Can anyone speak goblin? It's more than a longshot to think they might be reasonable, especially given they have one of their own on a stick, but it might be worth a try. From their song it looks like food has been hard to come by for them too.
Polo looks again at the small, pallid creature that struggles against the leash around it's neck.
Then I suppose it's just as well that they don't seem in a very talkative mood...
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Holding the dagger tight in her right hand Lilith will lean into the doorway and call out in the guttural goblin tongue.
This place full of books. Taboo for goblins. No food here for you. Only death and sickness. Smart goblins hunt some other place. Very smart goblins offer to talk and trade with us.
The goblins continue to shriek as they close with you
Naaarrr! The meat speaks and steals our words!!! Kill it and stab it and take them back!!!
It is clear to see at this distance that the goblins are gaunt to the point of emaciation, their eyes are red-rimmed and you can see their ribs despite their swollen bellies. They are also now literally frothing at the mouth, possibly at the thought of all that delicious flesh right in front of them. Yum!
Grabbing his sling Azmerai shoots on of the goblins holding the stick.
Get back, you little green devils! You won't find an easy meal here! Polo shouts, a fizzing, sparking bomb held high above his head.
He hurls it at the Groaner-Goblin in the front, catching it's handlers in the explosion.
The bolt of magical energy springs from Lilith's outstretched palm and homes in unerringly to smash in to the chest of one of the zoblin's handlers, who screams in pain and gnaws his own lip bloody. Polo's bomb explodes on the groaner-goblin, coating it in flame momentarily, it's lack of response is unnerving to say the least. Its handlers unceremoniously abandon it immediately as it runs in to Lenneth's swamp and becomes mired, having seen you now its dead stare locks on and it begins to struggle through the swamp trying to get at you.
Handlers 1 and 2 scream in frustration and rage, jumping up and down as the fire licks over them, before pulling moth-eaten slings of their own from their belts and fumbling in a pouch for ammo. The two sling wielders also skid to a halt when they see their fellows stop, and load their own bits of fabric with whatever passes for slingstones in the goblin post-apocalyptic society...
Initiative is:
Lilith
Lenneth
Goblins
Everyone
If everyone could make a perception roll as part of their actions that would be great too :)
Lenneth's spell energy flows in to the zombie goblin, wreathing it in white energy, it shudders for a moment then collapses like its insides have been vaporised.
The goblins look at each other for a split second, then their song continues.
Tasty magic yum yum yum, wash it down with blood in tum! Smash your bones and suck the goo, we'll be eating your legs too!!
The words have an odd cadence to them, almost ritualistic
The goblins whirl round like dervishes, unleashing a flurry of sling-propelled articles at you.
On target but ricochets off the door-frame
A massive clod of dirt smashes in to the witch's chest, exploding in a cloud of soil and pebbles. It damage and blinds her round.
Hits but slams in to your mage armor (which is flickering now, duration will expire after this combat)
A fetid mass of sodden rags and things best left undescribed slams in to the gnome, nearly knocking him from his feet. He takes damage and is sickened round.
Fiddling with his sling Azmerai loads another bullet in his sling and whirls it at a goblins slingers head.
Polonius coughs and gags at the filth that splatters across his chest and face.
He staggers back instinctively and manages to splutter;
Dirty buggers. I hate goblins, I hate them.
He draws his sling and loads it.
The not-so-sneaky goblin holding the Dogslicer howls in pain and anguish as Lilith's force missiles seek and hammer in to it, it collapses by the side of the street.
Apparently inspired by their slinging success the other goblins are ignoring their fallen comrade and jumping up and down with glee, when Azmerai's return fire knocks one of them out cold. The gobbos stop dancing and again delve deep in their fetid sacks for more ammunition to use against you. Whirling their grubby fabric slings they send another volley towards you.
Big ones fall and big ones cry, goblins eat them when they die!
A lucky throw from the first goblin smacks straight in to Azmerai's chest, the very sharp stone does damage to him.
The other two goblin's sling shots go very wide of the mark, sailing over the house.
One of them then raises a horn to its horrible lips and blows, producing a horribly off-key note that sets your teeth on edge.
Reloading his sling Azmerai shoots the next stone at the one with the horn. Smiling at the puny creatures he moves a step closer just to loose his smile when his bullet goes wild.
He's signalling others! Even if he's just too stupid to realise that he shouldn't be drawing attention to himself, that blast will bring every zombie this end of town on top of us!
Polo looks behind him quickly.
We could get surrounded here, take them down quickly!
Abandoning any thoughts of using his sling, the alchemist opts for maximum damage and draws a bomb, hurling it where he can catch as many goblins within it's blast as possible.
After the horn is blown, the goblins crouch down to seemingly discuss something, but get distracted when flying lights dance right in front of their faces. It's enough to make them stay still long enough to be a prime target for Polonius' well placed bomb, which arcs through the air and falls right in to the middle of them. Just as one opens his mouth to start singing again, the bomb vial detonates and sends roaring flames bursting across the area.
The smoke clears after a moment and you can see chunks of goblin all over a 15 ft radius, lifting your spirits for a fraction of a second until you recognise the sound of more goblins rounding the corner. What you have just faced appears to have been one of their patrols, and this is the main force.
These goblins, whilst still skinny, appear to be better fed and armed. There are 4 moving ahead with notched dogslicers, and another 2 with shortbows following them. Lastly, you see a goblin wrapped in black cloth from head to toe, riding on the back of a skinless dog. It holds only a withered black piece of wood, but the others are clearly subservient to it. It gestures at Azmerai with the stick and hisses a command, sending its minions scurrying forward!
Holed up in the abandoned house, Valex was quite content to let the goblins waste their time vainly searching for them. Especially when he heard the horn calling for reinforcements.
Watching them from a tiny slit between the shutters, he reared back, surprised, when an explosion ripped through the ranks of the little green fiendspawns. Eyes wide, he turned to his travelling companion of the past few days.
"There are others here fighting them - and it looks like we might have a chance to finally get them off our trail once and for all." He weighs his options for a moment, eyes animated for the first time in weeks, then comes to a snap decision.
"Do as you like, and good luck, but I'm going to help!" Without waiting for his companions comments, sword in hand, he opens the door and steps behind the closest archer (move me in to Q2, please) and brings his sword down.
...but enthusiasm seems to exceed skill, and the tip of his sword buries itself in the mud of the street.
After being hunted for days by the same Goblins, Euron can finally see away to put an end to them while also helping the first group of survivors he's seen in weeks. "I spoke of patience while dealing with the Goblins but we have the upper hand now, I'm with you Valex."
Taking a deep breath and stepping outside he strikes at the Goblin next to his traveling companion hoping to take down the Goblins ranged options.
Focus Euron.
With a well balanced aim he spears the Goblin archer.
Valex completely surprises the goblin archer, who stares wide-eyed and involuntarily steps back, causing the sword to miss by a hair's breadth.
Euron's blow, despite somehow hitting with the bluntest part of the blade, skewers the goblin thoroughly through its chest, and it falls to the floor mortally wounded.
The goblins who were so intent on charging the defenceless looking group inside the house, fall afoul of Lenneth's swampy ground, slowing to a complete halt as they try to pull their boots out of the mire, mouths still frothing.
One of them noticed the newcomers to the fight however, turning and charging straight back at the man with the sword, it smells meat!!!
The ragged edge of its dogslicer tears a shallow gash in the man's forearm, and it smiles in triumph!
The archer stumbles backwards, hastily nocking an arrow and firing it in possibly the least proficient way you've ever witnessed. It aims for the human wielding the horrible spear thing that stabbed its mate.
However the shot skitters of the hexagonal plates on the man's armor, shattering the arrow as it ploughs in to the nearby wall of the house.
The rag-swathed goblin on dog-back shouts at its mount, then shakes the stick in the direction of the two warriors...
It then seems rather frustrated that nothing happens, and whether fluent in goblin or not, you are able to discern a large number of swear words being uttered very loudly as the stick is shaken even harder.
Grimacing at the cut - That blade is probably FILTHY! - Valex readjusts his grip and takes another hard downward cut, this time, at the goblin that sliced him.
As he fights, he racks his brain for everything he can remember about goblins...
I've only got one bomb left but I still have an alchemist fire and acid flask - I'm not useless yet. But if we don't take these things down now they'll hound us all across town.
He then sees the two humans plough into the goblin's flanks.
Look, we've got a chance! Lenneth, keep them pinned down, Lillith take my sling and bullets, I'm going to give that dog-rider something to think about.... he says grimly, looking at his last remaining bomb.
Seeing the Goblin fall to his Guisarme Euron locks his eye's on the other one wielding a shortbow. That's One.
Then strikes out again, as he turns to look at the rider.
Dropping his sling and starting to run Azmerai jumps over the bog to aid the flankers. Rolling over his shoulder longsword at the ready he smiles at the dogrider.
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I've only got one bomb left but I still have an alchemist fire and acid flask - I'm not useless yet. But if we don't take these things down now they'll hound us all across town.
He then sees the two humans plough into the goblin's flanks.
Look, we've got a chance! Lenneth, keep them pinned down, Lillith take my sling and bullets, I'm going to give that dog-rider something to think about.... he says grimly, looking at his last remaining bomb.
Lilith looks embarrassed and explains quickly I never learned to use those. I am better off with my dagger and club. Taking a deep, the wizard resolves to do more in this fight than watch. Pulling her club she double moves to O2 and threatens the goblin near her.
Valex's blow land squarely on the grinning goblin, chopping deeply in to its oversized head and dropping it instantly. Evidently distracted by the sheer amount of blood, he fails to recall anything pertinent about goblins that might aid him in this fight.
Euron sweeps his polearm through the feeble defence of the goblin, snapping the shortbow as it tries to use it to block, and shearing through its armor and ribcage leaving no doubt it is no longer a threat.
The goblins in the open are left puzzled when the sticky ground underneath their feet stops stealing their boots, and when Azmerai and Lilith run past, two of them change where they're headed so they can follow the elf and half-orc and hopefully stab them in the back!
The goblin stalking Lilith is so intent on being sneaky it is still busy watching where it is putting its feet, and consequently its sword blow goes way wide.
The goblin chasing Azmerai catches up and flings itself at the barbarian, goblinoid missle style, trying to use its momentum to inflict a grievous wound. It manages to connect, but Azmerai's durable hide shrugs off the scratch.
The last goblin warrior has eyes only for Polonius and charges straight for the gnome, hatred etched on its face, unfortunately it catches its dogslicer on the doorframe and completely misses.
The dog-rider continues shaking the stick at the two new arrivals, and is this time rewarded with a *pop* as a giant 5 ft ball of fire pours from the end of the stick, rolling drunkily along the ground before picking up speed and flying in to Euron!
Fire.. no Fire.. FIRE I WILL KILL YOU!
Attacking the rider
Euron spots the fireball flying at him to late and it catches him as he attempts to move out of the way burning his right arm and the side of his face. Clenching his teeth he fights through the pain not even screaming out. Do not fall. Do not fall. Locking eyes on the rider he steps forward and strikes out with deadly precision.
HP:13/22
After his alarm at seeing his compatriot emerge, glaive swinging, from the flames, Valex turns his attention to the goblin trying to hack at the elf.
His brings the blade up in a rising slash, but only catches the point in the goblin's shoulder, unable to strike its head. "Abaddon!" he curses under his breath as he yanks the blade out and back into the guard that his family's swordmaster had hammered into him over years of painful lessons.
As the small sword bites into the doorframe with an audible thunk, Polonius takes an instinctive step backward.
He reaches into his belt and pulls out a flask of acid, shouting; If you're hungry, why don't you eat this! before hurling the flask in the goblin's face.
Azmerai's mighty blow cuts deeply in to the swathe of black rags on the goblinrider, and it hisses in pain. Azmerai barely notices as the mount tries to savage his leg as he recovers from the blow
The rider begins to make strange gestures in the air, wailing voice building to a crescendo, when Euron's blade chops through the soft part of its throat, killing the building magic in an instant as the dead goblin topples from its small saddle. The dog ignores the blood soaking its back and bites at Azmerai again.
Hoping to catch the half-orc off guard the goblin behind him co-ordinates with the dog, slashing as Azmerai moves back.
The ball of flame is still burning, but now unmoving.
Valex's flashing blade scores a deep cut on the goblin next to him and Lilith, but it only serves to make the insane thing smiles wider, foam flecking its lips now it spins around like a dervish and stabs at Valex.
The goblin facing Polonius snarls and snaps at the gnome, until the acid drenches its features and it screams as the flesh boils from its face. Clawing the air and moving to throw itself on the gnome as a last revenge, Lenneth's quick moving dagger blade slices the side of its neck where blood fountains out soaking the witch and alchemist, as the goblins body sinks to the floor, the front of its skull melting away.
BAD DOG,you puny thing dare to attack me?DIEDIEDIEDIE
Raising the blade high in the air Azmerai brings it down in a shower of blood and gore, biting deeply in the wolf.
Turning around he smiles at the goblin a smile the only has one meaning. YOU ARE DEAD!