Hraedsig and Gwaelur hit the door and it bursts. They take a fast look and are happy to see goblins with spears ready and set. They push in; shields do their job and begin laying about. Just behind come Bitur and Thoroncir. There are 8 goblins in the small room. All armed with spears. The spears are turned and Gwaelur takes one down with his axe. Hraedsig cuts through a spear and then the goblin that was holding it.
Deor sees the threat looks minor to the fighters.
Gwaelur takes out another and has made enough of a gap for Bitur and Thoroncir to storm in and drop a goblin apiece. Hraedsig smashes one to death and skewers the seventh. The remaining goblin shrieks, drops his spear and tries to bolt, Thoroncir’s thrust Cirist into his back as he is fleeing. The goblins are dead.
Two torches light the room. It is 20’x 18’ and has a single door opposite the one destroyed.
By all means, let’s push on after checking the next door. While that’s being done, would Elfstan be so kind as to check the goblins’ personal effects for anything of interest? Or Thoroncir will.
I agree. Deor will visually check the ceiling for more traps, holes, or anything else scary, then keep an eye out behind us, ready for the sound, smell, or sight of gas.
“Not to slow us down, but might the threat of gas be just that- a threat, to make us panicky and rushed? Let’s press on without delay, but let’s make sure we don’t rush straight into a trap.”
Ghân (incidentally much reassured by Gil-Gandel ) points out that ‘press on without delay’ has caused a lot of deaths.
Checking for traps, organising a new shield wall, covering our rear and coping with new challenges are all worth doing!
While the room and external door are checked, would someone like to make sure the dwarves have:
Who is saying we should be reckless? I am just saying we shouldn’t waste time exploring this room. The door is unlocked and traps are disabled, let us group up and press forward.
I assumed our general order and organization was a given.
A groups of 10 Dwarves and one Hobbit are at the gate. They are already working it free. One says, “Good Luck and call if you need help.”
The door is not barred and is easy to open. To the left and right are stairs going up immediately. They are tight, very tight and short. The passages are only 4’5" tall and 2’ wide. Gwaelur locates what is likely to be a secret door though opposite the door.
Check the secret door for traps, please, Mulligan, have a listen, and then let’s go through. I’d like to finish our work on this level before we go up.
Actually, I was thinking that myself and Elfstan should take a stair apiece seeing as they are really quite small. I bet they lead up over the passageway we just came down and probably meet up.
Taking a quick check before heading up, it is a secret door but Mulligan find no way to open from this side. Elfstan also fails.
They each head up the stairs and find the narrow low passages would be impassable from most of the party. Even Gil-Gandel would have a hard time getting through and forget the big men or wide armored Dwarves. They appear to be designed for small Goblins though Elfstan recalls Bilbo writing about Goblins running stooped over almost to the point of being on all fours.
The tunnels twist and turn and have small alcoves that do lead back over the hall the party came through or the small tunnels cross over the hallway.
Mulligan is moving along and encounters a small goblin ahead in one alcove. The goblin has seen her. …
What does the rest of the party do about the secret door?
) points out that ‘press on without delay’ has caused a lot of deaths.
