"Hm, I've heard tales of a place described like this, called Keller's Basin, though it's way out in the White Peaks. An oasis, of sorts. If this is Keller's Basin, it means that up top is a hot springs, surrounded by a vast, white-sanded desert. If we are lucky, we might be as close as seventy miles from Snyderholm. The downside is, we may be as far as a thousand miles to Snyderholm. A thousand miles, over sand as bright as the sun. Even so, whose to say if there aren't goblins waiting up top? Deadeye's blind! Our options are slim; I'm not even sure if we can find our way back to the goblin caves."
Eli puffs an angry sigh through his mustache, deep in thought. His gaze darts to the water.
"Regardless of our decision, I say we rest here. It is getting late. If we agree to climb up and brave the desert, we ought to gather what food we can from this lake before we leave, and bring as much water with us as we can."
Lucas nods his agreement and settles down to rest.
"I'll take the first watch."
Man, woman, and goblin alike find themselves as settled as possible on the eerily alabaster, and a quiet fills the air as each begins to settle into his or her bedding, save Eli.
Lucas kisses Ariana on the forehead when he thinks no one is looking and says goodnight with a smile.
Eli arranges his pack and bedroll, checks the perimeter of the camp, then stands twenty feet from the lake, glaring at the water's edge.
Carys makes sure her book is secured in her pack before using her bag as a pillow, just in case it decides on more mischief.
Xazt does little to set up camp, but he does make sure to keep his scimitar at his side while sleeping.
Ariana smiles wryly at Lucas and whispers with a wink, "'Night Luke. Would you wake me up for the third watch, please?" She pulls out her bedroll, places it next to Lucas, and lies down attempting to sleep with daggers in hand.
A few minutes go by in silence, and finally Ariana turns to Lucas and says, "One more thing, on your watch, stay quiet, stay safe, and..." she waits for him to finish the sentence before turning over and dozing off.
"...Don't get caught."
Yes, certainly voices. High-pitched, whiny voices. They don't seem to be coming from across the lake, so they can only be echoing down from behind you, in the "forest" of stone formations. Due to the echoes, they could be as far as a mile away, or much closer, and it is hard to tell.
Eli makes sure Lucas is fully awake as his shift nears an end, and points in the direction of the voices. He speaks in a low tone.
"Sounds like we're not alone down here. There are voices, possibly as far as those stone pillars. Wake me if they get any closer."
Eli meets Lucas' gaze before turning to his bed, making certain his axe is at his side. He has difficulty falling asleep, with his ears straining to hear beyond the plunging waters. In his restless fidgets, he gives up any hope on sound sleep, and lays there, waiting.
(1:05am)
Now alerted to the voices in the distance, you listen intensely. They are goblins, to be sure, perhaps not out of the stone forest yet, but nearing its edge.
You still cannot be sure how long until they break through the thick cover to see your torch (if it is still burning...no one put it out). It could be in one minute, or two, or in hours.
Wait, what is that? The voices, they were growing louder and then...they stopped? Was there a flicker of light in that direction?
The night is now still.
Not daring to risk putting out the torch, Lucas whispers frantically, "Eli! I think they may have spotted us. I can't tell how far away they are."
Lucas slips his iron boots back on and lays hold of his hanbo: knuckles white with anticipation.
Eli quietly sits up, then moves to a crouching position. With his greataxe in his hands, he waits, quietly.
1d20+0
Lucas wakes everyone up as quietly as possible. Once he's sure everyone is awake and ready for trouble, he draws himself up to his full height and addresses the darkness in Goblin.
"Come outies! We is not wanting fightses, but we's not scaredsies of you! Come and we are talksies. Trying to tricks us and we stomps bady Gobinses!"
Lucas waits from a response. If nothing comes of it within a reasonable time, he'll add in Common.
"Show yourselves! We want no quarrel. Come out and parley with me. Try to ambush us at your own peril!"
After about fifteen seconds of dead silence, a very shaky voice returns from the darkness, much closer than the shuffling sounds that Lucas had heard before. From the sound of it, the speaker must be no more than 100 yards away:
"baskyflk..." (squeaky gibberish)
To the group's surprise and chagrin, yet another voice, this one much louder, booms from the same direction, but about 50 yards to the left of the other:
"Grok lok tarr'zaok..."(rough gibberish)
"I am not knowings who gruffly voice is, but you is seeming scaredses. You is smartly to being scaredses. If you not go byebye, we is having to squishing you! No are goings back to roomses!"
"Prepare for combat! It's not only goblins."
Lucas bellows his warcry.
"Very well, then." Eli stands up straight, raising his greataxe to his side. He turns a stern look to his goblin companion.
"Let's put your word to the test, dancer."
Lucas bellows his warcry.
You hear a few gasps from the direction of the goblin voices, and a laugh from the other direction.
"Very well, then." Eli stands up straight, raising his greataxe to his side. He turns a stern look to his goblin companion.
"Let's put your word to the test, dancer."
ROLL INITIATIVE!
Grabbing his scimitar, Xazt smiles at Eli and flourishes his blade in a quick show of skill, yet still taunting any enemies in view.
** spoiler omitted **
"Prepare for combat! It's not only goblins."
Lucas bellows his warcry.
1d20+5
Ariana stands quickly after hearing her comrades discussions, daggers still in hand, and attempts to move into the shadows behind her allies, hoping to get the jump on these not-yet-visible foes.
"Keep to the light! These little buggers will use darkness to their advantage!"
"Show yourself, cretins!"
Everyone hears the unmistakable sound of chains scraping on the alabaster floor, then the deeper voice bellows:
"jak LOSGHAKK...(gibberish)"
Carys, when roused from sleep, gets up and takes her spell book out of her bag. If the goblin/elvish book still seems twitchy, I'll use my old spell book.
It's still "twitchy."
Eli ignites one of his torches and walks twenty feet toward the foes in the dark. His other hand bears his greataxe.
Lucas hefts his hanbo and assumes a stance from which he plans to stomp the first enemy that comes within reach.
Ready action to attack whichever enemy comes into reach first.
Xazt quickly moves passed Lucas to Eli's side, saying to the big, bearded one, "Ready to fight by your side!"
The combined light of Eli and Lucas' torches illuminates most of the area around the group, pulling Ariana out of shadow. In addition, Eli's torch reveals a good 20 feet ahead dimly, showing no signs of any foes within that range.
The combined light of Eli and Lucas' torches illuminates most of the area around the group, pulling Ariana out of shadow. In addition, Eli's torch reveals a good 20 feet ahead dimly, showing no signs of any foes within that range.
Unaware of his companions' inability to see, Xazt shouts, "Klys gob! Orc nes noy."
Unaware of his companions' inability to see, Xazt shouts, "Klys gob! Orc nes noy."
In Goblin:
Crunch:
On the Goblins' turn, you all hear chattering, a loud click, and the clinking of chains.
Into the light steps a brutally disfigured male orc, clothed only in a loincloth. As he steps forward (5 foot step), he draws a particularly war-bitten orcish battleaxe from a makeshift holster of animal skins on his back. His face is a mask, unchanging, his hazel gaze sweeping over Lucas, Ariana, then Eli, Xazt, and Carys. He adjusts his footing.