Gameplay thread is open, will start tomorrow. Feel free to dot.
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Dotting
Let's begin. Tell where you are and what you're doing. It's okay to say that you're going to the spire right now, but you should probably meet first.
Manny is begging on a corner, he has a primitive sign behind him saying 'Healz for 10 gp!* Behind him. He was certain the innkeeper who wrote it for him said he would get the right amount of money but there have been no takers right now.
Hmm, is that a goblin beggar advertising healing? Wonder if it's legit. Might come in handy when I dive into that Spire place.
Meilu approaches the beggar and crouches down to eye level with him. "Hey there little guy! How's business?" she asks cheerfully.
Meilu sees a rather sour looking goblin who keeps himself cloaked and concealed with gloves and boots. His beady eyes squint at you. No business at all today. If I don't get something, I'll be eating out of the trash bins again. You got a hurt?
"Mm, not at the moment. But I am planning on doing something very dangerous soon. Consider this an investment." She places 10gp in his hand. "Do you know anything about the Emerald Spire?"
Manny makes the gold vanish. Big tower with emeralds I suppose, called that 'cause of glass or emeralds that surrounds it. No idea how many floors it has cuz nobody who has gone deep has come back. I do know that goblins like me live on the main floor.
Meilu looks out in the direction of the spire thoughtfully. Would you like to go see it? I'm going soon, I'd like someone to watch my back.
Hmm.. Well I guess I got nothing better to do. We splities all loot between us.
The spire is not visible, it is more than three miles away, through dense forest.
Fair enough. She extends her hand to the goblin. I'm Meilu.
Manny shakes your hand. I'm Manny.
Hello Manny. She stands and looks up and down the streets at the corner. Now then. One thing my mother told me was "If you're going somewhere dangerous and unknown, it helps to have a couple of big, tough, noisy guys to take the attention off of you." Let's go look for some, shall we?
Ah, meatshields. Perhaps down at one of the taverns or we can look for laborers.
Asassi is on her way back from a daring mission, probably an assination of someone important mauahaha, when she notices a odd craeture talking to a goblin.. She had never seen a cat person before and it interested her.. Approaching.. "Hey there! What are you exactly? I've never seen a cat person before!"
She is a cat.
Kandoo is praying when he sees the strange group from afar. The hobgoblin doesn't have the faintest clue of what's happening, but it might be fairly obvious the direction they were taking.
He doesn't have Scent but, yet, he smells opportunity and smiles. It's hard for him to hide the evil on his expression, but he pushes and does the best he can. Right after, he approaches, does half a bow and points toward the Emerald Spire.
I take that you're headed to the Spire? - he says, directly to the subject. He's trying to behave courteously, despite his menacing appearance.
"I was headed to get something to eat, but you all are heading there I'll probably join you.."
Sure, the more the merrier.
Speak of a devil... Meilu thinks to herself.
Hello, I am Meilu, of the Catfolk persuasion. She bows slightly. My friend Manny and I were going to explore the spire. I'm sure if two big, strong warriors such as yourselves could protect us, we could all come out of this quite wealthy.
The trip to the spire takes about 2 or so hours, as the echo wood is a very thick and confusing forest, especially to those who are new to it.
The journey to the spire is uninterrupted. Once you arrive you see the ruins in a center of a large clearing. The ruins are entirely composed of a beautiful green stone, with a magnificent emerald spire jutting at least 50 feet above the rest of the ruins. The only visible entrance is a dirt path winding it's way to an entrance, which is guarded by what is looks like a goblin riding a dog-like animal with a long tail.
Roll stealth, you get a +5 bonus due to distance
Meilu moves gracefully between the trees, eyes peeled for danger.
And steps on the cliche dry twig
Manny is the wind!
Huh, goblin dog. We keep them around the camps to guard and eat scraps.
The goblin and goblin dog appear to notice at least someone, and the dog barks loudly. The goblin nocks and draws back an arrow and points it in your direction. "Stop! Who's there? Is it longshankses?"
Manny- "longshankses" is the goblin term for big people, or pretty much non goblin humanoids in general
Meilu leans over and gently nudges Manny forward. Go talk to him, tell him we're friends she whispers.
Manny eyes Meilu at breaking his cover. Hrumph! He then shouts up in goblin. We no humie longshanks! Me gobbo! We got hobgobbos and a catwommen. Can we get let in?
Asassi does what she does best and creeps up low and of to the right.. She settles in and takes aim at the dog should things go bad..
The goblin seems to think for a moment, the puts his bow away. "Yes! Come! You come to big great chief Grulk!" He gestures for you to come forward, and waits for you to get to him. Assuming you follow, he'll lead you through the ruins.
Manny starts up. So howsa bout we use this as base? Toss some shineys at chief as 'tribute' but keep most for ourselves?
Kandoo shakes his head and moves with the others. He feels particularly dumb at the moment, as if someone catching a contagious disease from the goblins.
Sounds like a good idea Meilu says, staring up at the glittering edifice. So shiny...
Asassi comes out of the bushes after everyone starts following the goblin..
Meilu starts as she notices everyone moving in without her. She hurries to catch up
The goblin leads you through the ruins. The all walls are made of the green glass substance, and all light within the ruins is reduced to a 5 ft. radius. I'm going to go through the rooms in a big group, then stop just before the chief's room. Respond however you like.
room 1. Half-melted blocks of green glass lie thick on the floor. A crumbling archway to the north leads into another chamber, which the goblin goes through. A door to the west leads into a round tower at the southwest corner of the building. To the east, a barricade of rubble and wooden stakes blocks a passage to a separate room.
room 2. This large foyer seems to have been the main tower entrance, but the grand doorway leading outside is now a broken mass of rubble. Another crumbling archway leads to the north, then splits off to a room to the west and a door to the east, which the goblin goes through.
room 3. From this curving room, a door leads east, and a passage leads south. Two goblins sit at a small table. One is building a tower of cheese on top of the other's sleeping head. The goblin goes through the passage, passing two side doors and continuing to the next room.
room 4. The barricade from room 1 blocks the western entrance to this room, and a thin wall goes partway down the middle of the room. There is a door in the east wall.
room 5. This room is full to bursting with a motley collection of cots and other furniture cobbled from scraps of wood and cloth. The stench of rotting food is overpowering. 6 goblins are here, either sleeping or doing goblins things. A door leads to the north.
room 6. This curving hall has been badly damaged but there are intact doors to the north and east, as well as a large double-door leading west to the core of the tower. The southeast corner of the room has collapsed in a mound of green glass rubble, but a tunnel runs through the debris, shored up with rough timbers.
Manny keeps his ears open to any goblin chatter for clues.
Meilu carefully notes the layout of the place, and any signs of valuables, as if she was casing out a mansion.
Uh, a really filthy run-down mansion I guess.
Your tribe been here long? Manny asks the goblin leading them. Know if any nasties come outta tower?
Kandoo looks around, basically cataloging what he spots and keeping to himself his despise for his small cousins. Nasty little annoying vermin..., he thought, indiscriminately.
"Our tribe be here about 5 years. Nasty longshank wizard with golden face come about year ago. His name Kralkashosh or something. He leave zombies that are nasty."
Meilu notices a poorly concealed secret door in room 3, but nothing else of interest, at least not in these rooms. She does hear a strange clanking noise coming from the northern door of room 6.
Say, you want zombees gone? We looken to make some coin from the tower and will go after them so you don't risk yer tibe. We would like to use place here to sleep when we come up.
Meilu gazes absently around as the goblins chatter to each other. She notes the hidden door, remembering to check it out.
She leans down to Manny and whispers "So what's he saying?"
Manny repeats what the chief said
"Wait. Zombies?" Meilu looks unsure. "Hmm. I guess I should have expected to have to actually fight something in here."
This is kinda scary. I've never been in a real fight before.
A warning cry spreads through the goblin complex. "Longshankses coming!" The goblin points to the large double doors. "Grulk's room that way." He then rides off.
Manny looks at the retreating goblin. Uh..I think there is a group of adventurers coming here. Do we still want to go see the chief?