The humanoids resided in a small 20'x20' barracks. The stench of garbage and rotten carrion spoke the years of unsanitary tenants. Tattered hides and half-eaten legs of strange animals hung from ten unstable hammocks. Battered cooking equipment lay indiscriminately among broken arms and worn gear. Four small barrels edged the far side of the room.
After finding nothing of significant importance, Oktavianus and Roslyn helped pry open the poorly constructed barrels and found that they were all filled with a black oil. The priest thumped the lids with his stubby hands. " We'll have to come back for this somehow. Sell it at the nearest town we were going to before."

The ranger and psionic reappeared with their kobold captive ten minutes later. Though freed, Pomeer seemed low in spirits. The fellowship filed back over the catwalk passing by the goblin massacre. Gailwind noted that all were now dead.

1 AM: It took a while to dig through the furniture, but the party managed to make a clean path to the eastern door. Nanith spent plenty of time trying to unlock the portal, but it stood solidly secure against them.
" Bloody hell! " the thief echoed his frustration. " Once again, I fail to unlock a door!" Roslyn scrunched her nose and patted her kin on the back " There there, mister lockpick. You've done plenty for us thus far. Don't fret. We'll get through somehow."

Ninnipin prodded around the portal trying to find anything that he might have missed before. " Are you sure there was no key to be found on the bodies, Vrai? How about those that fell into the pit?" The archer shifted uncomfortably " Noone has explored that hole yet. You may be the only one who could search it without hurting yourself."

Timbra stepped in front of the halflings and lightly protested " No please, let me be of some use. I'll go into the hollow and have a look around. Nanith's would be greatly needed here and I wish to serve my part for your brave rescue of my person. I insist." Without waiting for a response, the gnome walked over and borrowed the leather tether from the ranger. Realizing that Teflar required future strength for his fighting endeavors, Timbra asked Erelis and Aramil to offer their bracing while he repelled down into the pit.

1:30 AM ~ Sleepy eyes watched the tiny gnome carefully meander around the dugout cavity. Timbra pointed his crooked goblin sword at every strange shadow cast from the wavering torch up above. Jutting spikes and old bone obstacles from eras past hampered his progress and he was slow to wind his way around them. After searching through every fabric and cranny space imaginable, it was clear that this pitfall failed to aid the fellowship. " Nothing." was Timbra's sad response.

Light curses hissed through Oktavianus's teeth and he stomped back into the circular chamber. The cleric found Nanith standing silently facing the portal; lines of study edged the hobbit's brow as if he were conflicted in thought. The dwarf relayed the result of the pit search with a touch of hopelessness. The rest of the party entered the room and slumped onto the floor in exhaustion.

Nanith tapped his foot in measure with a suddenly-excited speech.
" We might just blow that door to smithereens with those oil barrels!" His hands parted in an exploding motion for extra drama.
The cleric snarled at the idea in which the rogue corrected himself " No, no, that would just bring this whole room down and attract every goblin�s attention for miles away."

Erelis smiled at the hobbit indirectly " Ninnipin, you're a genius. If we can't get the door open from our side, why not let whoever locked it in the first place, come to us." The psionic stretched his hamstrings out upon the stone floor. " You had spoken before that Pomeer could be put to task with that incessant screaming of his. That brings me to an idea." Meadows smiled devilishly " Let's get some sleep and, in the morning, let the kobold's use finally be exacted!"