Ripnugget bats the blade of Garrok away and vaults the throne to land on the back of the oversized gecko. It hisses with menace as it heels to its masters call.
With the speed of a lizard the two shoot forward across the room, Ripnugget jerking hard on the creatures reigns to pull it around in a tight circle, turning to face the battle, he draws a shortsword and spurs the beast on.
Dropping the newly summoned dire rat before the goblin in the corner, Zafzalurg moves to face the closest goblin. The gnome steps up and hurls his dagger at the creature.
"Attack, Cauliflower!' the gnome shouts to the rat.
Dire Rat
Zaf's dagger flies through to slam into the chest of the goblin across the room only to pull itself free and zip back into his waiting hand. Cauliflower, the pet summoned rat flails menacingly at the warchanter still beating on his drum, but its teeth fail to find flesh.
The Chanter picks up the tempo of his drumming, adding in a goblin chant that sounds particularly bloody.
Nuala tightens her grip on Ithrinniel's shoulder and squawks with excitement as a wolf materializes on the far side of one of the goblins. The elf maneuvers into position opposite the monster. "Checkmate, vile miscreant!"
Wolf
Hieronymous thrusts his spear in the general direction of the goblin to the north of him.
Ithrinniel and her wolf maneuver like a pack to surround one of the goblins but the little scrapper dodges faster than the wolf or the bookish witch can swing.
Hieronymous gives a powerful jab with his spear but this goblin seems just as wily as the other, dodging the attack and lunging back at his foe with a cut from its horsechopper, but he's able to block the blow with the haft of his spear.
Surrounded, fear creeps into the eyes of the other goblin commando and he attempts to slink back to his comrades after taking a parting slice at Ithrinniel.
Goblins
Garrok
Ripnugget
Zaf
Chanter
Ithrinniel
Hieroymous
Garrokmal eyes the leader in the corner... Coward. Yelling across the room, he speaks goblin to be sure he's understood. "Coward!"
He sees the wolf and sidles up to the opposite side of the nearby goblin. Like fish in a keg.
Garrok steps forward and stabs his longsword into the goblin focused on Hieronymous and it jumps away from the sword with a scowl.
A second later, the chieftain levels his shortsword at Garrok and spurs the beast forward into a charge.
Seeing the goblin chief bear down on him, Garrok ducks the vicious swipe at his head.
Zafzalurg is startled at first when his dagger returns unerringly to his open hand - he'd been quietly skeptical of a weapon actually possessing such abilities. But the shock only lasted a moment, and then he found himself grinning, stepping up for another throw.
The dire rat also continues its assault...
"That's the way, Cauliflower!"
Ready for the knife this time, the goblin ducks as it goes flying through where his head was. At the same time Cauliflower grabs hold of his opposition and shakes violently, ripping away chunks of goblin flesh.
The Warchanter continues to bang his drum but takes one of his bone drumsticks and swats at the attacking rat.
Ithrinniel narrows her gaze and grimaces as she tries to focus her concentration on the Warchanter. "Go to sleep, you bonehead" she hisses, as she begins her hex...
Wolf
Hieronymous Blinks his eyes, shakes his head, and gives it another try.
The wolf grabs one of the goblin's shoulders and forces him to the ground, ripping back and forth with fang and claw.
The drum's beat fades as the warchanter slumps to the floor, snoring loudly.
Hieronymous slams his spear through the heart of the goblin still thrashing on the ground. It ceases its struggling and lets out a final sigh.
The final goblin snarls at the wolf and attacks it.
Garrokmal looks Ripnuggest in the eye... "Your friends are dropping like flies. You're next!" he growls.
Just in case the goblin doesn't drop dead from fear, Garrok also slashes at Ripnugget with his sword.
The sword finds flesh and Garrok grins at the warchief, his teeth still stained red from the chew...
Garrok shouts his anger at the warchief and for the briefest second you see his jaw drop in fear, but then he grits his teeth for the incoming blow, taking him in the shoulder.
The warchief lashes back flailing his sword at the much larger orc.
The gecko's muzzle clamps down on Garrok's leg, then picks him up.
With bodies and Wolves between himself and Garrok, the gnome cannot effectively help his friend, so decides to pursue the goblin before him. Zafzalurg takes another throw. The rat takes a bite at the goblin nearest it that still stands.
The Bard
The Rat
Zaf flings the dagger again but hits one of the column spikes and is deflected into a wall, then darts back to his hand. Cauliflower lunges toward her enemy but disappears as her jaws clamp down.
The Warchanter continues to snore in the corner.
Realizing that her wolf is going to follow Cauliflower's disappearing act, Ithrinniel turns her attention to the injured. She moves closer to Garrok to assess the gecko's damage, hoping that Garrok doesn't take this as a gesture of friendship.
"Oh, good, it's just a flesh wound." Ithrinniel mumbles, and she begins to speak softly in a strange, but soothing, language as a faint white glow radiates from her hands and envelopes Garrok.
Hieronmymous raises his left eyebrow as Ithrinniel appears to heal Garrokmal, hmmm, good to know I am not the only healer, and then decides that the Gecko is the most important target.
Hieronymous steps over the goblin he finished off and takes a stab at the Gecko.
Seeing the incoming spear thrust from Hieronymous, the Goblin warchief attempts to turn the gecko to avoid the blow, but the lizard reacts too slowly and takes the spear in the flank.
The goblin commando sneers and takes a bottle from his belt, downing the contents in a gulp, its stab wounds heal instantly. It smiles and takes a step toward Zaf.
"Argh!" Garrokmal grunts as the giant amphibian grabs hold of him. He is momentarily soothed with Ithrinniel's touch. Well, she doesn't dislike me enough to watch me die. She might be okay for an elf...
These thoughts are fleeting as he struggles to break free of the monster.
Garrok pries the gecko's mouth open and removes the creatures maw from his leg. During the fracas, Ripnugget swings down at the occupied half orc.
The gnome continues to attack the goblin before him, the healed wounds galvanizing his resolve...
The warchanter lies sleeping in the corner, oblivious to the melee around him.
Ithrinniel, impressed by the resolve of her new companions, begins placing a protective ward over Zaf. "I can't help much with attacking, Zaf, but I've got your back!"
Hieronymous notices the sleeping warchanter, if only I were a bit closer, I'd finish him, but not with this monster so close...
He attacks the gecko again.
He then takes a 5 foot step to the left .
Ithrinniel raises her left eyebrow at Hieronymous...Impressive...I didn't realize the old man had it in him...
Seeing Hieronymous stab for his mount again, Ripnugget attempts to turn the blow.
The sure blow of Hieronymous' spear is enough to punch through the creatures saddle and deep into the creatures chest. It shudders and bucks as it crashes to the floor, dead.
The remaining goblin trooper moves in on Zaf and brings his horsechopper down in a wicked swing.
The sword clangs off the dirt floor as Zaf steps safely out of the way.
Garrokmal glances at the stout man beside him as the lizard falls to the ground. "A fine strike!"
Turning his attention to the now-standing goblin, he slashes at the chief with his sword.
His sword hits home, and he is glad.
Ripnugget attempts to free himself from the dying lizard, but gets tangled up in one of the stirrups, he manages to free himself before a hole opens up in his defenses. Hate boils in his voice when turns to Hieronymous and shouts, "For that, I kill you, Longhshanks!"
The shortsword bites into Hieronymous' armor and gouges a line in the metal.
"I guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way..." Zafzalurg adjusts his grip on the dagger and stabs at the goblin.
"I knick at thee!
Zaf stabs down into the shoulder of the goblin and it jumps back grabbing its wound.
The Warchanter stirs from his slumber and comes to his feet, clearing the grogginess from its stricken face. Immediately he starts banging his drum and chants out a spell then points at the rampaging half-orc.
As the Warchanter gets back up, Garrok thinks I was afraid that would happen... Then the drum starts up again.
Garrok feels a bout of laughter well up in his throat, but before it consumes him another wave of redness washes over him, his rage battering through the magic that threatened to overtake him.
...I wonder if I can knock out another goblin as well as I did the Warchanter... Ithrinniel begins chanting "dîn..." with barely a whisper "dû..." as she aims a slumber hex at the chief "fuin..."
Focused on the fight with Garrok, the goblin warchief doesn't hear Ithrinniel release her spell. The magic slams into him and he falls face first into the dirt of the floor immediately unconscious.
Seeing their leader felled the other goblins show obvious signs of doubt.
Staring through the goblin as it falls sleeping at his feet, Hieronymous' clouded eyes are now unblinking, almost as if he is in a trance.
"The gods demand an end to your evil."
Seeing Ripnugget lying motionless on the ground, Hieronymous hauls back on his spear and rams it through the warchief's body, feeling the haft jar as the point scrapes the ground. A gurgle escapes the goblin's mouth and a black froth pours forth.
The remaining goblin soldier bolts for the door.
"Heytherewhatnow?" Caught off guard, the gnome lunges at his fleeing opponent.
"Coward!" he shouts at the things unscathed backside.
Seeing the soldier goblin break for the door, Garrokmal considers running him down, but the warchanter's drum is REALLY starting to bother him. "Don't let him escape!" he barks at his companions while his eyes lock onto the goblin banging the drum. He attacks with a burst of speed and a mighty bellow.
Garrok rushes at the Warchanter, the point of his longsword leading the way. Drum, leather and goblin flesh part ways as the glowing tip of the sword penetrates them all to emerge out the back of the chanting goblin. It's eyes go wide, then it slumps to the floor.
Zafzalurg tries one last time - maybe he can slow the creature down - and throws the dagger.
Zaf flings the dagger at the goblin once more as it flees, striking it in the shoulder. Blood gushes from the wound as the dagger flies out and back into Zaf's hand, it grips the door handle with panick in its eyes.
Nuala squalks and looks to make a go for it when Ithrinniel holds up her hand "Shhh Nuala, keep calm!" and barks a spell at the Goblin with the hopes of dazing it before it can escape.
Nuala turns her piercing gaze toward Ithrinnel with a look that would strike fear in the hearts of many ravens, at least.
Hieronymous pivots and runs after the goblin, his hair and beard flying wildly, and stabs at it with his blood encrusted spear.
The goblin stops pulling at the door and stares, magically transfixed when Hieronymous hustles up behind him and skewers him with his spear. The monster falls to the floor and Hiero uses a boot to pry loose his weapon.
The combat ends and you hear the waves crashing on the rocks outside, but it sounds as if no alarms have been raised.