OOC:
Spoiler:
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"I agree," Akorian notes as he examines the corpse of the other dead goblin, "There's definitely some resale value in this stuff. Looks like knocking off these goblins comes with some fringe benefits."
Once Marius completes the grisly task of ensuring none of the goblins survive, Akorian calls upon Milani's aid to mend the wounds of his allies.
"There we are." He sounds satisfied. "Right as rain and good as new. The Everbloom clearly favors our actions here."
Akorian hurtles into the goblin which continues to threaten Zarabeta, bringing his morningstar around in a vicious sweep.
"Help Marius and Waif with those two!" Akorian encourages Raven, "I'll help Zee..." Strategy:
Spoiler:
Seeing his friend in trouble, Akorian springs to Raven's aid. As the elf withdraws to drink the potion, the priest of Milani throws himself into the fray.
Meanwhile, Akorian's summoned dogs race to pull down more of their foes and defend Zarabeta and Waifrin. One leaps after the goblin dog. The other goes after a retreating goblin.
Both dogs then disappear in a puff of rose-colored smoke, drawn back to the celestial realm as Akorian's summoning spell ends.
Meanwhile, Akorian's summoned dogs seek out another hapless goblin to bring down...
"I've had about enough out of you!" Akorian snarls at his opponent. Summoning every bit of energy he can muster, he bashes once more with enchanted morningstar.
Grimacing from the double blow of absorbing the goblin's attack as well as Zarabeta's wound, Akorian tries to finish his opponent quickly, swinging once more for the big goblin's head.
Akorian's mace...
Akorian winces with the sting of Zarabeta's shared wound, but keeps his focus on the goblin rushing up the stairs. When the lout takes a swipe at his knees, the cleric wisely pulls back. Then, while his opponent is off-balance...and with the high ground advantage...Akorian brings his morningstar down in a heavy blow aimed for the creature's head.
Realizing he'll be in combat soon and too hard-pressed to come to Zarabeta's aid, Akorian offers one last prayer to Milani to keep the girl safe. Even as he whispers the words, he mentally braces himself to bear her wounds like any good martyr would.
He then turns to face the onrushing goblin from downstairs, prepared to occupy him for as long as it takes Marius and the others to deal with the remaining goblins.
Upon his arrival...and seeing a room full of so many goblins attacking his friends...Akorian realizes they may need more help. So, he pauses and calls down the aid of Milani.
Two sizeable mastiffs appear behind the goblins attacking Zarabeta. The priest pauses only for a moment to reflect on the fact that they're not at all unlike the dogs he grew up with as a boy on his father's estate. Then, he hustles after them to join the fray. Both dogs snarl and snap at their tiny foes.
Akorian moves forward to hold the line with Marius and Raven. Pressing his shield into the smaller goblin before him, he reaches over to bring down his morningstar once more.
"Keep pressure on them!" he shouts encouragement to his friends.
With Zarabeta, Marius, and Raven seemingly taking out every opponent close to him and more on the way, Akorian raises his medallion with Milani's eternal rose and loudly calls out a prayer. "Let the cries of the oppressed be heard, my Lady! And pour down their anger on the heads of our enemies!"
Figuring the fighting skill of Marius will surely keep the goblin dog in check...and seeing Raven's goblin draw blood...Akorian lashes out at the second goblin, attempting to fell him quickly before more arrive.
Akorian charges one of the goblins still threatening Raven, smashing with his morningstar.
The dog should be gone back to the planes, by now. Why does that sound like barking? Zarabeta ponders, peering in the direction which the others are moving. Akorian looks to Zarabeta, a worried expression on his face, both due to Waifrin moving ahead on her own and with what sounds like additional problems for their friends. "Maybe they've gotten in a bit over their heads?" the priest asks, "I think we should join them. I'll lead the way, if you wish. Just make sure no one comes up behind us." With that, he readies his shield and moves into the tunnel.
Also, what does the dog do during this 'Marius the prisoner' ploy?
"Your powers of deception are beginning to rival Raven's, my dear..." Akorian whispers back once he rejoins the others.
"Sorry. I tuned out there for a minute."
"If they've lost their ladders...and suddenly grown quiet, it must be because they've another way down. Something they don't want us to suspect. The firing of crossbows down at us must be a ruse to keep us occupied. Maybe they're climbing down the tower with the aid of a rope?" The priest heads for the open door back to the Dospera and chances a quick look outside and up at the roof again.
"Let me head up," Akorian offers, "Even if they target me, I can call on Milani's power to heal any injuries they might inflict. And, if successful, I can create a opening for the rest of you to follow and we can put an end to them. It's probably a better alternative than leaving them behind us and trying to venture down into the tunnels below this tower."
Frustrated with the nimble goblin, Akorian attempts to strike him again, but the goblins all seem to wither under the attacks of his comrades before he can even launch a blow into the fray.
Akorian slides past Waifrin () and closes with the first goblin down.
He overestimates the goblin's height, however, and swings too high. "Hold still, you little bug..."
Still crouched over a fallen goblin, Raven shows his hands to the rest of his friends, a grin appearing on his face. A few coins, a seemingly well-made dagger and a jeweled ring are held in them. "Would you look at these? Perhaps these goblins are a little more well off that I would have thought, yes?" "Leave it to you and your luck to find some of the world's greatest treasures in a goblin stye." Akorian shakes his head with a rueful grin. But then Waifrin's warning brings him around. Readying his morningstar, he hurries after Marius to the girl's aid. "Let's put down a few more!" he calls out to his friends.
"Sounds like we've got company!" Akorian calls out. Instead of reloading his crossbow, the priest reattaches it to his belt and then readies his shield and morningstar, counting on the others to eliminate the remaining goblin while he prepares to defend against those coming to the hapless creature's aid.
Seeing the gout of flame erupt from the cloaked goblin's hands, Akorian recognizes him as the more serious threat. He turns his crossbow on their assumed leader and fires.
At Marius' warning, Akorian peers beyond the seemingly cramped chamber, realizing at last that the goblins have brought their own magic into play. Perhaps this assault would prove more difficult after all?
"...Really, whatever happened to good old-fashioned mechanical traps? Poisoned needles not good enough for folk nowadays?" "I, for one, take this as a sign you're moving up in the world, Raven," Akorian drily comments, "After all, you don't want to get rusty, right? How better to ensure that than by giving you new challenges? The gods are indeed most wise in how they've chosen to prepare you..." "Regardless, simply opening the door from afar should bypass the ward, so an adequately long piece of wood, such as a floor or wall board, to push it open or tying a bit of rope on the handle and pulling should do the trick now that it is no longer locked. Or maybe even some magic?" As he speaks the last few words, he looks pointedly at the spellcasters among them. "Don't look at me. This is your challenge. Right?" the priest responds with a familiar grin.
"I am sure it has to do with them wanting to give me something to practice with, great friends that they are and welcome houseguest that I am," Raven retorts with a wink. "Certainly nothing to do with keeping me away and out of their house." "The day you can't get past a goblin trap is the day you need to retire. Unless, of course, you've just gotten rusty..."
Satisfied that the goblins on the roof seem occupied...and, seeing that Raven and Marius have breached the main entrance...Akorian moves to join them, reloading his crossbow as he goes and encouraging Waifrin and Zarabeta not to tarry. Upon entering the first chamber, he notices his companions inching along the walls and freezes in place lest he stumble into a presumed trap. "I take it your friends were expecting you again?" he quips after his elven friend, "Something about you seems to invite your hosts to set traps for you." He then calls a spark of light upon the holy symbol around his neck, using it to hopefully illuminate the interior a bit better while Raven sets to work on the opposite door. Moving aside to make room for Waifrin and Zarabeta, he cautions them against walking directly across the floor. Then, he trains his crossbow, sighting around the room, including the ceiling where he seems to recall a few holes where the goblins had posted lookouts last time. 'If we're lucky, all of them left during Zarabeta's ruse,' he thinks to himself.
Akorian sights a goblin and takes a quick shot to try and eliminate or wound one more.
Akorian holds off on summoning his own celestial eagles just yet. Instead, he keeps his crossbow loaded and watches the rooftop for any shot he can take on a goblin peering over.
"I can provide a similar boon," Akorian offers, "Celestial eagles, perhaps? But they too would last only a few moments. Together, we might overwhelm in that short of a time...or at least buy Raven some time to throw down a rope or something so the rest of us could scale our way up to join him?" He looks to Marius for tactical guidance. "I have nothing better to suggest. You're the expert at this kind of thing, I suspect. Do we risk assaulting the front door again? Or do we try and take them further by surprise via the air or the underground passageways?"
"Quite right," Akorian acknowledges Zarabeta's revelation, "I wish there was a way to scale that tower and and eliminate their lookouts. Otherwise, any approach we make on their little stronghold is bound to be seen." "Although..." he pauses in thought for a moment, "When we rooted out the Bastards of Erebus, they had a lot of underground tunnels below these buildings. I wonder if we might find one that can give us access to the goblins from below ground instead?"
"Well done!" Akorian says, and then adds for Zarabeta's benefit--the one who took the most risk of them all, "Very well done." He takes stock of the slain goblins. "That's a half a dozen we won't have to face once we storm the place. Now we're faced with our next move." He squints in the direction of the ruined tower and then back at Raven. "Do you figure they'll send out another party to see what happened to this one when they don't come back? Maybe we can lay another trap when they do? Lure them in with these bodies? Maybe arrange them somehow so they still look alive? Maybe Zarabeta has some illusion magic she can use to trick them into thinking these pests are celebrating a victory without the rest?"
"You know, for some reason I expected you followers of Milani to be the grim self-sacrificing sort," the elf retorts with a smile. "I am ever so glad to see you dispelling that myth." Akorian grins and replies, "Just trying to give you an opportunity to widen your budding acting skills, my friend. You were so convincing with the goblins last time, I thought maybe you'd enjoy an encore performance. And, clearly, they were your most captive audience to date..." "Use one of us as bait to lure them out to kidnap / burgle them?" Zarabeta says, "That's probably the best idea. I should be the bait, as Uqabi can silently warn me as the goblins close in, without alerting them by making noise, and I can cry out when we are in position to spring a counter attack." "I'm a bit more worried about your safety than Raven's should the goblins choose to attack. I guess it's true, though, that Uqabi can warn and guide you more effectively than anyone else." "Perhaps I should follow along?" Raven offers. "You will still be playing the role of the bait, worry not," he says, turning to Zarabeta, "but trailing you from a distance and preferably out of sight might be a good idea. After all, there is always the chance something goes wrong and I can only assume having a bit of back-up could prove rather useful, yes?" "I like that idea. It won't do for you to get in over your head. And with Raven there, at least you'll have some quick backup in the event you fall into their ambush instead." "Your discrete accompaniment would be most appreciated, master Raven....Best to do this before my courage flies away." Zarabeta says, pausing to cast a protective spell upon herself. "I wish I could add to that," Akorian offers, "The protective ward I spoke of earlier last for several hours, but we have to remain in close proximity for it to work...about 30 feet or so. If you could stay within that range, and the goblins attacked before you could lead them here, at least Milani's protection would help you keep fighting until we could reach your side. It would also have the added benefit of letting me and the rest of us know when...and if...you got hurt." If Zarabeta thinks she can carry off her ruse and stay within range of Akorian, he prays over her, asking his goddess to spare the girl's pain by letting him share that burden with her.
She waves and Uqabi flies into the sky, to seek out an appropriate vantage point, and she chooses an alleyway near their current location. "When they come forth, I will attempt to flee back into this direction, to lure them into the alleyway, if possible." "Marius? You're the fighting man among us. Arrange us however you think would be best to successfully ambush the little goblins. I can ready my crossbow, morningstar, or another spell."
"Is there some way we can strike from above? I can conjure an air elemental, but it will be too small, and last two brief a time, to convey us to the roof..." Akorian gives Zarabeta's question serious thought and then finally deadpans... "Well, we could always ask Raven to climb up and strand himself there. He'll presumably keep them occupied with his elven wit while the rest of us climb through windows again and storm the place floor by floor until we can rescue him." "No?" "Then perhaps we should give these goblins what they seek? We show ourselves...but not all of us. Just someone who can draw their attention and get them to send out a group to try and nab them. That person then leads goblins to the rest of us and we ambush them for a change. Maybe Uqabi could roost up high somewhere and warn whoever's serving as bait when the goblins are closing in. That'll be the signal for the rest of us to get ready as well." "Then, after we cut down the goblins, we take their little hideout by storm knowing we've reduced the number of defenders by however many they send out." |