The adventurers searched the nearby road and found some tracks that looked to belong to several goblins leading away from the ambush point, north towards the ruined monastery. They quickly gathered their belongings and followed the tracks northward soon coming on a trail that led further into the woods, and finally to a small hill.
Upon the hill stood what looked to be at one time a monastery that had come on hard times and eventually was abandoned. The stone walls were broken and the roof had fallen. On closer inspection, they found a set of worn stairs leading down, from inside the ruins, into a large, man made catacomb.
Upon entering the dark passageway, the party decided to make a small amount of light to see by. The wizard, who claimed that she was a bard, very quietly spoke a few muttered words and then with an innocuous gesture caused a light to be cast on Kitiana's light rod.
A bright light sprang forth and lit the corridor for at least thirty feet in every direction. Harbin snorted a bit irritatedly and muttered something along the lines of "so much for a quiet entrance...". Soon after the light came into being, the party heard several sets of footsteps hurrying away from their presence.
The party decided that any surprise they might have had in storming the goblin's lair was quickly ruined. So, making the best of the situation, the began to search the large room they were standing in. While Harbin made a quick circuit of the room, Kitiana thought it might be best to try to catch the escaping monsters and began to chase after the receding footsteps.
Kitiana ran about a hundred feet down the northern passage, then unexpectedly found herself laying at the bottom of a pit filled with sharp spikes. Not the most comfortable position she had ever found herself in.
The rest of the party quickly finished searching the room and then went off to see what the loud crashing sound, which sounded something like thirty-two bakers all banging wooden spoons on baking tins was. After only a few moments of searching down the northern corridor, they found a young woman wearing plate mail laying at the bottom of a ten foot hole.
After a bit of discussion, which centered mostly around whether or not to help the paladin out of the hole, they lowered a rope and pulled the woman from the previously unoccupied trap. Then, Harbin, with the unhelpful help of the wizard disarmed the trap.
The company of adventurers then began exploring the dungeon. After several hours of mostly uneventful exploring, they found a room at the end of a long hallway. The stalwart paladin, Kitiana, thought it would be best if she scouted ahead into the room, and ensure that it was safe for the rest of her companions.
She stepped through the doorway, and expertly surveyed the room. She found that it was completely safe and invited the rest of her friends inside. Seeing some clutter in the middle of the room, she went to investigate. After taking three steps towards the clutter, she found herself firmly encased in a gelatinous substance that felt rather unfortunately acid like. Another fairly uncomfortable situation.
After a pitched battle to free the paladin, the party of adventurers were all sore, tired, and quite bloody. The dwarf was also quite uncomfortable, as he had been invited to be encapsulated with the paladin inside the cube of acidic gelatin as well.
The adventurers had won the day. Now, all they had to do was finish exploring the dungeon and see if they could persuade the goblins who had made their home in these dark corridors to leave the hapless merchants alone.
To be continued...
