The small kobold looks thankful as he sags back into his bindings. "Meepo want to return home. Meepo hate this place."
The echoes coming from the other side of the cavern take on an expectant quality; both the party and the goblins know of each other and the way forward will likely be met with an ambush.
"Surely one of us can free this creature from his bonds. It hardly seems fair to keep him locked up in here."
"I guess we should all gather up to be ready to fight if they spot Smexy scouting. I could use the same spell that made the goblins fall to try to free the Kobold, but I might need it up ahead. It sounds like they are ready for us, so we'll have to be careful. My protective spell won't help those that already have armor, but it might be a good idea to cast whatever magical boosts we can now. For example the one you used to empower your sword Vorision." While the rest either cut or burst Meepo's bonds, Elvara busies herself with casting guidance on everyone.
While waiting for the rest to catch up Smexy studies the room up ahead and the bridge for any hidden dangers or other secrets.
After leaving the kobold, the party ventures back further into the cave, past the disgusting looking kitchen / sleeping area with grungy looking blankets that have probably been stolen from somewhere or carved off some beast.
Quint sends his lights out to illuminate the cavern, that appears to be a good 20 foot drop in places and expands wide. There aren't any creatures that you can pick out in the cavern, but from the other side, a small band of goblins appears to be waiting expectantly for the party to come out and play.
There are several goblins dressed and equipped as you've seen before, though one wears an improbably lopsided hat that is probably *meant* to be intimidating, as well as a whip. Of most interest, however, is a larger goblin with a dented crown on his head that sits atop a large (medium sized) lizard. His mouth splits in a cruel smile filled with sharp teeth.
"We have them at a choke point, can we hold this bridge and take them down with arrows?"
Alamina looks worringly at the lizard-rider, then toward Smexy. She hers her crossbow to the ready.
Raven nods. "Just about to suggest that, Alamina. I'm nearly out of javelins, though, so I'll charge across and keep the goblins off your back." With that, Raven takes a smooth step to the side and charges across the bridge, attacking the goblin with the yellow war paint.
Elvara moves forward and readies to cast grease, hoping to hinder and trip up the first goblin to come within reach of her companions.
The battle is on! Raven strides forward and waves her gigantic blade at the nearest goblin. In almost comic fashion, the goblin is so confused at why she is striking the air in front of him that he assumes he's going to be hit, and dies from shock! The rest of the goblins stare in stupified silence until Vorsirion's arrow tags a dumbfounded foe. The momentary pause is broken, and the cacophony of goblin screams resumes!
The voice of the goblin with a whip carries over the din:
Stab all others in the head!"
What he lacks in lyrical prowess, he makes up in enthusiasm!
The nearest goblin to Raven steps forward, triggering Elvara's grease spell. The goblin's feet fly out from under him, and he lands in a probably terminal position on his back right in front of Raven!
At Raven's feet, he tries to stab at her kneecaps ineffectually.
The two other goblins attempt to shoot shortbows at the Slayer, one of which grazes Raven's shoulder.
The mounted goblin appears to bide his time, waiting for the party to approach.
Alamina slides next to Quint and readies to loose a crossbow quarrel at the purple painted goblin after Quint goes.
to hit for piercing damage (+1/+1 if Quint uses inspire courage first).
Quint once again begins his inspiring ballad.
Raven analyzes the goblin's splayed pose for a moment, then plunges her blade into the torso of the green creature.
Quint once again begins his inspiring ballad.
Smexy moves swiftly up and tries to failed downed goblin if Raven didn't already do so, at the same time staying ready to fight anyone coming at her.
Elvara moves up, her eyes spin and she hisses hypnotically as she tries to daze one of the goblin archers.
The battle of the bards rages on! Or whimpers slightly, as there is a disturbing lack of results from the various attackers: the goblins nimbly evade the party's attacks. Luckily, at least, one of them succumbs to Elvara's dazzling display and blinks rapidly, Dazed.
Yellow, not content to die lying down at the feet / foot of Raven and Smexy attempts to stand...
... and dies at least attempting to stand!
The remaining non-dazed goblins step back a bit deeper into the cave. The chanter continues his singing.
We the goblins—you the food!"
The brave purple goblin attempts to avenge his fallen comrade (with a cry of "He owed me money!" as he fires an arrow at Raven! The arrow strikes into a vulnerable place in her chest armor and would have been a significant wound, had it possessed the strength to draw the bow further.
The King appears to be ready and waiting for someone to cross through the Grease
Alamina steps up and slides a new crossbow quarrel into place.
Seeing Vosirion take an arrow square in the chest, she channels positive energy and heals the party.
healing 6/7 channels remaining today
"Elvara! Good work, but I need to get across so I can deal with the rest of these pests!" Raven barks over her shoulder as she dispatches a goblin.
Buoyed by his previous success, Quint continues chanting as he takes aim at the chanting goblin on the far side of the chasm.
"If you shoot down the furthest back shooter I can daze the other one and they won't have anyone to fire back. Then you can finish off the other shooter while he is dazed too. The mounted one can either sit there and get shot down, and try to come across the grease and then get shot down." Elvara outlines her strategy as she looks to see the results of her allies actions. If the goblin she just dazed goes down, she'll daze the other one.
The chanting goblin lets out a scream as he comes under fire, attempting to hide further out of sight behind the big Chief., still chanting out: "Punch the kobold, smash the gup,
Bonk the head to shut it up!"
The two smaller goblins continue plinking away, though seemingly discouraged that all their hard work was undone in a wave of Holy energy.
Meanwhile, the Chief and Raven continue to stare off, biding their time for the Grease to wear off.
Seeing that the goblin doesn't go down Elvara instead waves her hand in a dismissive gesture and utters an arcane word, making the grease disappear.
-
"d̷̦̗̭̙̭̖͍͇̉͊͊ͨ̋́͠į̬̬̲͈͙̝̠͚͋̅̋ͧ̏ͤ̉s̸̻̭̰̻̻̪̹̼̀ͨ̉̊̽ͥa̞͇͍̙͖̜ͮͨ͗́͗ͦ͢͞ṗ̏͊͌̐̓ͣ̈ ̶̢̰̥͎̰̗̼̀͢ͅp̦̪̖̝̻̬ͥ͜ě̤͇̳̞ͭ͠a̷̮͉̭͈͚ͤͦͭ̋r̸̻̪̺͍̻͔̉ͤͯ̿ͧͭ͂͘͘"
-
This allows Smexy and Raven to charge across. Smexy bites at one of the smaller goblins, letting Raven handle the king.
With the impeding grease gone, the waiting melee burst into action! The eidolon swings... slithers... maneuvers across the cavern ground and obliterates the unprepared goblin.
Meanwhile, Raven has apparently had quite a bit of pent up anger issues, awaiting her turn to get across the grease. With a triumphant charge, her blade not merely intersects her foe, it nearly transcends him in an explosion of little goblin bits.
Quint continues his inspiring chant and looses another arrow at the goblin bard.
Alamina, seeing the warriors of the group handle the goblins so easily, stows her crossbow and draws out her shield before stepping closer to the bridge.
"Is it worth our time to take one alive? Do goblins ever provide information valuable enough to bother?"
As he readies another arrow Quint looks over his shoulder at Alamina. "Do you speak Goblin?"
"I do not. I can barely understand their squeaking and yelling other than violence as it is."
Quint's arrow misses the nimble goblin, displaying what could only be considered rude gestures while hiding behind the goblin chief.
Raven quickly deduces that the goblin king's mount is probably a much bigger threat, and calls to mind all of the strategies associated with semi-domesticated animals. She takes a smooth step forward, and swings at the lizard in a graceful arc.
"
Smexy slithers forward and unleashes the full fury of of all her libs at the mounted goblin. She bites and try to trap him in her big mouth before trying to rip his head of.
Elvara doesn't wait to see the result but starts hissing hypnotically and swaying in tune with the music to daze one of the goblins. If Smexy is not successful in taking down the king, she targets him, if she is, she'll target the singing one.
Raven brings her sword down upon the goblin chief's mount, barely striking a glancing wound... but the sheer weight of the blade causes it to crumple to the ground, unconscious. The goblin chief manages to keep to his feet brandishing a dog slicer, yet Elvara's Daze spell causes him to blink dumbly.
The goblin chanter croaks in surprise, stepping back from the lizard's body, speaking in various languages until he says haltingly in common, "Parlay?"
"Yes, ok. Parlay works for me." Elvara says, she doesn't want more people to die than necessary. "Maybe they got some secrets to reveal?"
Meanwhile Smexy lashes out with her sinous throath to trap the goblin in her jaws. Not to bite, but merely to hold still so they won't have to deal with anything unexpected, though it would also make him easier to finish off by her companions.
Alamina moves forward, hodling her crossbow loosely and keeping her shield at the ready. Arriving next to the eidolon, she brushes its(his/her) scales briefly and offers a whispered, "For luck.
Looking at the goblins still standing, she fixes the singer with a pointed glare.
"Drop your weapons and surrender. Or die."
Raven looks at her blade, disgusted. "I forgot goblin blood was so sticky. I'm going to be cleaning this for days!"
At Alamina's threat, Raven growls to back her up.
Quint nods, feeling slightly sick as he now has time to take in the carnage surrounding him.
"OK, parley."
He casts detect magic and scans the area for magic auras.
As his magical stupor fades, the Chief leaps over his fallen mount with an unintelligible scream, striking out madly with his dogslicer. On foot and outnumbered, however, he is quickly dealt with leaving the one remaining, surrendering goblin. The green-skinned captive would almost be comical if he wasn't a homicidal lyricist with a tenuous grasp on sanity. Regarding the slaughter around him, he helpfully holds his hands upwards with his wrists touching. "Gorbog... help-helpfull. Talk tongue of the longshanks! Can be really useful if you not kill." He gives a big grin too full of teeth.
Investigating the remains and rubble, you find a variety of odds and ends, little of which appears to hold much value. The Chief's crown is dented and misshapen, although still gold, and he holds a pair of potions (Cure Moderate Wounds.) The dogslicer the Chief carried also shows off a magical aura (+1).
Among the spoils, the only other object of interest is a single, simple golden ring.
Quint examines the ring both for its value, as well as magic auras or inscriptions.
He twirls it around in his hand as he seems to be deep in thought.
So many wonderful stories begin with a mysterious ring. I wonder what brought this ring here? Who made it? Was it stolen, or did its true owner meet a gruesome fate?
He tosses the ring to Vorsirion. "You seem to have a way with objects, can you tell anything about it?"
Then he turns his attention to Gorbog the goblin. "Gorbog, I'll try to teach you better Taldane so we can have better conversations. But before then you need to understand that we're friends now, and friends don't hurt each other or other friends of friends. That kobold out there is our friend. Do you think you can get along? Are there other goblins about?"