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When the gate explodes for the second time, the goblin reacts:
Hey, it's enough now. Let this gate alone. Next time we should install a curtain instead if monsters explode the gate anyway.
He's thinking that at least the new ones should burn well.
He readies an alchemist's fire. Pay attention, grenade
Alchemist's fire, moderate, inspire courage:
Damage, inspire courage:
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Farryn isn't sure what these rotting corpses are, but does manage to puncture it with a crossbow bolt.
Hannah casts Shield and readies a strike...
Ukh throws an alchemist's fire, causing the smell of rotting flesh to fill the air.
Niki starts Inspiring Courage, and tosses a rock at the injured corpse...
...which proves to be surprisingly effective.
The two zombies then lumber forward...
...triggering Hannah's readied attack...
..which is enough to chop the corpse in half, covering Jasariel, Niki, and Hannah in a sudden cascade of gooey entrails.
Jasariel (-)
Gedrim (-)
Farryn (-4)
Niki (-)
Hannah (-)
Ukh (-)
ZB (-)
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Seeing Hannah's blow strike down one of the zombies, Niki can't help but smile despite the sudden shower of goo covering her.
"The zombie's dead, you hit its head, good work from you.
They will all fall, outside this hall, we'll make through..."
Another stone lazily tosses itself at the zombie giant while she sings.
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Jasariel slices and dices the remaining rotting hulk of an ogre, two swift slashes carving it up like a turkey.
Shortly thereafter, there is a shout of alarm from the villagers up on the wall - a final wave of undead is headed your way, consisting of a pair of skeletal giants, surrounded by a swarm of human-sized skeletons.
The villagers pelt the lesser undead with a veritable shower of missiles, but leave the two big ones for you...
Niki (-)
Farryn (-4)
Gedrim (-)
Hannah (-)
Jasariel (-)
Giant Skeletons (-, -)
Ukh
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Hannah cheers on the villagers as they put their training to good use, "Last wave!"
She then summons forth her protective Shield and readies a Strike with her Halberd.
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Farryn thinks that these are skeletal goblins... and that they must be vulnerable to Slashing weapons.
His subsequent crossbow shot misses.
Gedrim, on the other hand, realises that they are skeletal giants - no weaknesses, but resistant to Cold, Electricity, Fire, Piercing, and Slashing attacks.
His force missile barrage works just fine, though!
Hannah casts Shield and readies an action.
Jasariel casts Shield, and readies an action.
Blue moves forward, and starts attacking from 15' away...
...injuring Jasariel.
Fortunately, the other one then moves in, and gets pounded by Hannah and Jasariel, but it starts taking its own swings...
...dropping Jasariel.
Niki starts Inspiring Courage, then tosses a rock at Red...
...which misses.
Ukh (-)
Niki (-)
Farryn (-4)
Gedrim (-)
Hannah (-)
Jasariel (-28; Unconscious; Dying 1)
Giant Skeletons (-8, -27)
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Jasariel grimaces as the skeletons' glaives shatter her protective disk and slam into her armor with bone-jarring force, but she manages to keep her footing. She steps back from the front line and pulls out the healing potion she acquired earlier before chugging it.
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Farryn looks down at his bow and drops it to the ground, "Dang weapon only does piercing, it's useless in a fight where we need slashing!"
He goes to his pouch to grab a flask of something and looks through his set of options while mumbling, "Well I have one fire and three acids, maybe I'll use the big fire one..." he watches Ukh lobbing ten vials of fire, "...or maybe I'll see what acid does, we already have a good experiment rolling with fire."
He steps into range, lobs a flask and then pulls an elixir out.
for 2 Acid Damage on hit or 1 on a miss. A hit also adds 1d6 Persistent Acid Damage. A Fumble does nothing.
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"Good work everyone!" Niki continues cheering people on, (mostly through song), because, well, what else can she do?
There are occasional disadvantages to being a very small, loud, and not at all combative gnome.
"Fight, fight, all your might
Put these things to rest this night
Smash, stab, slash and burn
Make them all to graves return
For once a rock doesn't leap through the air at her song. Instead, missiles of pure force unerringly (albeit weakly) smash into the largest skeleton.
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Ukh throws alchemist fires, but only does a small amount of damage, thanks to the skeleton's resistance.
Niki keeps singing, then dumps some force missiles into it, cracking a single rib.
Farryn lobs a flask of acid, which also misses, dissolving part of a nearby wall.
Gedrim summons a dog, which, presented with so *much* bone, isn't sure what to do with itself...
The skeleton swings at the dog...
...chopping it in half, then Steps forward, and swings at... Niki!
Fortunately, it is only a glancing blow.
Ukh (-)
Niki (-8)
Farryn (-4)
Gedrim (-)
Hannah (-)
Jasariel (-17)
Giant Skeletons (-14)
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Ukh melts the skeleton slightly, and then Hannah...
...slices the skeleton in half, from sternum to pelvic girdle.
With the final skeletal giant down, the party hears a shout of joy from the villagers, one of whom breathlessly informs them that the remaining undead are no longer attacking and the battle is over.
Most of the villagers are at least bruised, and several have serious wounds and a couple have broken bones, but thanks to your tireless work upgrading the keep and shoring up defenses, every villager survived!
Narsen thanks you profusely for your help, and assures you that this has firmly cemented the relationship between Razmiran and the Pathfinder Society, and that he hopes for many years of productive and mutually beneficial cooperation.
The next week, a group of new Pathfinders arrives, relieving the party, and letting them return home.
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Before leaving, the goblin gives an advice to the new Pathfinders.
Take care of the gate! It costs a lot. It's was made by an expert well-known artisan. I will come back to see if you handle it well. So be careful with it. If somebody explodes it, rebuild it as it was previously. That's not a curtain.
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This prompted a long and arduous journey to Kaer Maga, but finally, you have arrived!
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Laughter and shouts rise from the boisterous crowd that occupies the cheaply furnished tavern room at the Sorry Excuse inn. The staff move from table to table with practiced efficiency to take orders and deliver pints of frothing ale. Four hobgoblins seated near the entrance size up everyone who enters and ignore the mugs on their table.
When they spot you, the biggest Hobgoblin, who wears well-made equipment that is utterly unadorned save for the flag of Oprak at her shoulder, visibly relaxes, and comes over to introduce herself.
"Greetings Pathfinders! I am Sergeant Drussem."
She then turns to address the others.
"Iolite Squad! Fall In!"
The other three hurriedly come over, and snap to attention.
Drussem nods towards a lanky hobgoblin male wearing a belt bristling with small bladed weapons, who insists on shaking hands with everyone.
"That's Akraq."
She then nods towards a red-haired hobgoblin female wearing goggles, who appears to be wearing a necklace of fireworks, with which she is constantly fiddling.
"That's Gintka, our sapper."
She then nods towards a heavily scarred hobgoblin male, with *many* scars crossing his head, who rips off a drill-perfect salute.
"That's Ozaril, our scout."
Drussem then turns back to the party.
"My squad is ready to move out. Just say the word."
Empathizing that hobgoblins might not be entirely accepted here, Thorax tries to get a read on the room, to see whether any Longshanks might've had too much ale and are looking for a fight...
...but being short in a crowded room is difficult.
"Thorax Toothlicker!" he exclaims, while reaching up to shake the Sergeant's hand and pat him on the back. "And this Jydno, Orica, Ulthun," he goes on down the list of who's in attendance, trying to introduce everyone in a positive fashion.
Knowing that they have a mission at hand, but also having just arrived, Thorax's stomach grumbles in protest.
He asks the other Pathfinders, "Just one bite?" which he emphasizes with big, sorrowful eyes.
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Hobgoblins among the Pathfinders... why not lizardfolks too? Where does the Society go? Well, they ask of course a dwarf to teach these ones how to handle situation, but why are they looking for difficulties and not engage simply good ancestries? Well it can be discussed to know if elven should be involved or not... That's not easy to set the cut between which one should be allowed or the ones who shouldn't be. In the case that's the result of politics. And what politics want isn't always what should be done. So the dwarf will remain suspicious.
The dwarf is pleased to know that the challenge will occur in a dwarf site anyway. That's a good choice for sure. So at least they will see how dwarden worked here.
The hobgoblins are commanded by one of them. Let's hope this one is clever, because otherwise it will become difficult, for the Pathfinders and for the three others hobgoblins.
Once the presentations occur, he plays the game:
My name's Dran'Thor from the Dran'Thil family and from the Torgin's clan.
He looks seriously at each of the new recruit to try to discern something.
Perception:
And then Thorax wants to eat...
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Hobgoblins... not great fans of the arcane, if I recall correctly? Have to be careful with that then. These four seem like they'll be reasonably competent though, so hopefully there won't be much need for magical intervention.
"Greetings," Adalan says with a slight nod after Sergeant Drussem introduces her squad. "I'm Adalan Mussara. We look forward to seeing what you can do, and providing you some idea of what life in the Society is like. If I may ask, did you all volunteer for this mission or were you assigned to it?"
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The stocky goblin with gorgeous hair enters as the others are introducing themselves. He sizes up the competition a bit and shrugs, "Bearman atyur servahce. Less gehsum food an drink ando a propah intrahduction."
He waves over the server and orders enough to feed twice as many as they have, plus drink for three times.
Once they all settle for food he adds, "Mosta missuns are jus 'searchaplace an figh stuff', y'all goodwidat?"
He keeps steeling glances at Gintka who is looking pretty hott with her gorgeous locks bouncing as she moves.
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The Hobgoblins look mildly aghast at Thorax's intention to engage in R&R before the mission starts.
Nevertheless, they are somewhat curious about Thorax and Bair.
"How did the two of you end up in the Society? Has it been welcoming to Goblinoids? You are about some pretty racist and slanderous attitudes out there..."
They acknowledge Dran'Thor with a stiff nod, and look a bit uncomfortable with Adalan, seeing from his attire that his not, exactly, a warrior.
They shrug, and shake their heads.
"Becoming Pathfinder agents was not exactly our first preference for an assignment, but we all recognise that we are among the best hobgoblin candidates for such a mission, and take pride in that. After all, the Pathfinder Society has much to offer in terms of knowledge, resources, and practical experience, and practically, we hope that our presence can help to ingratiate hobgoblins with others throughout the Inner Sea."
"How did the two of you end up in the Society? Has it been welcoming to Goblinoids? You are about some pretty racist and slanderous attitudes out there..."
"Eh," Thorax says between bites of fried potatoes and turkey drumsticks, "Longshanks accept us 'bout as much as Dran'Thor accepts elves. But one thing we all agree on - undead the worst! We need all the friends we can get!"
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The Hobgoblins nod in agreement.
"Ah, Elves. That is something, at least, that we and the Dwarf can agree upon."
The roads surrounding Kaer Maga are generally well traveled, and the Pathfinders and Iolite Squad cross paths with many people as they make their way south. The hobgoblins do their best to appear friendly, but most travelers give the group a wide berth, some even moving to the side of the road to allow the armed hobgoblins to march by.
The party and their Iolite Squad companions make their way along the road several hours south of Kaer Maga before looking for a spot to rest for the night...
The path winds through the rugged, wooded foothills for several miles before opening onto a small ravine. A dilapidated homestead lies in ruin to the south, and a nearby campfire sheds flickering illumination on the surrounding outcroppings.
Suddenly, the evening air is filled with the sound of screams, shouts of alarm, and the baying of wolves... it would appear that the other campers are under attack!
One of the screams reaches a high pitch, and is then suddenly cut off...
WW (-, -)
EW (-, -, -)
Bair (-)
Thorax (-)
Dran'Thor (-)
Deshacerla (-)
Adalan (-)
Mara (-)
Thorax shouts out in Goblin, "DOGS!!"
He Quickdraws his newly acquired bottle of lightning and throws it at the turquoise-furred wolf...
...then frowns, and decides to go with the always effective alchemist fire...
...then sighs and just draws his Dogslicer. It was designed for this type of enemy, after all.
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'Hobgoblins, huh?' considers the gnome, glancing towards the two goblinoids she'd grown accustomed too. 'Well, I suppose it was inevitable.'
With a stiff curtsy, she smiles. "Deshacerla, Herald of the Lady of Graves. They call me DC for short." she replies with a thumb towards Thorax. "Be it your time for judgment, I'll hasten your travel. If she's not ready for you, I might prolong your existence."
"Pleasure or not, is yet to be determined. You keep your end, and we'll do the same. Personally, I care not what bosom birthed you. We all have our purpose in this plane."
==========================================
With a heavy sigh, DC cups her hands around her mouth and shrieks at the incoming wolves. While there seems to be no noise in the immediate area...two of the wolves hear a sudden burst of female gnome annoyance!
Wiping some spittle from her chin, she smiles. "Well, that should at least get their attention." and quickly moves to the other side of Adalan.
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Upon seeing wolves, Adalan begins a lengthy series of arcane gestures and complex incantations which cause a circular ripple to appear in the air fifteen or so feet off to his right. The shimmer intensifies until it forms a sizable sphere of undulating distortion, at which point it disgorges a wild boar in mid-charge. As the portal through which it emerged vibrates back into nonexistence, the boar surges towards the middle wolf and does its best to gore the creature.
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Bair charges forward, narrowly missing the wolf.
Thorax, likewise, misses with both thrown vials.
Deshacerla sonic booms two of the wolves...
...one of whom starts bleeding from its ears.
Adalan then summons a boar, which squeals in rage, and plows into the surprised wolf.
WW (-, -)
EW (-, -31, -7)
Bair (-)
Thorax (-)
Dran'Thor (-)
Deshacerla (-)
Adalan (-)
Mara (-)
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The dwarf is doubtful about the hobgoblins but stays quiet. We can not know. Perhaps they will surprise him. Well that's a joke.
When they meet the wolves the dwarf can't send any fireball because of allies in the perimeter. So he casts Magic fang upon his new helpful companion.
Go and show us what you can.
The smilodon tries to hit the purple one.
Pounce:
Damage:
Sneak:
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The big cat pounces forward, but misses.
Mara Strides into a flank, and tries to slice-and-dice Cyan...
...but misses.
"Alright squad, time to represent! Ready! Aim! Fire!"
The hobgoblins fire a volley of arrows...
...severely wounding the already injured wolf.
Howling, the big wolves Stride in, and start chomping...
Bair is hit once, but the boar is torn asunder.
As it dies, it lashes out...
...eviscerating the heavily wounded wolf.
The two remaining 'small' wolves target the big cat...
...but only hit once, doing minimal damage.
WW (-, -)
EW (-, -7)
Bair (-18)
Thorax (-)
Dran'Thor (-)
Smilodon (-9)
Deshacerla (-)
Adalan (-)
Mara (-)
Thorax narrows his beady little eyes at the orange-furred wolf and glints his dogslicer in the sunlight...
...and then strides forward to shank it!
+1 Striking Shifting Dogslicer :
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Thorax intimidates (and shanks) Orange, who yelps in pain.
Dran'Thor targets Red with a blast of electricity...
...and then his Cat mauls Orange, who is starting to look quite bloody.
WW (-, -22; Clumsy 2; Persistent Electricity 3)
EW (-, -42)
Bair (-18)
Thorax (-)
Dran'Thor (-)
Smilodon (-9)
Deshacerla (-)
Adalan (-)
Mara (-)
Sneak: 1d6 ⇒ 1