"You understand Snizzet?"
Lucas leans forward slightly and begins to chatter to the little goblins in their prickly language.
"Course Looky understoods Snizzet. Does Looky's frendz no knows hims? Snizzet? Grak? Snort? Is me, Looky! I brigning hoomuns for sells, remembering? Let Looky does hims werk and he comes bak and eets with goody frendz."
Ari moves gracefully towards the spot indicated by Lucas, saying nothing, holding her punching dagger in one hand behind her back, ready to strike.
Stealth:
"You understand Snizzet?"Lucas leans forward slightly and begins to chatter to the little goblins in their prickly language.
** spoiler omitted **
1d20+2
1d20+1
The goblins turn toward Lucas. The sparkly one steps forward, red-blotched eyes narrowing, and begins to chatter slowly and gesticulate:
"Grak think looky is not truthing, misser Snizzet."
"Shutting the mouths, Grak and Snort. I head pet keepers, so I make decide the looky hoomun." "Looky seems nice hoomun. Looky make proofs of friendship. Snizzet obviuos has rememories of the Looky, but Grak and Snort not so rememory good."
Lucas feigns offense as he contiunes to chatter in goblin. He looks at Grak.
"Grak herts Looky's hart! Looky likey Grak's jokers bestest. Pleezing rememoring the Looky, Grak? Weez goody frendz!"
Turning to Snizzet, Lucas produces a beautiful, silver dagger and holds it hilt first, indicating that the goblin should take it.
"Looky makes shiny, yoosfull proofs of frendlys. Looky give Misser Snizzet Looky favrite staby stick!"
Lucas leans down and whispers to Snizzet.
"Doesn't bee too hard on Snort and Grak misser Snizzet. Thay is goody frendz and only thoughting to make misser Snizzet looking goody. It no ther faulty they no has goody rememory brains. Them just no as smarty as goody misser Snizzet."
Lucas stands straight again and address the three goblins.
"Misser Snizzet is goody pet keeperz to rememory Looky. Looky is forgivy Grak and Snort for be rudeish at Looky. Looky kno weez all the bestest goody frendz!But sadenly, Looky is haffing to taek prison hoomuns away now, but Looky is the coming bak to eet with hims goody frendz!"
Lucas feigns offense as he contiunes to chatter in goblin. He looks at Grak
1d20+3
Grak turns to Lucas.
Lucas leans down and whispers to Snizzet.
After handing the goblin leader a very well-kept dagger, the leader seems impressed. He/she reaches for the dagger, awkwardly grabbing at the handle and taking a long look at it. He listens to Lucas' whispered words, then responds.
Lucas stands straight again and address the three goblins.
Bluff 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (12) + 3 = 15 The additional +2 to the check is because I already bluffed these goblins successfully. Feel free to subtract it if you want.
The three goblins, chattering among themselves, grow quiet as Lucas addresses them all. As he speaks, the leader brushes the gleaming dagger of Lucas' back and forth in front of his/her face. Then, he/she speaks, addressing Lucas.
The lead goblin tucks the dagger into his/her belt and saunters past Lucas, handing him three small purple vials as he passes them. The other two goblins follow, and all three of them begin to walk toward the room and into the hallway from which the party came. The leader stops when he sees the broken lock.
"I do not the knowing, misser."
The leader wheels around and speaks.
Lucas curses inwardly before he quickly comes up with a convincing story for Snizzet and Co. He turns his back to the goblins after Snizzet's last question. He faces Eli and mouths "I'm sorry", Lucas backhands the big ranger, but doesn't quite put his back into it.
As his strike finds purchase, Lucas bellows in goblin.
"Bad, tricksy hoomun!
Lucas turns back to Snizzet.
"Looky is unforgetting to tells Snizzet. Smellsy, old hoomun is kicking off dor's lockings. Doesn't worries though, Looky is tricksy too. Looky is giving bady hoomuns theys stuffs bak so theys trusting Looky. When goody frend goblins go seeing pets, Looky is telling stoopid hoomuns that he makes goblins goes away. Then Looky is giving hoomuns yummsy drinkings with sleepy purple juices. When the hoomuns is all sleepsy, Looky takes them away and eets with goody goblin frends. Pleez misser Snizzet bees going nows and Looky will werk his tricksy trick!"
When the goblins have gone around the corner and out of sight, Lucas whispers quietly to his companions.
"We don't have much time, quick, everyone hide in a crate," Looking at Eli he adds,"maybe get behind a few and stay quite.
Once they are hidden, Lucas grabs whatever drink is stored in the room and adds the vials of purple juices to it. He then calls for the goblins to come back. When they do he says
Lucas passes the drink to Grak first since he has some making up to do with "Looky".
Firstly confused by the rough gibberish of the goblin tongue, then secondly stunned by the unexpected backhand from Lucas, Eli glares at the younger man, bristling. He opens his mouth, but flits a glance to the door the goblins recently passed though, and thinks better of what he has to say. Slowly releasing a controlled, angry sigh, Eli crawls between a collection of barrels in the corner.
One of the barrels groans loudly from being pushed across the stone floor as he tries to wedge his body and equipment between them. Scowling deeper, he manages to conceal himself, hopefully well enough for dim goblin eyes, but at the expense of much more noise than he intended.
Carys finds some barrels that aren't pushed squarely against the wall. She is able to push her way behind a barrel with minimal noise and effort. Clearly confused, she is not ready to completely let her guard down and is ready for action at any second.
Carys also tries to convince Rhan to crouch behind a neighboring barrel. Rhan cocks her head to the side at Carys' curious actions and movements. When Carys prods Rhan next to her behind a neighboring barrel, she whines and protests the forced movement. After a few minutes struggle, Rhan understands that some danger is close and quiets down a bit.
As Lucas seems to elaborate on some idea, the lead goblin nods excitedly, and then the goblins leave. As they walk out of sight, Lucas quickly empties the purple vials into his waterskin.
Ariana climbs into an empty barrel, giving Lucas a sidelong glance as she swiftly and skillfully covers it back up, her voice reverberating inside.
"It's about time you told us what's going on, Lucas. Those goblins have us cornered and we're just climbing into barrels?"
Ariana stealth:. .
After about five minutes, everyone can hear the goblins returning from the where the "pets" are stored. They enter the room, and the sparkly one looks around.
As this happens, Lucas passes the drink to Grak. Grak looks suspiciously over in Eli's direction, but the drink thrust in his hand occupies his attention shortly, and Grak takes a big swig from it. He turns back to Lucas:
The leader, seeming to forget his inquiry to Lucas, quickly grabs at the flask:
The leader takes a large gulp from the flask, and hands it back to Lucas.
The leader and the other one who drank begin to look...different.
"Looky is haffing goody tymes with goody frendz! Misser Snizzet doesn't forgetting gie Snort somes drinkables."
Lucas carefully takes the waterskin from Snizzet and prentends to take a sip. He then hands it to Snort with a smile.
It's not something any of you can put a finger on in the two or three seconds you've had to notice it, but as the third goblin eagerly reaches for the waterskin you all realize that the goblins who drank are rapidly falling asleep on their feet. The leader, having taken the biggest gulp of Lucas' "friendly drink," takes a sideways step, bracing himself on a nearby barrel.
Snizzers...etfreindliesdrin...snort...don't...
The leader and the other two goblins attempt to stay standing. The leader, eyes growing dim, draws the gifted dagger which Lucas gave him earlier, attempting to swing it. As he brings it down, it drops to the ground, and him with it. The goblin who is still drinking finishes the waterskin greedily, and drops instantly to the ground. Finally, the last goblin falls to the floor, trying to yell something as he falls...
"Bbbbbgaslhgaihsn"(This is not in goblin, it's just gibberish).
The three goblins lay on the floor, and appear to be in a deep sleep. The leader is snoring already, quite obnoxiously.
Carys carefully peers above the barrel she's hiding behind. After taking in the strange turn of events in the little room and the curious new position of the goblins, Carys says, "What was that all about?"
Lucas quickly sheathes his recovered dagger and begins combing the bodies.
"I can't believe that worked!" To his companions, Lucas says,"You can all come out. They're asleep. Eli, Ari, help me relieve them of the weapons and possessions. Carys, will you watch our backs? I'll explain once we get these little angels tucked in."
He chuckles.
Lucas works quickly and when he's finished, he carefully drags a pathetic Snizzet into the room he and his friends awoke minutes ago. He binds Snizzet hand and foot using a length of his rope. With his dagger, Lucas removes the metal clasp of Snizzet's belt and gags him with the leather strap.
Once through with his "goody frend", Lucas moves to help Eli and Ariana with Grak and Snort.
When finished, Lucas will reiterate the conversations with the goblins.
When finished, Lucas will reiterate the conversations with the goblins.
The goblins are completely limp and dead asleep. As you move them, the leader, Snizzet, does a particularly large amount of snoring and talking in his/her sleep. As for searching their bodies, you find most of the following items on Snizzet. The two other goblins were only carrying a vial or two of the purple liquid and their rusted hand axes.
FOUND:
Lucas' shiny dagger,
Snizzet's dagger (inscribed with "Snizzet," crudely on the metal handle, this hand-crafted blade was clearly not made by goblins.
2 silvery rings,
1 gold ring,
1 obsidian ring,
1 silvery amulet,
1 wood-carved amulet (with what appears to be a self-portrait carved into it by Grak)
5 vials of purple liquid,
2 vials of something greenish,
a glowing vial (large, and actually closer to a bottle, this vessel contains something which is glowing and buzzing around inside, making a strange humming noise.)
8 gold pieces,
3 sapphires,
1 ruby,
a strange book (Snizzet was using this ancient tome to keep his diary in the margins. It is very worn, but it is not of goblin origin.)
and a crude iron key.
You also find some battered (but not rusted) bracers on Snort.
Lucas picks up Snizzet's dagger and tosses it to Ariana.
"Can't ever have too many, eh babe?"
"I will take the key and the bracers if no one objects. If there is something of interest to you, I suggest you take it now. Anything that's left we can toss in here and figure out later."
Lucas produces a large cloth sack to hold the various knick-knacks. He then looks over the bracers.
Lucas produces a large cloth sack to hold the various knick-knacks. He then looks over the bracers. 1d20+0
Looking at the bracers, understanding creeps across Lucas' face.
"Oh! I know what these are! Ari, remember that magician what came through town a few months back? He wore bracers like these...maybe these."
Lucas gazes at the cuffs a bit apprehensively.
"I suppose they shouldn't go to waste though. Carys, you ought to use these, they'll protect you better than your robe will."
Carys monitors the hall as the others carry the goblins into the room and bind them. When all the bodies are taken care of, Carys looks at the objects that Lucas and the others have unearthed.
"These look currious." Carys says examining the assortment of jewelry.
Carys monitors the hall as the others carry the goblins into the room and bind them. When all the bodies are taken care of, Carys looks at the objects that Lucas and the others have unearthed.
"These look currious." Carys says examining the assortment of jewelry.
Carys takes a few minutes to look over all of the items, waving her hands over them, putting on the rings, and, in general, determining their magical or non-magical properties.
1 ring of feather fall (gold ring)
1 ring of protection +1 (obsidian ring)
(The silvery rings are not magical)
1 pearl of power (1st) (crudely set into the wood-carved amulet)
1 bracers of armor +1
2 vials of drow poison (5 uses each)
Snizzet's dagger is a worn but sturdy +1 silver dagger.
The jar radiates and pulses. You determine that something is alive inside...you sense something trying to communicate.
The book is an elven tome of ancient origin. As you pick it up, you feel it radiate with the power of previous owners. It seems a powerful and ancient tome, one unlike almost any other book you've encountered in your training or travels. Most of the writing has been worn away by Snizzet's incessant scribbling and what seems to be other, older writings in gnomish. Perhaps this book was in the possession of a gnomish mage? At first glance, and because your elvish is rusty, you can make out part of the title: "CODEX ARCANUM REX XVII." A quick peek at the first few pages reveals nothing coherent, but you do find something interesting in gnomish in the margins of chapter 1. The chapter is entitled "MYSTERIES of PYTAGOREA, THE LESSER" and contains what appear to be illustrations of the sun and stars. Fire features prominently throughout all of the visible illustrations, and is always accompanied by a cloaked figure who is studying a stark black box. The gnomish scribbling which catches your eye is near one such illustration, the fire and the figure, near the box, are encircling a triangular geometrical figure. The figure seems familiar. Near the illustration, in gnomish, are instructions, clearly scribblings of a gnomish apprentice, on how to remember spells.
"I can't believe that worked!" To his companions, Lucas says,"You can all come out. They're asleep. Eli, Ari, help me relieve them of the weapons and possessions. Carys, will you watch our backs? I'll explain once we get these little angels tucked in."
Ariana nimbly climbs out of her barrel, a look of astonishment on her face as she says, "Sure thing, boss. I can't believe that worked either- you're either insane, or a genius." Ariana then begins to strip the goblin bodies of their belongings.
"Can't ever have too many, eh babe?"
"That's true. Thank you. I'll keep this in a safe place." She sheath's the dagger and straps it onto her belt alongside the others, giving it a gentle pat for good measure.
Carys quickly gets to work sorting through the many objects recovered from the goblins. She examines each object carefully, often pausing to mumble an incantation or move her hands over the object in a clearly practiced manner. As she catalogs each object, she moves it aside and focuses her attention on the next object. Nothing seems to baffle the young wizard until she examines the glowing jar. She seems to take much longer to analyze this object. She mumbles several spells in increased agitation and finally sets the jar aside clearly out of frustration.
Finally, she looks at the strange book. At first she flips through the pages at random, pausing occasionally too look at things more closely. After a few mindless flips, she takes the torch out of her backpack to examine the book more closely. The longer she looks at the book, the more excited she seems. Finally, she seems to have decided the importance of the book and simply whispers, "Wow," before taking the torch and book to a corner and sits down to read through the first pages of the book.
As she goes to the corner with her book, Lucas speaks to Carys.
"Whoa there lady. Are you not going to explain your mumbles and incanti? Is there anything special 'bout these trinkets?"
Carys is a bit startled out of her intellectual ecstasy. She seemed to have momentarily forgotten where she was and what she was just doing. She begrudgingly tucks her book under her arm and shuffles back to the table. "What would you like to know about?"
"All of it. You seemed far to interested for these to be mere goblin trophies.
After quietly helping with the sleeping goblin bodies, Eli listens beyond the stone door . Not concerned with any immediate danger, he joins the others, who seem preoccupied with the trinkets found on the goblins.
He drops a hard clap onto Lucas’ shoulder.
”While I approve of your intention to protect these young ladies from a surely nasty scuffle,” his gaze darts to Carys and Ariana, then intently back to Lucas, ”I prefer an open fight. The goblins earned a grudge from me long ago, and I pray the Great Hunter will grant me a seat of fear among their kin. It stings me to even let these lie.”
He nods towards the sleeping goblins, while his other hand traces to the club at his belt. Catching himself, he momentarily clenches a fist before letting his hand hang at his side.
Relaxing a bit, taking his other hand from Lucas’ shoulder to idly poke at the collected baubles and knick-knacks, he adds in a much calmer, matter-of-fact tone, ”Also, that will be the last time you strike me without consequence.”
Studying the assortment of items found, the jewels catch Eli’s eye.
”I'm no jeweler, but I'd wager we could find a good price for these.”
"Sorry. This book distracted me. It is quite old and rich in the knowledge that I seek. It will take many days to decipher and reveal all the secrets that the text contain. As for the other items, there are several useful things among the goblin spoils."
"This golden ring contains a spell that I have never cast, but have seen used quite usefully to avoid great injury from a nasty fall. This other ring made of volcanic rock will help protect the wearer in battle. The necklace contains a pearl that will grant the possesses to cast spells more often than usual. These two vials contain poison that I believe come from a creature called a drow. When applied to weaponry, it should be quite effective against goblins or any other creature. These silver rings hold no special properties, though may be worth a few coins once we escape this cave. And you," looking at Ariana, seem to have already grown attached to the alchemical silver dagger.
Finally, I cannot be certain as to what is in this jar. Whatever it contains seems to be alive and possibly trying to communicate in some manner. I cannot be certain what has incarcerated this thing in the jar. I also have no idea the origin of the encased creature or whether it would be a friend or a foe."
Lucas shudders ever so slightly under the big ranger's heavy hand.
"If leaving the gobos alive is disagreeable, feel free to kill them. I hold no love for these or any goblins, truth be told. My thought, as you say, was to avoid a loud and messy scuffle. In their current state, I can hardly believe they'll prove resistant to that monstrous axe of yours."
"As for me hitting you, well I had hoped that the 'I'm sorry' and the warning would have sufficed, but tit for tack I suppose."
Lucas stands in front of Eli with his chin held out, waiting for his elder to return fire.
"...And you," looking at Ariana, seem to have already grown attached to the alchemical silver dagger.
Smiling at Carys, Ariana says, "That I have." Turning to Eli, "Now Eli, was it? Yes, let's go ahead then. I wouldn't mind seeing him take one right in the jaw. Either that, or I could set up a boxing match for you boys once we get back into town." At this jab, Ariana pokes Lucas in the side and slyly winks in his direction.
Lucas jumps away from Ari grinning like an idiot.
"Hey! None of that, you know I'm ticklish!"
"I think, if Eli doesn't mind, I'll take his shot now. I don't wanna hurt the hold man and that's just what would happen if he went one round with 'STRONG JAW'!
Lucas pelts the air in front of him with a series of rapid fire body shots, then begins bouncing around on his toes, guard up.
Carys barely looks up at Lucas' display. She instead heads back to the corner with her torch and book. Divide the items up however you want. I am happy with the book and these bracers. Carys settles into her nook to read and decipher the text carefully.
Lucas pelts the air in front of him with a series of rapid fire body shots, then begins bouncing around on his toes, guard up.
Lucas attempts to jab the air a few times, successfully. Unfortunately, he then attempts a "haymaker," throwing himself completely off-balance. He begins to teeter and fall over, a look of complete embarrassment on his face...
Lucas stands up quickly.
"Oh it figures that some of that goblin juice would be on floor right where I place my boot! And these steel boots too! That never would have happened if I had my boots on!"
Lucas spits on the floor where the "juice" is.
"Don't let this fool you old man! I could so take you!"
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Lucas stands up quickly.
"Oh it figures that some of that goblin juice would be on floor right where I place my boot! And these steel boots too! That never would have happened if I had my boots on!"
Lucas spits on the floor where the "juice" is.
"Don't let this fool you old man! I could so take you!"
Eli throws back his head, belting out a hearty guffaw, a hand on his belly. ”Surely, boy, surely. You act to have won a few matches in your day, and truth be told, as you are with your fists, I am with my axe. I would be useless in the boxer’s ring, as you might be in the wilds. So how’s this: first to shed goblin blood from this moment wins a pint from the other, once we escape. Not counting Winkin, Blinkin, or Nod over there, of course.” He motions toward the three sleeping goblins.
He pauses, regarding the bodies for a moment, before turning his attention to the assortment of baubles as identified by Carys. His fingers prod the four jewels, but he pockets only the ruby and leaves the three sapphires. Eli holds the ring made from volcanic rock up to his eyes, studying it. ”My mentor carried a ring such as this many years ago, before he was lost. Perhaps the cooled fires of the mountains can protect me likewise.”
He slips the ring onto the index finger of his left hand, quietly opening and closing a fist a few times before looking up. He gestures to the pile of treasures with a toothy grin. ”Take the coin, son. You’ll need it to buy me my drink.”
Eli shoulders his greataxe and pack, and looks expectantly to the others.
Now that the party has time to look around the large room, all of them notice that it is clearly a massive storage chamber. It seems that the room was once part of a natural cavern, chipped away so as to convert it into a serviceable storage area. Near the 30-foot ceiling, the wall grows translucent, and evidence of crudely-removed stalactites still dot the ceiling.
The room, now filled with half-opened barrels, is quiet, save a few muffled sounds from the door through which the three goblins came. Occasionally, barely perceptible noises echo down through the corridor beyond it.