Hobgoblin Croquet
The mapping of the keep is turning out to be rather more dangerous than we would have liked. Traps, goblins and zombies have all turned up to hinder our progress and, on top of that, there is a gate to hell that is apparently being opened somewhere inside too. I didn't learn about any of this in cartography lessons. It is good, then, that my fellow adventurers and I all learnt more combative skills, even if it means our maps will be drawn with squiggly lines across several pages with only a corner of each page used.
When a pressure plate drops a metal gate in front of our path we cunningly defeat the obstacle by hefting the gate back in to the ceiling. Unfortunately, it turns out that the gate is not to keep people out, but to keep them in. No sooner have we entered the room ahead, with its enticing stacks of paper, than the gate falls again and hobgoblins rush towards us from the room's two doors. The leader grunts an order that no killing blows will be struck, we are to be taken alive. No such call comes from our side, however.
Despite our more brutal tactics the hobgoblins' numbers and surprise attack puts us at a distinct disadvantage and it is not long before our warlord falls to the floor unconscious. When he is awoken with some timely healing he stands only to be knocked down again. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I cast sleep on the entire room. Some may say it is luck that causes almost all of the hobgoblins but none of my adventuring party to fall asleep and they would be right, but luck is what we needed.
With everyone slowed and most hobgoblins asleep the fight turns in our favour. The two hobgoblins still upright are turned in to mincemeat quite quickly, which leaves only those asleep to be dealt with. The Dwarf takes the opportunity to play his favourite sport: hobgoblin croquet. With a graceful swing of his mighty weapon Gruknal severs the head of one of the hobgoblins and sends it shooting across the floor where it hits and kills a minion. Apparently, this scores a point.
After the battle we enjoyed some mint tea and cream scones before rifling through the papers on the desk for information.