(048) The Undercroft

[aquebman]

Tafari will sneak her way back to the tracks and again with stealth being of the utmost important follows the tracks down the unexplored passage. She will motion Jan to proceed along with her quietly.

[greenlama]

sneak....sneak.....

(heh... a magic user trying to be stealthy... this will end well.)

[aquebman]

Jun 27, 2013 16:56:19 GMT -6 @greenlama said:

sneak....sneak.....

(heh... a magic user trying to be stealthy... this will end well.)

OOC: Heh So far so good, you may not be a thief like me but you've done alright thus far.

[waysoftheearth]

Here's a mud map of the immediate surrounds...

................................
.................?..............
................_|__....__.__...
...............|.|..|../..X..X..
...............|.|..H-H..Smithy.
........Track.-->|..|..\____....
...............|.|..|...........
...............|.|..|...........
.Locked........|....|...........
.Door.H--------H....|...........
..........|....|____|...........
..........|.....................
....Cave..{\}...................
....Mouth...\=====..............
..............Outer.............
..............Gantry............
................................


Tafari beckons Jan to follow, and when he is sufficiently near to light the way, proceeds to follow the track further into the earth...

The passage quickly dwindles to what could only be described as a mine shaft. It is barely 4ft wide, and hardly taller; most probably Goblin-sized.

The shaft is purposed for the rail track, which runs right down its center, and very soon swings broadly the the right... the pair speculate that it must run behind the smithy, as they proceed, bent double as they are. There's an occasionaly flicker of orange light some way ahead, and clattering echoes carry. But there's no sign of any immediate danger.

What now?

[aquebman]

Tafari turns to Jan and whispers quietly "What do you think? I think were not going to find any boss here in the forge. Lets return out to the gantry's unless you have a better plan. I'm definitely not climbing into a mine cart hole."

[waysoftheearth]

No sooner has Tafari proclaimed this than the pair hear a booming voice raised above the din of smithy, "That's it? Bend those backs ya lazy maggots! The stinkin' Dwooorf is runnin' out two fer yer one, an' there's only one ov 'im!" followed by the crack of a whip. The ringing of hammer blows starts again at a notably quicker pace.

[aquebman]

Tafari pauses mid sentence to hear the loud voice shouting. She takes interest and tries to creep closer to the voice to get a visual on who or what that was. She then will try to listen in on any more conversation to see if any names come up.

[waysoftheearth]

There is a clang, and all work seems to stop as most of the workers "ooh" and "aah" for a moment.

"Al'raight, al'raight, let's go see," booms the loud voice, and the clatter of tools being abandoned follows... it sounds like everyone is leaving the forge...

[waysoftheearth]

"Interesting..." mutter Jan, his young brow raised in curiosity...

[aquebman]

Tafari silently continues to track the first voice watching for where all of the goblins are heading.

[waysoftheearth]

The goblins scurry off in the opposite direction (heading away from Tafari and Jan), seemingly abandoning their work and the forge. After the clatter of their footfalls recedes, the only sound to be heard is the gentle thrum of the forge-fires.

[aquebman]

OOC: Can I tell if the goblin speaking before went the same direction?

Tafari attempts to follow where the goblins are going unless she notices the big boss stayed behind.

[waysoftheearth]

Tafari silences Jan (who appears on the verge of babbling out something) with a curt sign, and listens intently. When she is convinced the forge is empty, she peers around the corner to confirm her suspicions, and it appears to be so.

The warm, orange lit forge is vacant... hammers, tongs, and other tools have been abandoned, and the bellows and coals left unattended. Everyone seems to have departed via the door at the far end of the chamber.

[aquebman]

Tafari will signal Jan to stay where he is and she moves slowly down by the forges sticking as much to the shadows as she can. If nothing comes she will make her way to the door and try to listen in. Then if nothing appears to be coming she will look to see if there's any cracks or keyholes she could peer through.

[waysoftheearth]

Jan happily stay put while Tafari moves into the smithy cautiously.

It's very warn. The twin forge fires still burn hot despite no one operating the bellows, and she can see great metal pans where the smiths appear to have been refining a grey metal into ingots at one forge, and the shaping the metal into thick, curved plates; possibly metal shields, though these would have to be stupidly heavy.

The opposite doorway (whence everybody departed) has no door; it is merely an arch. She sees bobbing light receding, so she approaches nearer, and just catches a glimpse of the last few Goblins crossing the adjoining workshop, full of clutter, and out another arch.

[aquebman]

Tafari will continue to progress quietly to the next arch once she confirms the coast is clear.

[waysoftheearth]

Tafari pauses a moment to check the coast is clear, and when it apparently is, proceeds into the adjacent workshop, following the goblin workers.

The workshop is a mess of tools and materials and bizarre half-complete contrivances. It would be a miracle if anything constructive could get done in here amid all the clutter, but on the upside cover and hiding places are particularly abundant.

She glimpses all this as she crosses the workspace, padding silently after the goblins...

...when she reaches the opposite arch, see peers out to see a 20ft wide ledge overlooking the vast, black space of the greater cavern. Half-dozen or so goblins and one man-sized fellow are teeming up a short timber stair onto a gantry, which lead out into the cavern space to what looks like a suspended cage. The goblins are cackling with glee about something, but it's not clear what...