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In the middle of the Thuvian desert, hidden from view by endless dunes that looks one identical to the other to the untrained eye, lies a swamp like oasis.
Here lies the spire upon the marsh, an old wizard's tower possessed by inscrutable purpose.
The tower use to hold a veritable fortune of magic treasures and arcane lore before the Grubstomp tribe settled into the area.
Being far from arcane educated and with their notorious fear and aversion for the written word, The goblins ended up burning most of the spellbook and scrolls, they dismantled precious magical items of untold potential to harvest the precious metal and gems from them and left most of the magical collection of the old wizard a useless, inert pile of junk.
It was only after many weeks in which the tower suffered the mindless pillaging of the goblins that the more spiritually inclined among the tribe started to realize the tower had potential beyond the precious items they could wreck and scavenge.
When Albarath woke up in his blood soaked apotheosis it was already too late to prevent the destruction of most of the magical wealth it once sheltered.
Even as he extended his influence to the tribe, goblins had a hard time abandoning their ways to embrace Albarath inclinations.
A civil war occurred between the more traditionalist and obtuse goblins and those who would condemn the whole tribe to the curse of the written word.
The magical tower taking life proved like an unstoppable force to the rebellious goblins, and Albarath's chosen won the day, but that left the tribe depleted in numbers. A tribe that was numbered by the hundreds was numbered by the dozens.
Even among Albarath chosen, who learned to respect magic and the arcane texts, few were bold enough to look at the written words, let alone read them or learn from them.
As powerful a portent as the awakening of Albarath was, the day to day life of the goblin tribe suffered.
While the goblins look to Albarath and the people who are seen as chosen of the spire, they lack any other real leadership, and the tower, up to this day, seemed obsessed with finding adepts outside the goblin tribe, leaving the goblin tribe in a state of anarchy, lacking a leader who tends to the goblin needs. At the same time, the idea of a leader that does not receive such mandate by the tower itself is unthinkable to the fanatic remains of the Grubstomp tribe.
Still the raids came and with them the abductions. Unk was among the first, a sharp mind, unencumbered by goblin superstition and able to learn magic to the satisfaction of the spire.
Many other apprentices came but the goblins have a hard time to recognize genius and attitude towards magic.
Many kids prove to be unsuitable to be wizards, or slow in their magical progress, and Albarath hardly has use for apprentices that would start to become semi competent mages as middle-aged men.
Lately Albarath took interest in a kid named Andra.
She proved to be incredibly precocious in her magical development, courtesy of one of the items that survived the goblin's pillages.
A simple wizard hat.
The hat registers as enchanted to magic detection but conventional methods to discern its properties have failed so far.
Aside the overwhelming magical aura that exudes, only Andra reported any kind of unique behavior from the hat as she claim it talks with her and tutored her through her magical studies.
Yet to this day, to anyone else, the hat has been completely unresponsive.
Other halls of the tower remained untouched to the goblins. A magical laboratory remains intact containing 250,000 gold pieces worth of scrolls, magic items and ingredients to forge some more while hidden safes held 100,000 worth in bars of gold and silver and precious gems.
To the outer world, Albarath, its swamp, and the Grubstomp tribe are unknown aside the occasional goblin incursion and the occasional, not fully believed tale of wanderers lost in the desert who swear they saw an oasis stretching for miles in the heart of the uncharted desert.
And while the abductions makes the humans surrounding the swamp alert, the goblins are adept to make their track lost in the desert, and Albarath is not the only thing that makes the nights of Thuvia unsafe for its children.
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Magda stood atop the Widest Rock, looking down over the gathered members of the Grubstomp Tribe. She held the Biggest Stick in her right hand, a crude imitation of the wizard's staffs the humans carried, more than twice her height and decorated with several swamp plants. Both were symbols of her position of great authority over the tribe. Still, she couldn't help but sneer at the meager congregation of goblins before her. When she was still a child, she watched her mother whip hundreds into a frenzy of blood and malice. Magda never would have imagined that she would be left with so few faithful to lead in service of Albarath. But it would have to do.
"Mloog zoo, cov tub qhe ntawm tus poj pej thuam." Her voice seemed to echo like thunder as she spoke. Albarath muab peb ib tug lub tsev. Nws tsim cov hav iav nyob rau hauv cov suab puam. Albarath muab txhua yam uas peb xav tau. Tab sis koj tua thiab nyiag zoo li siab hlob cov dev! Txaj muag! Yog hais tias koj ua zoo li dev, kuv rau txim rau koj zoo li cov dev!
Magda lifted the Biggest Stick and brought it down on the surface of the stone. A bolt of lightning came down behind her, followed by another and another. None of them close enough to hurt anyone, but more than effective at getting her point across.
"Yog hais tias koj tsis xav rau txim, koj yuav ua raws li! Hauj lwm rau tus yuav Albarath! Nrhiav nws muaj nqi heev thiab zoo sacrifices! Yog hais tias koj teev tiam nws zoo, koj yuav tau txais kev txhawb siab!
This time, Magda turned to point her Stick at the second and third widest rocks. Much less good than the First Widest Rock, but useful for what she needed. She began chanting a prayer to Albarath, and after just a few minutes, a full feast appeared on the first rock. A few minutes after that, a second. Enough for the goblins of the tribe to eat and eat until they were full, for today at least. Hopefully that would keep them on their best behavior for a little while.
Magda did not expect the lesson to stick much longer than a couple of days. The tribe was too stupid for that. But she only needed them to behave for a short time, long enough to go out on their next raid. With Bogdirt helping to keep them in line, they should be able to bring back some nice things.
She hopped down off of the Rock and let the other goblins gorge themselves. The humans would be needing their berries for the day.
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The goblins of the tribe fell silent during Magda speech and she had their full attention.
While seemingly an encouraging sign, there was no sign of anything remotely akin to fear, but most likely a fascination towards the lightning show.
As Magda made the banquet appear the effectiveness of her words showed clearly their weakness.
As the goblins assaulted the feast with their proverbial voracity, it didn't take long before 2 members of the tribe went for the same piece of meat.
A fight between the two broke immediately and most of the goblins cheered for them as they where punching each other over the contested meat while the sneakiest and craftiest ones took advantage of the distraction to take all the food they could carry and run away from the banquet with it.
To anyone vaguely smarter than the average goblin of the tribe, it was clear that the chaos that reigned in the swamp would not be quelled so easily.
Unk watched Priestess Magda's announcement while floating behind the parapet just high enough that Andra, atop Emmet's shoulder, had to look up to see his face.
"I liked the lightning bolts, they were a nice touch.
Reminded me of your work, Andra."
Unk sighs loudly.
"I wish we had a more acquiescent congregation to serve Albarath."
Unk turns to Andra, ignoring the massive golem she's sitting on.
"Think we should let Bogdirt try? Or you and Emmet?"
Andra wrinkled her nose at Unk, perched atop her gigantic friend Emmet. She hated it when he used big words like "acquiescent." She knew what it meant - ever since she'd first donned the magic hat she had known so many things - but she didn't like it.
She replied, her voice a Taldan accent rather than what one would expect from a Thuvian like her and Unk - yet another side effect of the enchanted garment. "I don't like talking to them, and Emmet thinks they smell bad," she claims absurdly. "Make Bogdirt do it. Maggie is strong but she just wants to scare 'em. They're much more likely to acquiesce to Bogdirt's demands. As long as he doesn't say 'acquiesce' too much."
The towering statue of clay stood motionless on the roof of the intimidating structure, acting as Andra's bench for the festivities down below. The hilt of the massive sword and long hammer strapped to its back acting as a makeshift backrest for its tiny passenger. It kept its glowing eyes on the thunderous display, determining that Magda's magic was far enough away to not cause the tower any damage.
Its attention only turned to the two mages once its bestowed moniker entered the conversation. Its head turned slowly to regard the two before proclaiming somewhat loudly, "I CANNOT SENSE SMELL. I DO NOT BREATHE." It had no strong opinion either way on the term 'acquiesce' other than finding it grammatically accurate.
"Hush. They're still stinky. You're not mellifluous enough to convince them anyway," Andra replied, idly picking apart the petals from a flower she'd retrieved from her spell component pouch.
Not missing a chance to eat, Bogdirt rushed to the meal conjured by Highpriestess Magda and began scarfing down food as quickly as his wide mouth could handle. When scuffles began to break out, he watched in amusement, cheering them on. That is, until he saw the disapproving scowl on Magda's face. Stepping back from his place at the Second Widest Rock, he drew his dog slicer.
He muttered to himself, "Actions be louder than talk . . . and pretty light shows."
He approached the nearest fighting Goblin, and called a silent prayer to Albarath, Grant strength to my sword!
Arcs of electricity wreathed his dog slicer while he stared into the eyes of the offender. He waited for thirty seconds to see if they deigned to avert their gaze.
"His specialty is not being honey-tongued; Emmet... takes a more direct approach."
Unk turns back towards the goblin mob, his cloak rustling in the wind.
He then addresses Andra while watching Bogdirt.
"Perhaps Emmet should go help Bogdirt, have we tried that before?"
...Or perhaps I should just go and start knocking over goblins...
"Fine, but I'm giving him a bath when he comes back inside." Andra snapped her fingers, Emmet's cue to lower her back down to the floor. She stepped onto his massive hand as the golem lowered her to the ground, and she hopped off and skipped back inside.
In a practiced motion, Emmet brought its arm up to waist high, providing the step down little Andra needed from his shoulder before kneeling to place her at ground level. Slowly, it returned to its feet and turned to lumber down into the tower. The ponderous golem took the stairs slowly, it's heavy gait one of its few weaknesses.
Eventually, it came to the ground floor and pushed out the front doors. Emmet would definitely not arrive in time to assist before Bogdirt's threats were either heeded or followed through on. If the goblins refused to stop bickering by the time it arrived however, the booming voice would definitely get everyone's attention, "SIB NTAUS SIB TUA TSIS PUB DHAU IB PUAS KAUJ RUAM NTAWN TUS PEJ THUAM YOG TXWV TSIS PUB. TSIS TXHOB LOS YOG YUAV RAUG TXIAV TSIS."
When Emmet makes it to outside, Magda is standing at the base of the tower, grumbling angrily to herself. "Ruam. Dhau ruam yuav tsum tau ntshai. Magda yuav tig lawv ua aav. Yuav muaj lawv rhuav tshem los ntawm cua daj cua dub. Yuav tau lawv noj los ntawm hma."
Fortunately though (or unfortunately, depending on who you asked) Magda knew that wiping out the stupider goblins was not an option if they wanted to achieve Albarath's goals. At least, not without his permission. So for now, she showed restraint.
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As Emmet approached the fight the goblins froze. While the lightnings of Magda offered too much of a cheerful spectacle to the goblins (where the concept of cheerful for goblins is usually to see things explode) there was nothing in the cold stone of Emmet that evoked the same feelings.
With a bit of resentment, the goblins let go of the fight because no matter how slighted they felt over food, nobody wanted the fight to continue if it meant having someone with fist of stone bigger than a goblin head joining in.
The remaining goblins had what was left of the food with a very ungoblinish restraint and returned to their huts.
The tower looked down upon its disciples with stoic indifference. Petty squabbles were the norm among the rabble, not the exception, and it was rare indeed that Albarath would be forced to intervene. Such a vast intellect was to be occupied with loftier things, and distractions were not welcome. There was no need to praise Emmett. The creature was made to serve, and it needed nothing in return.
Unk watches Bogdirt and then also Emmet as the situation unfolds, satisfied, he lands and walks back inside.
Time to review the battle plan with the others...
With the Goblins pacified, Emmet watched as they continued their meal. As they scattered to their huts, the golem slowly turned back around and trudged its way to Albarath's doors. Once the tower let it back inside, Emmet took its position across from the entrance, waiting to be called on when needed.
Not very good at counting seconds, more time passed than Bogdirt knew, yet the goblin met his stare. He was just about to give a lineant punishment for the show of faith when the gaze broke entirely. Bogdirt's face contorted in a rage and was just about to smite the nonbeliever when he noticed every onlooker staring in the same direction. He turned himself around as the Clay Warden finished its approach. Rage faded along with the lightning arcing his blade, replaced with holy fervor. He kneeled to the great servant of Albarath and listened to its decree.
Magda knelt in front of the entrance in supplication, offering up a small prayer to Albarath before treading inside. She treated the interior of the tower as the most sacred of hallowed ground, only venturing inside as necessary.
She stops briefly by the students' quarters to drop off a bag of goodberries for the day and collect the empty sack from the day before. If they wanted to eat any more, they would have to be competent enough to feed themselves, or whine to someone who cared. "UNK. YUAV PAB TAU. UA KOM MUAJ DAIM NTAWV QHIA," she shouted down the hall.
Unk, already taking maps out of his haversack, responds just loudly enough for his voice to be heard down the hall.
"Ua tsaug rau koj, Magda, tab sis kuv yuav tsum tsis muaj kev ceeb toom"
Once he lays out the maps, Unk starts using prestidigitation to make minis small crude figurines representing the servants of Albarath.
Magda joins Unk, hopping up to stand in a chair to get a better view of the table. She nods her approval of the little figures, though her expression is no less sour. She points to a spot on the map just to the east of the Spire, where many roads met at a trading post. "Cov tib neeg tuaj nyob ntawm no nrog laub tag nrho ntawm cov khoom noj thiab nyiaj txiag thiab tej yam uas. Tej zaum lawv coj ci iab. Txij li thaum peb muaj dhau ob peb mus tua nroog loj, peb pib muaj. Bogdirt yuav coj raws li muaj ntau yam raws li nws xav tau kev pab. Koj kom paub tseeb tias lawv muaj potions.
Then, she pointed south to Pashow. Raiding that city was well beyond their capabilities at the time, and she knew it. But she still had her sights set on it just the same. Kuv yuav tsum nyob twj ywm thaum Bogdirt mus, li ntawd, koj mus ntawm no. Yuav nka mus. Sim mus nyiag cov khaub ncaws. Cov plaub hau yog txawm zoo. Ib yam dab tsi yog li ntawd kuv muaj peev xwm saib neeg muaj.
Unk follows Magda's gestures with his gaze. "Nws yuav tsum tau ua, neeb. Kuv paub hais tias Qrix yuav pab tau rau sau tej yam."
Unk begins extracting rope for Bogdirt’s raiding party from his Robe of Infinite Twine as he continues "Kuv pom koj lub tshaj tawm rau cov tub rog ua ntej lawm. Koj puas tau hloov koj lub siab txog ... hu kev pab sab nrauv?"
Magda growls at the suggestion. The last time he brought up the idea, she'd countered with a suggestion that he summon a pack of dogs and feed himself to it. But, things were growing desperate and she was running low on ideas. "Yog hais tias Albarath yuav nws, kuv yuav txais. Rau tam sim no, cia li npaj lub ib pab tub rog"
With that business done, she hops down out of the chair and makes her way back outside.
Unk bows his head silently as Magda leaves, and then prepares for the raid and his scouting trip.
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The trip towards Pashow proceeds without notable obstacles.
On the way south Unk notices what looks like a couple of farms built around a small oasis with several palm trees. Possibly dates farms.
Likely poorly defended and rich in food for the tribe but not on actual treasures or any magical implements.
As you walk through the gates of Pashow the guards merely keep watch to protect the city from obvious threats.
You enter the suburbs cloaked in your invisibility spell but you recognize you would have no problems entering the cities among the several caravans and travelers passing through.
Pashow seems lively and peaceful, you notice a significant amount of guards patrolling the streets but at the same time you don't see them being particularly busy and makes you wonder how many of them have seen any actual combat.
Just by a quick look around the city you find a cheap place to stay at (5 sp per night)
The city seem oblivious about your identity or the existence of Albarath or its swamp.
Once Unk is done with his initial foray around the city, he spends hours asking around if any elves live around the area.
After that, Unk spends the remaining daylight hours scoping out houses to sneak into (alongside his perpetually invisible familiar, Qrix)
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After a bit of asking and investigating you find out that approximately 200 elves lives in Pashow and around 40 of them are likely children.
you think you will need more than a few hours to track elves to their houses and consider the best approach to sneak inside but while investigating and roaming the city you definitely notice a particularly high value target. An elven girl with exotic clothes, comes out of a shop called King's Tool that deals with scrolls and potions. She seems to be working there and likely magically inclined. She is met at the exit by another elf, male, with a lute strapped on his back. Along with them a child who gets immediately searches for his mother embrace. They leave the place as it closes going towards a tavern to have dinner.
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Bogdirt leaves the swamp in direction of the eastern trade post.
The goblins are adept at navigating the desert by night, resting during the hottest hours of the day.
getting to the trading hub is a long march across the uncharted desert.
During the second day, around dusk, you stumble on 2 interesting sights.
Ahead of you, not directly in your path but definitely closer to the caravan routes that from Pashow go towards the trading hub you are targeting you spot smoke, probably a campfire. Although you cannot be 100% sure you think it might be the camp of some Desert bandits, while on the north, you spot in the distance a big flying beast. Is too far away to tell what it is but its pattern makes you believe that is currently attacking someone on the ground.
While you are likely too distant to participate in the fight it is possible that the fight will leave either the beast preys or the carcass of the beast itself to investigate.
Investigating one of these 2 sites would make for a 2 hours long detour between getting there and pointing back to the hub.
Or, of course, you can just passively acknowledge those two things and still march towards the Trade hub as planned.
Since he only had enough funds for thirty eight rations, enough to last three days, Bogdirt decided that a two hour detour towards a possible campsite might be worth the risk. He gave his orders, "Peb yuav ua lub taub hau rau haus luam yeeb. Tej zaum lawv yuav muaj zoo tub sab thiab zoo noj. Peb yuav tsum nyob twj ywm sneaky thiab tsis tau nyob ze. Ces me me pab pawg neeg nrog kuv mus scout saib yog hais tias ntev shanks mos mos lub hom phiaj. Yog hais tias mos mos, peb los thiab sib ntaus. Zoo tswv yim? Zoo tswv yim." With that, he started the trek in the new direction.
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you approach the source of the smoke, after an hour of march you notice the sandy dunes giving way to a more rocky part of the desert. You come as close as you think is safe for your group and then proceed with only 4 other goblin among the ones that seem to you the most adept at following orders and not cause unnecessary trouble.
you get near the camp and look for an advantage point that allows you to get a full vision of the place. the ground cracks into a pocket surrounded by a cliff.
on a rock inside that pocket, an archer stands guard, elven judging by his frame, is eye level barely above the level of the cliff, his attention seem to be focusing on the south, towards the caravan routes. he rarely turns northwest towards your direction to give any look before focusing back south where he feels intruders could more likely come from.
below him, lying on the rocks you count 12 bedrolls, 11 of which occupied by sleeping bandits and one empty, possibly owned by the archer standing guard. their weapons lying close to them.
Along the eastern cliff of the encampment the bandits planted a few wooden posts on which they tied 8 horses and a couple of camels while in the southwestern corner of this encampment there are several crates, a few rolled up tapestries and huge bolts of fine cloth, likely loot from their raiding on the caravans.
Bogdirt grinned at his luck. They only have one watcher, the fools. He gestured to his companions to retreat back to the rest of the party. When they regrouped he laid out his plan.
"Kuv xav hais tias lub yeej yog lam tau lam ua. Peb txoj kev ua tus yeej los ntawm sab qaum teb. Ces, Kuv tua khwb nrog Albarath tus dawb huv riam phom. Yog hais tias nws nyob, koj siv shortbows tua nws. Peb yuav tsum tau nws kom tuag ceev thiaj li tsis muaj lus ceeb toom. Ces, peb tua longshanks thaum lawv pw tsaug zog. Tej yam koj ua ib suab nrov nrov. . . Kuv tua tau koj .. txais nws? Zoo. . ."
With a plan made, Bogdirt set out towards the camp from the north. While out of earshot, he blessed the group for the upcoming battle, and prayed to Albarath to give him his power so to become the avatar of his will.
After a bit of asking and investigating you find out that approximately 200 elves lives in Pashow and around 40 of them are likely children.
you think you will need more than a few hours to track elves to their houses and consider the best approach to sneak inside but while investigating and roaming the city you definitely notice a particularly high value target. An elven girl with exotic clothes, comes out of a shop called King's Tool that deals with scrolls and potions. She seems to be working there and likely magically inclined. She is met at the exit by another elf, male, with a lute strapped on his back. Along with them a child who gets immediately searches for his mother embrace. They leave the place as it closes going towards a tavern to have dinner.
Unk follows the elven girl from King's Tool home before going to an inn to rent a room for the night. Since he only needs 2 to 3 hours to sleep and prepare spells, Unk floats out of his window that night to steal displace a few toys and trim some hair, starting with the elf.
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@Bogdirt You return to the camp to a situation pretty much unchanged, the elf on the tall rock and the rest of his companions asleep.
For all the chaos and bickering they cause in the village, when the time comes for ambush they seem to behave themselves well enough.
You feel like your party went unnoticed unless the elf is somewhat tricking you into a false sense of security
@Unk You reach the house of the elves. Is a small two story house. You find shutters closed on the windows. Only one room has some candlelight visible through them.
Bogdirt attempted to creep up upon the unsuspecting elf, with a look back to confirm to himself that his companions have their bows ready. Each of his steps caused the sand under his feet to shift slightly, much less than a larger creature's would. With a gleam in his eye for the blood he will spill and the flesh he will tear, he stopped beside the upward slope to his right, just within the 30' range of his target.
Now that his quarry was in range, Bogdirt gave a silent prayer to the Rain-Bringer, Lend me your chill winds, lord of the rain! With that, an unnatural chill surrounded his blade, but only he was close enough to notice . . . for now but not for long. He imagined the hand of Albarath, figurative of course, reaching out with his dogslicer, and it zipped out of his hand, without him so much as pushing, towards the Elf on watch.
With nearly one third of the village gone with Bogdirt, and little left for the rest to fight over, Magda decides she can afford to leave for just a while. The goblins shouldn't be able to destroy too much in just a few hours, and Emmett would step in if things got out of hand.
She heads out into the swamp around mid day, planning to bask in the glory of Albarath's great creations.
-Posted with Wayfinder
@Unk You reach the house of the elves. Is a small two story house. You find shutters closed on the windows. Only one room has some candlelight visible through them.
Unk surveys the house of the elves before quietly ordering his imp familiar "Vizhte dali ima nyakakva magiya okolo tazi kŭshta, a sled tova izpolzvaĭte predpisaniyata si: ako otkradnem klyuchalkata na kosŭmcheto na momicheto, shte go napravi li dobre ili ne?"
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@Bogdirt the dogslicer flies from your hands guided by magic. The archer has only the time to turn and get stabbed in the chest by it.
He falls from the rock with a scream.
That wakes the guards but doesn't exactly prepare them for the eager assault of the goblins.
One of the bandits gets sliced twice and lies in the sand dead without even realizing what hit him. another gets wounded as a dogslicer cuts in its shoulder. One more gets filled with arrows and writes in pain, unable to fight back.
the rest of them wake up but by the time this happen they are still lying on the floor, their weapons at arm's reach but still not ready to strike the goblins down
@Priestress Magda
You walk halfway to the desert then start to circle around. You don't notice anything that you would not expect. toads and bugs and regular Swamp wildlife. when in your trip you get roughly to the Western portion of the swamp you spot something more peculiar. A hut in the Swamp.
Rotting wood used as walls and putrid leaves as a roof. A stone chimney on the roof lets a sickly green smoke pour out of the house. A pen rests on the side of the hut with half a dozen pigs in it. you see a couple of tables between the pen and the hut. both are caked with blood and gore but curiously, one of them has manacles. The shape and position of them seem to suggest is not supposed to hold pigs but rather humanoids.
@Unk
The imp tells you that he senses no magic coming from the house nor anything strictly good.
The augury does not respond, hard to say if it is because of a failed contact or because the action was deemed devoid of repercussions, good or bad, in the eyes of the imp patron.
Magda eyes the hut curiously, hiding herself more out of reflex than anything. Is that some sort of altar on the table? The thought of anyone in the Great Spire's own swamp making offerings to someone other than him was infuriating. She approaches cautiously (the only way she knows how to approach a strange house) until she is within range to sense any magic within the house.
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@Priestess Magda
The hut has several magical auras inside but none of them is particularly strong. unfortunately you can perceive the auras through the walls but you cannot further investigate them without a clear line of sight. most of them seem to be stacked close together so you assume that what you are sensing is a stash of potions or wands.
aside from those auras you perceive a few more magical auras in 3 different points of the hut.
Getting closer you also get the occasion to better evaluate the table outside the hut.
While goblins use pretty crude instruments you do not feel this is an altar for sacrifice as it is devoid of any kind of identifiable holy symbol. You see that the blade that spilled the gore on it also cut into the wood. possibly an axe, a machete or a cleaver are responsible.
All in all this table looks like is made for butchering rather than devotion.
Magda grows more curious the more she sees. Before investigating further, she begins to shrink and twist in on herself, her clothes and equipment melding with her shape, until she settles into the shape of a thrush.
Now in animal form, Magda will fly closer, looking for an open window she can see into the hut through. If she finds one, and sees no obvious danger, she will attempt to land on the windowsill.
@Unk
The imp tells you that he senses no magic coming from the house nor anything strictly good.
The augury does not respond...
Unk watches for trouble, using Message in case he needs to call back Qrix. Qrix Attempts to sneak into the house and bring a lock of the girl's hair back to his master.
Bogdirt's dogslicer flew like an arrow back to his hand, settling gently. He glanced around himself to gauge the effect of the initial assault. All seemed to be going well, so he threw himself at the closest foe, his weapon leading.
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@Bogdirt
The bandit you are facing falls easily under your blade, the goblins press their advantage while the enemy is still unprepared for battle but looks like this will be the last chance before they manage to fight back.
another bandit, already wounded previously, falls under the attacks of the goblins as one slice chops his head right off., while other 3 goblins engage one that seems either incredibly able or incredibly lucky managing to fend off the attacks of your 3 soldiers.
Less fortunate is a bandit on the rear who cannot possibly block the rain of arrows directed at him with his scimitar.
The remaining bandits are now armed and awake and you can expect them to fight back.
@Unk
You let the imp into the house hoping for the best and after a few minutes, Qrix reemerges triumphant with a curl of brunette hair from the elven girl.
@Priestess Magda
You peek into the hut from a window. The hut seem to have more than one room as a wall runs across it and cuts it in at least 2 parts, although you are certainly looking at the biggest room in it.
You immediately notice, in the corner of the room, a cabinet, right where you detected the concentration of magical auras.
the floor seems to be made of green wood with leathers disposed over it in a chaotic manner.
Under the chimney you can see a fireplace, and over the flames a cauldron is boiling something that you cannot begin to guess but that reeks like the swamp, blood and decaying flesh.
Attending to that cauldron there is a figure that you cannot quite identify as it is offering you its back. a big Hunchbacked body wearing a coat of furs, feathers, teeth, bones and other fetishes.
Through the door that leads to the other room you can partially see another of these figures, but not enough to give you ulterior clues on their form under those clothes.
Lastly, near the fireplace you can see a perch. It's likely usual inhabitant, a big black vulture, is currently at its feet, feasting on a bowl that appears filled with blood and fresh entrails.
You reckon that should the vulture notice you it could pose a threat to you in your current form but for the time being it seems too focused on its feast to pay attention to a small bird on the window.
Magda takes in everything with a critical eye. The two figures don't seem threatening at a glance, but their clothes could be hiding concealed weapons and they could have potent magic. The safest option would be to attack with the element of surprise and wipe them out.
However, there was a chance they could become useful allies. Non-human magic users with the ability to brew potions could come in handy, and might help convince Albarath to give up on that silly elf magic.
Magda flew back to the yard in front of the house and returned to her true form. Facing the front door of the hut, she began to shout, first in goblin and then in common. "
-Posted with Wayfinder
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@priestess Magda
At your call, you hear talking inside in a language you do not recognize, and after a moment, the foor opens.
What appears before you is a beautiful human lady with flowing raven hair marked by a streak of silver here and there.
You get a bit suspicious about what you see as you can tell, her figure does not match what you saw before. Gone is the hump on the back and she seem shorter than any of the figures you spotted. Her coat long enough to rest a good part of it the floor.
"My my arent you a little short to be called high priestess?" She says cackling. Surprisingly for you she seem to talk perfect Goblin.
"I am Moira, me and my sisters lived here for quite some time now but no one ever told us that this swamp has a lord and master. Who is this great Albarath, not another goblin calling himself with a name bigger than himself I hope"
She refrains from laughing again and she gets more serious.
"Forgive my manners, we do not get many visitors. So... what is a high priestess doing at our door?"
Magda bristles at the mockery, but keeps her composure. She wasn't expecting a human. Some sort of illusion, perhaps? Either way, it didn't matter.
"Albarath yog peb tus Vajtswv, tus poj nag bringer. Yog tsis muaj nws yuav tsis muaj tus hav iav. Qhov no yog tag nrho nws sau. Kuv tuaj nrhiav phoojywg uas tej zaum yuav pab peb nyob hauv peb chaw ua hauj lwm.
Thiab leej twg xyov yog koj?"
And who exactly are you?