Within a meeting room in the city of Katapesh, Yigrig Moneymaker, the powerful goblin merchant, slumps in a large chair. His face, normally so proud and assured, looks troubled. “It’s good to see you, Pathfinders! I have a lot of respect for the Society. You’ve been good to me in the past, and my family has aided you in return. But today I come before you, my hat in my hands, in need of help.
“My family and I have almost brokered a trade agreement between the cities of Solku and Oenopion. It’s a beneficial deal, one where Solku gains the materials it needs to defend itself, Oenopion gains a new trading partner, and everyone stands to make a heap of coin. There’s only one issue standing in the way of the negotiation being finalized: a bridge must be constructed over the Elemion River to facilitate safe travel between the two cities. My family is responsible for building and maintaining this bridge. It should have been a simple job… easy to pull off.
“It has been anything but easy.”
The old goblin leans forward. “Every morning at the work camp, it is discovered that more of my children have been pulled from their beds in the night, presumed dead. Every shipment of aid I send gets attacked. The last one I sent did not even arrive.
“There is a lot of money riding on this deal, but I admit this isn’t about money anymore. This is personal. Someone is harming my family and I can’t sit by and let that happen.
“I have contracted the Pathfinder Society to protect the bridge and surrounding work camp while construction is completed. I have a caravan ready to leave, filled with new workers and supplies for the bridge site. I want you on it. When you see it safely to the bridge site, I need you to stop the attacks on the camp by any means necessary until the job is complete. When you get to the work camp, you will meet my son Zig, the overseer of the project. Sweet kid… takes after his old man. He’ll be your liaison with the workers and see to your needs.
“Nothing is more important than family. Nothing. And so, I’m asking you to take care of mine. Our future is in your hands.”
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As Kondai opens his mouth everyone is braced for the uncharismatic jerk to insult their goblin guest, but then he says.
"A family man eh? I can respect that. I-I" it looks like he might say something emotional but then steels himself and changes topics. " . . So, who would want to kidnap kids in the middle of the desert? Are there some genies or local legends about hags that are into that sort of thing? I mean, seems like a bad plan, attacking kids when there are healthy workers you could kidnap instead. Better workers. I mean, if you are a a-hole that's going to go around kidnapping anyway. Also, are there any business rivals who might want to see this project fail?"
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Dyner blinks a few times at the decorations around her. She'd never been this far south and the archetecture and designs were, well interesting. She'd spent the last day going to various restaurants and trying the local food, getting an idea for spices they use, and even had to be prevented from trying the infamous pesh by the rest of the group. She coos softly at the cold drink offered by Yigrig, glad for the chilling beverage. While a unique place to visit and a wonderful opportunity, it also was BLOODY HOT, especially for a bird from the Crown of the World. She fluffs up her feathers again in an attempt to cool down some, and checks that Little Tarragon, nestled into her hood where she put some pack sof ice, isn't getting hot and cranky yet.
Despite appearances that her attention was all over the place the tengu had been listening, and shakes her head when it becomes clear she can add in a few words. "It's a terrible thing to have you family attacked. I can rtemmber when I was five and a minor demon tried to attack my family's compound when all the hunter's were out looking for it. Killed my aunt and wounded my sister before mom could kill it."
Her feathers fluff at the unpleasant thought, but she soon settles them into place and looks back at everyone. " But in this case it could be something else. There are large predators who live out on the plains in the area and they normally don't attack people but they could be going mad because of something or worse it could be a lean year and they're hungry enough to go for goblins. Also explain why they aren't just destroying the camp outright."
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Jaxon listens to the elderly goblin with a horrified look on his face. "Something is taking your kids? In the middle of the night? That's some messed up shit. I know some murders from my time away, but even they try not to touch kids."
He looks over to Dyner. "Oh shit, predators going mad? That doesn't sound like fun. But then why just children?"
The balloon-headed goblin places both of his hands on his round belly and laughs heartily despite himself. "Oh! Ho ho! Oh. I shouldn't be laughing. Things really are terrible. Maybe it's because things are so terrible that you just have to laugh," he wipes a tear from each of his beady eyes. "I suppose I am flattered that you think I am so young. No. No. All of my children are old enough to have survived the nursery cages and be productive members of goblin society. Even some of my grandchildren have survived the nursery cages. Ah. It was good to laugh for a moment."
He composes himself and continues more somberly, "The attacks are not in the morning. The attacks are at night. Since the attacks began, information has been spotty getting out. However, I know that some sort of large animals have been attacking the work camp during the night, and something else has been aggressive toward anyone that tries to leave or enter the site, no matter what time of day. Bandits? Animals? Accounts have been conflicting, but whatever they are, they’re dangerous.
"Zig will give you more information, but so long as you can prevent goblins from being killed or abducted, the bridge can be built on schedule. If the threats to the goblin workers persists the builders will remain too scared to finish the job. Personally, I can’t blame them for that.
"Now. Come," he beckons you with a crooked finger and leads you onto the hot Katapesh streets. He takes you around the block where four huge wagons drawn by camels and a score of nervous looking goblin workers wait.
"Muckmuck! These are the Pathfinders who will escort you to the bridge camp," he calls up to the lead caravan driver sitting on the wagon already. "Pathfinders? Good hunting!"
Muckmuck laughs to himself after Yigrig departs.
“You longshanks think you can protect us? You can’t save Muckmuck. You’re weak. Face facts. We’re all going to die.
“You sit there in the back and talk to the workers. We’re all scared. Doesn’t matter what we do. We’re all going to die.
“Tell you truth, I don’t want to go. Yigrig reads too many books. He’s lost his mind. We all think about leaving before he gets us killed. Not help that the minstrel lost hand in teethbrushing accident. Much blood. Can’t play lute anymore.
“Tell you what. You want to help? You be the minstrel. Make fancy music. Make goblins feel less likely to run away. Convince them we’re not all going to die.”
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“You longshanks think you can protect us? You can’t save Muckmuck. You’re weak. Face facts. We’re all going to die.
“You sit there in the back and talk to the workers. We’re all scared. Doesn’t matter what we do. We’re all going to die.
"Charming. You might be right. Just a matter of if you want to take whoever is responsible with you when we die." Jaxon pops his neck in his unsettlingly characteristic manner. "Sounds like it's time to teach whoever this is that your family is under our protection. Simple prisons rules. Mess with you, and they mess with us."
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"Yes, we longshanks can protect you."
The tall woman of medium height with brown hair saunters into the room. She's in leathers, with a rapier at her hip and a buckler strapped to one arm. She has a slight swagger now, having gained experience and additional skills after her last adventure.
She nods at Jaxon and she, too, pops her neck. "Well met, I am Francine Quickfingers, formerly an arena fighter. That grew boring after awhile so I joined this bunch to get a better challenge." She greets her companions in turn, but stops at the stranger.
"I don't think I've seen you before. Are you new here?"
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"I see we have an optimist." Alaric listens to the goblin's doom and gloom. "What can we do to help make the goblins braver in such a short time?" Listening to all this makes him a bit worried that they are not only going to have to deal with this threat but also irrational goblins. Alaric would much rather deal with the trickery of devils as irrational goblins were much, much worse.
"Everyone in business has rivals, but there's nobody who'd go so far as to kill us," Yigrig answers.
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"Oh. Wow. We're saved from any ravaging sign posts," Muckmuck grumbles. "Let's get a move on it before some blames us for the Pathfinder Society's destruction of civic property." He whistles loudly and the goblins start getting into places.
"I don't know. You figure it out," Muckmuck grumbles at Alaric.
As the caravan moves across the savannah, it becomes clear to you that the goblins are terrified to reach the camp, seeing it as an inevitable death sentence. However, they are easily distracted.
The caravan sets up camp in the evening and the goblins begin breaking off to relax. Goblin relaxation comes in the form of wrestling (and biting) matches, over-the-top improv routines, and ridiculous feats of physical prowess that usually risk the participant's eye or limbs.
The goblins are so embarrassed for Jaxon that they do not even bother to make fun of him.
The goblins laugh and jeer at Kondai. "A real warrior would have bitten the head off and not let his lunch get away!" one of the shouts.
Alaric earns a few polite chuckles as he makes his effort to join in the goblin game.
The goblins laugh at Fran's antics. "She's almost as good as you!"
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Dyner decides to try distracting the goblins from their worries by making up a lavish dinner. She starts with an appitizer of extremely fragrant cheese and crackers followed up by a flaming dish that would be sure to draw the goblins in with their love of fire but hopefully not set anyone on fire. Finally she finishes the meal off with a desert of little rocks that sound and feel like small fireworks in the mouth.
After dinner she then tries to do her best to imitate a giant crow on the wagons.
Fran grumps around and mimics Muckmuck's voice and demeanor, which elicits uproarious laughs from the other goblins.
Dyner cooks a really good trail meal from his companion's perspective. However, it is lacking in pickles and boot leather from the goblin's perspective, so they politely pass. However, the tengu is far more entertaining to them than her food. Samna tries to make fun of Muckmuck, but her first attempt falls flat.
The next day the goblins break camp and set out. Kondai helps fix a broken axel, which the goblins appreciate. "Oh. You're not completely useless," they tease. Samna tries her impression of the dour caravan driver, and this time captures his particular "sparkle" to perfection, cracking up the goblins walking beside her.
Jaxon (1 attempt)
Alaric (1 attempt)
Fran (0 attempts)
Kondai (0 attempts)
Dyner (0 attempts)
Samna (0 attempts)
"We're almost there. Maybe you Pathfinders scared off whatever's been attacking our resupply lines. Huh," Muckmuck says with uncharacteristic optimism as you come to a tiny oasis.
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Dyner walks by the wagon, regularly taking off her cloak, ray of frosting it and putting it back on to keep her and Little Tarragon cool in the sweltering heat. She pauses and gives a stretch. "It still surprises me sometimes how unravged the rest of the world can be. I'm glad the Worldwound was closed so I could actually travel safely... Though someplace this hot was not what I was hoping for."
Two masked bandits rise from behind piles of sand with lit flasks in their hands. They charge the caravan screaming. The goblins panic and scatter. Jaxon is rudely awakened as the flasks crash into his wagon and light it--and the lumber it carries--on fire. Flames lick at his feet, proving that the sun is not the hottest thing he will experience today.
At least two more bandits can be seen hiding in the path of the caravan. Kondai counts four more. Alaric counts six more.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit
Red Square Bandit
Alaric
Green Circle Bandit (Undetected by those below)
Yellow Circle Bandit (Undetected by those below)
Kondai
Blue Square Bandit (Undetected by those below)
Blue Circle Bandit (Undetected by those below)
Jaxon (28/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Status
Wagon 1: 43/50 hp; Burning 1d6
Wagon 2:
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4:
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Seeing the bandits tossing flames all around he concentrates enough to keep his aura contained within him. He runs into the small bit of water to the south and begins splashing it into the embers that begin igniting the wooden wagon. "Put these out or we are walking!"
HP 35/35
AC 21 (23 w/ shield raised)
Resistance: Mental 2
Spells (1) 3/3 (2) 2/2
Focus Points 2/2
Infernal Detonations 1/1
Hero Point 2/3
Alaric eventually puts out the fire. Unfortunately, two more bandits rise from their hiding places and toss flasks of alchemist's fire against the wagon. The burning compound splatters on Jaxon and Alaric and starts a new fire on the wagon.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit
Red Square Bandit
Alaric (33/35 hp)
Green Circle Bandit
Yellow Circle Bandit
Kondai
Blue Square Bandit (Undetected by those below)
Blue Circle Bandit (Undetected by those below)
Jaxon (26/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Wagon 1: 29/50 hp; burning 1d6
Wagon 2:
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4:
Another bandit rises from his hiding place and rushes forward. He ignores Kondai--and the fact that Kondai just gave his ally a painful blow to the face--and tosses a flask toward the second wagon. It bursts open and sets those supplies on fire. Some of the oil splatters Dyner and burns her feathers.
Yet another runs out and tosses more alchemist's fire on the first wagon, though you wouldn't notice for how little fire it produced.
Encounter! Round 1. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit
Red Square Bandit (-8 hp) (<50%)
Alaric (33/35 hp)
Green Circle Bandit
Yellow Circle Bandit
Kondai (shield)
Blue Square Bandit
Blue Circle Bandit
Jaxon (26/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner (19/20 hp)
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Status
Wagon 1: 28/50 hp; burning 1d6
Wagon 2: 46/50 hp; burning 1d6
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4:
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Jaxon roars as he leaps out of the wagon. "Who the f!&%ing f%@* is throwing fire on me?! I swear, I will f@!~ you up!" He races forward and throws a couple of haymaker punches at the one facing off against Kondai.
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Dyner takes a moment to puff up and tries to prevent the fire on the second wagon as well.
She then raises her claws and draws a symbol of freezing cold, she then takes out a small bottle of something that looks like ground pepper but green, releasing a ray of frost at the closest bandit. Please just stop and cool down!
Samna deftly puts out the fire on the first wagon. Jaxon climbs down from it and charges the bandit, the one still reeling from Kondai's punch. He lands his haymaker, which produces an audible crack. One of the bandit's teeth flies through the air. As the bandit falls to the sand, Jaxon gives the next in line a look that implies a similar fate awaits him.
Dyner tries to put out the fire on the second wagon, but the flames are tenacious. She manifests a ray of frigid energy that lances just past the bandit's ear .
One of the bandits pauses to watch Fran as she dances her way across the sand.
Two more bandits--the poorly hidden ones--begin making their way to flank the caravan. The fire spreads on the second wagon, becoming bigger and hotter.
One of the first bandits pulls another flask from his satchel, sets the wick alight, and throws another flask at the wagon that Samna stopped from burning, but it falls short.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit
Alaric (33/35 hp)
Green Circle Bandit
Yellow Circle Bandit
Kondai (shield)
Blue Square Bandit (fascinated)
Blue Circle Bandit (frightened 1)
Jaxon (26/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner (19/20 hp)
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Status
Wagon 1: 28/50 hp
Wagon 2: 40/50 hp; burning 2d6
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4:
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Alaric slogs through the water and thick bushes as he makes his way to the group of fire-flinging alchemists. "Close in around them!" He raises his shield in case anymore come his way.
HP 35/35
AC 21 (23 w/ shield raised)
Resistance: Mental 2
Spells (1) 3/3 (2) 2/2
Focus Points 2/2
Infernal Detonations 1/1
Hero Point 2/3
Alaric moves into position.
One of the bandits pulls out a flask, ignites it, and throws it onto the first wagon, setting it on fire once again. Another moves closer to the oasis and then pulls out a flask and lights it.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit
Alaric (33/35 hp)
Green Circle Bandit
Yellow Circle Bandit (armed)
Kondai
Blue Square Bandit (fascinated)
Blue Circle Bandit (frightened 1)
Jaxon (26/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner (19/20 hp)
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Status
Wagon 1: 26/50 hp; burning 1d6
Wagon 2: 40/50 hp; burning 2d6
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4:
The explosive pop that precedes Kondai's punch to the bandit's face breaks the fascinated bandit from his reverie. With the first two wagons burning, he and the one Jaxon threatened make their way toward the back of the train and each draw out a flask.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit
Alaric (33/35 hp)
Green Circle Bandit
Yellow Circle Bandit (-6 hp; armed)
Kondai
Blue Square Bandit (flask)
Blue Circle Bandit (flask)
Jaxon (26/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner (19/20 hp)
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Status
Wagon 1: 26/50 hp; burning 1d6
Wagon 2: 40/50 hp; burning 2d6
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4:
It takes Samna some time to put out the fire on the first wagon, but she must have learned the trick as she manages to extinguish the raging fire on the second wagon with half as much effort.
Jaxon clocks a bandit on the side of the head. The bandit ducks under the follow-up blow, which looks like it would have broken his neck.
Encounter! Round 2. Bold may act.
Green Square Bandit (-8 hp)
Alaric (33/35 hp)
Green Circle Bandit
Yellow Circle Bandit (-6 hp; armed)
Kondai
Blue Square Bandit (flask)
Blue Circle Bandit (flask)
Jaxon (26/30 hp)
Samna
Fran
Dyner (19/20 hp)
Yellow Square Bandit
Red Circle Bandit
Status
Wagon 1: 26/50 hp
Wagon 2: 40/50 hp
Wagon 3:
Wagon 4: