The Glen - Goblin Encampment 6th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
Edan comes up to D'ogryn's side and a few feet from Rabalar. He saw Rabalar make that shot on the Goblin leader. He knew he was scary good with that bow but didn't realize how good. He turns and glances at D'ogryn thinking the young man fine but hears him and then turns and looks the young cook over and realizes the man is gravely wounded. The arrow is near the man's heart and lungs. He is shocked that D'ogryn is still standing and impressed that he held his position with such bravery. He looks down and can see that Naia is also wounded but hard to tell how badly but the drooping shoulder and the close proximity of those two logs seems to imply that she was struck by one or more.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment 6th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
The goblin on the eastern ledge that is left seems engrossed, almost consumed with the two in the center of the pool! He seems prepared to hold his ground and continue to lace the two with arrows until they fall or he falls, oblivious to the world around him.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment 6th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
Naia spits out blood and coughs up a little more. She fixes the goblin on the ledge in her sights and spits again, fouling the water afresh.
At least I can harry him, and make him choose who to shoot.
The doughty sailor draws forth a javelin, and hefts it alodt before drawing it back. She curses in pain then yells in anguish as she hurls it skyward.
[+1 BAB, +2 Dex, +1 weapon training, -3 Critically wounded]
[+3 Str, + 1 Weapon Training]
The Glen - Goblin Encampment 6th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
Zove in her anger rushes to the wall and attempts to climb it but slips several times trying to get up the face to the ledge twenty-five above. The goblin in his focus to rain arrows down on Naia and Soros doesn't even notice the beautiful she-elf attempting to climb up.
Naia throws her javelin but the pain and stiffness are too much to overcome and the javelin falls short of its mark. The goblin seems to giggle in delight at the fact she missed as he prepares to pull another arrow from his small quiver. Soros can see that there is no quit in this women...Most men would have succumbed to the wounds she had received...most would have turned and ran. Not this salt born warrior she is holding fast and making her stand.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment 6th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
Okware spasms once more this time he jerks and convulses and froth comes out of the corner of his mouth. His eyes seem to dart back and forth as if he is scared and reacting to the lack of control he has of his own body. He appears a bit weaker after the convulsions end and his body goes slack again.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment 7th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
The goblin knocks an arrow and fires trying to hit the waterborne wizard! The arrow slams into the wizard's magical shield and the entire arrow shatters into a spray of wood, feathers, and magical sparks. Soros seems bent on standing his ground with Naia and now the goblin seems bent on emptying his quiver of all his arrows until they are both dead.
D'ogryn moves down the ridge line to get a better shot on the last remaining goblin. While moving he pulls forth yet another dagger.
Grunting with pain he lets the dagger fly.
With only one enemy left, Soros decides to risk another sling stone rather than summon another ward.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment 7th Round
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
D'ogryn dashes down the ridgeline and throws another dagger. This one finds its mark slamming into the goblin's chest. He looks surprised for a brief moment as he stares down at the hilt of the dagger only to take a sling bullet right between the eyes in a sickening crunch as his eyes go cross and he drops like a bag of rocks into the pool near Soros after slamming into the side of the wall.
After a few moments, the group realizes there are no more goblins near them. The sounds of nature seem to pick back up as if nothing ever happened. It appears the goblin raiding party has been broken.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
What little smoke is left seems to drift out of the two shallow caves. There are six goblin bodies floating in the pool. Okware is still paralyzed but seems to be fighting it and will recover in a few moments from what Zove can tell. She will need assistance getting his up on the ledge as he is to heavy for the young elf.
D'ogryn and Naia are critically wounded both able to stand but moving and fighting will be difficult. As the party of young adventurers looks around they realize it could have been much worse. Naia can hear the two logs bump up against each other as the winds blow the trees causing the vines to move back and forth that hold them.
Looking around, the olf spies multiple tasks that need attending immediately. "If we have anyone skilled at healing, we have several people who need attention. Some more than others. I have some rope, if we have someone else with rope, we can put two bowline loops around the cat and try to pull her up gently. If not, we can do it with just the one loop under her forward shoulders, but it will hurt her more. Then we should check out the caves and such to make sure the area is clear. After that, we can discuss looking for goblin tracks to see if we can find the camp, or if we need to pull back to rest and recover."
He stops, looking at the others, remembering that only Edan has had training similar to his own. "I'm sorry I lead you into that choke-point and trap. What you did here to day despite that was professional work. Very impressive. But at least one of you has suffered far more than any of the rest of us because I didn't pull us all away form the choke-point. I'm sorry, Naia. I should have followed my gut and left the river earlier."
Naia laughs despite her privations, a cough of blood accompanying her dark mirth. She calls up to the elf.
"Rab, no-one is to blame. You warned us they were tricksy, I just didn't account for how tricksy. A trapped trap got me, and there I was thinking I was clever. Near as I can tell, we still confused them by separating and splitting their attack, so I call it even. None of us are deader than them."
Naia looks about, at nothing in particular. A wave of nausea washes over her.
"Still, some rest might not go astray..."
D'ogryn watches as the last enemy falls, he gives a nod towards Soros. He then scans the immediate area to make sure all is as it should be. Moving to a tree, he leans against it and turns to put his back along the thick wood. Then slowly sliding down to the ground. A fresh trickle of blood flows freely from his wound. Looking down his chest, he examines his injury.
Well this is just great....How the hell am I to get this out without hurting myself more. Dalt teaches us that everything is lock of some sort. I just need to treat it as such
He reaches into a side pouch and produces a small bundle of tools.
Dalt, I pray to thee...Watch and guide my hand. I pray for guidance in this task...
Looking down again at his wound, he examines it with a keen eye. He unbuckles the straps holding his armor on and slowly lets the weight ease of his shoulders. Now he reaches down and unrolls the bundle of tools. Pulling forth a pair of shears, he cuts the arrow in half just behind the armor. Dropping the tool, the young man proceeds to let the armor come off of his body and around the arrow. What is left of the arrow shaft still remains in his chest. Reaching down again for a small pick with a round flat head, he proceeds to gentle prob the edges of the wound until he find an angle that he can use. Slowly pushing the pick into the wound he grimaces in pain and continues as tears roll down his face.
Dalt.....guidance....please.....
Letting the armor fall to his waist, he reaches across and grabs what remains of the arrow shaft. D'ogryn, clenching his teeth leverages the pick against his own ribs as he pulls on the shaft.
His scream echos off of the walls and out into the woods. As the shaft comes free a torrent of blood follows. Acting quickly, D'ogryn grabs at some clean cloths that he kept in the bundle of tools. Normally used for cleaning up oils and acids when dealing with locks, it was now being used to keep his blood inside of his body. Keeping one hand on his wound he reaches around and unbuckles the rest of the armor. Now that he is free from the restraints of his armor, D'ogryn lets his breath out. It seemed that he had been holding it for a very long time.
Dalt... let your grace keep clean this wound...that I may continue thy work.
He closes his eyes and takes in several deep breaths while remaining on the ground next to the tree.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
D'ogryn seems to lie on the ground for what seems an eternity. The pain in his shoulder and chest is unbearable. It burns, it throbs, and then it goes numb for a moment and then it seems to repeat itself.
As Zove tries to pull up Okware he seems to stiffen and after a few moments he goes from hanging loosely and suddenly Zove notices his claws tighten around the vines and the lip of the wall. He mounts his hind legs to the side of the wall and makes several attempts to pull his way up. As he does Zove moves quickly to grab him by the front shoulders. As she does Okware seems to use here as leverage and hoists himself up onto the ledge where he quickly collapses breathing heavily and licking the graze he received from the goblin arrow.
He is weak from the poison but Zove seems to think he will be fine in a few days or so.
Soros
Soros sees that Zove is looking down at the pool and begins to make his way towards her. What do you need Zove? Maybe I can help. She points at the pool and back towards Okware. I need some fresh water for Okware. See if I can wash the poison off and flush his wound. Soros moves towards the ledge and between the two of them manage to get a few cups full of water up to the cat so that Zove can flush the area clean.
Soros looks around and can see that the two most southern ledges have shallow caves in them. There are caves up in those ledges as he points to them. Smoke seems to just drizzle out of them and then dissipates from the breeze.
The olf frowned, realizing that the little group had fallen back to acting individually, with basically no effort to help each other with the important tasks of wound care and injured recovery.
As Edan worked to cross the water, Rabalar went to the cook. "I see you handled the worst of that yourself. Let's see if we can't get you up and moving back towards town. I doubt that was all of the goblins. You don't want to be asleep here, recovering, with them looking for their dead."
D'ogryn
D'ogryn rolls over to his side and manages to get up on his knees. Lightheaded and realizing he would make a terrible healer he can see Rabalar through a haze and accepts his assistance standing. I am a little banged up and I have got this hole him that needs tending... I am not sure if it was bravery...stupidity maybe...bravery not so much. He smiles and seems to lean on Rabalar a bit.
His shirt is covered in blood and Rabalar can tell he has lost a lot of it. His skin is not the normal sun-tanned color it was prior to this engagement. He will need help and soon.
"I think it a fair tactical assessment that our day's offensive is finished. We should not linger here; let us regroup and make our way back to Saltmarsh as quickly as we can manage, in case the surviving goblins retrieve reinforcements."
Soros assists Naia and/or Zove as needed, and awaits direction from Zove or Rabalar as to whether retreat along the "high road" or "low road" is most advisable.
The Glen - Goblin Encampment
Goblin Encampment Battle Map
The goblin bodies have drifted into the southern narrow. It seems this pool is made by two narrows and on the southern tip it turns sharply to the west. The bodies seem to half float now lingering on the corners as the current tends to push them up against the walls.
You can hear the call of birds and the chattering of squirrels as they bicker amongst themselves and play. Okware seems to be normal after a few minutes of recovery and Zove's care. He gets back on his feet and seems to be sniffing around the ledge of the shallow cave and looking for a way up or down from the hideout.
Zove notices that there are beds of soft branches and leaves, maybe three to four in the shallow cave. Some poorly made pots on the outside of the cave that appears to be holding fresh (semi-fresh) water. There is a string of nice size bullfrogs hanging from a string as if to dry. Their innards removed and flies seem to be attracted to them along with other small insects.
The smoke is from a fire that was put out and it appears a bunch of leaves and green branches was dropped on top of it.
"Ho there, up on the ridge! We propose to retreat back to Saltmarsh the same way we came - yea or nay?"
D'ogryn
D'ogryn looks at Rabalar, Naia, and the rest of his companions. "I need to get patched up and a mug of ale would be nice as well." He seems to ponder that for a bit and looks north and back towards Rabalar..."How far are we from Saltmarsh?"
"Not far. We got here in basically a single morning, while looking for signs of the goblins and trying to track them. I'm more worried about how fast you can travel for our ability to get back quickly. Let's find out what you'll tolerate."
Turning back towards those still in the water, he calls out "We'll go down where he tied up his rope and meet you above those falls." He then starts helping D'Ogryn move along, trying to guess how well the group will be able to move.
Once they reach the rope, Rabalar does use a bowline to slowly lower the cook into the water where their companions should be arriving.
Though bruised and battered, Naia takes a moment to stare at the dead goblins floating by the ebbing edge, then shuffles off toward the rope to assist as much as she is able, accompanied by much cursing and exclamations of pain.
Once the party is assembled, Naia will retrieve her chain shirt and don it, again with much cursing.
"Ow!"
Zove studies the flora a moment, trying to locate herself within the ecosystem, paying particular attention to the moss on one side of the trees.
[dice=Survival]1d20+8
[dice=Geography]1d20+5
Zove spends some time examining the local area and the trees above the glen. She can tell that she is North-East of Saltmarsh and maybe five to eight miles from the town. She suspects the house might just be east of the glen maybe a few miles.
Rabalar, D'ogryn, Naia
Rabalar manages to help D'ogryn to the rope and takes his time getting the wounded cook down into the glen. Naia, even with the wounded side, manages to help Rabalar with D'ogryn.
D'ogryn manages to down to the river rock and sand turns to Naia and sees her condition. He looks shocked at first as he can see the bruising on her neck and shoulder starting to form under her chain and undercoat. "Well we beaten, full of holes, and still alive! I guess we are the victors...I don't feel like the victor but it appears we are the last standing...for the moment. I might pass out...
He looks up at Rabalar. Thank you mate! You are master of the bow and the ropes! Are you heading down yourself?"
Zove, Soros, and Okware
Zove climbs down the wall taking her time. She uses her shaped climbing rungs from the vines which Soros seems to study for a while. Okware tired with being subtle simply jumps in the water and as he comes up seems invigorated by it.
"Zove these rungs are amazing especially when you consider how fast you had to craft them. They are work of art! Is this a skill you were taught as a druid? The seem to of just followed your will as you shaped them."
Soros follows Zove as she makes her way to the goblins. Soros realizes she intends to search the goblin bodies and begins to examine them as well. He takes his time at first not touching them as he realizes this is the first time he has seen a dead body...multiple goblin bodies as he wades into them.
Zove can see that these goblins didn't come from the Dreadwood. Their armor is made of creatures of the swamp or marshland. "It makes sense why they would hide here...it is more like their home...more natural to them." She also sees that they had small blowguns, darts, small shortbows made from wood and bone from a marshland. Soros finds two hollowed out bone tubes and doesn't seem to realize what they area and shows them to Zove. She looks at them and gives them a smell. [b] This is the poison that they used on Okware...not sure what it is but it smells like a frog...it is blue slimy and greasy as if mixed with fat or some other substance. Soros manages to find nine or ten of those sneezeweed arrows...they are shorter than the normal human or elven sized arrow. Several have these leather necklaces with small lizard and snakeheads intertwined in them. The leader of the group Zove finds an armband that was human-made but bent to fit the goblin's bicep. It has carved vines in it and his pretty. He also has a silver earring on his right ear that is clearly made for a women. They don't have much else on their persons.
"Of course I'm coming down. We went through the river to avoid traps. I don't want to find them on the way out!"
The olf takes his time climbing down, wondering how they were going to get everyone back to town safely at this point.
"Are we ready? If there are more, and I saw no evidence of their takings from the wagon, we don't want the to find us injured and easy targets. We should get moving."
"No, it is not art...its a favor. I did not do this, it was done for us..." she says this a little uncertain, as if working it out for the first time in her head.
Hmm. Soros cocks an eyebrow at the elven woman, then at the plants she - or something - manipulated.
"An... interesting viewpoint." He looks back at Naia and Edan, then up to the ridge where Rabalar helps D'ogryn along. "And one which I would be quite amenable to discussing at greater length once we've returned to more hospitable environs." The wizard carefully wades back up the stream and small waterfall to join Rabalar and the others at the rope.
"Are we ready? If there are more, and I saw no evidence of their takings from the wagon, we don't want the to find us injured and easy targets. We should get moving."
"I agree; let us make what haste we can in leaving this place. Rabalar, Zove, if you would both take the lead again and warn us again of any traps - the rest of us are unlikely to remember them all or their placement. Edan and I can assist Naia and D'ogryn."
Saltmarsh - Thout
The half-dwarf spent a better part of several weeks traveling from the Good Hills. He managed to meet a merchant and his small family headed from the Flen to the coast. The offer of five silvers and his ax and eyes at night gave him a wagon ride. food, and sleep during the day. He had walked three days before he came upon the family and managed to stir a bunch of bumbling bandits away from his wagon. He was fed well and talk was a nice but they kept him at a distance. His half-blood seemed to bother the man and women but no the children. It didn't bother Thout...using wheels, getting meaningful sleep, and a meal or two a day was worth the distrust.
He came into Saltmarsh and the sun was in the fall. There was a festival going on and the family seemed bent on getting their stall set up in the marketplace for the next morning. He said his goodbyes and made his way to the Gaol. It has been years since he had been to Saltmarsh with his Father.
He was smack in the middle of the marketplace and he knew the town gaol was just northeast on the edge of the marketplace. He picked up his gear and made his way to the gaol. His uncle was a gruff old veteran and he had spent time learning the ax from him in his youth. He was a hard teacher...unforgiving but he was a good teacher. He got to the gaol and a guard was standing at the reinforced door. The bearded man looked tired but on guard. His spear and shield were in good condition and at the ready. He nodded at Thout and walked up to him. "The gaol is closed no visitors until the morn. You are welcome to find a room for the night in one of the inns or boarding houses and return then."