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"We will await you and your companions return." Matz agrees. "For now rest and recuperate your injuries."
While you rest Matz meets with Innumma, Sakuachi, and his crew to see if anyone has seen any sign of the missing Guides. After a couple hours he returns. "Some of my people have spotted your missing Guides in the city."
"A Smiling Wolf named Iabor spotted someone matching navigator Ulikuq’s description near a guard post on the other side of the observatory. This post is also the base of operations for Ghodrak the Quick, the leader of the Obsidian Oath."
“The Obsidian Oath has been a real thorn in our side,” says Matz, scratching his chin. “Take care of them for us, and I’ll give you a raft suitable for a voyage down the Icerime.”
★ -- ★ -- ★ -- ★
Yana spotted a woman she believes to be the hunter Deniigi near the Mystic Market, a merchant’s square in the city’s southwestern quadrant. According to Yana, she saw Deniigi talking with some other newcomers and figured they knew each other."
“Maybe she made some friends?” Matz chuckles. “Either way, try and learn a thing or two about these other newcomers while you’re there. In return, I’ll order the locks open when you’re ready to leave.”
★ -- ★ -- ★ -- ★
Joruf saw a figure matching Pamak the storyteller’s description leaving the city via the gates to the northwest. A Smiling Wolf named Hissoi also went outside the gates to scout the area, but hasn’t yet returned."
"Figure out what is going on and I promise I will load your raft with as much treasure as it can hold before you ship out."
"Onye Dinta can deal with these thorns," the catfolk asserts. "They are the hobgoblins that attacked Sakuachi and the tribe."
Grundle nods, his mouth full. He seems to have produced a sandwich from somewhere.
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Nicky looks at the pathway.
DC20
He seems unphased by the magics. His adroit mind handling the disruptive forces.
We need to head this way. Just follow me. I got this! The stars help with direction. Just follow the string of stars that make up the Jaberwok's tail!
He confidently states as he uses his left hand to point out the starry constellation he just referenced.
Hey Grundle, is that an MLT? a Mutton, Lettuce and Tomato? Where the Mutton is nice and lean?
Daehalya tries to tell from the stars if Nicky is bringing them the right way, but she's just not sure. She'll simply have to cling to the hand when the blizzard blinds, as she always has.
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The Skywatch city guard maintained several guard posts around the city, each of which consisted of a one-story stone barracks with a basement of cells.
Copious amounts of blood stain the face of this squat stone building, likely spattered from the heap of animal carcasses piled nearby. All the windows are barred, and the front door is made of hardwood reinforced with iron fixtures. A tattered linen painted with the symbol of a trident against a gray flame hangs prominently above the lintel.
"Hold on," Daehalya whispers, laying down her staff as she pulls out some fine tools.
It takes her a little time, but she's able to get the door unlocked without much difficulty.
Having eaten his sandwich exceedingly slowly, and as he is too polite to speak with his mouth full, Grundle finally replies to Nicholo several minutes later.
"I don't know. I found it in my pocket.
Grundle surveys the environment.
"This was clearly a most unpleasant place to work. Someone here must have had quite a temper."
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Seeing Grundle chew and chew on his sandwich, Nicky tries to make sense of the unusual habit and situation. Not picking up that maybe Grundle was avoiding the social reply.
Instead, he thinks there's something else.
Grundle, am I picking up on the fact that you chew each bite approximately 40 times before swallowing? Is there a fear of choking on your food thing happening here? Did you have some near death experience from choking and so you chew each bite so much?
Or is that a Gnome thing? Gnomes are super chewers and they build s#%@ that explodes. Are those the tenants of your race?
I don't ask to put you on the pot, just I'm intrigued.
********
Nicky looks at everything in the foyer. Trying to see what others sometimes don't see, or misinterpret.
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See this spot right here -- It had a map. Probably a city map, or a guard rotation map. It was at least mildly valuable - as the ransakers -- is ransakers a word? - well, I'm designating it a word at least temporarily. The ransakers took it. They may still be here, so let us open these doors carefully.
Nicky pulls out his sword and heads to the eastern most door. Waiting for Shadowsun to check it for traps or alarm bells or something.
Daehalya nods, staff held in one hand. It seems to have been constant fighting since she got back from the Missing Moment -- or perhaps it was during the Missing Moment too? She's not sure -- so it would make sense to expect that here.
She looks carefully over the door to make sure it's safe to go through.
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Nicky thinks long and hard if he's seen anyone in his party have manacles or other solid binding implements.
He's not a cold blooded killer, and the enemy is sleeping. He looks at the others and does his best sign language work to either point to manacles on the person he knows has them, or he'll point to plain old rope (which he has) and mimes wrapping them up in it.
Daehalya nods, ready to support Nicky. She has no manacles, but she can stand guard while they try to bind the hobgoblins. Sure, they could try to retreat, but it seems likely that somehow this group would be wakened, so best to deal with them now.
Grundle puts down the bowl of warm water as he realizes he was not on the same page as the rest of the party.
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Grundle quietly enters the room and sets a small bowl of warm water on the floor. The hobgoblin snorts and rolls over but doesn't awaken from the sloshing water.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Grundle
➤ Onye
⠀⠀➤ Uhu
➤ Alvarius
➤ Ezgara
➤ Nicholo
➤ Daehalya
Hobgoblin Raider 1 (Red)
Hobgoblin Raider 2 (Green)
Hobgoblin Raider 3 (Blue)
Hobgoblin Raider 4 (Pink)
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Nicky sees the warm bowl of water and flashes a smile.
He gives Grundle a wink.
Thinking to himself I like the way that one thinks!
He manipulates the rope to have two slip knots. One for hands, the other for feet.
He'll help others create a snare/binding if they look like they need it.
When done, Nicky moves to position himself near the Hobgoblin in Pink.
He and the others might need another round to properly be in position. ready.
His plan is to have his sword in one hand- and near the neck of the hobgoblin- and the other hand with the rope ready to bind his target.
◆ - Manipulate rope. Craft Snare
◆ ◆ - Manipulate rope. Craft snare (if needed)/ stealth to position
◆ ◆ ◆ - ready sword.
He'll give a hand signal of three, two, three when the others are ready and in position.
Grundle prepares by maintaining a safe distance from the sleeping hobgobbos.
Ezgara's face splits into a wide grin as he snaps out of his morose silence. Marauders. Clodhopping and callow. Thick. Mistempered. Do you have soft shoes and a bag of spiders?
Daehalya looks to see if she can jam the door shut. She's not a cold-blooded killer, and if there's a way they can prevent a fight at all with these sleeping potential enemies, that would be best.
But it seems clear there's no way to do that.
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Daehalya quietly shuts the door as she ushers you all out of the room. As she grabs a few spikes she quietly tries to jam the door shut, though in doing so she misses the spike and hits the door with her hammer. The hobgoblins stir. "Huh, what was that?" Looking around they don't spot anyone. Another of the hobgolins rolls back over. "It's just the wind! Go back to sleep."
The hobgoblins roll over back to their slumber.
The masked catfolk moves toward the other door within the first room. "There is only one other choice on this side," he observes.
"I like easy decisions. They're quick, don't take any thought, and let you get on with the rest of your life. Which could be long or short, I'll allow. But still."
He motions to indicate that he's ready for someone to open the door.
Daehalya -- slightly embarrassed about her missed hammer strike -- quickly looks over the door to make sure it's safe before opening it.
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Daehalya quietly creaks the door open and hears a scream just as she does so.
Grimy stairs descend into this cold and musty stone basement. Rows of floor-to-ceiling bars form four cells, two on either wall. A human figure in heavy furs huddles behind the bars in the north-west corner.
Just as you open the door you see a pair of hobgoblins interrogating the human as one breaks the man's leg sideways. "AAARRGH!"
"I won't ask nicely again, what are you doing here? Where are the others? Tell me how this street magic works."
Grundle thinks this calls for something more severe than warm water. He waits for any kind of signal from the others before taking action.
Onye Dinta tries to slink down the stairs without being heard.
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Grundle whispers as Onye slinks by, "We must stop them. Street magicians are sworn to never reveal their secrets. This can only end in death. Unless that is the masked magician. He sells the secrets and must wear the mask to avoid retribution from the Arch Street Magician Criss Angel, who hunts him constantly."
Grundle knows not where this information came from. But he is sure of it.
"More importantly, they're torturing that man!" Daehalya whispers, surging forward to stop this horror.
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Nicky likes how Onye is in predator mode. He first makes his way up the stairs to ensure that the door is closed at the top. He's sure the sounds of combat will waft through an open door much better than a closed door.
The room full of sleeping Hobgoblins are a concern to him, and he wants to keep them asleep. He then moves back down the stairs quietly, waiting until the predator pounces and then moves to aid and support in the potential combat.
◆ Stride
◆ ◆ Interact
◆ ◆ ◆ Stealth/stride.
Feeling super stealthy, he advances pretty far into the room (whatever movement would allow).
Alvarius follows, a few steps behind the others. Knowing that it's smart to not actually speak, even in a whisper, the wizard keeps quiet. But he's spoiling for a fight now.
Onye Dinta tosses his javelin at the hobgoblin with their back to him and then begins to invoke the spirits of creation. He is covered in a glowing nimbus and stands transformed into the form of a leopard when the nimbus fades.
Alvarius moves in, taking a position that should provide some cover for him. "Sgri Gwasgariad," he intones, evoking a jumble of rocks in the area where the two hobgoblins are.
plus area is Difficult Terrain (unless they spend an action to clear a square)
Ezgara rushes in and points his broken twig at the nearest hobgoblin. BURRN! HEHEHE!
Grundle trundles down the stairs (I think it will take 3 actions to get there from the top).
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Most of you catch the Hobgoblins by surprise. Alvarius clatters into the room sending bits of stone swirling about the chamber. The wounded man shields his body as he hunkers down on the floor.
The larger Hobgoblin avoids the stones as the other gets battered. Luckily for the hobgoblin it causes Onye's javelin to miss. Nicholo rushes down the stairs and stabs the wounded hobgoblin in the back as Grundle tries to keep up with his long legged companions.
Ezgara leans down and tosses flames at the wounded hobgoblin, igniting the wounded warrior. The hobgoblin screams and collapses dead to the ground before it has much time to react.
The remaining hobgoblin squints his eyes. "You must be the ones that gave my troop trouble in the observatory." He quickly draws a chipped hatchet and sweeps it at Nicholo's chest.
Onye is too far away to help Nicholo but with the tieflings newfound elven aspects he only manages to get scratched.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
──────────
➤ Alvarius
➤ Onye
⠀⠀Uhu
➤ Nicholo
➤ Grundle
➤ Ezgara
Ghodrak the Quick 1 (Red)
➤ Daehalya
"Crafanc Trywanu," Alvarius says, his hand forming into claws as his evocation takes form. He concentrates, his will extending the reach of the claws so that it can rend the nearby hobgoblin.
On four legs, the leopard is not so inconvenienced by the scree and bounds around the hobgoblin to divert their attention. He bites at the warrior.
Critical Success The target creature gains a –2 circumstance penalty to Reflex saves and is flat-footed until the start of your next turn.
Success The target creature gains a –2 circumstance penalty to Reflex saves until the start of your next turn.
Ezgara hops up and down, stamping his hoof. The flow of fire draining from the heart. The stench of burning hair! All things incinerated! Cats in every crook and corner. Wherever you look.
As he babbles images of cats and flames dance around the amurrun and hobgoblin.
Then he flings lightning at the hobgoblin.
Hssss!
HP 46/46
AC 21 (+1 vs. traps), deny advantage, cold resistance 2
Fort +7, Ref +11, Will +8 (+1 vs. traps)
Hero Points: 1
Deviant backlash DC: 5
Effects:
Hearing the sounds of combat from below, Daehalya rushes to join the fight. Seeing the group concentrating on the hobgoblin, she closes in, staff sweeping at his feet.