Obeying Maidie's instructions, Cragg-el pursues the retreating goblin and presses his attack, this time striking with greater accuracy.
Meanwhile, Maidie pulls out the wand Prince Kernan gave her and aims it at the glittering goblin.
"Dodge this!" she says, then speaks the command word. Three bright bolts of magic energy streak towards the rogue and strike her with unfailing accuracy.
The goblin trying to slow Moon down as she makes her escape isnt' fast enough to get away from Cragg-el. The earth elemental slams a rock-hard fist into her side and nearly winds her. She staggers a step or two, her eyes flitting from cat, to monster, to pissed off ranger. Her eyes fall on the goblin being wrapped up in vines and roots and she swallows in fear.
Across the clearing, the goblin archer barely has time to reorient herself before being pummeled with magic missiles. She winces from their sting as they slam into her left side, arm, and leg. She too looks as if she is reconsidering her options.
"Welcome back, Betzolte. Sorry to say, but your beard burned up."
The snow covering ground cleared by the blasted spell and the dumb goblin staying put so close was too much of a good opportunity to pass now, so Erigga springs forth with her sizzling kukri.
+
"Welcome back to the party, Ironhame," Grobradon says. He could use the healing himself now that the good dwarf is up but there are potions to be drunk from so he's not as crucial as wizard types might be, "Right over there is the archer who shot you. Have at if you want payback." And healing energy flows to Betzolte again!
Then he watches Erigga shoot forward, "Though Erigga might beat you to it."
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Round 2
Moon ignores her torn pants… and the goblin’s plea. This was a day for crimson skies. She hears Grob’s voice and knows he and Betz are still alive, so the goblin gets the mercy of a swift and heavy blow. Moon slashes at the creature's neck.
Arrows (45):
Blunts (45):
Iron Arrows (3):
Human Bane Arrows (3):
Lead Blades (1):
Hero Points (3):
Kassen Battle Boon: 1x
Kassen Death Boon: 1x
Round 2
Hampered by the thick snow, the cat bounds after its fleeing quarry. Her feline mind puzzles over how difficult this mouse was to catch compared to the last one. It seems dexterity is needed more than strength… Her jaws snap air, not her elusive prey.
The goblin groans as Erigga's blade cuts deep into her arm. While not critical, yet, she is looking worse for wear.
The goblin sees the blade coming and wriggles just enough to take the blow in her shoulder. She screams in pain as the blade bites deep. She may still be alive, but she is clearly out of the fight.
Meanwhile, the other goblin spellslinger dances out of the way of Histya's snapping jaws. Seeing that one of them is very much about to die, she calls out.
"Information! We have information," she cries. "Spare us and we talk!"
The goblin's blood sizzling in contact with the acid in her blade, Erigga flicks it at the archer's face.
"You surrendering as well? If so kick your bow away and get on your knees." She says, angrily. "Hands up where I can see them, not in doggy style like you are used to." That was probably unnecessary, but hey, she was angry.
The goblin archer flinches from the sizzling blood flicked into her face. She glares at Erigga for a moment before slowly dropping her bow to one side and kneeling in the muddy slush left by the fireball. She carefully raises her hands over her head while never once taking her eyes off Erigga and the halfling's knife.
"You goblins have any potions of healing? We'll be taking them, now." Grobradon warns "And you better not try to poison us instead."
”Stay alert! One of them is still out there and there may be more. “ Maidie says as she flies upwards to get a better look. In Terran, she instructs Cragg-el to continue his sweep of the area.
Once satisfied that the fight is over, she cautions the surviving prisoners.
”Do not mistake the fact that we let you live for weakness or mercy. The last treacherous wretch who did that paid with his life.”
Moon rests her blade tip on the dying spellslinger's chest, debating whether to drive it through the creature's foul heart - and prevent whatever next evils it was likely to do - or respect the desires of her allies.
She plunges the blade into the... snow by the goblin's head and searches the body thoroughly - taking everything that is valuable or dangerous, including its spell components. If it bled out before anyone could help it, the Gods had decided the matter.
Before he returns home, Cragg-el warns you that the goblin who ran away has met up with another goblin. You find the pair some distance away, watching, but not doing anything else.
You get the sense that there's genuine comradery even friendship between these three. The horror that the other two show when it appears Moon has killed the third, and their relief afterwards is real enough.
As for treachery, They know the balance of power at the moment. they aren't going to risk their lives by lying.
The goblin at Moon's mercy breathes more and more quickly as the ranger stands with her blade poised over the goblin's heart. As the blade rises for the final plunge, the goblin closes her eyes looks away as she grits her teeth against the scream clawing at her throat to get out.
"No! Fi-Fi!" The goblins' cries echo through the clearing when it appears that Moon has killed the third captive, the mage that had cast the spell that had nearly spelled Betzolte's doom. The look on in stupefied horror for a moment before they see that Moon had not killed their companion.
Moon sees that while she's badly hurt, the goblin mage isn't in any danger of dying, at least not immediately. She keeps quiet as the ranger strips her of anything useful or valuable, only whimpering when one of her two wounds is aggravated.
It doesn't take long before all three goblins are searched and tied up. They take what Maidie says to heart and do what they are told without fuss or comment. One thing becomes readily apparent as you look over the goblin captives and their gear. All of them have much finer gear than one would expect from a goblin. There even seems to be a degree of fashion consciousness to their choice in attire.
Once you have taken everything from the goblins, the one that offered information for their lives speaks up.
"What do you want to know," she asks.
100 gp in gems and coins
- 2x Potions Cure Light Wounds
- 1x Potion of Fly
- 1x Potion of Invisibility
- 1x Masterwork Cold Iron Dagger
- 1x Alchemist's Lab
- 1x set of bonecarver's tools
- 1x Masterwork Backpack
- 2x Potions of Barkskin
- 1x Darkwood Masterwork Composite Shortbow (STR +0)
- 1x Mithral Gladius
- 1x Masterwork Chain Shirt
[ooc]Red Lips' Gear[/b]
- 2x Potions of Cure Light Wounds
- 1x Potion of Jump
- 1x Masterwork Gladius
- 1x Blackwood Masterwork Composite Shortbow (STR +2)
- 1x Mithral Chain Shirt
- Masterwork Thieves' tools
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Moon paces like a caged animal. ”We want everything you know about Lugruk, his location, his plans, his alliances and how strong they are. Why did you join this fight? Also, anything you know about a goblin called Meep… to start.”
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Grobradon is in a piss poor mood himself, takes one of the potions of cure light wounds, and drinks it.
"You bastards better answer her, I'm still very very pissed about the trees you burned."
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Betzolte coughs as she comes to and rises, then she turns to Emerald.
"You saved my life," she says softly, before giving the dragon-turned-human a firm hug. "Thank you...thank you so much...I...I wasn't ready to go under Magrim's hammer yet."
When she lets go, it's clear tears were running down her face.
She joins the others.
"How bad is it?" she asks, gesturing to her burned face as she accepts a potion and drinks it.
”Oh no, they don’t…if those two think they can just slink away, they have another thing coming.” Maidie mutters as Cragg-el informs her about the two escaped goblins.
she calls down to the her friends before flying higher.
Once she is above the treetops, she casts Vanish and makes a beeline towards the pair. Settling down in the top of a large tree where she has full cover and concealment, she fires off three missiles from her wand, striking both goblins.
”That was your first and only warning! I can do this all day, I will never miss and if you try to hide I’ll summon up another earth elemental to flush you out. Surrender or I’ll burn you to within an inch of your lives and have Moon send her cat to finish the job!”
Both of the goblins do not look happy about being hit by the arcane projectiles. They scan the area, focusing on where they hear Maidie's voice coming from.
The female goblin chants something and moves her arms about in a strange manner. An iridescent cloud bank, forty feet wide and twenty feet tall wraps around the top of the tree.
After close to a minute of sitting inside the absolutely scintillating and colorful cloud and giggling, fog clears and a moment later, Maidie recovers enough to see that there is no sign of the goblins.
As she snaps out of her enthralled state, Maidie realizes that pursuing the goblins is more risky than she anticipated. She flies straight back to the rest of the group.
"They got away and at least one of them is a spellcaster of some capability. We should stay alert as long as they are out there."
"Maidie what are you..." But off the now shrunken companion flies. Grobradon mutters something about lone wolves dying first, but keeps his eyes on their prisoners.
"They got away and at least one of them is a spellcaster of some capability. We should stay alert as long as they are out there."
When Maidie returns, "Got it. Thanks. At least you had your stone guy."
”Perhaps it was a bit reckless, considering the fireball that nearly cooked us all. But I figured it was worth the risk. I’m pretty hard to spot when I’m hiding in the treetops.” Maidie responds to Grob before turning her attention to the captives.
”This lot started talking yet? I’m curious what they are doing here.”
Erigga busies herself sorting through the spoils. She takes the healing potions and passes them to Grob. "I think you should use them until you are in a better shape."
The other potions she sets aside as she doesn't know what they are. The stronger composite bow she takes to herself, while removing the string from the other one. The other gear she stashes inside the backpack.
"Mithral, darkwood... I wasn't expecting goblins having such rare and expensive items."
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Grobradon ponders this "I got one heal left in me. Though Emerald was the real champ there." A nod to the dragon in girl form. Then he takes the potions, unsure if he should take just one more for himself, clearly Erigga has a point. He drinks another for now.
Then snorts, "These are some limp potions. I've gotten more health from my mom's chicken soup."
He also moves closer to Moon and whispers "I share your outrage, and if you like, I will also share my pants. You'd have to cut off a section of the length, but I got spare breaches if you want something to cover up, keep you a bit warmer."
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"You are not shaking them first." She points out. "If you don't shake it properly, it doesn't work that well."
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"Your mom does make good chicken soup...it's better than my mom's," Betzolte mumbles. She takes another potion and shakes it like Erigga suggested.
"Oh, wow, you're right Erigga. Shaking it really does make the difference," she says as more burn scars recede from her face.
"Protřepané lektvary mě šimrají na nose" Grobradon grunts in Orcish making a face about whatever.
"Your mom does make good chicken soup...it's better than my mom's," Betzolte mumbles. She takes another potion and shakes it like Erigga suggested.
"Don't sell your family short, I remember when they were nice enough to give us their extra chicken meat in the first place."
"Blazes with it. I'll just use the wand." If he can, he grabs the wand, THIS he shakes, and then applies a charge to himself.
"Huh, seems to help wands too." He admits then tries another, as he realizes how messed up that fireball had him.
and he feels MUCH better.
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He also moves closer to Moon and whispers "I share your outrage, and if you like, I will also share my pants. You'd have to cut off a section of the length, but I got spare breaches if you want something to cover up, keep you a bit warmer."
A half-smile crosses the half-elf's face, despite her anger. Not quite how I planned on getting into his pants, but...
Moon glances down to see what she's exposing. Her pants are ragged but not irreparable. She puts a hand on his arm for seemingly no reason at all. "I may take that offer for a little while... Betz, Maidie, you repaired my clothes before. Do either of you have that spell currently? I'm catching a draft."
Betzolte nods.
"Aye, I do."
She follows Moon's direction to repair her clothes.
Betzolte coughs as she comes to and rises, then she turns to Emerald.
"You saved my life," she says softly, before giving the dragon-turned-human a firm hug. "Thank you...thank you so much...I...I wasn't ready to go under Magrim's hammer yet."
When she lets go, it's clear tears were running down her face.
She joins the others.
"How bad is it?" she asks, gesturing to her burned face as she accepts a potion and drinks it.
[dice=Potion of Healing]1d8+1
Emerald doesn't return the hug, and instead gasps in pain as Betzolte hugs her. She hadn't taken it as badly as Betzolte or Grobradon, but she is apparently not as tough as either of them are. She's covered in burns from where the fireball's flames had gotten past the cloak she'd used to shield herself and her clothing.
[Dice=Spellcraft to figure out if the spell was divine or arcane]1d20+11
As she snaps out of her enthralled state, Maidie realizes that pursuing the goblins is more risky than she anticipated. She flies straight back to the rest of the group.
"They got away and at least one of them is a spellcaster of some capability. We should stay alert as long as they are out there."
"That's Glitzy. She's an odd one. Fun to be around, though," the goblin that had asked what the heroes wanted to know volunteers.
Moon paces like a caged animal. ”We want everything you know about Lugruk, his location, his plans, his alliances and how strong they are. Why did you join this fight? Also, anything you know about a goblin called Meep… to start.”
Grobradon is in a piss poor mood himself, takes one of the potions of cure light wounds, and drinks it.
1d8+1
"You bastards better answer her, I'm still very very pissed about the trees you burned."
All three of the captives cower away from Grobradon and Moon, the two less injured goblins trying to shield the spellcaster that Moon had bloodied and nearly killed.
"We join because Krosk join. He don't want fight, we stop fight and do what he want. We trust him," the goblin that has taken charge, the one that had tried to charm Moon says. The other two nod their assent as she continues. "Lugruk plan cut off longshanks' town and attack on next full moon. Red," she nods the goblin that had put an arrow into Betzolte, "and me did a lot of snooping. Gruls and Ganny Black Tongue see easy pickings. Things go wrong; they leave. Goblins more loyal, but think Lugruk weak or he die, they fight and try kill Bugwumps. Promise of shinies and killing a bunch of you got them on Lugruk's side. Bugwumps only tribe loyal to him. Me show you where he meet leaders in ten days. He said something about some longshanks helping and catching someone he just call the traitorous b~&*!. I guess that Meep. that last me heard anything about her. Krosk say she smart and pretty goblin. He love have Meep join. Say she wasted on likes of Bugwump tribe. There rumor about band of orcs, but we only heard rumor. Sound more truthy than the rumor about dragon help Lugruk we heard before come here."
"Krosk have map show leaders' camps on it," the one the other called Red pipes up. "He give for us."
Krosk tapped one finger on his bulging bicep as his patience grew thin. The sniveling cretin before had been getting on his nerves for some time, and now his mood was as foul as ever. Three of his precious harem were captured, or more likely dead. Damn that idiot Zuka, though, if he were to be honest, it was as much his fault for not joining in the fray instead of walking off. To make things even worse, this goblin suck-up, Dik, smelled of piss.
"Z-zuka wanted to know why you were up here," Dik stammered.
"Does a god need explain himself," Krosk asked, his tone dangerously flat.
"N-no! Your Most Holy Sexiness!" Dik prostrated himself as he groveled, but that only made Krosk more irritated.
"Then go do whatever else Zuka has you doing," Krosk growled. His nose wrinkled as he smelled fresh urine coming from the sniveling scout. "At least spare me the stench of your own frightened piss," he roared.
This wretch was a lowly scout, however much Zuka liked him. It would be good to vent some of his frustration out on something. He stopped standing as he felt the soft hands of his remaining consort on his arm.
"What if we were to make use of him," she asked. "A peace offering? That knife-eared b~+$& didn't kill Fi-Fi, so maybe they'll listen to us if we make it clear we don't want a fight."
Krosk's expression turned thoughtful at that. Glitzy was right, and Honey was smart enough to know that he cared far more about them than about any cause of some Bugwump filth.
"B-but that's treas--" Dik began to protest before Krosk's hand snapped out and wrapped around his scrawny neck.
"I am the Goblin God of Sexiness. What do I care for the thoughts of an unsexy pissant over the lives of my sexy ladies," He asked.
Dik pissed himself again. It had been like that for past few days now, Krosk realized. Zuka had actually sent Dik to see what happened to his brother Bik. It was a poor gift, especially given what he so desperately wanted back safely, but at least watching him die horribly would be amusing.
"Well, Glitter Glob, my Buxom Boogle, shall we go save the others," he asked.
Grobradon seeing how down Emerald is, heals her with the wand after giving it a good shake
"Sorry, Emerald, I should have done that first thing." Eying her still being rather vulnerable, he taps her with the wand again.
He listens to news on Meep, which..isn't much, "So, question, would your tribe switch sides if they got shinies offered from us?" A thought occurring.
With most of the burns healed up by Grobradon, Emerald mutters a thank you and hesitantly returns Betzolte's hug.
"Me-- Me no think so," the goblin admits while Red hisses in her ear, "Honey~!"
"Zuka no like Krosk. We good at fighting, so he keep us around. Stickfoot big tribe. Would take lots of shinies," the goblin, Honey, says.
"The Stickfoot Tribe is the biggest one, there's at least five hundred goblins in it, Besides, the elders are the ones you'd have to convince, and they wouldn't be the ones fighting. Why accept a gift when you can take it and more, is what they'd say to the rabble," the goblin mage, Fi-Fi, adds. She has to pause and catch her breath ever few words thanks to the pain she's in and the blood loss.
"Could kill Zuka. Krosk no want tribe, just sexy girls," Red mutters after a moment.
”I want to be sure I understand. Ganny and the Gruls will leave if the fight with the town gets too hard, yes? And the other goblin tribes are only with Lugruk for ‘shineys’ and easy killing? If things get hard, what will the other tribes do – kill Bugwumps or just leave?”
Moon considers the offer of a map. It was valuable, but potentially not the most valuable thing they could offer. ”Let’s say we let your go… with Krosk or on your own. What will you do then?”
"Me think so," Honey answers, though she sounds less sure of that than she'd apparently like. "Some longshanks killed bunch of Gruls. They had something. Gruls' pappy not sound happy. Say goblins need do their part."
"Heard they had longshanks," Red adds. "Ones got pasted."
"Yep. Tribes want shinies and kill longshanks. Other tribes may go after Bugwump. May leave," Honey says with a shrug. "Bloodmoon probably fight, though."
At the last question, the three goblins look at each other and whisper among themselves. The quiet conversation grows more and more intense until the most badly injured of the three, the mage, Fi-Fi, starts to cry.
The three of them are talking about what they would do. They all want to find Krosk if they aren't with him when you let them go. The three of them differ on what to do after that.
Red, the archer, wants to hurt someone or steal something to get back something for the pain they've been through, through she isn't too keen on tangling with y'all again.
Fi-Fi, the mage, just wants to get as far away from this as she can. If the longshanks' scouts are this tough, just imagine how bad the real heroes are.
Honey, the leader of the group would rather see what Krosk wants to do.
The discussion sounds like it might go on for a bit when Fi-Fi starts to cry, whimpering that she doesn't want to die and she doesn't want to see anyone else in their strange band die.
A long pause follows as the other two watch then move in and comfort the weeping goblin as best they can while tied up.
"We find Krosk. Talk him into leaving," Honey answers.
”That’s a smart idea. So, you find Krosk and you all agree to leave… Will Krosk tell the other goblins you are leaving? Will they be mad at you?”
Grobradon is not moved by their plight. When folks attack you and yours, and then whimper when they feel pain back, it's hard to feel sympathy. However he does seen an opportunity here sort of. Pretending he doesn't know goblin, he says to Moon "We may actually have to wake up our mentors and let them know we may need their help in this war after all. A shame, you know they'll want to kill all the enemy for themselves."
Moon isn't slow. "If Lugruk brings the battle to Kassen, you know they will fight. It seems Lugruk didn't warn his allies what's waiting for them. Treacherous little git." She turns to the goblins, as if looking for clarification, "Did Lugruk tell you about the last time we fought? He jumped us at night while we were sleeping. He had a LOT of warriors and a few spellcasters. We killed most of them, including his shaman/mate. I took her head myself. Lugruk only lived because he fled like a coward on his yelping mutt... That is the 'warleader' you are risking your lives for."
The three goblin captives stare at Moon and Grobradon for a long moment, there eyes wide with shock.
"He-- He no told that," Honey admits.
Just as she does there's a loud call echoing through the woods coming from the direction Maidie saw the two other goblins that had fled. After a moment a male goblin's voice rings out.
"We don't want a fight. We come to talk," it says. From the way the three captives' eyes light up, it's easy to guess that this is Krosk's voice.
Betzolte glowers, but nods.
"You must be Krosk," she calls. "You wanna talk, come out and show yourself, so we can see if you're as impressive as your warriors claim."
There is some rustling and pointy words in goblin before three goblins appear. The first is the other goblin that had been spotted and spoiled their ambush, Glitzy from what the others have said. The second is a wretched, sniveling thing that smells of piss and fear and is tied up with a length of roughly made rope. The third is perhaps the most impressive goblin any of you have laid eyes on. Chiseled muscles, flawless skin, and silky hair that would be the envy of more than a few of Kassen's more vain denizens makes it clear that this is a goblin that likes to take care of his appearance. He holds the other end of the rope and uses it to pull the sniveling goblin short.
"Indeed! I am Krosk, Goblin God of Sexiness," He introduces himself with a bow. "I see that you have three of my ladies. I wish to negotiate for them. I have brought a gift to show my good will, however foul it might be."
Korsk pushes the tied-up goblin forward, sending the wretched thing sprawling in the snow.
"Zuka likes him. I'm sure he knows something useful."
Though he tries to hide it, there's a moment of relief when he sees Honey, Red, and Fi-Fi still alive.
He also doesn't think much of Zuka Dwarfmunch, from his tone.
Erigga, who was currently checking the pull from the shortbow, nocks an arrow in it. She doesn't point it to the new arrivals, no, no. She aims at the wounded mage.
The situation was changing with the new arrivals, so she figured it would be nice of her to keep the perspectives pretty clear.
"You three don't get any ideas, uhn? I don't want to shoot you in the back, but I'm kind of becoming known more for doing stuff I don't want to than the other way around." Growing up in a farm thought her that. No one wants to use shovel s*#+ in a cart, but you gotta do it anyway.
Krosk's expression darkens as Erigga threatens the mage. The badly hurt goblin looks close to passing out as tears stream down her face and she holds very, very still.
"We do nothing. We promise," Honey says.
"You heard her," Krosk growls. "Now lower the bow."
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Moon glances at the prisoners and takes a quarter-step – making sure the two most wounded ones are within the range of her sword. Given they are next to each other, she might be able to slice them both with a single stroke.
She replies almost sympathetically to Honey, ”You aren’t going to die unless Krosk makes another mistake.” She turns to the self-proclaimed God of Sexiness and matches his dark tone. ”You don’t make demands here. That was a mistake. Don’t do it again. Your ladies are under our weapons until an agreement is reached. Now, shall we talk?”
”The ladies have told us that you have a map we could use to find Lugruk and the other leaders. They want to exchange that and other information for their lives. For their freedom, we’ll need more. They also said they would try to convince you to walk away from this fight. My questions for you are simple: Will you leave this fight and not attack us or the town? If you do leave, will you let Lugruk’s army know or just vanish?”
Krosk's face twists into a snarl for a moment before he takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly.
"Yes. Let's talk," he says in a calmer voice.
He listens as Moon speaks and the more she says, the more his shoulders slump and his ears droop. His eyes are not on Moon, but the three captives the ranger and Erigga threaten.
"I won't leave Honey, Fi-Fi, or Red behind," he says. "If they are with me, then yes, I will leave. I won't attack you nor the other longshanks. As for Lugruk," he spits on the tied up goblin, "let him rot. I owe neither him nor Zuka anything."
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”Looks like your are as smart as you are strong and sexy, Krosk” Maidie says dryly as she hovers over the snow-covered ground. She pulls out her wand and holds it casually, keeping a careful eye on Glitzy. If the goblin shows any sign of spellcasting, she gets another round of missiles.
”We have no interest in killing anyone, if we don’t have to. But if you threaten us or Kassen, we’ll be swift and merciless, as you have seen. So, if you agree to leave and abandon Zuka and Lugruk, that’s the wise choice.”
She looks at the shivering Dik.
”You should pick your presents with greater care, though. This one looks to be more trouble than it’s worth. Tell me, Favored of Zuka…what information do you have to barter for your life and freedom?”
He cares for them. That's a good sign...
"Just as you care for these three , we care for one called Meep. Do you know more about her situation than your underlings?"
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"Uhm, I'm pretty sure these are his girlfriends, Grob."