pauses to peer out through the doorway again, taking in the dead guards and the chaos caused by the battle. He pushes a hand through his hair, and sits on the edge of the table, somewhat in shock, but at least now fully awake.

Seeing Serena waiting for his answer, his eyes narrow somewhat, and he slowly speaks again, answering her question. "My name is Tharn" he says. "I seem to remember some one mentioning that the hob-gobs had got a halfling - but I have been here less than a day..." he glances back at the table where he had been asleep, "...although I appear to have been drugged - so it may be longer. I do not know if he has been eaten or if he has been simply imprisoned. As for Kazan - the spell casting fellow I think you must be talking about - I have no idea where he is. If you find him, I have a few questions of my own now."

He looks down by the side of his chair and then bends over, picking up his ruck-sack, which he places on the table beside him, and starts to rummage through it.

"Well, Mr. Tharn, where do you suppose the goblins might be holding the halfling? Do you know where they keep their prisoners?" Serena responds.

Tharn looks up from his pack, holding a small ornate glass stoppered bottle in his hand. He is about to reply, but his attention is drawn instead to Balnor, who having studied the chest hard, inserts a thin piece of metal - part of his set of lock-picks - into the gap around the edge of the lid of the trunk. Sliding it around, he clinks against what feels like a taut wire. Nodding to himself, he moves around the chest, and virtually lies down on the ground next to it. From that position, he starts to push open the lid very slowly. When it is open a few inches, he peeks through the opening. Using his other hand to hold the lid, he then inserts his dagger blade into the gap, and a few moments later pushes up the lid, his blade holding down the catch on a spring loaded dart thrower. With the lid open fully, he smiles satisfied to himself, as he reaches in and removes the darts, before releasing the trigger, A loud THWACK sounds as the trigger releases the tension in the spring harmlessly.

Within the chest are 3 bags, a wand and three scroll cases.

Tharn's eyebrows rise in surprise at the sudden noise, and he looks at Balnor in some respect. Returning his gaze to Serena, his eyes only flicking for a second at the new sword she is still holding, he answers her question. "The hobgoblins keep their prisoners up stairs." He glances around the party, nervously licking his lips. "There is a whole Fist of hobgoblins here you know. Less if you have killed some". Seeing some confusion at his terminology, he explains. "About 50. He looks around at the blood splattered and bandaged group. "That's a lot of hobgoblins to tackle!" he adds.

<Lucretia aka Joe continued>:
> "So where are you from and what business do you have
> with these fellas?" <He gestures to the corpses> "I
> am called Lucretia, and it appears that our simple
> jorney has gotten so complex as to get embroiled with
> whatever you and these so recently breathing folks
> were up to."

Tharn looks at the large young man in the doorway. "Where I come from is unimportant" he answers. "As for my 'business' with these people. I think it has just ended." He glances at the wine goblet in disgust.

<Lucretia aka Joe continued>:
> "As long as you're willing to co-operate with us, I think
> our little party is willing to let you go about what
> ever you are doing as long as we can find the halfling
> and his gear we will be more then happy to be on our
> way."

The man shakes his head slightly, still somewhat surprised at the amount of carnage caused by this search for a halfling. "He must be pretty important to you this halfling!" he muses. Becoming more business like, he continues. "I AM willing to co-operate and I have a good idea as to where you will find the halfling as well. I guess you must have come in via the stables entrance, as you would have passed where the hobgoblins keep the prisoners to get here. However, finding the halfling may be the least of your problems if Kazan got away from you - which I can quite believe - as it is likely that he is mobilising the entire Fist to come here and capture you even as we speak!"

He pauses for a second. "Of course, he won't try to capture all of you, just some of you whom he can then interrogate later. My advice to you is to get out of here whilst the going is good.

> <Is the man armed?> Lucretia will also size him up...
OOC: No he is not. You guess from the way that he glances occasionally at the long sword that Serena is holding, that she has his weapon.

<Ceely aka Robson wrote>:
> IC - Ceely turns away from the conversation, paying attention to the other
> doors in the room. She sees Larz returning from the north room, and
> decides to take a peak on the south door. She will listen for any noises,
> and then slowly open the door.

Ceely cracks open the door and peeks down the corridor, recognising it as where they had been already. Further down the corridor, a hobgoblin is pushing a wheel barrow, laden with what looks like rubble, headed away from Ceely. It reaches the room at the end and disappears to the left.

OOC: Every wall of the bedroom has been searched now - by several people - no signs of a secret or concealed door anywhere.

<Herod aka Scott wrote>:
> Herod shakes his head as the man, who seems very full of himself, talks
> about capture and the such. "Serena I think we should try to get out of
> here and after the halfling right now." Herod looks at Serena and then back
> at Tharn, and waits to see what happens. He is ready to leave right now,
> and will unconsciously start tapping his fingers against his thigh if the
> group does not get started right away.

Blondung nods in agreement with the Tempus Priest. "From what this man has said, it sounds like there is another entrance. Maybe if we hadn't taken that secret stairway down, we would have come across this damn halfling quicker!" He glances at Ceely, who is keeping look-out down the passage.

<Lucretia aka Joe wrote>:
> "Right then, lets get out of here." <Luc looks at
> Serena> Luc will then start heading to the door and
> down the passage...back the way they came.

Larz's voice can be heard from the main room. "First good bit of news I heard all bloody day!"

<Serena aka Douglas wrote>:
> Serena looks around at her companions.
>
> "Yes, we would not like to be caught by the 'Fist.' I suppose you
> would not like that either, Mr. Tharn? Or would you?"

Tharn's mouth quirks into a sort of smile, but he waits for her to continue.

> Serena draws the strange sword from its sheath and points it
> menacingly at Tharn.
>
> "Are you with us, Mr. Tharn? Or with the goblins? Answer
> wisely . . . and quickly!"

Tharn looks at the blade pointed at him in disdain, before raising his eyes to meet Serena's. "Oh I'm with you." he says sardonically. "After all, what choice do I have?" He sighs and pushes the tip of the sword away with his finger. "Hobgoblins. There was a group of them escavating a room just down the corridor on the left, and there was another group of them renovating the temple down the corridor to the right. At the end of the corridor is a room with 4 exits. To the left is the stables - the way I assume you came in - and to the right is where the off-duty hobgoblins are barracked. I think some others are probably off on a looting mission near the long road."

He pauses to glance again at the silver goblet on the table next to him, an expression of pure anger flashing across his face. His hand lashes out and the goblet goes flying, spraying wine across the wall, the dented cup coming to rest under the table. "You bastard Kazan!" he mutters almost to himself.

Regaining a level of self control, he returns his gaze to Serena and continues. "Straight ahead is some stairs which will lead past a guard post - only a couple of hobgoblins there - and then on to where the prisoners are held. There is only one more guard at that point - 'Targ'." He spits out the name as if it is a chewed finger nail, his mouth creasing in contempt. "All muscle no brain," he says, almost by way of explanation.

It seems as if he suddenly remembers what he is holding, and glances at the ornate bottle in his hand. He pockets it, frowning briefly whilst his gaze flicks around the room, almost if looking for something. He pauses as he watches Balnor remove the items from the chest...

<Balnor aka Mike B. wrote>:
> Relief is evident on Balnors face as he disarmed the trap from the box, "You
> guys will just have to keep me around for a while longer because if you don't
> you will be falling into all sorts of traps." He then pulls out the wand and
> puts it on the table, he puts the scroll case next to it and then takes out
> the bags. He will carefully open the bags one by one to see what is inside.

As Balnor places the wand on the table, Tharn looks back towards Serena, still holding Tharn's sword vaguely in his direction. He starts to move away from the table, then suddenly lunches back and grabs the wand, whipping it up to point at Serena. "Everyone back!" he suddenly yells, "or I'll lightning bolt you with this wand!" He flicks the wand to point around the room, taking in everyone...

> Serena ducks under the wand held in Tharn's outstretched hand. With
> a backhand blow, she slashes at his arm, hoping to knock the wand
> loose.

As Tharn threatens the party with the wand, everyone bar Serena ducks away from the business end of the wand. Lucretia and Blondung duck out into the main room, Yvandel spinning away from the door to get out of their way as well as the wand's way. Herod ducks down close to the bed, together with Milo. Balnor, bent down near the chest, simply flinches a little as the wand points in his direction, and tries to calm Tharn with words instead.

Serena however chooses attack as the best form of defence, and flicks her sword in a back hand blow, slashing at his arm. Unfortunately, her grip on the new sword is not as firm as she expected - her hand a little slick from sweat perhaps - and as the sword knocks harmlessly against his chain mail covered arm, she looses her grip and the sword tumbles to the flagstones.

Tharn virtually jumps backwards as she attacks him, backing right up against the table, and he gestures again with the wand still held firmly in his grasp, this time with it held closer to him. He draws a dagger with his other hand.

"GET BACK I SAY!" he shouts, "I don't want to blast any of you but I won't hesitate unless you back off now!"

Serena draws her sword and steps forward as Tharn points the wand at her face, yelling "GARGAUTH!". She sweeps her sword in an arc, knocking aside Tharn's attempt to parry with the dagger, and her blade rips through chain mail links and flesh alike.

The wand falls to the ground, followed by Tharn's dagger as his hands clutch feebly at his stomach, his guts suddenly spilling out. He staggers backwards, pushing the lavishly carved wooden table into the corner, where it knocks over the brazier. Hot coals scatter across the floor, where they smoulder. Tharn slumps down, then falls sideways, ending up doubled up on the floor, a pool of blood coalescing around him.

He mouths curses as he struggles to breath, staring blindly across the floor with wide frantic eyes. Suddenly he stops, almost as if he has seen something surprising, and then begins to laugh, an almost eerie noise that makes the party's skin crawl, before coughing and grimacing in pain. He goes quiet, and his body stops moving, but his eyes remain wide and staring, and an evil smile rests on his lips.