RED OAK: Beyond the Mirror

[Longman]

Hobgoblins, as far as you know, are just slightly bigger relatives of goblins. Which means, not that big. You saw a dead one in the room 6 earlier, maybe 5 foot 5 inches.

But then again, you don't know that much.

From what you have written, it seems like you have moved into the room in formation, and Anna is checking the appropriate side of the pillar for niches and so on.

First - she finds a tiny square crack in the stonework and thinks that a stone panel could be prized loose, revealing a secret space inside the column. The panel is not very big (1x1), and not opened in a very long time.

Second - she spots some tiny runes running around the crack, and recognises these as the same magic language that Tiana has been pouring over in the spellbooks (the Salenish magic runes). She immediately averts her gaze, because she knows what happened to poor Wen back at the undertaker's house, when he tried to read runes which looks like that.

So - secret door and possible trap found. No major hobgoblin invasion so far.

[Woe]

Would "knock" disarm the trap or set it off?

Ok, we'll leave the runed panel as-is for now. More research for Brant.

How about the northern secret door?

[Longman]

You don't know what effect Knock would have. It would almost certainly open the panel, but you are unsure whether that would trigger the trap. Tiana's guess is that it would, because the panel would move. But that's just a guess.

As Anna is moving over towards the northern secret door - which incidentally appears as a normal masonry wall and is probably one of the kind you saw in the wizard's lair - Freya reports that she can hear some noise coming from down the eastern corridor.

It sounds like humanoid talking / chittering. The voices - goblin or hobgoblin - are quiet, and coming around several corridors (beyond room 4, possibly up the stairs to level 1, or further to the north on level 2). She does not think they are moving towards you, but isn't totally sure about that.

When she reports this, Talin thinks he can hear them as well.

Anna can find no traps on the northern secret door and can't even find a keyhole on this side. It's going to have to be Knock, or bashing it down. But maybe your plans have changed now you know there are humanoids around.

[Woe]

What time of day is it? Is it settling down time or still have hours of adventuring? I've lost track of time, being separated from my EPs.

Freya will sneak the eastern route to look at room 4, as sneaky as possible. If it is unoccupied and no signs of creatures nearby, she will signal the others to join her. Then she'll try to find the secret door entrance on the south wall of 4, quieter than a mouse.

At all times the blue lights will stay out of the view of the staircase.

[Longman]

Its about 4pm. You have a while to go before sleepy time, anyway.

If you take the light helmets down the number 3 corridor, the light will definitely be visible leading from room 4, and up to the stairwell to level 1. It's pitch dark down here. There's no way you could even take them round the first bend of the corridor without them being visible from the stairway. (Unless the stair turns a bend, and the maps do not indicate that it does.)

If the noise is coming from elsewhere on level 2, you might be OK, but if its coming from up the stairs, you will definitely be seen.

So, I'm quite happy for Freya to sneak on her own, but you can't take those helmets in safety.

Now what?

[Woe]

Freya sneaks toward 4, scouts the view from the passage. If it looks safe (no monsters no traps no magic runes no loud bells that she can step into I'm sure I forgot stuff but none of those either), she'll bring the other demi-humans to provide cover before she looks closer in the room. Dwarves and Tiana will stay in the passage.

Um... what will Talin and Anna do when left alone? They can try to figure out the secret door. I'm not expecting success, but they'll need to kill time somehow.

[Longman]

On the subject of the secret door - it is just like the front side of the Salenish wizard lair - a plain section of masonry wall, probably covered with an powerful illusion. There's no way to get in, other than Knock (probably), or violence.

Freya sneaks down the number 3 passageway and triggers a tripwire about halfway down. She just plain didn't see it, it was well hidden under some debris. She wasn't very silent in her movements, either.

Something falls from a space in the ceiling and lands about 5' behind her. Also, some metal object has hit the floor, and made a 'DING' noise.

There's no immediate damage and no one is sure of the purpose of the trap so far. However, the two dwarves both heard a very obvious reaction coming from further north - the sound of goblins or hobgoblins chittering in alarm, and one of them make a screeching sound.

Freya is almost exactly where the number 3 is. The others are moving up slowly behind, close to where the corner of the passage is, past the old portcullis.

Bad luck.

[Woe]

You missed the part I said about no traps!

Something falls from a space in the ceiling and lands about 5' behind her. Also, some metal object has hit the floor, and made a 'DING' noise.
I don't know what you mean by this. I'm also not sure whether the something falling from the ceiling is the same thing that hit the ground. It could be anything from a portcullis to a grenade, or one of each. Can you give me a bit more details before I post their reactions?

[Longman]

Two things have fallen and hit the ground, from the same space - a metal object (saucepan) and a pottery container. The metal object was probably just to make some noise. The purpose of the container is unknown.

Technically, Freya can't see that unless she turns around, so I have said that she turns around. The dwarves at the corner also peer around, to see what has fallen.

Still your go. About half a second has passed since the goblins started chittering.

[Woe]

Everyone runs back to the lower staircase and takes up the defensive positions mentioned earlier, taking care to avoid whatever comes out of that pottery container. Either snake or poison, it's probably not good. Everyone holds their breath and Freya vaults past it best she can.

Blue lights off. Anna can hold Talin's hand for comfort while they wait to see what the goblins do.