Part 6: One Man's Trap Is Another's Treasure

Update 5: One Man's Trap Is Another's Treasure

With their morale boosted by their recent failure to get horribly killed, the party decided that some more exploration of Sorpigal was in order.



"Ah, the town jail. I got some fond memories of breakin' outta there. How 'bout I break us in and take a look inside, just fer old time's sake?"
"Wait, are you sure that's--"
"Ooh, a real authentic jail! Sounds like fun!"
"But it's--"
"It's always wise to know one's way around the inside of the town jail. All the better for escaping from it later."
"But we're not--"
"Whatever. Might as well see if the inmates snuck in anythin' worth stealing."
"But we could--"
"If Tarquinn an' Mattybee are goin', I'm goin' wi' them."
"Some days I think I exist only to be outvoted."



"Ha! They never made a jail that could keep me out. Wait, lemme think about that fer a minute..."



"Eh, never mind. Let's just take a look-see inside now..."



"It seems the town jail has something of a pest problem. To arms!"



"Hey, everyone, look what I can do! I'll wager none of you can use a sling at point-blank range like that!"
"Bah. I've no need o' a sling as long as I've got me trusty axe."



"Jostiband's magical sleepy-time spell triumphs again! Now let's burn the bodies."
"Not now, Jostiband."
"Awww."



"Ah, that gremlin had a sack of treasure! Lemme just untie the cord..."



"OWOWOWOWOW OH GODS THE POKING AND PRODDING AND IMPALING"



"... ghh... ghhhkkk... who puts a spike trap in a leather sack with six gold coins in it?"
"Must ha' been th' goblin tha' dropped th' sack."
"I know it was the goblin, ye idjit! I'm askin' why!"
"I'm afraid Magnus tends not to be very good with rhetorical questions even when he doesn't have a wooden stake through his kidney."



"Well, there's nothing for it but to keep exploring, right? That'll brighten your moods right back up in no time! Let's go see what's in that jail cell over to the right... hey, wait, why's the door closing behind us?"



"This might be a tough one... gimme a minute here..."
"Don't you dare set off a trap this time, or if the trap doesn't kill you I will."
"Hey, maybe instead of risking another trap we should rest in this cell in a monster-infested jail until our wounds are healed! Nothing can go wrong with that, right?"



"Let's not."



"Whew. For a second there I-- uh, I mean, no problem! Like I said, no jail can keep me in!"
"Out."
"Eh?"
"You said no jail could keep you out."
"That too. Let's get outta here before the guards arrive."



In the treasure of a group of orcs, the party found a crude wooden shield.

"Magnus? I think that one's yours. Guess that makes you even for the scale mail from before."
"Damn ye, boy. I'll get even with ye yet."



"A statue! Mebbe if I pull this arm, it'll open a secret passage... mebbe a little harder... whoops. Eh, it looks better with one arm anyway."



"Sylphosaurus, stop vandalising the historical monument. Jostiband, don't even try: it's made of solid stone and not even remotely flammable. Let's move on; there are some more statues further down the hallway."



"Ah, Gala. A shining example for us all to follow. Well, except for the part where she ended up being sacrificed to the savages' volcano god. I'd rather like to stop following at some point before then."



"A quest, eh? Could be a reward in it for us..."
"That statue's bin there fer years. If there ever was a quest, someone's prob'ly solved it already."



"And adventurers frequently found themselves out of work. All in all, I prefer things as they are."



"What a strange legend! I wonder what it means."
"Don't be silly, Jostiband. Everyone knows that mysterious legends carved into statues never mean anything important. Come along now, let's keep moving."



"Goblins? What a joke. I'd feel bad about killin' them if they didn't carry so much treasure."



"Easy. Now, lessee what they got..."



"OWOWOW EVEN MORE POKING AND PRODDING"



"Well, it seems that nobody has been poisoned. We've cleansed Varn of another group of monsters and earned some money in the process. It could have been worse."



"Corak? Huh. Why does that name sound familiar?"



"A proper tavern! I've been dyin' to wet my whistle on somethin' better than tha' stale horse piss the inn calls beer!"



"Ah, customers! And adventurers, by the looks of you! What's your poison?"



"I'll 'ave a mug o' yer finest ale."



"Ah, tha' hit th' spot."
"Psst! Magnus! Slip him a few coins and ask if he's heard any rumours!"
"Whate'er ye say. Here, ha' five gold."



"So, uh, any rumours?"



"But come back when you have more money! Perchance my memory will be refreshed!"
"Well, so much for that plan. Let's see what the rest of town has to offer."

Before long, the party came to a locked door.

"This is where I come in!"



"... and by 'come in', you mean 'get us all permanently scarred and half-blinded by oil'?"



"... medic..."

The party rested, recovering from their wounds and each consuming one ration of food before moving on.



Amongst the treasure of another group of orcs, the party came across a finely-carved wooden club, glowing faintly with magical energy.

"A fine blackjack if ever I saw one! I'll be takin' that!"

After distributing their equipment from the day's adventuring and their purchases from the town smithy, the party was considerably better armed than when they had first set out.



"Ah, this is the life! All I need now is a sword, and some chainmail once we have the money."



"I'm ready t' face th' world! Or Sorpigal, at any rate."



"Nothin' like a good old club to knock the stuffing outta some goblins."

With the town of Sorpigal mostly explored, the party began to set their sights further afield. They already knew that a system of caverns lay beneath the town -- dangerous, but perhaps rewarding to those who would brave its perils.



Of course, there was also the great outdoors: a source of limitless adventure, to be sure, but not without its dangers either.



The party began the long climb up and out of Sorpigal. Yes, it was good to be out in the sun again, even if they had to share these lands with hordes of monsters.

What would the party's next destination be? Would they explore the caverns beneath Sorpigal, or the forests and mountains in the surrounding area? The choice is yours, readers! Vote now!