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Poochie swings with all of his might, and hits the little goblin. The rubbery skin of Chuffy seems to deflect some of the force, but not enough to finish him off. Then, Jaender fires his crosbow at the remaining goblin, hitting him. Again, some of the force is deflected, and again it isn't enough to stop the goblin from dying
At this time, the team has a chance to take a breath, and get healed up. Arturo scans the room. One of the goblins still wears a belt pouch around its waist containing 14 gp, 8 sp, and a severed human finger still wearing an emerald-faceted ring worth 200 gp (you would guess).
Other than that, there is the hallway to the south, and the door to the east.
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"Should we question any of these goblins," says Arturo as he retrieves his wand of cure light wounds from his backpack, "I'm reasonably certain they'll just give us gibberish responses, but since I can now speak the language we could give it a try. We could perhaps get some kind of idea what we will face down here... or if they've seen that alchemist we're looking for."
Arturo asks someone who knows how to use his wand to prod him with it.
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"These ones weren't like the ones by the berry patch. Something happened to them. This place is a place where bad things seem to happen. Like anyone who walks in here is changed for the worst. Bad luck, certainly. Those within seem to meet doomed fates. There's a word for that, but this one can't think of it right now." The brute shakes his head as he calms back down, the customary fatigue wearing off as he gathers himself.
He nods in thanks to Arturo. "Many thanks. This one's wounds were not felt at the time, but might have festered in this rotten place."
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The frozen layer of crust topping the blanket of snow on the forest floor cracked with each step the youth took. Ahead he could not see much through the veil of fog slowly rising all around him, but at his feet the fresh, warm splotch of red showed to his senses like a beacon. Through the shifting of the fog, another dabble of scarlet stained the pristine snow and glared, garishly against a vista of seemingly pure white.
A deer, nearly dead, lay a few feet further, it's legs still kicking sporadically in a futile struggle to stay moving, to keep crawling further, inch by inch, and to stay alive. Its kicks were mere tremors by now, only echoes of the tenacity and power the animal had possessed moments before, the arrow jutting oddly between the bones of its rib cage had seen to that. Its eyes were wide with what seemed to be the realization and acceptance of death slowly taking hold. Yet its gaze was not turning to meet the youth as he approached, though each step upon the frozen earth seemed to thunder with a resounding cacophony when compared to the surrounding forest, still and silent.
It was then that the youth noticed a second pool of crimson congregating beneath the deer, no where near where the arrow had struck. Tilting his head the youth could see the tattered and shredded remains of the creature's throat, or what had been its throat. As the fog swirled in a nearly imperceptible draft of wind, a set of paw prints could be seen, coated red and still glistening wet, that appeared to show another creature's movement away from the deer and directly away from the youth.
Another swirling of the fog about him and the red paw prints could be seen turning abruptly sideways in an arcing path around the deer. It appeared with each step upon the snow, in a place seemingly devoid of all moisture, the scarlet left in the wake of each track began to disappear, leaving the prints entirely invisible to the youth within steps.
Turning to face back the way he came, the youth could see a gigantic beast stalk silently out from behind the trunk of a gnarled tree. The wolf's eyes blazed electric-blue and showed like cerulean sparks hanging in the air against the dull background of snow and fog. Its hair was standing on end, while its body lowered ever closer to the ground, and a low, menacing growl drown out the pounding of the youth's own racing heartbeat in his ears.
A piercing growl filled the air as the wolf leapt, and the youth found himself with his back on the snow and a sensation of wet warmth covering his body. When or how he managed to grasp his knife and bring it to bear he could not remember, but now he could feel the blade's guard pressed firmly against the wolf's chest. Face to face with the muzzle of the wolf, the youth watched the light behind its bright blue eyes flicker and fade. And then they laid still and motionless in the snow, together.
When at least he pushed away the still warm remains of the wolf and laid it gently beside the deer, the youth heard a pitiful whimper. He watched as a small pup, perhaps the runt of a litter, ran uneasily on young legs to the body of the blue eyed wolf and nudged it repeatedly with its muzzle. The youth dropped to his knees, reached for the pup and could see its dull grey eyes were nothing like its mother's. When he pulled it close, the blood smeared across his chest transferred to the pup's coat as it writhed and wriggled.
To his surprise, the pup licked his face, and he stared transfixed at the little puppy with its dull grey eyes and blood stained coat, which even now tried to lick him and snuggle up close the warmth of his body. As his eyes focused more, the youth could see the little shadowy wayang standing close by, and the mustachioed Arturo, as well. But they were in a room with stone walls, which the youth could not place. Blinking again, the odd nagaji, friendly halfling, and stoic brute all could be seen looking at him.
The wolf with the dull grey eyes continued to lick him, and whimper for fear a member of her pack might have fallen.
If only she knew... Vox thought to himself, reaching a hand up and petting Einhardt.
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Jaender helps Vox to his feet, as best he can for a 3 foot tall wisp of shadow.
"You had us worried for a minute there young man. Einhardt was worried to, you could tell by the way she stood over you. I'm glad both of you are ok," he says looking up to the young man and the strong brute.
"If we could question one of these little rats, it might give us a better idea of what is going on down here, though I already suspect this man, whatever devilry he wields, is who changed these goblins. I wouldn't be surprised if they were brambleclaws at one time, but stolen and twisted. Just like everything this... person... touches. I think 'Sven' is on to something."
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Arturo tries to slap Poog awake. If that doesn't work, he'll tie the creature up thoroughly and swallow a charge from his healing wand... assuming someone is willing to use it for him on a goblin.
"Rozhodli sme sa nechať žiť, takže sa nemusíte sklamať mamičku. Hovoriť, čo viete o miesto, a nie klamať ani požiare sa roztrhať zadok. Povedz všetko, čo viete o alchymistu, a jej kúzla. Ak sa nám nepáči vaše odpovede budeme mať na sebe svoje genitálie ako šperky," Arturo hopes he remembers the correct goblin threats from the classes he took at Daggermark. They were his favorite part.
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Jaender blows a smoke ring and smirks at the goblin, to remind him of his fire breathing ability, hopefully accentuating Arturo's point.
-Posted with Wayfinder
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The goblin wakes up, and replies to Arturo,
"Nesmiete Mami, ty hlúpy Dlháň bastard. Ja ťa jesť skoro. Polovica tvár ťa zabiť, zjesť pečeň. Me no povedzte ani polovica tváre zjesť pečeň. Keď sa ma stále nažive. Vy nie vydesiť Graknor."
Jaender blows his smoke ring, getting a different reaction from the foul-mouthed goblin. "Tieň stvorenia horieť, ale žiadny obrat Graknor naruby. Me prd väčšie dymu ako malý sivý muž. Tie vydesiť Graknor, ale Majster z teba monštrum ... viac monštrum, než vás teraz. Tie zabiť PoogGraknor takže Graknor vrátiť do Zarongel."
The goblin turns to Arturo again, with a big smile on its face. "Dlháň chcú správať sa Graknor teraz? Me sa budete pamätať dlho!"
Suddenly, Arturo realizes that he recognizes the name. He turns white a sheet.
Arturo realizes that he remembers the name. He looks closer, and realizes that this goblin was probably once female, but has been horribly mutated, and seems to be some horrid hermaphroditic abomination now, but he notices certain features that remind of a very.... amorous... goblin girl he met a while back, before going into the Accursed Halls.
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"Oh, ye gods noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" Arturo cries before hacking the goblin apart, slashing, hacking, slashing, hacking until her face is completely unrecognizable. He notices he's also hacked her clothing so that the hem of her dress rises obscenely at the thigh, and he hacks and slashes again until nothing is left of the goblin but a chunky, gloopy, bloody stew.
"It isn't true... it didn't happen... never... not even after all the goblinbriar berries in the world..." Arturo falls to his knees in the gore huffing and panting. It is then that he realizes everyone's eyes are upon him.
"Erm, ah," he says, standing and struggling vainly to retain his composure, one of Graknor's ear flopping down his front to splash into the puddle of blood below, "She didn't have much to say... just that she was one of Chief Graalsk's goblins, but found a new master below who... changed her. Who could change us, too. Didn't say where this master was. We should look around a bit."
I am so through questioning goblins. Next one I see dies. Period.
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"Wow! It's amazing how well you speak goblin!" Roudantaimi listens to Arturo's discussion with the goblin, and thinks if he should pick up some basics of the language as well. This amazement is cut short once the mustachioed rogue flies into rage and starts chopping goblinoid bits off their previous owner. "Hey, hey, hey! Calm down, Artie! That's no way to treat prisoners! What got you cooked up so?"
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'Sven's' eyes widen as Arturo suddenly goes on a rampage, completely devastating the goblin before the larger man can even react. Suspecting the thing had been threatening them instead of offering information, the brute shrugs, getting his scythe ready and heading with Arturo towards the room to the east. He pats the smaller man on the shoulder in a calming gesture as they move.
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Ophiuchus walks up to Arturo, "Mr. Hairlips, that was not what I would have expected from you as a so-called leader. We know the goblins were deranged and trying to kill us, and it is ok to kill them back, but one must remember we are here to save wild animals that are more wild. Be careful least you become the wild animal. Mr. Trask would have at least told us why he was killing them. Come, let us continue. The faster we rid this accursed place of it's evil, the faster we can get my tabard. I wonder if it is done. Can we check? After this room? Promise? I cannot wait to see the ducks. Mayhaps I can get my buckler painted too."
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"Leader...?" Arturo mutters, mostly to himself, "Who called me a leader?" He hadn't considered that the group even had a leader. As the last to arrive, he was also the last person he would have thought of as such. He was replacing this Hamilton Trask fellow, did that mean he had replaced him as leader also?
"I am sorry for killing her" says Arturo softly at last, "She perhaps did not deserve it... and perhaps could have been saved. Sorry."
Arturo quickly checks the door for being open and for traps, before moving back to allow Strong Brute and Ophiuchus through.
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The group has searched everywhere. Not much to be found... no magic.
The Strong Brute opens the door, but cannot really see much, as much due to the lack of light, as nothing being in the hallway. He moves up, with Ophiuchus following...
This chamber might have once been some sort of study, but it has fallen into ruin. The entire northeast corner of the chamber has collapsed, apparently because of some sort of drilling machine that emerged from the southwest corner and is now half-buried under the rubble to the northeast. The debris-choked tunnel from which it emerged is plainly visible. Wooden doors lie to both the south and west.
(Darkvision)
Roudi notices the earth moving in an odd way... like a hulking, roughly humanoid creature of dirt and stone explodes up from the earth, faceless save for two glowing gemstone eyes.
Surprise Round... Roudi, then Rocky (partial actions only) -- then next round.
Prison Cells - (Surprise) Round 1
- => Roudi
- x Arturo
- x Poochie
- x Jaender
- x Einhardt (Guard Vox!)
- x Vox
- Rocky
- x Sven
Damage & Conditions:
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"What is it, Roudantaimi? What can you see?" asks Arturo, oblivious to the danger as he sees the gnome turn suddenly towards the north of the room, "Remember Vox, Einhardt, next combat we need to get opposite the enemy to one another. That way, we can practice all that lovely precision fighting we tried back at Daggermark after my lessons on how to speak goblin..."
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"Not sure... a creature of stone, I think", Roudantaimi whispers to Arturo, squinting his eyes in an effort to see better. Cautiously, the gnome aims his musket at the creature, and shouts: "Hail! We come in peace! Bearing roses (which nobody accepts) and goodwill! Who be you? Are you friend or foe?"
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You all hear the sounds of rocks grinding together, strain threatening to tear the rocks apart. The rock creature does not seem to understand Roudantaimi, nor does it back down. Instead, with a crazed look on its face, it swings with all of its might at the Strong Brute and Poochie.
In its flurry of attacks , it seems to have left itself somewhat open, but is a creature made of rock.
Everyone except Sven is up.
Prison Cells - Round 2
- => Roudi
- => Arturo
- => Poochie
- => Jaender
- => Einhardt (Guard Vox!)
- => Vox
- Rocky (cleaved)
- Sven
Damage & Conditions:
Sven: 13
Poochie: 15
Einhardt sprints into the room a few paces ahead of Vox, perhaps spurred on by some animalistic rage from their last encounter with the goblins and watching her pack-leader narrowly escape death. The wolf runs headlong through beside the creature composed of stone and rock, snapping her jaws in a distracting, aggressive manner.
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@Roudi - you have not attacked yet, since it didn't move into LOS.
@Arturo - you do provoke an AOO
But Arturo gets really lucky!
Arturo, with his normal artistic flair, rolls past the elemental, as it swings over the top of his tumble, and then slashes it across the belly. Einhardt and Vox run by it, but fail to hit.
Roudi, Poochie, and Jaender are yet to go.
Prison Cells - Round 2
- => Roudi
- x Arturo
- => Poochie
- => Jaender
- x Einhardt (Guard Vox!)
- x Vox
- Rocky (cleaved)
- Sven
Damage & Conditions:
Sven: 13
Poochie: 15
Rocky: 7
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Ophiuchus manages to swing his flail around the corner, smacking Rocky very hard.
The very angry Rocky then swings again at the Strong Brute, giving him its all.
Apparently, its all isn't good enough. It then slides into the ground beneath it .
Strong Brute, then the rest of the party.
Prison Cells - Round 2
- Roudi
- Arturo
- Poochie
- Jaender
- Einhardt (Guard Vox!)
- Vox
- Rocky (cleaved, total cover)
- => Sven
Damage & Conditions:
Sven: 13
Poochie: 15
Rocky: 18
With a call from the youth, the wolf drops into a low position, ready to attack. As with Arturo and Vox, Einhardt crouches, growling and waiting for the youth's call to attack again.