Mikos is unhappy about splitting the party, but hopefully the goblins won't be too thick between the Keg and the rest of them. He moves to the double doors and keeps them lit for Rodi to inspect.
The Keg moves through the narrow tunnel, a tight fit but no trouble for the dwarf. After about sixty feet, it ends at a small hatch.
Rodi glances at the doors and shrugs.
Mikos pushes open the double doors. Beyond is a curved room with doors to the east and south and an open passage leading west. A small table with four rickety chairs sits in the middle of the room, covered with dirty plates, cups and a set of dice.
A female goblin is engrossed in the exacting process of piling small bits of food into the ear of her sleeping companion, who rests his head on the table and is snoring loudly.
Keg opens the hatch quietly as he can.
Mikos rushes in after Ben's spray. Hopefully before the goblins can activate another trap. He moves to cut off a retreat into the west-leading hall and jabs at the ear filler and sleeper.
She is completely engrossed in her task and the other is asleep. Until Ben splashes them with acid!
Mikos blocks an obvious retreat and slashes at the awake goblin.
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The female goblin screeches as Ben's acid splash hits her, but Mikos cuts it short a moment later with a keen strike. The second goblin wakes, confused and surprised, bits of food tumbling from the collection in his ear.
The Keg sneaks in from a side hatch.
The goblin snatches up its jagged-edged dogslicer and hacks savagely at Mikos.
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Rodi shrugs and moves up to attack the goblin, rapier drawn.
for damage!
for damage!
Rodi moves in on Mikos's heels, taking down the second goblin with a stab high-low combo.
Looking down the west corridor, you see there are doors in that hallway as well.
Mikos looks a little startles as Rodi appears from nowhere and murderizes the ear candy. The human then looks a little rueful. "It had crossed my mind that we might want to question one of the goblins so that we might figure out who their leader is. Do you think you can pause long enough to talk to one first next time, Rodi?" He then collects ears for the bounty.
"What, TALK to goblins? Mikos, did you get hit on the head? You know they can't really be trusted, right?"
"I trust their sense of self preservation," Mikos snickers. "and their stupidity. It won't hurt to see if we can get some information or even get a goblin to throw their leader under the cart."
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"They don't have leaders, Mikos. They look like real, smart creatures, but they're goblins. It's like talking to a mobile vicious pickle." Rodi explains, as one might to a child.
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"Pickles with the attention spans of gnomes..." Mikos mutters.
"Yeah, yeah,Rodi, but remember, the goblins around here have been unusually well organized and we'll get paid if we deal with any leaders."
"If we kill them ALL, we're bound to have killed the leaders, right?" Rodi nods, his logic assured.
"Ok. Right. We'll just keep sticking our noses in dark holes and see what attacks then." There might be anote of sarcasm there. He gestures down the dark hall. "So, you want to check for traps, Rodi?"
"Now I understand how humans have become the dominant race." Mikos mutters under his breath.
More loudly he calls to the lurking Keg. "You joining us, Bruno?"
"Is that why humans have such big noses?" Rodi ponders evolution's strange ways with tall-folk.
Rodi shrugs and moves forward, looking around for nose-worthy holes and possible traps.
The Keg shoves the hatch open with a heavy grunt, "Oi! Izzat you guys. You leave a greenskin for me to stick?"
"Too Late," Mick replies as he follows Rodi at a safe distance holdingn the sunrod high to give him some light.
You move with Rodi as he checks the doors in the short hallway. He finds no traps, but the door on the north side is locked with an ancient, rusted lock. The double doors to the south are barred closed with a makeshift piece of bent metal... on your side of the doors.
The corridor opens up into the other half of the guard room. Rubble and sharpened sticks barricade the northern entrance, and there is another door leading south. A thin green wall divides part of the room, but it is otherwise empty.
Mikos scratches his beard at the sight of the locked doors. "I don't think there are goblins behind these. Let's stay focused on goblins for now. What about the far door to the south?"
"Mmmh, I'm guessin' that leads to some stairs deeper into this place, up or down, mebbe?"
The Keg looks about, "The far door it is ... but lets see what these rat bastards have on 'em, first." Bruno rifles through their pockets and bags, right quick.
Bruno checks over the goblins' bodies. Besides their dogslicers, they also have shortbows and 10 arrows each. Rifling through their pouches, he turns up an unusual collection: a mummified toe, a tarnished silver salt cellar, a stained handkerchief wrapped around a half-chewed piece of meat, a vial of white, viscous liquid, 5 copper pieces, and the handle half of a broken key.
Rodi finds no traps and hears nothing from the far side. The door is not locked.
"Ready?" Mikos whispers to his companions and opens the door.
Bouncing on his toes and cracking his neck, The Keg replies, ”Aye.”
Rodi nods and holds his rapier.
Mikos pulls open the door. Neither he nor Rodi can see anything beyond the short range of the light.
"Stick 'em!" a goblin screams. Arrows fly from the depths of the larger room.
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Rodi waits until there's light, then moves into the room with the goblin and attempts to stick him back twice!
for damage!
for damage!
"SONUVA-!" Mikos growls as a scavenged looking arrow lodges in the side of his scaled armor. He reacts quickly, holding the sunrod high and drawing his shortsword as he pushes through the rubble. He comes across a leering little creep and stabs.
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Hit Points 17/19
Spell Points 4/4
Hero Points 1/3
Resonance 0/0
Rest and Prepare
Medium, 5 ft. Space, 5 ft. Reach
Dwarf, Good, Humanoid
Speed 20 ft.
Perception +2 Trained
AC 12 TAC 12
Fort +4 Trained
Ref +2 Trained
Will +3 E?
Ben moves into the room and attempts to waste the goblin with his crossbow.
The Keg moves up next to Mikos and raises his shield.
Ben jogs into the room and fires his crossbow, slamming a bolt into the forehead of one goblin. With a surprised gasp, it falls over backwards, dead.
Mikos curses and rushes in to attack, clipping the second goblin. The Keg follows, standing defensively. Rodi chases the light and tries to stab the goblin, but it ducks for cover under the cot.
The goblin scrambles around and comes up beside Rodi, hacking clumsily with its dogslicer.
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Two camouflaged goblins burst from the shadows in the corner, jumping over the cots to wound both the Keg and Mikos.
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The Keg blocks the blow with his shield, taking a pair of dents and breaking the shield in the process.
He retaliates with a roar, his face ruddy with adrenaline, raising his broken shield as well.
"GAH! Mikos yells as the sneak chops into a gap in his armor. He bares his teeth and anger as he tries to deflate one of the bobble-headed monsters.
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Rodi stabs three times at the goblin!
for damage!
for damage!
for damage!
Ben fires again, but somewhat startled by the sudden appearance of the stealthy goblins, he spoils his aim.
Mikos stabs once, misses, resets, stabs again and pierces the goblin through the eye. It collapses, babbling.
The Keg retaliates, missing twice with awkward strikes.
Rodi anticipates the nimble goblin and times a perfect attack, felling the foe before he can duck beneath the bed again.
The remaining goblin shifts and keeps hacking wildly at the Keg.
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The southeast door opens abruptly with a loud creak and slam. Standing in the doorway is a mechanical man, glowing an eerie glow from gaps in its joins and eye slots. The automaton appears to be patched together with bits of mismatched armor and bones -- one foot is a wooden peg, and its left arm is one of decaying flesh.
A wild goblin dressed in a bizarre outfit lurks behind the automaton. "Kill 'em, Clanky! Kill da longshanks! Smush da dorfs!"
Stunned into silence by the unexpected appearance of the metal man, Mikos hears the pitter-patter of goblin feet to the north. "Bar the door, Ben. More goblins behind us. What are you doing, Keg?"
Seeing that Rodi has handled her goblin, Mikos moves over to help Ben out.
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"OK, he's slippery.
Rodi moves down next to the door and stabs at the metal man!
for damage!
for damage!
The largest of the Musketeers, Keg-thos, continues his fencing.
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Raise shield
Ben runs to the north door and slams it closed in the face of three goblin warriors rushing down the hall. There is no lock.
Mikos moves over to help the Keg but twists his footing on a patch of green rubble while he attacks. The Keg manages to take down his foe with a strong stab to the gut. The goblin makes a high-pitched squeal as it falls.
Rodi runs to engage Clanky. In the gloom, he's unable to see much more than the green-glowing automaton. He stabs twice, completely missing the first in the darkness, but slicing away some strapped-on plating.
Ben hears the goblins scamper up outside the door. They start trying to tug it open.
Clanky winds up slowly and throws a powerful haymaker at Rodi, missing high over his head. Rodi grins but then the automaton keeps spinning and hits him hard with the second pass.
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The dwarfs see the wild goblin do a spinning dance and everyone hears him chant some gibberish to Lamashtu, pleading for her blessing in combat.
"Rodi, where are you going?" Mikos calls out as the gnome disappears in the direction of a glowing figure. " Keg, I don't think Ben is going to hold that door long. I'll help Rodi and you help Ben. No good options here."
Mikos takes after Rodi to find him fighting a meat and metal mess.
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