You are goblins of the Licktoad tribe, who live deep in Brinestump
Marsh, south of the hated man-town called Sandpoint. Once,
other goblins tried to burn Sandpoint down, and they would
have been legends if they had succeeded. But they didn’t bring
enough fire, and got themselves killed as a result.
Yesterday, your tribe discovered that one of your own had
been using forbidden arts and was engaged in one of the
greatest of taboos—writing things down. In fact, rumor holds
that what he was writing was a history of your tribe! There’s no
swifter way to bring about bad luck than stealing words out of
your mind by writing them down, and so your tribe had no
choice. You branded the goblin’s face with letters to punish
him, which is why everyone calls him Scribbleface now, and
then you ran him out of town, took all of his stuff, and burned
down his hut.
That’s where things got interesting, because before you all
burned down his hut, Chief Gutwad found a weird box within
the building. Inside was a map and a lot of fireworks—fireworks
that immediately came to use in burning the hut down. Then,
this morning, Gutwad announced that tonight there would
be a feast in order to drive out any lingering bad luck from
Scribbleface’s poor decisions. But perhaps even more exciting,
all of you have been secretly invited to meet at Chief Gutwad’s
Moot House. Why would the chief want to speak to you? It
can only mean that he’s got an important mission for
you all... one that the other goblins of the
tribe couldn’t pull off. This could
be your chance to go down in
Licktoad history!
Inside chief house, Chief Gutwad sits precariously atop his 6 foot tall Teeter Chair. Slorb, his right hand, takes you in. Chief Gutwad never talks his goblins directly. He says that his voice could scare the words inside their heads and run far away. Slorb says you to sit in the ground, in front of the Chief. A great honor, indeed.
Surprisingly, Chief Gutwad speak loud, with a deep and booming voice:
-“You all be heroes. Each of you. You are best Licktoads but
for me. And maybe but for Slorb. That you aren’t fleeing in
terror from mighty sound of my voice is all the proof
you should need. Yet soon, all Licktoad
goblins will know your might, for I have
picked you for a dangerous mission.
“You know about fireworks and
map we found in Scribbleface’s
hut. Fireworks were fun. But
map is more fun. It shows
a route to a place near the coast
where Scribbleface found fireworks.
And it says there are more fireworks there!
“I want them for Licktoads. You all go get
them tomorrow. Tonight we have big bonfire to burn
bad luck away from you, and we play many
games. Much fun. Tomorrow you fetch
me fireworks. If you meet men, you make
them dead. If you meet dogs, you make
them dead. If you meet horses, you make
them dead. If you meet Lotslegs Eat Goblin Babies Many, you
maybe should run. And if you not find fireworks, you not come
back or we feed you to Squealy Nord! Any question?”
His look says that he isn't in the mood to ear so many questions, but you could try.
Mogmurch stands at the door, heading out to the chief's meeting, as Rempty comes up, and with her long tongue, licks over his face, enjoying the taste of the alchemical substances.
he listens carefully to the talking, then asnwers: "Mogmurch understand, go and get fireworks, fireworks good, chief will enjoy them."
When Chief Gutwad first opened his mouth to speak, Chuffy thought he was doomed. Everyone knows that to hear the voice of the Chief leads to panicked running, along with the sudden loss of the contents of your smelly side. But when the Chief explained why that didn't happen this time, his wisdom left Chuffy stupefied. Chuffy had what humans called an "epic fanny", which to him felt a little like a small fart going off in his brain. He realized that he was no ordinary goblin - he was a hero!
Preening like an ugly ogress in heat, Chuffy completely missed most of the rest of the conversation, until Chief Gutwad mentioned more fireworks. Only a couple times in his short life had Chuffy seen the type of power displayed by the fireworks found in Scribbleface's hut. Squealing with excitement, he began going through his mental list of things he wanted to burn.
Nodding like a lunatic, Chuffy begins softly reciting one of his favorite songs.
Human don't understand,
'Cause dey go to school,
At a soft baby age,
Just 'cause
Dey all want to learn tings
Me have no int'rest.
Me like to burn tings!
<= lurking [this is awesome; love the name Licktoad tribe]
"Fireworks that works,
anything we meet we eat,
throwing bombs around,
we like the sound,"
Mogmurch starts to sing, loooking forward to the bonfire tonight and the advenutre ahead.
All of you, being native to Brinestump Marsh, already know many of the dangers the swamp presents. This is what you know about your region:
Brinestump Marsh: The marsh is a place of great
bounty, with lots of places to hide and lots of delicious
things to eat. Some of those things are kind of poisonous,
though, so take care. One of the best things about the
marsh is that the humans don’t normally come into it.
They’re afraid of the monsters. Which are a concern, but
if you know about them before they find out about you,
running is always an option. Among the dangers that you
can expect to face in the portion of Brinestump Marsh
that you’ll be heading through are wild dogs, giant bugs,
giant snakes, and giant frogs. Oh, and Lotslegs Eat Goblin
Babies Many. And maybe Vorka.
Lotslegs Eat Goblin Babies Many: There are plenty
of giant bugs in the swamp, but of late, the giant spider
known as Lotslegs Eat Goblin Babies Many (known more
often simply as “Lotslegs,”) is the most notorious. The giant
spider lives somewhere in the marsh between the Licktoad
village and the coast, and the route that Scribbleface’s map
shows leads right through the giant spider’s territory.
Scribbleface’s Map: The map is relatively simple,
showing little more than the Licktoad
village, the old shipwreck on the
coast that supposedly contains the
fireworks, and the creek that runs
between the two locations. By
following the creek, you
should be able to easily reach
the old wreck. Unfortunately,
the old wreck is also located
in the part of the swamp that
all Licktoads know to be the
territory of Vorka the cannibal.
Vorka: One of the greatest terrors of
the swamp, at least to the Licktoads, is old
Vorka, a ravenous cannibal goblin who, legend tells, was
once the wife of a Licktoad chieftain. She murdered and
ate that chieftain, as well as several other goblins, before
she was driven out of town many years ago. Since then,
the story says that she’s lived alone somewhere along the
coast to the west of Licktoad village, and while she’s never
returned, most goblins who go missing in that part of the
swamp are assumed to have been eaten by the cannibal.
Goblins toil all afternoon to build the bonfire out of
branches, sticks, and unburnt timbers taken from the
ruins of Scribbleface’s hut. As night falls, a group of
four struggling goblins carry the Teeter Chair (with
Chief Gutwad sitting atop it) out to the bonfire, and the
chief lights the fire with a Desnan candle. This signals
the start of an all-night party that features lots of good
things to eat (snails, fish, and snakes).
The chief brings out a barrel of fermenting cider apples
early on and most goblins get drunk very quickly. Then, Slorb
offers you a tankard of the strange liquid.
-Drink, heroes! -says Slorb and the rest of the tribe
cheers at that moment.
Chuffy empties his drink in a wasteful shower that puts at least half down the front of his ragged clothes, grabs a burning brand from the bonfire and begins waving it around, heedless of any goblin nearby. "Chuffy LickWound is great hero! Me burns the villages! Me steals their stuffs! Me make hump with their stupid dogs, and ride off on their fat mothers! Hee!"
Mogmurch, excited by the fire, and the prospect of throwing bombs sings: "Bombs are your friends, when they are send by your Mogmurch friend. Wehn the house gets boomed, all humans are doomed." And with this Mogmurch dances frantically around the fire, throwing anything he finds in it.
-Now -Slorb, the fat right hand of the chief begins to talk, getting near to the bonfire- the traditional olimpics games of the Licktoads will take place. The first game? Dance with Squealy Nord!
The clamor of the rest of the tribe is incredibly loud. They are anxious!
-So, who will dare to try and dance with the terrible Squealy Nord? Who will risk his goblin life for the reward of our great Chief?
"Me do, me too, me the best rider!" Mogmurch shouts.
Cuffy's courage abandons him at the mention of the Squealy Nord. It's easy to be brave against dogs, spiders, and cannibals. Especially when they aren't around. The Squealy Nord however, is a different story. As a baby, he lived right next to the beast, and still wets his sleeping pallet from nightmares about the thing.
Shuffling reluctantly to the pits, he arrives after the others and attempts to sneak up on the Nord, dancing in its blind spots.
The goblins describe Squealy
Nord as a fearsome boar who
lives in a muddy pit in the middle
of the village, right next to the goblin baby
cages. In fact, Nord is a hyperactive piglet escaped
from a nearby farm. His pit itself is circular, nearly
20 feet in diameter, and just over 10 feet deep.
The fact that the current Squealy Nord is an entirely different thing than the creature he grew up next to doesn't erase the years of terror he suffered from living next to the pit. It's the reason he's avoided it since being let out of the baby cages. However, when he peeks over the edge and realizes that the horrible noises that issue forth from it only come from a little piglet, he can't help but give a guilty little laugh of shame. "Hee hee hee."
His fear forgotten, he scrambles down inside when the opportunity presents itself and takes his turn conquering his little foe.
Ride Checks
Reflex Saves
Mogmurch, eager to show his riding skills climbs onto the boar and gives him a little cuddle, "go boary, good boary, good, good," he whispers, trying to stray on top.
Ride
Ref saves:
if the save is vs. falls another +2
All the 4 goblins heroes tries to ride the mighty Nord and...
Chuffy too falls in the first try and the audience can listen a ugly "crack" in the goblins neck
Poog falls too in the first try. That piglet seems to be fair terrible in the ring. But he manages to fall in a safer position.
Mo gmurch falls too in the first try. But he manages to fall in a pile of s%%@.
The only goblin that manages to stey riding the pig is Reta, being the most physicaly powerful goblin in the tribe.
The goblins cheers Reta and Slorb talks the words of the chief:
"You be the better goblin in the tribe, Reta. This gift from Chief is your reward. The mighty <<Dragon Brew Gourd>>!"
The rest of the goblins seems surprised by the dirty crystal flask with what it seems liquid fire inside.
"Now, the next task! Eat a Bag of Bull Slugs Real Quick!"
The goblins cheers again at the four heroes. Bull slugs are black,
wriggling slugs the size of sausages. Even among the
goblins, they’re considered particularly foul-tasting and,
because of the large amounts of slime they exude, difficult
to chew. A covered wicker basket containing the slug bag
is brought before you, along with
a napkin made out of a soggy leaf. You have 1 minute to
eat an entire bag of bullslugs to win this dare. Eating the
slugs is not a problem, even though they wriggle, taste of
rotten fish, and burst with a little squeal when chewed.
Eating a full bag in a minute is the hard part.
Me eat, me eat, me best and meanest eater," Mogmurch shouts, licking his lips in anticipation to the great feast....
Fortitude saves, swallowing all:
Rubbing his sore neck and vowing revenge upon the Squealy Nord, Cuffy is more cautious with the slugs, taking time to spit out the bladders, which he aims at nearby goblins in a fit of spite.
Note: If these rolls are vs being sickened, Chuffy's pustules feat should give him a second roll.
The goblins cheers their heroes while they swallows the disgusting animals. All of them finishes at time, but Chuffy.
-And the real eater of the tribe is... Reta! -Slorb talk loud.
The tribe cheers Reta while mock at the others.
-And the chief reward is... his mighty Gorge of Gluttons
Suddenly, Reta doesn't feel too good. The poison of the slugs is making her sickened.
-Reta, you have to return this item to the Chief after your mission. It's a lona. Ok? Reta, what's up? You not seem good. Anyway. Next game! "Hide or Get Clubbed"!
The goblins of the licktoad tribe cheers soundly. A chance to club a hero! A great oportunity!
-So, heroes... go hide in the swamp! The licktoad tribe will try to find you! The finder... will club you with all his strength!
"Shhhh," goes Mugmorch, not really as quiet as he could.
After two terrible displays of prowess Chuffy was beginning to doubt his hero status again, until the next contest was announced. There are few stories of goblins riding their enemies pets, or eating their garbage, but every goblin tells tales of heroes who leap at unaware enemies from the bushes or stab them in their sleep. And Chuffy is the best at these things. Giggling with glee, he dashes off to find a hiding place. "Heehee! You tries to find Chuffy! Chuffy is best hero you never seen!"
The four goblins heroes separated in the swamp looking for a good hidding spot. A few minutes later, the entire licktoads tribe begin to search the swamp.
Reta wasn't in his best moment, and the poison of the slugs begin to affect his stomach. The sounds of his stomach are so loud that the goblins locate her in no time. She has lost!
Poog and Mormuch listen the horn that signs the end of the game and leave his hidde spot, with thriumphs in his ugly faces.
But... Chuffy wasn't there. The entire licktoad tribe spent hours searching for the hidding gobling. Only hours later, Chuffy left his hidding spot.
-That's a goblin! Hidding, waiting for his prey! -Slorb began to talk- So, we have a winner! -he point to Chuffy- And a looser... -his voice was severe while pointing to Reta- The finder! Let's begin the clubbing!
The old goblin that found Reta was holding his club (the one he uses to walk) and hit the big goblin head with all his (remanent) might. Reta hasn't the right to defend herself.
-Now! The chief reward! The Ring That Lets You Climb Real Good! -Slorb gives the ring to Chuffy- It's a loan. You have to return it back to the chief, you know?
-And now, the last game! -Slorb words makes the goblins scream with excitement- The infamous Rusty Earbiter!
The infamous Rusty Earbiter is
a hollow coil of rusty wires, barrel hoops, bent swords,
and thorny branches and vines that's kept behind the
Moot House when not in use. So named for the fact that
it's claimed a number of goblin ears in the past (some partially severed goblin ears can be found tangled in its sharp internal coils), the Rusty Earbiter is both an object of fascination and fear for the Licktoads.
The half-insane tinkerer who invented the thing has long
since died (carried off one night by a giant bird of some sort
after his first and only test of a prototype bird-attracting
hat), but his legacy lives on. The other goblins cheer and
hoot when all of you dared to crawl through the
Rusty Earbiter, and a half-dozen eager goblins roll the 20-
foot coil out from behind the Moot House with the typical
number of slashed fingers and stabbed legs such a task
normally brings. You must climb
into one end of the Rusty Earbiter and then wriggle through
it, coming out the other side. There’s no time limit to get
this done, but the faster the better!
Mogmurch, a bit disappointed by not being able to win any game, just stays quiet this time and tries to wiggle himself through.
Chuffy squeals with excitement at another challenge he's good at. "My turn now! My turn!" He yells, pushing his way through anyone between him and the Rusty Earbiter.
Mogmurch begin to climb the insides of the dagerous Rusty Earbiter. He begins fast... to fast, and almost gets "bitten" by a rusty dagger inside the device. But he manages to get out of the infamous device! The goblins cheers at the alchemist.
Chuffy Too, totally confident in his own abilities, climb up incredibly fast through the device. By the time he arribes the top of it, the entire tribe is screaming madly of pure excitement!
Reta begin the climb with a determined look, but, as long as she climbed, she felt his stomach hurting, and she almost felt. . She manages to climb to the top, but his effort is drawn in his ugly face.
Poog knows that this kind of things isn't his strong point. And so he gets struck in the swords and daggers inside the device. . The entire tribe laught at the bleeding goblin. But nobody helps him. That's the spirit of the mighty licktoad tribe!
-So, we have a really fast winner! The really really fast Chuffy too! -the tribe cheers at the fast gobling, while forgetting the cleric struck in the Rusty "Poog"-eater -Now, the reward! The mighty Chief ’s Personal Very Useful Robe That Is Useful! -the tribe reverence the mighty object- This is a loan too, you know? So... everybody enjoy! Tomorrow, our heroes will take back the fires!
And so the night passes...
|
After finial escaping sometime later Poog grabs a drink rase it up and eyes Chuffy and Reta stating "I makes a toaster two R adventture may weeZ caputrre these boom sticks and my weeZ returem with thy cherief stuffs.., as I haver a naturally gifts from the good of Zarongel... That cans boot be taken or stolden.... Seer U nights..."
Chuffy gets completely smashed on any alchohol in reach and spends the night alternating between dancing in his loaned robe, picking fights, humping things, and vomiting in the bushes. It's one of the best nights of his life.
Mogmurch enjoys the night, the drinks, and the licks by his girlfriend. The later it gets the worse he looks...
The next day, the chief gives you the remaining fireworks from Scribbleface’s stash—two Desnan candles, four paper candles, and a
skyrocket.
The you leave the tribe territory.
The journey to the fireworks stash, as indicated on
the map, is relatively short—a slog not quite a mile-long
through the swamp along the creek’s southern bank.
The journey takes only an hour to make. The marsh
itself is relatively difficult to navigate, with numerous
stretches of deep water that must be skirted and thick
tangles of stinging nettles. At about
the halfway point on their journey, you stumble directly
into Lotslegs territory, the terror of the licktoads tribe.
Perception:
Reta and Poog smells something odd in the air of the dirty swamp. The dead trees stand tall in front of you. And then, the sound! A squizy sound from the treetops! When you look up to see what's ahead, you see a web going down to Mogmurch!
Mogmuch and Chuffy too are surprised.
Mogmuch, make a reflex save.
Reta and Poog, make your actions! (Reta, remember that you have -2 for the sickened condition)