With an exaggerated sigh, Gruhx leaps over the fencing and runs around the building again. As the claws slowly recede, he rips chunks out of the wall.
"YOU NO RUN!"
Madir will consider Gruhx's shout a sign to open the door and does so.
You enter into the room through both conventional and unconventional means as Gruhx slashes his way through the wall. You enter into a room that looks to have been the chief's treasury, as there's a large red chest in the middle of the room. There is, also, a mysteriously partially open panel in the western wall. Through that, you see Gutwad's form before it flashes away.
"Gruhx!" Oren yells out, turning to Trox through the make-shift doorway. "He's making a break for it!" He then steps through the doorway, gathering more power from the plains, and fires a blast of sand towards the fleeing goblin chief.
Free Action: 5-foot step
Move Action: Gather Power (1 burn)
Standard Action: Sand Blast w/ Pushing Infusion
"You's....no run!" gasps the trox as it lumbers around the building again, hoping over the fence. Make-shift whip still in hand it swings it at the wall.
Madir shouts for Black to move outside to Gruhx.
But his voice doesn't reach through the walls clearly enough. He then moves towards the opening.
"If Gruhx is outside, he is surrounded."
Oren's blast scours the wood of the secret passageway, effectively destroying the loose panel, to reveal a very frightened goblin chief. Gruhx leaps over the fence to stand right before the egress ladder that leads down to the ground.
As soon as Gutwad comes out of the secret passageway and sees Gruhx, he shrieks in surprise and tumbles down the short ladder to land in the mud at the Trox's feet. He immediately, from his back, puts his hands up in front of himself in fear.
Oren catches up, standing at the top of the ladder that the chief fell down. He sees the wretched creature cowering in the mud in front of Gruhx, hands out. He sighs outwardly and asks, "What is he saying?"
Tallvar follows behind Oren, peering over the dwarf down at the goblin chief begging for his life in the mud below. "He's begging not to be killed," he translates for the others. "Offering treasure in exchange for his life." The half-elf's gaze shifts to Oren, his eyes suggesting some uncertainty. "We can't just let him go, can we?"
The bald dwarf shakes his head. "No. We've been tasked with dealing with these goblins by the town. But I won't condone killing for it's own sake, either. He's surrendered to us. The fair thing to do would be to bring him to the town for a fair trial." Oren calls down to Gruhx, "Can you tie him up, big guy?"
"Tie?" remarks Gruhx, staring down at the goblin a moment. "It legs no long 'nough ta tie in knot..."
Stowing his makewhift whip, the big creature picks up the cowering goblin. Slowing looking it over, Gruhx pulls the length of rope back out of his pack. "Be betta ta use dis ta tie it."
The chief shrinks back when Gruhx approaches, but offers no resistance as he is bound. He grunts, but does comply.
Oren tries to make any sense of what the goblin chief is saying, but it's all just gibberish. "I'd say that you should be happy for still being alive, but I have no idea what the town will do to you. Still, it could always be worse, I suppose." He makes sure to strip the chief of any tools and/or weapons, then heads back inside to continue the grisly task of de-earring the goblin corpses and looking for anything useful. He tells Gruhx, "Maybe keep him out here. We know need to scar the little bastard more than he already is."
[ooc]Oren makes sure to hide the ears well, so as to keep them out of sight of the chief.
"He's not the first to mention bone men." Tallvar rubs one of his wounds gingerly, wincing. "That other goblin talked about walking bones too. It could be an actual problem and not just the rantings of mad goblins."
He steps over to the captured chief.
Oren shakes down the boss, and finds a few seemingly worthwhile items - five magical arrows, one potion, and a masterwork chain shirt and composite long bow, along with thirty two gold.
Inside the treasure room, through which you ran, is a beautiful red chest, though caked in mud and filth.
The chief addresses Tallvar, the only one to speak his superior language.
Yous not with da' bone guys? Den why you come kill us? We done nothin' ta' nobody! Da bone guys come a day ago...stupid shipwreck...we got da' treasure from dere, and da bone guys come from there. Now dey gone, an' yous come an' kill what's left. Scribbleface started it, stoopit' Grukluts wit' is stoopit' words.
Oren gives the goblin chief a stern look, "Nothing, huh? I suppose raiding Sandpoint is nothing?" He turns away, and speaks to the others. "Whatever these bone-things are, we might want to look into it. Could be further trouble. Can anyone get into this chest? Might be that they just want it back, but worth checking out the contents."
"Chest stuck?" asks Gruhx, digging through his pack.
Studying each item careful, he sets it down...coffee pot, glass cutter, ladder...finally procuring a crowbar and a drill. He holds the two items up for Oren.
"Dese 'elp?"
Gutwad gulps down his retort, then seems to suddenly get very quiet. He seems to have little more to say.
Taking a look at the chest, you can see that it's not even fully closed. There's a small wedge inserted under the lid, as if the goblins were afraid that they may not be able to get it open again. Looking inside, you see quite a bit of interesting items - six masterwork shuriken, 329 silver pieces, 112 gold pieces, a long hairpin with a red pearl at one end, and a gold and ivory fan depicting a gecko walking among cherry blossoms. The fan is quite smudged, as if someone with dirt or charcoal on their fingers was tampering with it somehow.
Madir stares blankly as the others interrogate Gutwad and inspect the items, perfectly content to leave these matters to those more skilled at it.
After verifying the contents of the chest, Oren turns to the others. "So, any thoughts on what we should do? If there are undead in the area, we may want to clear them out before they become a problem for more than just the goblins. Otherwise, we should head back and report our progress to the sheriff. Either way, I want to check out the rest of this village. Make sure that there's no more surprises for us."
You recall that the Sheriff wanted the goblin problem to be taken care of, which you feel you've done. Should mean a fine payday.
Madir's wouldn't mind carrying the chest so the loot can be tallied in a more friendly environment.
Tallvar kneels down in front of the chest, speaking a few words and passing a hand over the items inside. Ember comes to stand beside him, poking her nose in and sniffing at its contents.
"I'm willing to go do something about the undead before they start hurting more people," Tallvar says as he looks at the goblin loot. He glances down at one of his wounds, then shakes his head quickly as if to dislodge an unwanted thought. "I feel pretty beat up, but if everyone feels we should continue before returning to Sandpoint, then I can keep going."
Tallvar begins to poke around in the chest and, though he finds nothing magical inside, he notices something on the back of the fan. A crude map has been painted on the back.
"Don't get me wrong," Oren replies. "I'm not saying that we go trouncing through the swamp as is. We need to rest first, I think, in whatever shelter we can manager here. This is definitely beyond our original job, but it could still be a threat."
After some time in discussion with the others, Oren gets to work in fortifying the throne room and making it safe for resting. He sets to barricading the doors and making a serviceable camp, while putting the goblin chief in a place where he can't get into trouble.
Oren sets up a fine camp, and ties the chief up to the throne in such a a manner that he'll in no way be escaping anytime soon. Eli takes a moment to look at the potion you'd taken from the chief. He holds it up. This potion should help, if someone wants it. I can also see to your wounds and bandage them up so you'll recover a bit better.
Madir helps where he can for a short while, but suddenly loses all focus on the task. He and Black then rush outside of the goblin camp, and return about 10 minutes later, along with a large white tiger.
"This is White, my other friend. I believe she did not approve of my going to Sandpoint, but it seems she has decided to track me down after all. She will prove a capable ally, I am sure."
Oren eyes the large cat somewhat warily, but turns back to his work. "Seems that you've got all kinda of strange friends, Madir."
Tallvar tenses some at seeing Madir enter the camp accompanied by a huge cat. His fox companion tilts her head curiously at White, then stands with a grunt. Ember approaches the tiger, leaning forward and sniffing it a few times. Apparently satisfied, she sits down where she is, continuing to look at White.
The half-elf receives feelings of comfort and curiosity from Ember, and even a hint of amusement, but no fear or apprehension. He relaxes. "I have to say, I didn't expect you to have a friend like this lurking in the marsh," Tallvar remarks with a smile. "Any more out there we should know about?"
In response to the two of them, Madir explains. "It is just Black and White. The three of us have been together for a long time. I trust them with my life. As Black has done, White will gladly aid us."
As the others build up their lodgings for the night, Madir and his beasts will keep an eye out for any unwelcome guests.
Looking down at the tiger, Gruhx's eyes go wide. "Widdle froglet! I pet?"
Without waiting for an answer, he reaches out and begins to scratch it's back softly. "We see 'bout bone dudes 'morrow?" inquires the big guy with a yawn.
You settle down for the night, eerily in the home of the creatures you just exterminated. The chief puts up no resistance, having apparently been attacked by two potent forces, one after the other, and having nothing left. Surprisingly in this mysterious swamp, you go through the night without mishap. Perhaps the goblins had been here long enough to establish this area as dangerous for any potential predators.
The morning dawns with warm sun filtering through the leafy canopy above. Eli, having taken the last watch, is performing his morning worship as everyone arises.
Oren takes some time to meditate in what little sunlight he manages to find in this dank place. Once he finishes, he gathers his belongings. "We should take a bit of time to finish checking through these huts, then make our way out and find this boneman. Is everyone ready?"
You make your way among the rest of the huts, and find that there were only 2 buildings left that you hadn't explored. These two prove to be no more than additional housing for the goblins, and are currently unoccupied. There's nothing more of note in the village, it seems.
Once everyone is ready, Oren asks Tallvar to have the goblin chief point the way towards the bone men.
Double checking that everything has been replaced in his pack, Grux smiles at the group as they rise.
"Tis gud day. We's go-s whay-ya-wants"
The goblin chief leads you to the southern end of the village and points at a trail obvious to even a city dweller who's never seen the forest. The "bone men" came from the south, stumbling through the brush and over the somewhat moist ground .
"So uh..." Tallvar trails off. "There's a chance even I could follow this trail for a while, but maybe someone with experience wants to take the lead?"
Oren leads the way to the south, easily following the path left by the "bone men." The route follows along a rough path, and eventually comes to a bridge that crosses a wide section of this branch of the Soggy River. This bridge is a bit more sturdy than the last, and you pass without mishap.
Once across the river, you come to a stopping point of sorts where a cliff face borders the swamp on its southern edge. Here, you track it to the west, in the direction of the cavern that the roughly drawn map on the fan shows.
Soon, you come to a much smaller side stream with no bridge. A quick test shows the water is very shallow, and no dangers lie hidden as you make your way across. You have to do this again at a few small streams, but eventually you arrive at the location indicated by the map. Here, a fifty-foot high cliff rises along the marsh's southern border, its face a thick tangle of jutting rocks and bright green vines and nettles. A curtain of thick nettle vines partially conceals a cave opening at the base of the cliff.
Oren cautiously approaches the cave opening to have a look inside. "Well, if this is the place, we should probably take a closer look."
Oren approaches, surveying the entryway as he gets close. The nettles ahead cover the entryway, and will have to be pushed aside to see anything within beyond darkness.
Realizing what the plants are, Oren goes out of his way to hand the nettles with his hands. He pulls his heavy pick from his belt and tries to use it as a hook to draw the plants away like a curtain.
Oren pushes through the plants carefully, indicating to the others to be careful when coming in, as these plants can sting. You enter into the dark space and can see far enough in to see that, to your right, a side cavern branches off and disappears into darkness. The path straight ahead curves a bit to the left, and you see the faint reflection of light off of the surface of water in that direction, though it doesn't seem to impede the path as far as you can tell.
The ceilings in here are high for a cavern, but cramped for the massive Gruhx. Moisture constantly drips down from above to make slippery puddles and rivulets in the floor.
Madir asks Black to keep watch outside and will take White with him inside the cavern.
Tallvar enters behind Oren and Madir, being careful not to touch the plants indicated by the dwarf.
"Ugh, can't see too well in here," he grumbles. He makes a few gestures and says a few words, then holds out his hand. Several orbs of light shoot out from his hand to hover just above the group.
"Just be sure to keep those things behind me, would you?" Oren says to Tallvar, as he trails behind Madir.
Moving forward, Gruhx gets a sudden urge to turn back around. Pausing as the dwarf pushes past, he frowns. "Gruhx no 'ike widdle places. Buts mes follows yous."