Maxim nods at his comrades as the group comes together once again. He passes each of them a small tub of silvery paste with a hard look;
"Alchemical Silver for each o' ye... Tis a weapon blanche - good just for one coating o' a melee weapon or something thrown... Will coat up to 50 bullets, arrows or quarrels. Once it hits the effect is done... so use it wise like."
The gunmage taps his belt;
"Pistol is fixed and I've plenty o' silvered ammo. Anyone needs my blanche just holler."
The dwur nods in thanks as Juraan repays him with protective majicks;
"Much obliged Drake-blood. Good to know you've our hides protected like."
As JJ seeks to forge ahead Maxim whispers to him;
"Surabar - mind we've another o' those potions in the bag if it runs out."
At Kikinnin's look the merchant furrows his brow attempting to discern what the paladin has seen...
"Thanks for the blanche, Maxim. We'll probably need some of the stuff before the day's out."
Juraan follows the others into the small barracks, after Maxim and does a bit of a sweep of the room, using Detect Magic.
Maxim attempts to discern what the birdcage symbol might be, but it is not a symbol from any merchant family in Cauldron or Sasserine area.
That is not a heraldic sign or coat-of-arms of any kind. It should mean something different.
While JJ and Kikinnin are checking the symbol at the box, Ryan and Maxim oversee a shadow behind the boxes standing up.
It is too late, two goblins appear firing their crossbows at JJ "Longlegs!!!!"
Two of the bolts stab at JJ's chest, one very close to his heart.
As Ryan and Maxim react, the goblins reload and follow up with another round of bolts.
Another bolt stabs at JJ's chest before he can manage to react.
"Y-yeah...J-Juraan is an old f-friend f-from the orphanage," Marigold smiles weakly. "It m-might b-be awhile b-before I c-can c-come b-back to w-work on a regular b-basis again, b-but I p-promise I'll m-make it up t-to everyone!"
When her friends answer her inquiry about wererats in the negative, she sighs. "I'd g-guessed as m-much b-but thought I'd ask. Um...w-would it b-be okay if I d-did some r-reading on them? P-part of J-Juraan's w-work," she asks, being as vague as she dares on the finer details.
Not again!
As Marigold calls in their shared tongue for JJ to fall back, she moves to offer Kikinnin a guiding hand before he charges off into battle.
"JJ, you might want to stand back, and let me... ooo... that looked like it hurt..."
AC = 22
HP = 34/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = Guidance
Kikinnin nods to Marigold, before dashing at the green gob, hiding just poorly enough to leave himself exposed. "Rats scatter when the master returns home to bring the light." Kikinnin keeps his voice to a low grumble, debating on how best to snuff the gobs before an alarm rings out.
JJ coughs up some blood.
"That's because it did." he moans.
The badly wounded boy steps up to the fight, bringing his blades to play.
The blows are rushed, although the silver dagger almost manages to draw blood.
As the goblin's ambush the point men, Maxim spits a curse holsters his pistol
"More jeblin... hate 'em little basterds!"
The gun-mage moves into the room to support, drawing his shortsword as he does
Seeing JJ take a couple of bolts to the chest, the dwur growls and moves over the debris to get at the elusive sniper;
:
"Come on jeblin scum. Try sticking me with one of those pins!"
Juraan will run in behind JJ and try to use his wand of Cure Light Wounds on him.
Ryan greets Dandarrian warmly seconding Kikinnin's comments about not dying. As they go below he takes up a spot towards the rear trusting his armor and Maxim's darkvision to watch the groups back from shots from the dark.
When they enter the first room, Ryan tries to place the birdcage symbol.
Failing miserably to attach it to any of the families he knows. As bolts and Goblin crystal echo from the storage room, Ryan grabs his familiar mace and shield
Ryan moves up behind Kikinnin and Maxim, touching Maxim's shoulder with a word "Ductus"
surprise round:
Draw mace and shield.
Round 1:
Move up and cast guidance on Maxim
Maxim casts a spell, a magical barrier covering him, then becomes invisible.
Marigold touches Kikinnin with his blessing who moves between the boxes delivering a strong slash of his axe that cuts the goblins left arm. On seeing the terrible injury the goblin faints to the floor unconscious.
JJ fights the goblin in front with his swords but his movements are still hindered by the pain and the small creature dodges the attacks with ease.
Maxim climbs over the boxes looking to distract the goblin with his gun menaces.
Juraan comes to JJ's aid with the wand, but it does not seem to bring any effect yet.
Ryan, weapons wielded, touches Maxim giving him Abadar's guidance.
From the corridor left of Kikinnin, steps sound are heard as two new goblins appear around the corner, and crossbow at hands do not lose their time to shot Kikinnin and Ryan behind the boxes!
But the bolts hit the boxes instead of the Cauldron defenders.
The other goblin draws a shortsword and attempts to defend himself from JJ.
But the goblin is too scared for being surrounded and fails to connect a hit.
With the goblins arrows coming in from the left, Ryan calls out "Beware more to the side" pushing forward around the crates he swings at the first
With a powerful blow, Ryan crushes the skull of the goblin rendering him unconscious into the floor.
"Let me lend a hand, JJ!"
Wanting to help make short work of the goblin facing JJ, Juraan sidesteps so he can get a clear shot at that goblin (red) with a cantrip.
AC = 22
HP = 34/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin listens at the door next to him, and readies a swing at anything gob that opens the door to try and gank him. "Keep it up, Ryan. You're doing fine."
As the fight begins to spill over into adjacent rooms Marigold dashes up to JJ as she draws the healing wand, giving him a quick tap with it.
Juraan shots a ray of acid over the goblin that lands on it's head. The goblin jumps frantically as the acid burns his skin.
Kikinnin holds, vigilant to the southern door, his axe at the ready.
Marigold reaches JJ with the wand healing him.
The goblin in red clothes keeps his fight, attempting to stab JJ.
The other goblin attempts to harm Ryan instead by dropping the crossbow and drawing a shortsword.
Both goblins fail.
Juraan fires at the same goblin (red) again with a ray of frost, doing acid damage (again):
Looking to follow up on his previous good strike, Ryan rushes his second swing.
Maxim infuses his blade with some arcane energy , then attempts to cleave the corned goblin;
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AC = 22, Shielded
HP = 34/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin steps by Ryan , to try and quiet down the room with all the gob-squawking.
"There's gotta be more. Four of them roaming these halls, likely means there's a dozen or more. Should be easy enough to pop their skulls, but it's always their numbers, and how they try to wear you down. Keep your ears open."
Hoping to be of a little more practical use, Marigold steps around to the side as she draws her crossbow. With slightly shaky hands, she takes aim and attempts to fire at the cornered goblin.
Juraan's ray is close to the goblin, but in his attempt not to injury his menaced companions, the conservative shot lands at the wall.
Ryan mace is not that precise this time and the goblin easily dodges the attack laughing maniacally at the cleric "Kloks arkhast!"
Maxim manages his pick with skill and divine guidance, the weapon impacting on the melon-shaped head of the goblin and opening a large hole into its skull. The thing falls to the ground instantly dead.
Free of the hindrance of the goblin, the dwarf moves closer to the hot point of the battle.
When Kikinnin moves past Ryan, the goblin attempts to attack.
And finds the dwarf armor, the small creature shocked by his strongest attack not being able to pierce the stout Malachite's armor.
Kikinnin profits the surprise of the gob to crush his axe over the little goblin face. The poor thing collapsing to the floor unconscious.
4x leather armor
4x shortsword
4x lightcrossbows
Kikinnin points two fingers at his own eyes, then points one finger to Maxim, then points two fingers towards the southern door, hoping the blond-beard understands. He turns briskly towards the hallway, and moves to the end of it, hoping to get a peek around the corner. Not just a peek around the corner, he wants more gobs to get rid of.
When Kikinnin looks around the corner, he observes a couple of goblins at a doors crossing in the corridor discussing something. One points towards the area of the corridor Kikinnin is at, the other one points opposite to the North.
Kikinnin waves at the others, indicating excitement towards something around the corner. Giving the others a moment of preparation, he shuffles around the corner, tapping his axe to his shield, hoping to gain the gobs' attention.
He readies a swing on the first gob stupid enough to charge him.
Of course, if they run, he chases.
Moving up behind Kikinnin as he starts down the hallway towards the next set of gobs, Ryan is ready with mace in hand
You observe Kikinnin and Ryan silently disappear into the eastern corridor.
The first goblin turns and starts running towards Kikinnin shouting. When he arrives on range, Kikinnin delivers a strong blow with his axe on the goblin's left shoulder.
In response the goblin at the dwarf that ends stopped by his armor.
The other goblin moves to the room on the side shouting. He then reappears with a crossbow at his hands and loads it.
"Let me try to heal you up a bit, JJ, now that we have a moment to breath."
Juraan will use is wand of Cure Light Wounds on JJ to patch him up a bit.
@ GM Rusteg: just putting these rolls here in case the time spent doing this affects what Juraan can or can't do next:
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Hearing more Goblins shouting, Juraan runs into the corridor to catch up with Ryan and Kikinnin.
Along the way, he will put away his wand of Cure Light Wounds and ready his wand of Color Spray
AC = 22
HP = 34/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin does his best to make way for Ryan, cleaving the gob, so it drops down and out of the way for the others.
"Go, Ryan! Make sure that gob gets no chance to fire that damnable bolt!"
"On it!"
As Kikinnin cut the first gob down Ryan rushes past and plant himself squarely in front of the would-be archer.
As the others run headlong down the tunnel, Maxim curses;
"Impetuous fools! Did we learn nothin' from the butchery in the Malachite! Stay together!"
The frustrated gun-mage holds position, mindful not to leave JJ and Marigold behind or open to an ambush from one of the side tunnels...
As he stands the dwur sheaths his blade and draws his pistol.
Juraan draws his wand and attempts to use it a couple of times before it works on JJ's wounds. He then moves through the corridor, preparing to safe the wand later on.
Kikinnin raises his axe once more over the goblin's head, cutting in half the ill determined goblin.
Meanwhile Ryan makes his way towards the front, he sees two mainly empty rooms although he has no time to compel the details as he focus on hampering the crossbow goblin.
Maxim readies his pistol while he moves through the corridor with Juraan.
A couple of goblins concealed in the cavern darkness and holes, move swift attempting to flank the companions in the corridor. The first one gets to Maxim while shouting.
The other one attempts on Kikinnin.
But they are shaking nervously and fail their attacks.
Ryan's goblin steps back and shots his crossbow.
The bolt painfully stabs on the young cleric's shoulder while the goblin reloads the crossbow "Klokers! Klokers!" he shouts.
A horrible howling is heard from Kikinnin's corridor to the east. The howling reverberates all around the natural cavern in the back.
"You shouldn't have done that...."Ryan grunts as the bolt enters his shoulder.
Stepping forward to the goblin.
but pulls his swing as the bolt shifts within his shoulder.
With combat breaking out yet again and JJ still hurt, Marigold quickly moves to hit him with her healing wand before things get any worse.
Grateful that not everyone saw fit to race after the fleeing goblin, Marigold frantically motions for JJ to follow as she moves up to try and offer Maxim some help. Trying to keep the way clear for her larger and tougher friend, she peeks around the corner and places a protective hand on Maxim's shoulder.
Cursing as the jeblin come pouring from the shadows, Maxim attempts to crack one of them with the stock of his pistol.
"Hell's Teeth! More o' the varmints!@
As he swings at the goblin he charges the gun with a trace of arcane energy
:
:
The dwur then shifts toward Marigold and loads his pistol with a cartridge
AC = 22, Shield up
HP = 34/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Gobs are one thing. Huge howls are quite another. Kikinnin looks distracted for a moment, trying to understand from where the howl emanates, his look shifting to one of irritation as another measly gob shows itself to the slaughter. Perhaps with a his dander up, the black-beard strains to finish the gob, to clear his head for the howl.
"What do you think that was, howling like that? Not sure that I want to deal with it, on its doorstep. Caves can hold big beasts. Perhaps we want to clear out this side of this den, then go looking for the howler?"
JJ moves with effort due to his wounds closer to Maxim.
The goblin laughs at Ryan as he entangles his mace on his belt and almost loses grip of the weapon.
Marigold further heals JJ as he gets closer to the advancing group while Maxim finds resourceful the butt of his pistol can be a good why to get some time against the goblin. The hit takes the goblin by surprise as a bruise appears on his head.
The dwarf steps back then making room in the corridor.
Meanwhile Kikinnin decaps another goblin, defending unrivaled his corner in the corridor.
The goblins keep the fight up with shouts of alert and pain.
One finds his sword deflected by a magic field when it is up to find Maxim's skin.
The other goblin drops the crossbow and unsheathes a shortsword.
The movement takes Ryan by surprise, the blade opening a wound at his left leg.
The howling becomes more intense as you heard something running over the corridor to the east. All of a sudden a goblin riding a large wolf and wielding a longsword and a shortsword appears and leaps over Kikinnin.
The goblin slashes furiously at the dwarf, finding Kikinnin's face with his blade and opening a gash.
AC = 22, Shield up
HP = 28/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None, yet
"Alright, then. This is more like it. A rat riding a dog, and a big one at that. Let's see who'll bleed more here." He concentrates on the gob, figuring the dog to be the unfortunate in the coupling.
"Alright, doggie. You really want to keep this up, or do we need to defang you? Best you run away. Git."
Juraan fires another ray of frost, doing acid damage, to the goblin nearest him (Purple):
Seeing his first cantrip fizzle, Juraan tries hitting the same goblin the same way again:
As the howling rises to a fierce snarl and a clashing of weapons further down the hallway, Marigold hangs back to make way for her warrior friends - but not before placing a familiar, guiding hand on JJ.
Kikinnin's axe finds the goblin rider skin with ease, leaving a large wound and a furious goblin.
Juraan shots his ray of acid protected under the cover of the corridor corner to avoid the goblin attacks. One of the shots burns the gob skin collapsing to the floor.
Marigold touches JJ, offering him her guidance.
As his injured shoulder and the goblins antics conspire to make his swing miss, Ryan grumbles in frustration "just stand still!"
Ryan is still trying un unentangle his mace from the belt and his swing at the goblin results in it being easily dodged by the melon-headed creature.
The creature answers with a low slash but Ryan parries it with his shield.
Meanwhile, the rider keeps his stand against Kikinnin, trying to take profit from his mounted high position and attacking with both long and shortsword.
But both attacks are deflected by the Malachite armor.
The large wolf attempt to bite the dwarf ends also at his good armor.
Continuing his mishaps within the confines of the storeroom, Ryan's aim once more isn't true.
Juraan moves up closer to Kikinnin's position and then moves into the side passage to get an angled shot at the goblin's wolf:
Now feeling a little more bold, Marigold cautiously moves up the passageway towards the rest of her companions before they can run off yet again but not before offering Maxim yet another guiding hand.
As she draws a little closer she's finally able to catch a glimpse of what Kikinnin is squaring off against, her eyes widening with surprise and alarm.
"પવિત્ર બિલાડીઓ, કે જે worg છે! તેઓ બુદ્ધિશાળી જીવો તેથી સાવચેત રહો!" she exclaims.
"Holy c-c-cats, that's a w-w-worg! They're intelligent c-c-creatures so b-b-be c-c-careful!"
AC = 22, Shield up
HP = 28/34
Weapon Equipped = MW Dwarven Greataxe
Condition(s) = None
Kikinnin reflexively tucks his chin down, suddenly worried that the worg might get lucky for its strength. When Juraan targets it with his magic, Kikinnin lets up on his adam's apple slightly. "That thing doesn't miss, does it? Just smacks 'em with no way to dodge it? That's pretty mighty, Juraan, pretty mighty."
Kikinnin looks back up at the tenacious little gob sitting on high, and tries to dethrone it from the wolf's back. "Alright, dog humper, why don't you come down here, and square off fair?"
As the goblins around him drop, and ahead a howling fury emerges from the gloom, Maxim grimaces and shifts up the nearest side passage ;
"Log jam up there little lady. I ain't adding to the chaos... Goin' to take a look see up here, make sure no more jeblin are sneaking through the dark..."
:
Maxim gets into the cavern, JJ comes close to support him.
Nothing remarkable is seen.
Marigold alarms the party of the worg while casting guidance on Maxim.
Ryan is still fighting with the entanglement of his mace and belt and not able to properly fight the goblin in front.
Juraan magic missiles fly over the worg, bursting the thing, it getting very angry and staring at the professor with wild red eyes.
At the same time Kikinnin scores another strike with his axe on the fierce goblin knight. The wound is in the left leg, and although he fights to stay in the saddle, the goblin falls from his mount and faints into the ground.
JJ suddenly rises his hand and whisppers something to Maxim.
"Attention! Someone is coming from our right!" says the young man while reading his swords.
Ryan's goblin attempts another slash at the cleric.
But he blocks gratefully the strike with his shield.
The worg, rather than running scared without his knight, push his jaws against Kikinnin's right leg.
The bite is furious and takes the dwarf unprepared, but his dwarven sturdiness allows him to resist on feet when the large wolf pulls with terrible strength attempting to trip him.
Juraan stays where he is and fires another Magic Missile at the Worg:
"That spell doesn't do as much as your hammering blows, Kikinnin."
"But it does have the advantage of always hitting!"