The Seven Pillar Hall

Summary:

Gilic barged into the chamber, holding out a money purse and bellowing, "Aye, I've got 20 gold for your wee slave there. I've need of a good porter and that one will serve nicely." The hobgoblin slavers glanced at each other and then at their two leaders towards the back of the room.

The two robed leaders paused for just a moment before sneering at Gilic. "Who said anything about a slave? You've got the wrong room dwarf. Best take yourself and that mop you call a beard right back out the door you came from before someone gets hurt."

Gilic didn't seem to register either the threat or the insult. "You can't fool me, laddy. I overheard you deciding the fate of this hear slave as my friends and I passed by. You suspect to get 10 gold for the whelp. I offer 20." He held the coin purse higher and shook it back and forth, producing a heavy jingling sound.

The leaders gave each other a knowing look and then murmured low, "20 gold. And a 5 gold processing fee."

"Done." Gilic reached into the purse, deftly withdrew a handful of coins and threw the rest at the nearest hobgoblin. He turned to the halfing and grabbed him roughly by the arm. "Come with me, boy. I've got a pack with your name all over it, I do. You've had a nice vacation with this lot, but fun time is over. High time you did some real work." The hafling began to protest but Gilic shoved him roughly and stifled his complaint. Orchid smiled at him toothily, forcing the halfing to chuckle nervously.

The party took their leave of the room and moved a ways down the passageway before stopping to talk to their new purchase. The hafling introduced himself as Rindall Halfmoon of the Seven Pillar Hall, the son of Erra Halfmoon. Rendall tracked down the hobgoblin slavers to collect on the extensive bar tab they ran at his mother's inn and tavern, the Halfmoon Inn. Grateful for his rescue, Rendall was a veritable fountain of information. He told the party that the Mages of Saruun rule Seven Pillar Hall and much of Thunderspire Labyrinth. The Mages employ Brug, an ogre, as their chief enforcer of law and order in Thunderspire. The Mages outlawed slavery, forcing the Bloodreavers to the outskirts of Thunderspire, a den known as the Chamber of Eyes. Rendall opined that the Mages didn't forbid slavery from moral qualms, but because the Bloodreavers refused to pay a cut of their earnings. Rendall offered to escort the party to the Seven Pillar Hall and the Halfmoon Inn to stay as his guests. The party agreed.

Upon arriving, Rindall gave a full tour the Hall, a massive cavern carved out in the middle of an ancient mountain. Numerous landmarks were pointed out, including a raging river slicing through the middle of the cavern, complete with thundering waterfall; numerous shops and provisioners; a massive 30ft tall minotaur statue with a set of crackling runes at its foot; a Temple of Torm and; a second tavern, Rothar's Tap Room.

Rindall next took the party to his mother's inn, the Halfmoon. Upon entering, the adventurers were greeted to a bustling tavern area, a massive ogre flanked by two human conspicuously sitting at the bar. The ogre thundered to no one in particular for another ale. He caught the party's movement in the corner of his eyes, turned his head slightly to take them in, and then smiled broadly, unleashing a deep, rumbling chuckle as he said, "Newbies."

The ogre turned to fully face the party as his two human guards stepped ominously backwards. A knotted great club leaned against the bar next to him. The ogre continued to grin as he said, "I've naught see this lot in town before. Sean? Blake? You seen rabble here before?"

"No sir. They must just arrived," the two guards said in complete unison.

"Well, we must welcome them to the Seven Pillar Halls. Welcome, rabble!" The ogre paused a moment. A cough from the now subdued tavern crowd broke the silence.

"Welcome, rabble!" the ogre repeated. He continued, not waiting for a response, "As newly arrived, you likely don't know about the entrance tax. We can't be everywhere at once when visitors step into our halls, but since we've stumbled into each other so fortuitously, I'll be collecting the gold per head right now.

He paused again as his grin began to fade. His face quickly hardened as he growled lowly, "That'll be seven gold."

Taegahn suddenly spoke, "I'm surprised you can even count to seven."

With surprising speed, the ogre grabbed hold of his great club as he leaped toward the party. He crammed his face into Taegahn's, his club held high above him. "What was that, elf? I don't think I heard you right."

Behind and out of sight of the ogre, Rindall flapped his arms and shook his head at the party. Taegahn inferred the implied message and squeaked to the ogre, "Uh, nothing sir." Gilic stepped forward and said, "Brug, I presume. 10 gold entrance tax? I have that right here, laddy."

Brug didn't move, instead moving closer to Taegahn, nose-to-nose. "I'm afraid the tax just went up. I didn't know you had a smartass in the party. That's extra. 5 gold per. Any other smartasses I need to assess?"

No one spoke. The ogre grunted approval, turning to Gilic. "15 gold, dwarf." He held out a paw of a hand. Gilic counted out the coin and Brug dropped it into a fold of his belt harness. "C'mon Sean and Blake, let's head over to Rother's. I can't take the stink of this place anymore today."

Rendall sighed deeply when the enforcers left, begging the party not to anger Brug and the Mages of Saruun anymore during their visit. After enjoying an ale or two and meeting Rindall's mother, Erra, the party excused themselves to a room in the inn so they could plan out their next move. After much discussion, the adventurers decided to travel through the Dragon's Door to the Chamber of Eyes, the well-known den of the Bloodreavers. After resting and marshaling their resolve, the party set out. Earlier, Queequeg commissioned Rindall to draw up a map leading to the door of the Chamber of Eyes.

Rindall's map proved worthy of the 5 gold it cost. It didn't take the party long to reach an ornate door, a great eye in its center, eye stalks flowing from it like rays of sunshine. Orchid heard guttural voices behind it, expertly picking the lock. Shava noted a balcony fifteen feet up to the left of the door. Queequeg and Gareth stepped up to the door and burst into it, revealing a squad of howling goblin beserkers. From the balcony outside, two bugbears came into viewing, climbing down and flanking the party from behind. The adventurers created to fronts, Queequeg and Gareth plowing into the goblins, while Gilic stepped up to the bugbears. Taegaghn shot through the doors and up a set of stairs into the balcony the bugbears had just vacated, unleashing a barrage of arrows into their backs. Gareth sliced into raging goblins, while Queequeg provide supplementing attacks and healing. Orchid flanked a bugbear effectively, but drew both their ire and paid dearly with a pounding attack. Shava healed her numerous times. Cedric split his attention between both combats, delivering withering area-of-effect attacks to the goblin beserkers. Finally, the last goblin and bugbear fell to the ground dead.

TO BE CONTINUED

Phat Lewt(s):

Belt of Sacrifice

Line(s) of the Night:

"If you break that, I will kill you." - Megan to Jeff, as Jeff taps on a ceiling rafter.

"I want you to take care of it asshole." - Megan to Blake, when Blake asked how he should slide out his chair.

"Hobgoblitar!" - Blake, unintentionally inventing the name of James' next character.

"I'll show you my crotch rocket, bitch." - Simon to Craig, after Craig called Simon's motorcycle a crotch rocket.

"Do you remember that time you were really awesome?" - Sean to Blake.

"Is his name Mr. Wiggles?" - James, asking about Megan's flashlight pig.
"No, Mr. Wiggles takes batteries and hides under the bed." - Craig

Baked Good of the Night:

None. /hunger /sob /cry