Red interposes his shield between himself and the acid to take 2 points of damage.
Round 1:
Red strides up 10' with greatsword and shield and strikes at the mutated goblin but misses poorly.
Perri follows Red's advance, loosing another shaft at the thing which is no longer really a goblin . . ..
Shel tries to tumble around the enemy and get in a spot to flank attack the remaining enemy.
Acrobatics
Attack
Damage plus
sneak attack
Possible critical
Damage
Round 2:
With the flank provided by Shel, Rileth lunged at the enemy with her rapier,
Round 2:
The goblin focuses its attention on the red-maned barbarian and attacks him twice, biting him in the shoulder!
Round 2:
Red grimaces in pain as the goblin bites a chunk of his shoulder. He pushes him off with his shield and thrusts his greatsword into its abdomen.
The goblin reels back in pain as its injuries are severe.
Shel flanks the goblin and attacks twice with her daggers.
Attack
Damage plus
sneak attack
Attack 2
Damage plus
sneak attack
Round 3:
Flanking with Shel, Rileth continued her attack on the creature.
Shel's dagger slashes the back of the goblin's leg and Rileth's rapier pierces its eye, killing it!
On the mutated goblin, you find a MW handaxe and a +1 greatsword.
If you peek under the wooden covers on the floor, you see they cover 11 20' deep pits with a zombie trapped at the bottom, constantly moaning.
There is a passage to the south.
"Don't think I have enough arrows to handle all of those right now. We'll have to get more and come back."
Red smiles when the goblin falls. He walks over to it and picks up its fine greatsword. He examines its weight and feel. "This will do quite nicely." When the party finds the zombies, "They're 20 feet down, I see no need for concern. Let's head south."
Rileth ensured all the wooden covers were firmly in place over the eleven pits - the town's priests would be able to put them down when the time came. Hopefully there were no hidden enemies which would release the zombies as they continued searching the south passage.
"The greatsword suits you well, Red. I cannot make use of this finely crafted handaxe. Whoever can, should claim it."
Looking to their Halfling companion, "You did well with those daggers, Shel. Will you lead us down the south passage?"
Rileth moved closer and discreetly to the entrance to the passageway and when it was her turn , stepped into the passageway and gauged the situation - moving quietly as she could, rapier in hand.
Shel nods at the others and takes it upon herself to lead the group to the southern passageway. She takes a deep breath and moves ahead, careful as always.
Perception +1 v traps
Disable device, if applicable
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You head south for about 30' before a side passage leads to a spiraling set of stairs. However, caved in rubble blocks access to the stairs. You return to the corridor and head south for an addition 15 feet and end up here:
This strange room is a fifteen-foot-diameter sphere. Several objects float in the room, spinning lazily in space—a ragged book, a scroll, a bottle of wine, a dead raven surrounded by a halo of floating and writhing maggots, and a twisted iron wand with a forked tip. Yet perhaps the most unnerving aspect of the room is the walls, for they are plated in sheets of strange red metal that ripple every once in a while with silent black electricity that seems to coalesce into strange runes or even words far too often for the effect to be chance.
As soon as someone enters the room (She1 in this case), you see the person suddenly lift into the air, as if under a levitate spell. You are not harmed by the magic in the room and can eventually control your movement around the room.
You investigate the room:
Ragged book: Religious prayer book to Lamashtu, Mother of Beasts.
Scroll: Scroll of Burning Hands (3rd CL).
Bottle of wine: worth 50 gp.
Dead raven: Disgusting.
Iron Wand: Wand of Shocking Grasp (28 charges) (CL 1).
Once Shel realized that the floating sensation wouldn’t hurt her, she actually let loose a bit for the first time in a while. ”Whee! I’m flying,” she laughed as she levitated up and and down in the strange room. ”Anyone else want to give it a try?”
She took the opportunity to collect the items for the group and handed them off to everyone else. ”Looks like some nice stuff,” she said.
Once the group was ready, she led them back to town to report the zombies and other awful things to the Sheriff to see how he wanted to proceed.
"And the rest of the stuff." Especially the bit about plans for a full assault on the town entering the Glassworks through the smugglers tunnel to avoid any external defenses. Based from Thistletop, wasn't it? I think we got that info, didn't we?
Rileth stepped into the room and immediately felt the weightlessness as she lifted into the air; floating near Shel.
She moved cautiously nearer to the strange metal-sheeted walls with the black electricity and runes and studied them.
===
Once the party had searched/investigated what it could in the chamber, Rileth followed the others out of the Glassworks and to the Sheriff's office to relay what they had discovered.
Once the Sheriff was informed, Rileth moved to the blacksmith (or anyone in town who deals with weapons/bows) to sell her general shortbow and then to the temple to receive some healing for her remaining wounds and damage to her dexerity.
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In the Meditation chamber, Rileth recognizes on the walls snatches of Thassilonian words here and there in these shapes, words having to do with anger, wrath, and a need for revenge, but never anything close to a full thought.
After you return to Sandpoint, Ameiko's representative is waiting for you and smiles that you are all safe and sound. She pays for your healing at the one of the local temples. You arrange a meeting with the Sheriff for the following morning and rest and recuperate the rest of the day.
In the morning, Shel advises you that she received a missive from one of the elders in her village and that her presence is urgently needed. With great apologies, she bids you farewell and that she will return to Sandpoint as soon as possible.
The remaining three hug and bid Shel farewell and proceed on to the meeting with Sheriff Hemlock. He looks flabbergasted when you tell him the story of the pending invasion, but when you show him Tsuto's diary, he orders a few of his men to to investigate the tunnel. "Well, this is a day for grave news indeed. Please wait here, there's some I need for the Heroes of Sandpoint to meet." He steps outside and beckons someone inside and two females walk in: an elf clad in studded leather armor wielding a bow and a halfling clad in a breastplate wielding a sickle.
Sheriff Hemlock does the introductions, "I am pleased to introduce you to Shalelu Andosana, an unofficial member of Sandpoint’s town guard..." The elf smirks at her introduction. Hemlock continues, looking at the pretty halfling, "And Esmerelda Skyleaf, healer extraordinaire and devotee of Shelyn." The Sheriff points to the party, "Ladies, I present to you Sandpoint’s newest crop of goblin-slayers. I reckon we all have much to discuss.”
The halfling before the party stands 3' tall, with dark mane and green eyes. "Goblin-slayers indeed! My village was under attack by some goblins when Shalelu came to our aid and I've pledged my eternal aid to her and Sandpoint ever since. A pleasure to meet all of you. Shelyn has granted me the power to heal and it is a gift I cherish and value. I hope it will aid all of us in any future battles. May I have your names?"
The human smiles and nods, a miniature bow with arrow nocked hanging from his neck, as he indicates the other two, waiting for them before he speaks.
After they have introduced themselves . . ..
"Well met, Ms. Skyleaf. I am Perri Purrun, a formal member of the town guard." The bright green hilt of his sword shows signs of use, but the ribbons running along the limbs of his bow provide a constant distraction of movement, and a flash of very Varisian color.
He then looks past her to the elf. "And welcome back. I take it there's been more going on than just the assault here?"
"I am pleased to introduce you to Shalelu Andosana, an unofficial member of Sandpoint’s town guard..." The elf smirks at her introduction. Hemlock continues, looking at the pretty halfling, "And Esmerelda Skyleaf, healer extraordinaire and devotee of Shelyn." The Sheriff points to the party, "Ladies, I present to you Sandpoint’s newest crop of goblin-slayers. I reckon we all have much to discuss.”
After showing the sheriff's Tsuto's diary, Rîleth retrieved the book for it could still be useful to them on their next undertaking. She stowed it carefully inside her pack.
No sooner had they bid farewell to Shel, but they were meeting two new females in the sheriff's office. During the course of her four months living in Sandpoint, Rîleth had yet to meet the legendary and mysterious Shalelu Andosana. She inclined her head respectfully to the elder Elven woman, "It is good to finally meet you, Mistress Shalelu. Welcome back to town." Then, Rîleth turned her gaze to the pretty halfling and addressed her, "Well met, Mistress Esmerelda. Your talents in the healing arts will be quite beneficial to the good folk, here." Looking from Elf to Halfling, she added, "I am Rîleth Mithrandir, a scholar of the ancients and explorer, now goblin-slayer," mildly uncomfortable with the last epithet.
"I take it there's been more going on than just the assault here?"
Upon Perri's serious question, Rîleth refocused her attention on the business at hand and awaited the Elf Shalelu's reply with keen interest.
Red was a little sad when Shel left and hoped she would be back soon. Buying his new armor cheered up his mood a bit.
When he meets the ladies, "Well met, I am Rothgarr Titanslayer, but you can call me Red. I am the muscle of the group but not its brains." Red points to Perri and Rileth and looks at Esmerelda, "These are my friends. If you heal me, I will call you friend as well." You can all tell Red likes to keep it simple.
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The parties sit down in the Sherriff's office as Shalelu speaks, "Sandpoint hasn’t been the only place in the region that’s had goblin troubles. In short, there’s been an increase in goblin-related raids along the Lost Coast, particularly in the dale between Nettlewood and Mosswood. Only a day ago, a farm south of Mosswood was burnt to the ground by a group of goblins. We were thankfully nearby, and while the farm couldn’t be saved, Esmerelda and I did rescue the family and drive off the goblins; the family is staying at a nearby farm for now."
The elven ranger pauses, "Goblin-slayers, that is good news to my ears. I’ve dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they’re tenacious and fecund little runts. Like weeds that bite. There are five major goblin tribes in the region, and, traditionally, they’re pretty good at keeping each other in line with intertribal squabbles and the like. Yet from what I’ve been able to piece together, members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint. A fair number of the Mosswood goblins we dealt with yesterday were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the ‘longshanks’ who killed so many of them. Now that I’ve met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about. Seems like you’ve made an impression." The elf's impossibly bright blue eyes sparkle as she smiles.
Sheriff Hemlock chimes in, "Shae, you should look at the journal entries our heroes found on Ameiko's traitorous brother. It mentions the attack and various names. Perhaps you've heard of some of them?"
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Shalelu continues as she skims the entries, "As I mentioned earlier, there are five major goblin tribes in the region. The closest to Sandpoint are the Birdcruncher goblins, who live in caves along the western edge of the Devil’s Platter, although traditionally these goblins are the least aggressive of the five. To the south are the Licktoad goblins of the Brinestump Marsh, pests who are excellent swimmers. East are the Seven Tooth goblins of Shank’s Wood, goblins who’ve secured a place for themselves by raiding Sandpoint’s junkyard and rebuilding the stolen refuse into armor and weapons. Farther east are the Mosswood goblins, likely the largest tribe but one traditionally held back by feuding families within their own ranks. And finally, there are the Thistletop goblins, who live on the Nettlewood coast atop a small island that some say holds a passing resemblance to a decapitated head."
She pauses with a bit of an excited look, "I do recognize some of these names. Goblins tend not to live long, so those who do become famous heroes, according to their lore. Anyway, Ripnugget is the leader of the Thistletop goblins and controls what the five tribes agree is the best lair. And the journal also mentions Bruthazmus, an infamous bugbear ranger who lives in northern Nettlewood and often visits the five tribes to trade things he’s stolen from caravans for alcohol, news, or magic arrows. Bruthazmus has a particular hatred of elves, and we have fought on several occasions. To date, neither of us has managed to get the upper hand on the other, but I vow I will end him first, unless one of you beats me to it. This last one, Malfeshnekor, I have never heard of."
Perri looks from one of his companions to the other, then at the other three in the room. "Anything special you can tell us about how they fight, what sorts of traps they set?"
"...Bruthazmus has a particular hatred of elves, and we have fought on several occasions. To date, neither of us has managed to get the upper hand on the other, but I vow I will end him first, unless one of you beats me to it. This last one, Malfeshnekor, I have never heard of."
Rîleth caught Perri's glance and added quietly, but loud enough that people around her could hear, "Well, I suppose he'll be adding me to his hate list, too. It is good to know this and plan for it in advance, if we cross paths with this Bruthazmus."
At Perri's question, Rîleth was keenly interested in hearing the answer. With Shel's departure from the group and with her the halfling's particular talent for trap finding and disabling, it was now her responsibility for such things and Rîleth hoped she was up to the task and would not let her companions down.
"I recently began to appreciate nature more, as you, Shalelu. I will bring you that bugbear's head as gift." Red is a little smitten over the elf and her beautiful eyes and as he is now a ranger too..
"If Ripnugget is mentioned in the journal, then that means that we're looking for the Thistletop goblins, right? They have the best lair, according to Shalelu, so it makes sense that's who we need to see first."
The elven ranger looks at Red and uncomfortably smiles, "Sure, that would be great. I am glad you want to protect nature, it's a lifelong love of mine." She ponders Perri's question, "Let's see, what's not to hate about goblins? They're short evil bastards, so their lairs, most likely underground, will be uncomfortable for anyone over 3.5' tall. Only Esmerelda would be fine. They prefer to use pit and rockfall traps and sometime even mechanical traps. They prefer to spring ambushes, relying on their ability to see in the dark. They like to overwhelm in numbers. They're also well known for their cavalry. They've been known to ride goblin dogs, large intelligent wolves known as worgs, and even large bats. That's why I prefer my longbow, like to keep them at a distance."
Shalelu looks at Esmerelda, "What you say is logical. To reach the Thistletop goblins, we would take the Lost Coast Road east to the Thistle River —it’s only a 6-mile journey (2 hours by foot). Is that the plan, heroes?"
"To reach the Thistletop goblins, we would take the Lost Coast Road east to the Thistle River —it’s only a 6-mile journey (2 hours by foot). Is that the plan, heroes?"
Rîleth looked around at Perri and Red and then returned her attention to the Elven ranger. "It is as good a plan as any," silently pondering the capabilities of the Thistletop goblins and their leader Ripnugget. "And, although I prefer to fight in close quarters with my fine rapier, I have a bow when necessary."
Looking back at her original companions and then to the two new females, "When do we leave?"
Red continues to smile at the elven ranger. "I'm ready to go now."
He looks at the two new ladies, "Will you be joining us?"
The Varisian shrugs. "Could work. Not much detail for a plan, though. Walk up and figure it out once we're on site is simple, I'll give you that. And ranged is ALWAYS better."
"Of course, I'm going, you three don't even fit in those goblin dens. And besides, who else is gonna keep you alive?" The jovial halfling winks at you all and looks at Shalelu.
The elven ranger smiles, "Of course, I will go with you, if you'll have me. The woods can be tricky and if an invasion is imminent, as you discovered, it falls on us to stop it. I pledge my bow in support of Sandpoint."
The Sheriff smiles, "Great news. I will have my patrols on guard in case any goblins get past you and will try to cave in that secret tunnel. We've all got our orders. Let's move, people."
The Sheriff smiles, "Great news. I will have my patrols on guard in case any goblins get past you and will try to cave in that secret tunnel. We've all got our orders. Let's move, people."
"Alright. I am ready to leave," Rîleth responded to the Sheriff, hoping her statement was entirely true and she had what she needed in their mission against Ripnugget and the Thistletop goblins.
Looking to the elder Elven ranger, she added, "Please lead us forward, Mistress Shalelu," understanding they would be taking the Lost Coast Road east to the Thistle River.
"Let's make these goblins pay! They've hurt too many innocents." She closes her eyes and you can tell Esmerelda is reliving a painful memory. "I'm ready to go also."
Red pounds his fist, "Yeah, let's go kill Ripnugget, Brutus, the goblin dogs, and all the evil goblins!" He follows the elven ranger and tries to help with his Survival skills.
Shalelu leads you out of Sandpoint and up the coastline to the island of Thistletop, which sits in the Varisian Gulf off the coast of the Nettlewood. Passage is tricky as the Nettlewoods' vines can cause damage and even poison. Thankfully for you, Shalelu knows the wilderness well and she does not lead you astray. Red learns some cool tricks in Survival by observing the elven ranger's meticulous nature.
On the road, to pass the time, Shalelu tells you stories. "The island had an unusual genesis—it was once the head of one of Karzoug’s (a famed Runelord) sentinel statues that stood upon the ridge of land called the Rasp before the nation of Bakrakhan became the Varisian Gulf. The statue has long since crumbled and become overgrown by the Nettlewood, but the head escaped such obscurement by landing in the surf. The magical nature of the statue’s construction drastically slowed the process of erosion on the head’s features, and when the sun hits the western cliff of the isle just right, one can just make out the ancient features of the statue’s face. The statue once contained a small complex, but today only a few of the original rooms within the head itself remain accessible."
Eventually, the party discovers some goblin trails, and you know you're on the right track.
The briars and thistles that grow so rampantly in Nettlewood are even more dense and tangled here, close to the shore. Although not quite dense enough to block the sound of waves crashing on the unseen shores to the west, the undergrowth is certainly thick enough to block sight and access to the coast. Few trees grow this close to the edge of the sea, but the briars themselves often reach heights to rival them; here, the patch is nearly twenty feet high.
"Let's make these goblins pay! They've hurt too many innocents." She closes her eyes and you can tell Esmerelda is reliving a painful memory. "I'm ready to go also."
Perri looks confused. "Wait. There are rooms in the thing's head? That sounds ridiculous. How big is this head again?"
-----
"Now THAT's wall of thorns! We're supposed to get through that? Glad I'm wearing hard armor . . .."
Rileth assessed the briars/thistles, hoping to see a safer way to move through, without too much injury, and any pending danger via traps.
There are three directions for you to go once you enter the hedge maze: east, up the middle, or west. Which way?
Rileth determines that the thistles are pretty sharp and you will take damage if you brush up against them unless you are wearing gauntlets or heavy armor. The thorns are also quite damp due to the morning fog, so burning them is not an option.
Before entering the maze, Esmerelda uses her Life Link ability on three persons: Red, Rileth, and Perri. She trusts Shalelu with her bow and will stay out of harm. She approaches the three party members and casts an incantation. "We are bonded now, friends. I will feel your pain now and will be able to heal you remotely, should you get injured. Do not stray too far from me or the bond will be broken. The blessings of Shelyn upon you all."
Tapping his bow with his drawing hand, Perri grins and winks as he replies. "Appreciated, but don't discount the blessing of Old Deadeye anytime soon."
Rileth's brow furrowed as she contemplated the sharp thorns. "If we brush up against those sharp thorns, we will certainly be injured unless one is wearing gauntlets or heavy armour. Of which I have neither. They're damp from the morning fog, so we cannot burn them. Does anyone have an idea as to how to move through them without injury?"
As the elven bard continued to ponder the problem of the thorns, Esmeralda started her incantation to bind them to her so she could provide healing from a distance. "Thank you, Esmerelda," noting to memory to keep within the necessary distance.
There are three directions for you to go once you enter the hedge maze: east, up the middle, or west. Which way?
Rileth's eyes keenly appraised the three paths through the hedge maze, hoping to see the one which would be less hazardous (and not as arduous) than the others.