Razkiv moves to guard the entry wile his friends move in behind him.
@Loth: Your dark clothes blend into the shadows around you and you miss almost all of the dried nettles at your feet as you look down a pair of "hallways", tunnels through the thorns. You can hear goblins somewhere in the nettle-patch, but you don't see any of them.
@Bumbo: (Going to take some liberties here, feel free to say NO to any of this....) As Bumbo scrunches up to squeeze through the narrow gap in the brambles, he accidentally lets out a small burp. Catching his breath, the embarrassment is all he can focus on (bad perception roll). Toot looks at Bumbo with obvious disdain as he manages to step twice as lightly even though he has twice as many feet. Toot hears the same as Loth, but cannot see any goblins.
@Aventail: You cut an imposing figure, and see nothing moving up behind the party.
@Razkiv: Guarding the entry and acting as rear-guard, you can see into areea C2:
No goblins from your point of view either.
"There's goblins nearby. Stay on your toes.
Loth slowly proceeds further and peers around the corner.
Bumbo follows along oblivious, but tenses up at Loth's words. He immediately looks about for these goblins and the danger they pose, but can't see anything out of the ordinary. Toot, more well versed in dealing with such physical dangers, merely follows Loth's lead.
Loth moves up, quieter than the laughing and jeering goblin voices coming from somewhere within this tangle. Rounding the corner, you can see a crude wooden fence ahead (the thick red line I placed near C5). Shadows of movement come from the other side, but Loth cannot tell what is beyond it. He can guess that whatever it is, isn't goblins.
Loth sneaks further until the path opens up, and takes yet another careful look.
Bumbo seems to want to follow Loth more closely, but he looks to the others and stays put, waiting and watching.
Loth, be careful!
Razkiv holds position watching for a patrol, once everyone is in Aventail can guard the rear, for now it was to him to protect the flank.
@Loth: Peeking around the corner, Loth sees:
Moving up just that little bit further, your nose catches a whiff of something from the east (C5) that makes you want to sneeze. And your eye sees the silhouette of dog?
But that can't be right. Goblins HATE dogs. But you've people use the phrase "goblin dog" before. You're not sure what they are (K(Nature)), but know (from context) that goblin tribes keep them like actual dogs.
You could sneak closer to the "dogs" for a closer look. Or continue on north. Investigate the hole? Ask your team about goblin dogs? The options are endless.
Which do you choose?
Loth informs the rest of the group, admitting some uncertainty about the goblin dog thing. However, he sees no reason to steer away from course and continues scouting northward.
The druid moves to follow the others, walking through the briers when the paths narrow.
As Loth rounds the corner, one of the "dogs" immediately starts barking at him, quickly drawing the other 3 to do the same. They crowd the fence as the drool and spit flies from their mouths. At the same time, a small cougar rounds the hedge in front of Loth, and seems wary of him. Also at the same time, the goblin druid steps out of the brambles to the north in room C3, and is shocked to see a group of non-goblins already even this far into their lair.
He shouts out in
INITIATIVE!
So Loth has won the Initiative and gets to act before the bad guys. And remember two things; 1) Squeezing rules for those who it applies to. 2) These are the enemies you can see......
"Damn!" Loth mutters, and he instinctively dashes towards the goblin shouting what he assumes to be an alert for the other goblins. With both daggers, he attacks!
They definitely would have, if someone had asked. To be generous, THIS ONE TIME, everyone can get back hit points. Presume Father Zantus healed everyone.
Now, its GOBLIN TIME!!!!
Looking down at the knife wound leaking blood from his rib cage, the druid-y type goblin yells something out in a mewling type sound, and cast a spell (after stepping back, of course). Plants from all around begin to grow with alarming speed; centered on Mizzug, they grow and cling and ENTANGLE. Reflex Save will be DC 14
The cougar moves up and waits at the edge of the wildly growing plants. And tromping sounds can be heard from elsewhere in the bramble patch.
Everyone is up, the surprise has been lost, what will you do?
Finding herself covered in thorny vines, Mizzug eyes the goblin. "No is fair. Yas shud no do dat!"
Pulling against the vines, she finds herself unable to move. "I's stuck!"
"Tch!" Loth mutters, loathe to let the druid go away, but understanding he's outmatched, moves into the bramble to regroup... but not before sneaking in one last attack.
He then moves to regroup as he draws another dagger. The fancy one he got at the Swallowtail Festival.
He doesn't get far.
Bumbo lets out a Yeep! as the vines start to writhe and rise. He leaps back somewhat deftly for his physical stature, and whispers loudly as he steps out of the area. Fall back...right?
Toot lets out an unpiglike roar and rips at the vines as the try to grab him.
Toot rips the vines away and roars as he charges forward to Loth's side, hoping for a fight. Bumbo sighs and throws up his hands.
The Druid attempts to break free from the vines. failing that and only able to see his friends the druid waits.
@Dol: Copy that, readied action.
@Mizzug: If your DR doesn't come from raging, then correct on the no damage part.
@Loth: 1 non-lethal damage from the dagger throw, and you are officially stuck as well.
@Bumbo: Doing well. With the entangle anyway. Just noticed that Bumbo's HP is already pretty low.....
@Razkiv: Keep the SR, but please continue to remind me about it as I will forget again. Entangle does not, however, concern itself with SR.
Aventail gets entangled by the weeds, but the thorns do little more than scratch the paint, as it were. Still, she rips them free form her body and steps up to form a line with Dol and Razkiv.
Smiling maliciously, the goblin spouts off some words in
He gets furious when it doesn't seem to work and stomps the ground, bouncing up and down as he does so.
You guys are up. Loth and Toot can see movement through the thick tangles from behind the angry goblin druid.
|
"I don't know what that spell was, but from what he said, I think he didn't realize Toot wasn't a normal pig."
Dol struggles to free himself from the vines, then struggles forward.
"I suppose there is no retreat now, but we're going to be in a heap of trouble when the other goblins show up. I should be able to hide us from their bows."
"We could cut our way to the bridge and make our stand there! The way things are right now, they could come from anywhere, at least there we can't be blindsided as easily!"
Loth manages to slip out of the thorns and moves back to the others. "I think that druid's getting reinforcements. Dol. I think more goblins are coming sooner rather than later!"
Aventail coolly loads her heavy crossbow...
The druid works to pull himself free again.
Rentching himself free the druid moves deeper into the brambles moving back to help cover Bumbo. From the cover of the hedge he whispers to the Gnome. "I am right here beside you."
Gah! Bumbo jumps in surprise, then calms and gives a resolute nod to Raz. Steeling himself, he hurls a stone at the goblin from his sling.
Toot, ignoring any caution, rushes towards the goblin, roaring a challenge!
Mizzug struggles against the vines, breaks free, and manages to stay free (for her next turn).
The cat waits eagerly for her prey to come close enough to strike.
Gogmurt steps back from Toot after narrowly avoiding his tusks. The crafty goblin looks to his right (west), smiles a big toothy grin at whatever he sees coming through the verdant tunnels, and draws out his "sword". Running his gnarled hands down the blade, it begins to smolder and glow like a living ember. He looks at Toot, and makes a "come and get me" gesture with his hand.
Some are recommending retreat, some of you are stuck fast, others (Toot) are charging forward. If you don't stand act together, you will fall apart. What is next for our mighty heroes?
"Bumbo, If someone comes from the back dive into those twisting vines. I am going to assist Toot."
The druid turns and heads into the brambles and ends up commming into the opening, spying the goblin facing off against Toot he tosses a ball of fire.
"Bumbo, If someone comes from the back dive into those twisting vines. I am going to assist Toot."
The druid turns and heads into the brambles and ends up commming into the opening, spying the goblin facing off against Toot he tosses a ball of fire.
"Wait, don't split off too far!"
Loth rushes to Dol and tries to help him get free from the tangling briars.
"Well whatever we do, we need to get out of these thorns first. We're sitting ducks here the moment they show up with ranged weapons."
Bumbo nods to Raz and looks behind him as if fully expecting an ambush now. Trying to steel his nerves, he loads and whips out another stone.
Seeing Raz's shot, his eyes go wide. Wow!
Toot is completely unfazed by this fellow casting and he snorts and steps in to trample and bite.
@Razkiv: May not have confirmed the crit, but it still hit.
@Loth: Dol is correct, same check as what he is doing but you only need to hit a 10 to assist.
@Bumbo: Disappointment time. Since Toot is medium, he is squeezing and cannot 5 foot step. All movement costs double when you're squeezing.
Going to wait for the others to post (1 more day) before I bot them.
@Bumbo: I agree, it does suck.
@Loth: Well, that was a successful aid.
Mizzug struggles through the dense vines and low roof, her face an angry snarl, but doesn't quite make it out this time.
And she is free to move next time.
Aventail sights her crossbow at the large cat and realizes how futile such a shot would be, and tries to break out of the vines.
Once free, she steps back. And surprisingly stays free.
Gogmurt looks to the west, both he and Toot get a clear view of the near dozen of goblins as they begin to spill into the area. There are so many that they even begin to crowd the end of the tunnel opposite of Bumbo. Gogmurt seems to take heart at their appearance, smiling ever wider as he tries to bring Toot low with his smoldering sword.
The tight spaces slow Toot down, but not enough as the blade swishes past the porcine's thick hide.
_____
Everyone is up. Reinforcements have arrived. The big cat sits waiting, the druidy goblin is standing strong, and who knows what new tricks the other goblins have up their sleeves. What will you do?
Loth concurs and starts heading towards the exit as well.
The Druid is tempted to flash fire at the goblins, but unstead he opts to fall back, Dol has a point.
He falls back to a choke point and raises his shield.
"Will Toot be ok?"
Bumbo wrings his hands nervously and watches the danger Toot is in while responding. He does this all the time...it's stupid, stupid...always has to be the hero. The plump gnome sniffs and wipes his nose, then sighs. It'll hurt, but he'll be okay...just may have to go away for a while.
Toot, completely in his element - danger - launches into attacks against the goblin druid, completely ignoring tactics and trying to overwhelm everything with ferocity.
Bumbo steadies himself, holding his sling steady until something approaches.