"I've never been to the capitol before. I wouldn't mind seeing gazing longingly into the distance at it on the way."
"I've never been to the capitol before. I wouldn't mind seeing it on the way."
"After our run in with the bandits and the corrupt ICS, the notion of a shorter and safer trip appeals to me." Layali says. "However, I am happy to go either way as I do not feel that strongly in either direction. I am more concerned with how are plan to make this trip. On foot? Perhaps we could hire a carriage of some sort? I know we cannot afford our own horses, but perhaps we could convince the Mayor that as a sign of gratitude for rooting out corruption in his fine city that a few horses isn't too much to ask?"
"Let's head south past Linhaus. That way we can keep Captain Johann informed of our investigation."
"They may not be willing to part with four mounts, but I'm happy to walk. Maybe they'll be willing to lend us one or two."
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The more Layali thinks about it, the more she becomes sure that she is entitled to a horse. She heads off to find the Mayor, inviting any of her new friends along who wish to come and speak on their own behalf as well.
"Madam Mayor, please allow me to present myself. Lady Layali of House Amani," she bows and presents her scroll of pedigree. "As I am certain you would remember, my friends and I were able to reveal the Iron Shield Company for the no-good, corrupt villains that they truly were. Saving the good citizens of Korkas from untold peril, and keeping travelling merchants from abandoning your town on their routes. My friends and I, after a long consultation with Professor Faramilliendel are going to be embarking on a long, long journey. I was thinking that the fine town of Korkas could find a way to express it's hospitality and gratitude to my friends. No, no. There is no need to commission a statue in the square, though I am certain that Gordon would look quite striking in marble. As Linhaus already has a celebration in honor of Gordon's heroism, it simply would not due to be though of as a copycat. It is with that said, your grace, that I am here to ask you for horses. Three horses. And a pony. "
The clerk gives an expression of having been impressed, then replies, "I'm sure if I had been the mayor, I would have been quite moved. In any case, for a request of this nature, it just so happens that I'm the one to address rather than the mayor herself, so your mix-up is fortuitous."
The clerk stamps a couple of papers, and before you know it you're on your way on a set of quality steeds (three horses and one pony, as requested).
As you ride out under the bright morning sun, you realize that you can't really use your previous shortcut while on horseback, so you ride in style along the road that dips south of Stekwood on its way to Linhaus. It's late afternoon when you reach the southernmost point on the road, where a signpost marks an intersection with a worn path that heads south to a small pass in the Kordes mountains.
As you're passing, you notice black smoke rising from somewhere beyond the pass. Even as you look, you begin to hear shrill screaming, and see a young girl (no more than 12) come running around a rocky bend in the path, followed by a pair of goblins!
Goblins are small humanoids that live in tribes in rocky areas. They tend to be warlike and aggressive, though primitive.
Nathadriel and Leifa are the first to react!
"What's going on?" Gordon asks, standing up in his saddle. "I can't see!"
Nathadriel spurs his horse forward, rapidly closing the gap between the party and the approaching goblins before he dismounts, leaving his mount to its own devices and interposing himself between the girl and her pursuers. Drawing his sword menacingly.
On Layali's turn she will advance on horseback 50' and then launch a firebolt at one of the goblins if they are still standing.
Leifa will dash the horse over to the goblin and then attack, spending a ki point.
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Nathadriel moves to protect the girl!
Leifa charges forward, missing with her staff but then stomping roughly on the goblin's head twice, knocking it flat!
The remaining goblin, recognizing a threat, attacks Leifa!
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The goblin stabs Leifa's leg!
Layali sends a bolt of fire at the remaining goblin, injuring him!
Gordon approaches more slowly, but fires an arrow at the remaining goblin.
The goblin dodges Gordon's arrow!
Nathadriel advances on the remaining goblin, wielding his sword in both hands.
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Nathadriel injures the goblin!
Leifa will attack the goblin.
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Leifa wallops the goblin with her staff, sending him rolling across the dirt!
Clearly exhausted, the girl drops to her knees, panting hard.
"Please," she manages to say, "My village... goblins... are attacking... help... please..."
She points a shaky finger southward toward the smoke you can see in the distance, then collapses.
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"Well, it IS on the way..."
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Layali drops from her horse to help the girl, "I'll see to her, you three ride on. I will join you shortly!"
Layali attempts to determine if the girl is hurt in some way, or merely exhausted from fleeing the goblins and then tries to treat her appropriately.
A moment's inspection reveals only some minor scrapes from perhaps stumbling while running; you would conclude that she's merely exhausted.
Layali will scoop up the girl and get back on her horse, following the smoke toward the village.
Head towards the village. Lets save the day!
Galloping toward the smoke, the girl awakens after a few minutes. She looks slightly panicked at first, but upon being told that you're on your way to help protect her village, she smiles.
"Oh, thank you! Please help Daddy, he was trying to help me get away while Mommy fought the goblins. We snuck out, but there were more goblins hiding by the road, I think to make sure nobody got out. Daddy told me to run as fast as I could. He tried to keep the goblins from following me, but two of them chased me while three attacked Daddy. Daddy's not like Mommy, I'm not sure he'll be okay..."
After about 20 minutes of riding (3-ish miles), the road begins winding through jagged rocks in the narrowest part of the pass. You can tell the village is just ahead as you turn a corner and see a human male lying on the ground by the road. The little girl screams, "DADDY NO!"
Just then, three goblins pop up from among the rocks and rain arrows down on the party!
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Two arrows slam into Gordon before he even knows what's happening!
Layali reacts with her own attack!
Layali looks for something like cover of her own, if there is nothing really that looks like an option she will try and move up the slope toward the goblins!
Layali's spell manages to hit an exposed shoulder, nearly killing the goblin!
Dismounting her horse she then hops up from rock to rock with surprising ease!
Nathadriel rides up to the fallen man, dismounting and crouching down beside him in the vain hope he might still be alive.
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Nathadriel climbs down and looks at the man:
It takes only a moment to see that he is well and truly dead, so the elf instead casts a spell to bolster his allies.
Seeing Layali as a clear threat (and getting too close to their cover), the goblins aim at her:
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The first two arrows drop Layali to the ground, so the third goblin fires at Gordon!
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Gordon takes another arrow, starting to look like Boromir a pincushion!
Continuing his prayer, Nathadriel also reaches out his hand, invoking the power of his God as a soft light emanates from his hand, washing over his companions.
Layali stands up () and draws her dagger closing in on the goblins! () She then stabs at the singed goblin with her dagger!
Gordon hops from his pony and tries to maneuver up the slope.
Failing that, he takes a shot at a goblin.
Total: 15
Leifa will run the horse to where the slope starts than jump off onto the slope, and skip up the rest of the way herself.
If she gets up there she will attack, spending her last ki point
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Nathadriel heals his companions! Layali then dashes forward and finishes off her earlier target with a dagger!
Leifa clobbers another goblin, and Gordon wounds the third!
Surrounded, the final goblin lashes out at Layali with his dagger!
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He misses!
"Let's keep moving. Quickly, before anyone else is struck down!"
Gordon hops back on his pony and takes off around the bend.
Reluctant to leave the man in the road, Nathadriel covers him with a blanket, planning to return later to give him a proper burial.
"We should bring the girl. Can she ride with you, Layali? I suspect I'll need to get up close to any goblins we find in the village."
Layali wheels around facing Nathadriel, seeming to take in the situation truly for the first time. She puts the dagger away. "Yes, I will protect the girl, and offer ranged support to the rest of you."
Layali casts mage armor on herself, then moves quickly to return to her horse and lead the girl off from the body of her father...
Hurrying toward the village, you arrive in merely a minute or two, just in time to see goblins scurrying up into the foothills, apparently fleeing the battle. There are bodies everywhere, of both villagers and goblins. It seems that the goblins have been driven off for the time being.
However, several buildings are on fire, and the villagers who had been fighting are now scrambling to join the noncombatants in trying to put out the flames. From the directions in which you see people carrying buckets of water, you'd surmise that there's a well in the center of the village, in addition to a smallish creek along the eastern edge of town.
A couple of buildings are already destroyed and smoldering, but there are currently four that are in need of saving: two houses, a shop of some sort, and some type of commons building.
"Everyone, focus your efforts on the shop. Grab a bucket and pitch in!"
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Seeing the buildings ablaze, Nathadriel is torn between helping the townsfolk extinguish the flames and tending to the wounded. Seeing the bucket brigade in hand, he opts for the latter, moving amongst the bodies seeking out any still living townsfolk.
Layali reaches out into the invisible, arcane energy that flows everywhere around and tries to starve the flames of the oxygen they need!
Leifa will help Gordon and the townsfolk dump buckets on the store. Hopefully being faster will help with that.
Hopefully being faster will help with that.
Gordon and Leifa begin helping to douse the shop! Meanwhile, Layali tries to weaken the flames on multiple buildings, but only seems to be able to manage it with the two houses. Nathadriel turns his attention to injured villagers, helping get them back on their feet.
The flames are being reduced on all the buildings, and the commons in particular is very nearly out of danger!
Nathadriel heads towards the bucket line leading to the first house and joins the villagers in dousing the flames.
Gordon continues to work on putting out the shop.
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Leifa will continue helping with the bucket brigade.
Layali strains with all her magical might, weakening the flames on three buildings! Nathadriel grabs a bucket and works on one of the houses, while Leifa and Gordon stay focused on the shop!
The fires in the first house and the commons building are completely extinguished, but there seems to be no progress at the other house or the shop! However, with people freed up from the two extinguished buildings, the remaining fires are put out within a few more minutes.
With all immediate dangers passed, the village falls into a stunned hush for seconds that feel like minutes, before the silence is broken by the little girl you brought back to town.
"Mommy, Mommy!" she cries as she runs toward a human woman with a pair of longswords strapped to her back.
The woman scoops the girl up in her arms and says, "Oh, Merrilee, you're safe! But when did you get back? And where's Daddy?"
The girl looks in your direction, with tears welling up in her eyes, and the mother then looks at you expectantly.
Layali will again try to smother the flames with her magic!
As you explain the circumstances of your arrival, the woman looks grieved, but strong.
"I see," she says. "Thank you for keeping Merrilee safe."
The woman then sets down the girl and says to her, "Now, honey, be a good girl and go help your auntie with whatever she's working on, alright?" Merrilee scurries off, and the mother then turns back to the group of you.
She introduces herself as Chela, and asks you to help her retrieve her husband's body. As you start walking, she says, "Thanks for your help with the goblins. What are you going to do now?"
"We're traveling, to Linhaus in the short term. Is the road safe? Do you know of any other goblin attacks further down?"
Chela's face turns pensive as Gordon speaks. She replies, "Well, that's hard to say. A couple of weeks ago, I'd have called Stonecrag 'safe', but lately the goblins have gotten more aggressive. Normally they're content to stay up in the rocks, far enough away from Stonecrag that you only had to worry if you strayed up into their territory, or if a hunting group was getting desperate and tried to sneak into town to steal food. But about a week ago, a raiding party attacked, and tonight looked like they were out for conquest. Now, the road to Linhaus doesn't go very near any goblin territories that I'm aware of, but as you can see, that's not much of a guarantee lately. I advise caution."