4. Roll to Lactate

Following their successful mission to vanquish Mansha and escape from Trg, the Goats and the survivors needed to find somewhere to rest and take stock. They decided to push north to the nearby Salt Mine and spend the night.
Fortunately the orcs and goblins in Trg were too busy infighting as to who was to take charge instead of trying to chase down the Goats, so the escape went unhindered.

Expecting to find the mine empty, they were surprised to find the strange dwarf, Buildhammer, living there. They had met the half shaven dwarf prior to the Steel Caller's invasion months ago, and Buildhammer carried a strange locked box that could not be opened by any means except a missing key. Buildhammerhad repeated what he did months ago, that he was looking for "a place that needs a face", which made little sense to anybody, perhaps even Buildhammer himself.
The dwarf had prepared a massive pot of stew that could feed everybody, claiming he had a hunch he would have visitors. The Goats and survivors were too tired to doubt the dwarf and set to sleep, with Brutalithops taking first watch.
It wasn't long when some of the Goats were woken by a horrible gurgling sound and found their goblin comrade lying in a pool of his own blood, throat slit. Sir Great Catsby used his/her last bardic powers to heal Brutalithops, saving his life. Whilst the big bosomed Catsby cradled his/her little green-skinned friend, Primrose (the Firbolg from Junstol), said it would take some time for the goblin to recover and wake.
Still exhausted from the hard day and the battle, the Goats investigated the mine, survivors and Buildhammer. They could find no other beings in the mine.

Marik Schwarzdorf suspected Buildhammer, basically torturing the dwarf for answers to which the confused dwarf had none.
Meanwhile a bleary-eyed Bal'Aur searched the shifty Trg watchman, Ghebbils, but it appeared the human was still bound.
Too exhausted at this stage, the Goats and the survivors went back to sleep but doubled the watch.

*****

The following morning, Bal'Aur, Marik and J'Daar'Khan Xarradoris took a swollen Buildhammer outside of the mine to gather food for the group. The winter had yet to make the land white with snow, but it was still cold and it would only become worse in the coming weeks.
Back in the mine, Catsby took a strange interest in the bound Ghebbils and the human reciprocated. To the shock and dismay of the survivors, the two engaged in carnal activities, the sloppy sounds and moans echoing throughout the whole mine.
In the awkward post coital embrace, Catsby realised that Ghebbels was not bound and that the watchman had taken his/her brooch - the item that had been magically transformed to unleash a needle of transmutation. The business end of the brooch now dug into the back of Catsby's neck. Ghebbils motioned to the tabaxi that they need to get out of the mine.

Xarras and the survivors looked on, unable to do anything lest the magic weapon fired directly into Catsby. As the two neared the mine's lift, Catsby cast a magic wave of thunderous energy, blasting back Ghebills. The brooch fired and Catsby, the tabaxi that currently suffered a curse which changed him into him, now turned into a large troll, similar to the one they had fought the night before in Trg.
A thunder-shocked Ghebbils retained enough of his sense to use the chaos as an opportunity to get into the lift and ascend back to the top.
The Goats who ventured outside to gather food returned to the mine entrance - Bal'Aur with a rabbit over his broad shoulder and the others with wild roots. They found Ghebbils, looking worse for wear and looking like he was trying to regain his senses.
The watchman tried to explain that a troll appeared in the mine and he managed to get up and was to start looking for them. The Goats were cautious and despite the watchman's protests, they would take him back down the the mine.
With the jig up, Ghebbils basically admitted to the crime. The shifty man had not forgiven Brutalithops' attack on him half a year ago. He had hoped to exact his revenge but thankfully failed.

The Goats decided to leave the fate of the watchman to Brutalithops and when the goblin finally woke, he took Ghebbils further down into the mine. The goblin reminded Ghebbils how despite that he had attacked Ghebbils back in Trg, nearly killing him when the main artery in the leg was cut, Brutalithops saved him from death. The goblin then took a dagger and stabbed Ghebbils in the same place, cutting up the old scar and the blade bit deep into the flesh. Blood rushed freely and Ghebbils whimpered for help, until he was too weak to.
The cries of his death travelled through the Salt Mine as the Goats and survivors left.