Praxim moves up to be just south of Shalelu and fires an arrow at kitty.
Attack:
Damage:
Quinion steps forward into the thorns , wincing as they cut into him.
Again he strikes with his sap . His blows are precise and calculated; it's obvious Quinion has no 'battle-lust'.
Forgot Vuvo's Reflex Save
Round 3
Rhianni weaves her hands over her crystal ball, inspiring the others. Praxim and Shelalu both target the cat, firing arrows into the animal's hindquarters (4 dmg from Shelalu). Quinion moves into the wall of bristles to attack the goblin, hitting it again on the side of its head. The goblin staggers and Markum takes advantage of the opening, stabbing it on side of its ribcage.
Vuvo tries to bite the cougar and misses. The cougar fights back with a hail of teeth and claws, one of its paws swiping the dog in the face (6 dmg).
The goblin steps further into the bush and begins muttering in a gibberish mix of Goblin and Druidic, summoning primal energy. His wounds heal somewhat.
Rhianni continues to her oratory to inspire her friends, "I hear that Esteril himself looks down smiling and kindly on one of his chosen. He watches as Praxim is honored by the counties of Taladar. Their rulers embrace your return, protector of the forest and innocents, the trumpets sound out in triumph and celebration. The maidens swoon as you pass. Your name is revered in tales of great deeds, this I see is a most favorable destiny and path that you may choose to tread." As Rhianni continues she places her orb in its special holder around her delicate waist, in the cloth of reds and oranges, the colors of the fire of her passion. Once in position, she removes from her back, a light crossbow, such a weapon as she might use to destroy the vermin that intrude on her fortune teller's kiosk.
"You're quickly running out of bushes..."
Quinion steps forward again , and again is cut by the thorns.
This time he strikes with the shortsword , but the change in weapons seems to throw him off.
Markum moves to keep the goblin in sword reach.
Markum Scimitar: to hit
Markum Scimitar: damage
Vuvo moves out of the thickets and continues to snap
Vuvo Bite: to hit
Vuvo Bite: damage
Vuvo Bite: trip
Praxim takes careful aim and fires again at kitty.
Attack:
Damage:
Round 4
Rhianni continues to inspire the others and draws her crossbow. Praxim and Shelalu again fire in tandem, and both hit, this time the arrows hitting parts of the cat's ribcage. The red cougar screams in agony.
Markum and Quinion keep pressing the goblin backwards, but fail to hit. Vuvo tries to finish his foe, as well, but also misses.
The goblin sneers at Quinion and whistles at his fire pelt cougar. The cat immediately disengages and in an astounding blur of speed, runs northward and disappears in the maze of bushes. Meanwhile, the goblin's body begins to change. Its legs shrink and its chest begins to swell. Its arms grow long, wide, and flat and become covered with feathers. Almost instantaneously, the goblin has taken the form of an eagle, and it takes off, flying towards the thorny canopy.
Taking a last swipe at the changed goblin, Quinion drops his weapons and readies his bow.
Markum attacks the changing druid.
Druid
Markum Scimitar: to hit
Markum Scimitar: damage
Confirm crit
Markum Scimitar: to hit
Markum Scimitar: damage
Oh well
That cat's AC is better than 16?
Markum cuts the eagle as it begins to fly and it immediately drops to the ground, reverting back to its goblin form.
Markum cuts the eagle as it begins to fly and it immediately drops to the ground, reverting back to its goblin form.
Only until my next action.
DruidicMarkum speaks solemnly in an unusual tongue while preparing to ritually kill the goblin shaman.
Distracted, Quinion is oblivious to Markum's voice tone and plans as he carefully puts away his weapons, and very slowly moves out of of the undergrowth.
I did it that way to give folks a chance to stop him if they want.
coup de gra
Markum kills the goblin.
Afterward, Shalelu continues to lead the party northward, until you reach a cliff.
A rope bridge spans the gulf between the cliff and a roundish, flat-topped island sixty some feet to north. Thick patches of nettles and briars grow here and there atop the island, but its most impressive feature is a 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.
Map...
"Here is Thistletop. I'm not going with you, but I'll be around here looking for goblins, Bruthazmus, or anyone else." She turns back to the maze of thistle. "Good luck," she says, wandering off.
Markum takes a moment to take in the view. "This is a deathtrap. Even goblins will have this rigged to fall." He sees no goblins though. And the water below isn't particularly hazardous. "We might be able to run across without falling in the water, but then we'll have to fight our way through a tribe of goblins."
While not being as lethal as hitting solid land, hitting the shallow water below may possibly be enough to kill any one of you.
The goblin druid has on his person: a spear, a sling, five potions, a flint wand, a suit of masterwork leather armor, and a silk cloak.
"There are probably also archers in those towers, who may or may not be aware of us. That cat may have run this way, or still be hiding somewhere in the maze, but you have to believe that as soon as we start out onto that bridge, arrows are going to start to fly." Praxim finds himself a good vantage point on their side for returning fire, and readies his bow.
I'll put the potions and wand in my pouch and stash the other stuff to be retrieved later.
"Me and Vuvo can hurry over there and hold the area until the rest of you can get over."
Healing Markum
Cure Light Wounds
Cure Light Wounds
Healing Vuvo
Cure Light Wounds Scroll
Cure Light Wounds Potion
Quinion and Rhianni offer what cover they can.
Markum and Vuvo moves briskly across the bridge. It squeaks, cracks, and sways, but the two make it.
No peep is made from the two guardtowers.
Praxim motions for Rhianna to scoot across next, followed by Quinniom, then himself.
Rhianni, doea as Praxim, asks and makes her way across the bridge as quickly as possible. Knowing that in these circumstances, these others have the strength and wits to react to dangers.
Markum and Vuvo hide until the others make it across or the goblins take note of us. Markum readies his sling to launch a stone at the guards in the tower.
One by one, everyone else moves briskly across the bridge. Everyone makes it to the other side.
The stockade is made of thick wood. Closer inspection reveals that most of the wood seems to have been scavenged from ships - a few nameplates remain affixed to some of the timbers, while others look like they might have once been masts.
Markum looks to Praxim. "I suggest we barge in and slay everything that moves."
"It would be useful to have at least a few prisoners, so we can try to get a better idea of what is going on here."
Markum rolls his eyes as if to say here we go again. "If you take a prisoner, it's your responsibility. One step out of line and I kill it." Then he stands waiting to ignore Quinion's response.
"Front door, or scale walls to get access through the roof?"
"Hermmm, perhaps there might be a way in via the front door, it looks a bit high up to climb really. I'm not really much of a climber you know, a lady doesn't like to get all out of sorts up a rope, what with my robes and dress, it wouldn't be easy for me. Perhaps I can follow you round and we could find a small gate or hole in the wall to get through? Perhaps we could take a look before we barge in and get ourselves killed." Rhianni, looks up and doesn't like it. She hugs into the forested area, taking as much cover as she can.
The front doors hang ajar.
Quinion raises and eyebrow at Markum's comment, but then gives him a curt nod.
Seeing the state of the door, he draws both shortsword and shrugs, "As much as this screams trap, I don't think we can let ourselves be paralyzed by caution. I say we go in, and keep alert, but that we do so now, rather than hesitating further."
"Goblins are too stupid for this to be a trap. They just don't know how to keep stuff." Markum goes to the doors. If they are open enough for him to get through, he does.
The doors need to be pulled open for you to fit.
Rhianni, stays behind Quinion, slightly back from the party as Markum makes for the doors. "I'll follow you in, I'm not a fighter.", she says as she looks back and around nervously.
I'll pull them open.
The door creaks as it opens, leading you to a filthy room. The floor of this room is hard-packed soil, as if the builders either ran out of lumber after building the walls and roof, or as if they simply never thought about building a floor. A number of poorly preserved horse and dog heads are mounted along the eastern wall, while along the southern wall hangs a pair of large batlike wings tacked to the wall with daggers.
Praxim begins scanning with detect evil. Goblins won't register, but if there's something worse in here, he wants to be forewarned.
Looking at the layout, Quion paces for a moment, "I'd say we start on the far right, circling the outer wall as much as possible before braving the center."
Markum goes to the door furthest to the right and opens it.
Rhianni, follow the strong men forward into the room of many doors. She looks with distaste at the head mounted on the wall. "In their own homes, these goblin tribes are even worse than I expected. Those trophies are disgusting." She looks closely around the walls, to see or sense if anyone might be looking in on them or something is out of place.
An open flight of winding stairs leads to a trap door thirty feet above.
Is this the bottom of the watch tower? I'll go upstairs and kill goblins.