Kar makes a suggestion.
We are hurt, and are unprepared for any future melee. I suggest we return to the cabin where we found the creature and rest.
Tess nods. "Kar's right. We've pushed ourselves hard today, and with us already encountering killer plants, drunk things, maneating worms and invisible plate throwers, it's pretty clear that there's no way to anticipate what we'll have to deal with next. Let's rest.
You make it back to the farmhouse without difficulty - in fact the place is akin to a ghost town. You neither hear nor see anyone else moving about. The choker has not come back for his pilfered booze, so it should be easy enough to keep away from any potential dangers while you regain your health.
If the others are in need of rest then Jader suggests they do so however if one other individual is willing then he will continue to explore
If no one is willing then he feels as if it is safer to rest with the party
Tess offers to explore, though she suggests to keep it at one more location, so as to not tempt fate.
Jader and Tess will approach the L shaped building in the east, which is north of the temple building that had things flying at us
Vashina takes no chances and decides to help set up a temporary base camp for the group to rest. It's been a very strange day so far and it's clear she's using the excuse to work silently on her own. Anyone watching can tell she's more than a little lost in thought.
I came on this expedition expecting hard work but a safe place to come back to. This has not been anything like my expectations so far. I hope the next couple of days bring us some answers to take back tot he rest of the crew though. The mystery of what happened here is really getting to me.
You get situated in the old farmhouse, which actually proves to be sturdy and quite functional. It's obvious that this building was given more time in development and construction than the others - it was either the first home build or simply one built for someone important.
The first watch and rest begins...
Jader and Tess give the temple building a wide berth and move to the edge of the colony to the easternmost building. This L-shaped building is constructed of mud bricks on a wooden frame. The western portion of the structure is enclosed by four walls. This section has a single open window on the south side, with a canvas curtain hung across the opening. The single entrance is a wooden door, standing slightly ajar, on the southern end of the eastern face of the building.
A ten-foot extension connects to the building on the east side. This extension has only a northern wall and is otherwise just a roof sheltering the space below, which is open to the outside. Underneath this cover is a forge with an exhaust flue directly above it, a worktable covered in metal scraps, a small tub of black water, and a partially sheltered anvil.
Kalathiel follows Tess and Jader as they explore further. When they reach what appears to be a smithy, he makes his way slowly to the southern end of the building, hoping to be able to get a view inside the building itself before the group goes inside.
Jader says to Kalathiel and Tess ”Perhaps one of us should keep watch at the window while the other two enter. I’m willing to enter who will come with me?”
Jader moves towards the only door and opens it once everyone is in position. He scans the room while he takes a defensive stance
Shielding himself as he enters his view is slightly obstructed
"I'll keep watch, you guys focus on solving this mystery." Grasping her trident, she leans against the wall and looks out of the window.
Jader wisely waits until the others are in position - Tessamine outside and watching the rest of the colony, and Kalathiel outside to the south, at the window. Kalathiel has to brush aside the canvas curtain to look within, but does so quietly, moving it just slightly in order to see. Ambient light from outside is all that illuminates what looks to be a home with a smithy adjoining. Inside, the building is divided between personal living quarters and an indoor tool storage and work area. The room is in a state of disarray, with tools strewn all over.
Of note is one ferocious looking little goblin with a peculiarly apelike form and a ruddy brown color. It sits up, a spear resting at its shoulders, against the western wall, facing the door through which Jader was about to enter. The sentry seems to be keeping watch for two of his fellows, who slumber in an adjoining room to the north. However, he doesn't appear to be a great sentry, as he intermittently dozes and snorts awake.
Kalathiel quickly and quietly creeps away from the window and relays what he saw inside to the other two.
"We could try to capture one, I suppose. Question it. I don't speak Goblin though. Do you?" The elf continues before giving much time to answer. "Regardless, I'm not sure we can handle three by ourselves. I also don't like the idea of just leaving them to move about the settlement. Perhaps we'll have to keep an eye on them and come back later?"
"Sounds pretty solid to me. Shall we go back and rest for now?"
The three of you mark the building and the entrances and exits and return to the farmhouse, finding Posh sleeping, Vashina in a restful pose near to sleep, and Kar in a meditative trance in the center of the floor of the foyer.
Kar cracks an eye when the others come in, but shuts it again when he sees allies. After 4 hours, he gets up to take second watch, and after that (presuming everything goes smooth), goes back for more rest.
Jader assists with the watch if necessary. He then tells everyone of the three goblins they found in the smithy building.
“I would like to capture and question one of them. The other two I suppose we should kill so they don’t kill us or bring back many more if they get away. I don’t speak goblin but orcish is similar in dialect, and likely the creatures speak some amount of common. What are the thoughts the rest of you have on the subject?”
Kar mumbles quietly during his meditation, Knock them all out. Question them separately. Compare stories.
Posh snores loudly and mumbles about adventures long past as he sleeps restlessly.
Waking with a start, he stretches. The sounds of bones and joints popping resound from within him as he struggles to his feet, leaning heavily on the favored walking stick.
With a nod, he smiles. "Be right back Jader." mumbles the gnome as he hobbles outside. Moments later the streaming sound of relief makes it way into the foyer. "Aaaaahhhhh phew! Like clockwork...every morning..."
Returning inside, he tugs his book from his pack and leans against the wall. Glancing towards the conscious man, he explains "Don't worry, when you get to be my age, it'll wake ya too."
"Hmm...goblins you say? Would it be beneficial if I made one of you taller?" he asks, as he turns the page in his over-sized tome. "Unless you've got a specific request, I figure I'll prepare my fireworks again, but the other one is up for discussion. The brains not quite what it used to be either...got work myself up to remembering more than a couple spells each day."
Pointing towards Kar's musculature, he adds "Kind of like him. It takes practice to strengthen yourself...when you don't use it regularly it'll begin to sag."
"Don't worry, Professor Nanjet, if things continue like they have, your mind will have enough chance to strengthen itself", Tess says with a smile.
"Now, what should we do? We're clearly not finished here yet, but I feel like it might be a good idea to let Ramona know we've met with some resistance and will need some more time to assure the colonists' safety."
Goblins first, my suggestion.
Vashina wakes from resting in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar sounds and is surprised at how much meaningful sleep she actually got.
"If the goblins are enemies they must be dealt with. If they may know what happened here then we should question at least one of them. I still feel quite heavily injured right now and cannot commune with the spirits of nature until the morning to refresh the spells they grant me." she says, sounding more than a bit reluctant to head off into danger.
”Very well if anyone is healthy enough perhaps we should deal with those goblins. I like Kar’s idea of knocking them out then questioning them separately. Who will go with me?”
"I'm still fit as a fiddle, so I'll go along for sure. If you like, I can take up the front." Tess remarks.
I'll feel guilty if I'm the only one who returns to the ship without a scar!" She then jokes with a smile, before grabbing her gear and getting ready to head off.
Show us the way. I'm not fully restored, but I'm more than able to continue. And fighting at nigh maybe be to our benefit. Who all can see in the dark? Do we have a viable light source?
What is the lighting conditions like at the moment?
At least partially rested, the group heads back to the smithy at which Kal had spotted the odd goblins. This L-shaped building is constructed of mud bricks on a wooden frame. The western portion of the structure is enclosed by four walls. This section has a single open window on the south side, with a canvas curtain hung across the opening. The single entrance is a wooden door, standing slightly ajar, on the southern end of the eastern face of the building.
A ten-foot extension connects to the building on the east side. This extension has only a northern wall and is otherwise just a roof sheltering the space below, which is open to the outside. Underneath this cover is a forge with an exhaust flue directly above it, a worktable covered in metal scraps, a small tub of black water, and a partially sheltered anvil.
Kal points out the window at the southern end, through which one can see what looks to be a home with a smithy adjoining. Inside, the building is divided between personal living quarters and an indoor tool storage and work area. The room is in a state of disarray, with tools strewn all over.
Of note are three ferocious looking little goblins with a peculiarly apelike forms and a ruddy brown color. They sit inside, appearing to have just awakened by the looks of it. One stretches and yawns as it prepares for its nocturnal nature to take hold.
"They're nocturnal. Damn, there goes our edge." Tess remarks. She looks at the others with a slightly stressed look. "Do we face them head-on? I fear if we wait for them to sleep again, they might find us first..."
”Let’s take them now. I’m not opposed to killing them but hopefully we can question them if at all possible”
Jader readies his shield and magical sword and prepares to enter, being fully capable of seeing in the dark
Kar whispers quietly, Do any of us speak their language? Perhaps immediate violence is not the best option?
Eyeing the creatures with amusement, Posh stretches as well. "Errr...do what? Oh, uh, yeah. If you wanted to talk to them, I am fluent on the goblinoid tongue."
"I thought you lot just wanted to beat on them." he adds with a chuckle. "I can call out to them, but I'm not the prettiest man here, so you need to protect me."
Quickly clearing his throat, Posh calls out. "Vim li cas nyob zoo! Yuav koj birdcrunchers? Peb xav ua phooj ywg. Koj puas kam nrog peb tham? Peb muaj khoom noj."
Glancing back towards his companions, he cautions them, please...lets not kill them the second they come out...unless they attack me. Then you kill them. Kill them good and fast."[/b]
Raising his voice again, "Koj tsis tua peb thiab peb tham. Koj tua peb nws mus phem thiab koj tsis muaj khoom noj.
Pom zoo ?"
"Why hello there! Be you birdcrunchers? We wish to be friends. Would you speak with us? We has food."
"You no attack us and we talk. You attack us it go bad and you no get food.
Agreed?"
After a few tense moments, a call comes out from within.
O magaan dhuul, o kaagaan ar ac huun! Daan dalaan ac daan khruun dhuul'duul. O khruun kaagaan ar, daan dalaan dhuul o!
From outside, you can hear movement about within, perhaps as the goblins try to find out who is outside.
Kar is going to look towards Posh with a grimace but not say anything. He is displeased that the old man took his suggestion so quickly, without planning, but it's too late to do anything about it now.
What do they say, grandfather? He asks politely. Kar is crouched down to stay out of sight and is prepared to move in front of Posh is any of the goblins come outside. Specifically, he'll focus on any of them that have some sort of ranged attack, hoping to use his ability to deflect arrows (and bolts, and bullets, and javelins).
"They said to leave food and go or they'll come out and kill us." whispers the gnome.
Tapping the right cheek a few times, he considers how to respond. Smiling, he again opens his mouth. This time however, his snarling tone makes him seem much taller than he is...perhaps a lesser creature would even tremble at the sound. "Vim li cas koj tuaj ntawm no? Koj muaj pawg neeg nyob ze? Qhov no yog peb cov turf. Koj mus, tab sis peb muab khoom noj khoom haus kom tsis txhob mus empty-tes.
Qhov no yuav zoo rau koj? Peb tuaj yeem tua koj thiab siv daim av tiam sis tsis xav tua yog tias tsis muaj."
"Why you be here? You have tribe nearby? This be our turf! You go, but we give food so no go empty-handed.
That be good for you? We can 'course kill you and take land but no want kill if no need to. No waste the energy."
Jader positions himself to not be seen but has his sword and shield ready. He nods to Posh indicating that he is ready for the goblins to come out if Posh can goad them into doing so
Fearful that the gnome will misinterpret Jader casts the Message spell and whispers to the gnome ”We are ready get them to come out”
The voice takes a second this time, as if they had put some thought in this response, conferred among themselves, or perhaps were given pause by Posh's strong words.
Daan rhaan Huurakhaar dekaan, tuukaan ach dekaan! Or dekaan shuulkaan rhan tuuc ac dalaan ach molkac duul!
Jader whispers to Posh ”Tell them that it doesn’t matter how powerful their tribe is the mighty adventurers of legend have returned to restore order to these lands. You would be wise to leave before they get here.”
Internal eye rolls from Kar so hard that he almost shows an emotion.
Tess stares mouth agape at Jader's sudden shouts.
"Do... do they even speak Common..?" she asks in a whispering tone, asking to no one in particular.
Vashina keeps quiet and waits to see what Posh and Jader can do.
I've never trusted goblins. As far as i'm concerned they're too destructive and way too unpredictable to be trusted.
She keeps her thoughts to herself, but is completely surprised when Jader moves forward yelling about slaing the goblins.
"I don't know, Tess. This really wasn't how i was expecting this to go..." replies Vashina, not realizing that Tess' question was likely rhetorical.
Kar tries to make eye contact with Tessamine and Vashina, then motions towards any visible openings (doorways, windows, etc). He then points at each of them in turn, followed by one of the openings.
Posh relays to the goblins per Jader's instructions, and then the half-orc's big, booming voice thunders out in common. Even if the creature's inside didn't speak the language, the power conveyed in the words no doubt has them quivering.
Kar moves to the north of Jader, where an awning covers the steps up from the blacksmith area into the house proper. If there would be anywhere else that they could come from, that would be it. Kal keeps the window covered, and notes that the drapes move slightly, as if an inquisitive eye had poked around to look out.
For their part though, the goblins do not say anything further, and most certainly do not come out. The interior has gone silent...
Tess nods at Kar and attempts stealthily moves up to the front door, weapon at the ready, as usual.