...or, if you will not lay down your weapons, by ending your life, which is *chhh* likely of dubious intrinsic value to the *squeak* universe anyways. Rissi finished her allies words, although perhaps in a less delicate manner.
Lucian steps up, "Mighty Ripnugget, your reputation precedes you. We have come from Sandpoint to end the threat that looms over our good town. For that, we need to stop Nualia, the woman leading your forces. We believe that she is completely mad, and that she doesn't care about goblin interests - she will lead you to your doom, not to victory. Therefore we came to offer you an honorable surrender. Leave Thistletop with your tribe and never return. We will spare your life. It's in your best interest, as well as your people's. What say you?"
Seal remains steadfast along the front lines. He glares at the ground before him, not looking up to give away any intent in his eyes. He softly mummers a repeating mantra as his companions delegate with the goblins.
... patience now ... complacence now
"Pah! Bah! Poo!" Ripnugget spits back at the party. "You know nothing of Nualia. Nualia is the mouthpiece of Malfeshnakor; she will reveal what Malfeshnakor truly is and bring in a new age of triumph for the goblins with his help! She has already consecrated the shrine and made a link with Malfeshnekor, opening up many new chambers to expand our holdings! You offer nothing! Ripnugget will win today!"
The goblins react quickly: the warchanter behind the throne begins to sing foul songs to encourage his allies.
Warchief Ripnugget leaps on top of his pet gecko (Stickfoot) and charges forward, slashing at Seal with his short sword.
The commandos then step in to swing their horsechoppers at the party!
Rissi pulls her gloved finger from her sleeve and pulls a flask of alchemists fire from the other. She balls up her fist, swings back her arm and tosses a ball of fire. As it arcs through air it grows, bouncing until it falls under the feet of a commando. The flask of alchemist fire is consumed in the process.
Unsurprised by the goblin's reaction, Lucian grins. "You talk too much, goblin. Now die! Desna, please guide our arm in this battle, help us strike down those who threaten your people."
Then the Varisian draws his wand of produce flame.
Rissi catches one of the goblins on fire, to the delight of the other goblins, who are more concerned with the fireworks than they are with the fate of their companion.
Miana helps defend Seal against the Warchief and drives her temple sword into the goblin!
Lucian gives the party Desna's blessing.
Thunderpuss's head is nearly taken off by the goblin's horse chopper. A font of blood sprays the left side of Seal like a painter flicking a large brush.
Instinctively, Thunderpuss leaps at the goblin that chopped in to him, a large ball of tooth and claw.
Seal turns his head to see his new pet nearly become decapitated. Distracted by the attack and his own chants, he is caught unawares Ripnugget's attack.
... sick of complacence now
The Warchief's blade cuts deep into the upper chest of Seal. The dwarf turns his head slowly. His eyes are wide like a puppy scorned for the first time. Liquid crimson pulses from his fresh wound from the goblin's charge.
... no patience now
Sealman's eyes then narrow, locking onto the Warchief own orbs. A palpable aura of hate and furry begins to emanate from the barbarian. Instinctively, Seal shortens his dorn has he begins to twirl it at his side. Sealman continues to stare at the Warchief as his yells his final phrase.
Seal slings out his dorn as if he was slashing a sword, clocking the gecko sideways.
Seal then swings his dorn upwards at Ripnugget in hopes of unsaddling the warchief.
Kufieno looks for a flanking opportunity and slashes with his blade.
Thunderpuss finishes off the goblin that almost chopped her in two!
Seal lands a devastating blow against the gecko, taking it down!
The chieftain falls from his saddle, running right into Seal's attack as he falls prone.
Seal moves over to attack one of the other goblins but his blade only hits the leather armor.
---
The two commandos step back to swing their large weapons!
The warchanter shouts out a few dirty words at Seal!
Ripnugget, deprived of his beloved mount and on the ground surrounded by enemies, decides to stand up , steps back and pulls out a potion with his free hand.
(That is without the +4 bonus)
AAAAAAAGGGGGGEEEEEE!!
Seal continues to yell in response to the warchanter's slighted joke.
As Ripnugget tries to stand up, Seal twirls the dorn in a moon arc in attempt to slam it down on the chieftain's crown.
Rissi rolls her wrist and ball of fire responds as if on puppet strings. It rolls onto the warchanter next.
She steps a bit and casts a splash of acid at a goblin warrior.
Lucian moves along the southern wall to find an opportune spot to settle. Then, the Varisian brings both of his burnt hands in front of him, and a cone of flame sprout from them, engulfing the two goblin commandos!
Seal misses as the goblin chief stands up but Miana gets a hit off on him. He is still moving, however.
Rissi rolls her ball of fire over the warchanter but her glob of acid is off-target.
Lucian engulfs two of the goblins in flames, hitting both!
Seal takes a 5' step into the room still swinging his dorn so that it doesn't loose momentium. Once in position, he widens the reach on his weapon so that it may hit nearly every goblin in the room.
"When you reach gobo hell, warchanter, tell'em Sealman sent you. They better make room because its going to get crowded!"
Seal continues to cleave into goblins that dare remain in his presence.
Kufieno continues looking for a flanking position and stabs with his blade.
Miana brings her flaming sword down on WarChief Ripnugget and knocks the goblin leader unconscious!
Seal quickly kills the other two goblins and Kufieno moves up to the warchanter but finds the singing goblin hard to hit behind the throne.
The warchanter tries to heal himself but is quickly beset upon by the rest of the party and stands little chance against the combined forces of the Sandpoint defenders.
There seems to be no other treasure or valuables in the room.
Lucian draws his healing wand from his belt, ready to make good use of it. "Anyone's wounded?"
Seal picks up the horse chopper. He walks between each of the goblin commandos, raising the dulled blade above his head.
This
Chop, roll
Is
Chop, roll
Seal then drags the horsechopper with one hand towards the the fallen chief.
Necessary!
Chop, roll, roll, roll
Sealman falls to one knee while one hand plants the bloody chopper into the ground to hold him up. With labored breathing, Seal raises a finger, "I'll take one of those potions. Thunderpuss needs some love too."
Seal takes to potions. He drinks one and then force feeds the other to Thunderpuss.
Seal hails Lucian, "I'll take a wand shot.
After a bit more mending, Seal returns to his senses.
"Come on, we still have more rooms to see!"
"Maybe we should explore the northern door first, then go clockwise?"
Brilliant. Once we are ready, I'll open the door.
"Ready when you are, *chhh* mighty slayer."
The room to the north contains several rugs made from dogs or horse hide lying strewn over the dirt floor. Against the north wall stands an impressive collection of horseshoes, each nailed to the wall. The the east sits a ragged padded chair next to a rickety desk that may have once been an expensive antique. In the northwest corner sits a canopied bed covered with silk sheets and sporting an elaborately carved headboard that features nymphs and satyrs cavorting in a forest. The bed's sheets are stained with dirt, while the headboard is bashed and battered.
Buried under the filthy pillow is a silver holy symbol with a jackal head that sports tiny garnets for eyes. There is a large iron key under the seat of the chair.
The rooms to the east are, respectively, a food storage and an armory. The armory contains (all fitted for Small creatures): 23 dogslicers, 11 shortbows, 80 arrows, 11 suits of studded leather, six light wooden shields, and two coiled whips. On the north wall hangs a single masterwork dogslicer.
The southeastern door leads to a hall that connects to the guardtower.
Seal swings his dorn, batting the symbol mid-air against the wall with all his might. After it cracks apart like a stale cookie, Seal takes 20 arrows before leaving the room.
Once at the doors, Seal recommends both he and Miana open the doors at the same time . . . just in case.
Kufieno drinks a potion after the battle, then readies himself to follow the party.
Miana's door opens onto a staircase that leads down. Seal's door opens onto a room with six poorly constructed bunk beds, little more than hammocks slung from rickety frames. Each is heaped with a vermin-infested blanket and a lump of straw that serves as a frustrating pillow.
Six goblins sleep in their beds
"Let's check out the rest of the rooms before going downstairs."
Seal then moseys over to the door next to Lucian while whistling a cheery tune. He mindlessly twirls his dorn as he crosses the entry hall.
With a nod and a wink, he opens the door.
Seal opens the door with a wink to reveal a large courtyard open to the sky. Tenacious clumps of partially trampled grass grow fitfully here and there in the hard-packed earth, in places stained with blood or scratched with furrows. To the north, what appear to be two dead goblins lie slumped at the entrance to an outbuilding.
Roaming about this courtyard are four slavering goblin dogs, two of them scratching at the door on the other side of the courtyard.
Rissi casually flicks acid from her fingertips, and then pulls a scroll from the voluminous folds of her robe.
Lucian raises his arms to the sky and prays.
"Mighty Sarenrae, guide our arm in our crusade against this spawn of evil."
Then he draws his wand of flames.
Lucian blesses the party and Rissi's acid burns a hole in the grass.
Kufieno dashes into the courtyard and fires an errant arrow!
Kufieno fires an arrow that misses its target.
---
Kufieno is suddenly surrounded by hungry goblin dogs!
Counting his blessings as each dog's bite misses, Kufieno drops his bow and draws his sword, stabbing at the dog to his west.
From a safe distance, Lucian casts a guiding spell on Sealman.
Rissi sighs at the congestion in the doorway.
She pulls a wand and summons an image of black clothed man slipping out of the darkness on the opposite corner of the room, readying to throw some sort of strange weapon (like a starknife, but smaller) at the goblin dogs.
Kufieno stabs at a dog but misses as Miana steps in next to her fellow Suli and slashes at one of the foul dogs. Lucian guides Seal while Rissi summons an image of another fighter to threaten the dogs.
"Way to hold the line, Kufieno. You are doing a great job."
Seal resumes his whistle as if he's weeding a garden. He then whips his dorn around Miana at GD2.
If that hits, Seal draws the dorn back in, only to sling it between Miana and Kufieno to hit GD4.
Seal quickly takes out two of the dogs!
One of the dogs bites into the ninja, sure that it is real.
The other dog bites at Kufieno: