<determine humidity>
<determine effective temperature>
| A wave of moist heat
rushes forth as the door opens. The
odors <odor detection>
of overheated grease, charred meat, and old ashes follow. Beyond the doorway
lies a long, narrow room with a blazing <fire>
|
4 human cooks labor in here nearly around
the clock. Zodznog,
a female half-orc with a leathery face,
oversees their efforts and
ensures that the cooks work until they
drop. She does not tolerate
interlopers in the kitchen—not even Brubgrok
or Glyrthiel.
Zodznog (half-orc):
AC 6; MV 9”; HD 1; hp 6; #AT 1, D 1–4 (improvised
weapon).
Human
Slaves (4): AC 9; MV 12”; HD 1; hp
3 each; #AT 1; D
1–4 (improvised weapon). <exhausted:
-4 hit, -4 damage, -4 saves>
<starving>
Zodznog knows about the ladder in area
13 that leads down to
the spring chamber (area
26) on the lower level. She allows goblins
or other individuals who belong in the
guardhouse to pass
through the kitchen while traveling to
or from area 13. Otherwise,
Zodznog gives an uninvited visitor one
chance to exit the
kitchen gracefully. If the visitor lingers,
she chucks a cleaver at the
trespasser. Zodznog prefers to hang back
and toss knives, cleavers,
and heavy pots (she has plenty of such
items at hand) at any
target that offers her a clear shot. However,
she is not afraid of
melee combat.
The slaves hate Zodznog, but they also fear
her, so they take up
knives,
cleavers, rolling pins, and other kitchen implements and
join the fray against intruders. The slaves
attack the closest foe and
fight desperately, hoping to win Zodznog’s
approval. If the halforc
falls, any slaves still fighting immediately
surrender.
The slaves know quite a bit about the guardhouse
and a little
about the quarry, but they are too exhausted
and frightened to volunteer
such information—they do not appreciate
the value of what
they know. If the PCs think to ask the
slaves about
these topics, they can learn useful information.
All the slaves tell
essentially the same story about coming
here:
** Raiders abducted them from their homes.
Eventually they were
brought to the quarry on a ship that traveled
up the local river
and tied up at a jetty (west of area
56 in the
caverns). After
that, they were blindfolded and carried
a “very long way.”
** The slaves are vaguely aware that a village
is nearby, but they
do not know its name.
** They know that some of the quarry workers
are not enslaved,
but they have never been able to speak
with any of those
workers.
** They know that goblins
also work the depths of the quarry, and the
tunnels include some sort of unholy chapel
or temple (area 42).
** Eventually, the slaves were imprisoned
in area 21 on the upper
level of the guardhouse.
** They know that more slaves are currently
being held in area 21,
and turnover is slow. Some slaves leave
(presumably sold)
only to be replaced by new ones.
** The slaves know about the taskmasters
in area 20 but are not
sure what kind of creatures they are. The
slaves describe them
as big, powerful, and very brutal goblins.
** The slaves have seen the guardposts at
areas 17 and 22, and
they know that goblins
staff the posts at night. They have delivered
food to
the guards at both areas.
** They do not know about the traps in areas
15 and 16, but they
are aware that guards always announce themselves
before entering
or leaving the tops of the staircases.
** Zodznog keeps these slaves on the brink
of starvation and exhaustion.
After the excitement of the encounter fades,
they collapse
and become all but helpless for at least
a day.
>>13.