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The flanking goblins take their opportunity, nervously.
damage. Razzle says, "I forgive you, brother. Your loyalty is a coin misspent but valuable." The last goblin holds his action, but appears conflicted. Lar makes an ornate flourish with his scimitar.
The goblins are demoralized (likely for longer than this combat will last). Dazzle has no option to flank and her entourage was too nervous to shift to give her one. She goes total defense. Razzle looks to Shintaro and says, "Friend, your words and presence are answers to my prayers." Shintaro
Apologies to both tables. Work and family visits have me drained. Pausing until Tuesday. Enjoy your weekends!
So steps up to Razzle and casts Cure Light Wounds - . "So the fiercest warriors are sometimes their own worst enemy." The furthest left goblin has a chance to attack but doesn't. Between Tura, Shintaro, Razzle, and Lar's original demonstration, the fight is draining from the goblins like the blood from their faces.
Forthish's harsh, challenging tone appears to pierce the fog, even before So and Lar can add a word or glare of their own. "Chieftain is downstairs. She promise great glory for us. Sister is coming. She'll be so angry..." The priestess begins to sob, and Lar speaks up, "Sarenrae's mercy is here, if you but reach for it. The world is filled with darkness. Wouldn't you rather walk the path of the light?"
As he says the word 'light', the sconces of the chapel flare to life, and glow briefly, bathing the area in a dawn-hued glow.
The goblin priestess drops her fighting posture and So instantly goes to stabilize the bleeding goblin.
Lar casts Cure Light Wounds - The goblin looks up at two paladins treating his wounds and is very confused. He remains still.
The goblin priestess looks between the warriors facing her, and appears to realize the hopelessness of her position. "No hurt us?" She gestures to her allies, some asleep, one bleeding, one stable.
Razzle says, "Sister, if longshanks come to us, with kind words and open hands, the glory that the prophet has preached is surely come! They have fed our brothers behind us, and you may strike me down, but the gods shall know it was I who was right!" She begins to preach aloud, "Oh what games the gods play? We are but pieces in a game we do not understand! Let not my new allies forsake me nor my sister and brothers strike me down!"
Her entourage also begins to pray, silently, keeping an eye on the opposing side through half veiled eyes.
You get the feeling that Dazzle is aware of something that Razzle is not, and sees the outsiders as a threat to her power and position. She keeps glancing to the cathedral doors in both fear and hope of some new development.
The goblin priestess is standing alone against the lot of Table 1. She's demoralized but proud.
Initiative:
The entourage member nearest Razzle tosses a dagger at her.
He hits, dealing damage. He moves up, drawing a kukri as he advances. The other two, emboldened, move to flank her. The movement is too far to allow them to attack this round. Lar draws his sword and says to the priestess, "You are destroying a wonderful future for your side. We bring food, we bring fire, we bring much that you desire, and you ask instead for death?"
Dazzle is demoralized for four rounds. She moves up and punches Razzle
... and hits for . Razzle says, "Sister! What games do you play?" but holds her action, despite being badly hurt.
Correct. Maicoh, Jericho, Tuk Tuk and then the priestess.
The priestess looks as eager to fight as ever. Lar and So glare at her but even under their gaze, the priestess holds strong.
Intimidate check?
Two goblins fall asleep. The far right goblin is unconscious and bleeding. The far left goblin is stable. So holds - he wants to get a little revenge on the ringleader and hopes to see a spot open. We're back to Forthish, Maicoh, Jericho, and Tuk Tuk. with the Ninja goblin closing the round.
Lar and So try to speak, saying, "We didn't bring horses..." and "So the gifts are real..." but the newly arrived goblin priestess snarls and says: Goblin:
"Brothers! et es wie tam cleanse mei plaji za sep impuke." Goblin Translation:
"Brothers! It is time to cleanse this place of the impure." Roll initiative.
Jericho's attack misses the nimble little goblin. Tuk Tuk's bite misses also. Festus misses. Forthish's spell continues to gain power. Lar casts Burst of Glory. His dark skin glows like a torch as the blessing of Sarenrae fills him and nearby allies with renewed purpose.
Remaining actions: Forthish (unleash spell cast last round)
The priestess continues forward with a calm assuredness and when Razzle sees her, she calls out, "Sister! These outsiders have come to bring us gifts in exchange for our guests." "Gifts? Friendship? Longshank lies. What did they bring? Horses and dogs?" the new arrival snarls, showing sharp teeth.
The ninja swings twice at Lar...
The goblin priestess swings at Lar, whom she Is flanking, but misses...
Jericho, Tuk Tuk, Forthish and Festus are up.
Initiative:
So holds to see what the goblins do.
Far Left stabilizes beneath Lar. Center Left is feeling (even = lucky)...
Center Right is feeling (even = lucky)...
Far Right is feeling (even = lucky)...
Center Left swings and hits
Center Left tries to confirm
Center Left stabs So deftly.
Despite wanting to surrender, the critical stab emboldens Center Right, who tries to duplicate that success...
... badly. Far Right steps up, feeling cocky, and swings at Lar
Despite his wounds, what seems to affect So most is the miss on his friend, and So's demeanor turns to one of anger, which is surprising given his nature. He steps towards Far Right and says, "So your chance has expired, your actions have shown your nature, and it's time for me to collect what's due." So's hand turns claw-like, and his jaw appears to thicken, before he bites the goblin.
That leave us with... Far Left = stable
Initiative:
Prone is powerful. Festus steps to take flanking and then takes the prone goblin Tuk Tuk and Maicoh hit into negatives. Lar steps forward and uses Lay on Hands on Festus, healing him back to full. Lar shouts, ”By Sarenrae, if you understand me, lay down your arms. Your blood is far more likely to besmirch these hallowed stones than ours.” ”So let me just say ‘not it’ when it comes to cleaning up after the fight.” So says. The goblins look to the latest addition to the fight briefly, but hold their weapons and tongues. Goma goes next.
The goblins dodge nimbly, taking no damage from the powerful gout of flame that springs forth. With the bonus for prone, Tuk Tuk bites the goblin who was far left. Maicoh, I'm assuming you help Tuk Tuk (to avoid AoO). From above, a goblin drops...
... and fails her Acrobatics check, falling prone after taking...
... damage. She stands up, provoking from Maicoh. Maicoh, AoO? Forthish, does that change your action? End of round once those questions are resolved, and Festus starts round 2.
The younger goblins are ill at ease with the masked, frightening hobgoblin skulking around but you hear snippets of 'Praise Razzle' as they eat. Some of the older goblins draw back in deference, suggesting they've served under hobgoblins before. Shintaro is more welcomed by the goblins, who find the notion of a strange longshanks speaking goblin amusing, especially one with such fine manners. Tura is somewhere in between with an initial wariness that suggests familiarity with the saying 'ain't no one happy if mama ain't happy'. Cole, you recognize the best way to burn the place down would be to harvest the bushes from outside the keep, pile them high, and create a magical bonfire. The smoke would likely be deadlier than the fire without the walls to keep it from affecting the occupants of the keep. Rodan, you are the first to spot a similarly bedecked goblin and her entourage approach from the south.
Goma misses the nimble goblin with his spell due to cover and trying not to hit Festus. The goblin reels from the blow of Festus but holds for a better opportunity for revenge. So moves to give Festus flanking, provoking from the goblin he sees.
The goblin badly misses. Center left goblin appears unprepared for the opportunity.
Center left goblin acts and goes after Festus (odd) or So (even)...
Center left takes a five foot step towards So, and prepares to strike. Center right takes a five foot step towards the wall and strikes.
Far left charges, provoking Lar to trip... (no way to do that subtly)
Far left crawls forward. Far right tries to attack Festus.
Jericho was holding, Tuk Tuk has tons of options, with Maicoh and Forthish (and our ninja enemy) to worry about remaining.
Goma, Goblin, So, Tuk Tuk, Goblin, Goblin, Maicoh, Ninja, Forthish Jericho is holding. I'm assuming that the goblin attacked by Festus, who remains alive, is visible to everyone now in case that matters.
Have fun! You're likely not alone having plans this weekend. I'm going to say we should pause until next Tuesday for both tables given it's Labor Day in the US on Monday. If anyone is not in the US, we appreciate your patience while we celebrate having time off from work.
Lar attempts to demoralize the opponents with a dazzling display of scimitar showmanship.
The goblins are shaken for 4 rounds.
Festus and Lar spot three goblin monkeys, barely sticking their kukri tips out from the cover of the church pews or the corner (to the right) in which they stand.
The first goblins eagerly wait while Razzle inspects the platter, and despite a hungry look in her eyes, declines to eat. "Thank you for the offer. I shall eat later. We feed as we work closer to the prophet. Agreed?" Razzle gestures for the goblins to come over, and with that, they break what little discipline they could muster and swarm Kabong, who sets the bowl down to allow the goblins easier access to the food. They begin to eat quickly and with great gusto. "I'll be back with more." Kabong says, and leaves. Kabong scurries off and returns very quickly with another bowl. Razzle leads the group on to the front of the cathedral. Another group of goblins await, curiously, and are similarly fed from the offering. You stand in front of a pair of double doors while Kabong goes back for another bowl of food. Razzle says, "Are there any other questions you wish to ask the prophet?"
Lar shouts out towards the wagons, "Bring in the food! We'll have a feast while we negotiate." Kabong appears carrying a large bowl of pita chips with a hummus dip in the center.
You stand before a pair of massive stone doors. Maicoh opens the door on the left and So the door on the right in unison. Inside is a dimly lit grand cathedral. You can barely make out the remnants of banners to a few gods, like Aroden, Erastil and Abadar, many of which appear disturbed, destroyed, if not entirely desecrated. Oddly, the Torag based iconography, etched into the stone, appears undisturbed if not cleaned.
"Thank you for showing respect and using our language. Our ally Shintaro has done a tremendous job to translate for your My name is Gustavus Bartonius Larimentius the III but you may call me Lar. Priestess Razzle, forgive us our curiosity, but we are scholars of Sarenrae, goddess of mercy and fire. We are curious about your prophet and her teachings but also how you came to be here. You see, our allies and fellow students of divine guidance and justice were here, but we have not heard from them. While most stories are best told from the beginning, we wonder if you could reverse common wisdom and show your uncommon wisdom in relaying what happened and how you came to occupy this keep." Lar says. "So great is our curiosity, we do hope to reward you for any information you can share and the return of those noble souls."
Razzle pauses to gather her thoughts, "Your allies are our guests. They have not been civil nor respectful so we have kept them detained. I suppose their safe return is part of why you've been respectful?" she ends, with a questioning tilt to her tone. "Sarenrae's mercy teaches us to respect others. We know our allies are from schools of thought where that is not a key tenet. Our apologies for their unbending nature." "So much good in this world could be accomplished with open minds and ears. So we hope you can forgive them and release them to us."
Razzle says, "Their freedom is not mine to offer. I can take your offerings to the prophet to seek her wisdom and ruling. Do you agree?" "I believe Tura and Cole will agree if that means they get to eat. We can certainly bring in food and provide you the bead to take with you if you wish to show her the seriousness of our offer."
"I shall show you respect by using your language. My name in your tongue is Razzle. I was raised by the prophet since I was little. She is great and wise and your respect is deserved. Your gifts are welcomed. I believe gifts are usually balanced. Is that your goal?" Razzle says, with a deliberate pace to the speech.
"Ragna, Quinlan, you seem to be ill at ease with the developments and news. Jericho, Forthish, and Goma, stand back and prepare yourself. Festus, Maicoh, stay close and we'll see how they like surprises." Lar says.
”Surrendering the fort to the goblins was an option when they were dealing with us as visitors and diplomats. A few minor exchanges of force could be forgiven but a trap and massive deception are not the tactics of those with peaceful intentions. I think if Festus, Maicoh, Ragna get prepared, possibly Quinlan too, we should open the temple doors and show them our more aggressive posture.” Lar says, quietly and grimly.
Rodan, dwarves put secret doors deeper in their design. You’re unlikely to find secret doors outside of a front gate that is magically sealed at this level.
A female goblin steps out from around the corner. She carries no weapons and wears no armor, only a simple robe of surprisingly good quality. She leads three more monkey goblins in leather armor, kukris sheathed. She says, "Headstink sarit longshanks mei gifts viet see. Sto gifts fal set dur?" Goblin: Headstink say longshanks with gifts need see. What gifts do they bring?
"Priest of what? This place reeks of Hadregash - no offense to our hobgoblin friend - but one of the tenets of that faith is tribal loyalty. We haven't seen that here with the intermingling of tribes. I don't know that any of the other goblin hero-gods would unite across tribes. This whole prophet structure is difficult to reconcile with my understanding of goblin religion." Knowledge: Religion (10) - Hadregash:
Hadregash is the strongest of the four goblin hero-gods, and has the strongest relationship with Lamashtu, their patron and possible mother. Lamashtu forgives Hadregash his lawful nature and he's taught goblinoids, especially hobgoblins, to show deference to authority. Knowledge: Religion (15) - Goblin gods:
The four goblin hero-gods (Hadregash, Venkelvore, Zogmugot, and Zarongel) are barghests and reside in the Abyss after their corner of Hell was brought to the Abyss by Lamashtu and joined with her realm, Kurnugia. Knowledge: Planes (15):
The four goblin hero-gods (Hadregash, Venkelvore, Zogmugot, and Zarongel) are barghests and reside in the Abyss after their corner of Hell was brought to the Abyss by Lamashtu and joined with her realm, Kurnugia. Knowledge: Religion (17) - Hero-God 2:
Venkelvore is the most beautiful of the hero-gods, and consort to Hadregash. Venkelvore hungers for the feast of sentient beings. Knowledge: Religion (17) - Hero-God 3:
Zogmugot is the most wolf-life of the hero-gods and has a coat of magical fire for being the first to submit to Lamashtu. Knowledge: Religion (17) - Hero-God 4:
Zarongel is the other female hero-god and determines which goblins drown and which survive. Her gifts are better flotsam and jetsam washing ashore to her faithful, many of whom drown from her faith and obsession. Knowledge: Religion (20) - Hero-Gods and Lamashtu: Lamashtu appears to have claimed the hero-gods from Asmodeus, and whether they are her children or servants depends upon whom you ask or believe. Goblin cults to Lamashtu sometimes exist because of the connection but knowledge of the connection is uncommon outside of the goblins of Thistletop, a ruin near Sandpoint in Varisia.
The goblins are really unprepared to be treated so nicely, and after a pause to decide how to respond to such kind manners, they answer: Goblin phonetics:
Come mei lan tam courtyard. Not send headstink tam fetch priest. Unless kahl des tam trav mei headstink? Goblin: Come with us to courtyard. We send Headstink to fetch priest. Unless you want to go with Headstink?
"e-thay emple-tay at-thay olds-hay e-thay eif-chay..." Lar begins.
The goblin cuts them off with a harsh whisper, saying, "You no good at sneaky stuff! Chief in temple! Temple behind me. You go way I came, I go way you came, no see no care no do."
The goblins look between themselves at the request and finally, one nervously says, with emphasis on the first word: Goblin phonetics:
Sat nyal grows mei kahl'iy fuel, but sat es verrit busrit. Not koe dur kahl ahn za sat priests el see ak sat es willtin tam interrupt sep prophet. Goblin: Her fire grows with your fuel, but she is very busy. We could bring you one of her priests and see if she is willing to interrupt the prophet. |