But..without being ...too meta.. I can do this..
Fenn walks over to the felled Bugbear, impressed that Brom could put him down so quickly!
, the country half-elven youth ponders mentally...
Fenn picks up the wickedly spiked Heavy mace like weapon the Bugbear dropped and takes his crudely crafted Heavy wooden shield... adding them to the loot.
He searches the body for anymore valuable... curious why there are no visible wounds on the creature...
Zabela wakes up from her sleep-walking after the battle, saying "Oh...did I miss something?" She looks down at the dead enemies, "Ew...that's terrible, what're those?!" she says walking over to the backpacks and searching them.
Wolf {CR1 – 100xp}; Goblins {CR1 – 135xp}; Manor-Pit Trap {CR1 – 100xp}; Hobgoblin {CR 1/2 - 50xp};
3x Stirge {CR 1/2 [CR3] - 200xp}
{New!} 3x Goblins (CR 1/3 [CR 1] - 100xp}
Well, if that affair is thoroughly through Miss Zabela I believe I was in the process of showing you this book on potioncraft one of the goblins appeared to be reading. I only know enough to suspect that its important, perhaps you could weigh in?
And Jeseare starts clanking his way back to the stirge room.
Finding no apparent would on his casual examination of the felled Bugbear... Fenn does not miss the fact he is STILL Breathing! So Fenn unlimbers his rope and begins to bind the creature up so he cannot harm anyone when he comes conscious.
Realizing the Bugbear is actually asleep, Fenn tries to speak softly, even though doing so means he can't here himself, to call one of his comrades over to help watch the powerful creature.
"hey, this bugbear is not dead... will someone come help me watch him?"
Fenn continues to search the Bugbear for valuables or hidden weapons...
"Oh, hm...potioncraft, let me have a look..." Zabela accepts the tome from the cleric and peruses it.
Fenn adds the iron key to the party loot and makes doubly sure the Bugbear is securely tied up.
Fenn stands guard over the Bugbear while the rest of the party searches the remainder of the house.
He does yell out,"Hey, GuYs! keEp yoUR eYe's oPeN fOr A lOcKEd ChESt .. Ah fOUnD a kEy!"
"Well would you look at this!" Zabela says excitedly turning the pages of the book as she quickly imbibes the information. She soon realizes she's being rude, and stows the book for later.
She assists Fenn with the search for a lock to match his key in the nearby area.
Fenn smiles at Zabela and chips in to search as well...
Finally the ringing in Fenn's ears stopped and he could at least not make out sounds and speech around him.. at least faintly.
Turning to Zabela, "Ok.. finally Ah' can heah again! Let's regroup and confer on our next steps."
Fenn leads the way back to Jeseare, and Bringor in the once-office.
Fenn enters the office looking over the scene, "Ok, what have we found? Anyone found tha' dang bottle the dwarf's after?"
Noting the desk shoved over toward the wall Fenn walks over to it to see if there is perhaps a locked drawer that his iron key fits...
Bringer points to the pile of backpacks. "I haven't found any bottle, but I did find some stuff. Miscellaneous traveling supplies." Bringor counts out money. "That should be everyone's share; there's a gem for for each of you as well. My best guess is that the gems are worth somewhere between 75 and 150 gold apiece, but you might want to get them appraised yourselves..."
Fenn notes the coins, "Oh! Tha's great! Thanks!"
Hefting a bundle of weapons he's collected from the slain goblins and captured bugbear, "Ah'll need to go to a weapons shop bak in town ta sale all these so ah can split tha' loot with the party."
Showing his Iron key, "But ah'm sure there is somethin' else round heah tha' this key goes to! An we need ta find tha' bottle!. Let's do a systematic sweep of the building... maybe we missed somethin'?"
Fenn fished out the nick-nacks for the drawer along with the partially burnt and chewed journel... reading the last and only legible entry, 'The portal is complete'.
Fenn comments, "Well.. tha' sure is ominous!"
Looking to see if any ashes of the journal were still in the drawer Fenn pulls out of his belt pouch a candle... with flint and steel he lights the candle and begins to dribble candle wax on the brittle pages of the fire damaged journal to preserve what can be.
"Hey Bela'.. wha' do you make o' this?", as he gestures the elven woman wizard over.
Zabela nods in agreement and begins a search of the whole of Bugbear's soon to be final resting place, during which she leaves no stone unturned.
Im going to perch here and keep watch. I'm not sure if the one that got away is running to find friends or just running but I intend to know if more are incoming
"Smart move, Father Mahan, I didn't even know there were more!"
I'll help you with that, Father. If'n any turn up, you may be needing my crossbow to properly show them the evil of their ways, Bringor says with a smile.
"They finally come into view of the manor. Once, it may have been a fine home, but that was long ago. Now, it lies in disrepair...the windows are boarded up and the front door hangs by a single hinge.
The windows are all boarded up... and...
Fenn:
Fenn notices that there are many strange plants and vines in the area surrounding the manor. Vines... Plants.
Fenn speaks up, "Uhm.. tha's normally a good idea Father Jeseare... but the windows are all boarded up.. and there are strange plants outside... plants, I can guarantee you are - 'not from around heah'! Those 'plants' might be lethal.. hence why all tha' boarded up windows... likely and why I told everyone ta avoid them commin' in heah. I'd stay away from those windows..."
"Let's gather those packs over there as evidence and supplies we may need; an do a sweep o' the house room ta' room. You could, Father, take up a position at the front door.. 'mind the sprung dead-fall pit trap'.. and watch fur anyone rallying outside? ok?"
Fenn and Zebela's search yields a kitchen in total disarray with not a morsel left and a privy that has seen better days.
As the companions finish gathering the packs, they hear the bugbear starting to awake. They can also hear some banging coming from the behind the bedroom door. Their prisoner, has likewise, come to.
Fenn walks over to the Bugbear putting a foot on his chest... to hold him down, "Father Jeseare... could you come here and be ready to club the sense out of this brigand if'n he gets antsy!"
To the Bugbear he speaks in Goblin...
"Now. See here ugly brute you! You done now.. taking you to New Wesel to face punishment. Be good or we can kill here. In New Wesel... you may if you not make trouble save your life. Or you die now. You choose me don't care which! Live better than die though...!"
Fenn draws his elven curve blade to punctuate his point placing the blade to his throat.
"You savy, cause I know you speak common too?? Now calm down.. or I end you right here.. right now!"
If the Bugbear calms down and doesn't force Fenn to cut his head from his shoulders... Fenn lets Jeseare watch him, as he walks over to the door at the end o' the halways.
"Calm yur horses in there.. ah'm ah comin'!"
If the door is locked Fenn sheaths his Elven Curve Blade and draws his shortsword just for good measure, pulls the iron key and tries it...
Otherwise he opens the door... but warily.
The door is locked, but the key fits and with a turn of the knob, it opens. There are stairs going down. You are now able to hear curses coming from the restrained hobgoblin in the bedroom.
"well, well WELL.. figured there was something we was missing!"
Fenn closes the door.
"We got a new area toa' search... but let me deal with the hoby' first."
Fenn heads back to the room and drags the already tied up hobgoblin by the feet out of the room to lay him on the floor next to the Bugbear.
Addressing him Fenn asks, "Are you 'Goot' perhaps?"
The hobgoblin looks at the bugbear. The bugbear looks at the hobgoblin, then they both look at you.
After gathering the supplies from the backpack, Bringor returns to the others to find Fenn conversing with the now-conscious bugbear in a strange tongue. He draws his crossbow and moves to cover the doorway, looking out for more intruders.
Fenn cocks his head, "Ah take it you two know each other.. and .. are not family! So.. where is 'Goot'?"
Zabela walks over to the new doorway, opens it and says Detect Magic in Elven.
As Fenn questions the creatures, Brom suddenly slumps to the ground. By the time anyone reaches him, he has died. The leg of his pants is covered in blood. The goblin archer must have gotten lucky with one of his shots. The brave warrior never led on that he was injured. I fighter until the end.
:)
Fenn turns his head to see Brom fall and immediately moves to assist him.. only to find.. he was already gone..
"Awe hell Brom.. man.. why .. why didn't you. say somethin'?!? We coul~... we could have... done... somethin'~"
The young half-elf is obviously distressed.. close to tears.
He closes the warrior's eyes and whispers, 'Until All are One.. Rest well.. '
Fenn folds Brom's hands over his chest and rests his sword on his breast in his hands.
Standing he stalks over to the Hobgoblin and the Bugbear.. his visage a scowl of hot anger... his shortsword in hand.
"Yaw just kilt' a decent man.. an Ah'm loosing mah patience.. and mah sense o' mercy! Talk! Or Ah'm gonna see how many parts you like loosing before you do talk! BUT YOU WILL TALK or you WILL SCREAM.. yur' choice!!!!"
Zabela is mildly disheartened by the falling of their friend, but this feeling is quickly overpowered by her surprise at Fenn's outburst. It seems half-breeds are much closer to humans than elves...
She rushes over to him and holds him back as well as she can by his shoulders. Failing miserably, she whispers in his ear "Fenn, you'll never get anything true out of anyone with that attitude. If they know nothing, they'll send us on a wild goose chase just to keep from getting hurt."
She tries her hand, speaking to Bugbear in a calm, yet stern voice, "Master Goblin, what do you have to gain from keeping information about..." She stops, leans to Fenn, and whispers, "What are we questioning him about again?"
Fenn Grimaces, "Yur right.. milady. They'd probably lie anyways! One of the Goblins we talked too before told us their leader was someone called 'Goot'.. not seen him yet.. but I'm not sure one o' these two ain't him! but the Goblin seemed to say he was a human.. not seen any humans here yet."
Fenn sheaths his sword, "...I .. just don't like loosing comrades... but tha' was as much Brom's fault as their's... he was a stubborn cuss. Nevah got to know him any bettah either... nor will I apparently. He was not much older than me.. such a shame and a waste really!"
"But yur right Miss Bela'... wer're suppos' ta be betah than these murderers...! Ah'm sorry I lost mah temper.. not a seemly thing ta do. We're takin' them both back to New Wesel ta face human justice.. then ta blazes with them both!"
Fenn glances at the soft elven woman holding his arm... and quickly a crimson shade of blush blossoms on his face and slightly pointed ears... making the light frosting of freckles on his nose and cheeks accentuate just how young.. and cute he really is.
"Ah'm.. we'd best search tha' basement and finish up here ma'am.. Bela."
His country gentlemanly ways and chivalrous attitude toward women folk cause him to lower his eyes shyly... he even trembles a little at her gentle touch.
Turning and stepping toward the basement... Fenn lights a torch.. mostly to give his hands something to do and his thoughts away from wondering how soft the rest of the lovely elven woman beside him might be...
Drawing his longsword this time torch int he other.. he makes his way down the stairs, "Come'on.. let's do this... so we can get home to a decent meal!"
Fenn heads down into the basement... wary for danger... hopefully there are no more traps... the thought occurring to him he pauses.
Calling back, "Hey, Bringor.. these ruffians is fond o' traps.. you wanna search on point down here?"
"Sure thing, Fenn." Bringor moves to the front of the group and keeps his eyes peeled for traps.
Dervick hoists the body of a now unconscious Goblin over his shoulder, as he considers the house just ahead. "A gobbo running away from a house, and sounds of a fight. Well... here goes nothing."
He approaches the house, openly, goblin held over one shoulder, looking for any more goblins or signs of trouble.
"Hello, in there! Do you need help?" , he shouts.
Zabela is oblivious to Fenn's struggle at chivalry, thinking she's merely helped him calm himself.
Presently she hears shouting coming from the door. When the source of the words come into view, she hails him with a wave, "Hello there adventurer. That's quite a trophy you have there! We've only just finished our fight, but thank you for the offer. We're about to head into a dark, spooky basement if you'd like to join us!"
Without waiting for an answer, Zabela follows the troupe down the stair, drawing her longbow in her left hand, and sticking her right into her spell component pouch...just in case.
Opens the door, widely, but stands in it such to block the way and addresses the newcomer (Dervick):
Well met good sir. Did the dwarf fellow send you to this location as well or did you happen upon us? Either way we seem to have stumbled upon a minor blight of goblin creatures. Should you have the strength of arm Im afraid I must implore you in the name of Adabar, Master of the First Vault, to do your civic duty and assist us in ridding the area of their presence and escorting those we can back to the city for further judgment. Im afraid I can offer no material recompense save what little we were offered ourselves, and that I dont quite speak for all of us so contracted for this mission as we are a rather ragtag lot at the moment...
(Trails off for a second before he recollects himself)
...but I am a rather decent judge of character and I should only presume none here would object to an offer of assistance. In fairness, however, I must warn that small though they may be these things have already claimed one who was with us. As my associate here suggests we do have more to do today and, in the interest of not putting off 'till later what we could be doing now, we'll be off that way. We can only assume that should you follow you tacitly agree to everything I just mentioned.
(Turns and begins to go inside, before he looks back and rather lazily waves at the pit trap)
Oh and do mind the pit, of course.
Fenn's torch throws shadows on the walls as the sunlight from above quickly disappears. Making their way down the circular stairs the companions begin to. . .sweat. The air is getting hotter and more humid. Sounds begin to fill the stairwell as they descend further.