All good things fade... and the skeletons luck finally ran out. The hammer came own hard and swift and the skeletons skull exploded into old bone dust.
Zardu takes a step to pursue the zealout and hopes to put him down with his next swing of the scimitar.
Zinar runs outside trying to cut the zealout off
Zinar you came outside just in time to watch the man in robes tumble forward in a way that had to hurt...had he still been alive. Zardu's stroke cut the man down even as he turned to flee. Inside however was another story.
"Foolish man! The earthdragon's power will strike you down!"
The man in robes began muttering some arcane phrase his hand suddenly flashing in sizzling electricity.
However you were easily able to sidestep his attempts to touch you Gudleifr.
The dark furred feline charged forward biting hard into the man's thigh. He screamed out in pain as he swatted at the cat with his lit up hand, however the panther had already let go and crouched low hissing.
Gudleifr grins, as he switches his bone-dust costed hammer for a longsword.
"It is reckoned foolish indeed to walk up to an Ulfen with anger - and no weapon."
He strikes!
Zardu quickly moves back inside to deal with the arcane spellcaster though he tries to take them alive
Seeing the man in robes will not be a problem for anyone ever again, Zinar runs to where the man came out of.
The robed man cried out in agonizing pain as you struck him hard, a great gout of blood spurted out. Despite looking like he was about to fall at any moment adrinilin kept him upright. He was easily able to grab your arm after the strike Gudleifr and you felt a painful jolt of electricity run through your body. Your muscles locking up for a moment from the energy as he stepped back drawing a dagger out.
Another arrow streaked by high, it was clear the dark elf was worried about striking one of her copatriots as her cat leapt forward again. The man in robes was able to just step back from the snapping jaws.
Given the danger of the man's continued use of magic Zardu accepted he couldn't continue to pull his blows and struck!
Zardu followed up as the man stepped back and swung again.
The man collapsed in a pool of blood and besides the heavy breathing the room remained silent. . .
Gudleifr moves from body to body, driving the point of his blade of any foes who are being left for dead.
"Zardu, did you seize that one alive?"
"He collapsed, he might have some life left in him but not much." Zardu tries to heal the man.
"Bind his hands, I'll need to use something more powerful to keep him alive." Spontaneously converting to cure light wounds when the man is bound.
Gudleifr ties up the man.
"I spent a lot of time on ships and boats, so my knots are well practiced."
Kelisa pets the top of Untari's head, murmuring to him in a native tongue. After a few moments she says " Perhaps this was not a wasted battle. We have one for questioning, though I was not aware priest could call lightening. Is that common this far north?"
Despite your best efforts to keep the man in robes alive, your magic has no effect in keeping him amongst the living Zardu.
Searching through the house (im assuming a bunch of take 20's) you come across a couple of sets of scale mail, 2 heavy picks, 2 steel disks that resemble holy symbols (DC 25 religion check to recognize), a couple of slings, 2 pouches of sling bullets (10 each)
Each Priest had two vials each on them, one a silvery gray liquid in a bulbous small bottle, the other a light red vial.
There is a small coffer upstairs that is locked, but you find the key on the final foe you had felled. Once opened it you discover a cache of 147 gold peices along with a scattering of silver (14 peices) and copper (21 peices).
There is a journal written in a language none of you understand, but its iconography looks vile.
Downstairs you find several large wooden barrels of a dark sludge, no doubt whats been poisoning the river... it appears these 'clerics' were dumping the stuff into the river, then proceeding into town and 'curing' it.
"That was a lengthier fight than I expected, but we are victorious! I would take a suit of scale mail from the spoils. Less stealthy than leather, but a damn sight tougher. We have evidence that these vile clerics were responsible for the poisoning. Excellent."
"Let me take a quick look at the gear."
Zinar moves his hands in a strange pattern and mumbles some words in Draconic to cast detect magic.
Looking at the book
"The book I can read if you want when I regain my spells"
"I do not recognize what god this symbol goes to, must be a very old god or forgotten god."
Kelisa picks and prods the items gathered, have no idea what any of them were or was for, but the sludge she is interested in. After a few moments of staring at it she says out loud to her companions " If we bring some of this back, surely the wise men of the group could figure it out better?"
"This symbol is so familiar, I know I saw a picture of something similar before but I can't recall the context." He puts down the symbol before looking at the book. "I can ask for Saranrae's guidance in understanding this tomorrow, they may yet have allies in this area."
Zinar hands one potion of cure light wounds to Gudleifr and keeps one from himself, if he needs to pour it into someone.
"Who would like these potions of expeditious retreat?" as Zinar hold up the two vials with silvery gray liquid.
AS you all finished your search the ugly little blue humanoid peeked his head around the open door. After a moment of taking everything in. He started to hoot and hollar in excitement pratically dancing about the room. After a moment's celebration he started to babble excitedly, it was almost hard to understand his already broken common.
"Yes yes! killed them you did! My brothers and I can go back to gaining acceptance!" Chief will reward yes yes!"
He finished rushing out the door and running back the way you all came. From the way he was moving it looked as if he thought he could sprint all the miles back to the sewers...
What will you do now?
Gudleifr smiles as he accepts the red vial.
"These will keep us up that much longer! Now, let us return to base and report in. They will want to know that we are earning our way."
"Agree, though we should remember the location of this lodge for future. We might be able to put it to better use."
Blinks to her group and says " Should we not seek the reward from the Chief first? Surely that would be prudent. And safer, as we may have missed something." She felt this was not the last from this group, as they seemed way to organized and put together
"If the chief is closer, than certainly."
"I have never met a blue goblin chief before, sounds like fun."
"Very well." Zardu agrees before looking down at the fallen enemy wondering if they would find more of them soon.
Once the building was cleared you found the little blue xvart outside hiding behing a tree and watching. Once you informed him of the deaths of the strange 'clerics' inside he pratically did a little dance for joy. He took you back to the sewers, and despite trying to pay attention you found yourselves confusedly led to their lair deep beneath the city.
A large xvart named Pshildeplood claimed to be their leader and upon hearing the good deed you did for his people rewarded you in two large bags of silver and gemstones. With another guide leading you back to the tavern you started at, you stand there in the early evening with your mission complete. How do you folks proceed?
Once introduced to Pshildeplood, Gudleifr bows very slightly and replies:
"Gudleifr Hervardr. Your generosity speaks well of you!"
***********
Back at the tavern, Gudleifr turns to the others:
"Let's find a quiet room to examine the contents of these, eh?"
Assuming there are no objections, he will see what can be found.
"That was a rather strange adventure... but they were making undead so I suppose we stopped the bad guys in the end?"
" We helped out people in need. Just because they are not the same color as you does not mean they are not good." She nods, as if that answered everything needed.
"If I remember correct the Xvarts were once Gnomes."
"That is interesting! Victory and getting paid are more so though.", Gudleifr adds with a wink.
"Who said anything about colour? The Xvarts are just odd but certainly weren't summoning undead unlike those we went up against."
"Aye! I have no issue with the Xvarts. They gave us a job, paid, and did not try to stab us in the back or front."
You met the owner of the tavern in a small back room of his place as you were going over the contents of the reward from the Xvarts for getting rid of the zealots. After answering his questions about what happened He nodded and said he would be back with his part of the reward. He came back with a small bag of jewels and a letter for Colewin.
He explained that it was a letter detailing your fine work in investigating into the problems clients of his were having with a local cult and how you deftly solved it.
His job done, he gave a few names of captains to speak with in the morning should you want to return to Macridi by boat and thanked you once again.
Zinar does not care how he travels, as long it's not by teleportation again. Something was wrong with that caster.
Zardu pushes for the group to take a boat, better to make haste to report to Colewin about that group of hobgoblins.
Gudleifr considers walking, but the lure of the waves - and speed - won him over.
"To the boats, and we'll get to the next job that much sooner!"
Nods her agreement, hoping to get back perhaps not the fastest way, but the group seemed to want a boat.
The boat trip back was uneventful... despite the captain taking caution when you neared where the hobgoblin fort was being built. He of course looked skeptical at you when you insisted he slow down and take care, but you were paying customers of course.
Macridi looked much the same when you returned, albeit perhaps just a little busier... at least the docks seemed busier than when you left. The young man who led you to the docks for the start of your mission. "Quick" Thomas was dashing about the docks hollering about new trade laws taking effect,, and then advertising a new gambling hall opening up at the edge of the docks district.
Inside the compound everything seemed the normal hustle and bustle a half dozen young lads and one half elven female in workers clothing were pushing wheel barrows of some clay looking substance to the easten side of the walls compound being directed by Braendar StoneShield, one of the original founding members of your group. Most of you knew him for his smithing work about the compound. He gave you all a curt wave and went back to barking at the young folk with the wheelbarrows.
"No no no, dont slosh it t'all bout lads... eh n lassie. we be needen that muck a' little firm like before we smear ir'over the outer walls like."
He cried out leaving you all a clear path inside. The open hall was mostly empty one of the serving staff was hurriedly sweeping the floor as a maid hurried out of Colewin's office a tray with dirty tea cups in hand. She briskly nodded at you leaving the stairway open up to his office clear.
The sneaky goblin waited for the group to wander past, and then, still munching on a bit of moldy cheese, sidles up silently next to Stoneshield. "Who be that group?" He asks at the dwarves elbow, seeing if he can surprise the dwarf again.
"A fine stretch on the water. Now, up to the office and we shall see where we are going next."
" Perhaps some place nice and warm? Enough of the city will make your legs weak." Kelisa huffs a bit, having not made the journey by boat all that well, as she was still a bit green looking.
"I see hobgoblins in our future." Zardu heads up the stairs with the others.
Colewin was in his office standing atop a stool and looking over a very large map pinned to a wooden stand leaned up against his bookcases. You could easily see it was a large scale map of Macridi. Two large red X's were marked to the northwest and to the Southwest of the nation. Without turning around he spoke simply.
"How went the mission? Did ol'One eye give you the runaround? Did you sastify his curiosities with those blue creatures?"
He asked finally turning half around to glance at you all.
"About where on this map would you say that hobgoblin fort you ran into is at?"
The sneaky goblin waited for the group to wander past, and then, still munching on a bit of moldy cheese, sidles up silently next to Stoneshield. "Who be that group?" He asks at the dwarves elbow, seeing if he can surprise the dwarf again.
[dice=Stealth]1d20+15+1d6
"Gah!"
The startled dwarf excalaimed almost dropping the pail of mud in hand.
"Bah! You little bugger always sneaking 'bout like thae. Its one of the three groups that had missions over the last week, one of tha groups ran afoul of marauding Hobgoblins and went missing. No doubt master Colewin will debrief them and see what else needs done. You should head on in to the office, perhaps her stick you with them for the next go of thing eh?"
The dour old dwarf said with a slight smile still shaking his head at the sneaky little goblin. Why he liked the little pests he would never know but they did always seem to put a smile on his face.
"Okaygotcha. Rav go find out what long shanks do for. Maybe splain where dey mess up." He heads off, digging in his pouch for a horseradish root. "Maybe..."
Rav then heads into the office, not exactly sneaking , but not making much noise either.