KotB - Episode 14

A somewhat less TLDR summary of the fourteenth episode of of the Keep on the Borderlands play-through.

## Character Recap

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                 Andrew’s PCs:**Nymeth** (Elf), **Rothwynn** (Cleric)

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             Dave’s PCs: **The Shadow** (Thief), **Sephoth** (Fighter)

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   Hilary’s PCs: **Thistle Turnipsworth** (Halfling), **Hyssop Turnipsworth** (Halfling)

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      ~~John’s PCs: **Chunk Flunkins** (Dwarf), **Serta the Somnomancer** (Magic-User)~~

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## Dwarven Grudge Business

Assuming all their companions slain, **Nymeth** and **The Shadow** burst out of the Caves of Chaos, making haste to reach the relative safety of the road leading South, back towards the Keep on the Borderlands.

Barely clinging to life, **Thistle Turnipsworth** sneaks out of the Hobgoblins’ chamber and runs into the darkness of an unexplored section of the Caves. Hearing the sound of her flight, the Hobgoblin Chief pursues her, but the luckiest **Turnipsworth** manages to evade him, slipping through a secret door into the Goblin tunnels. On her way towards the exit, **Thistle** starles a pair of Stirges. In no condition to fight, our diminutive delver runs forward, waving her flaming torch, shouting at the top of her lungs, and in so doing, manages to scare away the bloodsucking duo.

Trudging along the forest road, in the misty early morning light, **Nymeth** and **The Shadow** encounter a couple of Dwarves, **Clunk** and **Grump**, heading North in search of their missing relative, **Chunk Flunkins**. Our wounded wanderers somberly tell the Dwarves of their stalwart companion’s demise; but Greybeard **Grump Flunkins** swears an oath of vengeance, and leads Clunk away, promising to return with sufficient numbers to deliver retribution to the Hobgoblins who slew their kin.

**Thistle Turnipsworth** makes good her escape from the Goblin caves, and exiting into the comparative brightness of the ravine, is warmly greeted by a full bushel of Halflings, many of them Turnipsworths, who’d come looking for her. Rejoicing at their luck in finding her, the dozen eagerly agree to escort **Thistle** back to the Keep on The Borderlands.

Our traumatised treasureseekers eventually all reconnect at *The Travellers’ Inn*, where, after the necessary ritual of Halfling revelry and customary barbed exchange with **Smirking Carlos**, they retire to rest and recover from their wounds. Three days later, our freshly healed heroes reconvene, and together with their new companions, the plate armoured pretty-boy **Sephoth**, discordant preacher **Rothwynn**, and enthusiastic epicure **Hyssop Turnipsworth**, our dime-store daredevils put out the call for hirelings, securing the services of **Erma** the Unhinged, a scarred survivor of some terrible massacre now turned mercenary, and **Bur'gar**, an enterprising young inventor with a passion for cookery. With everyone equipped and outfitted for adventure, our plucky protagonists once again strike out towards the Caves of Chaos, but not before commissioning another *Hold Person* scroll from **The Curate**.

Once their two day journey back is completed, our fetching questors descend into the darkness of the Goblin caves, making their way to the former *Temple of the One True Torch*, and the secret-door through which **Thistle Turnipsworth** had previously escaped. Here, **The Shadow** meets a fellow gravel-voiced rogue who introduces himself as **The Razor**. After a brief exchange of vaunting and misinformation **The Razor** takes his leave, encouraging our sceptical scoundrel to seek him out at the thieves’ guild, if he ever finds himself in *Mirror City*.

Pushing on, through the secret door and ascending into the Hobgoblin Chieftain’s halls, our brave brigands are ambushed by an intrusion of five Troglodytes. **Thistle**’s cousin, **Hyssop Turnipsworth** fights valiantly, but one of the foul reptiles pounces on her, cutting short her adventuring career with a single swipe of its mighty claws. The others retaliate fiercely, but the fight descends into a desperate scramble to fend off the attacks. **Rothwynn** reluctantly unfurls the scroll they were clutching, and casts *Hold Person*, paralysing all the loathsome foes, and ending the fight.

Searching the halls abandoned by the Hobgoblin Chief for anything of value, **The Shadow** unlocks a huge iron chest, inside which, hidden in a secret compartment beneath a pile of poorly cured furs, he finds a considerable quantity of coins, and a *faintly glowing blue potion* which he passes to the cleric **Rothwynn** to carry. Meanwhile, in amongst a bundle of firewood near the room’s hearth, **Thistle Turnipsworth** discovers a smoothly *polished wooden dowel* she suspects to be some kind of magic wand.

Returning Northwards, and continuing their search, our listless lootseekers locate a well organised storeroom, containing good quality foodstuffs, from which they liberate a cask of fine wine, before continuing onwards.

## Rules & Rulings from this Episode

* 0’35” Questions of balance or footing, such as hurriedly descending a staircase in the dark, require a DEX check, no bonus by default.

* 0’41” Recognising smells is an INT check, no bonus by default.

* 3’37” Due to the time taken to reload, crossbow wielders act last in the initiative order. (Clarification of B27)

-Return to the list of Episodes in this series-