Morholt's Request

Seglun rushed up to the door to the prison cells and flung it open.  Inside were five Goblyns lazily watching the cells.  The party set to the attack immediately with surprise on their side.  The party waded into the prison cell area and set upon the Goblyns.  Suddenly there was a scream from the rear of the party as Arvien found Goblyns at her back.

While the party reconfigured to attack Goblyns at the front and rear, Baru, Varrid and Grunyar found themselves being feasted upon by the vicious attackers.  But the tide turned against the Goblyns as Baru and Seglun pressed their attacks, Drovic called down lightning and Grunyar slew two enemies with his hammer.
As the battle dwindled Varrid noticed red headed prisoners in the some of the cells.  She picked the lock to the first cell and provided nourishment which was quickly eaten.  There were four prisoners who relayed that they belonged to Shelaugh's Rowan faction.  After regaining some strength, they told the party the Goblyns had been torturing them without even asking for information.  They had seen some of their fellow Druids die from the grievous wounds inflicted upon them.  The Druids were anxious to leave the castle and return to their faction.  The heroes led the Druids up to the Barbican entryway and bid them farewell.
Then the group headed back to the first floor where the rooms were grungy and filthy.  The foyer was as they had first seen it, north wall smashed out, floor covered with mud.  The sitting room was also covered in mud, the furniture partly broken up for firewood.  The mantle's one end lay on the floor.  Arvien wanted to go into the kitchen again but when she entered it there was no food, the tables had been stacked against the west wall.  There were double doors leading north.  The eastern door to the tower was filled with debris that spilled into the former kitchen.
Seglun headed to the north doors and opened them into a dining hall.  The area was dominated by a massive carved wooden table, candelabras had crashed down onto the table.  All was covered in dust and mud.  There were stairs leading up to the north and south on the east wall.  Broken windows were all boarded up.  Two doors led to the west.  There were two doors also on the north wall.  Seglun headed for the northeastern door and Ralom for the northern most westward door.
Outside Ralom found the arched entryway, overgrown with weeds, a section of the ceiling having fallen in.  The rest of the ceiling looked as if it may collapse at any moment.  There was a metal bar outside the door.  It appeared to be used to pry open the door itself.
Seglun opened her door which led into a small room finished in marble. A ceramic bowl and pitcher lay smashed on the floor.   The other door to the north led into a Kitchen with partially collapsed red-brick oven, rough wooden tables on which were dented pots, heavy cast iron skillets and utensils.  Rotten stairs led up, which Seglun climbed with Baru holding the rope around her waist.  At the top of the stairs was a panty, rotting sacks, broken crates and baskets held rotten foodstuff.  Two doors led north, one to a room filled with wine racks, the bottles were all smashed on the floor, the other warming room of some sort.  A small brick oven was on the north wall and tables lay strewn and overturned on the floor.  Seglun headed back down and went to the stairs in the dining hall leading up to the north.
Again with Baru's help she climbed the stairs into a grand hall.  The room had black and white tiles, each black tile etched with a white feather.  Another staircase came up to the south.  The west wall had several partially smashed stained glass windows and a door.  In the south a small staircase led up. The party came up and Grunyar looked out the door the the roof of the arched entry.  Portions of the flat roof had fallen in, others appeared ready to collapse.  There were ceramic pots strewn about, Grunyar sent Dirk out to investigate.  Ralom moved to a window and found a plaque on the sill etched  with the name "Lizzy ApFittle".  The window appeared to show some wolves.  There were murals, chipped and dirty on the east wall, the north labeled  "...dom to Wa.." depicting peasants looking at a blighted field and the south "Free...fr..the..." showing priests being tortured.
Seglun again led up the stairway to the south.
As Ralom was waiting to climb the stairs suddenly a incorporeal figure appeared next to him.  The young man had a thick mane of dark brown hair, a broad bare chest, and square shoulders. A fresh tattoo of crossed swords marked the skin over his heart.  "Are you a cleric of Morrigan?" he inquired.  Ralom was unsure of the name but answered negatively as he noticed the ghastly wound across the young man's stomach from which uncoiled entrails hung.  His face was contorted into a look of shock and fear.  "Do you know how to atone with an angry god?" the teenager asked.  Ralom answered that usually you must obey some command from the god.  When asked the young man related that he was Morholt and that Morrigan must be angry with him since she no longer favors him.  "I was sure I had her favor, Duncan assured me she would bless my efforts." 
Ralom asked about his parents, who were the young minstrel and Isolt, his dead brother Gilian, who Morholt said was attacked by wolves trying to save his dog.  His parents often argued about religion, "I am trying to appease them, but Morrigan no longer helps me," he wailed.  When Arvien suggested that Morholt himself was dead, he was astounded, swore to find his murderer and departed.
On the third level a hallway led around to the western side of the castle.  It was filled with broken plates, and butcher knives were stuck in the floor, which was also filled with footprints and muck.  There were several doors to the east and Seglun went to them one by one, opening them to look inside. 
The first door was a small room line with shelves, there was broken glass smashed across the floor, some bent cutlery and dented serving trays were also littering the room.  The second door revealed a wash room finished with pink marble.  The ceramic bowl and pitcher once again lay in pieces on the floor.  The third door was an formerly opulent large room with a ornately carved wooden chair on a dais below to windows who's panels had popped out.  The chair had a dagger sticking out of the backrest.  The carpet was threadbare and dirty and a mural on the west wall was chipped and dirty.  The fourth door was obliterated by the ceiling having collapsed.  It held moldy and rotten cloth of various sizes.  The fifth door was also obliterated by the collapse of the ceiling.  It's walls were lined with shelves on which some books were stacked.  Several other books lay trampled on the floor.  There was a desk with papers, which had a black stain on them, strewn about.  Seglun started to check out the papers but they were brittle and fell to pieces as she picked them up.  Ralom checked some books that were worm-eaten, but he found no magic anywhere so far on this level.

DM's Notes:  The party earned 1143 XP for the battle with the Goblyns and now have 50,785 XP.