G65: No Manticores... But Plenty of Scrubs

De Sang's Delve saw the visitation, once again, of junior members of the Company of Crossed Swords. The party consisted of Brother Varnius, Hop-Frog Berbatov, Wintergreen, Boarface Bristlebrush, Zapi, Rusty Buckles, and Jean.

Summary

Lured by the prospect of fighting Manticores, and taking their treasure, this low-level group foolishly pressed into the depths. Fortunately, they made it only to the doorstep of one (or more) of the fearsome creatures before needing to head home, their strength sapped by numerous combats with goblins.

The remaining goblins of the 2nd level were discovered and defeated, including 'the Boss', who was presumably different than the Goblin King, who still rules farther down in the complex. The Boss, his praetorian guard, as well as some rat-catcher shock troops and others, were defeated by the party, who captured and befriended a pair of goblins they forced into thinking they may themselves become Bosses.

In the course of these combats, Wintergreen raised a great battle axe of elvish make from a strong hobgoblin.

Down another level - the crypts, where ghouls and robber flies once were encountered - the party had a nasty encounter with unstable rocks, nearly killing one of the elves. An addled Brother Varnius, helmet bolted to his head, rushed to turn away a pack of zombies, but the rest of the party saved him. An alternate stair up to undiscovered caverns of the 2nd floor were found, but not taken. Instead, they turned back to the downward stairs, but not before the dwarves were able to discover the cause of the shaky stones of the ceiling and dislodge them.

On the 4th level, the party entered a large trapped hall — pink sleep gas poured from all corners — but the locked entrance had been battered open enough for them to escape the automatically locking door.

They tread upon the messy threshold of a Manticore lair, and were about to march forward to their collective doom, but were saved by volleys of goblin-thrown javelins from behind. Their back ranks shredded, the remainder of the party wheeled to address the threat. These goblins, who perhaps were not terribly intelligent, in fighting a good-sized adventuring party about to weaken their manticore-nemisis, did not last terribly long.

The party opted to return to the surface, Wintergreen nearly unconcious and unable to defend himself. They were attacked by an exploring cadre of robber flies, which swarmed Brother Varnius and cut him down beneath their robbing proboscises. The rest of the party decamped outside, counting their gold.

Results

Brother Varnius slain. Gold and electrum and jewels recovered from the wealthy goblin tribe.

Goblins and hobgoblins slain. Zombies slain. No manticores encountered, but their lair discovered.


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