Session 4 Summary: Whistles and Woes in the Pit
Following Nualia’s ominous warnings and seeking to map the dangerous region known as the Pit, the heroes first consulted with Veznutt Parooh at “The Way North.” Confirming the path and the Runewatchers’ interest in potential maps, the party journeyed the few miles southeast of Sandpoint to the Devil’s Platter and the unsettling, 50-foot-wide maw of the Pit itself.
Making a careful descent down the rickety ladders lining the chasm walls, they entered a doorway on the first accessible ledge. Inside, they found a chamber decorated with numerous animal skulls and crude taxidermy statues, including an unsettling attempt to recreate the legendary Sandpoint Devil. While examining this effigy more closely, Ner inadvertently triggered a trap, causing the statue to emit a sudden blast of foul-smelling gas.
The commotion attracted a Whistlefang goblin guard from a nearby room. Seeing adventurers, the goblin immediately let out a sharp series of whistles, calling for backup before being engaged. While the initial reinforcements were dealt with swiftly, one managed to escape deeper into the complex, sounding a wider alarm with more frantic whistling.
This led to a larger confrontation in what appeared to be the goblins’ throne room. The Whistlefang leader, a cunning goblin named Gurlunk, proved a formidable foe, felling both Variel and Y in the fierce battle. Just as things looked dire, the fight was unexpectedly interrupted by a large, monstrous lizard bursting up from a pit in the floor. This creature, called Cruncher by the goblins who had seemingly imprisoned it, attacked the goblins with fury, inadvertently aiding the party. With Cruncher distracting their leader, the heroes rallied and defeated Gurlunk. Seeing their leader fall, the remaining Whistlefangs immediately surrendered, begging for mercy. Taking stock of the throne room, the party noted the grisly sight of a badly charred goblin slumped upon the throne – apparently the previous leader, dead for some time.
The creature Cruncher was badly wounded from its captivity and the fight. Y skillfully applied medicinal aid, patching up the beast. Seemingly grateful, the large lizard now appears content to follow the party.
Investigating the throne room further, the heroes discovered a secret door. Beyond it, they met Tunch, a goblin who proudly declared himself a “master taxidermist.” Tunch pleaded for the heroes’ help, blaming the clan’s misfortunes on a witch named Minargul. He claimed Minargul worshipped the Sandpoint Devil and foolishly invited dangerous cultists into their lair, who then drove the Whistlefangs from the lower levels. He accused her of being a mind-controller and offered the party a crude map of the immediate area, urging them to eliminate the “evil witch.”
Weighing Tunch’s request, the party explored more of the goblins’ cramped territory. They discovered a food storage room where, among mostly spoiled supplies, sat several suspiciously well-preserved and juicy-looking fruitcakes. They also located the goblin dog kennels, quickly dispatching the foul creatures within, but left the encounter feeling unsettlingly sick afterwards.
The heroes now stand within the Whistlefang Lair, having cleared several chambers, gained an unusual reptilian follower, and received a dubious quest from the resident taxidermist, all while the threat of the cultists below and the mysterious charred goblin on the throne linger.