Prymptown Courier v. 2 no. 4

PRYMPTOWN COURIER

Vol. 2, No. 4 (April 1999)

EDITORIAL

Has everyone been missing these as much as I have?  I've been mighty busy, and will only slowly get back on track.  I'm moved into my new place, but don't even have all my boxes unpacked yet.  Life is much more complicated now.  My attention is split four ways as I'm typing this.  I can't even be sure I'll get this done tonight. 

There are two more of these to go after this before I'm caught up now.  With limited notes (I'm never good at keeping them) and a limited memory to call on, I'll be counting on my players to help out more than ever.  Luckily, I know they're up to the challenge.  The player of Vlad Kostitov did a good job of preparing material for this write-up.  His dungeon diary can be found in sections intersperced throughout my own write-up.  Something not all of you will get to see are the maps of the second dungeon level of Skull Keep which he drew on his computer -- using what I understand to be a cumbersome program -- and on work-time no less!  And don't worry, he got xp for it...

THE ORIGIN OF ALEXANDER PETROK

Alex was nervous.  He knew to expect it.  The key would be in not looking nervous. 

The Chapel of Zilchus was silent, but not empty.  The curate Recar Adderal was there.  The old man looked particularly austere, but his gold mantle looked so heavy Alex wondered how he stood straight in it.  The priest Leris Borgev was there.  The man smiled quickly at Alex.  Leris was a friend of Alex's father.  The priest Miro Stanus was there too.  The clean-shaven Suel looked like he was scowling.  The templar sergeant Kolos was there.  Alex had spoken to him seldom in the past.  Kolos had seemed nice enough at the time, but what would he be like as a superior officer?  And then there was Philip Petrok.  As Head Templar of Zilchus, Captain of the Watch, one of the richest men in Prymp and perhaps the most powerful, AND Alex's father, Philip was more than a little intimidating.  Yet Alex felt both anxiety and pride knowing that he must complete this last task in front of his father.        

And this was to be his last task before officially becoming a templar.  He had passed all other requirements.  Now he stood before both his trainers and those to whom he would be subservient.  Alex was dressed in burlap to show humbleness before his richly-garbed superiors.  Recar Adderal was speaking.  It was a droning, prepared speech, and Alex could not concentrate on the words.  Soon, he would be asked to recite his own speech.  He need only perform it flawlessly to meet the approval of his fellow templars and assembled clergymen.  Yet his mind drifted, quite against his will, to some advice he'd just been given the previous night...

"You know what I think?  You should just forget all about these templars."

The tankard practically fell out of Stejko's hand onto the tavern table.  Alex laughed politely, but the amusement voiced by his other friends sounded more geniune. 

"I mean it, Alex," Stejko continued.  "What good will come from that?  Is your father not already a templar?  Do they really need two Petroks?"

Stejko's arguement was drunken nonsense, of course.  Sure, his father was Head Templar, and it was only natural to follow in his father's footsteps.  But there was more to it than that.  It was his calling, and he knew it.  He could feel it was right.  He should have no reservations.

Alex looked around the Champion Cock Tavern.  It was not Prymp's finest -- that honor belonged to the Grinning Gargoyle Tavern.  The tables were clean, at least, and there was no scheduled cock fight for the night so it was not too crowded.  He doubted his father approved of the establishment, and so Alex never mentioned that he frequented it. 

He looked across at Stejko.  He barely knew the man, actually, and Stejko had been vague when describing his occupation several months ago when they met.  Alex was not a naive man, and had his suspicions about the man.  Most of the people he met here were suspicious, except for one.

"Go ahead," Stejko said, "tell him not to do it, Hristo."

The gnome perched on a wooden box on the bench lazily shifted his gaze around to the conversation.  Hristo shrugged.  "He can do whatever he may wish, Stejko."

Hristo knew the others much better than Alex did.  Hristo himself had been a member of the town watch, so Alex trusted him.  But as the evening wore on, Alex began to think more and more that such company was unbecoming to a soon-to-be templar.  Carousing with drunks would be beneath him after tomorrow.  He would turn over a new leaf, and only associate with those worthy of his elevated status.  He looked once more around the table, thinking to himself that he may never see these faces again.

"...now must the initiate speak," intoned Recar Adderal at the ceremony, "and recite unto us the seven sacred duties to which all templars of Zilchus must pledge."

Alex's attention was snapped back to the present.  He was prepared.  He was ready.

"To defend the church, even unto death.  To perform any task the church may request.  To maintain the peace, and assist the enforcement of law.  To serve as arbitrer or witness to business transactions in lieu of other authorities within reason of rank.  To aid in the collection of taxes should the civil authority request.  To actively oppose the followers of the deities Erythnul, Iuz, Kurell, Olidammara, and Ralishaz.  To oppose thievery, and hinder thieves' guilds."

SCOTT CASPER'S ULTIMATE GREYHAWK
SOUTH PROVINCE CAMPAIGN
Continuing Chapter One:  The Phantom Menace

Cast:
Barada, Neutral male Flannish human mercenary (1st level fighter)(played as NPC).  
Alexander Petrok, Lawful Neutral male Oerdian human templar of Zilchus (1st level paladin variant) (played as NPC).
Perpegilliam Brown, Neutral male Hairfoot hobniz rogue (1st level Thief). 
Hristo Neutral Good male Wesevud ("Central") noniz ex-town watchman and rogue (1st level fighter/1st level thief)(played as NPC).
Vladamir Kostitov, Lawful Good male Oerdian human prestidigitator for the Governor's
Guardsmen (1st level Illusionist). 
Abraham the Radiant, Neutral Good male Oeridian human acolyte of Pelor (1st level Cleric).
And introducing:
Dargog, Neutral male  rogue (1st level Thief)! 

Quotes of the Month:
"Are you a member of the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle?"
(Perri) "Yes!  I AM a member of the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle!"
"I am Theodoric Trovok, Tax Collector."
(Perri) "No!  I am NOT a member of the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle!"

Setting:  Prymp, its environs, Skull Keep

Readying 20, 581 CY

After docking in Prymp's harbor, the freed prisoner Lemunda came up to the assembled Band of the Grinning Gargoyle and asked if they could use a new member.  Lemunda was herself a fighter and handy with a sword, or so she told them.  The men jeered, and one quipped that her only experience at fighting was probably getting captured by the pirates.  Lemunda shrugged, and left on Captain Kostov's arm.

The band disassembled, with everyone going their seperate ways.  Vlad returned to his family's home and retired to his room with the books he had acquired from raiding the pirate ship.  After a supper at the Grinning Gargoyle Tavern, Perri and Barada returned to Perri's room in Izer's Place, which they now shared.  The prisoner they had taken after being attacked at the Rusty Bucket Tavern was gone, having been somehow freed from being tied to the bed.  Perri admonished the Flan warrior for having come with him to eat when he should have been here watching the prisoner.  The mysterious assailant had never regained consciousness, and so was never questioned.

Readying 21

Dargog rose just before dawn.  He drew the raggedy hooded cloak he had acquired tightly around him to conceal his arms and light armor.  He walked through the streets of the Old City hobbling like an injured beggar.  At last, he reached the Grinning Gargoyle Tavern, where the adventurers he sought were said to frequent.  He camped out on a doorstoop across the road and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible while he watched and waited.

Abraham the Radiant rose early, and kneeled reverently before the icon of his god, the lord Pelor.  He asked forgiveness for having missed Godsday services, and felt he had been forgiven.  The contract between god and man had not been broken, and Abe received those spells for which he prayed.  But praying makes even a devout man hungry, and Abe was famished.  Thus, he was the first to reach the Grinning Gargoyle Tavern, which happened to be just down the street from his shrine.  Slowly, other members of the adventuring party joined him, as it was now customary for them to dine together whenever their schedules permitted. 

Perri let Barada and Hristo go ahead to the tavern to meet the others, and the wilely hobniz wandered off on his own.  His destination turned out to be the Chapel of Fharlanghn.  Gershom Walker and an older man were both at work sweeping the chapel floor clean with brooms.  Perri was warmly greeted by Gershom, the chapel's acolyte, and was introduced to Elijah Dawnriser, Gershom's superior.  This day, Perri would not have time to patiently listen while Gershom told him of the ways of Fharlanghn.  Instead, Perri had a favor to ask.  He wished to know if he could purchase Holy Water from them.  Not only did Elijah say they had some for sale by the vial, but Perri was surprised that they only wanted nine gold Vels for a flask!  It was Perri's understanding that water so blessed would be deadly to undead, and he knew that if he returned to Skull Keep that he might have to fight undead skeletons.  Now that he had a price, it was only a matter of acquiring the funds.  Being too pressed for time to steal what he needed, Perri resorted to finding his companions.

Dargog decided the time was right, and entered the tavern while the adventurers were still arriving.  He walked straight up to their table and asked them who they were.  Abe introduced himself, and confirmed that the stranger was indeed in the presence of the adventuring company named for the very tavern they were in.  Dargog threw back his hood, revealing his identity as a hobgoblin.  He had traveled far, he told them, to join his brother Ragnrr here in Prymp.  Upon arriving, he learned that Ragnrr had become an adventurer, and one of their party. 

Upon arriving at the tavern, Perri saw three armed men escorting a fourth man outside the entrance.  Perri entered ahead of them, but was stopped by the well-dressed gentleman.  The gentleman asked if he was speaking to a member of the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle.  When Perri told him he was, the man introduced himself as Prymp's chief tax collector, Theodoric Trovok.  Although Perri immediately tried to recant his statement, Trovok was not fooled.  He followed Perri to the table were everyone was seated, and Trovok announced that the party owed the town

Abe had decided the moment he saw the hobgoblin that they should add him to the party.  Having one in their midst had confused the goblins in Skull Keep and undermined their morale.  Abe invited Dargog to sit with them and began pressuring the party to accept the new addition.  Dagog was a quiet creature and said little on his own behalf, and so was lucky to have an advocate.  Grudgingly (since the cleric annoyed them), everyone accepted that the hobgoblin could be useful, and that he could come. 

Hirshel, the tavernkeeper, had been disgusted when the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle used to allow Ragnrr to sit with them in his establishment.  However, the adventuring party was now good for business, and so Hirshel said nothing about the hobgoblin.


Barada, eager to avenge himself on those big green monsters at Skull Keep, was pressing everyone to leave that very day to return to the dungeon.  Perri was eager to return, but only to reclaim the backpack and its treasure which he had lost in the bay upon their escape from Skull Keep.  The only person opposed to going back right away was Vlad, and he only urged caution as the party had not yet grown sufficiently in numbers.  Perri now broached the subject of purchasing Holy water from the Chapel of Fharlanghn.  Alex was incensed at the thought of using Holy water from any source but the Chapel of Zilchus, and Perri agreed to go there with Alex and Abe when they went to rendezvous with the templars.  Perhaps the trade priests of Zilchus would offer a better deal.  The three of them left on their errand, while Vlad went to the Garrison.  Barada, Hristo, and Dargog went to wait for them all at the edge of town.

At the Garrison, Vlad found members of his regular patrol.  Kelso, Fiorenzo, and others were loitering in the courtyard, sitting or leaning around the back of a cart.  They were clearly depressed, and Vlad came over to ask them why.  The answer was shocking -- a guardsman from their patrol, Nikolai, was found dead earlier that morning outside the Civic Mint and Bank of Prymp.  Nikolai had been killed by a slashing weapon used by someone he was facing, and the body had been found soon after expiring.  Those who had known Nikolai best had gathered there at the Garrison to console each other.  No one could remember the last time a guardsmen had been killed in town; they purposely patrolled safe areas just to avoid that kind of trouble. 

Whatever Vlad felt over this news, he had no time to show.  He shared his condolences with his friends, and then entered the main building.  Vlad was informed upon entering that Senator Gart Barlos had returned from Vecheld Gesto, and Vlad was ushered in to see the senator.  Barlos did not have news pleasant to Vlad's ears either, for the Governor did not wish to engage guardsmen against the brigands and pirates in Skull Keep.  However, Barlos was willing to let Vlad go while on a leave of absence, with two guardsmen to serve as escorts.  Barlos did not seem too concerned about which two guardsmen went along, and told Vlad to pick two from whoever was in the courtyard.  Naturally, Vlad went straight to his grieving partners, and asked if any of them would volunteer.  The somber mood was broken, for here was an opportunity to share in the glorious life of adventuring of which Vlad had already tasted.  Both Kelso and Fiorenzo agreed to come. 

At the Chapel of Zilchus, Alex, Perri, and Abe were met by the Suel priest, Miro Stanus.  They did not need to barter long with Stanus in order to get a slightly lower price on Holy water.  Perri paid for it with money he had gathered from everyone at the tavern, though Abe now contributed more gold which he had claimed not to be able to spare.  Sergeant Kolos and the other templars were summoned to the chapel by acolytes.  While they waited, Stanus had someone to introduce to them.  Miltar Bertov was a follower of Zilchus, and was eager for an adventuring career.  Bertov was an average-looking, somewhat tall, 20-year old man wearing brigandine armor and a mace hanging from his belt.  When Abe introduced himself as an acolyte of Pelor, Bertov was immediately snobbish and arrogant.  This immediately won the approval of the rest of the party. 

Sergeant Kolos was a tall, strikingly handsome man in his mid-twenties, who looked quite menacing in his splintmail armor and great helm.  He wore a short bow on his shoulder, and a long sword and horseman's flail at his side.  Aaron and Istvan were Alex's peers.  They both wore chainmail armor and small helms.  Aaron fought with a warhammer and small shield, while Istvan fought with a guisarme. 

Kolos' first announcement was that he was now party leader.  Alex, who had always been party leader, had to grudgingly accept his demotion.  Vlad, who secretly wished to be party leader, was upset.  Perri calmly accepted it, thinking one templar was as bad as another.  Hristo and Abe were followers by nature, and did not object.  Barada was just strangely quiet, perhaps too eager to return to Skull Keep to be paying attention.

That afternoon, the now 13 members of the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle marched away from town, and followed the sandy beach southwest.  The unlucky number had been of some concern to the party, and Perri had suggested getting a 14th member just to be on the safe side.  Perhaps another halfling.  But the rest of the party seemed satisified with the size of their war band now, and they marched to Skull Keep
confidently.  To speed their progress, Perri even talked Sgt. Kolos into removing his cumbersome splintmail armor, which slowed him, and hence everyone, down.

Readying 22

After an uneventful night's sleep (with watches in place, naturally), the band resumed its march and made it to Skull Keep late that afternoon.  There were no longer any tents, or monsters patrolling outside, and all looked now as it did when they first came here -- a lone, ruined tower standing near the edge of a cliff.  With Kolos' permission, the thieves Perri and Hristo scouted about a hundred feet ahead of the rest of the party.  They entered the tower, and found that too was still abandoned.  They carefully made their way down the spiral stairs to the dungeon, with Kolos and Alex trailing behind, and everyone else in ranks of two behind them.  Abe lit the lantern that would allow the humans to see in the dark places below.

Although Kolos had decided that the party should make sure the first dungeon level was still cleared first,most of the party had secretly decided that they wished to go directly to the second level, and they knew which staircase they wanted to take to get there.  So, stopping on the first dungeon level, Perri and Hristo made their way through one doorway, and came out in the corridor that led to the mite lair.  They passed through a chamber they had once fought human brigands in, but now found that the room had a heap of dead goblins in it.  Moving carefully around what they could only presume to have been their own handiwork, the party continued.  The thieves found the tripwires were still in place over the entrance to the mite lair, but decided to leave it there. 

Some of the crude tents were still standing in corners of the mites' old room.  The corpses of the mites were gone, but the chest by the back wall was still there.  Perri was wondering if they might have missed the chest the first time they were there, and Hristo was thinking about his laundry back home, and so both thieves failed to notice until it was too late that six mites were swarming out of the tents at them.  Both thieves drew their short swords and yelled for help as the mites swarmed over them.  The two thieves alone might have been in trouble, but once the party's fighters came running, the battle was soon over.  Naturally, six mites had proven to be less of a threat than the ten mites that had been in this room before. 

One everyone's blades had been cleaned, the thieves set out through the hallway to the right, to the now-empty room with the staircase going down.  By the time, Kolos knew they were heading down the stairs, he apparently decided it was too late to stop them.  The party was on its way down to the second dungeon level, where only overwhelming odds and death had met them the first time.

(From the journal of Vladamir Kostitov)
"1)  Stairway down from level 1:  This is where we entered dungeon level 2."

The thieves Peri and Hristo descended the stairs carefully, and came to a four-way
intersection at the bottom.  Behind them, the remaining 11 members of their band
moved as quietly as they could to follow.  The thieves scouted out each hallway, and
reported where they went to Capt. Kolos as soon as he reached the lower level.  The
path most attractive to their templar leader was straight ahead, as this way led to a pair
of double doors.       

"2)  Torture Room:  There were various instruments of torture in this room but little
else."

A torture rack was leaning against the wall to the right, and a smoking brazier stood
by a pair of double doors in the opposite wall.

"3)  Goblin Camp:  There were 16 goblins in here waiting for us.  We defeated them
while suffering several light injuries.  We took three goblins with us as captives."

After several attempts to bash in the double doors, they finally gave way.  The band
could now see a huge room dimly lit by torches.  Inside, 16 goblins were either ready
for battle, or picking up their shields and weapons.  The band had time to rush its
first two ranks of fighters into the room before melee was joined.  Although
outnumbered, the band had superior armor and was able to deal serious damage to
the goblins while only receiving light or no injuries.  This did not hold true for the
templar, Aaron, however.  He was critically injured, but was saved when Abraham
called on Pelor's healing magic.  By the time only three goblins remained, they threw
down their weapons to surrender.  The victors tied their prisoners up, and prepared
to move on.  Meanwhile, Dargog had been looting their fallen comrades' bodies,
and  took all their knives.

"4)  Skeleton Room:  When we entered this room the scattered bones animated into
six skeletons.  We were able to defeat them fairly easily."

Even though the goblin room had three other exits, Kolos wanted to return to the
four-way intersection and choose another corridor.  He chose a hallway that ran west
and opened into a chamber where skeletons were slumped on the floor beneath
chains hanging from the walls.  As soon as the room was entered, most of the
skeletons rose from the ground as if they were alive.  This supernatural sight caused
most of the party to flee, leaving Alex, Abe, Peri, and a few others behind to fight
these creatures.  Abe recognized them as undead abominations, and tried to call upon
his deity to turn them back.  But, as before when the band had encountered undead
skeletons, Abe's faith faltered.  Luckily, they discovered that a few blows would
shatter these things, and the others returned with their courage restored after running
back upstairs.

"5)  Rat Room:  This room was swarming with giant rats nearly three feet in length.  In
the end we counted 12.  We defeated them easily also."

On the other side of the skeleton room was a door, and that door led to a small room
with one door in each wall.  The opposite door was locked.  The south door, however,
led to another small room filled with refuse, and 13 large rats crawling over it.  The rats
were about two feet in length, and it took quite awhile to dispose of them all even
though Kolos and Barada could attack them fairly quickly. 

They had wanted to clear the rats out of this room because it had a south-facing door,
and a doorway facing west.  They took the doorway, and went down a long hallway
that ended at a door leading to another room. 

"6)  Mage's Study:  This room contained little besides a desk, which presumably
belongs to the mage we encountered in room 7."

The room had a pallet and blanket in one corner, and a writing desk on a rug in the
middle of it.  A squeaking sound was coming from somewhere in the room, and this
turned out to be a mouse in the desk.  There were two other exits -- a door in the
opposite wall and another door facing east.  They correctly guessed that this would
lead into the same area as the other locked door, and Dargog successfully picked the
lock after Hristo failed.

"7)  Mage's Laboratory:  This room contained many things:  several tables and books,
a large orangutan in a cage and 2 humans.  One ordered us to leave and when we
refused they both attacked.  One was a skilled warrior and the other a powerful mage. 
The mage attempted to use a glowing wand on us but was disrputed by one of our
group.  The fight did not last long, and they were defeated but not before the mage was
able to magically charm Barada.  So, we were forced to knock him out as well.  The
enemy warrior was killed but we were able to capture the mage."

When they unlocked the door, the wizard inside pointed a wand at them and told them
they had five seconds to leave.  When Barada rushed him, the wizard spoke a command
word ("Tospegakin") and backed around his table for cover.  Barada lept over the table
and managed to slice the wizard with his sword, apparently disrupting whatever attack
the wizard had planned.  Others tried to rush into melee with the wizard, but the warrior
was a dangerous foe and was able to hold everyone else at bay.  Before Barada could
strike again, the wizard got off a spell, and commanded Barada to defend him.  Kolos
managed to slip by the warrior while Alex kept the warrior busy, and now Kolos and
Barada battled each other.  Vlad ended the threat of Barada with a Color Spray spell.

Meanwhile, the wizard tried to escape through the other locked door, but Abe started
hurling sling bullets across the room at the wizard, and struck him three times before the
wizard could unlock the door to escape.  The wizard collapsed.  The warrior was
overwhelmed and slain shortly thereafter. 

This room was a treasure trove for Vlad.  He took the wizard's wand.  Searching the room
turned up a spellbook, and two other books.  One, Marin's Guide to Hepmonaland,
allowed them to identify the orangutan in the cage.  The other book was a copy of The
Dance of Nerull.  Hristo, still low on equipment after being a prisoner of the pirates, was
graciously given the wizard's dagger, which several members of the party assumed was
also magical.

Next everyone debated what to do with the prisoners -- a perennial task of the band.  It
was suggested that they could go in the cage with the orangutan, but they opted for
keeping the three goblins and the unconscious wizard tied up on the floor.  Barada woke
up, and it seemed the charm spell had ended when the wizard lost consciousness.  He
would continue with the party, but Aaron, Miltar Bertov, and Dargog would remain
behind to guard the prisoners.

"8)  Wax Statue Room:  In this room there was nothing bud a bed and an exquisite wax
statue of a woman."

Exiting the wizard's workroom through the now unlocked east exit, the band came back
into the small room with four doors.  Taking the north one, they found that it led into a
corridor with three other doors in it.  Two of them were in the middle of the hall across
from each other.

After bashing in the door on the right, the front line fighters were faced with a woman
holding a staff.  They were reluctant to attack this woman, but approached her warily in
case she attacked.  She not only failed to attack, but did not move at all, and when Peri
pushed on her and she rocked back and forth, it became clear that she was a wax statue.
Peri searched the room and found some candles in a cabinet.  After that, they left and
moved on.

"9)  Steam Room:  In this room there was a device that turned the water from the
underground river that flows under it into incredible amounts of steam that constantly
flooded the room."

Hot steam filled the room across the hall.  A whistling sound emanated from a red hot,
metal box sitting against the south wall.  While everyone was curious about it, no one
wished to examine it. 

"10) Wizard Statue Room:  The doors to this room will not open by any physical means
unless the rotating wizard statue which lies in the middle of the room is facing that door."

This large room at the north end of the hallway had nothing in it but a door in each wall
(double doors to the east) and a statue of a wizard pointing a wand at them in the middle
of the room.  No matter which door they went to, they found it was stuck so tight that no
amount of physical strength could open them.  Then, Abe began searching the statue
for secret compartments, and discovered that the statue rotated on its base.  Suddenly,
Peri and Vlad understood how the room worked.  They turned the statue to face the
double doors, and found that those doors now opened easily.

"11) Pillar Room:   There are stone pillars in each corner of this room.  There were also two
statues standing at either side of the far door when we entered.  As we approached them
they sprang to life and attacked.  We defeated them while suffering some minor wounds."

Along the middle of each side wall stood what appeared to be men in chainmail with
battleaxes.  However, the heroes quickly guessed that these were more wax statues. 
However, they were also cautious of a trap, and so were not taken too much by surprise
when the wax statues animated and began swinging their axes at them.  The fighters were
taken aback when their sword thrusts did not bother the statues much, but after
puncturing each statue a few more times, they collapsed into piles of broken wax. 

Double doors on the far end of the room led back into the abandoned goblin lair.  The
band turned around, and headed back to the statue room.

"12) Spiral staircase:  This circular room contains only a spiral staircase which goes up,
and out for that matter, and down to level 3."

The single door heading west out of the statue room led down a short hallway to another
door.  This door opened into the stairwell room that the band had used before.  On the
other side of the room was a door which they knew led to a hallway which led left and
right.  They were apprehensive of going that way, as they had fled from walking skeletons
the last time they were here.  Still, they went through the door.  There were no skeletons to
be seen.  However, down the hall to the left, there was torchlight coming from a room. 
They went to explore.

"13) Gnoll Leader:  Here we encountered 2 creatures.  A gnoll and another large feline
humanoid which I am unfamiliar with.  We parlayed with them briefly, learning that the
feline creature was the leader of the 20 gnolls which we had seen on the surface last time
we were here.  We got into a brief skirmish with them, but after suffering several injuries
they quickly surrendered."

The two, green-haired monsters laid down their weapons after a few minutes of combat. 
The one with a dog-like head had been fighting with a two-handed sword, but had not
been faring well against the party with their smaller, faster weapons.  The monster with the
lion-like head sat down and patiently waited to parlay with its captors.  Luckily, Vlad had
once learned some of the goblin tongue, and the monster was speaking something like it. 
Slowly, they were able to communicate that the dog-headed monsters were gnolls, and
that they had been summoned here from the south by the pirates, who had made them a
good offer of guarding the dungeon in exchange for treasure.  If the humans let him go,
the monster promised to lead the gnolls out of Skull Keep.  They discussed how to handle
the situation, and agreed to take the two creatures prisoner and add them to the rest of
their captives. 

The route they had taken had returned them very near to the wizard's study, and so they
went a little further down the hall, entered the study, and knocked on the locked door to
the workshop to be let in.  In their absence, Dagog and Miltar had become close friends,
and had apparently been talking the whole time they were gone.  This amazed everyone,
as they had barely heard a word from the hobgoblin since they had first met him in the
tavern.  But everyone was much too tired and battle-weary to care, and watches were
posted so the rest of the Band of the Grinning Gargoyle could get some rest.

TO BE CONTINUED