22a - Sarien
20 - Kael
18 - Hardin
14 - Tao
13 - Goblins
7 - Freya
6 - Rauno
As the goblins come rushing in, Sarien's rapier lashes out to protect Tao, piercing his enemy's flesh with a wet pop. The goblin - oblivious to the pain - finishes it's stroke on Tao, barely nicking the larger warrior, but drawing blood nonetheless . Sarien keeps moving, though; pirouetting nimbly and landing behind the goblin, this time his rapier slides through the goblin's heart, causing it to go rigid instantly and fall to the floor when the weapon is withdrawn.
Kael moves up to better support Tao.
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Hardin looks at the man in the cloak with the rapier and makes an assessment. "I appreciate your assistance. He looks down at the bleeding out goblin. "We can still make use of him." He says this as he jogs to where the last standing goblin is (J14), and makes a quick cut.
...and his blade turns in his hand.
Tao steps up and takes a swing
Tao's sword connects with a thud, sending the goblin flying against the wall. It slides down the wall, unconcious.
Grib want to live, biggun. What you offer Grib?
He eyes you cautiously.
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"First, let's see to your men. Tell them to keep their weapons down."
Hardin walks over to the two downed Goblins, and the bleeding half orc. His face takes on an air of beseechment.
"Iomedae, let this prove to be strategically sound." A burst of radiance comes out.
Channel Energy.
He looks at the slender man in loose clothing and scarves. "You mentioned Hellknights following, yes?"
He turns to Grib, and kneels to better reach eye level. "Without endangering your family, or your men, I'd like you to lead the Hellknights on a wild goose chase through the tunnel." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a gold piece and two silvers. "This is for your trouble; the silvers are for your men." He hands the Goblin a wooden groat, scored with the symbol of Iomedae on one side, and the head of a dog on the other. "Bring this to me at the Temple of Iomedae, in three days, and I may have more work for you. If I'm not there, leave it with the priest and say Grib wants to see Dogface."
"In the mean time, while your men recover, please tell me what you can about this cross tunnel."
Grib's eyes flash at the coins being held out in front of him; he snatches them from Hardin's hand and replies:
Deal, Biggun. Grib no like bigguns, but you not so bad.
The other goblins begin to cough and sit up, their wounds knitting together and healing thanks to Hardin's infusion of positive energy. While coming to, they are each met by a sharp kick from Grib, who barks at them in Goblin.
Wewe ni mbaya wapiganaji. Wakati ulipokuwa fahamu, Grib hawa binadamu hizi na sadaka yao maisha yao kwa malipo ya habari. Ya binadamu wanasema ni walinzi wa kuja! Lazima kupotosha walinzi hizi mbali ya pango yetu. Kuja!
Grib slips the offered coins into his pouch and leads the Goblins down the tunnel that the main party was coming out of, pushing past Freya and Rauno and leaving the group alone in/near the chamber.
Sarien watches the exchange quietly and sighs as the goblins run off. "It's a shame to see good work undone," he mutters.
Then more loudly, "A cleric of Iomedae, eh? Well, greetings, stranger. I didn't expect to see anything bigger than a rat down here unless it was clad in Hellknight armor. I'd thank you for the assistance, but it seems that ought to be the other way around." His rapier is still in hand but at his side as he watches the stranger cautiously.
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Hardin waits until the three goblins have run off, then waits a bit more.
"I appreciate your intervention. The art of war is one of using resources; they were more good to us alive than dead." He pauses to listen longer just in case the Goblins aren't running any further than they have to.
"Hardin Clegane." He looks around, and then up for the sword of Iomedae.
"I've been following these from that direction."
Freya draws back a little in disgust as the goblins brush past her legs, then reconsiders and shrugs. "Better to work with a goblin than to work with a Hellknight," she mutters.
Hardin waits until the three goblins have run off, then waits a bit more.
"I appreciate your intervention. The art of war is one of using resources; they were more good to us alive than dead." He pauses to listen longer just in case the Goblins aren't running any further than they have to.
"Hardin Clegane." He looks around, and then up for the sword of Iomedae.
"I've been following these from that direction."
"And where are the chalkmarks leading you?" she asks warily.
"Well, aren't you special?" Freya grumbles. "Sounds like we're heading in the same direction, so we might as well travel together. Makes more sense than standing around arguing in a sewer." Glancing at the chalkmark the cleric indicated, Freya begins to move in that direction.
"Sent by whom?" Sarien asks, his tone wary.
"By every demon in the Abyss," Freya bursts out, "did your mothers never teach you to walk and talk at the same time? Unless you want to fight him right here and now," she addresses Sarien, "there's no way to stop him from following the swordpoints just like we are. And if we're all going in the same direction, we might as well go together. Mistrust him all you like, but wouldn't you rather have him where you can see him than wonder if he's behind us in the darkness plotting our demise?"
Tao sheaths his sword, brushes some of the blood from his recently healed wound, looks to Hardin and says, "Thanks. The aid is appreciated." With that said he makes his way to the next marker and proceeds down the hall.
"I have not survived the shadows of night nor the Hellknights by day without using caution for a shield." Sarien responded, his voice curt. "Nor am I inclined to trust a man who wanders through the sewers and heals bloody goblins. Running blindly through the darkness, jumping in terror at every sound will only move us deeper into trouble, girl."
"And who told you about the wall markings?"
"A point she has, and her wits are sharper than her tongue. We should make what time we can while Grib creates a diversion."
"I don't know," she smirks at him. "My tongue is pretty sharp."
"I have not survived the shadows of night nor the Hellknights by day without using caution for a shield." Sarien responded, his voice curt. "Nor am I inclined to trust a man who wanders through the sewers and heals bloody goblins. Running blindly through the darkness, jumping in terror at every sound will only move us deeper into trouble, girl."
"In case you haven't noticed, we're not in the 'darkness,'" she responds, holding up the finger with the glowing signet ring. "Nor are we 'running blindly';" she says, indicating the chalkmarks, "we are following a trail. And Asmodeus will be wearing earmuffs the day you see me 'jump in terror'; I'll be hearing you squeal for mercy first, boy. We were down here following instructions to a safe house; his arrival here hasn't changed that," she concludes, jabbing a finger at Hardin. "He already knew about the swordpoints; he'd find his way there with or without us. Unless you think this whole situation has been a set-up since we met in the inn...."
The group plods along, passing the point at which Hardin entered the sewer - a non-descript manhole set into the ceiling above. While it was open enough for Hardin to get in only a half hour ago, an aboveground patrol appears to have noticed and remedied the indiscretion - the iron plate is securely in place, and locked tightly, the lock being located on the outside of the gate.
After a short time, the party comes to a four-way intersection.
The symbol of Iomedae is quickly found scratched high on a wall this time, and the group moves on.
As the group starts down the tunnel, however, Sarien and Tao make out the sounds of mailed boots coming from one of the tunnels just behind them. These sound fairly close, although human voices - male - can be heard cursing the muck and mire.
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Landed knights who served in the Chelish military; they've fallen on harder times in the last century. The family reputation is one of loyalty and trustworthiness, though they are by no means renowned as Great Heroes or some such. Just reasonably fair and honest nobles who've suffered under House Thune.
Through this back and forth, Hardin merely says nothing - he's focusing far more on not falling into the sewage for the third time. And he's noisy enough as it is in all that kit.
Tao looks back and whispers, "Sounds like they are gaining on us. We need to find this safe-house!" Tao continues on in the direction of the markers.
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You're pretty sure that you've seen some of Clegane's livery during your childhood. The Cleganes have three sons, and a daughter who was just a little bit older than you. The Cleganes would've been considered a third tier 'fallback' family to do a politically advantageous marriage to; marrying Hardin's oldest brother would've netted you a small, self sufficient holding, albeit one far away from anyplace interesting. Rustic wouldn't be a slander.
For what it's worth, of the Cleganes you may have met a decade ago, Hardin has the family look.
The Clegane holdings are about two days ride out of Westcrown. They're known for adequate grain, not enough pasture for anything but a handful of sheep, apple orchards, some good hunting, and kennels. They sell some good hard cider in the fall.
I'll leave it up to you whether or not you spent time there as a child. It's entirely possible that the Gilles and the Cleganes knew each other socially. If they did, click on the next spoiler.
If your family ever visited the Clegane estate, I'd prefer it to be when you were about 7-8 years old. If you'd been 7 and Hardin 14, he'd've been a teenaged snot about being forced to socialize with you. (Given what's in your background, having a teenaged younger son of a hick landed knight be rude to you when you were a kid wouldn't even come close to registering as 'suffering'.)
His younger sister, Tristan, would've been 10. Tristan wore the term "b#~$!" proudly - and ran with the dogs. Her mother was hoping she'd outgrow it when she grew a bust and hips.
I've added names for Hardin's family in the profile so we won't lose 'em.
Sarien stares at Freya as she speaks, trying to decide exactly how to respond to such pettiness. Then he laughs. "Oh, I see. You're a noble's daughter aren't you? That explains everything." He shook his head, dismissing her entirely.
He turns his attention back to Clegan, careful to keep the overly armored man in front of him. "Very well. Expediency demands that I accept your company without greater explanation. But you owe us answers when we get to our destination."
Sarien slows to a stop and curses under his breath. "Running blindly," he mutters. Then, a little more loudly, "Hold! There are more men approaching from ahead!" "You bloody fools," he thought.
Need a consensus as to what you're doing - going ahead, staying put?
"Succubus' t#@*!" Freya bursts out. "Behind us and in front of us? Put out your glow-y sword," she commands Hardin brusquely as she dismisses the light on her own ring. Summoning her dancing lights again, she indicates a perpendicular passageway and says, "Duck down here. We'll leave the lights in the passage opposite -- enough to light up whoever's coming for us to see but leave us in the shadow. With any luck, they'll kill each other and do our work for us."
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Hardin cancels the light on his shield, and casts it on another wooden groat, which he hands to Freya. "Can you put this down the other corridor, and make it look like it's moving away or shining a light around a corner? We want them to see something that matches their expectations."
If there's time, he's going to cast Virtue on people. The order for getting the hit point buff:
Freya
Rauno
Sarien
Tau
Himself
Kael
(I don't know what Kael has prepped.)
Sarien says nothing, content to move soundlessly into the side passageway and crouch into the darkness. Though the sewers were not exactly his chosen ground, he is in his element in such tight quarters and darkness.
"I'm for moving forward. I'd rather just have to deal with whoever is in front of us than risk getting attacked from two sides." Tao moves into the passage the markers indicate. He then turns to see if anyone is going to follow.
At Freya's direction, the party quickly passes into the right-hand tunnel, except for Sarien, who sneaks into the left-hand tunnel. Kael glances around nervously, clearly expecting the worst.
Freya: Right-Hand Passage
Hardin: Right-Hand Passage
Tao: Straight-ahead Passage
Sarien: Left-Hand Passage
Kael: Right-Hand Passage
Rauno: ??
The sound of sloshing water and boots on stone grows louder, nowdefinitely coming from straight ahead and from behind the party. Kael looks like he's about to say something, but thinks better of himself.
Tao moves into the right passage and takes up a defensive position, sword drawn, between those also in this passage and the intersection.
As he waits in the darkness of the tunnel, Sarien digs into a pouch and pulls out a single caltrop, holding it clenched in his hand.
Sarien stares after the dancing lights going in his preferred direction, wisely keeps his mouth shut rather than complain and goes a little deeper along the passageway the others have chosen, staying quiet and out of sight.
As the party huddles in the darkness, the footsteps grow closer, until they are finally quite close. The footsteps from the area that was directly in front of the party stop first, followed shortly thereafter by the footsteps that were trailing behind.
The first voice that speaks is a rich, warm female voice.
Declan, Fifth Brigade, 8th Division. Have you seen the insurgents?
The voice that answers is a shrill male tenor.
Krell, Fourth of the Third. We were on their trail - you haven't seen them? I had more with me, but they peeled off to investigate some noises we heard a few hundred paces back. I told them it was just sewer goblins, he spits, but they insisted on looking into it.
A female figure finally steps into view.
They were right to do so. These interlopers must be caught at any co...wait, what's this? , she asks, looking down the opposite tunnel at the dancing lights. Some kind of lingering spell! Quickly, this way!
She stoops and walks as quickly as she can down the opposite corridor, away from the party. Another armored figure falls in behind her, followed by two other armored figures from the opposite corridor.
Kael draws his Longspear.