At the description of the goblin taxidermist's eventual masterpiece, Nadja finally allows her giggles to escape. Already exuberant about the contract, her mind now envisioned the bat-scorpion-rat-spider taking a place of honor at various locations in Sandpoint. Every spot she imagined was funnier than the last.
Then mention of Ripnugget intruded into her delight, and she recognized that the information was likely more important in the grand scheme, but her elation would not be denied.
"Yes, Mr. Tunch! We'll get right on that killing!" she says with unrestrained glee. She eyes the scribbled map once more to make sure she's going the right way, then starts tugging Jeni in that direction. "We'll talk more after the witch is dead, all right?"
Jeni rolls her eyes while she gets tugged "Okay" the fighter says with weary annoyance. Fake weary annoyance, because all that know her well (these three other people), knows she LOVES the adventure of this all. Not killing, that is just part of stopping bad people, but all the rest excites her to no end.
"Hmm," Kazumi breaks his reverie. "There truly is no pithy portmanteau for a bat-scorpion-rat-spider. In Taldane at least. The plan is sufficient as well."
Zen nods solemnly, "we will try to help. We may end up having to deal with some others of your tribe - including Ripnugget - but if this witch is as dangerous as you say, I'll try to help if I can."
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"Hmm," Kazumi breaks his reverie. "There truly is no pithy portmanteau for a bat-scorpion-rat-spider. In Taldane at least. The plan is sufficient as well."
"I plan to call him Jeff."
You return to the entry chamber and follow Tunch's map through the north door. The rough stone walls of this large room are decorated with a mix of bones, broken weapons, tattered tapestries, and bits of junk. To the north, a charred and very dead goblin sits slumped on a partially burned wooden throne. A cave opening to the west of the throne opens into darkness. Several bloody spears lean against the wall near this opening.
Six goblins mill about the room, five warriors and a war chanter, as well as a goblin in leather armor with a longbow slung over his back. All of them seem nervous and jittery, but when they spot you, the lead goblin cries out. "Longshanks! Seize them! Keep them alive! We'll feed them to the Devil and Ripnugget will leave us be!"
The goblins move to attack at once!
"Again with Ripnugget," Nadja mutters before bringing up her sabres in a flurry of spinning, fascinating moves while closing the distance between her and the goblin with the bow.
Once she closes, she slices with each blade, hoping to take the fight out of him.
Zen grumbles as Nadja rushes ahead again, and summons a glob of acid on the bunched up enemies.
Then he strides up next to her to protect her.
"Hey, at least They won't try to kill Us. Nice they let us know that." Jeni quips to the muttering gnat, as she flings a sharp blade of water at the leader, then a tidal wave crashing down on the rest.
Kaz chants something rhythmic and oddly catchy to himself as he withdraws a carefully preserved section of skin, and sends it whisking away across the cavern floor into the midst of the fray where it unfolds itself into a briny, dreadful smelling corpse!
The Draugr hauls back and swings mightily with its greataxe, cleaving into the warchanter and through them into another of the goblin warriors! Wheezing the same shanty that Kaz had begun through a hole in its lungs it awaits its next commands.
Kaz's summoned draugr cleaves clean through the goblin war chanter and a warrior unfortunate enough to be adjacent, slicing them in half! Jeni's tidal hands takes out another warrior, and Zenobius' caustic blast finishes off a third. Only one goblin warrior still stands, though he is badly hurt.
The archer is injured as well. He narrowly dodges Jeni's blast and Nadja's first attack, though her second strike slices him across the chest!
The last warrior standing moves to help the archer, attacking Nadja with his horsechopper. As he arrives at the archer's side, the archer scuttles back a few feet, stepping away from Nadja. This gives the archer the space he needs to mark Nadja as his prey and fire his bow at her! Only one arrow finds its mark, and Zenobius's intervention lessens the impact.
The Draugr staggers toward Gurlunk, its uneven shuffling step distressingly quick as it once more swings its mighty axe.
Kaz, irked by the arrow buried in Nadja's armor, gives a flick of their wrist and sends one of the goblin's other arrows right back at the archer!
Nadja moves fluidly in combat as attacks come at her. She sidesteps the jagged blade of the horsechopper, then when he pivots to bring the weapon back to bear, he finds one of her sabres raking across his throat!
Not minding the arterial spray across her face or the arrow glancing off her, she dances back into reach of the archer just as Kaz's monster hacks into him.
Figuring he was already dead but wanting to finish her dance with a flourish, Nadja's sabre flashes again.
Blood flies as the remaining two goblins swiftly fall to your attacks!
Doors exit this room to the west and east. According to Tunch’s map, east will take you towards the witch Minargul.
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"Pfthpfth, blech, goblin blood. Pfthhhh."
Nadja wipes her face with her sleeve, smearing the blood splatter into interesting swirls. She takes a moment to regard the sabres in her hands and appreciate their blood-slicked beauty.
She stops before it gets creepy. "We should have told them we'll go see Ripnugget on our own accord. After we've dealt with the witch. That way?"
"Mmhm." Kaz nods. "If we hasten, my briny bodyguard here might even remain intact long enough to aid in that battle as well."
"Oh ick, you're just smearing it" Jeni says with distress... she might have a neat complex. She creates a floating blob of clean water, making it hover in front of her friend. "Face. Please."
"Your bodyguard is impressive, Kaz" she does NOT look at the flesh flaking off of it.
You proceed along the route that Tunch showed you to reach Minargul. A short corridor leads into an unoccupied room full of filthy mounds of rags and straw. The air is filled with the stale stink of body odor. A clear path runs through the beds to another door.
A mound of rags and furs lies against the west wall of this room, while to the east is a low flat rock on which several animal bones and a human skull have been stacked to create a grisly incense burner. But it’s the north wall that commands attention, for here, a frightening shape made of bones, stretched hide and leather, and fibrous fungi looms. The shape resembles a great bat-winged horse with a mouth filled with fangs that seems to be emerging from the wall to loom over a blood-stained altar stone below.
The goblin witch Minargul kneels before the statue. When she notices you, she turns and calls out in Varisian. "Welcome, heroes of the Pit! Have you come with tidings from He Whose Breath is Death?"
Nadja puts her hand in the conjured orb of water and quickly splashes her face. Taking Kaz's advice to make haste so the undead warrior could remain with them, she does just that.
She steps into the room with sabres at the ready, heart pounding in excitement. The goblin chatters at them in a familiar language, but one Nadja never bothered to pick up.
She spares a glance at her companions hopeful they won't want to make conversation with their target.
Zen stabilizes the goblins to the extent possible, and moves on to the next room.
He looks ready to fight the witch when she speaks Varisian, and he looks confused. He responds in kind, ”wait - what? Who’s that? Uh.. Lunch? No, Tunch?” He thinks to himself, ”I don’t remember his breath smelling bad. He says you’ve been corrupting your tribe with enchantment magic.”
"what did she say" Jeni asks Zen quietly.
Zen looks at Jeni and starts, "oh! Sorry. Um. Something about 'heroes of the Pit!' and she asked if we 'come with tidings from He Whose Breath is Death?'" He scratches his head, "I don't know who that is. Tunch?"
Jeni thinks "I think I was too distracted by his... art..." her eyes dart to her friend, obviously not about to call what he did Crap. "... too distracted to tell where the smell was coming from."
Minargul scowls when Zenobius mentions Tunch. "Fool! I speak not of that lowly blasphemer, but of the great Smoke-Mouthed Father who dwells below. The great god that you longshanks so commonly refer to as the 'Sandpoint Devil.' It is he whom I serve!
"It is Tunch who is the heathen, not me! He had the audacity to suggest 'improving' my depiction of the Devil by giving it a second head! If you are friends with the heretic, then you are my enemies!" she shrieks as she raises her sickle!
Zeno looks surprised, "sorry! Uh, okay." He's obviously confused about this reaction, "I wish we could help smooth out your differences, but... I guess there's nothing else to talk about." He sighs, and summons a shield made of glass before moving up to her and taking a swipe, trying to knock her down.
Minargul grunts as she hits the ground hard. But she doesn't stay down long, quickly scrambling back to her feet. She casts a spell, filling your minds with fear!
A chill runs through Kazumi, but the fear that troubles them, tears at the mind of their undead guardian!
"Tsk," they feign nonchalance, "No use keeping him if he'd just run away." They stop focusing on the Draugr, and it stands limp like a puppet with the strings cut.
"Always more options to work with," they smirk, shunting a lilypad over behind Manargul...
Behind the witch, a small warty spot on the lilypad grows and grows and GROWS.
A toad the size of an aurochs lets out a basso croak and wraps up the witch in its tongue!
The chattering conversation between their target and Zen becomes more intense, easing Nadja's worry that her upstanding companion would change his mind about killing the goblin witch. She quirks an eyebrow at his mention of "He Whose Breath is Death," noting it was close, but clearly not, "He Who Walks in Blood." Thankfully, she yells, he yells, and it was time to fight.
The wave of fear hits Nadja hard, but she was not going to run from a contract! Her blades spin in her hands, going through the sabre dance to fascinate the goblin, giving her a show before ending her life!
An uncomfortable sensation of doubt and worry that the goblin would get away or worse, turn the tides seizes Nadja's belly, but she turns that fear into a drive to kill the target. She moves into a spot flanking with the freshly-arrived toad and lets her blades work.
(+3 if Panache)
(+3 if Panache)
The quiver of fear hits her. She knows it is the spell eating at her heart, but knowing doesn't stop it. Nadja rushes forward, breaking the worst holding her back, and she rushes forward as well. Two water shrouded kicks to the witch's head (easier since she is so short), but sloppy due to the fear.
The fear passes over Zen, and he generally ignores the effect. He strikes at her because she’s so close.
Jeni's blasts go wide of the goblin witch. Kaz's summoned frog manages to hit on the second attempt, holding Minargul in place with its stick tongue. Nadja dances up to the witch with panache before slicing into her deeply with her sawtooth sabres! Zen is unable to land his strike.
Minargul shrieks in pain and anger. She casts a quick spell, raising a magical shield of force. She then whistles a high-pitched shrill note, breathing out a blast of fire and foul-smelling smoke as she does so!
Critical Success: The creature is unaffected.
Success: The creature takes 3d6 fire damage.
Failure: The creature takes 6d6 fire damage and is sickened 1 by the agonizing pain of the burns.
Critical Failure: The creature takes 6d6 fire damage and is cursed. The burns caused by the fire linger, and the charred flesh remains blistered. The cursed creature takes a –1 status penalty to all checks from the constant pain. Healing doesn’t alter the appearance of the burns or lessen the penalty, but removing the curse does.
The jittery fear inside Jeni settles a little as Zen unwavering sword enters the fight beside her. A rock in the torrent of choas.
The air around Jeni is a cooling balm in the wake of the whistled fire from the witch.
The young woman takes some of that cooling water in the air and curves it around into hardened spikes in her hand, then strikes the witch with them.
Nadja crosses her sabres to ablate some of the sudden gout of fire and ducks to avoid the worst of the flames, but still gets singed pretty badly.
With a cry, she renews her assault on the witch, lashing out after the unnatural fear finally unclenches her heart.
Kaz chants a word of power, activating their wand to weaken the witch's defenses.
And then the toad tries to swallow her whole!
Zen is badly singed by the cursing fire. He tries to cough out the sickening fire.
And is no longer affected. He coughs again, and frowns at the witch, and his muscles twitch slightly - it looks like he's annoyed at the pain.
He follows up with a few swings towards her with the fauchard.
Kaz's spell leaves Minargul somewhat frightened. She fights off the frog's attempt to swallow her, but Jeni delivers a critical hit with her water spikes! The goblin witch uses her shield spell to blunt some of the damage, but she is still terribly wounding, setting up Nadja and Zenobius to finish her off! She groans and falls limp in the frog's grasp.
Jeni pulls out a pair of gloves, which she doesn't wear often. The water flows nicer without impediment. Which is why she only wraps her feet in cloth as well.
But to help search through this filth, gloves are important. "No list of names hidden under her hat?" the young woman asks aloud, with slight disappointment, as she cleans the key with a bubble of floating water.
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When the goblin witch goes limp, Nadja freezes in place to savor the moment. She commits every detail to memory: the sound of her last breath leaving her body, the life fading from her eyes, and Nadja's own rapid heartbeat surging with excitement.
She snaps out of it when Jeni starts searching the body. "Hmm? I dunno."
Not really caring about a bunch of goblin names, she does take some interest in the strange key.
"This isn't for a door. Or a lock. If I had to guess, it would go into a socket to wind springs and gears."
Zeno doesn’t have any idea what’s going on with the key. He looks down at the goblin with and mutters, ”ow.” He looks up, ”the goblins will be less aggressive, now. Maybe we can convince them to go out and trade with Sandpoint - if we can let the leadership’s blessing. They shouldn’t have to live here, alone in a pit, if they’re being led by Tunch.” He gingerly touches where he was burned a little, but the wounds are already less painful than they were. ”Is everyone else okay?” He looks at everyone’s condition, and seemingly only he and Nadja were affected by a damaging ability, and seems to breathe a sigh of relief.
"What is they like living in a pit? Fresh air and lovely meadows are not for everyone." she banters with her friend, when she notices his burns. She leaves the dead witch and comes over with her cooling waters which she touches to his arm, soothing deep.
The burn barely heals, which makes her frown. "Sorry, but it is something." she says with regret, then moves out of the way for their medic. "He's all yours, Kaz" while she comes over to Nadja to do the same.
"Springs and gears? Like in a wind up toy?"
You return to Tunch to report Minargul's death. The alchemist is ecstatic, cackling and hopping back and forth. "The witch is dead! The witch is dead!" He gives you the promised reward: an emerald grasshopper talisman and his bat-scorpion-rat-spider taxidermy, which is, despite (or perhaps because of) its unsettling nature, rather well put together, and is worth 45 gp to a curio collector like Vorvashali Voon of the Feathered Serpent in Sandpoint.
Once Tunch has calmed down some, he frowns. "Hmm. The other Whistlefangs might not be too happy if they find out I hired you to kill Minargul. I think I should be moving on soon. Good luck. Oh, and watch out for Ripnugget!"
Jeni eyed their 'reward'. All its parts somehow blending together into... well, something. She does not offer to carry it.
"Wait, you're not going to lead the goblin's now? You said they were being mind controlled by the witch. Won't they be okay now?" Jeni had not found the list that was supposed to be controlling them, so her suspicions were already raised. So her tone was not one of shock.
Tunch is already starting to gather up his supplies as the giant weasel Sausage gnaws on some jerky the goblin has tossed to him. He looks over his shoulder. "Eh? I never said I wanted to lead! You saw what happened to our last chief, yeah? Ripnugget burninated him! I don't want a target on my back!
"The other Whistlefangs will be fine now, yeah. Fine without me!"
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Jeni's soothing balm makes Nadja feel better, but she was already in good spirits. Satisfaction in her contract completed had left her jubilant, though she tried to avoid showing outward signs of just how she felt.
Returning to Tunch's workshop to collect their payment, she appraises the taxonomy piece. "Jeff's beautiful, thank you," she says with a giggle. It was so absurdly grotesque she couldn't help but be endeared towards it.
After Tunch packs up and leaves, she looks at the others. "What next? You think killing that witch took care of one of the seven dooms?"
Kaz frowns in disagreement. "She wasn't much of a Doom, unless Nualia's vision was far-ranging indeed. If we're to keep exploring this place though, we may as well try to make some sort of peace with the Whistlefangs if they aren't already thoroughly spent as a force."
Zen helps Tunch pack up and is seemingly quite thankful. Before he start, he heals himself up, assuming they’ll have a few minutes to rest. He straps Jeff to his back and sighs as the goblin leaves. To Kaz he nods, ”yeah - probably not. But a reanimated Ripnugget might be. I think we should track them down and put them down for good. Then the Whistlefangs won’t have a witch or an undead… thing bossing them around.”