Arrius holds his crossbow at the ready, waiting until his companions get closer before firing, but hoping to get off his first shot before his own cover is blown.
Seeing the signal, Torbin will cast Guidance on himself asking Tyr to guide his footfalls.
Guidance
Stealth
The goblins continue to bicker, the wet one now shaking as they huddle up closer to the fire. They are still heavily engrossed in their measly little meal they are oblivious to the party.
The bolt from Arrius's crossbow whistles out, catching the wet goblin in back. For the briefest of moments, all the goblins freeze before the shot one whips around, raising up a small scimitar and screaming out at the treeline.
Nariella takes a moment to consider her shot. We'll want at least one alive if we hope to learn anything...
Aiming to incapacitate the nearest goblin, she tries to shoot him in the leg.
The arrow from Nariella flies true, catching one of the goblins at it's heel. Falling face first in the dirt, it starts screaming out in pain before the pain causes it pass out.
Peren moves forward to attack the goblins.
Torbin fires once he hears the attack has commenced.
Crossbow Attack
Advantage
Damage
Peren rushes forward, sadly just being too far out for an attack on the goblins just yet (will with the first proper round!)
Torbin, though, attacks from range, a bolt zipping past Peren's head and catching one goblin in the shoulder.
With the exception of the one goblin knocked out by Nariella, the other three are in varying condition of health but ready now!
The party may make their moves first!
Torbin calls to Tyr beseeching his aid against these foes to cleanse them of their sins.
Sacred flame on the one I already hit.
Nariella quickly nocks another arrow and aims for the nearest goblin.
Peren finally arrives at the battle site and swings at the nearest goblin.
Attack-melee:
Damage:
Bonus Attack-melee:
Damage:
,
Thanking whatever foul entity it worships, the goblin succesfully evades Torbins divine attack.
The one shot by Nariella, though, gargles blood as the arrow catches it in it's throat.
Closing ranks, Peren swipes at his foe, the one who just dodged the sacred flame, the force spinning the thing around. Wanting to capitalize on this, his second swings lashes out, but the monster crumples dead to the ground.
Arrius lets fly a bolt, but the death scream rattle him slightly, and his shot misses!
The last goblin manages to trudge up to Peren, swiping at him.
Arrius tries to pick off the last goblin before he hurts anyone.
,
As the party turns to face the final standing goblin, Arrius' bolt snaps into it's side, felling the monster swiftly.
Save the one passed out from pain, the goblins are dead. But low groans fron the thing indicate it could wake up at any moment!
"Careful. There could be more around..." Nariella mutters as she cautiously examines her surroundings.
Gesturing to the groaning goblin, she asks Torbin, "You can speak their language, right? Perhaps he knows something about Gundren and the caravan?"
Torbin nods, "Goblins were a common foe in Cormyr. I felt it important to know my enemy seems that idea I had will be useful here as well".
Torbin provides minor healing to staunch the Goblins wounds then asks, "What dwells in cave? You answer or I feed you to hungry elves before you!"
Intimidate
Nariella, looking around you do not see any more goblins, though you do hear what sounds like echoes from within the cave of barks and snarls.
As the Goblin comes to only to see a human in it's face hopping mad and screaming at it, it yelps and scrambles back, it's back to the wall of the rock face behind it.
"Please no kill! No kill little Yetik!" Shaking in it's boots, as it were, the small goblin looks at the elves in the party and nods. "Yetik talk! Big chief Klarg lives here. Old boss Yeemik too! And many goblin brothers and siblings!" Hearing the yipping as well, it shudders. "And wolfies!"
Shaking like a leaf, it looks up at Torbin, fear in it's eyes. "And a human..."
"This Human has a name? No Dwarves in your cave little Yetik"
Yetik shakes his head viciously. "No, no dwarf. Klarg give Dwarf to Grol. Grol bigger chief than Klarg Yetik thinks. But Grol... He work for Big Spider Yetik thinks? Spider something."
Thinking (which is something somewhat difficult for goblins) he shrugs. "Human name Solder? Salter? He no talk for a night now."
Looking anxiously between the party members, Yetik starts wringing it's hands. "Yetik... Yetik go?"
"Grol eh, where is Grol cave, near here or far? Elves like answer you go Elves no like answer..."
Intimidate
Arrius has no idea what's going on, but it sounds like it's going well, so he keeps quiet to keep from ruining whatever progress Torbin might be making.
"Man, this is turning into a wild goose chase."
Meeping with fright, the little thing crumples back, afraid it's life is on the line. "N-not here! Th-that ways!" It points mostly in a north-easterly direction. "Klarg come from there, Grol come from there, Yetik no come from there but been. No cave, old building. Big and stony. Please, Yetik go?"
Torbin turns to his allies, "This Goblin has provided me with a great deal of information. He tells me that Gundren is not here but is instead to the North East with a Goblin King named Grol, in a place that is not a cave but an abandoned Keep. Grol works for a creature named Spider something. There is a human in this cave named Solder or Salter, ring any bells for any of you? I believe this Goblin would lead us to Grol but he may be a more powerful foe if he is a bigger stronger Goblin. Still f he has Gundren... Yetik, our little Goblin friend wishes to go, shall I let him or do we have him lead us to Grol?"
Perren looks the goblin over and then walks over to the cave opening, taking a quick look inside.
"Oh and Klarg the Goblin is dwelling somewhere in that dark cave... though I think we need to get to Gundren and not worry about this Goblin".
Nariella seems distracted from the interrogation, as she stares intently into the mouth of the cave. Her eyes widen a little as she hears the snarling. "There's something in there..." she mutters to herself.
Grabbing her bow again and backing away from the mouth of the cave, she repeats herself, this time loud enough for her companions to hear. "There's something in there...a creature in the cave. Didn't sound like any goblin I ever heard..."
Torbin looks to Nariella, "Yes, wolves for sure. We must decide quickly to either strike at the cave or move along. What say you all? Do we tie up our little friend here and assault the cave to discover the identity of this Human that dwells within?"
Nariella contemplates for a second, before saying, "Its a dangerous mission, no doubt...but if Gundren is being traded around by these creatures, instead of just killed, there is no doubt a reason...Klarg and this human can probably answer that question a lot better than some random goblin guard..."
@Peren: Peering in, you hear the same noise Nariella points out, but the cave is dark, but your elf eyes see the stream rounding a corner past what appears to be a set of stairs.
Arrius strokes his chin in thought, then says, "Look, our main objective is to find Gundren. However, an old keep is probably pretty defensible, and it's possible that someone in this cave could give us valuable information that would give us better chances at freeing Gundren. Now, that will cost us some time, but as it seems they're holding Gundren alive, I think it would be time well spent. My vote is to start here and hope we can get intel about Grol's lair from someone in the cave."
Nariella nods, saying, "I agree. I don't think we can consider this a random goblin raid anymore. There's a bigger picture and I would like to see a little more of it, before I go charging a fortress. I also vote that we see what we can find while we are already here..."
"I agree! There may be clues to the whereabouts of Gundren in this goblin hole. Also we cannot let such a place continue to exist, and prey on hapless travelers. Come friends, let us put an end to there fiends existence."
"Torbin, can you ask him how big the cave is, and how many are in there?"
Torbin turns to Yetik "My friends wish to know how many goblins in cave. They say they are hungry for goblin flesh and if they don't know how many goblins and rooms they will just have to eat you!"
With Torbin passing on the requests, Yetik shrugs a little. "No room-rooms like you big folks. Caves and river. Five Yetik thinks?" It winces at the mention of hunger for goblin flesh, but nods. "There is Yetik, then Klarg. Then Retho, Ketho, Yeemik, Tatrok, Helmik, Polur, Bettav, Vetaz, Gorp, Piter, Nibbler and Tordif. Sorry... Yetik no good with big numbers..."
Torbin turns to his allies, "It is a cave network. No defined rooms but there are ten plus the Chief within".
To Yetik in goblin, "Elves want wolf blood, how many wolves in cave Yetik?"
As Torbin is talking with the goblin, Nariella asks the others, "What do we want to do with this guy when Torbin's done? Do you think its worth bringing him or should we tie him up out here?"
"Babysitting will slow us down and get in our way. Better to leave him here."
Nariella nods and says, "Fair enough.."
She begins searching her pack for rope, while they wait for the goblin to answer Torbin's questions.
Meeping some, the little goblin, starts twitching it's fingers. "Yetik thinks... 2? Is that right?"" He is clearly not the sharpest knife in the drawer. "They big and mean. Bite Yetik once. Yetik kick them, but they bite Yetik again."
"We will keep them away from you Yetik, if you keep out here quiet and make no trouble, I will reward you with shiny coins and food. Then you can be Chief of this cave!"
Yetik seems to take little pleasure in Torbin's words, but nods along. "Yetik... Okay."
"Stay here quiet and you be ok".
Torbin reloads his crossbow, "I am ready my friends".