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The two goblin guards release their arrow at Darst but the small goblin weaves and spins out of their way. The adventurers are suddenly alerted by the familiar 'twang' of shooting bows. It seems Darst's bluff failed.
Shalelu reacts quickly, cursing as she moves past Izbahn. "It seems I got to get him out of trouble again." She disappears into the nearby bushes, stealthy moving to a position where she can spot Darst's attackers .
Goblin:
"Yeah, and I've seen Lamashtu's t!ts!" says the second goblin, laughing. It isn't long before the two goblins start pulling arrows on their bows and aiming at Darst.
The two goblin guards look at Darst, evaluating him.
Darst:
Just as you are about to press your ear against the wooden doors, you are surprised by a yell coming from the tower to your right. Up there, you now see two goblins menacing you with bows and arrows Everyone can hear two goblin voices, apparently shouting at Darst. Goblin speech:
"Hey! What are you doing there?" asks the first goblin. "The island is for Thistletop goblins only! Go back across the bridge, we'll deal with the longshanks." "Wait a minute..." says the second one. "I know that armor, that's Gogmurt's! Did you steal it? Maybe you're a longshanks' spy! I say we put some arrows in you and see how you squeal.
Darst:
Just as you are about to press your ear against the wooden doors, you are surprised by a yell coming from the tower to your right. Up there, you now see two goblins menacing you with bows and arrows Everyone can hear two goblin voices, apparently shouting at Darst. Goblin speech: "Hey! What are you doing there?" asks the first goblin. "The island is for Thistletop goblins only! Go back across the bridge, we'll deal with the longshanks." "Wait a minute..." says the second one. "I know that armor, that's Gogmurt's! Did you steal it? Maybe you're a longshanks' spy! I say we put some arrows in you and see how you squeal.
Darst: Just fyi, you can move silently to the door but can't stealth all the way to it. i.e. you will have to be in plain sight.
Darst creeps back toward the stockade entrance.
Darst:
You see that the door is now closed (it was slightly ajar earlier) and you hear what sounds like goblin talking on the other side but can't quite make out what they're saying.
Shalelu nods at Izbahn. "Right but let's be careful. We don't want to repeat the mistake of my group."
Venmirl's magic close his large wound and removes the rash caused by his allergic reaction to the goblin dog's filth. The shoanti still isn't in his best fighting form however. Too preoccupied with Darst, the goblin foe doesn't notice the strawberry blonde 'longshanks' charging at him. Naomi's mace connects with the goblin's head but the blow lacks the strength to knock him out. Shalelu shoots an arrow at this last goblin. The goblin tries to duck as the arrows flies between Naomi and Darst but he's too slow by a fraction of a second. The shaft pierces the top of his skull, killing him instantly. With the sounds of combat gone, the adventurers can now hear muffled cries of alarm coming from somewhere beyond the wooden walls. Any hope of catching more goblins unaware seems gone.
The foliage on the island isn't dense enough to be difficult terrain. It can provide concealment, however. So ya, you can charge if you wish.
The last remaining goblin dog yelps loudly as lightning arcs between Izbahn's outstretched hand and the filthy animal skin. The scent of charred flesh fills the air as the 'dog' falls to the ground. Meanwhile, Darst keeps tumbling around his foe but his blade fails to cut through the leather leggings.
Izbahn magical cold ray finds its mark, but doesn't finish off nor completely freezes the goblin in the tower. Not long after, the goblin disappears from view after uttering some more goblin obscenities. He's either hiding behind the stockade or he left the tower. As Naomi blesses Izbahn with a good luck rune, Venmirl strikes down another goblin dog with a mighty morningstar blow. Perhaps distracted by his recent kill, Venmirl doesn't protect himself properly from the last remaining goblin dog. The oversized rodent jumps up and try to rip open the inquisitor's throat with its large incisors. Venmirl survives the furious attack but it leaves a large cut at the base of his neck. To the north, the goblin's dogslicer comes close to hitting Darst a few time, but Darst's defensive style still keeps him out of harm for now.
Shalelu moves in front of Naomi in order to get a better shot at the goblin firing from the tower. Her shot hits its target, despite the cover provided by the stockade. The goblin yells in pain and falls back, murmuring some curses about 'elfies'. He isn't incapacitated yet but close to it.
Darst once again jumps around his enemy. The goblin duel continues, as neither goblin can seem to cut the other.
Venmirl lands a blow on the goblin dog's body but it lacks the strength to bring it down. The goblin dogs continue their ferocious attacks. Venmirl blocks the goblin dog attack and then push him backward. The other beast can't pierce Izbahn's magical protection. To the north, the enemy goblin continues his somewhat futile campaign again Darst. His dogslicer only slices air. Up in the nearby tower, another goblin shows himself, with a small bow in hand. He shoots an arrow at Venmirl but misses badly.
After getting healed by Naomi, Izbahn zaps a goblin dog again but the magic proves to be slighty less powerful then last time. The beast remains in fighting form for now. To the north, Darst continues jumping around his opponent but fails to cut him this time. Shalelu stabs the goblin dog distracted by Venmirl and Izbahn's electrified hand. It bleeds heavily and falls to its side, unconscious and dying.
The lone goblin remaining slashes at the tumbling Darst but with little success. "Ugh Jayel!"* He yells at his fellow goblin. To the south, three goblin dogs continue to fight, despite losing their riders. Both Shalelu and Venmirl manage to avoid harm, but Izbahn gets mauled again. The pain is horrible but the wizard barely remains conscious. Suddenly, a cry is heard from the watchtower above the adventurers. "Lugshakk! Lugshakk! Waller!"** goblin:
*"Stay still!"
**"Longshanks! Longshanks! Alert!"
Venmirl moves behind the goblin that rode by him and, with one mighty blow, smashes the small humanoid's head. Darst tumbles around the goblin and slashes with his razor. The move isn't quick enough to completely surprise the enemy goblin and thus Darst can't strike any vital area. He leaves only a minor wound. Once again calling on the power of his iron wand, Izbahn electrifies is hand and releases the charge into the goblin dog. The smell of ozone and charred flesh fills the air as the beast howls in pain. Naomi also attacks the goblin dog but she can't score any solid hits. "No harm done, friend." The elf responds to the priestess, as she draws a short stabbing sword with her free hand. Sadly she isn't as skilled with a sword then with a bow and she misses.
Izbahn also tries to hit the goblin riding by but his reaction is too slow and his club misses badly, hitting only air behind his intended target. While the Shoanti come closer to hitting the goblin then his two fellow adventurers, the reckless rider somehow manages to reach Shalelu unscathed. The elf avoids the mount's furious bite but the goblin's crude blade leaves a small cut through her leather jerkin .
Naomi swings her mace at the goblin rider's small frame but he ducks under her weapon.
Naomi and Izbahn combine their effort to bring down the goblin attacking the wizard. The beast is both zapped and bashed but neither attacks are powerful enough to bring it down. Darst and Venmirl prove to be more successful. Darst creeps out of the brush and slashes the enemy goblin wielding a bow. He take his enemy completely by surprise and slashes open the other goblin's throat. He tries to gurgle some sort of insult but starts drowning in his own blood before he can do so. Venmirl attack lacks the finesse of Darst's but is still very effective. As the goblin rider leans forward to attack him again, Venmirl bashes him in the torso with his morningstar. The goblin falls backward, unconscious before he hits the ground behind his mount. Shalelu pulls yet another arrow from her quiver and tries to finish up the goblin dog that Izbahn and Naomi are attacking. Her first shot hits the weaken 'dog' in the neck, killing it instantly. Her second shot is just as precise but the arrow doesn't penetrate the second creature's hide as deeply. The two goblin dog next to Venmirl continue to attack the inquisitor, despite having lost a rider. Venmirl can't react fast enough to avoid all the ravenous bites . The feasting goblin stops chewing his bird for a moment. He locks eyes with Darst, draws his dog slicer and attacks his savagely. His clumsy attack is easily dodged by the faster goblin. The remaining goblin yells out "Elfy is mine!" and tries to ride past the adventurers to reach Shalelu.
Naomi slams her small mace on one of the beasts' back. It's hurt but it seems more annoyed then truly in pain. Shalelu take a step to her right, to get a better shot at the goblin dog Naomi just attacked. With her usual grace, she pulls on her bow and releases a single arrow toward the animal. Her arrows narrowly misses the creature's head, leaving a long cut as it simply nicks it. The goblin armed with a bow aims at the newly revealed Venmirl but his shot is wild and the arrow falls harmlessly into the sea. The two mounted goblins urge their wild beasts forward, into the fight. One of them stays back for now but the leading one reaches Venmirl. Mounted, the little humanoid is almost taller then the Shoanti. The inquisitor pushed the goblin's blade aside with his klar but he can't block the simultaneous attack coming from the mount. The goblin dog bites voraciously one of his leg . As for the two riderless 'dogs', one continues to attack Izbahn while the other turns its fury against Venmirl, who wounded it badly. Neither manage to draw blood however. The last remaining goblin swiftly feasts on the poor gull. He first bite the head off, gulping it down almost instantly. After another two quick bites, he then stuffs what's left of the bird into his oversized mouth before finally turning his attention to the fight.
Darst sneaks through the bushes, getting close to the mounted goblins. Izbahn is hard-pressed by the goblin dogs. He tries to zap one with the power of his magic wand but the beast jumps out of the way of his electrified hand. Venmirl comes out of hiding to bash one of the attacking goblin dog right on its ugly nose with his morningstar. It falters but remains in fighting shape.
The goblin who warned the other pulls a bow to shoot Izbahn. The wizard's magical armor deflect the arrow somewhat but not enough to prevent harm. The arrow nicks him on the shoulder Two more goblins jump on the back of nearby goblin dogs while drawing short nasty looking blades. The remaining two goblin dogs charge Izbahn but they get in the way of each other and only one of them has time to bite him before he can react. The mage tries to avoid the filthy creature's but the attack is too sudden. Izbahn yells out in pain and disgust as the oversized rat sinks its teeth in his flesh. . The last goblin, the one holding the string, takes advantage of the fact that his companions are distracted. He reels in the string and catches the gull. He grins and looks at the panicking bird hungrily.
Remaining as silent and hidden as possible, the group creeps around the stockade south-west corner to discover who's holding the poor gull captive. They soon spot four goblins playing a rather cruel game. One of them is holding a 30-foot-long twine tied to the bird's leg. The other goblins take turns trying to pelt the gull out of the sky with thrown rocks, while the goblin holding the twine tries to 'help' the gull avoid being hit by tugging and yanking the twine. Four goblin dogs run around the goblins and shriek and yap at the doomed bird. Perhaps catching scent of the approaching intruders, the 'dogs' lose interest in the bird and turn to yap in the general direction of the adventurers. Drawn away from the game, one of the goblin spots the poorly hidden Izbahn and yells out in warning. "Arrrgghhh! Luggshakkk!"
Venmirl and the others can tell the rocks are thrown from somewhere on the north west part of the island, probably outside the wooden structure. With Naomi now safely across, Shalelu unties the rope on her side and ties it to her waist much like Venmirl did earlier . Once she's also across, she unties the rope, coils it and hands it back to Venmirl. "Maybe we'll need it on this side." She whispers.
Izbahn also manages to cross the bridge despite being terrified. Those on the Thistletop side of the bridge can now see the stockade more closely. It appears mostly made of driftwood and wood salvaged from wrecked ships. A few nameplates remain affixed to some of the timbers, while others look like they might have once been masts. The most apparent entrance to this place, a pair of wooden doors, hangs slightly ajar. On the other side of the bridge, Shalelu urges Naomi to go next. For those that have crossed, Perception DC12: Your sight is drawn to one of the many gull flying around the rocky island. This one is flying to the northwest of the stockade but it keeps dropping several feet before beating its wing furiously to regain altitude. You first think it's just flying erratically but then notice a thick twine tied to one of its legs. Indeed, just as you're watching, the twine goes taut, the bird loses several feet in altitude and a rock thrown from somewhere unseen just narrowly misses it.
Darst makes it across the bridge with little problem, if a little slowly. Venmirl follows soon after, with the rope tied around his waist. The bridge squeaks and sways more under his greater weight. Trying not to look at the waves crashing on the cliff 80 feet below, Venmirl eventually also makes it across. The adventurers now have one end of the rope on each side of the bridge. Darst: As soon as you set food on the rocky island, you understand why all goblins always said this was the best lair in the region (but the nasty dog-lovers Thistletop had stole it). There's something very goblin about this place. You feel like something or someone here could help or lead goblins to great raids and fun.
Twisting several strands of vines together, Izbahn and the rest of group manage to fashion some 20 feet of rope. The mage's improvised rope seems solid enough but whatever it can hold under the weight of a full grown man remains to be seen.
Shalelu nods at Izbahn while testing the string of her bow. "Don't worry, I'll cover those that cross. I'll shoot any goblin that shows its ugly head ... Well, except him, of course." She concludes, pointing at Darst.
Darst moves closer to examine the bridge while the rest continue to observe the watchtowers. They don't spot any sentries.
For Darst: While Darst doesn't know much about structures and bridge building, he has a good eye as well as a knack for avoiding danger. From the look of it, it doesn't look like the bridge can hold much weight. In fact, Darst suspects the bridge has been rigged this way intentionally and it will break or fail catastrophically if too much weight is applied on it. Darst thinks it would be relatively safe if they cross one at a time but the bridge will fail if they all go on it.
Turning around, the adventurers explore the northern passage at the T-junction. A few feet into the passage there's an opening to the right (east). Down there, a few wooden steps have been placed in the dirt to facilitate the access to a lookout point. From this observation post at the top of a cliff, the adventurers can see the rocky coast and the ocean stretching east as far as the eye can see. The view is perhaps more interesting further down the northern passage. It also ends at the cliff top but, here, a rope bridge spans the gulf between the cliff and a roundish, flat-topped island sixty some feet to the north. Thick patches of nettles and briars grow here and there atop the island, but its most distinguishing feature is a crudely built wooden one-story stockade. Two thirty-foot-tall watchtowers guard the stockade’s southern facade. The rope bridge itself is made of hairy rope and thick wooden planks; the whole thing creaks and sways in the wind above the churning surf eighty feet below. Shalelu points to the rocky island an says : "There! That's Thistletop proper. Perhaps the goblins brought their prisoners over there." Venmirl shields his eyes from the sun and observes the goblin stronghold for a moment, but he doesn't notice anything of worth. Naomi:
The island is definitely similar to the rocky outcrop atop which you saw a jackal-headed woman in your dream, a few days ago. It was smaller and had no wooden structure in the dream but the shape and proportion are both the same.
Izbahn doesn't detect anything magical in this chamber. As for Darst, he doesn't find much beside the bones of small animals. The only thing of note he finds are several small clay pots hidden under dried leaf piles. Several are empty but other contains various things : dried and fresh plants, eyeballs, rotten eggs, and other foul smelling ingredients.
The group checks out the southern passage from which both Whisper and the goblin druid came. The tight passage ends as it opens up into another chamber. A tangle of vines hang from the thorny ceiling, each suspending a clattering collection of bird skulls, rib bones, teeth, and other bits of gruesome decor. In a few places the vines droop all the way to the floor. A large nest of nettles and thorny vines sits to the south, a halo of half-eaten dead birds and rats indicating that whatever sleeps there eats in its bed. Aside the passage from which the group came, there aren't any apparent exits to the chamber.
Izbahn soon discovers that the druid has several items that radiate magic. The two more obvious are his leather armor and woolen cloak. There's also magic coming from a large bag that was tied to his belt. It's filled with lots of junk, including an assortment of small dead animals, but the wizard's spell allows him to sort through the junk and find the sources of magic: there's three clay bottles filled with murky liquids and a large mushroom. The little stick that Naomi stole during the fight is also magical. Beside all this magical equipment, the goblin was also carrying a small spear and a leather sling. Once the plants stop moving, Shalelu rushes to the cat's side. She kneels to examine the animal before shaking a head. "I'm afraid his spirit has left his body ... Kortus will be devastated, if we can still find him alive ..."
Venmirl earthy power hits the gannet's right wing with deadly precision. The acid immediately starts to eat away the bird's feathers. The bird loses altitude and lets out a cry of pain and panic. He crashes into the northern plant wall of the room before falling down to the ground next to the fallen goblin dogs. The druid bird thrashes about for a second or two before he stops moving completely and slowly regains his original goblin form. The adventurers notice that most of right arm and hand present severe acid burns.
Darst makes his way through the thorns to stand between Naomi and the druid. He growls. Naomi takes her dagger from her belt and flicks it at the druid while Venmirl trudges through the brambles and calls upon the earth itself for aid, throwing a dart of acid at the goblin. The little druid's leather armor deflects the thrown dagger but it can do little to protect him from the acid attack. The dart transforms into a corrosive liquid on impact which burns the goblin's skin. Izbahn points a finger at the goblin druid but can't concentrate properly with all the plants pulling on his arms and legs. His spell fizzles with no effect. Shalelu keeps firing arrows at her enemy. She manages to launch two more before the goblin can react again. . Both arrows hit again and the little goblin is starting to look like a pin cushion. By all accounts, he should be dead by now but something still sustains him. The goblin yells a few words* at the adventurers before he undergoes an amazing transformation. He start by spreading his arms and flapping them. The gesture would be comical if his arms didn't transform into wings and his face elongate to form a beak. Before our adventurers can blink, the druid has completely transformed into a sea bird, a gannet to be exact, and starts flying upward and northward. It won't be long before he disappears from view! * Goblin tongue:
This isn't over longshanks!
The goblin druid tries to hold his stick against the force of Naomi's spell but it's in vain. The magic overpower the goblin's grip and the stick flies directly into the priestess' waiting hand. The little druid seems rather distraught by this turn of events. "Joo mala lugshakk! Et fiir lagett grippa!"* *Goblin:
"You nasty longshank! Give back my fire stick!" Shalelu moves over the fallen body of Whisper to get a better view of her enemy. She then shoots another arrow at the goblin. Despite the obstructions, the elven goblin hunter's arrow find it target, piercing the goblin's leather armor. The druid staggers under the pain and impact but is still in the fight.
The goblin may have lost his stick but there's still some fire in his left hand. Perhaps in retaliation for the theft, he hurls a small ball of fire at Naomi. While she isn't quite reduced to a crisp, the fire still burns her badly.
Darst's eyes widen as the plants rise up. "Stupid!" He rushes to rejoin his compatriots. The goblin dodges the thistles and looks around for their creator. Izbahn struggles against the grasping vines, but maintains his concentration on the true threat. He lets his club fly at the goblin druid. The weapon hits the moving plants and returns to the wizard before it can hit its intended target. Dressed in green-tinted leathers, he would look similar to the others encountered so far if it wasn't for the long flame, shaped like a scimitar, coming out of his right hand. He's also holding a short wooden stick in his left hand. The flaming scimitar isn't a physical object but the wooden stick is. The goblin's left hand and his stick are currently alight with fire as well. Somehow, the little druid seems quite comfortable despite having both hands on fire.
Naomi tries to finish off the cat, but the agile feline dodges her attack. Venmirl call on his totem ancestors to judge his foes and help him in this time of need. His wounds start to slowly heal but he also tries to cast an extra healing spell. He is too busy dodging the cat's attacks however and his concentration is ruined. Seeing that Venmirl is still in trouble, Izbahn rushes to his aid. Being invisible, he has little trouble touching the agile cat and thus electrifies him with a spell from his wand . Naomi's spell fades and Izbahn reappears. The shocking touch proves to be too much for the cat who looses consciousness and falls down. Our adventurers have little time to celebrate this victory as the goblin druid reappears at the entrance from which they came. He sees the downed cat and his maniacal smile turns to a frown. The little goblin murmurs a few words and waves his hands at the surrounding plants. The druidic magic causes these plants to come alive and start to grasp and tug at everything around them. Their numerous thorns makes this especially dangerous. The elf avoids the grasping plants and remains mobile for now.
With her goblin target gone, Shalelu turns toward the firepelt. Those close to her can hear her whisper sadly. "I'm sorry Whisper." She then proceeds to launch two arrows at the cat, in quick succession. Her first arrow sails above the cat but the second one penetrates its side. Whisper growls in pain and surprise and flashes his teeth at Shalelu. The cat seems pretty close to death now. Despite being on its last leg, the firepelt continues its attacks on Venmirl. Whisper bites Venmirl's right hand and manages to pull him down. With his prey down, the cat tries to finish him off with his claws. There still no apparent sign of the goblin druid.
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