Attalas looks at the cow. His face becomes slightly concerned.
"What's everyone else gonna eat?"
He starts looking around for some firewood, deciding that a few nearby trees would make good fuel. He wanders about looking for kindling.
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"Attalas we is gonna have to share with Licktoads and eat light."
"I wonder how long it will take before the farmer shows up with the militia." Ragnvald says eyeing the horizon warily.
The goblins giggle and cheer as Mobo puts his weapon into the fearful animal - soon the cow is transformed into a jigsaw of blood and bones as all goblins start to hack at it.
The small humanoids seem to revel in the slaughtering and don't care about cooking the raw meat first. Soon you all sit around a fire and while Ragnvald has misgivings, the goblins hum a tribal song and slap Mobo on the shoulder
You big leader of big folk...you wanna see Frog Torturer Cave? We can lead you there - or you become our chief, lead us to victory with your monster slaves!
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"They want to show cave, has painting of Arnolf so it worth checking out. Might tell when he was here last and if he alive."
Perception roll pls.
Only 130 warriors left after we tried to attack Sandpoint many moons ago - our chief is weak, he not attack humans, says it's better to stay in swamps!
After the meal the goblins seem eager to leave
We go cave now?
Perception:
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Your cow meat tastes wonderful!
Attalas enjoys his fresh cow, he is less convinced by the low quantity of food.
"They seems friendly enough"
Watching Attalas and seeing his face drop as the food decreases, Jez walks over to him and reaches up to put an arm around his neck.
Don't worry big boy, we will find more livestock along the way that we can buy so that you can have plenty of good meals. And I am sure that enough foolish monsters will attack us at one point or another that we will not go hungry.
Turning to Mobo:
So, what do your friends say? Are we going to see this cave with drawings of the taxman?
The Ogre smiles, then quickly devours the meat before Mobo changes his mind.
The goblins jump up to their feet, hop around and yell wildly before they race northwards...It's a rather strange scene to see these yellow-green midgets run through the high grass fields - most of the time only the feathers they wear as hair dresses jut out...
The march northwards with the goblins is a funny experience - well, not for all of you, but for those with a knack for tumultuous chaos.
Especially Nymeria is often the target of the goblins' pranks and she finds more than one of the ugly yellow toads in her backpack or clothes...
After about three days of wandering through windswept heathes along Devil's Platter, you find a small cave entrance at the back of a large chalkstone bluff.
That is cave with picture on the wall! Frogtorturer traibe cave - old tribe, all dead now.
Nymeria gets more an more suspicious with every toad, eventually sticking towards the back so she can keep her eyes on the little pranksters. She lets them enter the cave first, drawing her bow for support.
Stealth:
I follow behind Mobo with my falchion drawn.
Stealth:
Perception:
Come out now whoever hides;
come and see what waits outsides;
ogres and demons are right here;
so now please come near;
if your quick we'll only kill your prides.
Having eased a bit since the initial cow slaughter Ragnvald wonders how many of his clan can ever say to have had peaceful contact with goblins. He decided that it might be best to leave out the part about eating meat with them later. Certain prejudices would come forth and leave unpleasant imagery in the midns eye. As they approach the cage his maniacal joviality morphs into the persona of a serious minded warrior. Calling Gorum's fire on his sword he prepares to enter with the others.
Attalas understands this part of the adventure quite well, and is happy to once again 'know what is going on'. Drawing his enormous blade and tightening the straps on his armour, he prepares to enter the cave.
"If there's anyone in that cave
Reckon they should just behave
Come out with their hands held high
Or I'll come in and make them cry
Best they just now come nice
Or they'll be dead from hack and dice"
As Ragnvald enflames his sword, the Licktoads stop dead in their tracks and stare at him with bewonderment.
You big fire shaman who wields sword?
...asks one of the goblins suspiciously
Meanwhile you have entered the cave and since you made enough noise to wake a dragon, you don't care about the talking...
The cave consists of one large round room. There are several large piles of bones on the ground (mostly cows and horses) that look rather new.
Does not look like the new inhabitant is goblin. I wonder who it might me? Do you see any tracks you recognize Mobo?
Attalas watches Mobo looking for clues, and thinks this is a good idea.
Perception
Unfortunately it seems his good idea was watching Mobo looking for clues, rather than looking for any himself.
Nymeria looks around.
Perception:
Besides some more bones and the accompanying stench of decay (whatever lives here must have quite an appetite) you notice the wall paintings the goblins had already mentioned.
On the wall opposite the entrance you spot a colourful sketch, mostly made with coal, mud, maybe blood and other things you rather don't think about. It shows a very tall and burly man wielding a large axe with one hand standing on a pile of goblin bodies (some dead frogs also lie nearby). The man obviously is of Ulfen heritage with long blond hair and a horned helmet on his head.
As the Licktoads notice the painting again they start making faces at it and swear in their best goblin manner.
Attalas looks at the painting.
He scratches his head and twists up his face as though in thought.
Well, looks like the Taxman, although he must have changed his name from the Axman at some point.
The goblins just look around with wide eyes - does not look like as if they understand a single word of the human tongue.
Whoever it is, they like meat - and like eating all the beast since these carcasses appear to be quite well stripped.
Is there any sign of how the animals were killed? Knife or axe marks in the bones? Also, are there any tracks, other than the thousand or so that we just created, in the area around the entrance to the cave?
Well, I suppose we can either go out and try whoever is living here, or we can wait and see if they return. Either way, we should get another meal. Mobo, can your friends get us another cow or horse to eat?
"Hrm." Ragnvald says.
If any of the corpses have sufficient meat left, I cut off a piece, cast Purify Food and Drink on it, take a bite and then offer the rest to Attalas.
Assuming some fare os coming his way, the usual crooked smile adorns his face as he takes the food and starts gnawing.
After Mobo's question the goblins quickly debate and then answer
We think picture was made by other goblins who witnessed the annihilation of the tribe! We think Birdcrunchers came here and painted picture as a memorial for further generations! Oh - and yes, we can hunt more but what about the "Smash your face" living in here?
The surprised look on Mobo's face indicates that the goblins must have said something of pholosophical insight - or utter stupidity!
The stench in here consists of two elements:
1) The smell typical for a cave in which generations of goblins lived
2) The rather fresh smell of rotten meat and dying animals
Without someone proficient in tracking you are not able to find any specific tracks.
The goblins answer by imitating a hulking figure that seems to hurl stones at much smaller enemies...
Is bigger than your friend, is very strong and comes from the mountains, throws stones at goblins and eats them!
"Giants." Ragnvald says matter of factly. "Big ones."
"I don't have any friends except you now, so don't know any Smashface. Maybe he's a Giant, I can ask him"
"What if its a girl?"
"Harder to fight." Ragnvald says looking at the mouth of the cave. "Fewer sensitive areas to attack."
The Ogres face once again bunches up as the cogs and wheels slowly grind out an answer, "Well maybe I can bring flowers, then ask?"
Grinning and looking at Attalas: Sweet, a girlfriend. But we do not know yet, and if she or he is much larger than Attalas, we should be ready for it to be a big giant. And we don't know yet if the giant is friendly, so we should proceed with caution.
I recall many giants, big one who fought with fire and frost, from my youth. Most of them are not friendly unless you have a bigger blade to compel their obedience.
Actually, given the choice, probably the elf would be the best present, but the elf might object to this.