"Don't forgot to take their ears." Thandion says bitterly "Getting across that bridge unnoticed is going to be close to imposible. Oh and for reference I have manacles so we can detain prisoners more permently although I think it would have been a waste on those goblins."
Thandion looks down to the base of the island is there any easy way up now that we can see more of it?
"Might as well get moving again." Thandion says moving back into area with the large hole and waits for the rest before continuing.
Aressa move forward beside Thandion and Pavro gets ready behind,
"Run on three? One, two, three!"
Going northeast from the gathering room, you pass by a room that is obviously a kennel; it looks like there is room for about a dozen goblin dogs, and there is currently 4 of them tied up. Shortly after that you reach the end of this tunnel as it meets a tunnel going north and south. North, you can hear the sea and see the bridge; to the south you can see what appears to be another room and hear the snarl of animal feeding.
Leaving the goblin dogs alone with a disgusted look at Thandion Aress stalks past to the south and sneaks up to glance around the corner of the room where feeding can be heard.
Severus also creeps past the dogs, following Pavro and Aressa.
Despite Aressa's attempt at stealth, the firepelt cougar notices the presence of strangers immediately, and moves to block the hallway leaving the room to the south, as it snarls quite loudly, presumably to warn someone in that direction of your approach. This room obviously serves as the cat's den, with bits of shedded fur and left over bones scattered throughout.
"Quick before have to deal with it's mate as well." As Thandion moves to attack his sap starts to glow (arcane pool 4/5).
Avian turns on the cougar and fires his pistol without hesitation, an instinct from his bird ancestors who always had to fear cats when on the ground.
Avian then rips open a cartridge and reloads.
Aressa pounces sacrificing accuracy for power against the animal, her bite and claws ripping through fur to find blood and sinew.
Pavro moves up, surveys the scene and decides to leave the bruisers to it.
You kill the cat; from the chamber beyond, you hear someone screech in goblin, "You'll pay for that, you foolish longshanks," but cannot see the source of the voice.
Not having time to really load his crossbow effectively, Severus charges in with the ranseur, swinging it wildly at the remaining cougar.
Aressa moves cautiously forward searching for the speaker...
A tangle of vines hang from the thorny ceiling of this chamber, each suspending a clattering collection of bird skulls, rib bones, teeth, and
other bits of gruesome decor. In a few places the vines droop all the way to the floor. A large nest of nettles and thorny vines sits to the south, a halo of half-eaten dead birds and rats indicating that whatever sleeps there eats in its bed. You don't see anyone in here currently, but as few seconds after you all pile in, you catch the flash of movement behind you as the thorns and vines start to grow to fill the floor of both chambers, and right after that, you see what appears to be some kind of goblin shaman running toward the bridge, well out of the range you could hope to catch him in even if you manage to not get caught by the thorny mass of plant life engulfing your feet.
Thandion follows, "Severus stay back we don't know what is in there."
Pavro curses as the vines entangle him and dismisses Aressa, summoning a celestial eagle thirty feet ahead of him in the air which streaks forward charging the goblin.
Severus attempts to reach for a vial of alchemist's fire as the vines shoot towards him and wrap around his body, keeping him from reaching his goal. He remains calm, however.
"This is an unfortunate predicament."
Get back here, you coward! Avian says as he struggles against the vines, his arms caught in the bramble. Avian twists against the dense foliage, pistol leveled, and attempts a shot, then reloads his pistol.
(-2 attack roll; -2 Dexterity modifier; don't know what range, if within 20 feet it's against touch AC; otherwise subtract as necessary and resolve vs. normal AC)
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Reflex:
Spellcraft:
Stepping out of the way of a lashing vine with no more effort than Marcoul might have to exhibit at a Chelish waltz, the questionable priest stares down his nose at the vines heaving to and fro and gives a single decisive nod. An Entanglment spell, probably from the tribes shaman or whatever passes for a "wise man" among the goblins. The cougar we slew was likely its companion."
Wrapped in foliage, Vors looks distinctly displeased.
The celestial eagle is just able to reach the goblin shaman (it's pretty much at the end of the range it can reach this round and still attack), and while it does successfully it, the shaman just laughs a shrill laugh as he disappears into the tunnel wall. Meanwhile the plants prove to be successful in providing an impediment to the party.
It takes a good half minute for the party to finally get free from the vines, during which time, you see neither hide nor hair of the goblin druid. Eventually, you find yourself back at the T-intersection with the entire southern tunnel filled with writhing vines, and the druid still hasn't shown himself since the first strike from the eagle hit him.
Pavro summons Aressa as soon as he is within thirty feet of the vines edge, and she appears clear of the vines even as the eagle vanishes. He then struggles out of the mess looking extremely displeased,
"Think I should turn your cat into a coat, cloak, or rug?" He calls.
"This isn't good. If he's gone off to warn the others we're here..."
"An interesting trick." Severus remarks as he finally frees himself from the last of the vines.
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Lovely.. Marcoul mutters as the goblin disappears into the vines. An exceptionally talented goblin. Thandion, now I'm glad you brought your chains, this one should fetch top price to a traveling circus or a freak show. Seeing the horrified looks on the others faces, Marcoul gives a smile. It was a joke.
After finally extricating himself from the vines, Avian clicks his beak impatiently. Well, what do we do? Can't those shamans change themselves into animals? Even if we see him, we might not recognize him he furrows his eyebrows--or, what passes for eyebrows on a feathered creature--trying to remember what his village druid could do. All these magical threats, sometimes I wonder if I'm up to coping with demons and mages and shamans. Avian looks down at his pistol and chirps softly, then again, who but the gunsmiths of Alkenstar wouldn't think this is some sort of magic?
Anyway, reckon we should check out that door to the east? The goblin is probably long gone by now.
Vors nods. "Check the door. I'll hang back outside, in case the goblin shows up again."
"Perhaps I should examine the door to make certain it has not been structurally tampered with." Severus adds, quietly, as he pulls a bit of vine off of his arm where it had wrapped itself.
The "door" is just like all of the other "doors" in this tunnel network, basically some plants that have been groomed to serve that purpose. You open this one and find another lookout, this one looking east. You are about to move on, when you catch sight of the druid coming at you from the south, with the 4 goblin dogs in front of him. As soon as you spot him, he disappears into the vines again as the goblin dogs smash into the rear of the party, teeth bared.
With his ranseur still in hand, Severus swings viciously at a goblin dog, then attempts to move back behind other more capable combatants.
Vors takes aim and fires at one of the oncoming goblin dogs, then drops his bow and draws his sword as they close.
[ooc]Attack: Damage:
As Marcoul, Severus, and Pavro moves hurriedly out of her way Aressa pounces upon the closest of the goblin dogs, her bite and her claw tearing scaberous flesh and sinew and spraying blood! Pavro readies himself to try to daze the irksome goblin druid should he appear again.
Both of the lead dogs go down quick, and the ones behind are unable to do any damage before also falling to Aressa's claws and teeth. Still, confirmation of the fact that the druid is still about and ready to make trouble doesn't make getting across the bridge any easier for you, and you can hear noises from the island suggesting that the goblins over there now know of your presence. The watch room is empty like the others, leaving only the bridge and the island to deal with.
Vors sheathes his sword and recovers his bow. "Aye, let's be about it, before that druid rounds up anything else to throw at us."
Pavro and Aressa frown in unison, neither liking leaving the druid at their backs, but seeing little choice. Pavro calls,
"I see what you mean, we really paid for killing your kitty. I'm all covered in the blood of your ugly dogs now! Woe is me,"
Then to the group he says,
"I guess we just leg it over the bridge and see what we find? I can't really see any stealthy way to cross, can any of you?"
Pavro eyes the bridge nervously,
"Errr, 'Ress, would you mind crossing first? Death is permanenet for the rest of us... We might want to go one at a time..."
Aressa sniffs and attempts to sprint across the bridge!
Avian takes a position behind Aressa again. Best to keep my threats in range of my pistol, he clicks his beak, then checks to make sure his pistol is loaded and heads behind Aressa, listening and watching for any sign of movement or threat to the group.
Aressa gets across without any serious trouble, but as soon as Avian moves to follow, he notices the bridge does not seem very strong, and that overloading it would probably be a very, very bad idea.