Yeda ponders Jarl's words and eyes the goblin intensely...
The goblin snarls at Jarl's remark. It responds in crude common Favor Flesh! it lifts its small hands to its eyes and begins to rock the green skin fists, and adds a soft sound of a subtle groan. Favor Flesh! Favor Flesh! You Favor Flesh!
Yeda rolls her eyes and mutters Okay... before winding up with her greatsword...
she tries to hit him with the flat of the blade.
Evie watches the goings-on for a few moments, noting how these people interact with one another. Yeda seems, to her, a leader of sorts. Not formally perhaps, but simply by her decisiveness. Corrin, as Yeda had named the elf, was likewise quick to action. She'd witnessed that firsthand. The man rooting through the goblin chief's pouches had called himself Tamm, and watching him loot, accompanied by his furry companion, she could guess his skill set.
The other two women were harder to read. Zeldana seemed friendly enough. The blonde seemed less keen on her. And this newly rescued fellow, Jarl? Well, she had to admit he'd had it worse than she had... And that was saying something.
Seeing the goblin was going to prove less than helpful, and probably not worth a spell to make him more so, she addressed the now assembled group.
"Well, I suspect if any more goblins were readying an attack on us, they'd have done so by now. Seems we have a moment. As I was telling Yeda in the other room -- here's your cloak back, by the way, thank you ever so much--, the goblins aren't the real threat. Enemies far more dangerous lurk beneath us in this compound."
"Might be able to save this horse's leg, but getting it home to do so is going to be tough. Help me find some cloth and lengths of wood to build a splint. That will be the easiest way to keep him from hurting it worse both while it waits here and during travel back to town. Poor animal deserves some luck after these things."
"this goblin.... it surrended then attacked yes?"
He asked half crouching watching as Yeda tried to brain it cleanly with her very large sword. He was half trying to pay attention to everything going on but failing at all of it really. Too many pretty ladies, too much sudden violence and... definitely too much honor at stake. He did catch the tail end of miss Evriani's words. Yes the reason they were here.
"We are sure that the kinslayer is down there... Im going to take his heart back to my sister so that we may properly mourn her loss."
He replied to the recently captured woman. His mind for a moment recollected how they came across her and his blushed for a second. Thoughts of her led to thoughts of Shalelu, thoughts of her led to a whole mess of emotions. He mentally gathered them up and stuffed them down in his mind instead trying to refocus on Tsuto and his families bloodhunt for the halfman.
"I can take him to the bridge and let the gods judge him then get Dewdrop?"
He offered making it clear his plan was to toss the goblin over the edge of the cliff and let gravity, the gods, and perhaps plain luck decide the untrustworthy goblins fate.
"Kinslayer? Well, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them were. I..." she considered a moment how to phrase her explanation.
"I... got lost. Found myself in the woods completely turned around and disoriented, until I encountered a half elven fellow with rather exotic looks and a human woman in tow. They assured me they could show me to safety. I felt like something was off about them, but what choice did I have? So I followed them here, met their allies... And that's when things went from bad to worse."
She paused in her tale, nodding her agreement with Corrin's suggestion of how to handle the goblin, and collecting her thoughts before continuing.
"Give me a second, I think I found some interesting bits over here." Tamm says over his shoulder.
Bandit looks on eagerly, rubbing his little hands together.
Loxley watched coldly as Yeda attempted to strike the goblin with the flat of her greatsword. It was better then the filthy little thing deserved after doing to touch her own sword. A little voice in the back of her head reminded her that it was her own fault for losing it to the little monster. Loxley duely ignored it.
As the thing crumpled to the ground she turned to regard the others. The new woman was dressed now and the new man had had a chance to clean himself up, well at least a little.
She approached Jarl, as Zeldana had called him. Obviously he was someone from town.
Loxley stopped beside Jarl. She wrinkled her nose at the stench that still clung to him.
”Please, allow me.”
Magic gathered in an out stretched hand. The filth and grime still clinging to Jarl and his belongings began to fade away under the effects of the cleaning magic.
She looked over and regarded Evie as the woman explained the events leading to her own capture as she cleaned off Jarl.
”That sounds like our targets. Though the thought of heater horrors it foreboding, we can’t continue to dally.”
She commented, addressing Yeda, Zel, Corrin, and Tamm
”But I fear our chances if we push too hard. The five of us may are formidable together, but we need a to move forward carefully.”
An adorable chitter came from Bandit and Loxley managed a smile.
”I’m sorry, the six of us. Though, to be fair I suppose I should include Dewdrop and say seven of us.”
Loxley hadn’t included the two ex-captives, assuming they had already been through enough ordeals and would wish to be on their ways to safer paths. She wouldn’t have blamed them if they did.
"Then maybe we should think about going back?" Zeldana asked. "I mean after everything Jarl and Evri have been through here. Goblins are not the nicest of hosts. Are you sure you two are up for likely more combat?" She asked the two new comers.
In response to the Prestidigitation, you see the young man relax quite a bit. "Oh, that is so much better." Then he looks down at the rags that are left from his clothing. "Well, good enough, I guess."
As the rescuers talk about their targets and whether or not to continue, Jarl shrugs. "Can't say that I'm much good like this, unarmed, unarmored and weeks without any real rest, but my gear has got to be around here somewhere. It's probably worth more than the farm. I would really hate to lose it. If you could loan me a bow and arrows, I should do okay for any combats that happen. If you loan me a dagger, I won't be as useful, but I won't be dead weight."
Evie grinned briefly, and for a moment, her eyes swam with eerie black shadows before clearing to violet again. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve. And I'm happy to accompany the rest of you. I wouldn't mind a little payback. Well, a little more payback. I uh...I might have killed one of them already, and that's why they threw me to the goblins."
She forced a sort of wincing, apologetic smile, realizing that potentially sounded bad. "I...should probably explain that, hmm? Well I mentioned encountering a pair in the woods. The fellow called himself Tsuto, the woman didn't give her name, and they seemed nice enough at first. But then we got here, and I saw the goblins everywhere, and I said no thank you, I'd take my chances in the woods. They didn't give me the option, and I was brought below and confined in a room. I overheard some sort of argument, someone yelling at him, something about interfering with their imminent plans for 'the town'. Tsuto later came to my room and tried to...well, he attacked me, and I defended myself.
"I knew I had to leave before they found the body, so I slipped out and tried to find my way out of here, but it's like a maze down there. I spied some sort of ritual chamber...it scared me, and in my hurry to get away I was careless and was caught by an armed soldier, a man, who brought me before a pair of women. One had white hair and seemed to be in charge. The other one nearly killed me when she found out about Tsuto, she lashed out at me with magic, but apparently it was decided I'd serve better penance as a gift to keep the goblin chief in line."
She concluded her lengthy tale with a sigh. "I worry about them discovering their guard goblins are defeated, and relocating. But I agree that they are formidable foes. If you choose to pursue them, I'll join you. It's the least I can do for my rescuers."
"Give me a second, I think I found some interesting bits over here." Tamm says over his shoulder.
Bandit looks on eagerly, rubbing his little hands together.
[dice=spellcraft Potion 1] 1d20 + 11
[dice=spellcraft Potion 2] 1d20 + 11
[dice=spellcraft sword] 1d20 + 11
[dice=spellcraft Potion 3] 1d20 + 11
[dice=spellcraft wand] 1d20 + 11
potion 2: cure moderate wounds
potion 3: Potion of Barkskin (+2)
Sword: basic +1 short sword
Wand: Silent image
Yeda swings the large flexible blade around, and smacks the flat surface upon the goblins head. A heavy, wet smack sound comes from impact, similar to a watermelon being crushed. The goblin collapses to the ground, unconscious or dead.
"Hey.... useful stuff over here."
"There are two potions of cure moderate wounds, a potion of barkskin, a little goblin-sized magic shortsword, and a wand of silent image."
"I think I could use the wand, seeing how I've been studying to be an illusionist."
He was listening to the pretty not naked anymore human woman's words half heartedly...until she mentioned Tsuto by name. His sunkissed cheeks darkened and his features twisted from a lighthearted day in the woods to flashes of storms and anger.
"He's dead?!? You killed the kinslayer but dont have his heart?!?"
He found himself reaching for the young womans hand's squeezing them roughly. He had tarried too long! Vengence had been meted out, but it wasnt by his families hand and the corpse lay there unsalted. He had taken too much time helping the batman, too much time in Shalelu arms....That brought on a different sort of blush from the young elf. Okay maybe not everything had been terrible and a waste. Perhaps he was too emotional.
He very carefully and slowly removed his hands from where they were trying to crush hers. He took a deep breath and his hands slid to the leather mask lifting it up over his head. He wanted his emotions clear. He swallowed hard and did his best to smile.
"It is good Evriani that you defended yourself even more so against that abomination. Is there anychance you remember how to get down below. I had expected Tsuto and his monster loving uh.. lover not other people. We need to move fast now i think.
Her eyes went wide at the sudden show of emotion from Corrin, and she very nearly reflexively cast a spell in defense when he reached for her, but she quickly calmed herself.
Jaw clenching a bit as he squeezed her too tightly, she managed a reply.
"Tsuto was this 'kinslayer'? If so, then yes. He got a bit forward for my liking. And no, afraid I didn't stick around to remove his heart."
When he let go she rubbed her hands to ease the soreness. She responded to his query of where the stairs might be "Not entirely. I was a bit disoriented at the time. But we passed through this courtyard, as I recall. So likely somewhere in that direction.". She pointed north. "It hasn't been long. An hour or so, perhaps. I'm certain they're still down there. As for his lover, that might explain why the magically inclined woman lashed out at me so. But... We should really find this poor fellow something to fight with, first."
"There are people here? I never saw or heard anything but goblins . . .." He looks at the equipment Sazzat was talking about. Eventually picking up the dagger-sized shortsword. "Far from my first choice, but better than what I have right now. You should still be able to sell it once we get back to Sandpoint."
Thud!
Yeda watches as the goblin hits the grown unconscious. A slight satisfied smirk forms at the edges of her mouth as she sheaths the greatsword.
Just then she turns to accept her cloak back from Evie, offering a warm smile.
She returns to grim seriousness as the woman relays her story.
Tsuto... good riddance. I'm sorry to hear he attacked you. Were you scared? In any case, you're with us now and you have no reason to be.
She tries to smile again for a moment.
Just then Yeda shrinks back down to everyone else's size.
I'm getting more in the mood to continue on and root out these vile individuals...
"I think I could use the wand, seeing how I've been studying to be an illusionist."
”I don’t have any problem with that.”
Loxley said as she finished cleaning off Jarl. She stepped any from him and watched the interaction between Evie and Corrin. She was concerned when the Druid reacted to the stranger’s declaration. She was worried they would have to pull him off her until he seemed to calm down on his own.”That still begs the question of the identity of the other women with them.”
Loxley pondered.
I'm getting more in the mood to continue on and root out these vile individuals...
”Agreed, but we need to be cautious. Another battle like this one before we reach them could prove detrimental, if not fatal.”
Loxley’s hand instinctively when to gash in her outfit were the goblins blade had nearly rend her in two. The fresh pink of the healed flesh peeking through.
"Corrin," Zeldana said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "Please don't hold it against him" She said to Evriani. "Tsuto killed his father, and almost took the life of his sister too. Who is now Corrin's sword sister. Hunting down Tsuto was a person task for him." She explained.
"If we are going to continue then let us take stock of what we have hmm?" Zeldana suggested. "We're not at our bests at the moment and Loxley is right that another fight like that won't end well for us."
"I asked earlier who might need healing. While I'm not at my best, true rest and good food are what I need, not magic. I still have a couple of spells available for healing." He shrugs, waiting to see if they just point him at the horse again.
Were you scared? In any case, you're with us now and you have no reason to be.
Evie seemed bemused that such a large, fierce woman could also be so thoughtful. "I can't say it's been an enjoyable experience, that's for certain. It is reassuring to have such capable allies at hand."
"Please don't hold it against him" She said to Evriani. "Tsuto killed his father, and almost took the life of his sister too. Who is now Corrin's sword sister. Hunting down Tsuto was a person task for him."
Evie smiled at Zel. "Oh, not to worry. I wouldn't dream of holding a grudge over an understandable emotional outburst. I save all my grudges up for more important offenses," she winked at the woman. "And I'd say being thrown to a pack of goblins qualifies."
"If we are going to continue then let us take stock of what we have hmm?"
"My skills lie in enchantment magics, primarily. I'll do my best to keep your -- our -- foes preoccupied while you all dispatch them. While my day hasn't gone swimmingly thus far, I've still got a fair bit of fight left in me. And Corrin was kind enough to heal my injuries." . She smiled at him to reassure him she forgave his iron grip.
He smiled at the pretty woman who mentioned his healing. It was sort of what he did for the most part so long as he wasn't distracted by the hunter. He did recall Jarl mentioning weapons. He had a few extra spears. He moved to the man and drew one of his spears.
"this is better than a dagger I think, just put the points end in your foe."
He paused and looked to his friends.
"I've some magic left and Dewdrop is fresh."
Jarl accepts the spear. "No more what I'm used to than the toy is, but it should be better, you're right. Thank you. I hope to do it justice." He offers the small sword to see if anyone wants to take it, but somehow I imagine he ends up tucking it behind what's left of a sash.
He tilted his head and looked at Jarl strangely. The spear was a great weapon. Elegant, could be thrown you could stab a man or whack him with the butt of the shaft. He smiled at him though finally and nodded.
"Okay Im off to get Dewdrop. Be right back."
He began heading straight for the unconcious goblin lifting it up and starting to head torwards the bridge and Dedrop.
"Be careful of the sea monster..." Tamm calls to Corrin as he leaves.
"Do you guys remember where the entrance to the lower level is?" Tamm asks Jarl and Evriani.
"There's still a lot of rooms we haven't explored here."
Dewdrop? Sea monster? Evie mentally shrugs and turns to reply to Tamm.
"I was brought across the courtyard, so I believe the stairs were through that door to the north. Might not hurt to peek in the other doors nearby, briefly, though -- I found my clothes and wand near where I was being kept. Might be that this fellow -- Jarl, was it? -- that his gear is being stored in the vicinity."
She flashed Jarl a smile. "Since you seemed not to favor the spear. Wouldn't take long, and gives us something to do while waiting for Corrin to return."
"I was unconscious when they brought me here. I haven't seen anything but the inside of the stable and this courtyard. So, maybe you'll forgive me for asking, but . . ., sea monster? Dewdrop?"
As Evriani discusses looking about while Corrin takes care of his business, Jarl shrugs. "I would say that looking or waiting would be our rescuers' choice, but I would really prefer to have a goof bow."
He made his way to the bridge and let out a sharp whistle waiting to see his elk on the other side. He started to toss the goblin into the water below but then froze. The goblin druid.... he had said he would do what he could to spare his people. He sighed and began to cross the bridge to reach the other side. Perhaps leaving the goblin there and gathering Dewdrop would be better.
Once on the other side he set the sleeping goblin down and found his friend.
"Now Dewdrop I know we talked about bridges being dangerous but just one hoof in front of the other buddy and we will be fine."
He made his way across the bridge again then turned calling for the elk to follow.
Yeda nods at Evie's suggestion.
Very well. Let's scour this floor and see if we can find his gear. Pick a direction and I'll cover!
She draws her greatsword again and holds it out in front of her.
Evie points to the southern door next to where they entered the courtyard.
"May as well start there."
She walks over and opens the door, not bothering with stealth or caution.
"Very nice of you to take this time for me . . .." He actually sounds more apologetic than thankful, but he moves up to take a position near the door, short spear at the ready.
Yeda goes the direction Evie points, following the point of her sword. She stops at the door and looks around before entering.
Loxley followed the others as they approached the courtyard. Her sword in one hand and other hand ready to cast. She had to admire Evie’s brashness as the sorceress took point.
"Very nice of you to take this time for me . . .." He actually sounds more apologetic than thankful, but he moves up to take a position near the door, short spear at the ready.
”Think nothing of it. It would be rude not to help.”
Loxley offered a friendly smile.”Besides, if you’re going to accompany us further into this nest of evil it would be unwise not to ensure you are fully prepared.”
She took up position at the doors across from Jarl and glanced around beyond the doors.
You get about half way across, the elk over one quarter the distance away from the shore line when you feel it.
And there is nothing you can do to stop it.
One of the support lines, taunt with the weight, suddenly lets go, dropping the floor out from under you.
and worse, there is nothing that you can do for Dewdrop.
"Well...I suppose finding his gear on the first try would have been too easy."
She looks at the rabbit cage with some sympathy, and opens the hatch, shooing the bunnies out. "I don't think we're in a position to carry dozens of rabbits back to the woods, but at least some of them have a shot at not starving to death, this way. Well, then. Shall we keep looking? I'm pretty sure there was another room just around the way here." She made her way out of the room.
Zeldana stood with everyone else, keeping an eye and ear to everyone as she could so that she could go where needed.
[Dice=Fall damage lethal]4d6
[Dice=Fall damage not lethal]2d3[Dice=reflex save to make an acrobatics check maybe?]1d20+3
[Dice=acrobatics if able]1d20+6
Yeda relaxes her sword over her shoulders and drapes each arm over it.
Well, we could just set them free easy enough. I think they'll find their way out. If not, their children or grandchildren will eventually make it out. She smirks at the implication.
She casually follows Evie around to the subsequent rooms.
The room held nothing of interest, but Loxley could appreciate Evie releasing the surviving rabbits. After the two came back out of the room she followed them back into the area they had just fought in. Even though nothing moved Loxley still held her blade readied. She had no intention of being caught unaware again.
Tamm hugs Bandit tight to protect him against the cruel world.
Down the majestic elk falls; so slowly! So agonizingly slow to the waters below. twisting and spinning, Dewdrop completes one ful revolution in the air before it crashes with a mighty splash into the waves below! water sprays up and away from the impact, and only for a moment, the browns of his body and antlers are seen before they too, disappear below the surface of the spray.