Adventure begins at the library! Read the chapter and vote by 2pm each Saturday to influence which way the story should go. A new part of the story will be posted every Monday throughout the summer.
~ Chapter 3 ~
After tactically retreating into the woods, you and your adventurers attempt to solve the problem of the goblins. The thief of the party suggests waiting until dark when the goblins might light a fire, which would ruin their night vision. Then she could sneak in and scout out the situation, and try and locate Arya’s chest. This is all very well, but what if the goblins have posted a lookout? You ask.
Before she can reply, the group’s eagle-eyed ranger calls down from where he stands on a higher point shrouded in hickory trees. There’s a crack in the stone walls of the waterfall, he shouts. The party hurries to investigate, and after some careful rock scaling and attempting to keep out of the goblins line of sight, the rogue reports that the crack has a small entrance, but beyond is a larger space that runs along the top of the inner cave wall, which the goblins apparently use for storage. The crack leads on indefinitely, but it would certainly be excellent concealment if the rogue’s plan were to succeed.
Night falls, and the golden red flicker of flames dance behind the water of the fall. The thief scuttles up the walls like a spider, and then she’s gone. Some minutes later, however, you hear her cries for help, and happy goblin garbles from within the cave. Again, the ranger’s sharp eyes come in handy as he lets you all know that, as you expected, the goblins have posted a large guard in the cave. The more agile of you scramble up the rock wall hurriedly, while helping up the clumsier. You reach the inside of the cave, knock out the goblin guard, and grab the rogue’s arm. The entire party flees up the crack, deeper into the heart of the mountain.
It seems endless, and smells dusty, and rather dry. The tunnel slowly becomes wider, and then yawns suddenly, opening out into a cozy little cave lit by glowing orbs of light. Lying in the center of the cave is a paper-white reptile, about the same size and shape as a wingless dragon.
“A Bookwyrm,” the ranger whispers. “It’s a type of dragon, obviously without wings, and it hoards books instead of gold. They’re usually not hostile, but we should be careful.”
Stuck to the wall of the cave is a large map, showing a path to a creature’s lair—another dragon. It shows the three exits from this cave: a door, which leads to the summit of the mountain, another tunnel, leading deeper into the dungeon, and the way back to the goblin’s lair. The map itself is written in Goblin. You don’t think anything of this, until someone mentions, “Don’t goblins usually work for someone?”
You get a horrible sinking feeling. A map, written by goblins, showing the way to a dragon’s lair, found near the lair of the same creatures. Could they be working for a dragon? You take the map from the wall, roll it up, and shove it in your pack.
What happens next?
1. Tip-toe-please-don’t-anyone-trip across the cavern, and into the dark tunnel beyond the creature.
2. Run back the way you came and desperately attempt to defeat the goblins.
3. Leave through the door and hope you don’t walk straight off a cliff.