Doug takes a moment to consider Bethany's tale. "I've found it best to leave the dead to their rest. Some may even consider this ground sacred and our crossing a trespass. I'm for going around."
Alright, the party skirts around the edge of the marsh
occasional flashes of light haunt the nights but do not directly bother you.
As you get closer to the fort you run into signs of orcish and giant patrols.
On the way to the fort, there lies a hump in the ground that blocked the way. Once it is stepped upon, in an episode all too reminiscent of the bees, the dust of the hump collapses, revealing a blinding light - a whole hive of will-o'-wisps - sleeping (or hibernating, or whatever they do at night). Little sounds (snores?) can be heard.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Bethany frowns, her tavern never having called for a lullaby. Thinking quickly, she shoos the others on and clears her throat, wincing as a few of the will-o'-wisps stir. "Erm..." *cough* "Let's see..."
"Was a young lass with 'er own glass,"
"Took a shot of wine,"
"Said the teacher, 'I'm no preacher,'"
"But you don't shoot wine!"
"Sang the lassie, eyes's glassy,"
"Can't stop me from tryin'!"
"Was a farmer, had some armor,"
"Thought himself so fine,"
"Roared the dragon, as he bagged 'im,"
"'Thought yoreself so fine!"
"Charred an' blistered, farmer whispered,"
"Can't stop me from tryin'!"
"Can't stop meeeee from tryin',"
"Can't stop meeeeee from try-in',"
"So the fools have always saaaaaid..."
"Can't stop yooooou from tryin',"
"Can't stop yooooooou from dy-in',"
"When the notion's got your head!"
A few rollicking verses later, Bethany trails off and tiptoes quietly away, leaving a hive full of happily snoozing will-o'-wisps behind her. Unfortunately, her song seems to have drawn unwelcome attention from a nearby orcish patrol, which can now be heard tramping through the forest toward the group's position!
Khel listens to Bethany's song with interest, never having heard the like before, but enjoying it all the same, even tapping his foot a bit along with her singing. A puzzled expression creeps onto his face, however, as he realizes she feels the song to be a lullaby. Is that the kind of rousing tune an orc needs to get to sleep? Seems to be working on the wisps, but it does make me wonder what they sing to get excited about something.
He's about to congratulate his half-orc companion for solving the problem when he hears the sound of heavy orc footsteps not far off! He glances around, looking for a way to hide his friends. Spotting a low spot off the trail, filled with wet mud, he takes a step towards it, thinking they can all camouflage themselves with the dark muck and go unnoticed by the patrol. He stops himself mid-stride, however, muttering, "Maybe not mud this time..."
With a quick gesture to the others to wait where they are, he slips off the trail into the brush, moving parallel to the approaching patrol. He mimics the call of a bush pig, hoping the orcs are hungry - for aren't they always - and will try for a bit of hunting. Hearing the troop pause and then move closer, Khel keeps up the noises until he's well off the trail, then returns to his friends and says, "Follow me, quickly." He leads them up the trail past the patrol, who are busily crashing through the bush in search of the non-existent snack.
So pleased is Khel by the ruse, he pays little attention as they move along the trail and leave the orc threat behind. And, seasoned woodsman though he is, he fails to recognize the cluster of dormilon flowers he's wandered into. He takes a deep breath of their heady bouquet, then feels very, very sleeeeepy. He tries to resist it, tries to wave to his friends to stay away, but his hand doesn't want to cooperate, doesn't want to do anything other than wipe his eye sleepily as he lets out a huge yawn. The ground looks so soft, so comfy for napping on...
Fortuna runs spang into Doug's armored back as the paladin stops short, arms spread to keep his fellows from stumbling into the "sleepy field" where Khel lies snoring. As the group assesses the situation (and Fortuna rubs her stinging nose), the sweet odor of the flowers brings a pleasant drowsiness. Hrask, acting rearguard, is affected the least and drags Bethany, Fortuna, and Doug clear of the danger zone.
Khel is too far away to be brought back safely by somebody venturing into the area. Fortuna borrows a rope and chants a brief spell. A loop of the rope drifts upward and, directed by Fortuna's new, shadowy wand, drifts towards Khel. With a few minutes of fumbling, she manages to slip the noose over Khel's foot and settle it around his ankle. Keeping the rope taut with the magical hand, she nods to the rest of the group to pull. Slowly and carefully, Khel is drawn from the flowers to safer ground.
Unfortunately, he remains snoozing. "It's not naptime," Fortuna snaps. Borrowing Bethany's ever-present mug, she fills it from her waterskin and, holding the handle carefully with a leather glove, shoots a blue-white light from her free hand, frosting the outside of the mug. With a flick of her wrist, she douses Khel with freezing slush and presses the mug hastily back into Bethany's hands, pointing at the half-orc when the elf starts up suddenly from his rude, icy awakening.
"I guess we should avoid those flowers?" she asks blandly.
Khel's head snaps up and he tries to look around and take in his surroundings at the same time that he's wiping freezing water off his face. "What the...?" he exclaims, confused for a long moment, before he catches a whiff of the dormilon blossoms. "Oh...oops," he mutters, before turning to Bethany and giving her a dirty look as he picks small chunks of ice out of his hair.
Finally noticing the rope attached to his ankle, the other end leading to Fortuna's hand, he says, "Thanks for getting me out of there. Guess I goofed. I should have noticed those black and yellow flowers - if you smell them, it's usually too late."
"Yeaaaah, no problem," Fortuna smiles at the ranger, "Be more careful, huh?"
They resume the trek through the woodlands and remain unmolested as the sun ascends to its apex. After a quick stop for lunch, though, tiny rustling noises sound behind them, then alongside their path. Soon the rustling is joined with odd whooping noises from all around.
"If whatever those are don't shut up, they're going to attract an orc patrol," Fortuna complains.
Just then, a rabbit the size of a dog bursts out of the brush ahead, a silvery horn decorating its forehead. It drums a hind leg threateningly, then whoops. A half-dozen whoops answer from the shrubbery around them.
Doug holds up a hand to signal the others to stop what ever they were planning to do. He stands quietly for a moment as if listening to something before he speaks. "They are just testing us to see if we are hostile," he says as he takes an apple from his belt pouch and rolls it out toward the rabbit creature. It steps forward and cautiously sniffs the apple before letting out another whoop and disappearing into the brush with it's prize.
There is some more rustling and a few more whoops, but they seem to be moving off to the south, leaving the group of adventures to continue their quest.
As they continue their trek through orc territory the group of heros find an unconscious and severly wounded orc in the road. His markings do not match those of the twisted hearts, but one of their rival tribes. While his wounds are not fatal on their own. If left out here on his own he will surely die. Though if treated he may prove hostile to the party.
"A wounded orc? I think we can rely on the kind orc heart that he and I both inherited," Hrarsk opines without sarcasm. He rips off a piece of cloth from his shirt and uses it to stop the orc's bleeding.
When he wakes up from his stupor, Hrarsk helps him up, and whispers into his ear in Orcish, "Know who your friends are."
He turns back to his companions and says, "I think this problem is solved. We can continue now."
The wounded orc nods in thanks to Hrarsk and then suddenly pulls the cleric close whispering in his ear in Orcish "Our attack almost worked, we almost got them... Their walls are too strong though... their swords too many. Take this key and use it on the tripple stump. You can get in through the goblin pens..."
The orc will stagger away, a bloody but alive mess.
Having avoided any of the orcish patrols the party is easily albe to make to the the goblin pens. You are able to see the stump of what looks like 3 trees fused together.
There are however goblins, lots of goblins, lead by a pair of hobgolins, one heavily armored with a banner and the other with a staff that glows with flame.
The hobgoblin captain shouts
and throws a handy Axe at Doug.
hitting the paladin.
Initiative - ESCALATION 0
Fortuna 48/48
Khellirin 36/36
Warmage 70/70 {Red}
Doug 49/49
Hrarsk 48/48
Bethany 54/54
Grunt {Blue} 22/22 22/22 22/22 22/22
Goblin Scum 180/180 (Mook 5){Mook -Yellow}
END OF ROUND
Hobgoblin Captain {Green}
Fortuna and Khellirin are up!
Goblin Scum! AC 16 PD 14 MD 11 HP 5/180 (Mook)
Goblin Grunt AC 16 PD 13 MD 12 HP 22
Hobgoblin Captain AC 20 PD 17 MD 14 HP 50
Hobgoblin Warmage AC 20 PD 14 MD 19 HP 70
Khel exclaims, "That is a lot of goblins!" Blades in hand, he grits his teeth and hurries forward, slashing at the nearest rank of goblins and laying low a pair of them!
"Holy cats!" Fortuna gasps, "Can we take these on?"
"Need help?" the smoky figure that swirls into being near her asks.
"Not hardly. Who are you, anyway?" Fortuna jabs her shadowy wand at the magical hobgoblin, then coughs lightly, "Ahrm. And what do you want?"
Khel whirls forward, spinning and taking out 4 goblins.
Fortuna's mysterious smoky familiar wraps itsself around the tip of her wand, causing the missiles to come out all wispy and smokey.
The missiles still strike the warmage.
The warmage lifts his staff and a circle of fire appears under Fortuna, expands to include Bethany before popping...
and burning both, leaving a flaming stucky residue on the ground beneath them.
Initiative - ESCALATION 0
Doug 49/49
Hrarsk 48/48
Bethany 44/54
Grunt {Blue} 22/22 22/22 22/22 22/22
Goblin Scum 159/180 (Mook 5){Yellow}
END OF ROUND
Hobgoblin Captain {Green}
Fortuna 38/48
Khellirin 45/45
Warmage 64/70 {Red}
Doug, Hrarsk and Bethany are up!
"Ow!" exclaims Bethany, growling an orcish curse. Glancing around and seeing that things are looking grim, the bartender draws back her arm and hurls her trusty boomerang-mug at the grimmest-looking of the foes.
= 42
Though a little woozy from the quantity of the goblins, Hrarsk manages to charge headlong into their ranks and to deal a number of quick, decisive blows that bring quite a few of them to their deaths before any of them have the chance to react.
"That's a lot of goblins." Doug says as he looks out at the horde before them. "It's like a field of goblins am I right? This would be considered a field of goblins?" He adds before following the others into the melee.
x2=40
Bethany shakes her head with a frown. "Field's way too nice a word for that scum," she retorts. "Maybe a bog of 'em... or a sludge... I'm thinkin' bog."
"I personally prefer a 'gob' of goblins," Hrarsk says as the last of the ones he hit falls to the ground. "It fits them nicely."
Khel looks on in astonishment as Hrarsk and Doug cut through the goblins like they're mowing a lawn, commenting, "From the way you guys are working through them, I think a 'slew' of goblins is what they are! 'Cuz you done slew'd 'em!"
Bethany's Mug takes another crazy bounce, staggering and confusing the hobgoblin captain.
Hrarsk and Doug go charging into melee, cutting down goblins left and right, eliminating the large number of them and staggering the horde.
The goblin grunts move forward, a bit tougher than the scum, yet sill emboldened by their superior numbers and attack the party.
Hrarsk and doug both get stabbed by dogslicers of questionable cleanliness.
The remaining goblin scum come swarming over the party, overwhelming the front lines and swarming over Beth and Fortuna as well.
Doug avoids any further wounds for now.
Hrarsk takes a club to the knee
Knel also takes a blow from a little goblin club
Bethany takes a blow to the stomach from a goblin club
Fortuna is less fortunate and gets clubbed 3 times.
The hobgoblin captain has little stars floating around his head and stabs ineffectually at one of the smaller goblins.
Initiative - ESCALATION 1
Fortuna 16/38 Staggered
Khellirin 41/45
Warmage 61/70 {Red}
Doug 43/49
Hrarsk 38/48
Bethany 26/40
Grunt {Blue} 22/22 22/22 22/22 22/22
Goblin Scum 77/180 (Mook 5) Staggered {Yellow}
Hobgoblin Captain 25/50 Confused/Staggered {Green}
END OF ROUND
Fortuna and Khel are up!
Khel swings Argrimmosh in a flat arc, knocking the heads off of three goblins with a series of wet pops! The blade in his other hand then flicks out at the goblin grunt facing him, but misses.
Khellirin, when finish spinning sees he caught one of Hrarsk's goblins as well. He's not quite sure how he got that one, maybe it's faking.
Fortuna, surrounded and staggered unleashes a color spray, her shadowy familiar muting the colors and turning the colorful burst into smoke.
Fortuna takes out all 4 goblins on her.
The Warmage sees Khellirin's whirlwind of death and smacks his staff on the ground as a pillar of fire erupts from the ground and engulfs Khel.
When the flames clear Khel is unsinged but the goblin he was fighting seems to have been completely incinerated.
initiative - ESCALATION 1
Doug 43/49
Hrarsk 38/48
Bethany 26/40
Grunt {Blue} 22/22 22/22 22/22
Goblin Scum 36/180 (Mook 5) Staggered {Yellow}
Hobgoblin Captain 25/50 Confused/Staggered {Green}
END OF ROUND
Khellirin 41/45
Fortuna 16/38 Staggered
Warmage 61/70 {Red}
Doug, Hrarsk and Bethany are up!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Bethany begins humming the Ballad of Fools, then spontaneously begins improvising a new verse in broken Goblin-speak, directing her song at the hobgoblin warmage.
"Was a goblin, he was hob-in',"
"Was his trade a-plyin',"
"Said the barkeep, I'm no star, creep,"
"But you'll soon be dyin'!"
"Sang the hobgob as he got mobbed,"
"Can't stop me from tryin'!"
"Ohhhh..."
"Can't stop yooooou from tryin',"
"Can't stop yooooooou from dy-in',"
"When the notion's got your head!"
Goblin Grunt AC 16 PD 13 MD 12 HP 22
Hobgoblin Captain AC 20 PD 17 MD 14 HP 50
Hobgoblin Warmage AC 20 PD 14 MD 19 HP 70
Hrarsk swings his sword at the scum before him, with a prayer for aid.
His sword barely graces the goblin, but seems to come close to knocking it out.
Khel can't help but chuckle at Bethany's song, amazed that she can be so creative in the midst of a fight with gobs of goblins.
Doug is also impressed that Bethany can keep her spirits up while surrounded by these chaotic little creatures. Noticing that the little ones are thinning out he focusses on one of the grunts.
Doug strikes a mighty blow against a grunt, but unlike the scum his head does not immediately give a satisfying pop, but the blow is enough to stagger him.
Hrarsk blesses the party, and barely clips a goblin, the glancing blow seems to have been enough to drop the goblin though.
Bethany sings a fine drinking song and partially befuddles the warmage.
The wounded Grunt on Doug bobs and weaves like the shifty little bugger he is.
easily putting some space between himself and Doug before pulling out his shortbow and taking a shoot.
Doug's armor makes a nice satisfying clank as the arrow bounces off it.
The 2 grunts still in melee do their thing.
Emboldened by their (quickly dwindling) numerical advantage Doug gets clubbed.
The scum on Hrarsk and Doug all miss but Fortuna quickly finds herself overwhelmed by goblins again.
Fortuna manages to remain standing despite the clubs and bites of outrageous goblins.
The captain moves to join the melee on Hrarsk attacking with his powerful sword.
The captain however is unable to connect.
initiative - ESCALATION 2
Khellirin 41/45
Fortuna 4/38 Staggered
Hobgoblin Warmage 61/70 Dazed{Red}
Doug 37/49
Hrarsk 38/48
Bethany 26(16)/40
Grunt {Blue} 22/22 22/22 5/22 Staggered
Goblin Scum 33/180 (Mook 5) Staggered {Yellow}
Hobgoblin Captain 25/50 Staggered {Green}
END OF ROUND
Khel and Fortuna are up!
Goblin Grunt AC 16 PD 13 MD 12 HP 22
Hobgoblin Captain AC 20 PD 17 MD 14 HP 50
Hobgoblin Warmage AC 20 PD 14 MD 19 HP 70
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
initiative - ESCALATION 2
Khellirin 41/45
Fortuna 16(4)/38 Staggered
Hobgoblin Warmage 61/70 Dazed{Red}
Doug 37/49
Hrarsk 38/48
Bethany 26/40
Grunt {Blue} 22/22 22/22 5/22 Staggered
Goblin Scum 33/180 (Mook 5) Staggered {Yellow}
Hobgoblin Captain 25/50 Staggered {Green}
END OF ROUND
Khel and Fortuna are up!
After laying waste to the goblin mooks around him, Khel takes a step towards the warmage, then realizes he'd seen a lot of goblins around Fortuna a moment ago. He spins and confirms this, seeing her surrounded by goblin warriors! He bounds across the battlefield, swinging hammer and blade with great power and laying low all the nasty goblins menacing the wizard!
Fortuna brandishes her wand again in the direction of the warmage. Somewhat wobbly, she does not have enough brainpower to enhance the spell, but...