"Well normally I would have my armor on me, though right now as you can see I only have my tunic and breeches. Yes if you could make me larger it would give me reach, and likely make me more effective. Tyrus I am sure we will be able to grow as a team in time." Logan says with some emotion letting his mirth bubble.
Lara nods her thanks at Logan's praise. "You didn't do so bad yourself," she says as she heads over to check on Yllaine.
A short while later the stretchers are rigged up from torn cloth and branches, and the pirates are placed atop them as gingerly as the group is able to manage. Just as the injured men are hoisted up to begin the journey, you begin to hear calls from down the road, beyond the gate. Fortunately, the calls are not of goblins, but humans.
"Thank the Lady of the Waves, they're comin' fer us after all," says the elder pirate.
It was hard to feel too charitable after a scene like what they'd just witnessed. Luca quietly walked a little to the side as her Eidolon simply dragged one of the stretchers along, mostly ignoring the human calls. It didn't seem to be interested in those, focused as it was on at least slightly helping to reinforce the combat power that the non-goblins in the area had to offer. Safety for all meant safety for a particular one, after all - and that was all the Void cared about.
"Indeed! If we can get everyone settled in I can start trying to glue some of these wounds up. Most of the wounded should be right as rain in a day or two, but these fellows [b]"he indicates the unconscious pirates" are bleeding internally. If I can't stop the bleeding soon and get some leeches on them they're going to bruise very, very badly. Potentially weeks of bedrest badly. I'm not prepared to bleed them here in case something goes wrong. Ideally I'd like a clean, well lit surgical room. You can see by the discolouration here that..."[/b]
Tyrus begins to lecture. At length. His fear from the fight seems to wash away as he is given a chance to do so - whether he has listeners or not. Soon his lecture is clinical and cold, and he has even ceased to puff while walking.
After a while he stops - both talking and moving
"I was a little preoccupied, but given the state of the people taken captive, I'm not sure some of them are going to live to be killed. Probably fortunate given what Bugbears do to conscious captives."
"I don't really have high hopes either but that's all the more reason to hurry this along. Get the wounded settled and get back out there."
You begin to carry along the wounded men down the road, and soon enough you meet a group of pirates, led by Captain Norren, coming the other way. "Ben! Damnit, they did hit you too," Norren exclaims. He himself has some visible wounds, as do a number of the men with them. Their weapons are drawn and black goblinoid blood stains their clothes in many places alongside the crimson blood of humans. "How did you fare? How many fell?"
'Ben' waves wearily to the group. "This is all of us, Captain. They killed and carried off maybe a dozen. Got both the guards on the gate and four of us. Most of the prisoners, too."
Norren's face grows even more grim. "They took some of us from town too, fighters and not. I don't know how they've gotten so bold. Something must have stirred them up to this."
Norren then faces the prisoners. "Alright, you lot. I may be your captor, and I know you have no love for me - but as your captor I have an interest in your safety. We'll make space for you in town for now. Let's get back. Mr. Tyrus, there are many people there who could benefit from your skills."
Dante realizes the importance of retreating for now and holds his tongue no matter how badly he wants to lash out. There are wounded that can't be delayed in getting attention.
The pirate man had... an odd sense of duty, didn't he? But perhaps that was necessary in any man who wanted to lead such a disparate group of malcontents and troublemakers. After all, if you couldn't lead them well, then you were soon going to be out of luck... "Lords of the West Dale, founding the family, creative siege..." the girl was muttering, sounding a bit distracted.
"Of Course Mr Norren. If I had to guess as to what stirred them up... Hmmm... Bugbears love causing fear. They hate to feel it. If they have lost their fear of us this will only be the first in a long string of raids."
"They must be made to fear us again. Problematic as almost certainly anyone venturing into their forests now will run afoul of a hundred traps and ambushes."
As the larger group starts to return to the pirates camp with Norren he asks a question, "Norren give us back our weapons and give us a chance to shave some time off our sentence to take care of this goblin problem for you permanently."
Norren nods to Logan. "Aye, we'll be settling it for certain. I'll be glad to have your help in it, the way you swing a sword. And any of the rest of you who wish to come along, as well... you survived what came after you today, you can't be too helpless. But more of that later - let's get going."
The walk back to town is solemn, with all the armed folk uneasily watching the scrub brush and craggy cliffs for signs of another ambush. But none come, and before too long you see the haze of smoke rising above the distant town. The smell of ash is heavy in the air, and as you get closer you see many people still battling flames to one side of the settlement.
"Set fires before they came at us. They let us get busy putting them out, then they started the attack. Too damn clever by half," Norren mused half in anger and half in curiosity. "Something's changed with them. They weren't this organized the last time we tangled."
Logan's willing to go lend a hand to put out the fires helping however he can.
Dante's anger stumbled for a moment. He wasn't expecting Norren to allow them to fight without...well a fight. He expected there would be much arguing before the captain realized they could us the help. For a brief moment he was almost happy that Norren and his men had been attacked too. But as he walked among the burnt buildings and saw all the wounded people he chided himself for that. There were probably a lot of people here that didn't want to be. A lot of innocents that got caught up in the attack.
I think this is the only knowledge I have that would apply to Bugbears and Goblins. Don't have Nature.
Even Luca was thinking, her mind racing as she tried to recall the histories of noble families and how they'd generally been able to deal with goblin problems. It wasn't as comprehensive as a full history would have been, but there might be something about negotiations, failures, or decisions...
TYRUS: You, for some reason, have always found goblins interesting and so you've read a fair deal about them. You know that they are a seemingly ubiquitous race and are found in practically every corner of the world. their natural temperament is to be rash and tempestuous, and this - combined with a natural greed and gluttony - tends to bring them into conflict with neighboring races and even nearby goblin tribes. You don't know of any stable, long-term peaceful arrangements with goblins.
Hobgoblins are another matter entirely, being much more organized and restrained. However, you have seen no sign of them on the island.
DANTE: You know that wherever goblins are found in large enough numbers, bugbears will be amongst them. You also know that they tend to be violent pests to any civilized folk that are unfortunate enough to live nearby.
LUCA: You vaguely recall a story about a foolish nobleman who tried to make peace with a local goblin tribe. They ate him.
Logan inquires about helping to put out the flames, and Norren nods to him and gestures to the work gangs hauling buckets to and from a nearby well.
"The rest of you, do the same. Sooner we get those fires under control the sooner we can think about payback," Norren says to the other prisoners. "Mr. Tyrus, we've gathered the wounded over here. Kris will be glad of your help."
"I've never heard of peaceful coexistence with a goblin tribe - not even by other goblins! I've long harboured a pet theory that three goblin variants are in fact phenotypic variations bought about by some sort of external pressure; much like locusts and grashoppers. Potentially they could be changing into Hobgoblins..."
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"I haven't heard of something like that, either." Luca said, shaking her head. "Goblins are... just naturally violent, I think." Though she did have a brief mental image of a 'Ladies Against Goblin Violence' support group that promptly got devoured by the beasts. That would be very horrible... but also kind of fun, now that she thought about it.
She was staying well back from the fires - she couldn't really contribute in such a way (except for sending minions through it), and the Voids seemed to be withholding her powers for now.
Logan joins the gang line of bucket passers, seeing that there is little else they can do with the limited engineering they have around.
Tyrus moves amongst the wounded, and the man named Kris comes to his assistance. Together they are able to stabilize most of the wounded, though two more - a man and a woman - slip away into cold oblivion despite Tyrus's best efforts; the man from a spurting wound in his leg, and the woman from an arrow embedded in her gut.
Over at the bucket line, the prisoners join the labor. Dante soon finds himself exhausted, the combination of battle and smoke robbing him of vigor. He is forced to sit and rest soon, feeling on the point of collapse. On the other hand, Logan works like a man possessed: hauling four buckets at a time and casting their contents upon the flames. With his help, the townsfolk are able to get the flames under control.
Logan, you may make a note (as I will be doing) under a spoiler in your profile marked "reputation": Your reputation with the pirates is now +1.
Some buildings still burn, but they are lost causes and are far enough away from other structures as to not be a problem. The people leave them to burn out. Around the perimeter, armed men form a thick guard circle, vigilant against any return from the goblins. Norren looks up from where he had been assisting Kris and Tyrus. He surveys the crowd who have gathered around him, their faces covered in soot and many smeared with blood or working with hastily-bandaged wounds.
"We've lost some of our own, but it's not the first time," Norren says to them. "It's a brutal world. Maybe I was a fool to think we could ever share this island with goblins. I won't make the same mistake twice. Get back to your homes. If you don't have a home anymore, find a friend who'll take you in for now. Blood and ash can't break us any more than salt and storms."
Then he turns to the group of captives. "You, come with me. Kris, you as well. I've some things you need to hear."
Then he sets off for the largest building in town, which stands near the path leading up the cliffside. He obviously expects you to follow.
Obviously Dante follows.
Luca followed, doing her very best to stay unnoticed within the group and generally not someone that would be called out to. There were times when it was good to be noticed, but in all honesty, she really didn't want to be seen by too many of these kinds of people. It would be all too easy for her to be seen as just as much of a monster as the goblins, and she gulped slightly as she stayed behind Dante.
Tyrus fine clothes are covered with fine red droplets. His sleeves are rolled up like a man doing unaccustomed hard labour, and across his forehead is a wide red streak where he has wiped it with the back of his hand without thinking.
"There has to be a better way" he mutters to himself as he trails Norren.
Of course there is. The things we found last night could have made all the difference to those two poor sods.
Logan was covered in blood and ash, but took two buckets of water and quickly refreshed himself, then hydrated himself. He is in surprising good spirits doing good work and the only thing he needed now was a blade. He followed at the back of the prisoners making sure they all followed Norren and for protection in numbers. He makes sure to see Lara and her charge.
That wound. If there had just been a way to put more blood in than was coming out, then maybe we could have saved him.
The woman though... a punctured bowel is an awful way to die. I know I did the right thing attempting surgery even in these conditions... but if there had just been some way to heal the perforation without it. positive energy, I suppose. I never did understand why that worked. Something about forcing a rebalancing of the humors.
But positive energy cannot restore a body that has ceased to live. The moment the soul departs the body positive energy is useless. Only a divine agent can reattach a soul.
...Unless...
Healing normally focuses on Conjuration. But the manipulation of Ba and Ka is the domain of Necromancy. Might it be possible to hold a soul to a body beyond the point it would normally leave, thereby buying time for natural or magical healing to take effect? Might it be possible to reattach a soul? To repair the connection between soul and body?...
Fascinating idea. Now, if only I had a few years and a fully equipped laboratory to develop it.
Along the way to the "town hall" building, Kris and Norren enter into a hushed argument. They keep their voices too low to overhear, but it seems rather heated.
At one point, Kris makes a furtive gesture towards the cave at the top of the path.
They have settled whatever the dispute was by the time you reach the building, and Norren leads you all inside and into a largish room where wooden benches line the walls. He gestures for you to take a seat while he goes to a basin of water that stands by a window, and washes his face and hands of the marks of battle. Then he turns back to his crowd of assembled prisoners.
"You all see me as a pirate and as your captor. These are both true," he begins. "You should know by now that I am not a cruel man. The people who live on this island do so of their own wish, though some few did begin as my prisoners. We're trying to create a home here, one that doesn't fall under the flag of any nation which would claim our allegiance by accident of birth. A nation of people who are truly free, who align themselves with it by their own choice. I do what I think I must to see that happen... the irony of taking prisoners in its pursuit has not escaped me," he says with a dry smirk that lacks mirth. "... but it was necessary."
"The goblins on this island have not troubled us in many years. We thought them subdued from our first meetings, but that was a mistake. This time, we'll eradicate them. Some of you have skills at arms, or other talents I can make use of. I'm asking for your help. Aide me in this, and I'll count your prison-labor as paid. What are your answers?"
Norren regards you all with arms crossed.
Dante had entered the hall near the back as he was so exhausted he thought he might fall over. Even though he was struggling just to stand he yelled from the back of the room as loud as he could."Norren!" Once everyone's attention was on him he continued just as loudly, his voice carrying throughout the hall. "You are a far more cruel man than you believe. You take people from their real homes to fortify yours. You indoctrinate the people until they believe this there home because they have no other choice but to believe it. You think you are doing something good here? This isn't irony this is hypocrisy but the people are too used to things here to know the difference. Sometimes the ends do not justify the means. And not only are you cruel but you are also an idiot. You put your prisoners on the other side of a wall with no protection and hoped for the best? That's like putting them in a cage with a tiger that has already eaten. It doesn't seem like a threat but it will eventually be hungry again. Bite your tongue before it spews anymore lies."
Dante then pauses briefly to let his words sink in. To let the truth cascade through the prisoners that this man was not looking out for their best interest but his own.
"I will fight whether my debt is paid or not. Innocent lives were taken this day and more will be taken if we don't do something. And if you were half the man you think you are you'd lead this expedition yourself oh great leader of our free nation," he says emphasizing free. And though he is about to fall over Dante stands as tall as he can and stares down Norren, daring him to refute what he said.
Luca quietly scooted away from Dante. "...I want to leave. If h-helping kill the goblins will get me out of here sooner..." she whispered, not relishing the thought of doing anything that would result int those horrible monsters appearing again. But at least they seemed to be focused on her enemies, and not on her friends... even if she didn't know how long that would last.
Logan at the back with Dante is more focused on his friends and allies than what the others are speaking about. He gives Dante a light clap on the shoulder and cheerfully says, "Good work out there!"
Logan gives Dante a supporting hand and voice, though he never really had a home and was not expecting one where he was originally heading, "You listen to his words and make sure they sink in. I am sure you could have tried to collect people for your colony but instead take prisoners and force them to do your hard work. I will fight to put an end to the goblins for the people's sake not yours Norren and you better be square on that free part."
"Now - I know everyone has had a terrible day, let's not take our anger out on each other. Dante and Logan are right about this: The Goblins are like a dangerous animal, and we do need to put an end to them. It is hard for me to hear - I am not a man of war... but this is not a war. This is an extermination."
"I agree with my colleagues that they must be destroyed branch and root. So long as one goblin larvae lives there is a danger. Ruthless but, I see now, necessary."
"As for this taking of prisoners; you are an honourable man. Taking those who fight you as prisoners of war is one thing, enslaving children" pointed look at Luca and Dante "another. I am sure it cannot sit easy with you. What has been in the past is done, but I ask you to consider this in the future."
"While I doubt my skills in combat will be much of an asset, I also don't doubt there will be wounded from these skirmishes - wounded I may be able to save. What skills I have in arcane, medical and alchemical arts will be placed at your disposal."
Norren's eyes steadily narrow at Dante's heated words, but he does not stop the young man before he finishes.
"Be more careful of your own tongue, boy. You know next to nothing about me or the people on this island. No protection? Do you think I sent my men over there to guard you? And there is no battle fought in defense of these people that I don't lead. "
Norren shakes his head in impatience and - perhaps - contempt, turning his glare upon Logan when the older man weighs in to support Dante. "Your reasons are your own. I need your swordarm, not your support."
Then he nods to Tyrus. "Fair enough, but anyone who wields a sword like he does -" with a gesture to Dante, "Or magic like she does, can hardly be called a child."
A couple of the other prisoners follow your leads and signal that they will help fight. After a hushed conversation with Yllaine, Lara shakes her head. "I stay with her, and I'm not letting her go into some dank cave. We'll await the ransom." At this, Norren simply nods in acceptance.
He calls out a name, and a young woman appears. "Show these folk to the common house," he says, and turns back to you. [b]"Rest there until tomorrow. It will be crowded with others who have lost their homes, but it is dry and warm. I'll see your weapons returned to you before we set out tomorrow. Mr. Tyrus, you are no doubt weary, but I will ask you to come check on the wounded again in the evening. I'll send for you if any of them get worse before then."
Those of you who follow along to the common house find it to be another largish building, but only one story tall and with a pair of wide hearths near the center. Around them are gathered many people, young and old. Some bear wounds, some look tired, and most look scared as well. Their clothing ranges from simple and ragged to worn finery. It is obvious that the people of the island are a mixed lot.
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"Sounds like it is going to be a long night, Captain. I'll get what sleep I can now. While I do can I request you have your people do a few things: I'll write a list."
Luca quietly pat Dante's shoulder. "I think you should just rest." she said, mournful and serious as she watched his attempts at casting. Afterwards, she found a small corner to lie down in before her Eidolon vanished into the air, apparently satisfied with the arrangements. From what she could tell, her role in the battle would be simple. Call up her servants - possibly many of them, before the battle was joined - and send them swarming in as utterly disposable warriors that could batter down the defenses of the goblins before the others moved in.
Honestly? On many levels, she wasn't looking forward to this... but if she was ever going to stop this from happening, then she had to do whatever was necessary to get off of this island and reach someplace safe.
And in the meantime, there was still that odd plant to consider... as well as whatever was further down those tunnels.
You all rest and chat with the other people staying in the common house. Tyrus snores away on a mattress that had been provided for him, while a woman Norren had designated as his assistant - who had been a midwife in Kulmar - orders people to and fro setting up as good of an infirmary in a small curtained-off portion of the hall.
Dante wakes in the early evening and begins his work, having his assistant make a quick assessment as to the seriousness of each person's injuries. He also checks on the wounded men and women he had treated earlier. Only a few of the wounded have injuries that truly require his care, and for the most part they just need proper bandaging - but there are many of them wishing for his attention, having heard of his skill. Late in the night, with a line of people still not seen too, Tyrus is forced to choose between seeing to the rest of them or getting additional rest.
In the morning, Norren sends for you to come down to an open square by the wharf. A great number of people have gathered there, both men and women. All bear weapons, and some wear armor. Some have bandaged wounds from the previous day's fighting.
"Some of us are staying behind to guard the town, but you're the ones coming today," Norren says. "This is the beginning of the end for those little green rats. Most of us will take the ship 'round to the river mouth northeast of here. We'll set up a camp in the ruins a ways up the river, near to where the main goblin tunnels are. I'm sending some of you further - you'll take another ship to the north coast. Some of their other tunnels let out up there. While there attention is on us, you'll hit them as hard as you can and then fall back. Finally, a third group will head to the tunnels in the west and do the same."
Norren calls out some names of some leaders, and those pirates each begin to pick their bands of fighters. Then he comes round to you.
"You all have agreed to help, but you're not my men. I'll give you leave to go where you think you'll do the most good. Mr. Tyrus, I expect you'll want to be at the main camp. We'll be holding that position until this is over, so it'll be safest and the place where we bring the wounded - but again, you know your business best. There's other tunnels in the forest and hills we'll need to find and block before this is over, too."
Luca did spend a bit of time studying her plant, though she wasn't being especially stealthy about it - at least, not more than doing it away from other people. The real question was whether or not the strange voices would answer her questions... there seemed to be no sense at all that controlled when (or why) they deigned to provide her with information.
The next morning, the girl took a few deep breaths. "Give me about thirty seconds to prepare before we attack." she said quietly. "Those... those things... can lead the way." This had less to do with strategy and more to do with her hope that getting a lot of them killed would eventually lead to them no longer forcing themselves into the world whenever they felt like it, but she was at least going to try to make their (hopeful) deaths useful.
Damn right we're not your men, Dante thinks sourly. "Return to me my sword and I'll go wherever you want to clear out these pests. And as a warning, its not the goblins you should be worrying about. Those Bugbears are smarter, bigger, and tougher and are probably pulling the strings. The pack a punch and return it just as hard. All the more reason I need to go in armed with a blade I am familiar with."
"Your weapons are on their way," Norren says. "And goblins, bugbears - they're part of the same thing, boy. If you're worrying about one you're worrying about the other."
You can't tell much about the plant yet. It has a faint tinge of magic to it, and definitely shares some connection with the Void.
Tyrus is obviously exhausted after working all night.
He glances over at Luca when she talks, then looks again for a longer period.
"I realise this is an inconvenient constraint, but I'd like to be posted with Luca, and I have been working on strategies with Logan. I think perhaps it might be better if they were posted with me?"
Logan is willing to work with anyone really, but when Tyrus speaks up and wants him near the wizard he nods his head to the older man. In a firm voice he consents, "I go where Tyrus wants me, I won't defy his logic."
Luca stiffened slightly as Tyrus talked, clearly at least a bit worried about the reasons behind his decision. On the other hand, a wizard who was actually good with magic could probably do a lot of good when it came to stopping the goblins (and bugbears) from getting close. And the more power the group had, the better off they'd be, right? "I... um... don't mind..."
"Thank you, Logan. I hope we can try out the tactics we talked of."
He looks at Dante - despite their disagreement recently they have shared much circumstance. Will the hotheaded young man demand to walk alone?
"We'll keep you together, then. Easier for everyone that way. You'll come with us to the main camp for now," Norren says.
A short time later a burly man approaches with the weapons which were taken from you after the battle on the ship. The pirates, in the meantime, are sorting into separate groups for their respective attacks: The magician Kris leads one group, Norren leads the main camp group, and a tall, wirey female pirate leads the third. Kris's party boards the Windchaser and sets sail before Norren leads the rest of you on to his own ship, pirates loading food and provisions while others bring on weapons and even some pieces of armor.
"I intend to keep this foothold in the forest until this is done, one way or another," Norren remarks to the prisoners as he oversees the loading. "No way of telling how long it'll take to clear the main tunnels, and there's no way of finding all their bolt holes and escape tunnels - but we can pen up their front door right well. Do any of you have experience with warfare? Seiges or construction?"
From where he had remained mostly silent, Vincent speaks up. "I'm mason-trained. I was supposed to be taking up a journeyman posting."
Norren's eyes light up in interest. "And you'll help, then?"
Vincent looks at Norren in open hostility. "I won't risk my life for a pirate. I'll help build your camp if I'm set free once this is done, like the rest."
Norren nods smartly. "Done. I won't ask you to fight except in self-defense. Onto the ship with you - I'll introduce you to a few of my people who know carpentry and construction. The rest of you, likewise - we'll set out soon."
Is the pirate handed over Dante's ancestral blade it flared to life immediately. Holding it again he felt as if a great burden had been lifted and feeling of relief washed over him. Its dim light seemed to remove a lot of the fatigue and anxiety he had been dealing with over the past couple of days. The pirates around him panicked slightly seeing the powerful weapon back in the youth's hand. He smiled at that. But before things got to tense it went back to its broken form and he sheathed it at his side.
"I went to rather prestigious martial school so I know the basics of combat engineering: weapons, defenses structures and the like." He wasn't going to mention that his family were the ones that ran the school and that it was one of the more famous ones.