"Reminds me of the stomach bug last year where half the town... well you get the idea." Bunnit had happily avoided getting the mess, but his wife, kids, and most of the cousins had not been as lucky. Bunnit's good luck was spoiled since someone WELL had to keep cleaning up after it all.
"It is odd, no goblins. No sign of them living here as well." Bunnit worries with his nose in a bit of a twitch.
"They have to be around here somewhere. Let's keep looking," Valda says, seemingly undaunted by the gross mound of meat nearby.
To the north of many rows of stadium-style benches stands a wide dais. Garbage clutters what was once undoubtedly a pristine floor. A small corridor near the dais leads to the west, while to the north, an iron gate provides a view into a central courtyard.
As you enter the room, you hear a curious, if not frightening sound coming from the Northl a series f barking and growls followed by the sound of claws scraping stone. Perhaps a little further in the way, you can hear what sounds like an argument.
Upon investigating the cabinets, you find several loose leather book bindings and leaves of pages strewn messily on the shelves. Looters have
destroyed the documents and books that were originally stored here. The titles on the remaining book bindings reveal that they once contained information about the Order of the Nail’s traditional drills and procedures. If you examine the surviving pages, you can find snippets
of details about old Hellknight drills— largely simulations between lawless bandits and raiders and the Order of the Nail Hellknights trained to defeat them.
The piecemeal documentation also includes a list of recruits’ names, along with indications of those who had been issued “temporary order badges.”
Arabella doesn't immediately hear the noises coming from the north, and does glances through the cabinets, making a mental note to try and recover any relevant papers on the way out that their horses could afford to bear back to Breachill.
It is only after some delay that she realizes some manner of confrontation or dispute might actually be taking place nearby, thus causing her to straighten up and tighten her grip on her mace again. "Anybody able to make out what's going on?"
Orchid knows a couple of other languages, but those have been gained by reading rather than speaking and she definitely doesn't know goblin.
"It sounds like an argument." She offers, but that's pretty obvious. There's something about angry people shouting at each other that transcends all language.
"Nope" Bunnit answers Arabella "But people are good, right?"
Valda quietly approaches the gate and peers through it into the courtyard.
Valda,. peering forwards quietly through the iron gate standing ajar, can make out a short flight of stairs directly in front of her that leads down to an open-air courtyard surrounded by imposing octagonal walls. A few errant milkweeds and tufts of crabgrass protrude from the cracked cobblestone flooring. The ground to the west is sunken in, creating a natural pool of rainwater. To the north, the battlements above have partially collapsed into a huge mound of stone and wooden rubble, under which some sort of reptilian creature seems to have been crushed. The top half of a flight of wooden stairs rises up to the battlements above the collapsed section of the walls; broken plants from the bottom half lie amid the rubble below. A thick rope has been affixed via a grappling hook to the lower portion of the stairs, dangling down to within a few feet of
the top of the rubble pile.
She can hear the shouts but its hard to see their source, as they seem to be coming from higher up in the courtyard and would need to get a better vantage point within the courtyard to make out the situation.
The source of the growling seems quite obvious, however, a crocodilian-looking creature, distracted and looking up towards the sound of the commotion itself.
Bunnit squeezes next to his wife, cheek to cheek, to look through the crack "any idea what that is?" he whispers.
"No idea. I might be able to sneak past it," Valda replies. [smaller]"But I don't know how stealthy the rest of the group can be."
"What's the matter? What are you two- oh." Arabella inquires, walking over to the pair as she wants to found out the reason over what seems to be a growing argument in the rooms beyond.
She blinks, and backs away from the creature, thinking back if she might have seen that in a book before.
Larachelle peers over the heads of the halflings and out through the gate, listening closely for the noises coming from up ahead. The sight of the ruined courtyard would be almost scenic if it weren't foreboding and eerie, though the dreamlike atmosphere is pierced by the intimidating crocodilian figure standing in the middle.
"Oh, my parents have described a creature just like this one in one of their tales! It was... it was, um..."
Orchid waits, content to find out from the rest what's going on.
Larachelle recalls that Grauladons are vicious predators that appear crocodilian in form, but are in fact distant offshoots of dragonkind. Possessed of a greed befitting their more majestic dragon cousins, grauladons often take down prey larger than they need, jealously guarding the corpses to keep scavengers away even as the meat rots. Grauladons are highly territorial and won’t tolerate other predators living or hunting near their homes.
"...a Grauladon! They're like very distant cousins of Dragons and Drakes, if I recall correctly. Very territorial creatures, and they guard the corpses of their prey like a dragon would treasures! I wouldn't be surprised if it considers the goblins trespassers upon its territory... got to wonder how, and when, it arrived here, though."
Ranks slinks up to the top of Larachelle's head and stands up like a lookout, watching over the Grauladon.
"If we have to get close, we'd best watch out for its breath. My father said it made him more sick than the scent of a rotten jackal corpse in the Mwangi."
"Why would the goblins live here if such a dangerous creature was around..." Arabella looks puzzled, rather startled to find this beast having taken up the courtyard for its lair.
She glances past it to the staircase, then frowns, "And yet it seems like the people we are looking for are up those stairs. I don't think I've seen another way up yet, though we haven't fully scoured this keep for one."
"Could you shoot it from here?" Bunnit asks his amazing wife, as he considers the iron gate and whether it could withstand the battering of a Grauladon? Even if it took some shoring up.
Arabella seems to be agreeable to that idea, letting the archer have a clear shot if she wished, but moving right alongside so that she was ready to jump in front in case the creature managed to survive and charge them.
"Perhaps you ought to strike it as well at the same time, Larachelle? Exotic beast or not, we need to be rid of it to investigate the noises above, it seems."
”Good idea. Let’s try to bring it down before it can fight back.”
Once everybody is ready, Valda marks the beast and prepare to open fire!
The sounds of arguing continue, the volume of frustrated and angry voices rising sharply.
Valda opens fire!
Two of Valda's arrows meets their unsuspecting target, and the Grauladon snaps its jaws ferociously, spinning towards its predator.
It rushes forwards, surprisingly fast (◆◆) and unleashes a stinking cloud of halitosis.
"Why does that smell familiar?" Bunnit breathed in wondering... then suddenly he remembers and refuses to say anything about it at all.
Larachelle flinches backward when the creature approaches the party, but reflexively blocks her nose when it activates its smelly breath.
"Gods, father wasn't lying, that really does stink!"
As the smell fades, Larachelle quickly sends out a fiery bolt to follow up on Valda's arrows, before stepping back to avoid the Grauladon's snapping jaws.
,
"Back up. Let me get at whatever this thing is!" Arabella warns, as she winds up with her chained mace, trying to find a spot on the smelly creature to bring it down upon before advancing to the fore.
Arabella rushing forward, which makes the hesitating bunny rush forward as well. The slathering beast snaps, the halfling drops, sliding perfectly under its mouth, then stands, rolls under the tail and STABS it from behind.
"What do you mean, 'whatever this thing is'? It's a Grauladon! Don't you trust my memory of my parents' stories?"
Orchid, thankfully, is out of the beasts breath and doesn't really know what's going on, but she trots forwards and when she can see the creature, tosses a bolt of divine light in its general direction.
No-one is more surprised than her when it actually hits.
Valda gags at the foul stench but keeps firing, scoring another hit.
The grauladon is shot, shot again and stabbed all in quick succession. It's almost hard not to feel sorry for the creature, until it opens its mouth wide and attempts to engulf Bunnit in teeth and horrific breath.
Its bite lands hard, punching deep into Bunnit's flesh, but its lashing tail can't strike the agile swashbuckler.
The shouting from above has tailed off and then redoubles, seemingly directed down towards Bunnit. Those not currently being bitten by an angry graulodon sees two or three large goblin heads poking over the edge of the battlements.
"Fine, it's a Grauladon! But I think I see our goblins...we can get to them if we get rid of this, yes!" Arabella slightly repositions herself before winding up with her mace again.
Bunnit cries out in pain, a high pitched rabbit scream. He doesn't run or bunny out, instead he stabs like a crazy person at the creatures head.
Hearing one of her favourite people yell out in pain tugs at Orchid's heartstrings and she hurries up to the edge of the stairs and channels Sarenrae's healing magic into Bunnit.
"Honey bunny!" Valda cries out as the creature bites her husband. Her face is a mask of rage as she retaliates against the beast.
"Ugh... Mr. Twiddleton, please be careful! I, Larach--ah, no time for this. Here I go!"
From her safe vantage point by the wall, Larachelle attempts to burn out the monster once again.
,
Bunnit and Arabella deal with the grauladon with a couple of precise blows as Orchid closes Bunnit's wounds and Valda and Larachelle ensure that the creature is quite dead.
The goblins above call out loudly although they're all speaking in goblin until another voice cries out in accented common. "Help!" Another voice swears loudly.
A grappling hook is lodged into the broken staircase and a hefty rope offers a way up to the battlements, where the goblins are now making frantic beckoning gestures, clearly entreating you all to come up.
Arabella puts her weapon away, upon seeing she would likely need both hands free to ascend, and that there seemed to be no hostile creatures left to stop them. "Ah, looks like we've done it and found the Bumblebrashers."
She pauses at the bottom of the rope, and turns about to wait for Orchid before climbing, "Guess I'll need to bear you for this bit."
Bunnit has to run over check on his amazing wife, and then give a proper THANK you hug to the amazing Orchid, then finally runs back over to the swears words in halfing, which he responds to in halfling "Hello, that language isn't neeeding! But we were sent here by Warbal!"
Orchid returns Bunnit's hug with feeling and then hurries over to scramble up Arabella's tall form. Once she reaches the womans belt she wriggles inside it and then nods upwards.
"I'm ready. Thank you Arabella."
Citadel Altaerein’s battlements provide a breathtaking view. To the east rise the majestic Five Kings Mountains, looming as ageless rocky monoliths in the hazy fog. To the south, rolling foothills unfurl, nestled around Breachill’s rooftops. Along the battlements, six bonfires have been heaped, although currently only the southwestern three are burning fitfully, sending plumes of reddish smoke into the air.
As soon as you are up on the battlements, you find yourself amongst a rather chaotic standoff. A hunched halfling man, you recognise as Calmot with his hair wild and gestures manic, has a terrified goblin in a headlock as he waves a knife about menacingly, standing in the only surviving doorway in the northeast tower.
"Don't you come any closer! You'll make me slit her throat you will!" he screeches.
The remaining goblins stand back, gabbling in goblin, all talking over one another in a panic.
"You do-gooders were all supposed to burn in the fire! No...wait! No closer! I'll cut the goblins ears off if you don't turn around and leave at once!"
Arabella frowns as she gets up amongst the goblin, glancing down to make sure the others were also climbing up. She puts a hand on her hip, but doesn't pull out the handle of her mace, not wanting to alarm Calmont further, while standing still to allow Orchid to descend if she wished. She isn't sure what to make of all the goblin jabbering, but she assumed none of them wanted their leader's throat slit.
The soldier turned merchant tries to inquire in as pleasant a tone as she could manage, "Burn in the fire? But dear Calmont, both I and Larachelle are some of the best customers of that shop you work for. Why ever would you want that?"
(if needed)
"What.... Are you... DOING!?!?" Bunnit is flabbergasted. He hadn't really believed Calmot could have set fire to the place, and WORSE by doing so meant to kill them all. That agast-ness bleeds into his voice spoiling any help he might be in talking the bad halfling down.
Orchid stays nice and still in Arabella's belt, at this point her best bet is to be ready with healing, just in case the halfling carries through with his threat and if he forgets that she's there - so much the better.
Valda keeps her bow trained on the treacherous Calmont, ready to open fire should negotiations fail.
Larachelle has a few moments to take in the mesmerizing view from her advantageous position before recognizing the hostage situation unfolding before her. Though she is prepared to draw her staff and blast the bookseller's apprentice if need rises, she manages to catch on to Arabella's line.
"Why, Mr. Calmont, how incredulously rude! To say that I, Larachelle the Dazzling, your favorite and most adoring customer, should deserve to burn in a fire; that truly is nigh unforgivable, even to a gentle, kind, and loving lady such as I! I know you didn't mean it, so I'll gracefully give you one chance to reconsider your words, should you wish to." Larachelle turns up her nose, keeping her eyes on the halfling, before adding, "though you may call me a do-gooder once again. That was nice to hear."
Calmont looks between Larachelle, Bunnit and Arabella, the whites of his eyes clear. His dagger remains at the goblin's throat, but the other goblins go quiet, when they see that you are trying to talk to the man, making the conversation just a little calmer.
“No one cares about me there. Stupid question! You're only customers, no more. ” Calmont chides Arabella. “Of course I wanted to set that little spark. Whoosh! Aha! You should’ve seen everyone’s faces. How else was I supposed to stop that stupid council from sending heroes”—Calmont sneers at the word— “to Hellknight Hill? That would have interrupted my plan to find the elf gates! But now you’re here anyway. Bah!” Calmont slaps his own forehead in frustration. “Should have set an even bigger fire!”
"We did see everyone's faces. We were there, and it wasn't funny." Arabella frowns, though she keeps her tone as calm as she could manage.
She then presses on, with a proposition that might hopefully be acceptable, "Anyways, so we are here now, and nothing you do will change that, so perhaps you might just use that instead. If you hurt that goblin, then you're definitely not going to find those elf gates anymore, whatever those are. Even if we don't get you ourselves, every goblin here will be out for your head. So what about you just let her go and we help you find those elf gates?" Even as she says this, she is wracking her head for what elf gates even were.
Calmont sneers and waves his knife then cries out, “I will not just let her go as no one will listen to me! Not until these little pests tell me how to find Alseta’s Ring!”
Calmont snorts. “How do you not even know what an elf gate is? You and Larachelle say you are all clever and well-read but can't even know that?" Alseta’s Ring is a ring of elf gates. Connected to places all over the world. Elf. Gates.” Calmont emphasizes those last two words slowly. “You know those? Boy, are you daft! Don’t you realize how valuable that information is to richies who want to travel fast? Selling that information would get me out from under Voz’s thumb!”
Orchid watches the conversation but can't make much of it.
Bunnit sees that talking is working and wracks his brain to think of anything to say "Is working for Vox, really that bad?" he asks hoping to just keep him talking.