Ferabras smashes into it once more, knocking it to the ground where it seems to lose all animation and lays in a helpless pile.
Hoshiko's blade hits, but cannot seem to penetrate the thick armor!
Zolarus aids!
The remaining suite of armor attacks Hoshiko!
for damage!
Round 4: Heroes are up!
A few more swipes and the armor falls, clattering to to the ground in a pile of armor.
Mikail moves to the secret door he can clearly see from this side, and slowly opens it. On the other side, he barely has time to spot a glimpse of the sky before he spots three hobgoblin archers aiming at the spot where his door opened!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Three arrows plunk into the door around Mikail's head, nearly outlining him!
Round 1:
Archers
Heroes
The archers nock new arrows and fire again at Mikail!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Heroes are up!
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Mikail jerks his head back from the arrows as they thump into the door, then dodges the next salvo as well. He turns to the rest of the party with an aggrieved expression on his furry face before he shrugs and disappears from sight. A disembodied voice whispers to his team "I will take care of the southern one.."
Ferabras steps out and cuts one archer down. Mikail disappears, while Zolarus sets up Ferabras' next shot nicely. Hoshiko (NPC) steps forward and slashes at the hob! for damage! She misses, but startles the hob!
The hob to the north drops his longbow and draws a short sword. He chops at Ferabras! for damage!
The hob to the south, having no idea Mikail is close, tries to fire at Zolarus! for damage!
Mikail's sudden appearance causes the archer to drop his guard and he falls with a gurgling noise as Mikail's rapier punctures his lungs.
Hoshiko swings again! for damage! She's having a devil of a time landing a blow! Zolarus once again aids Ferabras!
The cornered hobgoblin swings again at Ferabras! for damage!
With help, Ferabras cuts down the last hobgoblin, leaving the room silent for the moment!
Open to the sky, this rampart looks out across not only the keep’s main gate, but also the river valley below and dark forest beyond. A large iron grate, ten feet by twenty feet, has been installed in the center of the rampart’s tiles near a large cauldron placed over a fire pit. The cauldron contains traces of a viscous, oily substance, but is otherwise empty.
Three exits grant access to this rampart: two trap doors on either side of the grate lead down, while a set of solid double doors stands to the north.
There is a sudden knock from the double doors to the north! A polite rap, as one would on a front door.
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Hearing the knock, Ferabras looks at the door, then at the hobgoblin bodies on the floor. He gestures at the cauldron and opens his mouth as if he's got another clever plan to share, but shakes his head and merely exhales, giving up on the idea. Instead, he simply walks to the door and opens it, his blade held at the ready behind the door.
Standing outside the door, at apparent relaxed attention, is a Hobgoblin woman. She has a military bent to her appearance, with a Captain's insignia on her shoulder. She wears no melee weapons, but she does have a quiver with several javelins on her back. She peers past you, Ferabras, to the bodies on the ground and makes tsking noise.
"I see you overcame my men. Secret passages, I take it? This fort seems to be riddled with them. Regretful, really. May I speak with you?" She inclines her head, toward the balcony upon which you stand. Behind her you can see a half dozen hobgoblins, standing ready to move, their weapons out. She notices you spotting them and nods. "I have given my men orders to hold fast unless I order them to attack. If you will consent to speak, I will not give that order."
She steps inside, seeming at ease. "I accepted the contract to take this fortress on certain information. Information which has proven to be, shall I say, less than honest. Therefore I am ill-inclined to stick around. However, my remaining men and the families of the slain require payment. If you and your band will pay 500 gold pieces, we will leave this place forthwith, no more violence offered against you. Furthermore I will divulge all the information I have before we leave. Agreed?"
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Gold, to avoid slaughter? Seems a worthy trade.
Ferabras is about to agree wholeheartedly when Zolarus speaks up. Rather than contradict his companion, the tiefling nods and says, "What he says is so, and his offer is a fair one. It is worth noting you and your men are only here because you agreed to take gold as payment for killing those who served here."
Hmm, put that way, perhaps I should not have agreed so readily. Still, the value of a life is great.
"The cost is 500 gold. No less. And if you wish to impugn my honor, sneak-thief, then I demand satisfaction. A duel should suffice." She says, looking hard to Mikail.
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"Sneakthief?! I have never stolen a thing in my life.. Mikail exclaims. "Your people broke the truce, attacked this fort, killed most of the defenders, and then sent everyone you could as fodder against the traps below in search of gods only knows what. But I am the one with questionable honor for asking for assurances that you would keep your end of the agreement? Take your 300 gold or we will cut you down and throw you from the ramparts for the crows to eat!"
The hobgoblin woman points to Mikail. "You impugn my honor, fool. I challenge you to single combat. Make your preparations to die." She begins to stretch and limber up in preparation for a battle, but she does not attack.
The hobgoblin woman stops stretching. "He must apologize for impugning my honor. Or else he must pay with blood. My honor demands it."
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”You are being unreasonable,” Ferabras says calmly to the hobgoblin leader, stepping protectively in front of Mikail. ”We have agreed to your request, and you and your troop stand to benefit from it. I ask that you accept the offer and move on.”
”If you are unwilling to accept,” he continues after a thoughtful pause, ”I fear I must stand in as my friend’s champion in the matter of your honor.”
The hobgoblin shakes her head. "If you believe me unreasonable, you are ignorant of honor. He has impugned my honor. Either he apologizes or he fights. There is no alternative. An insult cannot be borne."
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”I did not ask you if I could serve as his champion,” Fera replies, maintaining his calm demeanor. ”You say insults cannot be borne, I say I will not allow you to kill him, any more than I would tolerate you killing a child. But you may fight me – that will surely show both your courage and your honor.”
With a quick glance and smile at Mikail, he adds, ”No offense intended, I do not mean to say you are a child. Just that your strengths lie elsewhere.”
"This one is a child? Hmm, perhaps you are correct. Children are allowed to be foolish until they are old enough to learn better. It is their prerogative."
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Mikail steps out from around his dear companions after thinking hard about hobgoblin society, and realizing that this is just all a cultural misunderstanding. He sheaths his sword, and bows to the leader.
"I see we have both insulted the other, and inadvertently at that. Allow me to introduce myself, as is proper. My name is Mikail, a Kitsune scout for the Pathfinders. I was simply trying to look after the safety of my friends and I, and meant no insult to your honor when I asked for assurance that you would keep your word. Would you not do the same with a people that you did not know? I also did not realize the honor you were granting us by this discussion. You may not have meant insult by calling me a sneakthief, but to me, that is the highest insult that you could have given. However, a fight to the death would not serve either of our purposes or missions. I am willing to forgive the insult to my honor if you are willing to do the same. I have learned a lesson in honor and respect, as well as learning of your culture."
He thinks about adding a bit of magic to color his words and help her to agree with him, but realizes that should his spell fail, things would quickly go from bad to worse with another insult taken by the hobgoblin.
The hobgoblin woman stares at you for a moment and nods. "I forget others are not as we are. I withdraw my challenge. I am Fethi Ken-Shakkas, captain of this band." She bows deeply.
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Mikail nods in satisfaction, very relieved. "In a different time and place, we could probably enjoy each others company over a meal and some ale." he says to her. "But for now, we have other business it seems. Should we be able to pay your contract fee, how many of the garrison here will leave with you? Or are you the leader of the entire garrison here?"