Shubshi lunges with his beak at the dying poblin, intending to end things quickly. His bite misses but his waiting talons end the job for him.
The last poblin in the battlement room goes down under Shubshi's claws with a gurgling scream... but from the corridor outside, you can hear a door being thrown open, and the rattle of weaponry
Poblin 1: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, HP 4/6 (in north corridor)
To review - the room you are in has two levels. On the lower level are currently Zophio, Midnight, and Mac. You entered to the south through a door in a small nook on the east side of the room. On the west side of the room is another door, which the third poblin had perhaps been trying to reach, although it was not his first choice for escaping you. He'd instead tried to climb the battlements to...
...the upper level. Moonstar is on Mac's shoulders, more-or-less level with the battlements. Atop the battlements is Shubshi. There are doors to the west and north. A poblin has fled through the northern door, pursued by Virtue, who's lance has impaled itself in the doorframe. Beyond is a corridor, running parallel to the room, down which the poblin has fled west, screaming for aid. A door on that corridor has just been opened, and you can hear the sound of weapons...
Midnight Dove stiffened when she heard weapons being grabbed.
"Let's go! They might be surprised if we charge them..."
The corridor may have been built for ponies but it's still narrow, I say wait here and force them to come through the doorway, it will cut down how many can attack us at once if we block the way...
advises Vi quickly.
Moonstar hops from Mac to the wall and checks out the other door, the one that isn't the source of the attacking poblins. Mac flies up and takes an out of the way spot where he can see everything.
Shubshi shrugs, waiting by the door. "I think we've lost the element of surprise, but Virtuous Heart is right."
Midnight Dove nodded.
This time, I'll make sure I won't miss them...
Zophio also nods in agreement with Vi's plan.
Vi drops her lance to the floor and quickly pushes it out of the way, before drawing her sword and making ready to fight whatever was coming down the corridor at them.
There's a loud clatter from the north corridor, and the sound of approaching hooves. The poblins are clearly intent on challenging your possession of this room, and will be at the door in moments.
Moonstar swiftly examines the western door... as far as she can tell, its just a wooden door, similar to many you've so far encountered in this sunken fortress...
Zophio and Midnight are still stuck on the lower level. There's the door you entered in to the east, and the unopened door to the west. Aside from means of your own, the poblin's knotted rope could be climbed [DC7 Atheltics check]... but it seems rather foul [DC10 fortitude save]. Alternatively, the wall itself could be attempted... but its pretty sheer, even though its poorly-constructed [DC20 athletics check]
Shubshi dives in to tear at the first poblin to show.
Letting Shubshi strike the first one, Vi waits for the second poblin before swinging her blade
Poblins surge forward into the room, swords held in their mealy little mouths. The sheer mass of them fills the space around the north door, slashing away at Virtue and Shubshi...
Attack vs. Shubshi , damage
Attack vs. Shubshi , damage
Attack vs. Shubshi , damage
Attack vs. Virtue , damage
Attack vs. Virtue , damage
Attack vs. Virtue , damage
You hear one of the larger poblins blurt something guttural and short,
Tumbling nimbly, the poblin reaches the western door of the upper level, its mouth reaching for the doorhandle...
Poblin 1: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/6
Poblin 2: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 5/5
Poblin 3: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Poblin 4: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 7/7
Poblin 5: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 3/3
Poblin 6: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Poblin 7: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 9/9
Unwilling to open his back to the mob of poblins around him, Shubshi quickly takes care of one poblin before stepping away to re-orient himself.
Midnight Dove attempted to climb the rope...
She managed to climb it... With some difficulties due to her heavy armor. However, as she was forced to tighten it, her mouth and hooves became coated with gross substance...
Silently thanking Luna for her sturdy armor, Vi remains quiet now, bringing her blade across quickly to end the threat to her herd as soon as possible.
Zophio launches a spear at poblin 7.
Midnight hauls herself up to the top of the battlements, hoof and horn and mouth... but she's left with a sickeningly (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/conditions#TOC-Sickened) foul taste in her mouth, afterwards. The poblins clearly have no sense of oral hygiene, nor clean their equipment ever... and whatever they've been eating is pretty unsavoury to boot.
Zophio's throw, against the cover provided by the battlements, goes utterly wild, but at least it doesn't hit any of his allies. Shubshi and Virtue both turn against their attackers, lashing out with all their fury...
...as Shubshi simply evicerates a poblin (poblin two) before slipping a half-step back, his two remaining opponents (poblins one and three) close in on him...
Poblin 1: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/6
Poblin 2: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/5
Poblin 3: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Attack Shubshi , damage
Attack Shubshi , damage
...whilst Virtue's attack simply slashes down the strongest poblin (poblin seven)... which doesn't deter her other attackers either...
Poblin 4: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 7/7
Poblin 6: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Poblin 7: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/9
Attack Virtue , damage
Attack Virtue , damage
The last poblin simply wrenches the western door open, and darts through... screaming at the top of his little lungs...
Poblin 5: AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 3/3
Shubshi dodges the poblins' clumsy strikes and repeats his tactic, hurling himself forward in a shrieking flurry of claw and beak before stepping back once more.
Sweat breaking out on her brow as the poblin spears glance off her breastplate, Virtuous Heart shakes off any concerns she has and concentrates on disposing of the vile creatures attacking her and her friends.
She snorts in frustration as the poblin ducks her blow.
Nauseated, the unicorn spat to get rid of the horrible taste...
Ugh... Nota bene: never do that again! Midnight Dove attacked one of the two poblins threatening Shubshi.
However, her powerful blow completely missed its target...
Moonstar's hooves grew long and sharp as she faded from view, as the poblin reached the door to strike out, she slashed out at the little creature with her sharpened hooves.
Poblin 1:(formerly fighting Shubshi and Midnight, now retreating through Western door) AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/6
Poblin 2 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/5
Poblin 3 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/4
Poblin 4 (fighting Virtue): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 7/7
Poblin 5 (retreated through western): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 3/3
Poblin 6 (fighting Virtue): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Poblin 7 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/9
Virtue's two opponents nimbly dart around her blows, slashing back in vicious response...
Attack , damage
Attack , damage
...she slips aside from one blow, but it puts her in the path of the second, and her armour doesn't take all of it, leaving a nasty wound on her forequarter. But even as they begin to turn the fight to their advantage, Shubshi disembowls a second opponent, and Midnight appears over the battlements, smashing at another with her macesque weapon... and the surviving poblin - a consummate survivor, who's survived the death of all his comrades once already, slips back from them, and darts through the western door himself, croaking in his crackly language.
Poblinoid
He screams, as Moonstar appears in front of him, slashing at his ally who'd fled before, but it's far too late for him to change direction now...
Experienced if not disciplined, both poblins fighting Virtue manage to take a half-hoofstep away from her... but they're still a long way from the western door, and half of your group is between them and it...
Beyond the Western door, you can hear the frantic hoofbeats and screaming of the fleeing poblin (number 5)...
"Meepo, um," Meepo squeaks, as he scrambles over the battlements behind you. "Meepo, um..." he's clearly stunned by your martial prowess...
-Posted with Wayfinder
Poblin 1:(formerly fighting Shubshi and Midnight, now retreating through Western door) AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/6
Poblin 2 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/5
Poblin 3 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/4
Poblin 4 (fighting Virtue): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 7/7
Poblin 5 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 0/3
Poblin 6 (fighting Virtue): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Poblin 7 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/9
Poblin 1:(formerly fighting Shubshi and Midnight, now retreating through Western door) AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 2/6
Poblin 2 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/5
Poblin 3 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/4
Poblin 4 (fighting Virtue): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 7/7
Poblin 5 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 0/3
Poblin 6 (fighting Virtue): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 4/4
Poblin 7 (down): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP -ive/9
Poblin 1 flees, screaming, down the hallway beyond the western door, cantering between teetering towers of mouldering crates and barrels. In moments, he's reached the door at the far end, and is wrenching it open...
Midnight Dove moved to help Virtuous Heart.
With no more prey facing him, Shubshi aids Virtuous Heart in felling her own enemies. He charges, crossing through the distance he stepped back through earlier to pounce on an unsuspecting poblin.
Without hesitation or remorse, Midnight and Shubshi dash in and attack Virtue's surviving opponents...
...Shubshi hacking down the weaker of the two, and Midnight badly wounding the other... with almost the last of his strength, he hacks back at his sudden attacker, kicking out with his powerful hooves...
attack , damage
Midnight receives 4 damage...
Poblin 4 (fighting Virtue/Shubshi/Midnight): AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 2/7
Poblin 1:(formerly fighting Shubshi and Midnight, now retreated down through Western corridor) AC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 14, CMD 12, HP 2/6
Midnight Dove lift her moonstar again.
May the Moon receive your soul!
Zophio launches a spear at the remaining poblin without much hope for contribution.
His fears are confirmed as his spear sails past its target.
Shubshi takes care of the last poblin with ease.
With the poblins dead and one fleeing, he peers down at Zophio. "Need some help getting up?" He takes out a length of rope from his backpack and readies it to toss at Zophio for him to climb.
Seeing the last poblin defeated, he looks up and nods.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Mac speaks to Zophio, "Would you like a lift?"
If Zophio accepts, Mac will lift him up the wall.
In the meantime, Moonstar aims a ray of flames down the hallway at the fleeing poblin.
Seeing the last of the poblins being taken care of, Vi sighs in relief. As she sees Midnight retching after her rope climb she puts things together and reassures her
Hang on Midnight!
grabbing a waterskin from her pack, she tilts it and lets it splash across the mare's mouth, helping her wash the rancid poblin taste away.
Midnight Dove smiled with gratitude.
"That's nice! Thank you!"
She turned her head to look at the party.
"Is everyone okay, or do you need me to heal you?"
The escaping poblin wrenches open the door at the far end of the corridor, darts through... and is gone...
The last poblin groans and collapses, as the jet of flame darts down the hall and strikes it on the back. Sparks spatter onto the barrel and surrounding mess, and a small lantern-oil fire flickers into life...
Virtue swiftly clears the foul taste from Midnight's mouth, and with Mac's assistance, Zophio easily makes it up to the top of the battlements.
The battlement room has three further exits. To the barrel-filled western corridor, where the last poblin has collapsed and a small fire is just starting. To the north, and a corridor where the reinforcing poblins arrived from. A door to the west on the lower level that is currently closed.
The zebra puts his nose to the ground to attempt to discern in what direction their target may have gone.
-Posted with Wayfinder
There's clear evidence of a lot of poblin traffic, much of it recent, especially between the north and western doors. There are longer-term traces of travel between the western door on the lower level and the western door on the upper level - including marks in the stone you believe to have been made by chains or rusty iron bonds fettering one form of equine or another...
Moonstar quietly signals mac and checks the barrels near the fire and looks at the ceilings and such to get an idea of ventilation a'd flow of smoke, to get an idea of whether she should let the fire spread or not.
Vi shakes her head
I just have this one graze from the poblin's horrid spear
she stares at the ragged crimson line across her flank
Nothing really, more important to watch our backs and decide where to go next. Any sign of the ponies we're following in all this mess?
Zophio inspects the upper western door for locks and traps.
The upper western door is open, and clear of traps. It leads to the corridor where the last poblin fell, starting the barrel-fire. That fire seems to be spreading quite rapidly, but patchily. Some of the old wood of the barrels is damp with an unidentifiable liquid, and slow to burn - but some are damp with something like lantern-oil, and are burning swiftly and rapidly. The smoke is filling the top of the corridor, and soon the fallen poblin may be in real danger. The precariously stacked barrels are themselves a threat - should the lower ones crumble as they burn, an avalanche of sharp, burning wood and heavy goods would fill the corridor. That said, the castle itself is stone, and closing the door might do a lot to halt the spread of the fire.
Some of the smoke is entering into the room you now occupy, and you can see it skating along the ceiling in the hot air. Some of it seems to swirl upwards and vanish into innumerable tiny cracks.
The lower western door is locked, but there's no sign that it is trapped - and from within, you can hear low wailing, and the occasional thump and clank of chains.