Julio throws a dagger with astonishing accuracy. The goblin in the middle is shocked to find it sticking out from its shoulder and begins to scream in pain.
Blitz continues his wholesale assault on the far side of the barrier. His blade finds its mark, sinking into the abdomen of one of the goblins. Blood begins to seep from the corner of its mouth.
Akula begins drawing back the string on his bow but his fingers slip, causing the shot to ricochet harmlessly off the ceiling.
Savien shifts his grip on the goblin...
...but his hands slip and he finds himself face to face with a heavily wounded goblin.
Meepo gestures and sends a glob of acid at Savien's goblin.
The acid hits the goblin in the face turning it into a melting mass of flesh.
The goblin on the left yells something and turn around. It steps back and opens the door behind it.
The goblin in the middle jabs at Blitz, trying to find an opening in his defenses.
It misses wildly then takes a step backward toward the open door.
The goblin on the right, staggers in pain but still manages to raise its sword in a jab at Blitz.
The strike misses and the goblin's momentum causes it to pitch forward, falling onto the floor. It is no longer moving and blood begins to pool around the body.
Round 4
Those bolded below may act.
Gray Goblin
Blue Goblin (5 damage)
Blitz
Akula
Julio
Savien
Meepo
Julio pulls his last dagger and flings it at the same goblin.
"Meepo, what are they saying?
Akula snapped off another arrow toward the goblin nearest the door.
Blitz moves to stop the lead goblin from his attempted escape
Julio's dagger flies again with unerring accuracy, forcing the goblin into a half spin...but he barely holds his footing.
The pressure of the combat appears to be too much for Akula however. His arrow again goes high, ricocheting off the ceiling.
Blitz presses forward but is unable to land a blow.
Savien follow him, attempting the hurdle the half-wall...
...easily making it. He presses his attack on the injured goblin, bringing his hammer down...
...and raising a shower of sparks as the hammer strikes the stone floor.
Meepo yells, "They are trying to escape to warn the others! Stop them!"
He then rushes past Akula and Julio, pulls out what appears to be sawdust and blows it at the uninjured goblin. He says a few words...
and the lead goblin stops in its tracks.
The injured goblin behind it pushes it out of the way and tries to escape.
Blitz stabs...
Savien swings...
...both attacks miss. The goblin limps onward into the next corridor. Now that the door is open, both Savien and Blitz see a small room filled with barrels and crates...and another closed door on the far side.
Round 5
Those bolded below may act.
Gray Goblin (No Longer Dazed)
Blue Goblin (6 damage, Disabled)
Blitz
Akula
Julio
Savien
Meepo
Akula took one more shot then shouldered past the goblin practice dummies and toward the barricade.
Julio sprints after the goblin, "Get back here with my daggers!"
"Do we drag this one back in and question it? Or do we put it out of our misery?"
Akula's shot scrapes across the goblin's leather jerkin, passing inches from the thing's heart. In this case, though, inches make all the difference as the goblin whips its head toward the orc and bares its teeth.
Surprised that Akula's arrow didn't finish off the goblin, Blitz strikes.
And ends up merely scratching the runt.
The party closes in around the retreating goblin that is not (yet) dying. Blitz' stab slashes the thing around its waste. Fear is evident in its eyes.
Julio sees both of his daggers on the ground (within reach) as he clears the half-wall.
Meepo looses another glob of acid...
The acid sneaks between several party members and strikes the goblin painfully on the side.
Savien growls, sidesteps and tries to bring his hammer down on the goblin to finish it...
...and cracks the rock floor beneath the goblin's feet.
The injured goblin continues hobbling away looking back over his shoulder in fear but can't quite make the door. Meanwhile, the one that Blitz stuck with his scizore continues trying its best to escape.
Round 5
Those bolded below may act.
Gray Goblin (4 damage)
Blue Goblin (6 damage, Disabled)
Blitz
Akula
Julio
Savien
Meepo
Julio moves up to try and finish off the goblins.
Blitz tries to end the one at the door.
Akula went through the barricade like an avalanche.
Julio delicately pokes the heavily injured goblin right where its kidney probably is. The small humanoid crumples forward into its allies legs.
Blitz dances forward and narrowly misses the final foe.
Akula blasts through the goblin barricade, sending bits of wood and refuse flying.
Meepo looks over and says, "Wow greenie. You probably could have stepped over that don't you think?"
Savien growls and tries to chase down the fleeing goblin. Raising his hammer, he brings it down...
After killing the last goblin, Savien stands there staring from Akula to Julio to Blitz. Lastly he looks long and hard at Meepo. Finally he says, "Nah. Not worth it. These kids are dead and I don't care about Meepo's dragon. You guys keep the cash we've found so far and anything these goblins have on them."
He gathers his belongings and says, "Look me up in Oakhurst if you guys make it out of here."
And with that, he walks back the way you came, grumbling something about not dying for some dead kids.
As he watches him leave, Meepo all of a sudden speaks up and says, "That's too bad...Hey - was that cat always following you guys? Kobolds like to eat cats."
Sure enough, a small cat is alternating staring at Meepo with pawing at a door near him.
With the goblins dead Julio retrieve his daggers and watches as Savien leaves, "I think we have seen the end of Mr. Happy."
"What are you talking about Meepo? A cat?"
Julio turns to Blitz and Akula,"You guys finish up here and I will go see what he is talking about."
Julio moves over to the cat.
With the goblins dead Julio retrieve his daggers and watches as Savien leaves, "I think we have seen the end of Mr. Happy."
"What are you talking about Meepo? A cat?"
Julio turns to Blitz and Akula,"You guys finish up here and I will go see what he is talking about."
Julio moves over to the cat.
"My friend, if you think I'm going to let you open an unknown portal without, at least, giving you a proper back up. you are sorely mistaken! There is no telling what foul creatures are about."
Blitz accompanies Julio to the door if he moves to open it.
Akula said nothing as Savien left. It was the nature of these things. Not everyone could hear the wind, and even those that heard did not always choose to listen.
He nodded to his two unlikely companions and went about the gristly business of making sure the goblins were dead and collecting his arrows.
At the mention of a cat he stopped. He did not understand people always, but omens... those he knew.
"It will lead us to something," he rumbled. "Follow it."
Julio approaches the cat in parallel to Meepo. For the first time, Meepo has a dagger out and is staring hungrily at the cat.
To its credit, the cat completely ignores the kobold and instead rubs against Julio's legs and then goes back to pawing the door.
Julio opens the door and the cat meows and goes bounding in.
Squalor reigns in this long, low dungeon. Three small, horned humanoids are roughly tied with crude ropes to a large spike near the entrance. There are also three heavily rusted iron cages in this room, all of which appear to be occupied. The cat runs right up to one of the cages and begins pawing at the bars. Several sets of corroded manacles are connected to the walls, which remain empty except for the occasional crumbling skeleton. To the right of the opening is an open barrel (not shown on the map) which appears to contain a variety of equipment and weaponry.
"These people are goners! Best to just put them out of their misery and take the equipment!"
Blitz waits a few tense seconds and then extends his hands out in a "Ta Da" type fashion.
"What...nothing? Tough crowd!"
At the prospect of being killed for his gear, an all to familiar scenario, Mal'kolenth takes up a fighting posture as best he can in a cage.
Upon hearing he was a tough crowd it is clear he is totally lost as to whats going on. He asks to himself more than anyone something in elvin. His accent is sharp and jerky.
A shadow in the back of another cage murmurs, and the cat meows in return.A low voice now, the murmur made clear in the Common tongue with a lilting Garundi accent...
"Equipment. Heh. I don't have much but you are welcome to it. "
After a moment, as the cat rubs up against the cage door, tail prickling in annoyance, the voice continues:
"Not like I can do much about it. Master Timbers can do less."
The lanky tattoo covered orc moved forward and began to pick the lock on the first cage.
Julio enters behind Akula, "While I hate to see people imprisoned, it might be better to ask them a few questions before we release them. Simple things like who are you and why are you here."
Seeing the three tied to the spike he calls out, "Meepo come in here. I think we may have found some friends of yours."
A face appears at the bars above the cat. Dark skin, face marked with pale ink'd symbols. The face smiles weakly, framed by a shock of dark red hair.
"A wise move. I, I am Kessai Vora. A prisoner in the dark for at least four moons. The cat, he is mine. Mouf, say hello."
The cat ignores his mistress and continues to prowl around, back arched, tail frizzing.
"The drow, I don't know him, he was brought in recently. Mr Timbers, the gnome - he is dead now I think."
Meepo hurries in and begins conferring with the kobolds in low whispers.
Other Kobold: "Yusdrayl sent us to see what the goblins are up to. We came the back way and were caught."
Meepo: "I don't know why she didn't tell me."
Other Kobold: "The hobgoblin said he's going to throw us in the pit...Did you know they have a pit?"
Meepo sighs and shakes his head. He then draws a rusty dagger and cuts the three kobolds free.
The three goblins get slowly to their feet and move quickly out of the room.
The Drow in the cage listens closely to the Kobolds and the human woman, sill read for a fight, but when its his turn to speak his posture changes in a flash to a casual even friendly demeanor.
I am Mal'kolenth beldorobbaen artisan and vendor of fine metal goods from spoons to swords. I was just heading home after conducting some business near by, or what I hope is near by anyway, when I was ambushed by Durnn and his goons. I was probably spared for my skills.
Julio moves to the cage holding the gnome. He reaches through the bars and lays a hand on him and asks,"Are you alive Mr. Timbers?"
Kessai watches Julio with some interest.
"You know him? A friend, perhaps?"
The woman recedes slightly into the shadows. The cat stands stock still, and considers the three not in cages with a cat's usual baleful glare as the woman speaks.
"And, equally in candour, perhaps it is also wise to ascertain just who one's rescuers are?"
Akula feels the tumblers of the lock on the edge of clicking when Julio's voice of caution enters the room.
Julio reaches into one of the caves and turns over the small body. As Kessai mentioned, it is a male gnome and he is not moving. As you roll over the body you notice that the right sleeve of the man's ratty shirt is covered in dried blood.
"Does not matter who they are. They are no threat to us. They help, or they leave. They turn out to be enemies, we kill them. All are better than being in a cage." the lanky orc rumbled.
"Better to talk without bars between anyhow."
The first lock popped open. The second followed shortly after.
"Thank you good sir. If I may ask what is your group doing in such a place as this?"Mal'kolenth asks sweeping his hand to indicate the dungeon.
Kessai nods as the cage is opened. Her cat rushes in and writhes about her legs until she crouches and picks him up. She whispers to him and he visibly calms.
"Many thanks. Though I am unsure why I am here myself - last I knew ere "arriving" here, I was in Oakhurst. The gnome, Mr Erky Timbers - he was a cleric of...Sarenrae. Very bright. They took his holy symbol from him, and yet he said he had a plan to retrieve it. Whatever that plan was, it died with him."
Julio turns to address the dark elf, "It is a simple search and rescue mission. It seems that you have been added to the list of those who are to be rescued. Do you know of any others that have been captured."
"Sadly not. I was unconscious until shortly before you arrived."Mal'kolenth replies.
Then he says,"Well I suspect my goal has a goblin band between me and it so I see no reason not to help you look for people if you can help me find the tunnel home."
At the mention of 'a tunnel home', Meepo cocks his head and looks at Mal'kolenth, "The goblins control your way out...and what Julio is forgetting to mention is that these fine gentlemen are under the employ of the great Yusdrayl to retrieve our dragon." He blinks at the two former prisoners in turn.
Kessai shakes head after Malkolenth finishes.
"No others have I seen. Mr Timbers gave the impression he had been here for many moons, though tracking those was not precise...down here. The goblins delighted in torturing him...gleeful they were in their ministrations. As for myself, I think they feared me, unable were they to catch my familiar."
The woman puts Mouf down, and the cat stalks about her, rubbing at her legs and weaving between them contentedly once more.
"He is the reason I was captured - I merely followed him into this place, and once captured, was separated from him the entire time..."
"The dragon also falls under the category of search and rescue, Meepo. We will do as Yusdrayl asked but we can't forget about the ones we originally came for."
"So who else is on that list and how many have you found?"Mal'Kolenth asks as he walks over and looks in the barrel.
Mal peers into the open barrel and begins pulling gear out. Sitting on top is a finely crafted rapier that has a (brand new) deep scratch on the crossguard. Beneath that is a equally fine chain shirt that is crusted with blood. The pack beneath that feels loaded but certainly lighter than it did when you were taken.
-Oil of Magic Weapon
-Potions of CLWx2
-potion of shield of faith +2
-your masterwork tools
Finally, Mal pulls out a slender book from the barrel. Flipping through it, he finds it is mostly in tact...with only a few pages crudely ripped out.
Standing next to the barrel is a longspear with a long crack down the side that Kessai recognizes.
Kessai murmurs something indistinct and rushes to her longspear, frowning and murmuring a little louder but no less indistinctly.
"Vapashnikads! Dûmbattoo viparas!" she moans clearly, shaking the slightly bent spear in frustration. She looks in the barrel to see if snything more is to be found.