Returning to the four-way intersection from before, the group head to the north, passing by doors to the west and the east until the passage finally opens into a room. Listening at the doors, they hear nothing to the west, but a large number of goblin-ish voices to the east, probably just beyond the door judging by their volume. Bypassing the goblins for now, they head to the northern room, which turns out to be large and semicircular. A sturdy door to the east is mounting with an inscription, indicating that any who pass must be "draped in respect" and "speak [their] name for the scribe of the dead". Otherwise, the room contains a pedestal with a large bowl filled with silver coins, and a pile of implements (including an iron longaxe, an iron lantern on a pole, an iron incense burner on a pole, and six rust-brown hoods).
Deciding not to risk the warning of the door, or risk disturbing what could be holy implements, they return to the intersection in order to start exploring beyond doors. They first explore the west door that they just passed, finding within it a bunkroom, filled with more-or-less intact beds. Searching the room, they discover a hastily scrawled note, indicating the someone named "Ardarus" has imprisoned the High Priest for opposing his new doctrines, which apparently include the fact that the priesthood is now allowed to accumulate wealth through tribute.
They return to the west branch (which led to the storeroom) and open a door facing to the south. Inside is what appears to be the High Priest's chamber, or at least the chamber of someone very important. The room is richly furnished with tapestries, rugs, and expensive furniture, but the furniture is all smashed and the tapestries torn. Inside the room is another iron statue, this time of a more affluent-looking priest. This one immediately starts to move towards them at a slow, but determined, pace. They try to communicate with it, but it doesn't respond, so they step back and close the door, to buy themselves some time.
As the statue begins smashing down the door, the group retreat, with the majority returning to the entrance chamber, Adokas heading towards the goblin lair to draw them out, and Zedlyn retreating to a nearby alcove to watch what happens. Adokas opens the door to the goblins then runs off into the ceremonial chamber to the north. Several goblins pop out to investigate, but hearing the heavy footsteps of the iron statue, they pop right back in and barricade the door.
The statue, hearing the noise coming from the north, heads towards the sound and smashes through the door to the goblin lair. There are the sounds of battle, with several goblins screaming and going down, but the fight ends quickly, evidently with the defeat of the statue. With that threat taken care of, the party have a new problem - Adokas is now to the north of the goblin lair, while the rest of the party is to the south, and the door is smashed open, making it difficult to sneak by. Several scouting parties of goblins emerge from the lair; one of them enters the room where Adokas is hidden, but thankfully his skills allow him to remain hidden and the goblins don't see him.
The rest of the party decide that they will attempt to negotiate with the goblins, sending Zedlyn in first, as he is the only party member who speaks the goblin language. However, as soon as he steps in the doorway, the goblins attack (Zedlyn being a gnome, and gnomes and goblins being mortal enemies)!
Zedlyn and Sulif block the doorway, forcing the goblins to come at them a few at a time, while Lorcan shoots over Zedlyn's head, Iriellis throws a flaming vial of embalming fluid into the mass of goblins, and Adokas runs up from his hiding space and starts sizing up one of the goblins for an assassination attempt. The goblins are directed by a leader, who hangs towards the back and directs their attacks. He commands them to pull Zedlyn into the room, which they do, swarming over him and dragging him back into the mass of creatures. The rest of the party advance into the room to save him, but he is quickly subdued and stunned by a blow to the head (saved from being worse only by his helmet!).
With over a dozen goblins against only five party members, the fight is difficult. Nearly everyone is injured to a greater or lesser degree, with Sulif in particular going down with a broken arm. However, the party manage to systematically cut down the goblins until less than half their number remain. At this point, with nowhere to retreat to, the goblin leader surrenders.
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