The Road to Baldur's Gate

Act I, Chapter I, Unfavorable Beginnings

The air was heavy, cold, and damp. It was hard to breathe in such a climate, how could anyone live in such an inhospitable place? The sound of water dripping slowly landed on the ground making a small sound that seemed to echo throughout an empty room. Besides the water all felt silent. There was fire burning and the sounds of something walking around, but what? The footsteps were light and moist, making slight squishing sounds with each step. They walked with purpose but boredom, not like you would if you were out for a stroll. A slight and quite groan filled the otherwise empty room as a man began to awaken. His eyes opened with uncertainty as he rushed awake. The man looked around quickly only to find himself not in a comfortable Inn room, but a wet and dimly lit dungeon. The man groaned again as his head hung low, he felt his hands and arms being lifted in the air and his knees on the floor. As the man gathered some strength he looked up at the ceiling to find his hands and arms chained to a link that connected to the ceiling. He picked himself up off the ground and found himself in a rather small cell. He focused his vision through the bars to see who was walking around, hoping that maybe they could help him. But to his surprise he saw only small goblins walking around, spears held high and torches in hand. He watched as two of them walked from cell to cell, only taking moments to sit down at a table in the back corner just out of his view. "What the hell happened to me?" The man asked himself as he looked around the room. The walls were damp and so was the floor. He found himself chained to the back wall from his ankles, barely giving him enough chain to reach the bars. He stumbled forward as he grabbed onto the bars at the last moment so as not to fall onto the ground. He lifted himself back up as he looked around outside his damp and cold cell. He shivered as he watched the goblins cackle to themselves as they talked. The man sniffed the air and could smell roast pig, but it was only faint as the smell of waste also filled the air. The man stepped back and covered his nose in disgust, coughing and nearly puking from the disgusting smell. "God! That is awful! How the hell do they stand it?!" The man asked himself through coughs. The Goblins heard him as they turned their heads to look at him. "Oi! I think we goht ourselves a lihve un 'ere!" The Goblin said in an accent. They both walked up slowly and the man could only watch them as he coughed.
"Shit." He said as he covered his stomach and his mouth with his fist.
"Ey! Quite down in 'ere meat! We duhn't need your disgusin' noises bohtherin' us!" The Goblin hollered as he slapped the bars with the hilt of his spear.
"I..." the man started as he was interrupted by a cough.
"I... can't!" He said, catching his breath. "The air is... is so... thick and gross!" He said between coughs.
"Well dat dun't soun like our problum." The Goblin said with zero to no remorse.
They both walked away chuckling as they pointed back at the man. The guy couldn't help but shake his head at them, disappointed in such creatures.
"Goblins... always thinking only about themselves." Just then he heard the sound of a door open and close and a couple of Goblin kids ran in with excitement all over their faces.
"Can we throw stones at the creature?! Huh? Can we?!" They asked with haste, their hands clenched next to their cheeks. Both of the adult Goblins looked at each other and shrugged.
"Aight little ens, but don't get too close, it's not very nice to fingas." One of them said as he handed them a bunch of small stones from a bag on his shoulder. None of the goblins were wearing very much, just stuff to cover their waists to the top of their legs. And some bits of leather to cover their chests.
"We will be careful!" One of the goblin kids said as they started to approach a cell. The man groaned in frustration, certainly not needing them throwing stones at him while he felt like he was having the worst hangover and nightmare at once. The kids walked close to the man's cell and both shook their heads.
"Not this one... he's annoying with all those loud sounds." The kids said, pointing out the man's coughing. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at their stupidity. They both walked to another cell that was almost connected to his. He couldn't see into the dark cell very well but he could make out two yellow eyes poking out from the darkness.
"Oooo, this un! It always makes the funny noises!" Both the kids say to each other with excitement. One of them grabs a couple of stones and start throwing it in the direction of the creature. After a few good hits a loud Yelp and groan filled the room.
"What is that thing in there? A dog?" The man asked himself, trying to get a better look as he grabbed onto the bars of his cell again. The kids laughed at the creature's despair and pain.
"Again! Again!" The female goblin kid said. "I want to hear more of the funny sounds!" She told the other.
"Yeah, I'll throw 'Em harda!" The male kid said as he threw a rather big stone near the creature's eye. It recoiled back and barked loudly at the kids. They both jumped in surprise and began to run out at the loud and scary sound.
"It's a nightmare!" One screamed as it ran.
"I don't like those sounds!" The other yelled in fear. Both of the adult goblins groaned as one approached the bars of the cell.
"Not cool yoo... fur dat yoo won' be gettin' noh dinna." The goblin hollered at it before walking away. The creature groaned with a slight whimper as it curled closer in the dark, hiding its yellow glowing eyes.
"Definitely some type of dog." The man said to himself as he let out a slight sigh. "At least those annoying kids are gone." He told himself, making him chuckle a bit as he backed away from the bars. He kicked a rock away from him as he approached a part of the floor with hay on it, poorly covered with a small and torn up animal pelt. The man looked at it as he began to expect it, taking note of the feces stained in the fur and the slight putrid smell coming from it. He turned it over to a cleaner side as he sat down with a slight sigh. "How am I gonna get myself out of this mess?" He asked as he tried to sit down. The chains on his wrists then pulled back on him, pulling him back to his feet. He grunted loudly as he looked up at the chains. "Well, ain't that a load of shit." He said to himself as I shook his head in near disbelief. "Not even enough room to let me lay down." He said as he looked back at the not so comfortable 'bed'. It felt like hours had gone by of the man just standing their, barely walking back and forth with a slight bit of water squishing under his feet.
"Alrigh' meat sacks! Dinnah time!" A goblin hollered. The man's stomach growled with hunger as he watched the goblins tossing something between the bars of the cells. He couldn't quite make out what it was until one got to his cell. The goblin groaned as he tossed something toward him. The man hurriedly grabbed it only to find out that it was a bone with barely any meat left on it, in fact with closer inspection it looked to have some teeth marks; no doubt having been that roast pig he smelled earlier, now eaten by the same goblins who imprison him. He let out a slight sigh as he chewed off what he could. He threw the bone into a corner of his cell as he wiped his mouth.
"Tastes like shit... not even cooked all the way through," he said as he spit out some fat that he chewed off. The man let out a small yawn as he sat down against a wall. He let out a small huff as he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the fire to help him set his mind at ease and let him fall asleep. Soon enough after some trouble he finally fell asleep, arms held high and hopes so very low.