Risbeth raises an eye at the goblins. "Well then, you three have a choice. You can attack us, in which case we kill you. You can talk to us, and explain what the trolls made you do, and give us information on them, in which case we help you out and maybe find you a place you can live in relative safety. Your final option is to run, but then you'll have to deal with the 50 humans headed this way with pitchforks and torches. Do you have a preference?"
The two goblins eye each other, then the party nervously. One of them, a greenish skinned fellow with crooked teeth and one eye that constantly squints, speaks. "Trolls is killing us tribe and taking us for slaves! They come here, want to get inside but dead-dog-guard am not letting them! They am trying and trying but dead-dog-guard am biting and clawing them and they am running back here! Big troll," He points toward the second story of the gatehouse, "Am making them keep looking for way in. There am 'nother troll and him trolldog on bridge, watching dead-dog-guard."
The silent goblin nods along and when he does, a strange amulet on a leather thong pops free of his shirt. The amulet is silver, and depicts a gagged skull.
Risbeth nods, and reaches into her pack and pulls out some rations, giving them to the talkative goblin, and then motions to the other two. "Very well, I understand. Eat and hide. When we have dealt with the 'big troll' we will see what we can do about explaining to his companions that they cannot enslave goblins." She grins whimsically. "I'm sure we can pound it into their heads that it's a bad idea." She then reaches to the bolt sticking out of her side, and jerks it free with a small grunt, sending blood splattering to the ground. "I don't suppose any of you people can actually perform healing?" She says to the people with her, who seem to be standing around staring. "And someone should either heal that one, or give him to the goblins for food." She points to the downed Zan0 with a small frown of disapproval over nobody with skills having given him first aid at least.
"Right you are Risbeth. I'll take care of Zanu and any of the other wounded, though you may have to look to Xerice for healing as I don't think my channel with help you."
Sonny pulls out his holy symbol and calls out to Sarenrae to heal his comrades (excluding the trolls)
Xerice eyes the amulet and grins. "Don't be so quick to let them go my dear. These goblins are in league with us after all." Xerice says to her companion and gives her a sly wink out of sight of the goblins as she steps forward.
"Dearies, who sent you? We were un aware others from the Whispering Way were sent here. What was your mission?" She says to the goblins with an air of superiority.
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The goblins look baffled by Xerice's words, at least until she gestures at the amulet. Then comprehension dawns on their faces. "That? Shiny amulet was in gatehouse. Mugwort find and wear because shiny amulet am pretty!"
Risbeth looks confused about the amulet...
...then looks amused as the goblins explain how they join 'the cult'. She tilts her head. "My friend likes to collect those. Would you sell it to her? I'd be happy to get Mugwort a new one next time we are in town. And I could see a couple of silvers for this one, in addition?"
The speaking goblin grabs the amulet roughly off the neck of the other and hands it to Risbeth eagerly. "Yes! You take, goblins leave? Goblins go far far away, no bother longshanks anymore?"
Xerice is taken aback for a moment by the possible honesty the goblin splurts out of its mouth.
In so much as goblins CAN be honest, these seem to just want to get away from this whole place. Clearly the trolls were not good masters...
Risbeth frowns, and reaches into a coin purse, and pulls out two silvers, and hands it to Mugwort, not the one that took the amulet. "You are free to leave if you wish, I already said so." She then pulls some coppers out and hands them to the other two. "Be careful, and avoid the 'long shanks' as you call them." Finally, she tugs free a very shiny copper ring from her finger and hands it to Mugwort. "For the amulet."
Augustus stands, writing stuff in his book of notes, observing the regenerating creatures with academic interest.
Mugwort takes the copper ring with reverence and promptly pops it into his mouth. He smiles, showing the ring wedged around two of his teeth, giving him a coppery piratical look. The coins are similarly taken and stowed and the goblins run off at a fast clip, into the swamp without a backward glance.
The gates open on a broad chamber with a vaulted roof. Two large fires burn in the room, and spiral stairways climb up in each corner toward the ceiling. The gate on the far side of the room is barricaded with timber and furniture. From the floor above you can hear heavy breathing, reminding you that the bolt that originally struck Risbeth came from above....
Smiling the big Investigator usheres the other forward. "My potion is waning!"
Risbeth grimaces, looking at the wound in her side, and then shrugs, and moves forward into the gatehouse, looking for anything untoward. She keeps to the walls, for cover.
From the floor above you can hear measured heavy breathing, as if a large person were holding their breath.
Risbeth looks around for stairs or ladders. She makes a shushing sound, and points up and taps her ear.
Risbeth get's the attention of the others, and points to the stairs, one by one. Then she points to her own chest, and points to the stairs closest to her. Then she points to the group, and then one by one to the other three stairs.
Sonny moves to the staircase in the back right and prepares to ascend with the others.
Moving behind Sonny, Caesare follows with his spear at the ready.
Risbeth leads the way up the stairs, emerging into two tower rooms connected by a north-south hallway. The one on the west seems clear, but the one on the east holds a nasty troll, bulkier and larger than the ones below. He cradles a heavy crossbow and fires at Risbeth!
Risbeth manages to pull to the left just enough that the bolt's fletching caresses her cheek, but doesn't hit her!
Initiatives!
Round 1:
26 Augustus
25 Zanu
17 Risbeth
12 Sonny
10 Troll and Caesare
4 Xerice
Risbeth walks calmly up to the troll, and slams her fist into it's crossbow...
Sonny moves up behind Risbeth and cast's Bulls Strength on her.
"Perhaps this will help Risbeth a little more in your punch never hurt. Well never hurt you at least, him it will hurt."
"Stop moving for a moment dear." Xerice says and moves her her left hand in an intricate motion. Dark energies surround her hand and with that she touches Risbeth which closes her wounds.
Risbeth's fist smashes the crossbow, which causes the troll to look momentarily confused before howling in anger! Sonny steps behind Risbeth and she feels a surge of strength in her body. Zanu slips up the staircase behind the troll and sends a wave of flame at it! The troll manages to avoid some of the damage, but he burns all the same!
Caesare checks his stash of acids and tries to squeeze to an attacking position.
Augustus chants arcane words to enhance the party!
"Ζεφυρ ωους ωιεννε εν αιδε!"
Caesare knows this is an advanced troll, a troll particularly adept at being trollish. He squeezes into the stairway to get close enough to act.
The professor murmurs his chant and the party feels invigorated!
The troll howls his fury and smashes his claws and bites at Risbeth!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Round 2:
26 Augustus
25 Zanu
17 Risbeth
12 Sonny
10 Troll and Caesare
4 Xerice
Xerice let's out dark energies once more, healing Risbeth's wounds while harming the troll
The troll is flooded by a wave of negative energy! It seems to wither his skin as it hits hit, but he fights on!
Zanu pops up from the stair and slashes at the troll. His sudden appearance acts in his favor, as he sword cuts deep!
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Sonny looks around and see's that there isn't much room here, "Can't get to him myself, I'll have to help you get him then Risbeth. Not getting fresh here." Sonny then pulls out his holy symbol, touches Risbeth on the back, and says "Dawnflower. Guide this Lady's hand in wiping this evil from the land!"
The prof wonders if there's something special about that bigger troll... If he finds anything special, he'll share it with the party.
After this brief moment, the prof looks deep in the eyes of the troll.
"I know everything there is to know about your kin. YOU ARE AN ABOMINATION!" shouts the old man.
"A monster that deserve no better fate than death. And a long exam of your organism..." he ends, licking his lips.
Thrusting up with his spear after inspecting the beast for a moment Caesare makes his presence known.
The Professor correctly assesses the troll and spits his insults at it. It seems to register on the big brute's face, making it easier to hit! Sonny gives Risbeth the guidance of his god and Risbeth uses it to hit the troll twice! Caesare thrusts at the troll with his spear from the stairs, missing the first time, but hitting with a vengeance the second. The troll gives a deflated gasp and falls forward, his wounds starting to heal.
Another application of acid stops the regeneration and the room is silent. On the troll's corpse you find a necklace of hands, three of which have hatpins thrust through them that sparkle with gems. Additionally a fine naval spyglass lies near the window.
In the room below you notice several hunks of best unidentified meat hanging from a gnarled length of wood that Augustus notices is actually a staff of swarming insects with 7 charges remaining! In the wreckage you also find a pair of bellows, a shovel, a sledge, a battered tankard, several pretty (but valueless) stones, 208 gp, and 345 sp.
The doors to the north seem to have been barricaded, and after clearing away the wreckage you can see why. A causeway heads north, where a golem hound, stitched together from several different predators sits atop the corpse of a troll and trollhound, pausing every few moments to savage the still-regenerating flesh of the pair.
Risbeth shakes her head. "What a minor nuisance." She looks at the thing savaging the troll and troll hound. "Friendly or another obstacle?"
"I don't know which it is, but it is eating the trolls. Let me see if I can communicate with it."
As Sonny says a quick prayer to Sarenrae "Lady guide my words and help your pitiful servant speak with this creature." his hand glows and he touches his chest.
He then calls out to the creature "Servant of the master of this house, we have been invited by his son, the Beast to visit him here. May we pass and see him?"