Ravboom looks around, but reaches out and drives a fist into Palo's thigh with his free hand, hard enough to hurt, but not hard enough to do actual damage. "Gobbies! Not Goblins! Ravboom be Goblin. They be Gobbies. No call them Goblins, no insult Ravboom!" He says, eyes glowing red as he keeps an eye out for an ambusher. After all, someone had fired a firework earlier, and that someone had to be around still.
"Ravboom, Gobbie. Or Sir." Ravboom says, with a growl, still watching the forest.
There is little more to see at the tree with the goblin ‘decoration’ – beyond the fact that its head has been severed and several arrows are holding it in position, the goblin’s torso does appear to have suffered an enormous number of stab wounds… clearly it has been the victim of a savage attack – far more savage even than a goblin’s normal propensity for violence would extend…
…so with Kaloora possibly taking pieces of dead goblin for eating at some later point, the strange party have little option other than to proceed along the trail…
For another fifteen minutes or so the trail weaves around rocks and climbs over fallen trees until, at last the trail spills out of the swamp and deposits the explorers next to a fast moving river… and, almost instantly, the heavens open and what had been a humid day suddenly turns into a cold and miserable rain shower. Some two to three hundred feet to the east, the shape of a building – little more than a hut squatting next to the river – can be seen through the rain…
"Gobbies is dum, eat their own, and smell like rotten meat. Goblins have some pride. Gobbies have none." Ravboom says primly.
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Ravboom looks around, and then points to a shape near the hut. "Dead animal for Gobbies to eat..." He says to Kaloora...
...the animal lying in the mud near the hut turns out to be a goblin dog - quite a large one -its body gashed with multiple wounds and, even from a distance, it is clearly in an advanced state of decay.
Ravboom nudges Reles, and whispers in his ear.
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Solie frowns into the rain that was pattering on her head, and more importantly, threatening to put out the sun. Rain was always a stressful event for Solie. She frowned even more when she saw the shape of a hacked up goblin dog. There was mischief afoot, and it wasn't hers which meant it needed to be stopped.
"I am the 'she' to all the 'nanigans'!" she proclaimed with no real context. It wouldn't have been out of place to the goblins who had known her awhile, but to the others, well, who knows.
As she looks at the dog with disgust, she hears a sound in the hut. "Shush you all! So noisy! You hear this? Metal is in there. Moving metal," Solie hisses as if she wasn't the noisiest of them all.
Kaloora pulls some fingers and follows in silence, chewing and gnawing on the way. He was hungry but, then again, when wasn't he?
He says the animal too and, when Biggun points, his first reflex is to point the weapon out to the animal.
He doesn't shoot, however, but follows again - and this time, before he does anything, he's stopped by Solie.
Kaloora immediately hides, understanding something metallic was there. Maybe long-legged pink ones, with their armors? It doesn't matter. He kept hiding. He put the musket in the backpack and pulled his hammer, still looking at the door of the hut.
"I hear it too," Relas whispers in response to Solie, although he's not really sure if she or any of the others are listening to him. "Someone did a number on this thing just like the other gobl-gobbie. I wonder why?" When he feels Ravoom nudge him, he glances over at the small goblin.
"Well...that sort of makes sense, especially since that big gobl-er gobbie looks like he can take care of himself..." he whispers back, although his tone still sounds somewhat unsure. "But you don't actually want those others to get eaten, right?" he adds as he watches the boomstick goblin hide in response to the gnome's words.
"Wouldn't say I want them dead, but not too upset about them dying if they want to die, especially if they cannibals." Ravboom shakes his head. "But have to be them what do them in, not me. Unless they attack Ravboom, then they die." He shrugs. "No have bad murder desires or anything, just no see reason good people die saving people eat own, you know?"
Solie's invitation for the 'Metal-Masher' to come out is greeted with silence, the scraping stops and the only sound for a few moments is of the rain - on the roof of the hut, the muddy bank of the river and the river itself - and then the door of the hut crashes open...
Shouting and screaming in a guttural and unintelligible language, three… four… five… and then a sixth goblin try to push past each other in a rush to exit the hut – their sodden clothing liberally splashed with gore and their faces conveying no emotion other than pure rage. The hammers and crude blades they brandish, covered in fresh blood, tell you of their single-minded intention.
As his summoner fires off a bolt at one of the approaching goblins, Relas moves to stand protectively in front of her in an attempt to intercept any that try to move in and attack, adopting a defensive position. "You'd all better drop your weapons, because we've got no plans to be your lunch!" he growls threateningly.
Ravboom begins to all but vibrate as the ambush occurs, and he spins his sling, howling in excitement.
The sling thrums as Ravboom spins it rapidly and flings a stone at the lead gobbie (the one with the bloody weapons, not the annoying ones).
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Solie jumps back in surprise and blinks a few times before registering that these are not your usual friendly goblin horde. Now, Solie has one reaction to danger, and that is to light the threat on fire. At least after she makes some space between her and the threat. After quickly shuffling back some paces, she summons a flame to her hand and throws it at the front and center enemy goblin.
"Biggun! You hit it! Not let it hit me!"
She's picked her meat shield.
Kaloora moves towards the first enemy he sees in line and tries to hit it with his lucerne hammer.
Rushing from the hut, the first of the goblins is taken from its feet by Palomia's bolt slamming into its chest - knocked backwards, it crashes to the floor, twitches and dies... A second one, receives a slung bullet to the temple, trips over the dead goblin and, with its weapon flying from its grip, is knocked out cold...
The third, running in the crowd, squeals in panic as its clothes suddenly ignite...
And then the crazed goblins are upon them, blades hacking at the large goblin at the fore...
The last of them, ducking Kaloora's hammer, sidles in and stabs at one of Solie's 'tribe'...
Sparky had been rather quiet up till this point, watching how everyone interacted.
Now tho, Sparky whirled into action, springing forward and charging down onto one of the gobies that had ganged up on Biggun and lashed out with one of his twin Golden daggers.
Not that it would do much damage but it may have just nicked one.
Crazy Gobbie be BAD Gobbie! Where be your self-CONTOLL?!!
Seeing that his threat had no effect, Relas moves forward rather than wait for an order from his summoner and attempts to maneuver around behind the goblin that Sparky just charged, snapping at it viciously in an attempt to bring it down.
"R..R..RavBoo Boo Boom have Sel.. Sell Self control... troll troollllll!" Ravboom stammers out as his body all but vibrates as he spins the sling so fast it thrums in the air, and another stone goes flying out at the gobbies.. the mad ones... other than sparky...
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Solie takes a few more steps back, ensuring she keeps out of harms way, then sends a conjured flare flying into the face of the enemy goblin nearest to herself.
The goblins that pour out of the hut are rabid in their ferocity but, even by goblin standards, they are skinny and malnourished – the fightback is therefore quick and decisive. Sparky spins and cuts with his blade before, bounding behind the stabbed Breakbag, Relas tears a limb from it… with a shriek, it collapses and dies. Palomia, again uses her crossbow to pick off an attacker... this time, her shot spears a goblin through the eye and it too, is instantly killed… finally Ravboom’s bullet knocks out the goblin that Solie set fire to and, whirling a fierce chain around his head, Biggun smashes the metal links down on the last of the goblins… killing it and mashing it into the mud…
…and then Solie lets off a beautiful and fascinating flare - once the brightly coloured spots clear from eyes, a scene of devastation lies in front of the group… of the goblins that rushed from the hut, only one remains alive – and, even that one’s light grasp on life appears to be failing…
…and from the open door of the hut, the smell of death rises strong and pungent…
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"What the hell is going on here?" Solie asked in a tone much more somber than anyone's heard her use so far. THis was unnatural, even for goblins. Were these the ones who had lit up that firework earlier?
Solie points to the hut. "O-one of you go look. I wait here. But I make you light. You can thank me." She leans down and picks up a rock, stick, leaf, whatever is available on the ground near her and casts light on the object before holding it forward for anyone brave enough to go in first.
Well it looks like its Sparkys turn to be the brave one, but first he has to make sure Solie has the correct information.
Dis no hell, dis is earth.
and with that he goes off taking the glowing rock that Solie had handed him (not that it would make much difference with his darkvision) and heads over to the hut, ignoring the petrified goblin but giving him some distance if possible.
Once Sparky gets over to the hut he creeps over to the side and peers in, glowing rock held out.
- nothing seems that unusual about the area around the hut... however the dead goblins clearly haven't eaten for days and also, upon closer examination, have an unusual darkness - streaks of jet black - in their eyes...
The smell of blood and decay hits Sparky the moment he approaches the hut... and he doesn't have to wait for his eyes to adjust before he knows that this is the scene of a gruesome murder. Worse even than the fate that befell the goblin beheaded and impaled against the tree, whoever inhabited this hut has been completely dismembered... and, from the state of the remaining body parts, this murder was visited upon them several days ago.
Tens, if not hundreds of empty bottles line the shelves of this hut... Each one completely drained of what the labels purport to be a 'mighty powerful extra strength longshanks grog’... Towards the back of the hut, a spear leans against the wall whilst, lying on the bunk, is a loaded light crossbow and an opened case containing nine bolts. Half-dragged from beneath the bunk is a dark wooden strongbox... as yet unopened.
Ravboom moves up to the hut as well, his limbs trembling with after-effect from his enragement. "Gobbies no need light, goblins neither, can see in dark... just not colors..." He reminds Sparky, as the creature huddles over the light as if he were a blind longshank.
Ravboom looks over the room, and whistles. "Look like got ahold of bad grog, someone feed them enough grog to make sailors sick."
Ravboom steps in carefully and slowly, carefully looking over everything. "No touch anything, could be gobbietrapped."
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Biggun swaggered towards the hut, not bothered by the gore splattered around. "Bah, scaredy little goblin," he said to Ravboom. "Biggun no scared of maybe trap! Maybe Biggun find goodies and share with Solie, be favorite for when Sun come down." With that, Biggun started searching around the hut for any 'goodies' he could give to Solie or keep for himself. The spear and crossbow were worthless for him, too small for his tastes. Speaking of tastes, the gore was too rotten, and the grog was obviously bad if it caused the other goblins they killed to be that crazed. But perhaps a shiney stone?
Heeheehee... - Kaloora follows Biggun giving a safe 10 feet distance from the big goblin. In his way, he friendly smiles to Palomia, showing his pointy teeth still with patches of the eaten goblin skin.
Dragging the heavy lockbox out into the open, Biggun notices that there is no padlock securing it closed – curious at to what it contains, Biggun simply has to open it... maybe there are shinies... but no, just two gourds containing viscuous liquids, a handful of copper coins and a somewhat dessicated frog... and sadly, there is nothing else of interest within the hut...
Whilst Biggun, Kaloora, Ravboom and Sparky clamber in, over tand around he hut, Solie and Palomia have a moment to examine their surroundings. There seem to be no other buildings on this side of the river but, a hundred feet or so upriver, a rope bridge - tied between two gnarled and bowed trees - spans the fast moving torrent...
…beyond the bridge and through the rain, the outskirts of what is probably the Brokebag village can be seen – set back a little way from the river bank, a shambolic hut leans against the wreckage of what have been a Longshanks house… and beyond that, a track heads southwards into the mist…
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Biggun frowned in disappointment. There just wasn't anything that good in the hut. Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed the gourds and placed them in his pack before grabbing the coppers. Maybe Solie would like those?
Stepping outside, the sunlight harsh after the dark building, he walked over to Solie and held out the hand with the money. "Biggun find money, give Solie so Biggun he favorite when Sun come down."
Ravboom exits, and sidles up to Reles and Palo. "Nothing in gobbie hut but some coppers and bad rum."
He then motions his head to follow the bait others.
After Sparky satisfied his curiosity with the contents of the hut he also steps outside and into the open. There he gets his next instruction and so he follows it out.
Oks. I is going to da bridge. Oh! I sees someone. An more someones! Dere is some someones over dere on udder side of bridge so I go over dere.
He then contemplates a bit.
But I go over dere quietly.
And with that the goblin does what all goblins are good at doing. Practically disappearing. He quietly heads over to the bridge.
"Wow...hey Palo, Ravboom, did you see that? He just sort of disappeared, right into the undergrowth!" Relas whispers as Sparky moves off to further investigate the bridge and what lies on the other side. "I wish I could be that sneaky! Think he'd teach me?"
Ravboom shrugs. "Dunno if he can talk well enough to teach. Not all Goblins and Gobbies talk good like Ravboom."
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Solie inspects the coins then snatches them up out of Biggun's hands. "You probably favorite. Sun is big. You'll have to carry it, too, probably." The way Solie said the last was as if bestowing a great honor upon the large goblin. In truth, she'd already assigned each of her companions (even the new ones) tasks when the sun came down.
"Good job, Sparky. You go see who it is. Make sure they haven't drunk themselves mad like these ones."
She raises an eyebrow at the big cat. "You're too fat to sneaks."
With the hut containing nothing of interest and the Brokebag village appearing to be on the far side of the river - Sparky's first scouting suggesting it as 'safe', it is time to attempt crossing the river. The rope bridge, by goblin standards, appears to be robust - the trees against which is secured are well established and the bridge itself shows no sign of serious rot - so, one by one and with Sparky leading the way, the group traverse the turbulent water… of all of those making the trip, Relas is the least suited to the short trip but somehow he manages to pad across.
…on the southern side of the river, the mist and rain still obscures vision beyond a few hundred feet – although it is possible to see structures beyond the first hut, it is impossible to tell what they are and whether they are occupied or deserted. The movement that was seen from the far side of the river is still evident… indeed, tethered just outside the tumbledown hut, a goblin dog is furiously scratching at the ground and straining against its rope…
Ravboom looks at the goblin dog. "Good Doggie. Look Reles, a doggie! I bet you be good friends!" Ravboom digs out some dried meat from his pack and holds it so the dog can see it, to see how it reacts.