Slightly embarrassed that he missed with his attack only to have Mitnal and Eugen quickly come to his aid and dispatch the two final goblins, the young monk mutters something about his sword. As Gyorgy returns back to Jessa, he looks over walls of the fortifications, and wonders how many goblins and other monstrosities may be inside.
|
Kenzo...
Kenzo heeds Gyorgy's warning, and ties of the island side of the bridge. Once that's done, he yells back, "Alright, you can cross now!" He then turns to Eugen and Mitnal and says, "Gentleman, what do you suggest? I'm not a tactician, but walking in the front door hardly seems like a good idea. It would be hard to believe that the goblins inside are not aware of our presence."
The bridge looks much more secure after Kenzo anchors the additional ropes to the posts.
Mitnal notices a horseshoe near the front doors. Eugen can hear whispering coming from the eastward tower.
"What's wrong with the bridge?" Jessa asks Gyorgy as they sort through the Gogmurt's things, "Did those goblins try to cut it down before the rest of you could help Mitnal?"
"Ohhh...look at this..." she interrupts her own question upon finding the wand, "I wonder what this does?" She waves it around and squints along its length as she can somehow divine its power. "It doesn't look nearly as impressive as the wand we found below the Glassworks...and that one's thousands of years old, dating all way back to ancient Thassilon."
"Hmmm...I doubt we'll make much of this until we take time to do a proper divination. You say these other items have an aura as well? Fascinating."
"What should we do about him?" she nods towards the unconscious goblin, "He seems a bit...well, braver?...than most goblins. And perhaps a lot smarter, too. Should we try our hand at interrogating him? I've a charm that might get him to talk. Maybe even get him to take us straight to Nualia, too...if the enchantment's strong enough."
"What's wrong with the bridge?" Jessa asks Gyorgy as they sort through the Gogmurt's things, "Did those goblins try to cut it down before the rest of you could help Mitnal?"
"Ohhh...look at this..." she interrupts her own question upon finding the wand, "I wonder what this does?" She waves it around and squints along its length as she can somehow divine its power. "It doesn't look nearly as impressive as the wand we found below the Glassworks...and that one's thousands of years old, dating all way back to ancient Thassilon."
"Hmmm...I doubt we'll make much of this until we take time to do a proper divination. You say these other items have an aura as well? Fascinating."
"What should we do about him?" she nods towards the unconscious goblin, "He seems a bit...well, braver?...than most goblins. And perhaps a lot smarter, too. Should we try our hand at interrogating him? I've a charm that might get him to talk. Maybe even get him to take us straight to Nualia, too...if the enchantment's strong enough."
"It's okay, Kenzo's fixed the bridge. I guess it was just goblin laziness."
I look the confident, fire-wielding goblin up and down.
"Brave, clever goblins worry me." I gaze into the distance again, cogitating; "Nualia is the big problem though. More of a problem than goblins scrapping each other in the wilderness... If we can use him, if he can help us to stop her, then we should."
"Desna's flame won't heal him, whether we need him or not. Will he recover?"
"I've a charm that might get him to talk. Maybe even get him to take us straight to Nualia, too...if the enchantment's strong enough."
"I can make him talk," says Mitnal rejoining the group. "But it would require the rope and backtracking to that hole we found earlier."
"No backtracking," Jessa shakes her head, "We can't afford to give up the bridge now that we've taken it. Is it safe to carry this goblin across with us? Maybe we can interrogate him once we get him conscious again?"
Mitnal looks disappointed but then brightens. "We could dangle him over the bridge," he suggests eagerly. "That will make him talk!"
"We'll see," Jessa smiles wryly with a wink, "Okay. So...umm...who's going to carry him across. And...are you guys sure that bridge is safe? I'm not all that comfortable with heights..."
"AWWWK...learn to fly, ride the wind!" Blackwing derisively adds.
The goblin is injured enough that it is possible he might not wake up for some time.
"We'll see," Jessa smiles wryly with a wink, "Okay. So...umm...who's going to carry him across. And...are you guys sure that bridge is safe? I'm not all that comfortable with heights..."
Mitnal throws the goblin over his shoulder and begins to cross.
The party finds itself standing at the door of the stockade, an unconscious goblin in tow.
"Umm...okay," Jessa says once they reach the other side and she's confronted by the wooden stockade, "What now? Surely, some of them saw us cross over...not to mention the battle on this side of the bridge...and they probably heard Mitnal's sweet singing voice, as well. So I suspect surprise is out of the question. Do we just barge right in while we've got them scared of us? Or do we wait until we can wake this one up so we can ask him some questions?"
"They say that: Preparation is the best defence."
I shrug: "Do we really want them to have the best defence?"
Looking around, Kenzo retrieves his daggers and the rejoins the others. "So, uh, how many do you think are in there?" he asks.
Then, pausing, he turns to the others. "Jessa, do you think you can heal our friend? Maybe he can tell us if there is another way in, other than through the front door."
Looking around, Kenzo retrieves his daggers and the rejoins the others. "So, uh, how many do you think are in there?" he asks.
"An army of them?" Jessa wonders aloud.
"Jessa, do you think you can heal our friend? Maybe he can tell us if there is another way in, other than through the front door."
"Heal him? How?" Jessa looks taken aback, "I'm no priest who can pray for the gods' intervention..."
She pauses for a moment.
"Though, there does seem to be something influencing my magic lately," she concedes, "Things are happening that I never knew I could do before. Like that mirror image of myself. Or levitating that dagger and using it to strike from a distance. Or...ummm...well, something seemed to happen on the other side of the bridge when I was trying to keep the goblin from dying. I'm just not sure how..."
"Were there any other entrances? Maybe, we should knock on one door and go in through another! You know, like mischievous children would!"
"Hmmm . . . Gyorgy, what about you? Anybody have any healing magic? I think talking to our friend might be a good idea, to find another way or to at least find out what we're facing. What about Lim & Blackwing? Can they have a look around and see if there is another way in?"
"Hmmm . . . Gyorgy, what about you? Anybody have any healing magic? I think talking to our friend might be a good idea, to find another way or to at least find out what we're facing. What about Lim & Blackwing? Can they have a look around and see if there is another way in?"
"Desna's flame burns away the darkness within. It heals your wounds, but it harms these goblins. I cannot control it."
"Well, I can definitely hear people in the tower, so we shouldn't dally out in the open for too long."
"Well, we can't carry this guy around with us everywhere," Jessa thinks aloud, "And it's probably not wise to wait around for him to wake up or we might lose our chance to keep them from preparing for us. How about if we tie him up...and, ummm...hide him somewhere no one will find him? That way, if we have to retreat, we can come back and take him on our way out and interrogate him later?"
She looks around for a moment.
"But...ummm, where to hide him?" she asks.
Then an idea comes to mind.
"I know," she suggests, "How about if we tie him up and hang him from this side of the bridge? At least that way, he's not going anywhere if he manages to cut himself free."
"Then, we can push through the gates and test the strength of this goblin stronghold with as much fury as we can muster..."
"I know," she suggests, "How about if we tie him up and hang him from this side of the bridge? At least that way, he's not going anywhere if he manages to cut himself free."
"I'm sorry. Why aren't we killing it again? It's just a goblin."
"What about Lim & Blackwing?" Kenzo asks again.
"Well, you can use my rope, but I'd like to get it back after you're done with him if it doesn't smell too bad.", I say, nervously flicking my eyes over the ramparts.
Eugen is sure that there are eyes watching them from the flimsy walls of the eastward tower.
The wind off the sea blows strong over the small island. Overhead gulls cry and swoop on the currents of air.
"I'm sorry. Why aren't we killing it again? It's just a goblin."
"We're not killing it because...well, it's defenseless and the fight's already gone out of it...and because it might have information we need to get inside and stop Nualia. We can't very well take on an army by ourselves. So we need to be smart about how we deal with the goblins...starting with this one."
"What about Lim & Blackwing?" Kenzo asks again.
"We can send them to scout," Jessa nods, "But I'd be more worried about a goblin trying to shoot them down than what they'd likely learn about the place. The goblins have to know we're here. That last fight...and Mitnal's singing...surely caught their attention. But if you think it wise, I can send Blacking as high as possible so he can get an aerial view of what's on the other side of the stockade walls."
"Well, you can use my rope, but I'd like to get it back after you're done with him if it doesn't smell too bad.", I say, nervously flicking my eyes over the ramparts.
"Thank you. Kenzo? Can you help me bind him?" Jessa asks, taking the rope offered by Eugen, "Unless we're going to kill this one in cold blood, we need to ensure he's trussed up as good as we can before we try laying siege to the place."
After they take care of restraining the unconscious Gogmurt, Jessa then turns her attention to the Thistletop stockade itself. She sends Blackwing to scout any preparations the goblins might be making on the other side...with specific instructions to avoid flying too close.
Blackwing can tell Jessa that most of the complex is roofed and its impossible to see in. There is one large courtyard near the west side of the interior. There are goblin dogs in this open area.
"Very little to see!" Blackwing announces upon his return, "Lots of rooftops. Goblin dogs in a courtyard. To the west. No goblins in sight yet."
"Well then..." Jessa considers the bird's reconnaisance information, "No time like the present to kick in the door and put some goblins to the sword. Let's just make sure we have an exit strategy in case we get in over our heads."
"I'm pretty sure there's someone in that east tower, can anybody else make out who or what they are?"
"I'm pretty sure there's someone in that east tower, can anybody else make out who or what they are?"
"Very little to see!" Blackwing announces upon his return, "Lots of rooftops. Goblin dogs in a courtyard. To the west. No goblins in sight yet."
"Do goblin dogs eat goblin?" wonders Mitnal as he ponders a more subtle entry. "Nah, I vote 'kick in the door'."
The goblins, it appears, have taken the expediency of putting something against the other side of the door to prevent it from being opened. Most likely a large heavy piece of wood.
The door, in other words, is barred shut. It is a stout wooden door, though in questionable repair.
"Maybe we should go in through the courtyard," suggest Mitnal. Turning to Blackwing he asks, "How many goblin dogs did you see?"
"Too many!" Blackwing complains, "Need wings to fly there..."
"Well that doesn't sound good," Jessa states, "We need to either draw them out...or smash through the gate...or maybe, ummm...burn them out? They certainly torched enough of Sandpoint to warrant returning the favor..."
...or maybe, ummm...burn them out? They certainly torched enough of Sandpoint to warrant returning the favor..."
"No. I don't think we should assume we know everything about this place." I scan the area looking for another way in: "There could be captives inside... or strange magics that the fire will unleash."
I move to the edge of the ravine and peer down: "Perhaps there is another way in, down there?"
The ocean below gives no hint of secret caves, at least on this side of the bridge. There is perhaps, a faint suggestion of a cavernous opening in the water going under the mainland on the other side. But that's a long way down.
The familiars can verify that there is only the one door into the complex. Though the walls are not in the best of conditions and could be climbed in several places.
"Okay, let's hear a vote for what we do next - climb the walls, take a look below, or knock down the door," Kenzo says.
"Okay, let's hear a vote for what we do next - climb the walls, take a look below, or knock down the door," Kenzo says.
"Kick in the door. Let's call the other two back-ups."
I say this rather sheepishly, aware that I won't be doing any kicking...
Then I have a bright idea. I pluck Lim from my pocket and send him to swoop down and around the island, just in case there is an opening.
"Kick in the door. Let's call the other two back-ups."
"That does seem to be the consensus, so let's see what we have," Kenzo says. After a moment gazing at the door, he pushes his hand against it, then sets himself into a wide, solid stance, and spins into a kick aimed right at it's middle.
Kick 1d20=14+3=17, Damage 1d6=2+1=3
Then I have a bright idea. I pluck Lim from my pocket and send him to swoop down and around the island, just in case there is an opening.
Jessa shakes her head at their current dilemma.
"Kenzo? Why don't you just have Mitnal boost you up and over the wall? Then, maybe you can open the doors from the inside?" she suggests.
"That does seem to be the consensus, so let's see what we have," Kenzo says. After a moment gazing at the door, he pushes his hand against it, then sets himself into a wide, solid stance, and spins into a kick aimed right at it's middle.
The kick is nice and solid. At least solid enough to make a large booming noise echo across the island.
The door, mockingly, remains almost exactly where it was.
The kick is nice and solid. At least solid enough to make a large booming noise echo across the island.
Jessa shakes her head at their current dilemma.
"Kenzo? Why don't you just have Mitnal boost you up and over the wall? Then, maybe you can open the doors from the inside?" she suggests.
"I suggest we try to muscle it open!" I say, not really knowing what else to contribute.
Mitnal grins, "Let me give it a shot."
He slams himself into the door and bounces off.