the goblin with the green eyes is soon back, he introduces himself as Gougehook Throatmangler, and fusses about offering you more tea and putting a cushion under your head.
After profuse, if somewhat embarrassed thanks and refusing more tea and biscuites (really you can't cope with that much sugar), You do tentatively voice the opinion that this is hardly the sort of behaviour you expected from goblins.
"oh yes indeed"
gougehook begins a litle wistfully.
"it's rather sad really. People assume that all goblins are barbaric and mindless killers bent only on destruction and loot, ---- that's just our cultural heritage and while we stil like to respect it, in practical terms it has litle to do with goblins today"
You ask about the song, and gougehook explains that it's just an old goblin folksong, and like most concerns cruelty, conquest and torture, --- but he hastens to reassure you that goblins don't actually do that anymore, ---- well not unless it's a special occasion such as the yearly festival of blood or one of their official and legally sanctioned ravening raides for loot and slaves, (who are only symbolically enslaved for purposes of upholding the tradition).
You then ask about the mine works, and the dungeon generally, sinse this is the first time you've managed to find someone sane enough to give you a rational explanation of just where! you are.
'gougehook has no idea about how you got there or how you get back, but does inform you that his gang are a group of miners from the goblin city sent by the king to mine special christals to put in his new labyrinth.
This mine and the attached dungeon are apparently a good 50 intestine lengths from the goblin city and 30 intestine lengths from the nearest settlement, off deep in the Undernieth.
However,sinse you have no idea where the goblin city is, where the Undernieth (which clearly has capital letter status), is, or how long an intestine length is (a fact you'd actually prefer not to know), this really doesn't help you too much.
When however you explain you were brought to the dungeon by a magic doughnut, Gougehook rapidly becomes quite excited.
"magic? we are in something of a jam concerning a spell. If you know something about magic, could you possibly see your way to giving us some of your time to help? if it's not too inconvenient of course"
You hastily tell gougehook you really don't know much about spells despite being the victim of one, but would be willing to give the goblins a hand if you could, ---- they are the kindest creatures you've met in the dungeon thus far, and afterall you owe them for the tea.
Gougehook explains that the problem concerns the transport spell they bought with them as a quick way home which (through a magic and possibly dungeon related accident), has become locked behind a magic door which they cannot open without unlocking the spell that keeps it shut.
None of them have any idea how to remove the unlocking spell to get past the door, and without the transport spell they'll be looking at a very long journey home indeed.
You agree to take a look at it and see if you can possibly help, ---- afterall, your the hero of this story, ---- or at least your the protagonist, eitherway, you are the sort of person who does good deeds if at all possible.
If your not, --- think of this as a nice change.
heroically try to break the spell.
The horrible dungeons of dreadful doom.copywrite2011 by Dark.