K39 - Shaking hands with a goblin

<confession>

I have been a naughty GM. The last session was on October 28th 2014. Life sucked fun out of everything, including gaming. But this is hopefully over now. And we're to resume Reclaiming Khazad-dum in a few days.

I didn't keep good notes from the last session although it turned out to be a very eventfull one. So, from memory... 

</confession>

This reports is a continuation of K38 - A Beard in Hell.
(Campaign home)

Shake hands with a goblin

Theomedonus was the son of the Snagaii king. The Snagaiis were goblins used as a food source by the other orc nations in Khazad-dum.  Bain, the viceroy, met with the emissary in an antechamber. There was talk of a goblin envoy speaking with him, so they thought best to keep things out of the gossip gallery. 

Theomedonus was forward with information. He explained that the Infernals had been released some three years ago (yes, the day that the Gandalf and friends killed the Kraken). He explained that the infernals were working to revive the Balrog and had conquered the most fierce of orcs from the depths: The Uruknais and the Trolls. 

Theomedonus proposed a treaty with the dwarves to help the dwarves to regain their old homeland, against a passage to the underdeep. Bain agreed for an alliance against the promise never to return once they left. 

Theomedonus also revealed that the Infernals were slowly winning against the Durbagash orcs on the 4th deep. That, the time for striking was coming soon or may never come back. 

This is when Lathmelen, the elf from Thrandhuil hall, entered the room and started to ramble about a key. Bain did his best to keep on track, dismissed the goblin and returned to other business.

A key

Lathmelen brought the mal (dwarven gold with magic properties) from the 4th deep. She smelt it in a field forge and realized that the gold contained untold magical potential. She left the gold solidify into a small ingot. While she pondered on her gift, the audience with Theomedonus was about to begin. 

She had a brainwave. She fashioned a key. A key to open something which she didn't quite understood. 

And thus died Khazek Strongmoss

Khazek and Thordar rested on the ledge. Thordar was out of blood, Khazek our of patience for the other's antics, and orcs were streaming below. They were cut from the main forces with nothing but a mountain goat path on the endless chasm's wall.  Khazek applied esoteric medicine to brgin him back from the cusp of death. The other rangers had been ordered back by Khazek. Alone, they were. 

When things settled down, there was only two orcs resting below. Khazek and Throdar jumped on them and dispatched as fast they could before more orcs would come streaming in. By then, Thordar was exhausted: out of FP and HP at the same time. 

As the steps of numerous orcs could he heard in the dark beyond, Khazek too Thordar in tow. With the beardless rogue clinging to his back, Khazek looked for a way back along the wall. Underneath, the dark endless chasm which would claim his life. The orcs were streaming in closer. 

It crossed Thordar's mind to find a way to tip the ranger to his death and in the process get rid of his main romantic rival. For posterity's sake, he decided against. However, this choice was moot because as Khazek was looking for a foot hold and slipped, the pair jumped for a hanging chain which was running down the chasm from unknown heights. 

Thordar grabbed one and held tight. Khazek did not. 

On his way down, he spotted a ledge, tried to catch it but instead bounced away from the wall. The last Thordar could see what the tumble of one fine dwarf. 

Even at 300 cp, jumping over a chasm, failing badly then and crit failing again will kill you.   

The chain that Thordar caught, and Khazek did not.