Storm King's Thunder [CLOSED]

Dropped gear is gathered. Aseir is helped to his feet. Everyone reconvenes in the small chamber with the pitted stalagmite where the black ooze seems to make its lair. No one feels comfortable here, but a decision is made to explore the narrow passage that leads north, with Lycan at the lead. Torem advises extinguishing Aseir's bright bullseye lantern in favor of his candle, which he relights and clips back on to his helmet. Proceeding single-file, the candle from behind provides Bell Damper with the scantest clue about his surroundings; all he sees are the dim, rough walls to either side. The recently-met elven scout is lost in blackness just inches in front of his beak. Shifting her armor just behind the kenku, Ruth can make out the tunnel ahead, though her view is obstructed by the taller folk in front of her.

The passage twists and turns as it makes a series of gentle descents. Ruth thinks they are heading roughly west now. After another turn, Bell can just make out the walls and floor ahead; there is light coming from somewhere. The sound of the small waterfall has faded now, replaced by another watery sound: a series of steady drips, forming a complex polyrhythm that Lecuis accompanies with a few snaps of his fingers before desisting. "Sorry," he whispers in Ruth's ear. The sounds of moisture are joined by a damp, earthy odor and a warm, humid quality in the air.

Lycan and Ruth, and even Bell, now that his eyes have had time to adjust, can see that this narrow passage opens ahead into a large cavern, dimly illuminated from somewhere around the corner to the south. About thirty feet ahead, across the uneven cavern floor, is a chaotic jumble of stalagmites, rising as high as fifteen feet. Lycan flattens himself against the wall of the passage and slides out towards its mouth. He leans out a bit, then ducks back in quickly and makes a quick series of cryptic hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions that are clearly intended to communicate something about what he's seen in the large cavern, but convey nothing specific to Bell, Ruth or Lecuis. The elf takes his bow in hand nocks an arrow. Torem and Aseir, meanwhile, are tucked around the bend at the rear of the group, and know only that movement forward has stopped for the moment.

Torem has a shortbow, in addition to his spear, but he pulls back a bit when Ruth beckons forward, points to his eyes and then the candle pinned to his helmet, which provides only a small aura of light around him.

The party retreats back down the passage to the stalagmite chamber. Speaking softly, Lycan says, "Two by the mouth, two across past the rocks, one over by the water."

"Clear as mud," Lecuis whispers to Aseir.

Before Ruth has finished her question, Lycan has already nodded and slipped back into the winding passage leading west to what seems to be the main cavern of the Nostril.

At the mouth of the "Sinus", the afternoon winds ruffle Bell's feathers. Still concealed by the tight passage, he's checking his bow string when he sees movement off to the left. A broad-shouldered canine, either the surviving worg from yesterday or a different one, is about two hundred feet to the northeast of this side entrance. The beast lopes south at a casual pace. Something dead and furry bobs in its jaws as it goes.

Moving slowly and keeping close to the hillside as it bends around to the south, it takes Bell a few minutes to come into sight of the horse carcasses outside the cave. There are no living creatures in sight across the moor, but should someone come upon the area from any direction, they will surely spot the kenku at once out here in the middle of the day. Risking a few more feet takes him right up beside the broad cavern mouth, though he's not yet in a position to see inside. A coarse, raspy voice says something in what sounds like goblin speech just out of sight within. Another goblin, a bit farther away, laughs and says something back. The conversation continues, an apparent exchange of jokes or funny anecdotes. It's uncertain how attentive these two are, but if they're facing outward, Bell will certainly be seen if he goes any farther ahead.

The other goblin guarding the cave entrance sees Ruth and Torem rush out from the small passage and starts shouting in earnest. Other goblinish voices answer back from beyond the cluster of stalagmites. There's a sound like stone hitting stone, and then a deep, rumbling voice exhales something like, "Hmurummmphhhrrr," from the center of the natural columns. Ruth and Torem are aware of a deep, rank, sweaty odor mingled with the moldy aroma of the slimy pool.

Lycan steps out from the side passage and sinks a couple of arrows into the goblin around the corner from Bell. The Kenku hears a strangled cry and the thud of the goblin hitting the ground.

The goblin over by the stagnant pool, surrounded by Ruth and Torem takes a few steps back and tries to get off an arrow at the guard from Nightstone. The shot goes wide and the goblin fumes while retreating out of sight around the cluster of rock formations. In his haste to flee, he leaves behind a sword he was apparently washing in the foul water.

Lecuis follows his circus chum to the mouth of the side passage, imitating aerialist's defensive posture. "You've totally got this buddy," he says, putting an encouraging hand on Aseir's shoulder as he draws the longsword he picked up back at the keep. "Let's do it for Angelica the Snake Charmer."

And then, just as this seems to be turning into a rout of the goblins, another deep, guttural vocalization sounds from the midst of the stalagmites. Something quite large shifts, and rises to a crouch in there. There's a tearing sound and the swoosh of sand or grain spilling. Ruth spots a massive, hairy nose, lips, a big drooping eye. It's another ogre, possibly uglier than the singing brute from outside. "Nyahkyahnyahugh!" the ogre grumbles groggily as she pulls herself forward, somehow squeezing among and over the stalagmites, to grab a long broken fragment of one and jab it forward at Torem. The improvised stone club strikes the ground between Torem and Ruth, sending a spray of dank, slimy water up in both of their faces.

"Hrurughh?" the ogre questions with a frown, glancing at the twin axes that seem to have spontaneously sprouted from her chest.

Lycan steps forth from his hiding place and sprints forward to fire two arrows at the charging worg. Both miss, and he retreats back towards the entrance of the small side passage.

Two more arrows strike the short stalagmites at the edge of Bell's ledge. This might not be such a perfect vantage point after all. The Kenku catches a brief glimpse of a triumphant goblin next to a stalagmite near the charging worg. Somewhere in the darkness behind the worg, a reedy goblin voice shouts, "Hoo-bar!"

At Ruth's side, Torem suddenly staggers and gasps as an arrow strikes his side. The goblin they chased from the slimy pool snarls from fifteen feet away before ducking back around the other side of the stalagmite cluster.

"General Ruth, beware the diuretic stench that follows that lumbering clod! It's caused by the below-average honey on which she constantly gorges!" It's unclear what prompted Lecuis to shout these particular words, but the ogre, though she might not understand what was said, clearly senses the unkind intent and winces in pain. At the same time, a strange burst of encouragement wells up in Ruth, to see the brute put in her place.

Still mulling over Lecuis' insult, the ogre only halfheartedly drives her stone club at Torem. Unfortunately, he's still reeling from the arrow in his side, and is struck down by the blow. The spear and bow fall from his hands as he hits the ground, unconscious. The ogre, now fully standing, presses forward out of the stalagmite forest so that she stands over the fallen guard. Ruth is nearly knocked back as a huge thigh slams pivots against her. With the specter of sleep still in her drooping eyes, the ogre stares down at the dwarf and raises her club high overhead.