Shadows of the Past (Inactive)

Game Master sunshadow21

Vors will ready a shot with his bow if any of the goblins in the towers pop up to take any more shots at us.

Avian also surveys the area for anything notable, especially the missing guards and dogs.

Perception: 1d20 + 13 ⇒ (17) + 13 = 30

You don't see any immediate signs of the unaccounted for goblins and dogs in the front of the building, though you might find more if you took the time for a full sweep around. Two more goblins are in the other tower, and also seem content to sit back and watch you for the time being, only taking shots at you if you try to round the corner.

The stockade is made of thick wood. Closer inspection reveals that most of the wood seems to have been scavenged from ships—a few nameplates remain affixed to some of the beams, while other timbers look like they might have once been masts. The doors seem to be barred shut from the inside, and damp, moss covered walls look like they are well protected from fire. From the corner, you see a spot along the western wall you might be able to climb up and over a wall to get into the complex; likewise, you think you could probably climb up the towers with difficulty. Otherwise, your only option seems to be figuring out some way to bash the doors open.

The above description is just what you can tell from the southern edge of the building. To break down the doors, it's going to take a DC 20 strength check, or as stated above, there are a few places it looks like you could try to climb up that you can see from here. Alternatively, you could go around the island entirely and see if you find some other way in.

Pavro's air elemental flies over and attempts to open the gate.

"The longer we wait here the longer they have to organise their defence. Anyone got an idea how we should proceed? while we wait can some use that wand to to heal me a bit?" He say showing the cut in his leg.

Thandion will cast Shield while waiting for the healing then go help over towards the gate. AC now:20

"I'm going to have the elemental try to open the gate, it looks like its only barred. Then I guess we get in and bar it so those goblins and there dogs out here can't get behind us. Might stop that druid for a while to."

The elemental is unable to find a way to the other side of the door, but is able to scout around the rest of the island without tipping off the goblins of it's presence. Aside from bashing the gate in, accessing the large courtyard seems to be your best option, though there is no obvious way to do so other than climb the walls.

The positions of the goblins and goblin dogs are relative; the ones outside the walls are staying somewhere in that corner, but the goblin dogs in the courtyard are roaming the entire yard freely. The red X's are dead rotting goblins in front of a boarded up door.

Perhaps we should try moving around the side? I don't want the give the creatures a chance to muster their forces and then open the gate. I don't know how many of them are within, but I think that thirty or so attacking at the same time might be dangerous.

Pavro converses with the air elemntal in auran and then reports back to his friends,

"The other goblins with their dogs are round the rear left of the island. There's a courtyard beyond with four goblin dogs in, but we'd have to move around to the left to access it. How about we move around to the left deal with the goblin dogs and then I have the elemental carry a rope over the wall and secure it?"

Thandion nods and moves quickly around the walls to the left (double move to R5). Did anyone heal Thandion with the wand of cure light wounds?

Thandion before you go, let me see to that. Oh and try to be more carefuly next time would you? Perhaps one of these days the elf will learn that his foolish quest to take the goblins alive only puts him in more risk, the idiot!

Wand of Cure Light Wounds (45 Charges remain) 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Wand of Cure Light Wounds (44 Charges remain) 1d8 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4

Sounds good, Pavro. Who brought rope? Avian asks as he heads to S5, behind Thandion.

Confronting the goblins proves to be a harder task than anticipated, as they have no desire to close quarters with you. Eventually, after employing a pincer movement to try to finally pin them down, they use their dogs as cover and sacrificial lambs as they slip across the bridge. The island perimeter now being clear of immediate dangers, you are able to carry out your plan with the rope, and shortly, you find yourselves facing a challenging, but perfectly doable climb up the damp palisade wall.

The air elemental at this point has 5 rounds left. I need to know where you are putting the rope, and in what order you are going over. I'm going to say that someone was smart enough to knot the rope, bringing the DC down to a point that you can effectively take 10 on the climbing itself.

Pavro has the elemental move up and secure the rope then asks,

"Shall I summon an earth elemental to distract the dogs? Otherwise I imagine they'll just surround the first person who gets down there."

Assuming nobody objects.

Pavro summons an earth elemental and instructs it in a voice like crumbling granite to begin attacking the dogs on the far side of the courtyard. The elemental nods and sinks through the earth moving under the wall and rising up in the courtyard where it begins to attack the goblin dogs.

Earth El PA vs GD: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (18) + 8 = 26 Damage: 1d6 + 11 ⇒ (4) + 11 = 15

Thandion will climb over first dropping down from the rope into the Square L7 and 5 foot step to L8.

"Why don't you open the gate once you're inside? It would grant us better mobility." Severus says in a low voice.

I was going to try to lift the bar by using the blade of the ranseur and slipping it between the gate doors, but that might not have worked.

I could be wrong Severus as I cannot check the map right now, but I think the barred gate leads into a room so to umbra it we would need to deal with its occupants, etc.

The door is not immediately accessible from the courtyard, and while you don't know for certain that there enemies near it, it seems probable. Second, you probably could have gotten the ranseur between the doors, but you would not have been able to lift the bar; it's too heavy, it's a bad angle, and the ranseur simply isn't as strong enough lever.

Thandion is able to get into the courtyard without trouble as the elemental dispatches one of the dogs. Interestingly enough, the remaining dogs don't really converge to attack either, and they even actively avoid the elemental.

Who is next over the wall? And what are the folks in the courtyard doing this round?

Is there anyone on the other side? Marcoul yells to Thandion, thinking that the goblins may have prepaired a trap on the other side of the wall while the party was split.

Vors stows his bow and grabs the rope. "I'll go. Thandion and I together should be able to raise the bar and get the gate open."

Climb check: 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 2 = 13

With a shrug Pavro scrambles over next, not liking the idea of being left alone.

Perhaps the weakest member of the group physically Marcould doesn't relish the idea of being left alone and echoing Pavro's sentiments follows behind.

"There are 3 dogs over here, they are acting oddly. Only send one extra across and toss another rope over, this might be a trap." Thandion calls back.

He moves to trap a dog between him and the earth elemental.

Thandion's impression of the dogs as the other enter the courtyard is that they are behaving normally for dogs; they don't seem to have any specific orders, and seemed to be munching on lunch when you quite literally dropped in. The rest of the party is able to get into the courtyard without a problem. As the noise in the courtyard increases, you can see the boarded up door shake a bit as if something is trying to get out.

Do you kill the rest of the dogs or try to convert them to your side? What do you do from here?

The earth elemental continues attacking the dogs following Pavro's instructions, and looking at the mangey scaberrous beasts as he climbs over, Pavro is not really inclined to stop it. What would we do with them let those things go into the wild to possibly breed, no. Keep them, no.

They are goblin dogs right?

Avian holsters his pistol and heads over next. On seeing the dogs he speaks in a commanding voice the single word Down!

Handle Animal Check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (7) + 4 = 11

Avian is using Handle Animal to try to order the dogs to use the trick "Down" Hopefully these are trained dogs, since the DC for pushing is just out of Avian's reach even if he took 20. And that I have a prayer of succeeding lol. I'm no druid, that's for sure :)

"Kindly stop your elemental from attacking the poor beasts." Severus says in a disapproving tone as they enter the courtyard. "You might move it to face whatever is attempting to break through that door."

Severus looks around, carefully, to ensure that no other goblins are aiming into the courtyard with ranged weapons.

Perception
1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

Pavro frowns at Severus,

"Why on earth would I do that? We leave them here they are a threat, they can be bred for more goblin mounts, nobody would want to care for these wretched things, and we cannot release them into the wild, what if they started to breed? You want them alive when their trainers arrive and order them to attack? Surely its better for everyone if we put these things down, keep them alive if you must, but at least render them unconscious."

Goblin Dog Pic - Yuck!

"Closer kin to rats than dogs, way I see it," says Vors. "Pavro's right. You don't let vermin breed if you can help it."

He then turns his attention to the door for a moment.

"What do you suppose is in there that would make a bunch of goblins practically build a wall over it to keep it in?"

The dogs don't really engage the party unless engaged, at which point they are just as likely to retreat as they are to fight; they may be rat like, but they aren't stupid, and almost all of you can clearly overpower them with little effort. Avian's efforts by themselves would likely do little to calm the dogs down, but as they already seem inclined to leave the party alone, his efforts are sufficient to get them to stay away from the party.

The door is actually to what you think is probably a shed of some kind, and the current state of the door and the boards holding it shut, as well as the dead rotting goblin bodies in front of the opening, suggest that it wasn't built to be a prison, but rather that it was turned into one for lack of a better option. Examining the bodies might give you some a better idea of what is inside.

Thandion will walk over and look at the bodies "If it is causing the goblins this much trouble it can't be too bad. Maybe we should leave it here."

"And what if the creature decides to turn its attention elsewhere once the goblins are gone...?" Severus asks, attempting to smell the air around the shaking door, hoping to identify the creature behind it.

Perception
1d20 + 9d6 - 1d6d1d20 + 12 ⇒ (15) + (1, 3, 6, 5, 5, 4, 1, 3, 3) - (16, 17, 8, 1) + 12 = 16
Knowledge (nature)
1d20 + 9 ⇒ (18) + 9 = 27

You don't notice much in the air save the smell of rotten goblin, but after deciding to look closer at the dead bodies, the cause of death is immediately obvious; their skulls have been crushed as if hit by a big, heavy blunt object. A quick heal check later and you think a large, hooved animal probably did them in, probably a horse based on what you know of goblins and how they interact with different animals.

Interesting.. Marcoul mutters looking at the caved in skulls. For whatever its worth. I agree with Vors and Pavro. We should burn this entire place to the ground when we leave. It's a warren of filth and the goblins are a danger to the people of Sandpoint.

"Well I'll just tell it to knock them out for the moment, at least that way they are not an immediate danger," Pavro says, before instructing the elemental in rumbling terran.

The elemental proceeds to carefully pummel the hideous creatures into unconsciousness.

"Now what about Dobbin in there? I'm not really any good with animals...."

The dogs are quickly knocked unconscious.

You have a few options from here. If you are going to deal with the boarded up door, you can either try a strength check or disable device check to get it open. Otherwise, there are other doors to explore.

"Probably best to leave him for the moment I suppose, he does not seem to be in immediate danger, we can free him or her maybe, when we have dealt with the goblins."

Pavro then walks over and opens the door that looks likliest to lead toward the front gate of the fortress instructing his earth elemental to move in ahead through the stone and rise up in the center of the room as he does so.

What, Marcoul, there's no daemon living here, so we can torch the place? Let's not throw the forest out with the goblins, alright? Unless any of you have great power over fire you haven't mentioned before, there's a big chance of burning down the whole forest trying to set this compound ablaze, and good luck explaining that to the woodcutters of Sandpoint. Avian says simply, drawing his pistol again, having holstered it for the climb up the wall.

"I wouldn't recommend burning down anything, or killing goblin dogs that aren't attacking us, or any other creatures that are voluntarily surrendering. You people seem to forget our pact very quickly." Severus shakes his head at his allies as they move through the door into the next room.

At the suggestion of potential economic impacts Marcoul pauses. Yes.. I suppose your right Avian. It would be an uncontrolled fire and that would have unexpected impacts. It needs to be destroyed by not in such a way as to impact the people of Sandpoint negatively. Regardless this place has become a breeding ground for destruction throughout the region. Tell me, if we lived in a city such as Absalom or Korvasa and there was a single plague victim who you knew would spread a disease killing thousands of innocent people unless it was stopped, and the only way to save the city would have been turn burn down his house and everything he owned in the hopes of preventing the illness from spreading, would you? Gesturing around the dilapidated fortress, Marcoul gives a zealous nod. This friends is such a place if it is not destroyed it will breed another generation of goblins.. mere miles from Sandpoints doorstep that will plague the town for years to come.

I think we should check out the locked door.

Opening up the double doors reveals a short hallway that appears to open up to a fairly large room that probably provides access to the western tower.

"I do not think you can equate a disease, normally caused by viral or bacterial expansion, with an intelligent species." Severus says as he pauses to lean on his ranseur. "That breaks the purpose of accepting and enforcing moral responsibility."

No? If unchecked goblins will divide and multiply, they consume resources and destroy other organisms. I think a disease is a rather fair metaphor for them.

"Who says they would be unchecked? What you are promoting is relentless genocide, rather than taking into account how a goblin individual, let alone a goblin society, might change his (or their) behavior in accommodation of the environment."

"Gentlemen, this probably isn't the time or place to have this discussion. We stop this Nualia, and chances are the goblins don't overrun Sandpoint. Anything beyond that can probably wait. Let's not make absolutely sure every goblin in the place is ready for a fight by announcing ourselves as we go."

"Oh, I think we've probably done that pretty handily already. To that end I'm going to call 'Ress back before Rocky vanishes," Pavro says cheerfully, taking the minute to recall his eidolon and then heading over towards the large room behind Aressa, who looks irritated and fails to return the summoner's cheery greeting.

"You never know," says Vors quietly. "Some of them may be deep sleepers. Or dead drunk. Or deaf as a post."

Vors will take up his position again as rear guard, readying an action to fire a shot at any hostile target through whichever door the party decides to open.

"Plus there's probably inbreeding," Pavro agrees optimistically.

Oh thats a lovely thought. Marcoul dryly mutters while waiting for one of the doors to be opened.