As Cordwin approaches, the goblin is ready to take a slash at him before he has the opportunity to strike.
Cordwin's return swing misses as well.
Paldak lets out a blood curdling scream and recklessly charges into the fray.
As Paldak charges, the goblins swings his readied attack.
Round 1:
Round 2: Alexei summons another ball of ice and hurls it at the goblin dog.
Snowball:
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S
Range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: one ball of ice and snow
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial (see below)
Spell Resistance: no
Description:
You conjure a ball of packed ice and snow that you can throw at a single target as a ranged touch attack. The snowball deals 1d6 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 5d6) on a successful hit, and the target must make a successful Fortitude saving throw or be staggered for 1 round.
Cordwin hefts his warhammer above his head and brings it down again.
But the pesky goblin deftly moves out of the way as the hammer falls with a loud SWOOSH
Round 2
Alexei's snowball surges towards the Goblin Dog, its rider controls his mount to veer away from the attack.
A goblin advances a short distance to engage Paldak. Two goblins strike at him.
The goblin engaged with Cordwin attacks him again.
The commando dashes away on his mount and launches an arrow at Sabrina while the dog is running.
The first goblin's wild attack unexpectedly strikes Paldak above the knee. The pain brings out the half-orc's primal instincts. With a roar, he flies into a rage, looking to decimate any and all who stand in his way.
He swings his falchion down on the goblin who hit him:
Ouch! Cordwin yelps in pain as the dogslicer slices his flesh.
Ye will pay for that if ye stand still long enough for me to hit ye!
The pesky goblin easily side-steps Cordwin's hammer laughing at the dwarf as he does.
Round 2
The goblin dog evades Aelxei's attack again. Cordwin goblin blocks his hammer and spits in his face. Sabina's breath attack streams towards the goblins, one of which is scorched. His burnt hair stands up on his head comically. Paldak then cleaves his head off of his shoulders with a brutal strike.
Round 3
The goblins stick back at both Cordwin and Paldak. The goblin dog runs after Sabina and attempts to bite her. The Commando fires another round at her from the dog's back.
Alexei casts ice magic once again. He remains standing in the same place.
Ye ain't making this easy! Cordwin says as he blinks the spit from his eyes and hefts his hammer up once more.
Cordwin smiles as his hammer finally crunches goblin bone.
Satisfied at the cleaved goblin, Paldak turns to his next target and attacks the closest foe. He is hardly thinking clearly, and sees everything in a tinge of red. He never even notices the goblin's attack that missed wide to the right.
The goblin commando steers his mount yet again to avoid Alexei's attack. Cordwins hammers cleanly sinks into the goblin's skull. He topples to the ground, dead. Sabina fumbles moves to engage the unmounted goblin and fumbles with her sword. Paldak acts immediately and quickly slays the goblin, spattering Sabina with and himself with blood, although he doesn't seem to care.
Round 4
The commando, seeing that all of his comrades have fallen, insults you all in Goblin, Die, you rotten horse-lovers! He drops his bow on the ground, hops off his mount and draws a dogslicer from its sheathe. The goblin dog charges Alexei.
Alexei steps back (to H6) and once again attempts to hit the grotesque canine with freezing ice.
Flush with his success at finally putting down his goblin foe, Cordwin sees his next victim and heads towards him.
Now to do to ye what I did to ye friend!
Unfortunately, this goblin easily steps away from the hammer as it completes its downward trajectory!
Seeing no way to charge directly to the goblin or his dog, Paldak sees Alexei in trouble and decides to defend him from the mutt. He moves to I7 and attacks with his falchion.
Paldak roars as a bloody shower of goblin dog erupts around the group. His eyes flash red as he lets his primal instincts take over.
His attention turns to the last remaining enemy combatant, his face splashed with red, and blood dripping from his blade...
Alexei's burst of magic finds its mark. The dog's hairless hide frosts over a little bit.
The goblin dog is then engulfed in the firey breath attack.
Paldak then finishes it with a brutal cleave of his sword. The commando is the only enemy left standing. He steps towards Sabina, continuing to curse, and attacks.
Round 4
Knowing the predators outnumber the prey, Paldak takes his time to circle around the last goblin, stepping over the remains of the goblin dog's corpse, careful to stay out of range of any attacks, and without breaking eye contact. Finally, once positioned behind the goblin , with the ferocity of a caged wolf he strikes.
Round 5
Alexei summons up more magic to assist with the complete defeat of the rabid goblins.
Round 6
The goblin evades all of melee attacks. He is hit by Alexei's ray of frost, but is otherwise uneffected. He is clearly outnumbered but continues to fight. He turns around and attacks Paldak.
Silly Goblin! Don't ye know ye are beat!? Cordwin says as he brings his hammer down.
The goblin, even though occupied with Paldak, still easily avoids Cordwin's hammer.
Round 6
Alexei continues the flurry of ice beams.
Paldak roars as the goblin's clumsy strike catches him on his thigh, releasing a spout of blood from a cut artery.
His life now in jeopardy, Paldak defends himself the only way he knows how... Killing them, before they kill him. He strikes, with Cordwin providing support:
Paldak's foot slips on the pools of goblin (and his own) blood. His wild swing misses the goblin by a large margin.
All of the attacks yet again miss the goblin except for Alexei's.
Round 7
Even if before the goblin seemed oblivious the uneven odds, terror begins to show on his face. He steps around Paldak, swing a blow at him, and then makes a bolt for it.
"Clever and creative! All three of your answers work decently well, but not perfectly, and I have never heard any of them. I am intrigued by the fact that your mind wound up at diapers. Do you have any experience, my lord?" She giggles. "Don't feel bad about not getting this one! I only tell it after someone easily defeats a few of my others and I can tell that they are up to a challenge. The answer is a coffin. The mortuary makes it for the man who buys, who could not need it for himself, because otherwise he would be dead! And of course the one who needs the coffin knows nothing, because they are deceased."
She replies to Alexei's talk of the Baba Yaga. "Fascinating," Kasja admits and leans a bit closer. Her figure is even more exposed. "I don't imagine that you have actually met the great witch, unless you are much older than you look of course. I am sure that you are full of stories about growing up in the north, managing to keep all of your fingers and toes despite the odds."She chuckles. "If you ever want to recount your tales to an eager ear, you should come see me again." She slips a card into his pocket, and gets up to bow all the way to the ground and kiss his hand, clearly playfully mocking Alexei again.
Round 7
Alexei moves towards the enemy and attempts to bring the fleeing goblin down with yet more Irrisen ice magic.
Alexei mouth twists in dissatisfaction as his magic soars over the goblin's head.
Calling to the noble, he yells, "Quickly! Come to us before he heads your way!"
In frustration, and with exhaustion setting in, Paldak driven by rage, seeks to finally end his foe. He charges and strikes.
After all the goblins lie dead, Paldak lets out a primal roar... lifts his falchion and slams it back down on the Goblin Commando, severing its head from its body. He then drops to one knee, exhausted and out of breath.
After a moment he mutters:
"I need healing..."
Cordwin sees the goblin's head roll from Paldak's mighty swing. Yep! I figure that little fellow is finally dead! Would have been a shame if he had gotten away after we all spent so much effort tryin' to kill him!
Seeing that all of the goblins are disposed of, the nobleman emerges from his petty hiding place grasping a dirk in his hand. The front of his (no longer as majestic) robes is stained with mud. He sheathes the dagger. "Well thank you all so very much. I rather do say, I had believed myself a dead man." He heads towards the party and addresses Sabina. "Of course, I doubt that my rescue would have been possible without the whirl of deadly skill at arms and beauty that I caught a glimpse of." He bares a wide smile.
T'weren't nothin' Glad we could help! Me name is Cordwin. He then bows to the noble. This here fellow that likes to separate goblins from their heads is Paldak. This one here that likes to freeze 'em is Alexei, and this lass here who seems to have caught ye eye is Sabina! He says as he winks at the noble.
Paldak groans, rolls on his back, and lets out a long (loud) exhale.
"Ughhhhhhhhh.... *cough-cough* *wheeeeze*...ughh."
He hears Cordwin mention his name to the noble. He simply raises his hand to acknowledge the introduction then continues wheezing on the pavestone.
"...or alcohol. Healing or alcohol...*cough-cough*... One or the other *wheeeeze*... Beggars can't be choosers... But they can be dead *ughhhh*... Or... Not drunk... *wheeeeze*"
A pleasure to meet you all. I am Aldern Foxglove, a gentleman hailing from the great metropolis of Magnimar. He politely returns the dwarf's bow. It would seem that I am in your debt. If you would like, I invite you to visit me sometime soon at the Rusty Dragon where I am currently staying. Then perhaps we can find some way in which I can reward you for your bold heroics.
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Sabina slowly relaxes her grip on the bastard sword, panting heavily as the red haze of battle begins to subside. She hears a new voice speaking, but none of the words make sense at first, just like all of the others. She looked up at him, casually pushing her hair out of her eyes, and did her best to smile, hoping that the curse would subside soon so that she could speak, or at least listen, again.
Cordwin looks down at Paldak, Unfortunately, me friend, I have no healing or ale, but I am sure the lass can heal ye when she finds the common tongue again. Can I help ye up? Cordwin will then offer his hand to the mighty warrior.
Turning to Aldern, he will say. Looks like ye picked a poor day to visit Sandpoint. We too are staying at the Rusty Dragon. Perhaps we can accompany ye back-after I check these goblins. The curious dwarf then goes to the bodies of each of the goblins looking for anything interesting that might catch his eye.
Alexei regards the noble Aldern Foxglove with little to no expression. His eyes immediately swing around the area, and he attempts to reduce the prattle of the living human and his combat comrades to background noise in order to discern if Sandpoint is now goblin free.
No one else can die! I cannot fail!
Unfortunately, the new chatter regarding Sabina's good looks and her inability to form coherent sentences seems to echo in his mind preventing him from truly giving the search his full attention.
Crossly, he interrupts the flirtation of Aldern and Sabina and their bardic assist from Cordwin.
"I hate to be rude, but can we save the springtime fancy for the moment we are certain these wretched creatures and their dogs have been cleansed from Sandpoint? I do recall that being of some importance."