Journal Entry 36
I once overheard someone in the tavern refer to my Master’s Tower as Howl Tower. I didn’t understand why, as it was usually pretty quiet around my Master’s Tower. The only howling I ever heard were from the wolves out in the forest and beyond the edges of town.
I finally understand why.
After my Master left for Starfall City, I noticed a door that had always been locked, in the main entrance, had been left ajar. Peeking past it, I saw winding stairs leading down into darkness. I never got around to investigating further; I’ve been so consumed with continuing my Observation Project so I can prove to my Master that I wasn’t slacking off and avoiding it while he was gone.
I have since realised that neglecting to investigate, or at least shut the door, was an unwise decision on my part.
The place under the tower, which I assume is a basement or a dungeon - though I’m still not sure - is full of Goblins.
I heard the howling last night, as I lay in my bed, contemplating who I should next observe. I didn’t realise at first that it was coming from the Tower itself, I thought there was a wolf outside. I’d gone to investigate - I could handle chasing off a wolf, they didn’t like magic that much - because my ward spells around the Tower should have alerted me to anything that came close to the Tower.
When I realised it was coming from inside the Tower, I investigated further, descending down the dark stairs with only a candle.
Master obviously knew what was down there. Why what appeared to be an entire tribe of Goblins was below the Tower, and why he didn’t tell me they were there, only left a door open for me to discover on my own, I do not know.
I shall have to ask him when he returns.
Villager Observation 10 - The Howl Tower Goblin Tribe
I have spent most of the night watching the Goblins. It has been the closest I suspect I’ll ever be able to get to a Goblin Tribe, without them trying to kill me. They didn’t notice me, peering at them from the edge of their camp, as close to the stairs as I could be - in case of an emergency - while also remaining hidden.
The camp is a collection of crudely built tents made from animals skins, wood, and bones. The tents are gathered together in small groups around the expansive cavern. There are torches and campfires everywhere, and a huge bonfire in the middle of the cavern. I do not know much about Goblin Society, so I do not know if the way the tents are gathered is in family groups, friends, or something to do with their role in the Tribe.
A rough count of the Goblins I could see came to around thirty. There’s nothing remarkable about this Tribe, appearance wise. They’re all short, hunched creatures, coming to - I assume - my waist in height. Some are bald. Others have hair. They wear rough clothing, made from animal skins, and wield crude weapons made from wood and stone. Some of them have been coming and going through an opening in the basement - or cave, as it more resembles - on the opposite side to where I’ve been hiding. I assume that it is their way to the outside world and that there is a cave somewhere outside of Willowdale that I should probably try and locate, for the safety of the townsfolk.
There were a few notable exceptions, of course. Even Goblins have their own society, and four of the five I noticed was easily distinguished as high-ranking in their society.
The first was a male Goblin. He stood a little taller than the rest, not so hunched over. He wore a helmet, and ill-fitting armour I assume was taken from some unlucky adventurer so I couldn’t see much of him. I noticed him standing over the rest of the Tribe, in front of a crude tent sitting on a rocky platform. I feel it safe to assume that he is the Chief. He doesn’t seem a very pleasant individual; his yelling and snarling at the other members of the Tribe was a constant source of distraction to me while I was watching them.
The next was a female. She was with the Chief, sneering down at the other members of the Tribe. She was the most notable, because of the way she was dressed. She was wearing human clothing - what was likely once a fancy dress, now a stained and tattered mockery - as ill-fitting as the Chief’s armour. And jewellery. Lots of Jewellery. The amount of necklaces adorning her neck, and the bracelets dangling from her arms was ridiculous. I thought Nobles were bad with their excessive jewellery, but the Goblin lady has them beat.
The third was another female. She was on the other side of the camp, as far from the Chief’s tent as she could be. Her crude tent was decorated with dried herbs hanging from string, and other odds and ends, some of which I’d rather not think about. Her makeshift clothes were a lot more covering than some of the others, and she carried a long staff that was almost too big for her. I never assumed Goblins would have magic users of any type, but looking at her reminds me of the Orcs I once stayed with - briefly - while on the run from the more zealous people from my hometown. My best guess would be that she is the Tribe’s Shaman.
The fourth was another male. Just by looking at him, I could tell he was a warrior, likely a powerful one. He wore very little, just a fur loincloth, and carried a sword twice his size, made from metal, though it wasn’t well taken care of. I guess he took it from some adventurer or merchant. He was all muscle, covered in scars and crude-looking tattoos. From the way the other Goblins scrambled to get out of the way, he probably had a nasty attitude to go with his scars and sword.
The last one was a male as well. He differs from the rest because he is not some powerful looking warrior, or a shaman, or a chief. It is because of how utterly pathetic he looked. He was skinny and small, hunched over even more than the rest, and wore nothing but a ragged loincloth that covered very little. He used his hands, as much as his feet, to scramble around, and it seemed to be his goal to stay out of everyone’s way. He kept coming in and out of a narrow crack in the wall, and I assume that, rather than a tent, he lived in whatever space the little crack allowed. The only reason I noticed him in the first place was because he got in the way of the nasty-looking warrior during one of his darts between his little crack and the bonfire, and didn’t escape in time to avoid the kick the warrior aimed at him.
Now that I know these Goblins are here, I shall have to keep an eye on them. Judging from the way the camp is set up, I do not think they notice - or perhaps they simply just don’t care about - the stairs. Master may have enchanted the stairs to keep them from seeing them, but I cannot tell for sure; the Shaman’s cruder magic is overpowering.
In any case, I do not want them to find their way up to the Tower. Goblins are notorious for being difficult to get rid of, once they invade a place.
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