The shrine and the pit

The goblins' shrine contains an odd assortment of items, likely appropriated from previous sacrifices. In addition to the leather tome, thereupon lies a broken longsword, a silver ring, and a woman's scalp with a mother-of-pearl comb still embedded within the fine blonde locks. The stone wall above the shrine is painted red (with blood?), upon which has been inscribed a serpentine device. Even those among the party who have been schooled in various barbaric tongues can only speculate as to its significance.

The clamor and guttural gibbering of the surviving goblins continues to be heard echoing throughout the cavern and the adjacent corridors and chambers, though the sounds grow more faint with every moment that passes.

Meanwhile, a magnificently fetid odor continues to waft from the dark pit. Inspection with torches and other light sources reveals it to be another tunnel, plunging deeper into the ground at an acute angle.

"Cry havoc!", etc.

The intrepid adventurers dash forward as the drums and chanting abruptly cease. The stone corridor makes a slight bend to the left and opens into a much larger chamber that is weakly illuminated by a phosphorescent lichen growing up the walls. In that instant, this is what they see:

A horde of squat humanoids (goblins, you assume; for the creatures do correspond to the various unflattering descriptions you have heard of them), perhaps a dozen in all, are watching and gibbering in confusion as the raven furiously flaps and pecks around the head and face of one of their fellows. Somewhat comically, he attempts to shoo it away with a short wooden staff, but the crazed raven will not be deterred. With a victorious caw, the bird finally succeeds in snatching something from around the goblin’s neck and flies toward what appears to be a gaunt, naked man poised at the edge of a pit, his hands bound behind him.

The goblins are so caught up in this unanticipated avian drama that, for the moment, they have failed to notice you. [This is your opportunity to act on surprise. Please email your actions to me. Fil, since Orthos is in front, send along an initiative roll for the group using web dice while you’re at it.]

Into the dark

[I'm assuming the marching order is as follows: Orthos and Mercurio up front; Varel and Wolfie in the middle; Laurie and Nibben bringing up the rear.]

The party cautiously follows the impatient raven into the fetid hole. Just wider than six feet in diameter, it tunnels down at a gentle slope, its walls made of nothing sturdier than compacted earth held together by the root systems of surrounding vegetation.

Approximately 20 feet down, the floor of the tunnel reveals a set of old stone stairs, half-buried in the dirt, their edges eroded by the ages. The dirt walls gradually expose more and more hardened stone, and the earthen tunnel eventually merges into a subterranean corridor. This appears to be a fully excavated structure, though of an unknown origin and ancient vintage, long since buried and forgotten by time.

The foul smell intensifies. In the glow of Orthos’ supernatural flames, various bones and piles of excrement – some old, but others quite fresh – can be seen littering the floor, requiring careful footwork to avoid. The corridor continues straight ahead, but openings to the left and to the right can also be seen in the dim light.

As the group considers its next move, the sound of drums suddenly echoes all around them: a deep, irregular thrumming, like the heartbeat of a dying man.