Lucas, not wanting to look the fool twice, accepts Eli's challenge with a nod. He then stoops and picks up the key, the ring of feather fall, and one of the silver rings. The rest of the items, he shoves into a sack and store it in his backpack for safekeeping.
Lucas, not wanting to look the fool twice, accepts Eli's challenge with a nod. He then stoops and picks up the key, the ring of feather fall, and one of the silver rings. The rest of the items, he shoves into a sack and store it in his backpack for safekeeping.
1d20+0
1d20+1
As Lucas continues to examine the jar, he has a brief wave of nausea, as though caused by a headache.
Ariana, happy with her new dagger, gestures towards the door saying, "Well, shall we be going then?
1d20+2
Whatever the feeling was passes almost instantaneously, and Lucas simply shrugs it off, none the worse for wear.
Shakiing the feeling, but none too happy nonetheless, Lucas crams the bottle into the bag.
"What say we get outta here?"
Lucas moves to the door and inserts the key into the lock.
Shakiing the feeling, but none too happy nonetheless, Lucas crams the bottle into the bag.
"What say we get outta here?"
Lucas moves to the door and inserts the key into the lock.
The door swings open heavily, and with a groan that reverberates down a long, barren hallway beyond. The hallway is roughly hewn out of the rock. It has a surprisingly high ceiling, and is quite straight for a distance. Blazing yellow torches flick light across the glistening walls in the hallway, illuminating a stretch of over 100 yards or so, before the hallway curves out of sight. Now that the door is open, the muffled noises seem louder, but are still difficult to identify.
Lucas rests his cudgel over his shoulder like a baseball bat.
"Ari, you wanna check that noise for us?"
He turns to her. What he says sounds rehearsed: like a ritual they've done dozens of times.
"Stay quiet. Stay Safe. Don't..."
Ariana finishes his sentence.
Lucas nods and waits at the door.
Lucas rests his cudgel over his shoulder like a baseball bat.
"Ari, you wanna check that noise for us?"
He turns to her. What he says sounds rehearsed: like a ritual they've done dozens of times.
"Stay quiet. Stay Safe. Don't..."
Ariana finishes his sentence.
Lucas nods and waits at the door.
"...be a hero, I know. Don't worry Luke. I can handle it." Ariana gives a genuine smile as she says this, eyes locked with Lucas'. She then turns and moves as quietly as she can down the hallway to investigate the noise.
Stealth:
Perception:
With a sigh, Carys closes her new book and again tucks it under her shoulder. Seeing as the party seems about ready to move out, she prepares herself to leave by stowing her torch in the top of her backpack.
Lucas rests his cudgel over his shoulder like a baseball bat.
"Ari, you wanna check that noise for us?"
He turns to her. What he says sounds rehearsed: like a ritual they've done dozens of times.
"Stay quiet. Stay Safe. Don't..."
Ariana finishes his sentence.
Lucas nods and waits at the door.
"...be a hero, I know. Don't worry Luke. I can handle it." Ariana gives a genuine smile as she says this, eyes locked with Lucas'. She then turns and moves as quietly as she can down the hallway to investigate the noise.
Stealth: 1d20 + 6
Perception: 1d20 + 0
Ariana cautiously creeps down the hallway, eventually turning the corner and disappearing from sight.
Eli watches tensely as Ariana proceeds down the corridor, rounding the bend. He turns to the other Carys and Lucas. ”If you think it is safe, continue, but I would like to be the last to leave –to keep any goblin tricks from catching us unawares.”
After wiping the blood off his axe blade, he will try to stealthily close the door once he enters the corridor to follow the rest of the party.
Eli watches tensely as Ariana proceeds down the corridor, rounding the bend. He turns to the other Carys and Lucas. ”If you think it is safe, continue, but I would like to be the last to leave –to keep any goblin tricks from catching us unawares.”
** spoiler omitted **
"We'll know its safe when Ari returns and tells us so. We have our system, she and I."
Lucas begins mouthing numbers: 26, 27, 28, 29...His mouth stops moving but the numbers still pass quietly across his eyes.
Eli watches tensely as Ariana proceeds down the corridor, rounding the bend. He turns to the other Carys and Lucas. ”If you think it is safe, continue, but I would like to be the last to leave –to keep any goblin tricks from catching us unawares.”
** spoiler omitted **
"We'll know its safe when Ari returns and tells us so. We have our system, she and I."
Lucas begins mouthing numbers: 26, 27, 28, 29...His mouth stops moving but the numbers still pass quietly across his eyes.
Eli raises an eyebrow,”System? What do you do when you’re not carousing about the boxer’s ring? Cave-sneaking? Treasure-hunting?”
He gazes back down the corridor, tightening his grip on his axe.”Still, I don’t like waiting around to hear her scream and be nabbed by foul folk.”
He anxiously tilts his forward, listening.
Ariana cautiously creeps down the hallway, eventually turning the corner and disappearing from sight.
** spoiler omitted **
Upon finishing her brief investigation, Ariana turns and heads back towards the group. Reaching them, she explains what she saw , and says, "We should probably move forward with caution. We might have to go through that door, and I'm afraid we won't be able to avoid a fight this time- unless any of you have a better idea." She looks hopefully at her companions, waiting for someone to respond.
|
Eli raises an eyebrow,”System? What do you do when you’re not carousing about the boxer’s ring? Cave-sneaking? Treasure-hunting?”
He gazes back down the corridor, tightening his grip on his axe.”Still, I don’t like waiting around to hear her scream and be nabbed by foul folk.”
He anxiously tilts his forward, listening.
"A system, yes. If I felt like explaining it, I would have. Excuse me. 81, 82, 83..."
After a few more minutes, Ariana returns.
"We should probably move forward with caution. We might have to go through that door, and I'm afraid we won't be able to avoid a fight this time- unless any of you have a better idea."
Lucas sighs and hafts his hanbo. He starts down the hallway.
Ariana grabs Lucas' shoulder before he can get away and says, "Wait, Luke. Or we could just go through the gaping hole to the left that leads out into a vast, dark space? If we're all quiet, we may be able to avoid whoever is behind that door..."
"It's worth a try to at least see what's down there before going where there is sure danger."
As the group pauses near the gaping opening in the wall, they can see that the crudely-carved surfaces which they've encountered thus far do not seem to extend into the dark expanse. Instead, this section, illuminated a bit by Carys' torch, seems expansive and natural, perhaps part of the original cave from which the goblins first hewed their lair of stone. Stalactites, ribbed with brown and white, hang lazily down from the ceiling, dripping slowly into puddles onto the cave floor which rises up in twisted stalagmites to meet them. As Carys steps inside of the cave, the rest of the group on her heels, save Eli who is a few paces behind, our heroes notice that the torch reaches down the cave, bouncing off of gleaming black walls which are at least forty feet apart. Further into the cave, the light simply vanishes, met by nothing but blackness. Occasional drips echo deep into the far recesses of the gigantic room, the only sound besides the group's own footfalls.
As the group decides what course of action to take, the noise on the other side of the door grows greater. Wild howls and savage, pint-sized cheers filter through the door's muffling width of stone, along with the sound of crashing metal against metal.
"Lucas, since you seem to be the only one among us that speaks the goblin's crude language, can you make out anything that they are saying?
Game Map updated.
Lucas, intent on bursting through the stone door, stops short at Ariana's touch. He listens to her suggestion to explore the cave as he looks at what he can see of it by Carys' torch.
"We'd be very exposed in such a big place: and with probable enemies behind. I think I'd feel better if I knew what was going on in that room. Carys, Eli, what do you think?"
As he waits for their replies, Lucas presses his ear against the door to listen to the goblins within.
Lucas, intent on bursting through the stone door, stops short at Ariana's touch. He listens to her suggestion to explore the cave as he looks at what he can see of it by Carys' torch.
"We'd be very exposed in such a big place: and with probable enemies behind. I think I'd feel better if I knew what was going on in that room. Carys, Eli, what do you think?"
As he waits for their replies, Lucas presses his ear against the door to listen to the goblins within.
"Disgrace the one he that is! Disgrace to goblins!"
(in chorus)"More the beatings! More! Punish!"
(You hear banging of metal on metal) Then, in a deeper voice:
"Maybe Glorp opens cage, affirm? Maybe Glorp real lessons will teaching disgracing one!"
(cheers)
"Disgracing one..?"
Lucas removes his ear from the cold stone.
Do they mean another Goblin? If he is their enemy, perhaps he could prove our ally in escaping this place.
To Eli: "Ready to make good on that wager my gizzled friend?"
To Ariana: "Cover me?"
To Carys: "We're about to fight. The goal is to hurt them while not getting hurt yourself. If you think you can manage, come on in. If not, hang back and we'll get you when its over."
Lucas fits the key into the lock and opens the door.
Lucas opens the door.
As Lucas pushes open the door, the scene that lies before the group is one of pint-sized chaos. Five goblins, green of skin and beady of eye, are frozen, mid-action. They are clearly in the middle of some activity, but seem to have been given quite the shock by the appearance of the humans. The room in which they stand is a junction between two hallways, carved in the familiar crude style. At the center of the room is a large, beat-up iron cage. Near the back of the cage is what appears to be another goblin.
Of the other goblins, four of them are about the same as the ones you've all previously seen. But the leader, or what appears to be the leader, stands a little taller, holding a small sword, one of their hideous "pets" at his/her side. At Lucas' bold entrance, the "leader" turns and screeches...
Ariana moves to cover Lucas.
Initiative :
The caged goblin doesn't seem to look like the rest of these you've seen. Granted, he's been stripped of his belongings, but if you could possibly imagine a kinder soul wrapped up in something you've only known to be evil until this point, this is it. His teeth aren't filed to points, his eyes an odd yellow, and at the corners of his mouth, even though he seems to be yelling at the other goblins, is the faintest of a playful smile.
"Help me, friends! The evil ones are torturing me!"
And then a look you've never seen from a goblin -- despair.
"I'm not going to let you have all the glory and practice. I will be joining you!"
Initiative order:
ARIANA - 22
BOJANGLES - 21
ELI - 15
XAZT - 13
LUCAS - 10
CARYS - 6
Ariana moves to cover Lucas.
Initiative :
1d20 + 5
Arianna acted here. She moved on the map. Bojangles turn?
Arianna acted here. She moved on the map. Bojangles turn?Ariana moves to cover Lucas.
Initiative :
1d20 + 5
The goblins all draw their short swords (actually daggers, except for the slightly bigger goblin). The goblin dog rushes at the intruders, emitting a ghastly screech, and biting at Lucas's left leg.
Bite:
The yellow fangs miss their mark as Lucas shifts his weight, and the grisly pet withdraws, growling ferociously.
Another of the goblins hastily rushes Ariana, swinging his battered dagger wildly at her torso:
Swing:
The goblin's overly-zealous swing misses Ariana by more than a foot as she steps easily to the side. The goblin seems confused, but recovers and stares blankly at Ariana.
The goblins, all but the leader thrown for a loop by the apparent prowess of their foes, stay in place, waiting to see what the intruders will do.
Arianna acted here. She moved on the map. Bojangles turn?Ariana moves to cover Lucas.
Initiative :
1d20 + 5
Ariana jabs with her new silver dagger at the closest Goblin, trying to get a feel for her new friend.
Attack:
Damage:
Arianna acted here. She moved on the map. Bojangles turn?Ariana moves to cover Lucas.
Initiative :
1d20 + 5
Ariana jabs with her new silver dagger at the closest Goblin, trying to get a feel for her new friend.
Attack: 1d20 + 2
Damage: 1d4 + 3
Ariana steps forward to meet the nearest advancing goblin. Her dagger sinks deep into the goblin's stomach, and he lets out a surprised yell as he falls to the ground. The other goblins in the room halt, completely caught off guard by Ariana's deft and savage strike.
Taking up his greataxe with both hands, Eli mutters ”Excuse me, miss.” as he passes Carys. His eyes locked on the first goblin he saw, he makes determined strides to close the distance, seemingly oblivious to the growling dog beside him. Now in reach, his axe blade swings down hard onto the goblin before him, a barbaric shout erupting from his throat.
"Open wide, dirt-dweller!"
After a quick flash of despair leaves his face, the round-toothed, smiling goblin takes a step toward his closest captor and reaches for him through the cage.
Lucas sidesteps the vermin-dog's attack and brings his Hanbo down ineffectually on the creature's skull.
Eli's strike misses its target by less than an inch. The beady-eyed goblin, frightened by the swing, almost loses his balance.
After a quick flash of despair leaves his face, the round-toothed, smiling goblin takes a step toward his closest captor and reaches for him through the cage.
The grinning Xazt easily snatches hold of the closest goblin to the cage, getting a handful of the rags that the goblins call clothing and holding him fast by it.
Lucas sidesteps the vermin-dog's attack and brings his Hanbo down ineffectually on the creature's skull.
The goblin grins stupidly, staring straight at Lucas and shaking off the weak hit to his cranium.
Carys holds her ground and moves her hands in a well-practiced manner in front of her body as she says, "The weak in mind must slumber!"
Carys holds her ground and moves her hands in a well-practiced manner in front of her body as she says, "The weak in mind must slumber!"
As the air around Carys shimmers briefly, the head goblin roars and seems to shake his head from side to side, then looks with disdain at the intruders, beginning what must be a goblin chuckle. The two other goblins caught in the effect, one of which was just grabbed through the cage by Xazt, succumb to feelings of overwhelming exhaustion, falling to the ground and snoring loudly in little squeaks. The effect dissipates as it is about to reach Xazt, and the haziness leaves the air around Carys' hands.
Upon seeing the goblin go down, Ariana stabs at the foul beast to her other side, quickly becoming used to her new dagger.
Attack:
Damage:
Confirm Critical:
Confirm Critical: 1d20 + 2
Ariana's blade stabs deep into the dog's chest as the foul beast rears up on two legs. The strike veers to the left at the last second, missing the heart by mere millimeters.
The goblin dog, reared up on two legs, howls and snaps at Ariana as she withdraws her blade from its torso:
Att:
Dmg:
The beast's yellowed fangs bite deep into Ariana's arm.
The head goblin, glancing at his pet's ferocious bite, chuckles and steps up to swing a massive (to him) blade at Lucas. The blade's worn, battle-bitten edge swings toward Lucas' neck:
Att:
Dmg:
The blade misses the neck, hitting the shoulder instead as Lucas twists to protect himself, but the large goblin snarls and drives it all the way through the shoulder. Lucas drops to one knee for a moment, straining to stand, then falls to the stone floor, prone.
The other smaller goblin, still on his feet and emboldened by his leader's vicious blow, swings madly at Eli:
Att:
Dmg:
The small goblin manages to connect, dealing a poorly-aimed blow directly to Eli's leather chestpeice.