"It will protect your mind from spells designed to alter it." Shenuska relents, a little. "It won't improve your attention span though - so pay attention in future! The last 'rogue' who didn't pay attention to me didn't like the results!"
Suddenly Shenuska looks terribly sad.
"Good tip, thanks!" says Rudrik as he leans down to massage his legs.
"This sucks. It's like when your legs get pinched after you sleep wrong." There's a pop sound as he straightens up and he says, "Dangit, this day is just wearing me out."
You continue southwest from the clearing for another two miles or so, following Captain Freson's directions. The entrance to the Bramblemouth cave opens on the western slopes of the same low ridge in the Churlwood that the Stonehouse is located on. Lush and prickly blackberry vines creep across every surface and obscure the dark mouth of the cave if viewed from a long distance, but the stale smell of goblin sweat and the sight of smoke drifting up from the cave entrance makes locating it relatively simple. The cave entrance appears to be unguarded.
"Someone needs a bath," Nime says wrinkling her nose. She waves her hands around herself as if to stir up the air. "Shall we knock?"
She steps forward and taps her spear on the side of the cave entrance.
"Hello? Is anyone home?" she calls out cheerily.
The ceiling of the cave is awkwardly low, barely more than four feet in height. A pair of walls two feet high made from piles of rocks and broken masonry divide this larger cave into smaller areas. The air stinks of smoke, sweat, and worse.
In response to Nime's call, two goblins pop up from behind the near wall with bows drawn!
"Goblins with bows and a defensive position. Great."
Knowing how dark it would be in there, Theo cast a quick light cantrip on his spear and moved forward a bit.
"Stay out of their line of fire."
Reckless and uncaring, Calendula moves in, her family's sword ablaze with magical light.
"Only two? I bet there's a trap in the entryway," says Rudrik. He pulls out one of his javelins and hurls it at the nearest goblin.
Rudrik's javelin catches one of the goblins in the cheek! It shrieks in pain, clutching the wound.
Theodric moves closer, and Calendula ducks and squeezes her way in through the low cave entrance. Up close, she can see the goblins have distinctive lip piercings--sure signs that they are members of the Bramblemouth tribe.
The goblins fire their bows at Calendula! One arrow finds its mark.
Rudrik hurls another javelin, but with Calendula crowding the entrance it's impossible for him to hit. "Eh, dangit," he says, and draws his gladius.
It was going to be tight quarters inside and, spear or not, Theo was not the sort for frontline combat.
"If she's charging in, you'd better get in after her, Rudrik. You're the only other person here wearing armour, after all." As he spoke, he gestured with his now-glowing spear.
"Want me to put this on something you're carrying - I know half-orcs can see in the dark but Calendula probably can't."
As Rudrik passes by her into the cave, Nime places her hand on his should and leans down to whisper secrets into his ear.
"That's why I'm gettin' this out," says Rudrik to Theo, waving his gladius. "Yeah, you might as well light something up for her."
He pauses quizzically as Nime whispers in his ear, looks like he's about to say something, then shuts his mouth with an audible click.
Calendula creeps around the wall and wills her family sword to shine with a holy light. It glows as bright as Theodric's spear and twice as far.
"Don't make me do nothin regrettable," she threatens.
Shenuska waves and part of the goblins barricades flies backwards towards the creature that Rurik grazed with his javelin.
Rudrik's and Shenuska's projectiles both miss their mark. Calendula's glowing sword illuminates the cave, obviating the need for Theodric to cast more light. As she emerges from the low tunnel, her light shines into an adjoining cave. The stink of animal assaults her nostrils, coming from two mangy canines that appear almost like rats grown grotesquely large--goblin dogs!
The wounded goblin fires at Rudrik, pegging the half-orc with an arrow, while the other one whistles shrilly. The goblin dogs yip and snarl as they rush at Calendula, and the goblin drops his bow, draws his dogslicer and attacks! One of the dogs sinks its teeth into Calendula's leg, and the goblin stabs her right in the back!
Not wanting to block the passage and make life more difficult Shenuska moves around for a better view and uses her telekinesis once again.
Rudrik curses as the arrow sticks in him, rushes in, and tries to stab over the low wall at the nearest goblin, to no avail.
Theo was a little disappointed when he saw Calendula's sword light up. "She keeps making me regret my spell uses today. First knocking out the guy I disarmed before his sword hit the ground and now this."
Moving up after Rudrik, he lobbed a blast of acid at one of the goblins behind the wall, more to keep their heads down than expecting to actually hit one.
Nime leans over awkwardly and takes a stumbling step into the cave. She moves up behind Theodric and passes along whispered words of wisdom.
Startled by the sudden movement, Calendula swings her sword at the passing dog.
Nearing unconsciousness, she stubbornly holds on, lashing out at the goblin who stabbed her before moving out from between the creatures.
Calendula hits the dog as it moves by, badly wounding it. She switches targets to the goblin, who ducks under her swing. Theo and Rudrik miss, but Shenuska beans the wounded goblin on the head!
That goblin runs away, falling back deeper into the cave. The other goblin and the vile canines try to take Calendula down. One dog tears at her with its teeth, and the goblin drives its dagger into her side, dropping the bloodrager!
Calendula bleeds on the floor in a sticky puddle.
Nime moves further into the cave, wanting to help her friend but unable to get past the intervening goblin dogs.
She whispers again to Rudrik.
Rudrik attempts to roll over the low wall between himself and the goblin, but hits his head on the low ceiling and fails.
With Rudrik going over the barricade, Theo ran up to try and help Calendula with the dogs, hoping his magical armour would be enough.
Shenuska again attempts to bludgeon the goblin dog from a distance.
Theo squeezes through the tunnel and stabs the nearby goblin dog. It whimpers and falls to the ground, blood spilling from the vicious wound. Rudrik clambers over the low wall and chops at the goblin, but misses. Shenuska's projectile bounces off the wall.
The remaining goblin dog lunges at Theo, while the goblin steps around Rudrik and chops at him. Neither one hits!
Unable to restrain herself any longer, Nime ducks even lower and moves through the tunnel towards her bleeding friend. With her trademark awkwardness, she attempts to move over the low wall.
... and gets tangled up with her spear.
Shenuska curses as Nime gets in her way and does her best to assail the dogs, despite being almost unable to see.
Calendula's slow black blood seals up her wounds, covering them in thick bubbling scabs.
The stone wall crumbles as Nime blunders into it. She falls amid the rubble, twisting an ankle.
The stone wall crumbles as Nime blunders into it. She falls amid the rubble, twisting an ankle.
Rudrik lashes out in a low arc with his gladius, slicing at his goblin foe.
Avoiding the dog's jaws, Theo retaliated with his spear once more.
Despite Nime's pratfall and a lot of misses, Theodric strikes true, dropping the second goblin dog. The other goblin continues to hold the line, stabbing at Rudrik again, but the half-orc parries its thrust.
Whoosh! Whiff!
Nime pushes herself back to her feet with her spear and makes her through the rubble to where Calendula lies on the ground.
She kneels down and touches the woman's exposed arm. There's a small spark of static and Nime breathes easier.
"There you are. It's going to be ok," she says. "Don't sleep too long, I think there's going to be tea later."
Calendula twitches in her unconsciousness, her state of being eased by a friendly presence
Shenuska finally makes her way into the tunnel, not enjoying the cramped experience.
With the second dog finished off and Nime dealing with Calendula (and sure that he saw her with the healing wand last), Theo instead moved to help Rudrik.
Theodric continues to prove proficient with his spear, stabbing the goblin in the shoulder. The little sneak shrieks in pain, clutching the wound, before withdrawing from the fight, scampering down the southeastern tunnel and around a corner.
"There going to know we're coming now," Theo remarked as he headed back to Calendula and Nime.
"You've still got that healing wand, right Nime?"
Nime looks down at her friend who still lies there covered in blood. Frustration crosses her face.
"Calendula?"
She shakes her head and then reaches to the end of her spear where dangling by a piece of string is a wooden wand, tied there next to her vest.
"I don't trust sticks that do magic," she mutters to herself as she pulls it free. "You never know where they've been."
She reaches down and taps the scarred woman with it twice.
That doesn't seem to bring her around so she tries again.
The woman finally stirs and Nime seems incredibly relieved. "There, there, sweetie. It'll be ok." She pats her on the arm.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," she says with resignation as she taps Rudrik with the wand as well.
Calendula sits up with a sour look on her face.
"Am I dead?"
"If you were dead it would smell better." Shenuska replies as she emerges from the tunnel and straightens, her nose wrinkling as she takes in the noxious aromas of the cave.
"No, sweetie," Nime says in a soft voice. "I touched you with a stick and you're fine now."