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Morning had not yet dawned on Sandpoint; sunrise was still at least two hours away.  A marine layer covered and obscured its streets; the buildings rose from the fog like rocks jutting from a treacherous coastline.

Most of the town’s citizens, aside from the Sandpoint Guard’s doubled nightwatch, still slept.  But an attentive listener would have heard the soft footfalls of Shalelu Andosana as she walked quietly from door to door to door of three specific rooms in the Rusty Dragon Inn, gently knocking to wake those who would shortly be making their way to Thistletop in a dangerous, daring, and possibly futile attempt to decapitate the goblin leadership.

When the scholar, the gnome, and the guardsman made their way downstairs, they found a cold breakfast of breads, cereals, cold milk, orange juice, and chilled savory ham laid out for their breakfast.  Ameiko Kaijitsu had apparently taken charge of their provisioning.  None of her staff seemed to be up and about; it seemed as if the inn’s proprietress was taking on the job solo.

Six wrapped brown-paper packages sat on a table near the door, each bearing the name of one venturing to Thistletop.  Ameiko pointed to the parcels.  “I’ve been up packing for you,” she said in a subdued tone.  “Each package should have enough food to keep you going through lunch tomorrow.  Shalelu,” she glanced at the elf, “tells me that by that time you will have either succeeded, or, well . . . .”  The Tianese woman let the words trail off.

Shalelu was all business.  “Eat up,” she said, “then get ready.”  She indicated weapons and other items spread out on one of the long trestle tables.  “I’ve laid out the items I brought from City Hall.  Take whatever you need and leave the rest.  Ameiko will be taking care of whatever we don’t need.”  The elf shot the innkeeper an appreciative glance.

“Once you’ve eaten and packed, we’ll head over to the stables.  Dav knows we’re coming and he’ll have the horses saddled and ready for us.  Once we’re mounted, we’ll head up to the cathedral and pick up our acolytes.  I’d like to be heading out of Sandpoint as soon as we can, so be as quick as you can,” she shook her head, “but don’t hurry.  Make sure you have everything you need.  Once we leave, there’s no coming back.”

“The gods go with each of you.”  Ameiko made the words both a blessing and benediction.  She gave the assembled group a look of such hope and sadness that she looked as if she might burst into tears.

Shalelu nodded her thanks.  Time was wasting, and every minute brought the incipient goblin attack that much closer.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 18:35, Mon 25 Aug 2014.

Kellans night seemed to pass in an instant. One moment he was climbing into bed and the next he was hearing Shalelus soft but insistant knocks on the door. It had been the deep, dreamless sleep of the innocent and weary, and while it undoubtedly had refreshed him he found that his body protested any sort of movement with a as of yet unexperianced degree of soreness. He could have rested for a week, but there was simply no time.

"I'm up" he called through the door, wincing silently as he sat up and rolled himself to sit on the edge of the bed. He yawned long and deep before getting to his feet and rubbing his face, the floor creaking under the weight of his feet as he began to stir.

He continued to yawn as he lit a candle and suited up, experiencing a little trouble with the finer clasps and ties as he continued to slowly wake. He could practically don his uniform by rote now after his years in the guard and soon found himself ready to go and staring into mirror that hung upon his wall. There was a pit in his stomach and a welling of emotion as the full gravity of what they would be attempting that day came back to him.

It would be a long, bloody couple of days.

Double checking his pack he found everything in order and hefted it before taking his weapon from its place against the wall and making his way downstairs. Ameiko would find the notes as she tended the rooms, and it would avoid any protests on her part.

"Mornin" He offered as he came down the stairs, managing a smile to Ameiko and trying to best to seem at ease and confident. "Thanks again, for putting this all together" he offered as he took a ranch hands portion, easily a slab of ham and three full cups of milk along with the bread.

When done he wiped his mouth and excused himself. "Give me a hug Ameiko...and wish us luck" he insisted before he departed, then stepped out into the chilly morning with his cloak wrapped againt the fog.

He found his way to the stables and greeted Dav almost wordlessly, finding the stock saddled and well fed on oats for the morning ride. Hakon stamped impatiently as Kellan lashed his pack to the saddle bags.

"Appreciate it Dav...wish us luck" he offered with a little mock salute as he stepped up into the saddle and was handed Heilys lead.

With the lead in one hand, and his weapon steadied against a specially crafted little scabbard on his tack he guided the destrier over towards the temple to the sound of solemn hoof falls.

His breath and that of the stock created huge lingering clouds as they waited outside the temple, the guard casting an excited grin towards his companions as they prepared to set out.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:52, Mon 25 Aug 2014.

Despite his worries, Cato was able to drift off rather quickly.  Apparently, his body's need for sleep outweighed his mind's need to mull over the dangers that might face him at Thistletop.  His sleep was not long, but it was enough to refresh the mage and clear his thread.  By the time Shalelu knocked on his door, his preparations for the day were almost complete, and a few minutes later, the wizard closed his spell book and made his way downstairs.

His nerves were up, and the stress of the upcoming day was already making him queasy, but the young scholar remembered similar feelings from his time in the Hellknights.  Strange how the righteousness of this cause doesn't change my reactions, he thought to himself, as he munched on ham, bread and juice.  He stood quietly, absorbed in his own thoughts, for a few minutes, watching Kellan and waiting for Pisca to join them in the common room.  When the gnome finally made her appearance, Cato smiled.  "Get enough rest last night?  Hopefully you and Shalelu weren't up too late planning.  You seemed to be deep in conversation when I went up.  How about you, Kellan?  The night of rest seems to have done you some good.  I suppose you had a more...physically rigorous day than the rest of us."

When he had eaten his fill, Cato gave his thanks to Ameiko and packed away a bag of food for their journey.  He followed the others through the quiet, pre-dawn streets of Sandpoint.  He hadn't seen the town this way since coming here, and Sandpoint certainly had a charm in this light.  It made Cato all the more certain that what he was doing was right, that Sandpoint and its inhabitants needed his help, even if it met..  Cato shook his head and increased his strides.

He managed to mount the provided horse at the stables, remembering enough from his earlier years to avoid looking like a fool, though it took him a few minutes to remember how to hold his weight in the saddle.  At the outskirts of town, he noticed Kellan's grin.  "Guard Storval," Cato said in a mock whisper, "I'm surprised at you.  If I'm mistaken, you seem to be enjoying this!"

For just a few fleeting moments Kellan looked for all the world like a poster boy for martial service with his square jaw, muscular build and wholesome demeanor. Even the droplets forming on the tips of his golden hair seemed placed there for dramatic effect. He looked out towards the north gate with a pensive expression, the seagulls crying in the pregnant silence.

Should he tell his friend of the terror and trepidation of willingly marching off to a likely death? Of the mingled emotions of excitement and fear? How they were making history? How they might live or die as heroes depending on how the day progressed? Should he talk of fate, fortune and the whims of the divine to place a person in the right place and time with the experiance and inclination to change the fate of a region?

Should he talk of the unbridled enthusiasm of a young man with the heavy yoke of duty upon his shoulder? Or of tragic young love? Or the horrors that the intelligent races have waged upon themselves from times immemorial? The satisfaction of being able to strike back after weeks of impotence and frustration?

No...no, Cato was brilliant, he knew all this, had been there and could articulate it far more eloquently than Kellan could ever hope to. With this in mind Kellan broke his trance and turned to Cato with a brotherly smile.

"Cato, we are gonna kill...just...so many goblins" shaking his head slightly as if unable to calculate the teeming masses that would surely fall before them.

She had placed a thin slice of bread atop a thin slice of ham and sprinkled come of the crisp cereals over the top before rolling the whole thing together like a map - or, perhaps, more correctly, like a bedroll - pressing and compacting the soft bread down as tightly as she could.  It was a simple culinary concoction, and Pisca eyed the new food invention now grasped firmly in her fist evaluating it's worth.  Then she took a bite.  The ham and bread roll had a nice savory tang with an extremely satisfactory crunch lent by the cereals inside.

Armed with Break Fast food, the gnome climbed to the top of the table upon which her weapons were arrayed, along with the other interesting items that they'd captured in the Super Secret Prison Laboratory of the Rune Lord Lady Alaznist.  Pisca picked up the Twisted iron wand with a forked tip and stuck it in her belt.  She singled out the Amazing Returning Dagger dropped in her death throes by Quasit Girl and slung its straps and sheath over her shoulder, intending later to strap it to her thigh.  And the gnome scooped up the Red Blade of Ultimate Evil.

"Voozsh.  Voozj.  Voo-voozzh."  Through a mouthful of crunchy ham and bread, the gnome made mouth-noises as she swung the blade in a few passes through the air.  "Ooke, I amb yoh thafer," she added mysteriously in a deep and resonant voice.

Now, once again in possession of her devastating array of incredibly powerful magic weapons, the gnome popped the last of her crunchy break fast roll into her mouth and washed it down with a half a hummie glass of cold white milk.

"Aaahhh."  After draining her glass dry, Pisca reached up and slammed it down on table top.  (Or, more correctly, on the edge of the tabletop.)  Taking her turn after Stomper, she reached up for a hug from Ameiko.  "Be careful with ... you know what," she whispered in Ameiko's ear.  Then the gnome was off after the others, Stomper, Cato, and the elven ranger, Shalelu Andosana.

"Nettie!"

"Yom yom yom.  Yom-yom-yomyom."  While stroking the white star that graced the soft nose of her pony, the gnome nattered away, pretending with all of the tremendous imaginative power of a young gnome, that she could speak the language of ponies.

"Oh, did we get extra rope?" Pisca tossed over her shoulder to the other three Goblinfacers.  "A cliff top island probably means climbing.  And we might have to tie some of those green clutter monkeys up.  "Yom yom yom?" asked the gnome in Pony Language.  Then, "Nettie says that we do have the extra rope."

"Thanks for taking such good care of Nettie, Dav," the gnome said the very grateful gnome.  "You didn't happen to get the name of that gobbie we took alive, did you?  Might come in handy to have a name when we're sneaking in," she explained.

Then, when their small party of raiders started on their way from the stables to the temple, the gnome took lead to Kerr Mollin's horse, pulling the larger horse behind her smaller Nettie.

Once at the temple, the gnome tugs at Kerr Mollin's sleeve until he kneels, coming down to her level.  "Lets see if it will do it for you," said the gnome, and she hoisted the repeating crossbow onto the young human's shoulder.  "I tried to get it to perch on my shoulder, but it wouldn't do it for me."

"Hmmm.  Maybe it just isn't a shoulder mounted weapon," Pisca admitted at last when the weapon was similarly disinclined to perch on the shoulder of Kerr Mollin.  "Well, maybe you can use this anyway," holding the mag-loading crossbow out to the human knight of the temple.  "It doesn't seem to like me much.  If it did, it would be more Right-Sized."

"Oh, and Cato, do you think you can figure out what this does?"  With one hand, the gnome tugged the fork-tipped wand from her belt and held it out to the wizard.  "If you can't, I think I can still figure out how to make it work."

Cato accepted the wand from Pisca, putting it into his own belt.  When he had time during the trip, he took out the wand and studied it, using Detect Magic to uncover the secrets of the wand.


Spellcraft check, please?

It was too early in the morning when Liseth awoke.  She had actually slept very well; much better than she thought she would have.  Yesterday afternoon she had imagined her thoughts and dreams being rife with nightmares; images of zombies and demons and skeleton mutants keeping her up.  Of evil goblins hounding her in her dreams.  The nervous anticipation of their upcoming mission to Thistletop keeping sleep at bay.

But sleep had come easily and her dreams were nothing but pleasant.  Kerr was almost all that her mind imagined.  His smile, his cute puppy dog eyes, them sitting together on the beach.  Him shirtless, with her hands running all over his back...

Even in bed, still wrapped in covers while she slowly roused herself from sleep, Liseth's heart began to pound.  Had that really happened?  The girl could still remember the feeling of Kerr's muscles as she massaged the ache out of them.  Of his skin as her hands went all over his back and neck...

There was something else that she recalled from her dreams as well.  Something to distract her from her current thoughts of Kerr.  Just before awakening she remembered seeing Sarenrae again, in her dreams.  Once more feeling the immeasurable love and understanding pour out from the goddess.  Liseth felt happy, content, and warm.

Opening her eyes, the first thing that she thought was that there was too much light in the acolyte's quarters that she shared with the other girls.  Searching for the source, her eyes determined that the glow had to be coming from her.  Curious, Liseth removed her covers and let out a gasp.  She was covered in glowing, golden-white flames!

The flames went out almost immediately after she noticed them, putting the room back into the proper level of darkness and leaving the acolyte confused and a bit worried.  She summoned a magical light to check herself over but found no marks on her body.  In fact, as she thought about it, it had felt really very nice when the flames were around her.  Maybe it was some kind of gift from Sarenrae?

While she pondered, Liseth got up out of her bed.  Carefully and as quietly as she could manage; she didn't want to disturb the other girls.  She looked down at her heavy quilted dress, right where she had left it yesterday, with a bit of a frown on her face.  It was still so dirty...she never had a chance to try and clean it.  But it was what she would have to wear if they were going to be heading straight into even more battles today.

After struggling into the messy dress, Liseth donned the special magical cloak that they had borrowed from the guards' armory.  Then she gathered all of her things together into her knapsack; she didn't have much and might as well take everything, in case it was needed.  Except for her emerald necklace; it would be better to keep that safe in the Cathedral.  And her robe, it wasn't a good outfit to travel in.

Before leaving the room, Liseth made the decision that she had to pen another letter to her father.  In case she didn't make it back from Thistletop.  Her stomach tied in knots as she wrote, starting with an apology for not being there to see her father in person.  Then asking him to not be angry, and explaining how Sarenrae had asked her to go.  How the goddess had spoken to her personally and told her that She loved her.  Liseth signed the letter with love, all the while hoping that her father never read it.

Liseth left the letter outside of Father Zantus' room, sure that he would know what to do with it.  She didn't want to wake the prelate, and wasn't even sure what she might say if she did.

Then she went to breakfast.  Liseth knew that the plan was to leave very early, hours before sunrise.  She understood the plan, even if she didn't like it.  She hadn't voiced her objection to anyone, but she was supposed to pray at sunrise.  That's what she had done for as long as she could remember, Liseth had never missed a day, ever.  She was sure that Sarenrae would understand, but it still felt wrong to her.  Could she pray while they were riding?

It was a quick breakfast, nothing like the dinner she had put on for Kerr last night.  There was no time to cook and clean up.  So she prepared a simple fare of bread, cheese, oats, and milk for herself and Kerr.  When Kerr arrived at the table Liseth gave him a radiant, happy smile.  "Good morning!  How are you feeling?"

Not too much later they heard the sound of horses outside the Cathedral, so Liseth knew that the others had arrived and that it was time to go.  She and Kerr stopped to pick up the befuddlers and their magic potions before going out to greet everyone.

"Hello!"  She greeted everyone as she made her way down the Cathedral steps with Kerr.  "Oh!  You brought Heily already!"  The girl made her way to the already saddled horse, easily picking her out even amidst the predawn darkness.  "I'm sorry that I haven't been spending enough time with you lately Heily.  But there has been so much happening,"  She said as she stroked the beautiful white mare's mane.

Liseth laughed as Pisca confronted Kerr with that new crossbow and tried to put it on his shoulder.  Although Liseth wasn't sure that Kerr would need a different weapon when he already had his bow.  Who else might use that strange crossbow though?  Cato could, certainly, but he had his magic.  Her?  Liseth had very mixed feelings about that.  She didn't want to shoot anything!

"So," She cleared her throat, "yesterday we were given six of Mr Tanner's Befuddlers to use,"  Liseth turned back to the others, aware that they had to leave soon.  "And Father Zantus gave us four magical potions that might help as well.  One to heal diseases, another to heal blindness, a third that cures paralyzation, and the last one helps fight poisons."  She presented the bag that contained all of the aforementioned items.

"I don't think I need more than two befuddlers.  And anyone can carry the magical potions.  How were we going to spread these out?"

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Ameiko watched bemusedly as Pisca swung her mini magic sword about, so she was a little surprised by Kellan’s sudden hug.  But she returned his hug with some emotion.

“You keep them safe, Kellan,” she said in a low voice, suddenly all seriousness.  “You’re a guardsman.  You’ve trained for this.  There’s no one better than Alergast, and you’ve been his star pupil; he’s always going on about you.”  She took a deep breath.  “Look at them,” she let her gaze wander to the gnome and the scholar.  “This isn’t something they’ve trained for.  And poor Liseth?  Or sweet Kerr?”  She sighed.  “They have no idea.  Shalelu, as much as I love her, is all about the mission.  I don’t know if she cares who comes back, as long as you’re successful.”  The innkeeper drew back from Kellan, placing both hands on his shoulders.  “You need to bring them back safe, Guardsman Storval.  It’s your duty.”

Anything else Ameiko was going to say was interrupted by an exuberant gnomish hug.  The Tianese woman bent down to return it, eyes glistening.

Then it was time to go.

“Good luck,” Ameiko said as Shalelu gathered them all to leave.  “And good fortune!”

If anyone had turned around for a last look at the Rusty Dragon, they would have seen its proprietress silhouetted in the door, the blazing light of the inn behind her, watching them go.

They would not have seen the tears rolling down her cheeks.

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Shalelu led her three charges out of the Rusty Dragon onto the fog-draped streets of Sandpoint.  It wasn’t long before the Goblin Squash Stables rose out of the mist, illuminated eerily by the closest streetlamps.  As the group approached, they could see Dav Hosk in front of the stables.  He was accompanied by five horses and a pony, each saddled and ready to ride.  The ranger was apparently going over a final check of the saddles and bridles, but he looked up and stopped what he was doing as they approached, nodding respectfully at his elven counterpart.

Shalelu nodded back with an equal level of respect, as if she felt they were equals.  Perhaps the larger measure of her trust in Dav’s talents was the fact that she didn’t even check her horse’s tack before vaulting easily into the saddle.

“What do we know, Dav?”

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The horsemaster ran a hand through his hair.  He looked tired.  “Well, I found six goblins watching Sandpoint from three different vantage points; one pair near each bridge and another in the woods by the Lost Coast Road.  Just like the past two nights.”  He gave her a satisfied grin.  “Only tonight they’re all dead, and no one the wiser.  Their watch shouldn’t change until sunup, if they keep to their past schedule, but I'd say the quicker you all move out the better.”

“I think I got all of their forward watchposts.  There’s always a chance I missed a pair, but,” he spat on the ground, “the day goblins can best me in woodcraft is the day I hang up my boots.  Hopefully they’ll think that we’re just probing rather than trying to slip a raiding party past them.  And if they do figure that out, well,” he shrugged, “they won’t have any idea which way you went.  I don’t think that a deep strike into the heart of Thistletop will be the first thing that occurs to them.”

He looked out over the Turandarok as if he could actually see the goblin movements from his current vantage point.  “You should be clear until you hit that camp of Mosswoods a half-mile up the Lost Coast.  I’d be off the main road by then.  But once you make it by that camp it should be pretty smooth sailing, I would think, as long as you avoid the routes the goblins are taking.”  He smiled a bit shamefacedly.  “But then, look who I’m talking to.  You know what you’re doing.”

“Good luck,” said Dav, nodding curtly to Kellan while he finished checking the straps on Heily’s saddle.  “Wish I could be going with you.  But, well . . .,” he scratched the back of his head uncomfortably.  “Someone needs to let Deverin and Barett know what’s going on out there.”  He slapped Heily’s flank.  “Guess that’s me.”

He handed Nettie’s reins to Pisca.  “The goblin’s name is Thok,” the ranger responded to her query.  “I’m pretty sure he’s telling the truth about that.  Haven’t been able to get much of use out of him.  Seems like he’s a pretty big deal as far as the Thistletop military is concerned.  He might be their top commando.”  Dav shrugged.  “Or maybe he’s just inflating his own prowess.  Wouldn’t be the first time.  But that’s what he said.”

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Shalelu nudged her horse over to the ranger, leaning down and placing a hand on his shoulder.  “You’ve done an outstanding job, Dav,” she said, giving him a small smile, “I could not have done any better myself.”

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It was difficult to see in the dim light and the fog, but the horseman’s face seemed to grow a shade darker.  Was he blushing?

Dav ducked his head in acknowledgement.  “Good hunting, Shalelu,” he said in response, briefly putting his hand over hers.  “And good luck.”

He stood silently as the four riders left, heading north to the cathedral, then quietly turned and headed back inside the stables.

---

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"You know why a deep strike into the heart of Thistletop wouldn't be the first thing that occurs to the gobbies?" Pisca had asked on the short ride between the Goblin Squash stables and the cathedral.  "Because it's madness," she answered before anyone had the chance to reply.  "Isn't that wonderful, and clever and terrifying," the gnome had then added.  "We're camouflaging ourselves in madness."

Now that they were back together again, the five of them plus the famed ranger Shalelu Andosana, the words she had spoken came back to her.  Pisca turned her gaze to the spires of the Cathedral, hidden from sight above the level of the early morning mist.

"Well, some people say that the gods are mad.  Some claim that madness is divine inspiration.  If we're cloaking ourselves in madness," she said without explaining to either Liseth or Kerr who had not been there to hear the original comment, "then at least we're in good company."

Cato gladly accepted the reins from Dav, nodding his head in thanks.  He still a little uneasy about the man.  Something about his manner, about the obsessive way he seemed take pleasure in displaying the trophies of the downed goblins rubbed the young wizard the wrong way.  It took him a few moments, but he finally put a finger on it.  It reminded him of the Hellknights.  It seemed just like something that Lucius Winters would encourage in his troops.  Cato tried to keep his expression even.  But this was just goblins.  And the man certainly knew his job, and Shalelu certainly saw nothing wrong with it.  Then again, the elven woman seemed a little eager in her pursuit of goblins herself.  Was it possible to fight evil that devoutly for that wrong without a little rubbing off on you?

Cato looked to Liseth when she spoke, eager for distraction from his morbid line of thought.  "I'll take a befuddler.  I'm not sure if I'll have use for it, but it's always better to be prepared, right?"

"Oh, I'll take two Bumfudglators, Lys" the gnome volunteered, turning her thoughts from the Stunningly Tactical Cloak of Madness that they had just invented.  "And can I see the potions?  I think I'll take Potion Number 2 and Potion Number 3, Monty."  And without explaining the unfamiliar name, she went on to add, "Father Zantus didn't happen to have a potion that turned a gnome into a flying earth elemental, did he?  That would certainly be a handy thing to have."

Kellan pondered Piscas statement about madness as as Liseth doled out the precious supplies from the Cathedral. The town had really invested a lot in an expedition that would more than likely not be returning and he forced himself to banish thoughts of bloody handed goblins stripping their broken bodies of valuables.

Madness? Yes...perhaps. What would be the goblin equivalent had their positions been reversed? Perhaps the day time raid on the Glass Works? A slim chance at securing a strategic asset that would have allowed the Goblins to likely win the day with minimal casualties...should it had succeeded.

Did Thok have a family? Had he volunteered for that mission? Had they trusted in Tsuto to lead them safely behind the lines of the enemy much as they were now trusting Shalelu? What terror had been in their hearts when the had seen their comrades cut down and they had known that the mission would fail?

What gods had watched over them?

"It's not something I think they would...normally consider" Kellan agreed, his tone implying that he was making a severe understatement.

"While we are passing around the befuddlers...what do you all think of trying to take Tsuto back alive to stand trial?" He asked as he subconsciously touched the manacles hanging from his belt with his off hand.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:43, Wed 27 Aug 2014.

"Stand trial?" the gnome asked with some small surprise in her voice.  "That's not a very tempting offer, Stomper."

"Excuse me, Tsuto, how would you like to surrender to us so that you can stand trial back in Sandpoint," Pisca said, mimicking the voice of Mayor Deverin.  "Who would be the judge?  How could we guarantee his safety?  He already thinks everyone in Sandpoint hates him."

"Nope.  Not very tempting at all."

"Turning him would be a good thing.  Good for us.  Good for Ameiko.  Good for Tsuto himself for all that I've heard.  But if we want his help, we're going to have to offer more than the prospects of a trial."

"I say that we offer to act as intermediaries.  We'll offer to negotiate with Town Hall on his behalf while he hides somewhere nearby.  I don't know what we might be able to get him.  Even if the Mayor grants him a full pardon, I doubt that many folks in Sandpoint will ever forgive him.  And it doesn't sound as though many of them have ever liked him either.  But, at least he'd be able to visit his sister openly and freely."

"And, in exchange, Tsuto will have to agree to fight on our side.  To tell us all he knows about Thistletop and guide us through it."

"That's a much better deal all around, don't you think?" asked the gnome.  "For everyone."

"What?"  Liseth had to ask when Pisca spoke about cloaking themselves in madness, and the madness of the gods.  "That...but...no, the gods aren't mad.  Well, some of them might be, like Zon-Kuthon.  It's just that they can see things that mortals can't, and know all sorts of things that mortals don't."  She explained, "So we can't always know why they do the things that they do.  But there is always a reason."

"Oh, sure, here you go."  Liseth opened her bag and allowed Cato and Pisca to take the Befuddlers that they wanted to carry.  Then she reached into the bag herself and retrieved the potions that Pisca requested.  Liseth handed the gnome a vial filled with milky-white liquid, "This is the potion that should cure blindness," then she gave her another potion; this one filled with an orange liquid, "And this one cures paralyzation.  Be very careful with them, please."  She eyed Pisca curiously when the gnome asked about additional potions; then Liseth smiled and laughed, "No Pisca, I think that Father Zantus keeps all of his gnome-transforming potions under lock and key.  There's no telling what kind of trouble they might cause were they to get out and about!"

"We still have one more befuddler for someone," the acolyte said as she looked into the bag.  "Did you want to try and use one Kerr?"  She asked her boyfriend.  Then she turned to Kellan, "Or you Kellan?"  Finally she looked at their elven guide and goblin expert, "Maybe you would like one Ms Andosana?"

"Oh, of course!  We should try our best to bring Tsuto back with us!"  The conversation turned to the possibility of returning with Tsuto alive and Liseth was sure to voice her desires on the subject.  "I think that we should try to bring as many of them back with us to Sandpoint as we can.  The goblins' leaders I mean."  Liseth thought a moment, "I don't imagine that we could really capture someone as cruel and evil as  Brathoo...Barthaz...Bruthazi...that bugbear.  But the others?  The other humans?  We don't even know who they are or why they are helping the goblins."

She nodded to Pisca, "I know that if I can talk to him, I can help Tsuto.  With Sarenrae's help, I know I can.  He is really very sad, I think."  She shook her head, "To think that there is nobody who cares about him; that's how he was tricked into helping Nualia."  She frowned, "The people will be really angry with Tsuto though; they might want to blame him for everything.  If we can bring back another one or two of the leaders, maybe they would be more willing to be lenient on him; having more people to...be angry at."

"But that would be the perfect ending, don't you think?"  The blonde acolyte turned to look around at everyone, full of youthful innocence and optimism.  "Then Ms Kaijitsu would be happy again, if she had her brother back."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:41, Wed 27 Aug 2014.

"Just about everybody in Sandpoint does hate him, or will...as soon as they find out what he's been up to"

Kellan replied to Pisca in a casual sort of way as he rubbed Hakons neck.

"And for good reason...from what it seems like he betrayed his home town and family and is at least partially responsible for all this death and misery." He patted the horses neck and resumed his full height in the saddle.

"I'm not saying I won't take the help if we can manage it...but I'm not saying I'll argue for a full pardon either...I just figured that it would be good to hear him out one way or another and to see him answer for what he's done"

Pisca pooched out her lips as she considered the words that Kellan had just said.  Now free of the Non-Shoulder-Mounting Magazine Loading weapon, she strolled about as though without aim, twisting and turning in a winding path, without purpose.  Or, perhaps, instead, pursuing a purpose that was very twisty and elusive.  A purpose.  A problem.  Or, maybe, a question.

The gnome wound up before her pony, where she paused to place a gentle kiss on Nettie's soft pony nose.  Then she said, "Humans seem very hasty to hate.  It's always seemed a better practice to understand something first.  At least it's always seemed better to me, that is.  One person's betrayal is another person's revenge.  One person's death and misery is another person's triumphant victory.  One person's need for friendship and love is another person's pathetic outcast."

"Things have different sides.  All things have at least two of them.  Then, after you've looked at all the sides - after you think you understand a thing - then, if you still hate it, at least you know that you really do.  Hate it, I mean.  There's no misunderstanding.  You're even likely to know just why it is that you hate it.  After all that work, I mean."

"And, it's funny.  You humans also seem so slow to love.  You approach it cautiously, as though trying to catch it from behind.  That sounds backwards to me.  Does that sound backwards to you?"

"A shame," she added, turning to Liseth.  "About the gnome-transforming potions.  One of those would have been extremely handy.  We should make sure to watch for an opportunity in which you can speak to Tsuto."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Thu 28 Aug 2014.

"That..."  Liseth blinked as Pisca went on talking about hatred and understanding.  "That actually sounds a lot like what Father Garrick has always told me.  You're very right Pisca."  The small acolyte nodded in agreement, "People hate too easily.  If everyone took the time to think about things...to look through another person's eyes, there would be a lot less hatred in the world."

"It is so much harder to hate something once you've taken the time to understand it."  She continued, "I don't think it's something that applies only to humans though."  The young girl thought a moment, "I suppose that it's easy to see it that way, since you're always saying that there are so many humans everywhere.  But just look at the goblins; I don't think that many of them even know why they hate us so much.  They just do because that's what they think they are supposed to do."

"That's why it's so important that we bring back Tsuto with us.  Sarenrae says that no mortal creature is wholly evil, anyone can be shown the path of redemption if they are helped to follow it.  I think that's why She wants me to go to Thistletop; so that I can help him realize that he has been misled.  That there are people who care about him; like his sister."

"But, um..."  Liseth blushed lightly and glanced towards Kerr, unseen in the darkness, "I don't know much about trying to catch love from behind.  I'm not sure what that means."

Liseth turned towards Heily and stroked the mare while looking up at the high saddle.  "Kerr...could you help me up onto Heily please?"

Cato listened to the debate about Tsuto's possible future.  "If Tsuto's willing to aid us, then I agree, we can talk about exchanges and help.  But doesn't your goddess also admit that some beings are beyond redemption, and seek to immerse themselves in slaughter and death?  I'm not saying that Tsuto is that, but it's something to keep in mind.  He, and for that matter, the other humans we might find in Thistletop might have too much invested to change their ways."

Cato looked to the blonde oracle.  "I understand that you want to see the best in everyone, but there might not be a best side to see.  Hopefully, some of the people we find in Thistletop are willing to change sides without a fight.  Maybe they're just being paid, or they were promised something with which we could compete.  But..."  Cato motioned with one arm in a circular pattern while still holding his reins with the other, "sometimes, people do just hate.  I'm sure Tsuto's going to have some very strong emotions about us.  I ruined his face with that acid attack, after all."  Cato shrugged.  "And maybe not.  Maybe he would have been punished for his failure and is looking for an excuse to switch sides.  But in that case, how are we to determine his true feelings?  If he's just looking for the easiest path, and goes on to cause more misery because we let him go, aren't we at fault for that, too?  I suppose that's something we could decide after the fact, but it might lessen the chance that Tsuto will cooperate with us."

Cato slumped down in his saddle, growing a little depressed at the task that faced them.  Finally, he spoke up again, in a quiet voice.  "I want to believe the best still resides in him, Liseth, I really do."  Because, the scholar didn't add aloud, if there's hope for Tsuto reconciling with Sandpoint, maybe there's hope for me.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 19:23, Thu 28 Aug 2014.

"Hmm," the gnome hmm'd.  "I think you might be mistaking evil for hatred here, Lysa," Pisca said.  "I'm not really sure that the gobbies hate us so much as it is that they're just naturally evil and that puts people like us and gobbies at natural odds.  They're just born with a liking for hurting and killing and and enjoyment of other peoples' misery.  We don't want to be hurt or killed so we kill them first.  That makes them wary of people like us.  If it weren't for this, I don't think they'd spend much time thinking about us at all."

"Now, horses and dogs, on the other hand, horses and dogs they hate."

"Hatred and evil are two different things.  People learn to hate.  It comes from circumstances.  Evil is just what you are."

"And I agree with Cato.  Some people are just beyond saving.  We gnomes have a saying, 'All goblins are evil.  But some goblins are more evil than others.'"

"I hope Tsuto isn't evil," said the gnome as she struck a thoughtful pose.  "That would be unfortunate."

---

---

“And one person’s madness is another’s carefully-planned, high-risk/high-reward stratagem,” Shalelu said lightly to Pisca on the heels of her societal observations.  “The mad do things without reason, or for reasons that do not logically correspond to their actions.”  She paused.  “What we are doing is not mad, Pisca.  It’s risky.  There’s a difference.”

“The key is to minimize the risks when you can,” said the elf as she reached into her saddlebags, producing six tan, green, and black-colored garments, “as with these.”  She indicated a poncho-like cloak.  “I’ve made one for each of you.  Some I had on hand, while some,” she glanced at Pisca, “I had to work up at the last minute.  But they all should serve.”  She handed each person a cloak and a pair of matching boot-covers.  “You should all put these on.  The covers go over whatever footgear you are wearing.”  She grinned.  “They muffle the clamor you will no doubt make while trying to move through the forest.”

As the group began donning the gifted garments, Shalelu nodded thoughtfully along with their conversation about Sandpoint’s wayward half-elven son.  “Turning Tsuto would make things a lot less risky for us.  None of us has been inside Thistletop; he has, and often.  If there are traps or other hidden security measures, he’d know about them.  And he’s a trained, skilled fighter in his own right.”  She glanced over at Kellan.  “But you’ve had personal experience with that.  Having his skills on our side, rather than that of the goblins, could give us the edge we need to succeed in our mission.”

Shalelu sighed.  “But I fear that turning the younger Kaijitsu will be a difficult task.  I was in Sandpoint off-and-on during his childhood, and it wasn’t a pleasant one.  Essentially cast out of his father’s house.  He felt doubly shunned by the townsfolk on account of his mother’s infidelity and his mixed racial heritage.  And I can’t say that there weren’t those who gave him reason.  Although I’m not sure there were many in Sandpoint who cared, it only takes a couple of cruel children to make another think that the entire town hates them.”  She frowned.  “It was not a pleasant situation for that young man.”

“So I agree with Pisca; offering him a trial where he will be judged by Sandpoint, whether by its citizens or its officials, won’t be a very palatable offer.  Maybe her solution is best; maybe one of you can think of something better.  But you better figure out right now what you’re willing to give him in return for his cooperation, because you won’t have time for it at the moment of truth.”

She turned her gaze to Kellan.  “The question, then,” he recognized from the tone of her voice that she had assumed the role of instructor, “is whether your passion for justice outweighs whatever contributions Tsuto might make to our mission.  If its success hangs on his assistance, will your principles preclude you from offering him that pardon?”  She shrugged.  “Even if he is ‘evil,’ his sense of self-preservation might tempt him to switch sides if he thought it would benefit him.  I tend to think that the survival of the entire town trumps ‘justice’ for one misguided half-elf.  But it’s not my decision.”

She brought her horse around and began leading the group towards Northgate.  “One last thing to think about.  Everyone wants justice until they’re the ones making the mistake.  Then they want the grace they’d denied to others.  In circumstances like these, it might be wise to extend such grace to Tsuto.”

OOC:  Each of you get a camouflaged cloak and a pair of matching boot-covers that collectively give +4 to Stealth checks and allow you to treat Stealth as a class skill in which you have placed a point (meaning that those without Stealth as a class skill gain another +3 to their check).  Caveat:  these bonuses only apply in forest terrain when accompanied by a ranger who has chosen forest as a favored terrain (as Shalelu has). 

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This message was last edited by the player at 05:56, Fri 29 Aug 2014.

"Calculated high-risk/high-reward stratagem," echoed the gnome.  She nodded in agreement even as she mulled the words of the famous ranger.  "It's a good thing that we're better at the maths than the gobbies are."

Pisca put one corner of the camouflage cloak into her mouth, sucking at the cloth as though, possibly, gleaning moisture from the fabric and tasting of the stealth that the garment would impart.  "Thank you, Shalelu."  Once finished with her odd assessment, the gnome looked up at the elf, leaving behind a dark half-circle of dampness at the edge of her cloak.  "You're quite the craftsman.  These taste remarkably well made."

And then, "They say that Justice is a blind Archon waving around a sword of immense power, Stomper," Pisca said while donning the new concealing cloak and leggings.  "Don't know if anyone remembers who 'They' are anymore.  Probably one of those things lost to the mists of time.  But, anyway, following Justice blindly is the blind leading the blind, don't you see?"

"All in all, better to think for yourself first.  After that, you can decide what to do.  Sometimes following the Archon with the huge and deadly sword is the best thing for all.  Sometimes ... " and here the gnome shrugged, "Sometimes not so much."

Kellan took the bundle of camouflage material with a nod and dismounted before he stuffed it into his free saddle bag and cinched the leather flap down tight. As he moved he seemed to ponder the dilemma.

"Even if we can place the blame squarely on Nualias shoulders...Tsuto led the goblins into the Glassworks, the workers and his own father were murdered there...and I'm sure it was his hope that it would turn into a foothold for the invasion. You just want to let him go after all that?" He looked towards Pisca and Shalelu "Let him weasel out of his crimes in exchange for yet another betrayal?...many have a rough childhood...it's no excuse to aid in the slaughter or enslavement of an entire town" he added bitterly.

And yet there was wisdom there, and if it meant the difference between victory and defeat, he just may have to live with that, as angry as it made him. He licked his lips and gave out a strained sigh.

"We can try...and I'll honor any deals we make, but by Erastil if he so much as bows up I'll do my best to drag him before Mayor Deverin in shackles"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:49, Fri 29 Aug 2014.

Cato accepted the cloak and boot covers from the elven woman.  He ran the fabric between his fingers, feeling the quality.   "These are amazing, Shalelu.  There's a lot of talk in Sandpoint about everything you're good at, but this gets left out.  He shakes his head.  "A pity, because it really is amazing.  When did you even have time to do this?"

"I didn't grow up here, but if it's want of impartial judgement that's going to drive this, I'm sure we can find it.  There's other towns than Sandpoint, after all.  Hemlock went to Magnimar to get reinforcements for the town guard, correct?  Could we send for a judge as well?  Or promise to take Tsuto there for judgement?"  Cato paused.  Did I just volunteer to go to Magnimar?  "Just an idea, anyway.  But it might sway his thinking, and solve the problem of prejudice against him."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:05, Sat 30 Aug 2014.

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---

Kerr stared up at the ceiling.  He knew he needed to get out of bed, but he really didn’t feel like it.  It didn’t just seem like the middle of the night; it was the middle of the night.  He felt like he needed more sleep.  And he was very, very relaxed right now, probably due to the expert massage he’d received only a few hours before.  His blanket snuggled him into a warm cocoon that he couldn’t imagine wanting to leave.  He just wanted to stay in bed and think about the feeling of Liseth’s hands on his body.

He immediately clamped down on those thoughts.  If he started thinking about that again he’d never get up.

The acolyte rolled to a sitting position and immediately regretted it.  His muscles were amazingly sore from wearing his new armor for a good portion of the previous day; he suspected that Liseth’s ministrations were the only reason he could still achieve a reasonable degree of movement in his shoulders.  He stood on the cold stone floor and tried to stretch out the soreness in a way Sabyl Sorn had once taught him.  It didn’t seem fair that they had to head to Thistletop the day after they’d had such a rough time in the catacombs beneath the Glassworks.

No rest for the weary, he supposed.

Kerr threw on a light tunic over some loose-fitting breeches and stumbled over to the kitchen to see about scrounging up some breakfast.  Liseth was there first, of course, bustling and smiling over the oats and bread she’d prepared like she was having the time of her life.  Kerr wondered if she realized how early it was.  He wondered if she was really a morning person.

Kerr was not a morning person.

Kerr stifled a yawn and tiredly returned Liseth’s smile, thanking her for getting up early and putting breakfast together.  “How am I feeling?  Like I’d rather do anything else other than slog through a forest towards a goblin fortress of dubious accessibility while wearing a heavy breastplate.”  He chuckled as he spooned some of the oatmeal into his mouth.  It was good and hot and sweet and buttery and warm; it made him feel better.  “But unfortunately I don’t have much of a choice.  Although I have to say,” observed Kerr the Noted Romantic Gentleman, “the fact that you’ll be along makes things about a thousand times better.”  He leaned over and gave her a kiss.  “How are you feeling?”

The two acolytes didn’t converse much more during their hurried breakfast, but they did luxuriate in the simple fact of each other’s presence.  They couldn’t stop looking at and smiling at each other, which somehow became something of a running joke, which caused them to start to laugh, which resulted in Kerr, embarrassingly, snorting oatmeal up his nose.  It didn’t seem like a very heroic start to an important mission, but Liseth apparently found it hilarious.

Kerr sighed.  Being a hero was tough work.

“I still need to go put on my armor,” said Kerr as they made quick work of the dishes.  “Why don’t you go outside and meet up with the others?  I’ll be along as quickly as I can.”  He gave her another quick kiss and headed back to his room, strapping on the dreaded breastplate with no small amount of resigned distaste.  He grabbed his pack, his quiver and beloved bow and hustled out to the courtyard and through the double doors, where he was just in time to have the enchanted repeating crossbow thrust upon him by Pisca after her abortive attempt to attach it to his shoulder.

“Huh.”  Said Kerr contemplatively as he studied the repeating crossbow, losing track of the conversation for a while as he did so.  Kerr had always been interested in ranged weapons, especially esoteric ranged weapons, and this one reminded him of something he’d read . . . . “Hey,” he said with inspiration, lifting the weapon up as if it were some sort of relic, “I think I know what this might be.  Have you all heard of the Four Winds Monastery?”  Seeing blank looks, he continued.  “Well, the monks of the Four Winds Monastery swear a vow to never intentionally take a human life.  Of course, that doesn’t stop them from martial training, it just means that they don’t train for anything that’s designed to kill.”

The young archer flipped the crossbow over, pointing at the underside.  “See this?”  He said, indicating a stylized compass engraved next to the trigger mechanism.  “It’s their symbol.  I’m betting if this is enchanted, like Savah said, that it’s enchanted to incapacitate rather than kill.”  He grinned at his beautiful girlfriend, offering her the compact weapon.  “And I think I know someone who fits that particular description nicely.”

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This message was last edited by the player at 07:31, Sat 30 Aug 2014.

"Hmm?  What?"  The little blocks drop from the sky.  They fall into perfect interlocking places for the gnome.  "That's it!  'Lysa!  The Shoulder Mounting Crossbow was meant for you!!!"

The enthusiastic (and now camouflaged) gnome rushed across the cobbles of the plaza before the Great Sandpoint Cathedral to take the magic weapon from Kerr Mollin and hurry it to its rightful owner for Shoulder Mounting.  Fortunately, Liseth isn't as tall as the other humans.

"Well, maybe there's an accessory that you have to buy to make it work," Pisca said when the crossbow still failed to grasp the idea of perching on a shoulder - let along the magic necessary to link up with its owner's mind for automatic aim and firing.  "No time for that now.  I wonder if the outfitters in Magnimar have a catalog?"

"Lets see if it works."  Taking the weapon back, the gnome adroitly tapped the magazine against the body of the crossbow, racking the bolts within.  Then she slapped the mag of bolts into the well at the top into which it was intended to fit.  "Here, Lys," she continued, handing the weapon back stock first to the admittedly awkward acolyte.  Then Pisca stepped a few paces away and turned.

"Alright.  Now shoot me."

"This is going to hurt, isn't it?" she added, as though, for the first time, realizing that this might be a possibility.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:08, Sun 31 Aug 2014.

Kellan had remounted his horse and now watched with faint amusement as Pisca volunteered to be target practice. Some how he doubts that the acolyte would be willing to loose a bolt at her friend for curiosities sake.

"Well, that would be useful in it's own way I suppose...might have to send for you the next time the Fatman gets violent" he joked, although he disliked the thought of Liseth having to deal with that crowd.

He looked over to Cato with a nod "Trying him in another area would be fine by me...or bringing in a Judge, maybe from the temple of Abadar. I just feel like I would be letting a lot of good people down if I watched him walk free."
This message was last edited by the player at 09:40, Wed 03 Sept 2014.

"Just like hatred is so easily mistaken for evil," Liseth mused quietly as the discussion continued about bringing Tsuto to trial, "revenge is so often mistaken for justice."  She sighed, "There is no reason to give Tsuto a trial; everyone already knows that he's guilty.  We have his journal, and he was working with the goblins in the glassworks."

"What would happen?  Would we bring him home just so that they could execute him?"  The acolyte turned to Kellan, "That wouldn't help anyone; people would like to say that it was justice being served, but it's really just them wanting their own revenge against him.  And revenge never makes anyone feel better."

"Everyone deserves a chance."  She continued quietly, "From everything I've heard, nobody has ever given Tsuto a chance before.  That's what I want to offer him.  A chance to make amends.  That's real justice."

"I'll give him sanctuary in the Cathedral.  I'm sure Father Zantus would agree to extend sanctuary for Tsuto, given the circumstances.  Then Ms Kaijitsu could visit him.  And he could ask the gods for guidance, because I think he really needs it."

Liseth turned to Kerr when he started to speak about his examination of the crossbow.  "It's enchanted so that it can't kill?"  She stepped closer to get a better look at the weapon.  "But how can that work with a bolt?"  The girl looked up at Kerr when he offered her the crossbow, then down at the suddenly appearing Pisca.

"Um, Pisca..."  Liseth couldn't do much to protest when the gnome quickly tried to affix the crossbow to her shoulder, "I don't think it is supposed to mount on people."  The blonde acolyte awkwardly accepted the enchanted crossbow from Pisca when she handed it to her.

The girl held the crossbow clumsily; it was about the same shape as the one her father had trained her on at home, but she never really got used to holding and firing that one either.  She didn't have much time to think about it though when Pisca immediately asked her to shoot her.

"What?!"  Liseth looked down at the gnome is surprise dawning on horror, "Pisca!  I'm not going to shoot you!  How could you ask me something like that?"

Kellan nodded in a somber fashion "If that's what you all think...I won't get in the way of your negotiations. I may be the guardsman but we are all in this together"

He looked Liseth straight in the eye, his expression a little sad "I just hope that we can all live with the consequences"

He left unspoken what kind of repercussions could result from bringing Tsuto into their midst. The whole situation obviously did not sit right with him.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:00, Sun 31 Aug 2014.

Pisca the Infinitely Practical Gnome frowned, and then began ticking off the reasons.  "Lysa .. " the gnome began in a tone of exaggerated, long-suffering, patience, " ... One, it would be nice to figure out just what sort of magic properties this crossbow has before we set out.  Two, this is the best of all places to do it.  In front of the Cathedral.  If something goes wrong, we've got all that healing energy to make me better.  And Five, we've got to know that when it comes to shooting anything at all, that you can pull the trigger when you need to.  You've never looked like you've been used to killing, and we've got to know that you can do it.  And, if you can shoot me, you can shoot a gobbie."

"And that's not even counting Three, Four, Six, and Seven, all of which have something to do with the fact that one bolt isn't going to hurt me.  Well, not too much.  If the crossbow works, I might be sore for a few hours, but I should be fine by the time we get to Thistletop.  If the crossbow doesn't work the way we think it will ... well, then we'll just have to spare a few minutes to get Father Zantus for a healing spell, right?"

"Right?"

"So just pull yourself together, aim the bow, and do it."  Ook.  This *is* going to hurt.  Pisca held her arms out to either side, baring her breast for the shot.

"Oh, and by the way," the gnome added, while trying hard not to flinch, "bad idea, bringing Tsuto back to Sandpoint.  Like waving a red flag in front of a bull.  Just asking for trouble.  If you want Ameiko to be able to visit Tsuto, best to have him live somewhere else.  Ameiko visits Tsuto.  Somewhere else.  And not the other way around here."

"Exile.  All things considered, not the punishment it's cracked up to be.  But it's something.  Eh, Stomper?"

Cato stepped up, waving his arms between Pisca and Liseth.  "While I have doubt that this is one way to determine the properties of the crossbow, there's another, entirely less risky way to determine it.  Let me examine it.  It'll take me less than a minute, but I should be able to decipher the auras and determine its properties, which would verify Kerr's theory.  There's no reason to use a high-risk strategy if a low-risk one with the same reward exists."

"Well ...  Alright.  Sure."  The tension drained from the gnome's outstretched arms, and they lowered half the way to her sides.  The look on her face was one that spoke with half it's mouth of relief, while from the other half it muttered of true and worthwhile results coming only from trial, pain, and data won through hard sacrifice.  Pisca stepped closer, her head cocked at an angle that bespoke of curiosity, and she proceeded to observe the words and actions of the human wizard with great care.

"That's not going to do Lysa any good, though, Cato," Pisca added.  "But maybe we can find some badgers or porcupines along the way for you to shoot, Lys.  That might be better, because you'll really have to aim.  They won't sit still and wait for you to hit them."

Then, anticipating the complaint, "What?  They're badgers and porkies.  They're not innocents.  It's not like they're bunnies and kittens, you know."

"But..." Liseth was on the verge of tears as Pisca went on explaining all the reasons why she should shoot her with the new crossbow.  "Pisca, I...you're my friend!  Friends can't shoot each other!  How is that supposed to help me shoot at mean goblins?"

The acolyte thankfully handed the crossbow over to Cato for magical examination when he requested it; glad that removing it from her hands precluded the action of shooting it at anyone.  "Thank you Cato," she said with relief, "I'm sure that you'll be able to see what kind of magic the bow is enchanted with."

"Pisca, it's not that..."  Liseth turned back to the gnome but stopped when she began talking of other sorts of target practice.  "Pisca, I already know how to shoot a crossbow."  She explained, "But I can't just shoot at animals for target practice.  Both Erastil and Gozreh don't like people shooting animals for any reason other than food or self-defense."  She frowned, "And I definitely can't shoot one of my friends for target practice, even if she wanted me to.  I don't have enough friends that I can go around shooting magic crossbows at them!  Not to mention how much Sarenrae would frown on it."

"Exile would certainly be better than nothing at all" Kellan agreed with Pisca, watching with some amusement at the topic of testing the crossbow. After it had changed hands a few times and it appeared that Cato would put the matter to rest, he looked over at Shalelu to gauge her mindset.

He was sure that she would prefer to get this over with, as did they all, but what did the elf really think of their odds? And of taking a bunch such as themselves on such a delicate infiltration?

"Wait!  Cato.  Wait.  Will you wait."  The gnome held out her hands to freeze the wizard in the midst of his act.  "Just like that.  Please.  Yes, please.  Just like that.  Thank you."

Then then gnome flung herself at Liseth, wrapping her arms around the human girl and burying her face in her breast.  "I'm your friend too, Lysa.  Thank you.  Thank you for being mine.  No matter what he said, that means something."

The gnome drew back, revealing a face so full of emotion that a person who did not know better might think that she were miserable.  "Thanks, Lys."  The high and beautiful gnomish voice was husky with the depth of her feeling.  Then, just as quickly as she'd rushed over, she rushed back.

"Alright, Cato.  Thanks for waiting."  Pisca took a swipe of her face with the back of her sleeve.  "I'm watching.  Go ahead."

"Pisca?"  Liseth was taken by surprise when the gnome lunged onto her in an arm-wrapping hug.  She was quick to return the gesture by hugging Pisca right back, "It's okay; of course I'm your friend.  And of course you're my friend."  The acolyte couldn't believe how miserable the small gnome looked at just that moment, "Has someone been saying mean things to you?"

"You're welcome Pisca."  She said when her gnome friend hurried back to watching Cato's examination of the crossbow.  Sudden and unexpected hugs had a way of always making Liseth feel better; she was sure it worked that way for pretty much everyone.

There was still talk about what they might be able to do with Tsuto, and Liseth thought a few moments about the exile idea.  "But, isn't being an exile the reason why Tsuto is so angry in the first place?  Remember when we were talking with Ms Bethana Corwin?  Ms Kaijitsu's maid?  She said that Tsuto was sent away when he was young to be raised outside of his family; and that his mother was forbidden to see him."  She frowned, "He's already been an exile all of his life; what he needs is a family.  The only family that he has left is Ms Kaijitsu, and he is the only family that she has left."

"I just don't think that sending him away again will help anyone, especially Tsuto and Ms Kaijitsu.  He needs to be shown that people can be compassionate and forgiving.  That he was tricked into thinking that helping the goblins was a good thing.  We already know that he is doubting his decision."  She rose a finger to make a point, "And he can't be beyond help.  Because we also know that the reason he tried to kidnap Ms Kaijitsu, as bad as that was, was that he cares about her and was worried that she might be hurt.  He risked everything, all of the plans that he was entrusted with, just to do that.  So he can't be so evil that he is beyond help."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:42, Mon 01 Sept 2014.

Cato cast Detect Magic and began his careful examination of the crossbow.  "This shouldn't take long, assuming there's only a simple enchantment on it."  Cato went quiet as he studied the crossbow, looking at the arcane energies imbued in the device, trying to figure out exactly what they supposed to accomplish.


Spellcraft check, please.

"Not mean," replied Pisca through the intensity of her concentration.  "Not mean.  But sometimes truth itself is mean, Lysa.  And sometimes its better to pretend that the truth isn't the truth, even though you know that it is.  Even though you might appreciate the truth, maybe it's not really what you want.  It's not what you wanted, even though maybe you didn't know that you didn't want it until after you found out."

There is a silence in which the convoluted skein of the gnome's thoughts hang upon the air.  Perhaps Pisca herself required a moment to navigate the tangle of words that she'd spun.  Perhaps she'd paused to pay heed to a particularly tricky portion of Cato's magical analysis.  Or, perhaps the silence if filled with other things, unseen things known only to the gnome herself.

Then Pisca continues, "Are you thinking that this is what Tsuto wants?  Are you thinking this is what he needs?  Because the truth is that, though some people can be compassionate and forgiving some of the time, not everyone can be compassionate and forgiving all of the time.  And, though you might want to do this for Tsuto, you also have to think about doing something for the rest of the people in Sandpoint too."

"I think Mayor Deverin would understand this.  She might have enough compassion to forgive Tsuto.  But what about Dav Houk?  What about Ven Vinder?  What about Katrine Vinder?  You know them.  Do you think they have enough compassion to forgive Tsuto?  And they didn't even lose anybody during the goblin attack.  Do you think any of those people can so easily forgive?"

"Oh, by the way, Lysa, Katrine says that she likes you.  She said that she considers you a friend.  And she also said that she's not mad at you.  She said a lot of other things to.  But they're not important.  Looked pretty surprised too when I punched her father."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:26, Tue 02 Sept 2014.

"What?  You talked with Katrine?"  Liseth was distracted from continuing the discussion by this piece of highly important information.  "She said all that?"  It was almost visible, the way some of the intangible weight she was carrying around drained away from her.  "That's wonderful!  I was so worried that she wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore, after how I bungled all those times I tried to talk with her.  Thank you Pisca!"  The girl got down on her knees and gave the gnome an enthusiastic hug; hugs were the order of the morning.  "For talking to Katrine for me, and telling me that she still thinks of me as her friend.  I don't know many gnomes, but you must be the sweetest one there is."

The blonde acolyte stood back up, "What else were we talking about?  Oh!  Tsuto!"  Liseth cleared her throat, "You see, it isn't as though I expect everyone to forgive him right away.  Some people might, and that's good.  But a lot of people won't; I know that.  He would have to work really hard to earn their forgiveness."  She held up a finger to make a point, again, "That's the point.  Repenting can't be as easy as saying your sorry; not for something as big as helping goblins and Lamashtu worshipers attack the town and kill people."

"That's why he'll need the gods' help, in the Cathedral.  If we can convince Tsuto to seek redemption, I know that Sarenrae will be able to help him."  The acolyte looked down at Pisca, then around to everyone else.  "I'm not trying to help only Tsuto, you know.  I think that this will help Ms Kaijitsu a lot too, having her brother back.  And it will even help Sandpoint, I think, in the long run.  From everything that I've heard, there has been too many terrible things that have happened to Sandpoint in too few years.  Murders, suicides, criminals...goblin attacks...demons...undead...everything else that has happened in the last week.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if the whole town could look at the sad story of Tsuto Kaijitsu and let it have a happy ending?  Sandpoint needs compassion; not just for Tsuto, but for itself."

Liseth ended with a smile, until something that Pisca had said moments ago clicked inside her head.  Her eyes opened in delayed shock, "Wait, Pisca, did you just say that you punched Mr Vinder?  What happened?!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Tue 02 Sept 2014.

"Wait.  Wait.  Lys.  But.  Cato ... "  The gnome craned her neck to see over her human friend's shoulder.  She tipped her head to the side.  She tried to twist just right in order to angle to a better view of the young human wizard's magic item identifying process.  But, in the end, Pisca gave up.  She closed her eyes and returned the hug until the world was the hug and there was nothing else but the hug.  At least something right had come from a thing that had seemed, at the time, to have gone very much wrong.  All of the disapproval.  All of the anger, the frowning faces, all of it faded away, disappearing into nothingness ...

Until later, of course.

"That would be good, Lys."  The gnome nodded in agreement after they broke apart.  She nodded after Liseth spoke of Tsuto, and the redemption that he would earn from his good works and changed attitude.  Why not?  That would be a good thing.  It would be the best thing all around.  It would be pretty miraculous too.  But why not?  In the end, all things would depend on Tsuto.  On what he would do and what he would say.  Nobody could really truly say for sure what that might be.  So why not?

"What?"  Pisca looked up from her contemplation of miraculous redemptions as Liseth asked about the punch that she'd thrown at Ven Vinder.  "Oh, nothing."  And truly, when one considered the possible outcomes, nothing at all had really happened.  "He was threatening people again.  With his size and with his temper.  It's no wonder Katrine won't tell him who her boyfriend is.  She's afraid.  He'd do much better showing her that he loves her, you know.  Anyway, he threatened Stomper, and so I thought, 'Well, Pisca, this has to stop.'  So I punched him.  Right here."  And Pisca pointed to a spot just above her own knee.

"He fetched up to hit me back," continued the gnome.  "But he never did.  Cato jumped in.  And now I'll never know.  Oh well," Pisca shrugged.  "There will be other times.  And I won't put up with that sort of behavior from him.  It's for his own good.  And for Katrine.  And for your Shayliss too, Stomper.  So he'll just have to learn to be a nicer person, you see."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:39, Tue 02 Sept 2014.

Kellan sighed and shook his head at Piscas words before he focused on the horizon. There was no point in arguing with her now, and no point at all if they did not survive the trip. He had largely forgotten the string of being robbed of his parting with Shayliss and the supplies that could have benefited their expedition. Piscas boasting had brought it back to the fore front of his mind.

---

---

Shalelu gave Cato an inscrutable half-smile.  “You’re not the first group I’ve led into the woods,” she said, “and hopefully you won’t be the last.  I didn’t just conjure these out of thin air over the previous 24 hours, if that’s what you’re thinking.”  She sighed.  “I work on them every so often.  I even have a few more than this.”  She glanced over at Kellan.  “You’re fortunate that I had to take Lieutenant Barett out a few years ago; otherwise I might not have had anything your size.”

Shalelu watched and listened to the goings-on regarding the repeating crossbow and Ven Vinder with a growing amount of ill-concealed impatience.  As they arrived at Northgate she finally wheeled her horse around and stared daggers at the small group, her elven eyes no doubt picking up fine details in the moonlight.

“I don’t think you quite realize what we are about to attempt here,” she hissed in a not-quite-whisper that each member of the party could hear but which probably did not extend much further than that.  “We are heading out into a goblin-infested forest on a critical mission from which some of us might not return.  One of the reasons we are leaving at this hour is because I do not believe that Tsuto is the only child of Sandpoint in league with its enemies.  We are attempting to steal out of town so that our opponents are not forewarned of our coming.  And yet you pratfall and prattle with each other as if we were heading out on some sort of lark!”  She shook her head as if she could not believe she was saddled with the responsibility for guiding such a group.

“Once we get out there,” she said, gesturing to the Northgate, “you will need to try and be quiet.  And to take what we are doing seriously.”  She glared at Pisca.  “Or are you not capable of that?  Because I would rather leave you here than have you get all of us killed because you couldn’t keep your . . . mouth . . . shut.”  She shook her head.  “Don’t think I haven’t talked to the Sczarni about you.  They suspected you couldn’t.”

“Now, if you’re all quite finished, let’s briefly talk about what we’re about this morning, shall we?”  She looked around for any sign of dissent.  “Good.  Once we pass through the Northgate we cannot guarantee that goblin eyes won’t be on us, although from Dav’s scouting earlier we should have a small bit of breathing room.  We’re going to head down the road for about a quarter-mile, then head north into the woods, following some lesser-used trails along the coast towards Thistletop.”

“It is impossible to approach Thistletop without entering the Nettlewood, which is a very dangerous place for those who are not familiar with it,” she gave the group a serious look, “as you are not.  It is filled with all kinds of stinging plants and bushes that will poison you simply for rubbing up against them with your bare skin.  The oils from these plants can remain potent for hours after they’ve rubbed off onto your clothes or armor, so it’s very possible for a careless wayfarer to fall sick for some time after he’s encountered them.”

“I don’t have to tell you what a catastrophe it would be to lose half the group to the Nettlewood’s unfriendly flora.”  She tapped her long, tapered fingers together pensively.  “To prevent this, I have chosen to stay on the game trails as we approach Ripnugget’s fortress.”

“This presents its own challenges.  The Thistletop goblins know the Nettlewood well, including the trails we’ll be using.  There is a very good chance that we will run into goblins watching the trails for intruders.  I don’t think they’ll necessarily be expecting a group like us,” she said, “but if they see us they’ll try to warn the fortress all the same.  I’ll need to scout ahead as we get closer to Thistletop.  These goblins will have some woodscraft, but I hope I do not sound as if I’m bragging when I say that I don’t believe they will have enough of it to spot me if I choose not to be seen.”

“I will navigate you through the Nettlewood to the entrance of the Nettlemaze, the series of tunnels ultimately leading to the bridge across to Thistletop proper.”  She paused.  “I have stolen inside the maze a couple of times, but there is nothing preventing the goblins from changing or altering the tunnels.  They use nettle doors to connect the various tunnels, but they can let the nettles grow over a former doorway and carve new doorways as they see fit.”  She paused again.  “So once we’re inside there is no telling what we might find.  It is beyond the limits of my knowledge.”

She gave the group a measured look.  “Are there any questions before we go?”

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 07:25, Wed 03 Sept 2014.

Kellan was shocked back into the sober reality they were facing by Shalelus rebuke. This was no longer some looming specter,  some grim eventuality. They were embarking now and they and Sandpoint would have to live with the outcome of this mission, however it fared. He was reminded of Ameikos parting words, he had to take look out for them, he had to do his utmost to bring them all back.

Shalelu was competent,  that was obvious, and would be in her element. But for all that she was just one elf, one elf and a pack of youths who had possessed the fortune to be in the right place at the right time on more than one occasion. For all the talk of heros and divine mandate, a lucky goblin arrow or a rusty blade could be the end of any one of them before the day was out.

The guardsman shook his head when asked if they had any questions. Along the coast, into the Nettlewood, through the game trails, across the bridge, into Thistletop, kill Nualia. They would need to be fast, they would need to hit hard and they would need to commit to the fight of their lives, to the bitter end if need be.

Sitting a little taller in the saddle he urged Hakon forward and set his gaze upon the horizon.

An angry, open "O" of shock replaced Pisca's mouth and her fists flew to her hips in defiance of the series of rapid-fire truths spoken by the elf.  All of this in complete silence.  The gnome pointed the outraged finger of rebuttal at the dauntingly famous ranger.  She threw up her hands at the unjust rumors spread about her by various and sundry unnamed Sczarni.  She strode bitter paces to and fro, and all of this without speaking a single word.  All of this without a sound.

It was an indignant gnome that staked to her mount and ascended to the saddle.  It was a wounded gnome that stroked the neck of her faithful pony to calm her intrepid courser even as she, at the same time, calmed herself.  And, after all that was done and still, even now, not said, the gnome finally spoke, and when she spoke, she said only a single word aloud.

"Bostisch"

And Pisca pointed.  Stomper, Cato, Lysa, and ... Shalelu.

"This is me, Pisca, that you're hearing in your ear, Shalelu," said the gnome through her Whisper magic.  "As long as you stay within ... oh ... a hundred and forty some feet or so, you can speak in the tiniest unheard voice and I'll hear you.  From there, I can relay your words to the others."

"Lysa, tell Kerr that, I'm sorry.  I'm not strong enough to include five so he's out.  Again."

"No questions.  Lets go."

Well, at least one item of interest had come from all of that, thought the pride stung gnome to herself.  Shalelu had Sczarni connections.  That was ... interesting.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (Will renew as becomes necessary.)
This message was last edited by the player at 12:52, Wed 03 Sept 2014.

Finished with his examination of the crossbow, Cato looked up for Shalelu's speech, then glanced back down again.  His nervousness at the endeavor had betrayed him.  He nodded once to Shalelu, and then tried to hide a grin when Pisca activated her whisper magic again.  He urged his horse over to Liseth, and handed her the crossbow.  Using Pisca's whisper magic, he said, "It's as we thought.  This should inflict non-lethal wounds."  Then Cato held up the wand.  "And this is a wand of shocking grasp."

Then, Cato went silent again.  He directed a final whisper at Shalelu.  "No more questions, I'm ready to go."

"Sorry..."  Liseth's head hung in shame as they were all scolded by their elvish expedition leader.  "I'm sorry..."  Just like that, the grim reality of their situation was placed squarely in the forefront of the teenage girl's mind.  They were just about to leave, were in the process of leaving, on a highly dangerous mission that was likely to see some, if not all, of them killed; according to their expert.  Was it so bad that they were trying to keep from dwelling on it?

The tension only mounted as Ms Andosana went on to continue explaining all of the dangers they would face simply to reach Thistletop.  Goblin patrols, hostile vegetation...that Nettlemaze that kept being mentioned.  Liseth was still trying to picture what it might be like to traverse a maze of nettles through goblin-sized tunnels.  No matter how many different ways she tried, it never came out very pleasantly.

With Kerr's help, the acolyte climbed into Heily's saddle.  She stroked the white mare's mane as a way to reassure herself, until Cato presented her with the magical crossbow.  "Thank you Cato," she said quietly when he told her that it was indeed enchanted to cause only nonlethal wounds.  Liseth held it for a few moments before sliding the crossbow into Heily's saddlebag.  "I still hope that I don't have to use it; but it might become necessary..."

She looked up when Pisca's magically whispered voice sounded in her ears.  With a nod she turned her head to Kerr, glancing first towards Shalelu Andosana in case the elf objected to Pisca's whisper magic.  "Kerr, Pisca says that she's using her whisper magic to talk to everyone again, but that she can't make it include you too.  Sorry."

When they were asked if they had any questions, there was only one thing that really came to the young girl's mind.  She looked around as everyone stated that they had no questions, then Liseth tentatively spoke to the elven ranger, "Ms Andosana...um...if you don't mind my asking...how long have you been fighting against the goblins?  You know an awful lot about them."

---

---

Shalelu gazed levelly at her traveling companions as they reacted to her words, finally nodding in acknowledgement as Pisca informed her about the Whisper Magic.  She seemed satisfied.

The ranger sighed at Liseth’s question.  “I’ve been fighting goblins since well before you were born, acolyte.  They are something of a crusade for me.  Goblins can be almost comical in their actions and infighting, but you should never forget how dangerous they are.  Look at how easy it was for them to threaten Sandpoint with destruction.  All they needed was a determined and focused leadership.”

“This situation,” at this, Shalelu took in all of Sandpoint, “is something I’ve dreaded for years.  Goblins are numerous enough to pose a real threat to civilized lands if they ever manage to stop fighting among themselves and unite under a single leader.  Much of the work I’ve done along the Lost Coast these past decades has been to ensure that no such leader arose.”  She sighed again.  “Obviously, I failed.”  She turned her horse back toward the Northgate.  “And this is my penance.”

It was no coincidence that Northgate was guarded that morning by Santo Flitworth and Quint Plinsman.  The two guardsmen had clearly been informed of the mission; they showed no surprise at the group’s arrival and asked no questions about their purpose.  Santo clambered down the ladder to unbar the gate for the group, nodding soberly as the more-exuberant Quint gave them a hearty thumbs-up from his bowman’s perch atop the gatewall.

And with that, they were through into the forest.

Shalelu led them along the Lost Coast Road for about a quarter-mile before moving off-road to the north, traveling cliffside along the coastline in a successful attempt to avoid the Mosswood goblins camped about the approach.  The group’s path lead almost due east, and it seemed as if they were making good time despite the foggy darkness.  Shalelu apparently knew every path, dell, shortcut, and obstacle along the way; she led her charges by the quickest path through the forest to the Ravenroost.

The Lost Coast road cut through the northern part of the Ravenroost, and Shalelu’s group traveled even north of that.  The ragged range of broken hills was decorated here and there with isolated copses of eucalyptus, pepperwood, and pine.  Visibility improved as the eastern sky brightened and they brought their horses to a canter.  According to Shalelu, speed was more important than stealth in the hills as goblins generally stayed clear of the area for reasons of their own.  The group saw nothing of note aside from the occasional wild animal.

After a couple of hours, the hills gave way to Shank’s Wood, a small pine and eucalyptus forest that Shalelu quietly informed them was claimed by the Seven Tooth tribe of goblins.  Once again the elven ranger’s familiarity with the area benefited them greatly, and they were able to make their way through the wood quickly without detection.

As the party exited the wood, they looked down upon what seemed like a large plain dotted at irregular intervals by strange mounds.  Shalelu glanced to the east at the sun, which was beginning to peek over the horizon.  She motioned the members of the group closer.

“These are the Pauper’s Graves,” she informed them quietly.  “Before Sandpoint was settled, Varisians often visited the coastline, and this was one of their traditional graveyard sites.  When Sandpoint’s construction began, a large number of poor and desperate laborers from Magnimar flooded the region, hoping to be rewarded for helping build the new town by being given a place in it.  Those who died during construction were buried here.”  She gestured to the tableau in front of them.

“Goblins give this area a wide berth, which is why our path leads through it.  It is a very, very hazardous place to travel during darkness; it is slightly less so during daylight hours, which is why I planned for us to traverse it after dawn.”  She unlimbered her bow.  “But there are still dangers.  The dead . . . do not rest easy here.  But they are less active while the sun shines.  I hope for us to cross this area unmolested; I do it myself regularly.  But it is especially important that we move quickly, and quietly.”

With that, the elven woman stole out onto the plain, carefully leading the group through the barrows.

OOC:  Everyone should make a Stealth Check

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

Cato listened as Shalelu explained her work.  "You haven't failed, Shalelu.  You've been succeeding for decades, giving Sandpoint time to build itself into a community that can protect itself.  And while it's not there yet, it will be soon.  Maybe this is the shock Sandpoint needs to rouse itself to action against the goblins, and end the menace once and for all.  And besides, you've done nothing but help the town.  It's people like Tsuto and Nualia who have failed Sandpoint...and perhaps Sandpoint failed them as well.  Not that I'm trying to excuse their behavior.  It can't have been easy having Lonjiku for a father.  But my upbringing wasn't all roses, either, and..."  Cato fumbled with his words, stopping for a few seconds.  "Well, I'm helping to defend Sandpoint.  A year ago, I didn't even know that this town existed.  And now, I can't imagine anything but helping it to continue."

Cato nodded to Sandpoint's guards, and fell silent as the group headed out in the wilds beyond the gate.  His previous trip in this direction, to the Tickwood with Aldern Foxglove, seemed like a long time ago.  Cato couldn't believe just...what, a week ago this entire thing had started?  He shook his head as he scanned the land around him, taking in the pre-dawn beauty of Varisia.

Finally, Shalelu called the group in close.  He listened to Shalelu's instructions and nodded, face solemn, without a word.

13:43, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 8 using 1d20+7. Stealth.

---

---

Kerr donned his Shalelu-provided camouflage garments and looked at the horse he’d been brought with a somewhat-false bravado; he still remembered his embarrassing incident with Heily.  Although he was pretty sure Heily had been embarrassing him on purpose.  He shot Liseth’s horse a suspicious glance and received nothing but innocent nonchalance in return.  His eyes narrowed.  I’ll be ready next time, he mentally assured her.

Kerr’s own horse was a brown-and-ivory patterned Appalloosa.  It looked at him interestedly, apparently taking the young paladin’s measure.  Kerr patted the side of its neck, noting a peculiar star-shaped white mark in the center of its largely-brown forehead.  “I think I’m going to name you Gilroch,” he said to his noble steed, glancing over at Shalelu in a subconscious request for approval, “that’s the elven word for ‘star-horse’.”

Gilroch seemed pleased with his new name.  If Shalelu had heard Kerr’s statement, she gave no notice.

Equine introduction complete, the young acolyte rejoined the conversation.  “Well, Lise, if anyone can convince Tsuto to join our side,” he said loyally but uncomfortably as she swept Pisca into a huge hug, not entirely sure he knew exactly what was going on, “it’s you!  You’re very persuasive.”  He grinned at his young girlfriend, then suddenly blushed for no reason anyone could really discern.

Kerr really didn’t know what he thought about Liseth’s crusade to redeem Tsuto.  On the one hand, Kerr wasn’t one preoccupied with vengeance; he had no need to see Tsuto suffer for his crimes.  And he’d always felt for the older boy, especially given his difficult family situation and famously-contentious relationship with his stern father.

That said, Tsuto had done a lot to hurt Sandpoint and his actions had resulted in the deaths of people Kerr knew and cared about.  There had to be consequences for something like that, didn’t there?

Didn’t there?

Kerr shook his head free of these troubling thoughts as he cupped his hands together and boosted Liseth up into Heily’s saddle, trying not to notice the firm softness of her body as it rubbed against him.  Stay focused, Kerr, he reminded himself, although it was all too easy for his mind to go back to the previous evening, thinking of her hands running over his back, massaging him . . .

Focused.  Kerr shook his head.  Right.

Shalelu Andosana chose that moment to augment Kerr’s internal monologue by berating the entire group for their lack of focus.  While some, like Pisca, apparently felt unjustly challenged by the ranger’s rebuke, Kerr did not; it was of a piece with what he’d already been telling himself.  He needed to concentrate on their mission.  He wouldn’t be doing Liseth any favors if he let her get hurt because he was mooning over her.

And he would never forgive himself if that happened.

Kerr put a foot in Gilroch’s stirrups and hauled himself up onto the horse’s back without any of the shenanigans Heily had pulled back in the stable.  He was so elated at his accomplishment that he merely shrugged when Liseth told him that he would have no access to Pisca’s Whisper Magic.  Although he did secretly wonder if he had done something to offend the gnome.  Why was he always the one left out?

He told himself that such uncharitable thoughts were unbecoming.  Unfortunately, that didn’t make them go away.

Gilroch had apparently decided he liked Kerr because he gave the dark-haired acolyte no difficulty on the journey out of Sandpoint.  He followed the famous ranger closely as she left the Lost Coast Road and headed out into the wild, never once hinting that she did not know exactly where she was going or what she was doing.  Kerr found it a little difficult to credit that he was actually riding out on a critical quest to save Sandpoint with the elven forest-warrior he’d grown up thrilling to stories about.  It was heady stuff.

Kerr kept his head down and concentrated on riding Gilroch as they traversed the hills and forests between Sandpoint and Thistletop.  He was proud of himself for not constantly staring at Liseth; he compromised and settled for catching her eye and smiling at her every so often.  The brisk cold air, the fresh smell of the trees, and the open land made it easy to forget the danger into which they were heading.

Heading into the Pauper’s Graves, however, brought all of it back.  As a child of Sandpoint, Kerr had heard horror stories about the Graves, as all the kids had.  Stories of dead workers walking abroad, filled with hatred for the town whose construction had killed them and anyone associated with it.  No one ever went within leagues of the Graves.

And yet, here they were.  Kerr nudged a recalcitrant Gilroch out onto the plain after Shalelu.  Better to get this over with as soon as possible.

---

---

"Decades..."  Liseth whispered after Ms Andosana explained her crusade against the goblins of the region.  She recalled having overheard somebody once say that a decade to an elf is almost the same as a year is to a human like her.  The girl had never put much thought into that topic before, but now that she was with such an elf, Liseth couldn't keep from wondering.

Shalelu Andosana could be hundreds of years old.  Liseth couldn't tell an elf's age, none of the ones she had ever seen looked particularly old to her.  She suddenly felt very humble with her mere sixteen and one-half years.  The elven adventurer had probably lived Liseth's life a dozen times over.  What must it be like when you expected a life measured in centuries?  It was something that her young mind could hardly comprehend.

The acolyte was quiet, wrapped in the special camouflage poncho that Ms Andosana had given her, when the group finally led their horses out of Sandpoint's Northgate.  Her mind was occupied with all sorts of thoughts; she wanted to talk with the others but wasn't about to speak out loud after they were already scolded for being so noisy.

Then she remembered Pisca's Whisper Magic, "Pisca...do you think I'm too young?  Father Zantus seemed to think so.  He said that the gods must need young people because they're more flexible; so that they can mold them into the sorts of heroes that they require.  But he still seemed pretty concerned that I wasn't old enough."  Liseth paused, "Old enough for things like this."

Liseth continued to be contemplative during the dark morning hours of their horse ride.  Her daydreaming only interrupted by the occasional smile from Kerr; of course she had to smile back!  At least he seemed to be in good spirits; Liseth normally would be as well during a horse ride on Heily.  But at least having her hero riding right beside her did a lot to make her feel safe.

Hours passed on horseback, all spent in darkness.  At least Ms Andosana knew the way, Liseth didn't even know the area well enough to try and navigate during the daytime.  Finally they came to a stop and the elf ranger broke the silence in which they had all been riding.  She couldn't help but notice that their pause coincided with daybreak; the acolyte still needed to perform her morning prayers.

With the news about the Pauper's Graves, she doubted that she would have the opportunity.

"Undead?"  Images of the zombies from yesterday skulked into the girl's mind.  She swallowed, "But couldn't we go around?  Or not...go in there?"  Liseth must have sounded reluctant.  But Shalelu Andosana seemed to think that this was their best route to reach their destination.  Liseth still remembered Kerr getting clobbered by a zombie just to keep it from reaching her.

How many undead could be in such a large place as the Pauper's Graves?

"It'll be okay Heily," Liseth said into the horse's ear while stroking her mane.  "You're faster than any undead.  They won't be able to catch us.  We're just going to ride straight through here."  Whether she was trying to convince the horse or herself was difficult to determine.

She turned to face the rising sun and say a quick prayer to Sarenrae before she and Heily followed directly behind Kerr and Gilroch.  Going down into the Graves she kept one hand with a tight grip on Heily's reins and the other with an even tighter grip on Sarenrae's holy symbol hanging from her neck.

15:34, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 10 using 1d20+9. Stealth + Shalelu's poncho.

Natural '1'

Kellan quickly settled into his patrol mind set as they left the relative safety of the city gates and ventured into the dim outskirts and beyond. He could feel Hakons pent up energy as they moved and was forced the correct the charger several times in order to keep in him line with the others. He seemed to want to surge forth, to gallop and stretch out, put it was simply not the time or the place.

His eyes watched the horizon and picked up the subtle glow emanating from the east, then silently appreciated the way the shadows moved and the fog lifted and danced along the ground. He knew most of these roads and it was with a growing dread that he recognized their direction.

Anyone who grew up in Sandpoint would never even joke about the Paupers Graves, they represented the closet thing the little town had to a haunted house and even now that he was much older, and well armed and armored to boots, the disturbed earth still held old fears for him.

Unfortunately for Kellan Hakon seemed to feel the same way. The boy could never be described as stealthy in the first place and between the rattle of his personal accoutrements,  Hakons stamping and neighing and the clatter of whatever he had packed in his saddle bags, he was being anything but discreet.

3:06, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 5 using 1d20+4. Stealth.

"Too young, Lys?" replied the gnome, blissfully ignoring the fact that her half of the conversation (and only her half) would be transmitted to the others.  She'd been considering the question through the many miles they'd traveled to the edge of this Pauper's Field.  "Too young for what, Lysa?  You are what you are when you are it.  There's ... well ... I don't see much 'Too' about it.  I guess, I can only see a 'Too' in things if you fail.  If you try and if you fail, then you were 'Too'.  Maybe you were too short or too tall or too fat or too weak or, maybe, too young.  But you'll never know until you try, will you?"

"With some things, you can tell the 'Too's right away.  But ... too young???  Sometimes people say 'Too Old' and what they really mean is 'Too Weak' or 'Too Slow'.  Sometimes people say, 'Too Young' when what they really mean is 'You're my daughter and I don't want to let you go yet.'  I think Ven Vinder has that problem."

"Too old for things like this?  I dunno, Lys.  I think we've done well so far.  Dying aside.  But I think we're going to find out.  And that's the interesting part."

The gnome patted the neck of her beautiful pony.  She wouldn't be afraid of any undead.  They'd make it through.  Then Pisca gave a small click of her tongue to let Nettie know it was time to move forward, and they moved off into the Field of Lost and Broken Souls.

Stealth check 16.  20 If this area is concidered forest.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (Will renew as becomes necessary.)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:15, Mon 08 Sept 2014.

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The morning dew hung heavily on the short, yellow grass of Pauper’s Graves as the party moved quickly out onto the plain with the shared idea of getting to the other side as quickly as possible.  Kellan and Kerr, as sons of Sandpoint, were particularly keen to be away from the reputedly-haunted area; the echoes of childhood stories rattled about in their heads as they took their first tentative steps into an area they’d feared all of their lives.

But if they were planning on traveling across the burial ground with any degree of silence, those plans were spoiled.  Shalelu shot Liseth a sharp look when the girl let out a surprised yelp after Heily, without warning, jumped over a small depression in the ground.  The ranger looked even more aggrieved when Cato, who had apparently failed to properly secure his crossbow, made noisy attempts at re-securing it that seemed to reverberate across the plain.  And her eyebrows shot up in shock when Kellan, with a surprised shout, nearly fell off his horse.

The guardsman immediately flushed a deep red as his shout seemed to echo about the plain with all the volume of a battle-cry.  Shalelu held up an urgent hand as the group stopped, frozen, to determine whether its noisiness had drawn any attention.  Utter silence reigned for five seconds, ten seconds, fifteen seconds . . .

The ranger had just lowered her hand when she spotted movement about 150 feet to the south of their position.  It seemed as if something was rising from the ground, as if it had been hiding there or was emerging from some sort of depression or underground residence.  And the thing that rose was a creature of nightmares.

It looked humanoid, but its pallid flesh appeared raw and discolored, stretching tightly over a starved frame bedecked with what looked like ornate scale-mail armor.  A fine, crimson cloak hung over its thin, emaciated-looking shoulders, its clawed hands curled tightly into fists.  The monstrous thing looked directly at the party, and the party looked back, all frozen in an instant that seemed to last a lifetime.

Then the rotting abomination opened a mouth full of sharp, yellow-stained teeth to emit a bone-chilling, blood-curdling howl.    In response, other creatures began hauling themselves up from the dirt.  While they were similar in appearance to their summoner, most were hunched over and wore little clothing other than tattered pants or sections of old armor.  As they rose, they looked hungrily towards the group.

“[Language unknown: She hi,]” Shalelu spat, the beauty of the lilting elvish language belied by her urgent manner of speaking.  “Ride!”  She called to the others, letting out a piercing whistle which made the horses perk up their ears.  “Ride now!!!”  The horses, who had been none-too-pleased with the journey over the eerie burial ground in the first place, and were even now shying away from the unnatural newcomers, needed no further encouragement.  They immediately took off after Shalelu at a gallop, following the ranger east towards what looked like an opening between the rising dead.

OOC:  Please give me a Ride check and let me know if you are taking any actions other than following Shalelu.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 19:40, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

Cato hissed as his crossbow clattered noisily in his attempt to secure the thing.  What is wrong with me?  This is basic stuff.  I learned how to properly stow my weapon for travel years ago.  Cato looked around in surprise as the other members of his group made similar mistakes, one by one.  Are we all just on edge?

Then things got dire.  Cato watched with mute horror as the undead monstrosity drew itself from the ground, and then again as the horror howled and even more creatures began pulling themselves up from the ground.  It was Shalelu's elven expletive that finally brought Cato back to his senses.  He dug his heels into his horse's flanks and sped off, trying to best to follow Shalelu and avoid any obstructions.  As he bent over the horse's neck, he found himself pleading with the animal.

"Okay, I haven't really taken the time to get to know you so far.  And I'm extremely sorry I've dragged you into this hellish place.  But get me out of here alive, and I'll talk with Dav about updating your accommodations.  You deserve a nice horsey life, with fresh hay and grazing."  Cato patted the horse's neck, and risked a look backward, then quickly returned his attention on his destination, watching as his horse leaped and cleared a particularly large burial mound.  "Excellent.  Keep that up!  I think I need another name for you.  Frolic doesn't exactly strike confidence when we're running from undead horrors.  How about Celeritas?  That's an old Thassilonian word for speed.  I'm hoping it fits you well."  Cato looked up, realizing he had been talking to his horse for a very long time.  He risked another look around, then bent forward in the saddle again.  "Onward, Celeritas!"

15:14, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 19 using 1d20+2. Ride Check.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:13, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

This morning Kellan Storval, son of Sandpoint and pride of the Guard was in so many words, a junk show.

Was it nerves? Misfortune? Were dark gods conspiring to lay him low? Whatever it was it had rendered him largely incapable of even the most basic task, including staying quiet and riding his beloved horse.

By the time he saw the pallid man on the horizon his frustration was turning to equal parts terror and anger. It was like a nightmare where his limbs wouldnt work right and everything seemed to be going wrong.

His embarrassment was palpable...but at least he was not alone in his failings.

Today: Kellan Storval rolled 2 using 1d20+1. Ride Check

Going fast was a good idea.  Liseth leaned down over Heily as her beautiful horse sped up to keep pace with the others and reach the end of the Pauper's Graves as quickly as possible.  That was until Heily took an unexpected jump and Liseth, unaccustomed to trick riding, yelped in alarm while barely maintaining her seat on the saddle.  Ms Andosana's glare caused the girl to flush bright red in shamed embarrassment.

The embarrassment didn't last long.  Liseth looked around worriedly while their elven guide searched for any signs that the undead of the Graves had been alerted.  As quick as it had rushed there a moment ago, the blood drained from her face when Liseth saw the undead horror that rose from the ground.  It was wearing armor and a cloak!  That could only mean that it wasn't as mindless as the other undead they had encountered within the last week.

By the time the monster unleashed its howl, Liseth's skin was the same shade of white as Heily's coat.  A fleeting thought passed through her mind as the girl wondered what color Heily changed to when she was terrified.  But that didn't last long; seeing all of the other undead rise up from the ground, minions of the first no doubt, the panicked acolyte could only think of one thing.

"Run!"  She shouted to Heily, mimicking Shalelu Andosana's own sentiments.  "Heily, Run!"  Holding on as tightly as she ever had to her horse, Liseth urged Heily into the fasted gallop that she had ever done.

Trusting Heily to carry her, Liseth closed her eyes and dug down deep into her reserves of Positive Energy.  She began to glow with bright white light as the group made to break through the encircling undead; holding the energy within herself until she had closed with the horrid monsters.

12:32, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 18 using 1d20+6. Ride.

Ready Action: Channel Energy to Turn Undead (DC 20)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:43, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

The gnome's eyes narrowed at the sight of the rising dead.

"Go, Nettie," she cried,throwing stealth to the wind with the advent of their discovery.  Pisca gave her mount a kick with her heels, then ...

"WAH!"

12:28, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 3 using 1d20+2. Ride
This message was last edited by the player at 21:31, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

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The chase was on.  Inhuman howling and screaming followed the six living occupants of Pauper's Graves as they rode for their lives towards the rapidly-closing gap in the undead lines, Shalelu in the lead.  The horses’ eyes were so wide that any observer might have been forgiven for thinking they were totally white; escape was clearly the only thing on their equine minds.  Hakon and Nettie were especially spooked by the unexpected attack; Kellan and Pisca could not do anything more than hold on for dear life and pray to whatever deities they held dear.

Everyone could see, given their relative speeds, that two of the rotting, pallid creatures would be able to intercept the group.  “Ride them down and keep riding!”  Shalelu commanded, her shout nearly lost to the others due to the wind whipping about their ears as they galloped.  “DO!  NOT!  STOP!”

Kerr snuck a quick look behind him and immediately wished he hadn’t.  What seemed like dozens of the creatures were pulling themselves up from the ground, and not a few of them had already started the chase.  They didn’t look as if they would be able to catch up with the party’s horses, but if one of them stumbled and fell . . . Kerr immediately grabbed hold of his holy symbol and offered up the most-fervent prayer he had ever uttered.

The young man crouched over Gilroch’s neck and urged him to greater speed.  It seemed as if he and Gilroch were born to be together, or that the gods were blessing his escape; he felt as if he were one with his steed even as he saw Kellan and Pisca struggle with their terrified mounts.  He glanced over at Liseth to make sure she was safe; she was clutching her holy symbol and murmuring what had to be a prayer.  Her words were drowned by the wind and the ravenous cries of their emaciated pursuers, but he knew what she was doing because he was doing the same thing; calling the gods to smite the undead before them.

But it turned out that Liseth was doing something quite different.  A blue light emanated from her, doing no damage to the two closest creatures but causing them to immediately skid to a halt and begin running the other way as if they too were influenced by the panicked terror that seemed to be flooding the graveyard.  Kerr grinned at the sight; his girlfriend was truly amazing.

Kerr’s prayer took effect right after Liseth’s.  The blue light sped from him but he was unable to tell its effect on the two fleeing monsters due to his surprise at finding one lying in wait directly in their path.  From its position it looked as if the creature had been about to leap on Liseth’s horse and knock her to the ground, but Kerr’s positive energy hit it just as she galloped by, spoiling its attack.  Kerr sighed in victory and relief, but that respite was short-lived; the creature turned toward its tormentor, screamed, and jumped towards Gilroch.

To Kerr, the attack seemed to take place almost in slow motion.  He saw the creature spring from the ground, he heard Gilroch’s terrified scream, felt the horse’s futile attempt to gather its energy to sprint past their attacker, and watched the monster’s snarling mouth open to reveal a generous amount of discolored, razor-sharp teeth as if it were a dream.

The young acolyte’s response was almost instinctual, even though he had never done anything like it before.  “[Language unknown: Resortcon!]”  He called as he brought his arm across his body to backhand his assailant.  As he did so, his hand glowed blue with divine power, sparking and burning as he slammed his fist into the monster’s face.  The hideous attacker screamed in pain and anger as the deific energy burned deep into its dessicated skin, but it still held on with a surprising strength, moving with nigh-unbelievable agility to grab Iomedae’s newest paladin, trying to pull him off his mount and to his doom.

OOC:

12:51, Fri 05 Sept: Kerr Mollin rolled 22 using 1d20+3. Ride Check.
12:46, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Creature No. 3, rolled 18 using 1d20+7. Save v. Liseth's DC 20 Turning.
12:45, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Creature No. 2, rolled 20 using 1d20+7. Save v. Liseth's DC 20 Turning.
12:45, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Creature No. 1, rolled 8 using 1d20+7. Save v. Liseth's DC 20 Turning.
12:54, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Creature No. 2, rolled 12 using 1d20+7. DC 16 Will Save v. Kerr's Channeling.
12:56, Today:  Kerr Mollin rolled 6 using 1d6+1. Channelling Damage to Creature No. 2.
12:59, Today:  Kerr Mollin rolled 13 using 1d20+5. Lay on Hands Touch Attack Against Creature No. 2.
13:03, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 5 using 1d6+1. Lay on Hands Damage vs. Creature No. 2.
13:40, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Creature No. 2, rolled 22 using 1d20+2. Grapple Attempt Against Kerr.

Kellan and Pisca, your poor ride checks unfortunately render you unable to take actions until the end of this round.  You may make a new ride check (DC 10) at the end of your next posts to try and gain better control of your mounts.

Cato and Liseth, you may take actions against the creature attacking Kerr.  If you are unsuccessful Kerr will need to make a Ride check to avoid being pulled to the ground.  You are all still riding at pretty much full speed; the situation makes melee attacks impossible and will impose a serious penalty on ranged attacks.

Cato and Liseth will also need to make a DC 10 Ride check to continue controlling their mounts; the mount of anyone who fails this check will flee in terror after Shalelu, rendering the rider unable to take any actions.

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This message was last edited by the player at 21:02, Mon 08 Sept 2014.

Streamlined on Frolic/Celeritas, Cato looked back when he heard Liseth and Kerr shouting behind him.  "Blast!  We've got to help them."  Uncoiling from his riding position, Cato risked another look back, then extended his hand towards the paladin.  [Language unknown: Istall!]  A shimmering around Kerr resolved itself as his armor and clothing became covered in a thin, slippery layer of conjured grease.  "Break free, Kerr!  And hold on tight!"  Cato looked forward again, guiding his horse past another undead, and staying close to Shalelu.


Cast grease on Kerr.
17:16, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 20 using 1d20+2. Ride Check.

"Nettie!"  Pisca hugged herself close into her poor pony's neck as the terrified mount reared high into the air.

"The winds of night ...   Low and soothing, the gnome crooned a song into her mount's ear.  ... so softly are sighing ... "

With a firm hand she held the reins.  With sure feet she remained in the stirrups.

"Soon they will fly your troubles to sea ... "

Pisca stole a precious moment to look about for Shalelu, orient herself on this Plain of Feral Undead.

"So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain ...

The gnome turned her pony in the direction of the fleeing elf.  The retreating withers of the ranger's horse were now, once again, in the pony's eyes.

"Wave good-bye to cares of the day.  Go, Nettie!  Go."

Once more oriented in the right direction, Pisca spurred her valiant courser to all speed.  The gnome turned back only once, glancing over her shoulder to see how Stomper was faring.

14:14, Mon 08 Sept 2014: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 13 using 1d20+2 ((11)).

Active Effects:  Message 40m (Will renew as becomes necessary.)
This message was last edited by the player at 23:58, Mon 08 Sept 2014.

Kellan was swiftly reminded that Hakon would go no where he did not want to go and that  he was a passenger on a journey navigated by a very large, muscular animal. The horse sprinted,  stalled, reared and spooked woth Kellan shouting his frustrations as the undead unearthed themselves from their graves.

"Easy...easy...No Damn It!" He bellowed as he pulled the reins back around towards thebdirection Shalelu was leading them. "This way, come on Ya!" He dug his heels into the horses broad black flank and spared a glance over his shoulder before he shook his head and urged thr horse ever faster.

5:20, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 19 using 1d20+1. Ride.

[Language unknown: "Onsencere Ssulto!  Ututes anpail hernceill iththoichder era m estforion!"]  Liseth shouted in a voice that sounded much more brave than she was feeling.  Then she released her pent up energy, relieved to see that this time it worked as it was supposed to.  Liseth took her attention away from the now-fleeing undead to see where Heily was taking her.

Only to notice that another one was getting ready to pounce from the front!

All at once she gasped and tried to steer Heily away from the ghoul; made all the more difficult by her closing eyes as she expected to be pounced on at any moment.  But the attack never came.  Kerr blasted the monster with his own holy energy, so instead of pouncing on her it had pounced on HIM!

"Kerr!"  The acolyte shrieked, even as Kerr continued to assault the undead with his holy power.  Even with all of the divine punishment Kerr had given it the undead still held on to him, trying to pull Kerr down from his horse.  Liseth couldn't let that happen!

"Heily, get closer to Kerr!"  She said to her horse.  Liseth guided the frightened mare nearer Kerr where he was struggling.  [Language unknown: "Beleng ce res!  Andestove ad tra weekll!  An k hesan his whsiis!"]  Golden white energy erupted from the small girl, like the flames of the sun reaching out to consume the undead and unholy flesh of the monster attempting to bring low Iomedae's champion.

And her hero.

17:25, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 16 using 1d20+6. Ride.
17:47, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 8 using 2d6. Channel Energy; Damage.

Channel Energy for 8 Damage to Undead; DC 20 for half damage.

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The pounding of hoofbeats provided a staccato counterpoint to the sounds of Kerr’s life-or-death struggle to remain ahorse.  The young paladin’s assailant, seemingly indifferent to the prospect of falling itself, managed to clamber into a superior position behind him.  But just when it seemed as if the monster would put Kerr in a headlock and yank him off of Gilroch by main force, its hold on the young man became much less secure.

Kerr, suddenly glistening with Cato’s magically-provided lubricant, took advantage of his opponent’s surprise by managing to duck under a rotting arm and use his elbow to dislodge his fiendish attacker.  The creature, already having difficulty maintaining its purchase, completely lost its grip on Kerr, nearly falling off Gilroch in the process.

Kerr was bracing himself for a renewed attack when his undead adversary let out a strangled cry; he glanced over his shoulder to see the blue light of Liseth’s positive energy rushing away, having already extinguished the foul light of unlife from its target’s eyes.  The ghoul, bereft of whatever dark energy had animated it, immediately slumped to one side and fell to the ground, where it was churned beneath Gilroch’s hooves.

The entire episode had taken mere seconds, although to Kerr it had seemed a lifetime.  He caught Liseth’s eye and grinned, watching her blonde hair streaming in the wind as Heily spirited her young rider out of danger.  When Cato glanced back, Kerr gave the wizard a nod of appreciation.

Everyone seemed to have gotten their mounts under control and were galloping through and away from Pauper’s Graves as if their lives depended on it.

Which, of course, they probably did.  And although their desperate mission to Thistletop had almost met with disaster before they had even arrived, it seemed as if the undead threat was now literally behind them.

But they were all very aware that the much-larger goblin threat still remained.

OOC:

22:53, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Creature No. 2, rolled 15 using 1d20+7. DC 20 Will Save v. Liseth's Channelling.
22:50, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 30 using 1d20+15. Grease-Assisted Combat Maneuver Check to Escape Grapple.

Result:

Kerr escapes Creature No. 2’s grapple; Creature No. 2 takes 8 points of damage and is destroyed.

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This message was last edited by the player at 08:53, Thu 11 Sept 2014.

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The howling and shrieking of the party’s undead pursuers faded then disappeared as the group left Pauper’s Graves behind them.  The relatively-flat terrain of the Graves gave way to the eaves the Nettlewood, a frustratingly-tangled forest whose floor was snarled with the eponymous nettles and other thorny plant life.  Shalelu seemed unperturbed by the woods’ daunting impenetrability; she headed straight for what turned out to be a nigh-undetectable break in the underbrush, but pulled up and swung her horse around before entering.

“That was . . . more exciting than I would have liked,” said the ranger as she assessed her charges’ condition.  “How is everyone doing?”

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---

Cato sighed in relief as Kerr slid free of the undead creature's grasp, and then smiled as Liseth's burst of positive energy destroyed the thing.  When Kerr managed to glance his way, he smiled and returned the nod.  Then the wizard bent back down over his horse and concentrated on getting out of the pauper's field, follwing Shalelu.

Finally, he reined in his horse before the Nettlewood.  "Exciting?  You have an excellent penchant for understatement, Ms. Andonsana.  So now we have to escape the goblin patrols between here and Thistletop?  Hopefully we can all do a better job of sneaking then we did back there.  I've secured my crossbow; I still can't believe that escaped my attention before.  It must have been my nerves, going out on this mission and all that."  Cato looked back to the paladin.  "How are you doing, Kerr?  I'm glad a greased paladin can escape the grasp of a ghoul.  That's something I didn't think about when I learned that spell!"

Her last release of Positive Energy had left Liseth shaking as Heily carried her from the Pauper's Graves and the mass of undead trailing further and further behind.  She had saved Kerr from the undead that had been trying to pull him off of Gilroch, but the horrible image of the creature remained with her.  As did the sight of it's unlife being extinguished by her power.

Once they had reached the edge of the Nettlewood and the Pauper's Graves were far behind them Liseth walked Heily next to Gilroch and Kerr.  She was still shaking and her skin was pale, "Are you okay Kerr?  Did it bite you?  Or Gilroch?"

"I...I destroyed it.  It was an undead, but...I've never channeled the gods' energy with an intent to harm anything.  Even an undead."  Liseth stroked Heily's mane in an attempt to calm the two of them down.  "It was a thinking undead; that's the worst kind.  I had to destroy it.  There was nothing else that I could do."

"I'll be okay Ms Andosana."  Liseth finally replied to the elf, "I think so.  There aren't any undead in the Nettlewood, right?  And goblins don't use undead, do they?  I think I'll be alright after I catch my breath."

Kellan rode up looking frustrated. The morning had already some what fallen apart and he had contributed more than his fair share to the debacle. His pride was wounded, but his body was thankfully whole.

"I'm fine" he replied,  the tension evident in his voice. Part of him wanted to apologize or offer excuses, but in the end he just kept his mouth shut. He just didnt want to be responsible for anybody getting hurt.

As he gazed upon the Nettlewood he tried tk calm himself in preparation for what was to come. Hours of stooping and crawling around in a somewhat claustrophobic nettle maze in full armor sounded like a special kind of hell and had been the part that he had dreaded the most. Be for he had learned that they would be travelling past the Paupers Graves of course.

"That was pretty slick Cato" he eventually said, turning towards the mage as he complemented him.

Pisca was pummeled by the thunder of hooves.  The world jumped and shook with the gallop across the plains.  Who'd have thought that riding could be such an unpleasant experience.  It had always looked so dreamy and effortless from afar.  Still, the gnome gleaned enough of the jumping, shaking world to catch the burst of light from the jittering white-clad form that must be Liseth.  And through the tumultuous earth-rumble, she heard the death groans of the undead.

YEAH, LYS! the gnome thought very loudly without actually saying anything.  Her teeth were clenched tightly together so as to keep them from a tongue biting clack as she was bounced and jounced about.  And Pisca also threw a victorious fist into the air, which she almost immediately felt was a mistake, and brought it quickly down to where it might grab hold in case she should feel on the brink of being cast from Nettie's back to the dark ground rushing by somewhere below.

But, finally the world tired of its giddy dance, and its pounding of earth, and its shaking of gnomes.  Nettie slowed to a trot and then to a walk.  The poor pony huffed and blew, and her ribs expanded and contracted with the great breaths of air that she drew at the conclusion of her panicked flight from death.

"You did well, Annette Hannigan Pickleberry Cloud Manners," Pisca whispered into the shell of the pony's ear.  It was as she leaned out to whisper that the gnome realized just how shaky her own legs were feeling.  But, when Ranger Shalelu asked how everyone was, Pisca said not a word.  Instead, she nodded her head and waved a hand to continue.  Without a sound.  Without a word.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:30, Fri 12 Sept 2014.

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And just like that, it was over.  The six horses and their riders galloped away from the ghoulish pack of undead attackers, leaving them quite literally in their dust.  It didn’t take long for the sounds of howling and crying to fade, then vanish as if they had never existed in the first place.

They had existed, of course.  Kerr was a witness, and even now he suffered the adrenaline-fueled aftereffects of his brief-but-terrifying struggle against the grappling ghoul.  During the combat he had just acted, and thank Desna for that, but now that he had time to think about what had just happened to him he could hardly credit it.  He had been THAT close to being dragged off his horse and consumed by a pack of slavering undead, never to be seen again.

So very close.

The paladin’s body still shook, muscles ready to fend off another attack even though his assailants were now far behind him.  It was a physical reaction to danger, and Kerr took a moment to ponder the strangeness of it, wondering at the calmness of his mind even as his body remained ready to explode into action.

He gave Liseth a half-hearted smile as she inquired into his well-being.  “No, no bites.  I think it was trying to drag me off Gilroch more than anything else.  Gilroch had a scare,” he patted the horse’s neck, “but I think we’re both fine.”  He grinned at his girlfriend.  “I think you used the gods’ power perfectly.  You did great!”

He looked over at Cato.  “Never better, thanks to you and Liseth.”  He was pretty sure he’d see the ghoul’s contorted, hungering, hate-filled face in his nightmares for weeks.  So close.  “I’m glad you had the presence of mind to think creatively!”  Kerr gestured at the Nettlewood.  “That’s the kind of quick thinking we’re going to need in there.”

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Reassured that everyone had escaped the attack without so much as a predestinate scratched face, Shalelu led her group into the Nettlewood.  They were very glad to have her as a guide, for soon all but the ranger were completely befuddled by the twisting and turning of the meandering route they followed, and none but her (and very occasionally Liseth) could say exactly where they were, or even which direction they faced.

Suddenly they came upon a small clearing.  Silently motioning her charges to remain ahorse, Shalelu jumped down to inspect the ground.  Her face indicated that she had no liking for whatever it was that she saw.  She leaped back upon her steed and led them down several other game trails that were barely recognizable as paths until they arrived at another small clearing.  Again, the ranger jumped down to inspect the area.  Her mouth twisted as if she had eaten something sour.

She motioned the group to dismount and join her.  “See this?”  She said quietly, pointing to something that might have been a crushed leaf or may have just been a depression in the ground.  “The goblins have been here.  I was thinking that they wouldn’t have the manpower to conduct patrols given the forces they’ve sent to Sandpoint, but I apparently thought wrong.”  She ground her fist into the earth.  “They have never visited here before.  I wonder why they visited now.  Did they use it as a staging area, or . . . .”  Her voice trailed off.

She sighed.  “Well, that is neither here nor there.”  She looked back at the group.  “I will have to leave you at the entrance to the Nettlemaze,” said the elf regretfully, now looking around warily for any signs of a threat.  “I was hoping to accompany you into Thistletop but our recent attack and the goblin sign I’ve seen on our way in suggest that there would be no place safe to leave the horses.  Even if I wasn’t concerned for their safety, which I am, any goblins who found them would realize we were here and alert Thistletop.  That would be a disaster.”  She sighed.  “I will lead the horses away from here.  This has the added benefit of causing any goblin trackers who might find our trail to think we’ve gone elsewhere, rather than into the heart of their fortress.”

She smiled sadly.  “The maze is close, but not so close that we cannot discuss the situation.  If there’s anything you wish to say about it, or any questions I can answer, now is the time.  There can be no talking after this.”

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This message was last edited by the player at 08:44, Fri 12 Sept 2014.

The hug that Pisca gave to the neck of her pony was flooded with relief.  "It's alright, Nettie. Auntie Shalelu is going to watch over you."

Despite previous assurances, she'd not been entirely comfortable with leaving her precious pony out alone.  Who knew what creatures inhabited these woods?  Hideous creatures, no doubt, with a taste for pony flesh.  And that was before counting in the close proximity of pony-hating goblins as well.

Releasing her beloved pony, the gnome swung from the saddle, feeling the oddness of the firm ground under her feet after a long day's journey ahorse.  Taking the reins in hand, she lead Annette Hannigan Pickleberry Cloud Manners to Shalelu Andosana.

"Please take care of Nettie for me."  Pisca's upturned face was full of the quiet innocence of trust.  "She tries to be a brave pony.  But sometimes she isn't."

And then, "How will we find you when we're done, Shalelu," the gnome asked with her typical unflagging optimism.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (Will renew as becomes necessary.)

Kellan followed silently as Shalelu led them along the little game paths and thickets, trying to keep his mind from dwelling on the Paupers Graves by picking out little shapes in the distance. Even if that particular danger had passed, the fact that such a place existed outside of local legend disturbed him deeply.

When they eventually got the signal to dismount, he threw one leg over and came down in a clatter. How she had expected him to sneak around  girded as he was Kellan had no idea. He listened to her suspicions with a few nods in return,  glancing around now and then as if expecting a goblin scout to be listening in.

"Any tips on not getting lost in there?" He asked softly. Kellan had grown up hunting,  but the coastal foothills of Sandpoint and a goblin infested thorn maze were two very differant things in his mind. In addition speed would be essential to the entire plan, if they got bogged down it would give the enemy all the time they needed to send in waves to wear them down.

"That's good," Liseth sighed in relief when Kerr reported that he had not been bitten.  The acolyte was almost positive that that breed of undead carried horrible diseases that it could transmit through its bite.  "Thank you Kerr.  I just hope that I don't have to do that again."

"You did really well too Heily," the girl patted her horse.  "I promise to spend more time with you after we've stopped the goblins."

Liseth tried to pay attention to the Nettlewood as Ms Andosana led them through it.  She couldn't imagine ever coming back here again, but her father had taught her that she should always locate landmarks when traveling; to keep from getting lost.  Not that she was anywhere near as capable in this unfamiliar forest as the elven ranger who had spent decades exploring them.

In the clearings Liseth watched as their elf guide examined the goblin tracks, keeping as silent as she possibly could.  If goblins had been through here, they could be nearby!  And the last thing she wanted to do was alert them the same way that she had alerted all of those undead...

She couldn't keep from looking up at Heily with a frown on her face when it was made clear that they were going to have to leave the horses behind.  Not that she hadn't know that it would have to happen eventually; she just didn't have to like the idea of Heily being in the goblin forest without her.  At least she wouldn't be alone.

Liseth gathered her small shield, knapsack, and new crossbow out from Heily's saddlebag.  She checked everything inside of her knapsack, ensuring herself that she still had her magic potions and wand, as well as her healer's kit.  And the extra bolt cartridges for the strange magic crossbow.  Then the bag was fixed over her shoulders, the shield strapped to her left arm, and the bulky crossbow lashed to her side.  She looked very overloaded for someone her size; but the weight did nothing to slow her already sedate pace.

"You be careful Heily," Liseth hugged the white mare, "Ms Andosana is going to look out for you, so you won't have any problems with goblins."  She looked across to Hakon, "You're in charge of making sure that Heily and Nettie and everyone stays safe while we're gone Hakon!"  The girl said to the destrier, "Don't you let any mean goblins hurt them!"

Once finally finished comforting Heily, Liseth walked to Kerr and took a hold of his arm.  She looked across to Shalelu Andosana where the elf was asking them for questions.  "So...Ms Andosana I've heard about your history with Brathus...Brazimus...Barthazimous...that bugbear who is helping the goblins.  If he's one of their leaders, can you tell us anything about him?  In case we have to...fight him too?"

Cato reined up Frolic in front of the Nettlemaze, feeling relieved to be off the horse's back and onto solid ground.  He patted the horse's neck, and led the animal to Shalelu.  Despite his time in the saddle, the young wizard just felt more stable and comfortable on the ground.  Maintaining concentration on a bolting horse to cast a spell was somewhat harder than on the ground, but that wasn't all there was to it.  Cato pushed the thoughts from his mind and concentrated on Shalelu and the task in front of them once again.  He listened for the response to Kellan's question, as that was his most pressing question as well.  For the wizard, once his arcane preparations were completed, there was not much else to do but pay attention and react to his enemies.

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Shalelu took Nettie’s reins, whispering soothing elvish words in the process.  Pisca’s pony seemed pleased to be left in the elf’s care.  “You won’t,” Shalelu searched through her satchel as she responded to Pisca’s question, “I’ll find you.”

The ranger’s rummaging produced two greenish crystals, one of which gleamed with a dull light.  “These are signaling crystals,” she said, holding them up for inspection.  “They have a range of many miles, so are well-suited to our purposes.  The crystals possess a minor yet useful enchantment.  If I am holding the lit one while I say the word of activation, the light will switch to the other crystal, at least until the word is spoken while the other crystal is held, whereupon the light will switch back.  And so on and so forth.  Here, I will demonstrate.”

Shalelu thrust the bright crystal forward.  “[Language unknown: Utpaetitse],” she said in lilting Elvish.  The glowing shard immediately went dull as its companion lit up.  “[Language unknown: Hassthchch],” she said again, and the light transferred back to the original crystal.

“See?”  The elf asked rhetorically.  “Easy.”  She handed the glowing crystal to Kellan.  “Just say the word when you need me to return and retrieve you, and I will start making my way back.  I will activate my crystal upon my arrival.  So when your crystal begins to glow again, you will know I have returned.”

She paused, mouth twisting slightly.  “They can also be used in another way.  If for some reason you are in terrible trouble, and need me to attempt to extract you from Thistletop, break the crystal.  It is not fragile but if you use a weapon or some other hard object to smash it, it will break.  If you do this, my crystal will shatter as well, and I will know you are in dire straits.”  She looked in the direction of Thistletop.  “I do not know how much aid I could render in that instance, but I promise to do what I can.”

“As far as navigating the Nettlemaze,” she glanced at Kellan as she began picketing the horses, “obviously I do not have a map.  But I do have this.”  She produced a small, cunningly-crafted compass.  “When you enter the maze, you will be facing north.  The bridge to Thistletop will be to the northeast.  You can also follow the sound of the ocean, which will also largely be to your north, but I recommend sticking with this.”  She nodded to the compass, which she also handed to Kellan.  “Even if you get turned around, this will let you know which way you need to go.”

Shalelu gave Liseth a small smile as the petite blonde finished admonishing Hakon, but it turned to something darker as the girl broached the subject of the bugbear.  “Bruthazmus,” spat Shalelu.  “He wields a heavy flail and a longbow.  He is very, very good with the longbow, but in there,” she motioned towards Thistletop, “many of his skills will be less useful.  For instance, he’s a skilled trapper but I doubt Ripnugget has let him trap the fortress.”  She shrugged slightly.  “But who knows?  He won’t have much range on his longbow, so it should be easy for Kellan to close with him.  Of course, the bastard’s still dangerous with his flail, so,” she raised an eyebrow as she directed her words to the young guardsman, “you’ll need to be careful.”

“Any other questions?” she said as she finished securing the horses.  “No?  It’s time, then.  Follow me and . . . try . . . to be quiet.”

The ranger seemed to meld into the forest as she led the group back out onto the game trail and toward the fortress.  The trail seemed to zig-zag back and forth, but no one could tell if it was because that was simply where it led or on account of Shalelu avoiding goblin sentries.

Soon they could hear the familiar crashing of the sea in the distance and the accompanying cries of gulls searching its depths for their next meal.  Shalelu held up a hand, stopping her entourage to listen intently for a minute or two, then led them slowly down another path.  This one, unlike the others, was wider and looked more well-traveled than the ones they had previously traversed.  Liseth could see that the path’s dirt was well-trodden by tracks made by small humanoid creatures, as well as paw prints from what looked like smallish quadrupeds.

This path, also unlike the others, ended in what looked to be a thick wall of impenetrable nettles.  The briars and thistles that grew so rampantly in the Nettlewood were even more dense and tangled here, close to the shore.  Although not quite dense enough to completely muffle the sound of waves crashing on the unseen shores to the north, the undergrowth was certainly thick enough to block sight of and access to the coast.  Few trees grew this close to the edge of the sea, but here the briars themselves reached heights to rival them; they were twenty feet high.  Pisca reached out a hand to touch the nettles; they were damp from the nigh-omnipresent coastal fog.

Shalelu turned around.  “Quickly,” she said.  “This is the entrance to the Nettlemaze.”  She moved up to the wall, grabbed the right side of it with her gloved hands, and pulled.  The dense foliage was apparently fashioned into some sort of door; it swung back to reveal a tunnel that allowed perhaps four feet of clearance through the tangled briars and nettles.  The floor was hard-packed earth, interrupted only by patches of stubborn, wiry plants which grew here and there.

“Good luck!”  Shalelu whispered as the party members filed by her into the close confines of the Nettlemaze.  They turned to look at her as she stood in the opening.  She placed her hand to her heart, then to her mouth in the traditional elven manner of bidding farewell to family.  Then she closed the thistle-door securely behind them, and was gone.

OOC:  Everyone but Pisca is going to have to stoop over and/or hunch down to move through the tunnels; you can tell this will make any combat extremely difficult for you.

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This message was last edited by the player at 19:22, Mon 15 Sept 2014.

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The nettles seemed to close in on everyone.  The air inside the Nettlemaze was stifling, even more so compared to the fresh forest air everyone had been enjoying on the ride through the Nettlewood.  It looked as if two tunnels led from the small entrance area; one heading to the north and the other leading off to the east.

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26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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---

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"Bostisch."  Pisca spoke the word, but this time pointed to Kerr Mollin instead of Shalelu Andosana.

"Do you hear me, Kerr Mollin?  This is Pisca.  You're included in the Whisper Magic this time.  All you have to do is make small noises in your throat and I'll hear you, alright?"

"Gloves might be good everyone," added the gnome, taking a hint from the elfish ranger.  "Gloves."  She pulled a pair of soft leather gloves from her belt.  They were sun-bleached on the up side from exposure to the heat of the Cinderlands.  On their inward sides the fingers and palms were darker and rough with wear.  Pisca pulled these on as she entered the Nettlemaze, stopping only for a brief wave at her departing pony.  She would be in good hands.

"Well, what do we have here?"  The gnome stood with hands on hips surveying the way forward.  "One," she said, pointing to the eastern branching of the Nettlemaze tunnels.  "Two," her arm swung ahead to the north and the tunnel that curved off to the northeast.

"And three."  Pisca stepped to where Kellan knelt in the dirt.  Her fingers poked and probed in the nettles.  "There's another door here," she Whispered to the others.  "The only trick here ... is in how to get it open."

Pisca pointed at the area to the west of square K23.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.)

Cato hunched over and walked into the confining reach of the Nettlemaze.  He whispered at the back of his throat, letting Pisca's whisper magic carry his words to the others.  "By Desna, but I feel quite the fool.  I should have thought of this when we were heading into a briar-filled piece of real estate, but I didn't bring a pair of gloves with me."  Cato glanced uneasily the mass of pricking plants that spread before him.  "I trust I can count on one of you to investigate any possible doors until we gain entrance to Thistletop?"

The young wizard looked around at the possible directions.  "It seems like we could wander around this maze for hours or days, and that's not what we want to do.  I say we keep heading as north as we can manage, and hope we find the way to Thistletop as quickly as possible, without alerting the goblins, if at all possible."

Kellan said his goodbyes to Hakon, placing his forehead against the broad skull of the beast and rubbing his neck with a free hand. If anything were to happen Hakon was promised to his father Kenneth. Although is was a nigh criminal waste to use a thorough bred destroyer to pull a plow or a wagon, the horse was valuable and could earn the Storvals fair coin if they wound up displaced by the invasion.

"You be good now, go on" he handed the reigns to Shalelu and fought back a wave of emotion, turning away swiftly to bust himself in his pack and compose himself.

When Shalelu offered the compass and the crystal Kellan felt a little better. Preparing for a successful outcome some how made the possibility more real for him, even as they stood on the very threshold of the enemy.

[Language unknown: ] he replied in Eleven, stashing them away in his pouch.

He followed as quietly as he could manage and would look comical as he squatted and waddled his way into the entrance, giving Shalelu a wave as he shut the door behind them.

The Nettlemaze, as promised, was miserable for the corn fed farm boy. Warm, stifling and cramped it would be a rough go even in normal clothes. But with his armor and his pole arm in hand he suspected that he would soon be in thr midst of the hardest day of his life.

"Hmm?" Kellan grunted as beads of sweat started to form on his brow, waddling around and craning his neck behind him. He saw no door...but perhaps Pisca was just speaking nonsense again.

"I don't have any gloves either..."  Liseth paused her farewell wave to Heily to look at her bare hands.  And then all of the thorns and brambles surrounding them in the narrow confines of the Nettlemaze.  "I'll just try not to touch anything..."

Casting a final look towards Shalelu Andosana before the elf closed the nettle door behind them, Liseth hoped that she didn't appear too...scared?  Reluctant?  Miserable?  Any of those.  Seeing Kellan in the Nettlemaze though, reduced almost to crawling on his hands and knees, the blonde teen felt glad that she was so small.  For once.  She could stand fairly well, with just her head and shoulders hunched over.  Kellan, Kerr, and Cato looked absolutely closed in.

Of course, Pisca was in her element.  "I think that we're going to need you to lead the way Pisca.  The hidden bramble door might be a good place to start."  Liseth couldn't see the door herself, "Maybe the goblins use hidden doors like that as shortcuts through the maze?"

Getting an idea, Liseth dropped down onto her knees to get a close look at the floor of the Nettlemaze.  As hot and heavy as it was to wear, she had to admit that she was very thankful for her thick, padded dress as she set her knees into the skirt.  Those brambles couldn't pierce all those layers of cloth!

Then the girl did her best to examine the ground, "Maybe if I can pick out some goblin tracks, I'll be able to determine which direction the goblins use most.  If we can follow their trail, maybe it will get us through?"

OOC:  Survival Roll?

Liseth frowned after a moment spent examining the floor of the Nettlemaze.  "There are lots and lots of tracks but...they go everywhere.  That way..." she pointed north, "that way," the girl pointed east, "even through there."  Liseth pointed at the hidden door.

"Oh, wait..." The blonde acolyte stood and moved a few careful steps closer to the eastern corridor.  She gingerly set back on her knees and examined the ground closely.  "See this here?"  Liseth pointed out a section of the floor that was smashed down, with grooves in the ground.  She looked up and faced towards the eastern path.  "It looks like something heavy must have been dragged through here.  Whatever it was, they dragged it that way."  Liseth ended by pointing east.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:15, Mon 15 Sept 2014.

"Heavy.  I wonder how they supply Thistletop?  Couldn't be by boat.  Shalelu could have noticed something like that a long time ago.  And gobbies don't usually do boats."

"Could be supplies.  Could be a barrel full of pickles.  Or it could be the figurehead of a ship they'd found.  Who can tell with gobbies."

"I think it's time for spying."  The gnome turned her attention to the secret door fashioned from brambles.  She'd need something to lace it closed.  Rope?  Wire?  "You'll have to stay here.  I can't have anyone alerting the gobbies.  That would be bad."

"I'll ... try to seal this door off so you won't have to watch too many ways in."  Pisca continued speaking into her Whisper Magic as she worked on the door.  "After that, I'm going to disguise myself as a gobbie and take the eastern passage.  Shalelu said to go north and east.  The northern passage looks like its curving to the west."

"I'll Whisper as I go so that you'll know everything's alright.  If I reach a dead end, I'll come back and try another way.  We'll know what's down each path before we even take it."

Disable Device check in nettle door.  Trying to wire it shut.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.)

"So we will just stay here and lay low?" Kellan replied using the spell, shifting his weight as he tried in vain to find a comfortable position.

He seemed ssuprised as anybody to see the door cunningly concealed in the nettles.
<i><
"You are not even going to check behind it? They seemed to goto a lot of trouble to hide it"

"Just stay here and lay low?"  Pisca turned from her examination of the Nettle Door and placed a hand on Stomper's Now-Appropriately-High-Shoulder.  "Yes, that's exactly what I mean," she replied, fulfilling both the purpose of answering his question as well as relaying that question to the others through the Whisper Magic at the same time.

"Poor Stomper.  The sooner we're out of here the better.  For you all," the gnome added.  "And I just can't have a lot of noisy people following me around.  So you'll have to stay here.  Watch the north and listen for anyone approaching from behind this Nettle Door.  Sealing the door will take too much time, so you'll have to listen carefully in case patrols come from that side.  I'm not going to open it.  Better to leave it alone for now.  You know what Shalelu said about Bruthazmus and traps.  At the very least you might expect tiny bells to be laced into the vines to warn of intruders.  If I don't discover anything east or north, we'll have to try the door then."

"Alright now."  The gnome closed her eyes, and in the dark stillness therein conjured a picture of the goblin that Stomper had captured two days ago (Desna's stars, was it only two days ago?) in the work room of the Glassworks.  Her eyes open, turning the dark to light.  She weaves her fingers, speaks the words of power, and the illusion settles over her.

"How do I look?"  Pisca, the Goblin Disguised Gnome struts before the four hated humans as only a mighty goblin of the Commando Elite can strut.  [Language unknown: "Ul We.  Ureillson pr tratheres?"]  She said aloud in her best imitation of the goblin voices she'd heard during the battle of the Glassworks.

"Alright.  I'm off," came the Whisper in the Voice of Pisca.  Then she padded quietly off down the eastern pathway.  "Hopefully I'll see anything before it sees me, and I'll report back."

Cast Disguise Self

Stealth Check, please.  At -5 Penalty for full speed movement.  And,
Perception Check on general principles.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

"Stay here, Pisca?  But..."  Liseth looked around uncomfortably at the surrounding thorns and nettles.  She didn't like the idea of staying inside the oppressive maze any longer than she had to.  But the girl had to admit that Pisca scouting each tunnel would probably, in the long run, lead to their getting through the Nettlemaze much more quickly than if they all struggled up and down each passage.  "Okay Pisca.  But be careful."

Pisca made a very convincing goblin; after she had used her magic to disguise herself as one.  Even though Liseth knew that it was Pisca in her goblin guise, she still felt a chill as her pulse quickened.  The last time she was this close to a goblin it didn't go so well for her.  And chances were very good that she would be seeing a great number of goblins before the day was through.

"Wait..."  Liseth placed on hand on Goblin Pisca to stop her before she could move down the eastern nettle-path.  "Desna guide you and keep you safe."  She channeled a small amount of Desna's blessing into the disguised gnome.

The blonde settled back on to her knees, in the most comfortable position she could be while stuck inside the maze of brambles.  She watched Pisca disappear down the eastern path and cast wary eyes over the northern one.

"Kerr," the girl's eyes found Kerr, "Do you think that you'll be able to fire your bow if the goblins find us in here?"  Liseth remembered her own attempts at archery; she couldn't imagine trying to loose an arrow when you couldn't even stand up!  Not that she was ever any good at it to begin with.  "You might have to use your sword.  But I hope that there isn't any fighting in here at all..."

OOC: Cast Guidance on Pisca; +1 to an attack, save, or skill check (1 minute)

Effects: Squeezing through small space; -4 to hit and AC

Kellan disliked the idea of staying just inside the threshhold of the Nettlemaze, it seemed well travelled and the junction where they stood seemed to offer little in the way on concealment. From what Shalelu had said the goblins were sophisticated enough to use patrols, and the construction of the maze could funnel one right to them. The door was designed to be hidden, so he guessed that it would be less used? He hoped so anyway.

He had to admit that Pisca was now in her element. It was her time to shine and ifnshe pulled this off they could potentially breeze through this terrible place without alerting a single goblin. It was probably wishful thinking, but they had come this far.

When Pisca underwent her transformation his spirits lifted a bit. She did look convincing,  and she knew the language. He couldn't think of any better qualified to attempt the ruse.

"Good luck,  keep us posted" he whispered, then settled back onto his hunches and tried to forget about the growing pain in his legs.

---

---

Kerr hunched his way inside the Nettlemaze, his lower back starting to complain at having to carry the already-heavy breastplate at such an unusual angle.  He knelt and straightened his back, sighing with relief as the pressure eased, and waved to Shalelu Andosana as she closed the thistle-door, heading off with the horses to presumably-safer parts unknown.

The young paladin instinctively put a hand to his ear when Pisca magically spoke into it.  It was strange to have the gnome essentially talking inside his head, but he was gratified to finally be included in her Whisper Magic.  He had felt a little left out by his previous exclusion.

Kerr looked closely at the wall of thistles next to Kellan; now that Pisca pointed it out he could see where an entire section might be able to swing out as a door.  “That’s interesting,” he said, suddenly looking around and wondering how many of these “secret” doors might be scattered about the Nettlemaze.  “Are we going to open it?”  Vocalizing in the back of his throat was taking some effort, but he was sure he could get the hang of it.

He nodded along with the conversation regarding door-opening.  “I don’t have gloves either.”  The acolyte said regretfully, looking askance at the ubiquitous nettles.  “They’re not much good for archery,” he explained.  “I need to be able to feel the bowstring.  So I guess it’s up to you and Pisca, Kellan.”

Kerr tried to find a more-comfortable position as he watched Pisca cast her magic and transform into a doppleganger of the goblin they’d fought and captured back at the Glassworks.  “Um, Pisca,” Kerr said as she took off down the eastern passageway.  “What happens if you run into someone who actually knew that goblin?  Or who knows that he hasn’t yet returned from his mission to Sandpoint?  You might be facing some uncomfortable questions . . . .”

He looked over at Liseth.  “If you think I’d have trouble firing my bow in here,” he grinned, talking softly, “what makes you think I’d do any better with this?"  He put a hand on his sword hilt.  "I’ve been bow-hunting my entire life.  This is my second day carrying a sword.”  He shook his head.  “No, I’m only using this thing if there’s no other option.  Maybe after this I’ll have more time to train with it, but for now I’m much more comfortable with my bow.  It will be harder to use than normal, but not THAT much harder.”  He patted his bow confidently.  “I’ve shot from kneeling loads of times.  There’s not much difference between firing from here and firing from a close blind.  I think I’ll still be able to contribute.”

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 08:46, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

---

---

Pisca crept down the east passageway for around twenty feet, whereupon it swung to the north and opened up into the first "room" she'd seen in the maze complex. Thistle tunnels led into either end of the large, cavelike chamber; the gnome reckoned that her human companions would easily be able to stand in the room.  Above, the thorny canopy grew thin enough that tiny slivers of the sky above could be seen; the ground below was mostly trampled dirt.  To the west, the distant sound of sloshing water echoed up from a hole.

As Pisca looked around the empty chamber, she spotted another partially-concealed thistle-door to the northeast.  But where that led or what might lay beyond it she could not determine.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XXX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--XXX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XX |  |HH|  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |P |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XXXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXXXXXXXXX |  |X |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+XXXXXXXXX--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |K |  X  |  |  |X |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+XX+--+--+--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  DK |C X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XL X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+DD+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

HH = Hole

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:44, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

Cato squatted on the ground, fingers idly going through the contents of his spell component pouch, quietly matching arcane items with memorized spells.  Who knew assaulting the goblin fortress would involve these moments of boredom?  The wizard stretched as best he could, straightening his back for a few seconds before returning to his bent over position, waiting for a report from Pisca, ears straining to hear anything unusual in the muted confines of the nettle maze.

"What if, what if, what if, Kerr Mollin."  One might almost hear a roll of the eyes whispering through the magic.  "If I meet someone that Thok knew, then I hit my head before I was captured.  My memory is fuzzy.  But it's coming back.  If they know that I haven't returned from the Glassworks, I have a story about being captured by the humans.  Tortured for days.  They gave me a bath!  Scrubbed me with soap!  And then Thok, clever goblin, he trick guard.  Escape.  Just now returning."

"Wait."  Pisca crept quietly around the corner.

"Looks like a clearing.  Of sorts.  With a hole in the middle.  Sounds like ... water moving around down inside the hole.  Could be ... waves?  Maybe a way down to the beach."

"Wait.  Another door.  In the opposite direction from the hole."

"Listen, this clearing looks like it would be a more comfortable place for you to wait.  It's high enough that you might even be able to stand.  Let me check behind this door.  Then I'll give you the all clear to follow me this far."

On quiet gnome-feet the Goblin Disguised Pisca crossed the short distance between herself and this new, cleverly-hidden Nettle Door.  She turned her head to listen for the sound of goblin presence on the other side, but, on a whim, first looked down at the ground around her feet.  Did the drag marks that Lysa had spotted come this way?  It was either here, or through the clearing with the hole.  There was no other way forward.  Then, after determining that small fact, the gnome listened at the door, examined the door for the ever possible safeguards that a clever goblin might place on the doors to their domain, and then she eased the Nettle Door open for a look at what might be on the other side.

Stealth Checks in general.
Perception check to see if the drag marks continue through this Nettle Door.
Perception check to listen at the door and to check for traps. (+1 from Guidance from Liseth.)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

This message was last edited by the player at 19:42, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

"What I mean is that everything is so closed in here," Liseth responded quietly to Kerr.  "The goblins could be on top of us before we even know it.  And there isn't very much room to maneuver in here."  She looked around at the oppressive nettles.  "But you know your archery a lot better than I do," the girl gave Kerr a small smile, "so you probably know best."

Liseth decided to busy herself while listening to Pisca's comment on her progress.  It was either make herself busy or spend more time thinking about goblins and demons and Lamashtu-empowered people trying to kill everyone.  So she examined the one thing that was omnipresent.  The Nettlemaze.

The girl was interested in just how the goblins managed to grow it with passages inside of it.  Was magic involved?  Or did they spend a lot of time tending to it?  Goblins didn't seem like very good gardeners, so Liseth tended to think that whatever formed the Nettlemaze must require very little maintenance.  Were the vines and brambles naturally occurring plants that had simply grown to massive and wild proportions?  Did they flower and produce berries like the blackberry vines she loved so much?  Was it even alive?

From her kneeling position, the acolyte gently touched one of the vines with her hand to examine it.  She paused after overhearing Pisca mention, through her Whisper Magic, that the next section of the Nettlemaze was large enough for them to stand up in.  "Oh, that's good.  Wouldn't it be okay if we followed now?  Since the next chamber is larger."  She left her examination of the brambles and eyed the scrape mark leading down Pisca's tunnel.  "I could probably follow which way the...heavy thing was taken to as well."

OOC: Knowledge (Nature) for information about the Nettlemaze?

Kellan steeled himself for the duration. They could be waiting here for a long, long time and yet at any moment a life or death struggle could break out if a parcel of goblins rounded the corner. It's not like this place was a suprise on the other hand, and having time to mentality prepare for it some how made it easier.

He took a pull from his water skin and silently appreciated Piscas latest series of messages with a smile. He had not anticipated any standing room at all, what use could the goblins have for it after all? Unless Tsuto or Nualia also came this way, which he some what doubted.

---

---

Pisca crept toward this new thistle-door.  She listened closely, but heard no sounds from beyond it.  She searched the area closely for traps, but could again find nothing.  Taking a deep breath, she gently eased the door open with her gloved hands and peeked inside.

To find more of the same.  Her sharp gnomish eyes picked out yet another thistle-door in the imposing wall of nettles about 10-15 feet ahead of her.  It looked as if the closed-in thistle tunnel continued off to the east, but to where she could not tell, given her position at the door.  The roomy headspace of the thistle-cavern in which she currently stood disappeared, returning to the four feet or so of clearance that her companions were currently suffering back at the entrance.

She knelt to look at the floor in an attempt to spot any signs of the dragged object that Liseth had noticed back at the entrance, but Pisca could not make heads nor tails of the marks on the ground, aside from the fact that there were many, many tracks of small biped and pawed quadruped creatures.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XXX|  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+--+X-+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |D |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--XXX+--+--+--D--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+X-+--+--X--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XX |  |HH|  |  |  |  |P | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XXXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXXXXXXXXX |  |X |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+XXXXXXXXX--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |K |  X  |  |  |X |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+XX+--+--+--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  DK |C X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XL X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+DD+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

HH = Hole

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 19:45, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

"Alright.  I suppose it's safe enough.  There are an awful lot of doors around here, you know.  The one that I told you about opens into a tunnel that goes north and then ... veers east, I think.  Still following Shalelu's northeast.  There's yet another door up ahead a little ways.  I'm going to check that door too while you follow me into the clearing with the hole."

Even as she spoke, the gnome crept through the Nettle Doorway and padded quietly toward the far door.

"When you get here, 'Lys, check to see where those gobbies dragged whatever they were dragging.  I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"Oh, but I did find paw prints here.  I think we can both guess what they belong too," said the gnome.  Though she did give some real thought to confirming her guess, rather than simply leaving things to speculation.  "I think it's still safe to come as far as the clearing, but you should make extra sure that you're as quiet as possible.  The nettles will dampen some of the noise, and sound of the ocean should too, but it never pays to take something like that for granted."

Knowledge Nature check to identify the paw prints, please
Stealth Checks in general.
Perception check to listen at the door at T15 and to check for traps.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

---

---

Pisca studied the paw-prints she'd seen, but just wasn't familiar enough with discernment of animal tracks in the wild to determine to which animals these prints might have belonged.  There was no clear print for her to go on; everything was at least partially obscured by other tracks and scuffs.  From what Pisca could tell, this area had recently seen a great deal of traffic.

Pisca slipped inside the thistle-door by which she was standing and padded her way across the short distance to the new thistle-door she'd just spotted.  As she looked to her right she could see that the thistle-tunnel continued off to the east before hitting what looked like a "T" junction, with one passage going north and one going south.

Pisca put her ear to this new door as she checked for traps.  She couldn't hear anything on the other side, and from what she could tell the door was trap-free.  She looked around at what, in other circumstances, might be a rather cozy locale for a gnome.  If only it wasn't for its goblin occupants . . . .

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XXX|  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |  |X |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+--+XXX--X--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |DP|  |  |  X  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--XXX+--+--+--D--+--+-XX--X--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |X |  |X |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+X-+--+--X--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XX |  |HH|  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XXXXXXX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXXXXXXXXX |  |X |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+XXXXXXXXX--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |K |  X  |  |  |X |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+XX+--+--+--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  DR |C X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XL X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+DD+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

K = Kellan
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

---

</quote>
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:58, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

"Doors and doors and doors," muttered the gnome to herself.  Then, "Oh, never mind me," she added in case the others fell to wondering as to what she might mean.

"I don't hear anything behind this one either.  But it looks like it's headed west.  The path leads east, and then branches north and south from there.  I'm going to take a look."

"How are you coming on your way to the clearing?  Found it yet?" asked the gnome.  Pisca left the door behind and padded east toward the junction of the three paths.  "From there, I'll probably continue north.  Northeast," said the gnome.  It was a comforting mantra.  "North," she repeated.  "And east."

Stealth Checks in general.
Perceptions as Pisca looks south and then north.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

---

---

Kellan, Cato, Liseth, and Kerr did not need much encouraging to head to the roomy thistle-cavern once Pisca gave the all-clear.  They moved as quietly as they could down the eastern passage, but they didn't see anyone or anything that might pose a threat, other than some unusually sharp thistles.

The dank, cloying air of the thistle-tunnel gave way to the relative spaciousness of the cavern.  The sun even shone through the thin thistle-canopy in patches, and a slight movement of air brought some welcome coolness after the tunnel's stifling confines.  The four humans gave the cavern a wary visual examination, but nothing seemed to have moved in during Pisca's absence.  The only notable thing about the area was the hole in its center; it continued to emit distant-sounding sloshing noises.


Pisca, in the meantime, turned from the thistle-door she'd thoroughly examined and moved to check out the passageway to the east, a distance of maybe ten feet.  The passageway to the north drifted uneventfully westward, providing nothing of particular interest, but the south passageway was far different.  About 25 feet away Pisca saw a silky-furred, red-and-black-striped firepelt lying out in what must have passed for the outside of its den, sleeping.

Pisca knew firepelts to be cousins of the cougar native to this part of Varisia.  What she didn't know was why one would be sleeping in the middle of the Nettlemaze, which was not exactly the environment where one would expect to find such a creature.  As she pondered the quandary, the cat rolled over and pawed the air, gripped in some sort of feline dream.  It had not yet awoken, much less spotted the disguised Pisca, but the passageway to the north was clearly within its field of vision.  Should it awake while the party was passing by, well . . . .

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+-X+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  X  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+XX+--X--X--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XXX|  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  X  |X |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+--+XXX--X--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |D |  | P|  X  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--XXX+--+--+--D--+--+-XX--X--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |X X  |X |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+X-+--+--X--+XXX--+X-+-X+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  X  X  |  |X | X|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXX-+--+-X+--XXXX--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XX |  |HH|  |  |  |R |K | X|  | X|  |  |X |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+-X+--+--+-X+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |C |L |  | X|  |  X  | F| X|  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XXXXXXX-+--+--X--+--XX-+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXXXXXXXXX |  |X |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+-X+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+XXXXXXXXX--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |  |  X  |  |  |X |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+XX+--+--+--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+DD+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

K = Kellan    F = Firepelt
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:32, Thu 18 Sept 2014.

With Piscas message Kellan waddled his way forward, his pole axe held low and parallel to the ground as he moved. As he glanced around he had to admit that he would look pretty funny to most onlookers and decided that if they did survive the day, he might have to leave this part out.

When he reached the clearing he stood with a few audible popping sounds from his back and stretched. While mostly silent his face showed no small amount of relief. Rubbing the small of his back and his thighs he crept forward softly to where it sounded like Pisca had gone, then gave a smile back at the others.

"Yeah, we are there" he whispered in return

OOC:
Move to T18
16:49, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 2 using 1d20-3. Stealth.

"Uh oh ... "  The whispered words escaped from the gnome as the head of her goblin disguise slowly drew itself back behind the corner of the wall of nettles.  "Do you know what a Firepelt is?  Yes, a Firepelt.  I know.  I thought the same thing.  What's a Fire Pelt doing living in a Nettle Maze, Pisca? I asked myself?  I had no answer," she said, having a conversation with the others sans their participation.

"Well, there's one here.  It's down the southern passage about twenty five feet.  It's asleep now.  But not very, I don't think.  And the northern passage curves west.  Oh badgers!  I don't think you'll be able to sneak by with it here."

"I'm going to continue north to see if it's worth continuing this way," said the gnome as she crept quietly in the direction opposite that of the sleeping cat.  "I won't be long.  I hope."

"By the by, Lys, take a look at those paw prints.  Were they made by a Firepelt?  And what about that heavy draggy stuff?  Did it come this way?"

Stealth Checks in general.
Perception checks for danger.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Cato stretched, feeling his back pop, and suppressed a laugh. "I think I'll leave that detail out when I tell Brodert about this.  He's always joking about how my interests exceed my age. Wouldn't want him to think my body is catching up."  Cato paused, taking in Pisca's information. "Very strange. It must be here on purpose, right?  A guard or maybe a...pet?  I thought goblins preferred those ugly rat-dog thing we saw back in Sandpoint."

---

---

The firepelt continued its slumber as Goblin Pisca stole around the corner and headed north.  The northern passageway was long, relatively straight, and uninterrupted except by yet another thistle-door on its eastern side about 30' from the T-junction.

Pisca ignored the door and continued heading north to find . . . the jackpot.  The thistle-tunnel opened out onto a rope bridge spanning the gulf between the cliff and a roundish, flat-topped island some sixty feet to the north.  Thick patches of nettles grew here and there atop the island, but its most-impressive feature was a wooden one-story stockade.  Two thirty-foot-tall watchtowers guarded the stockade's southern facade, but Pisca could not see any activity apparent atop either of them.

Fresh, crisp sea air whistled into the tunnel as Pisca took a look at the rope bridge itself, which seemed to be made entirely of hairy rope and thick wooden planks.  The whole thing creaked and swayed in the wind above the churning surf eighty feet below.

Suddenly, a bellowing roar echoed through the Nettlemaze, seemingly from Pisca's southwest . . . .


The roar was even more startling to the humans in the thistle-cavern, mostly because it was about five times louder than the one Pisca heard.  All of them realized that the roaring came from the hole in the center of the cavern, but what might have caused it remained a mystery.

As the roar subsided the humans could hear the sound of many fearful, muffled, chittering voices responding to the roar.  But the location of the voices' possessors was anyone's guess; the dense thicket in which they were located defeated all attempts to locate the voices by ear.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--BBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-BBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  BBBBB |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+BBBBB+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | BBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--BBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XP |X |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+-XXXXX--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXX  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--XXXX--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  | D|  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+-X+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--X--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  X  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--X--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |X |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+X-+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+-X+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  X  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+XX+--X--X--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XXX|  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |X |X |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+--+XXX--X--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |D |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--XXX+--+--+--D--+--+-XX--X--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |X X  |X |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+X-+--+--X--+XXX--+X-+-X+--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  X  X  |  |X | X|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXX-+--+-X+--XXXX--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XX |  |HH|  |  |  |R |K | X|  | X|  |  |X |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+-X+--+--+-X+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |C |L |  | X|  |  X  | F| X|  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XXXXXXX-+--+--X--+--XX-+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXXXXXXXXX |  |X |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+-X+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+XXXXXXXXX--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |  |  X  |  |  |X |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+XX+--+--+--+XXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+DD+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

K = Kellan    F = Firepelt
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole
BB = Bridge
OO = Overlook

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 04:29, Thu 18 Sept 2014.

Kellan looked about warily as they waited, the silence seemed oppressive and besides the sloshing of the water and the occasional insect the maze seemed eerily quiet. Much happier now that he was standing he did his best to remain patient, although his excitement was obvious.

When he heard about the Firepelt he was a little confused, giving a raised eyebrow to Liseth as if to share his thoughts. He had never heard of anybody taming a Firepelt, and although he had to admit that the Nettlemaze probably offered a rather unique hunting ground, he doubted that it had just happened to end up here.

He was just pondering how they might sneak past the beast when he heard the roar issue forth from the West. Instantly he perked up and his face lost a little color, his grip growing tight on his pole axe. Whatever that was it sounded big.

As the roar passed he quietly lifted the flap on his belt pouch and checked the crystal. Shalelu was surely out of the area by now, right?

"I think these grow like this naturally..."  Liseth remarked after her examination of the nettle thicket.  "The big open section anyway.  The goblins probably cut the thistle-tunnels through them though."  She continued to comment while everyone made their way into the larger cavern section.  "Luckily there doesn't seem to be any poisonous nettles included in here; the goblins must have been careful to weed those ones out.  But we still have to be careful, the ones that are here are very sharp and could really hurt someone."

She stood to her full four feet and ten inches once within the less uncomfortable confines of the tall nettle-cavern.  The girl maintained an ear tuned to Pisca's magical Whispering; and just like the gnome suggested attempted to follow and keep track of the scrapes in the ground.  In order to make sure she could find the direction that the goblins had been dragging whatever it was.

"Firepelt...!"  The acolyte almost exclaimed.  She caught herself at the last moment and said it quietly, but was no less disturbed by the information Pisca had just relayed.  "Like a cougar?"  Examining the ground again, she attempted to pick out anything that looked like the prints of a big cat.  She glanced up at Kerr once, instantly recalling his story about being attacked by a cougar.  And the scars that crossed his back because of it.

"A wild animal wouldn't make it's home in here, not with how often the goblins go through the Nettlemaze."  Liseth half-whispered so the others could hear her, wondering if Pisca's magic would still work even if she wasn't whispering super-quietly.  "Especially since it's so close to their fortress.  The goblins would have chased it away by now if it was wild.  So it has to be tamed somehow.  Maybe they use it as a guard animal?"  The small girl didn't like the implications of that.

Liseth jumped when a horrendous roar rocked the entire Nettlemaze.  It was a good thing they had made it into a taller cavern of the maze; she didn't fancy sticking her head through the ceiling of nettles!  She was already pale as the roar subsided, having set herself back into a corner of the cavern with all of her big male companions surrounding her.

"What was..."  The blonde paused and grasped her symbol to Sarenrae when the smaller chittering voices started up after the roar ended.  "Did they find us?  Do they know we're here already?"  She pointed past Cato and Kerr towards the ominous hole in the ground at the center of the nettle-cavern.  "It sounded like the roar came out of there."  Liseth postulated, "Is there an underground cavern too?"

OOC: Survival to follow the drag marks in the ground
Survival to locate any firepelt prints
Knowledge (Nature) for information on Firepelts

The gnome stood on the path opening out of the Nettle Maze, staring out over the panorama of her success.  "I did it ... "  Her voice was filled with the awe of accomplishment.  "Lysa!  Cato!  Stomper!  Kerr!  I found it.  I found Thistletop!  Shalelu was right," said the gnome.  "Northeast."

The question then became, how to get the others past the Firepelt?  Well, that, and the question of how a bunch of gobbies manage to tame a Firepelt in the first place.  Quite frankly, it seemed a feat well beyond the talents of most goblin tribes let alone individual gobbies.  Capture, maybe.  Tame ... um, no.  This would take further examination.  But first, the gnome looked out around the area next to the rope bridge. From first appearances, the Nettle Maze seemed to come right up to the bridge with no other way to get to the bridge except this path on which she was standing right now.  But, it would be silly to attempt the dangerous sneak past the Firepelt only to discover later that there was an easier way to get here, so Pisca looked.

"The tunnel through the nettles opens onto a rope bridge connecting to an island," reported Pisca as she turned for her return to the others.  "There's a fort there.  With two watch towers.  I don't see anyone in them, though."

"The rope bridge looks ... pretty creaky."  She played her image of the bridge in her mind, recalling the construction.  "When we get there it might be better if I take a look at it first.  Definitely."

"I'm coming back now.  I'm going to take a second look at that Firepelt.  How do gobbies keep a Firepelt anyway.  I'm going to see whether it's chain ... "

Then a terrible roar ripped through the thick and stagnant green air of the nettle tunnels followed closely by the fearful chittering of many muted gobbie voices.  Pisca froze.

"Are you alright?" Pisca whispered to the others.  "Did you see what that was?  I ... I wonder if that woke the Firepelt?"

Knowledge Engineering check, please.  To assess the safety of the bridge.
Knowledge Local?  History?  For knowledge of Bruthazmus and a Firepelt companion.
Stealth Checks in general.
Perception checks for danger.

Is there a Knowledge Check (with appropriate penalties for only being able to hear the roar) for identifying the source of the roar?

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Cato perked up as Pisca reported finding the bridge.  "Excellent!  We'll can be on our way soon.  Maybe we can all sneak past that Firepelt...."  Cato trailed off as the roar the maze, as though the whisper magic might have caused it.  He looked around.  "Was that....was that something alive?  The goblins couldn't possibly have captured or befriended something capable of making that kind of noise.  Maybe Nulia could?"  Cato looked around, then down at the small hatch.  "Or maybe there's something else.  We're close to the ocean.  Could this be some sort of strange acoustical trick of the waves or something?"

Cato moved closer to the hole in the center of the room, staring down into its depths.  He quietly picked up a small pebble from the ground and cast light on it, dropping it into the wall and watching its fall.

---

---

“Firepelt?”  Kerr said, trying to keep the consternation out of his voice.  That was the very kind of cougar that had attacked him when he was younger!  He still bore scars proving its battle prowess.  If his father hadn’t been there . . . Kerr could honestly say he had never liked cougars since then.

Especially firepelts.

“I think we should kill it,” he said firmly, “those things stalk people.  And if they get the drop on you?  Well . . .,”  the young acolyte winced in remembered pain and fear.  “It’s not pretty.”  He paused.  “Who would be crazy enough to try and tame one of those . . .,” he stopped short.  “Oh, right.  Goblins.”

Kerr was just as startled as his companions when a bellowing roar issued from the hole in the center of the thistle-cavern; he instinctively put a hand to his quiver and nearly drew an arrow before realizing that there was no immediately-discernable threat.  As the sound reverberated through the Nettlemaze, he saw Kellan lift up a pouch flap and check the still-glowing crystal he’d received from Shalelu.

“I don’t think that had anything to do with us.”  Kerr greatly hoped this was the truth.  “But I’m not sure . . . Cato!”  He whispered fiercely in alarm as the scholar moved over to the hole and dropped a lit pebble down its shaft.  It fell for a few seconds before splashing into what sounded like water below.

There was an immediate flurry of sloshing and thrashing as the lit pebble hit the water.  Cato couldn’t see exactly what was happening down there, but there definitely something moving below.  As the wizard leaned over, an even louder roaring blast of angry sound erupted from the hole, causing him to stumble.

“Cato!”  Kerr said sharply as his friend teetered precariously over the edge of the abyss.  This second roar had apparently riled up whoever possessed the muffled chittering voices; they now seemed to be getting louder, as if their owners were approaching the thistle-cavern from the northwest.

OOC:  Cato, make a DC 8 reflex save or fall into the hole.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--BBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-BBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  BBBBB |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+BBBBB+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | BBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--BBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
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K = Kellan    F = Firepelt
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole
BB = Bridge
OO = Overlook

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 19:47, Thu 18 Sept 2014.

Cato watched as his lit pebble fell into the churning water below, then stumbled and quickly recovered his footing, inches from the hole.  He looked around in a panic, both from the sounds of the hole, and chittering voices approaching their location.  He gripped his staff and backed up from the hole, putting a few feet between him and the dark portal.  "Sorry...curiosity got the better of me.  Had to rule out the hypothesis before moving on."  He looked again to the northwest.  "Maybe we should move from here, try and get past that Firepelt, and get across that rope bridge to the main part of Thistletop."

15:51, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 13 using 1d20+4. Reflex Save.

The second, more agitated roar was several times more disturbing than the first.

"What is going on," demands the gnome in an insistent whisper.  "I'm coming back.  And hope to Desna that you haven't waken the Firepelt."

Now, however, with the potential for real danger, the goblin-disguised gnome makes her way back in the direction of the clearing more slowly, keeping to the shadows and indentations of the nettle walls to conceal herself from what might be a very awake and agitated Firepelt - having just been waken from a pleasant kitty dream.

Hopefully, the Firepelt will be chained.  The gnome could not, for the life of her conceive of a Firepelt running free within this nettle maze with the goblins any other way.  But she had not seen a chain before.  Well, she'd find out on the return trip.  This time, she'd take a better look.

There was one more possibility.

"There's one more possibility," Pisca said to the others through her Whisper Magic.  It was a comment without the background that her thoughts would have provided, and therefore somewhat lost and drifty, missing its context.  But, that was nothing new as far as the gnome was concerned.  "At first, I was thinking that the Firepelt might have been an animal friend of the Bugbear Bruthazmus," she continued.  "But I don't recall Bruthazmus having a Firepelt companion in any of the stories.  Do you?"

"There's one other possibility, though," Pisca added after a moment and a few more cautious steps on her way back to the clearing.  "Maybe the Firepelt is someone else's friend?  And what if that someone else is in here with us too?"

Stealth Checks, in case the Firepelt has waken.
Perception checks to spot it before it spots Pisca.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

"Cato!"  Liseth's alarm mimicked Kerr's when the wizard stoked whatever monster laid inside the hole in the Nettlemaze.  Her momentary relief when Cato regained his footing was quashed the moment those chittering goblin voices were heard getting closer, however.  They had to do something quickly!  "The goblins might not know we're here yet if they're just coming to investigate the roar.  But the cougar is probably awake now too..."  She bit her lip and her nerves ramped up at the prospect of the rapidly approaching confrontation.

"Kellan," the diminutive blonde touched the big guardsman on his arm, "You have to hurry after Pisca.  If that roar woke the cougar then she is going to be in trouble.  Keep your spear ready though, firepelts are aggressive and this one is probably trained to attack intruders.  If it sees you it will try to pounce on you, so you'll have to be ready to keep it away with your spear so it can't get you with its claws."  As she spoke the acolyte channeled a small bit of divine energy into Kellan.

"Pisca, I think goblins are coming to us."  She let go of Kellan and utilized Pisca's Whisper Magic, "The roar came from the hole in the ground."  Liseth was trying to speak quickly, "Kellan is coming to help you in case the firepelt woke up.  We might need to...ambush the goblins here..."  The girl felt sick to the stomach just mentioning making an ambush.  Where was all of this coming from?

While speaking Liseth armed her magical, nonlethal, strange automatic crossbow.  Then she made sure that her special Befuddlers were in position to be grabbed and tossed.  "Kerr, Cato..." She swallowed, "I don't think that those goblins know we're here yet, but they will definitely find us if they hear us fighting the cougar.  Cougars are very loud.  I think that...we should..."  She looked towards the passage that it sounded like the goblins were coming from, "Get ready to ambush them here, when they show up.  Since it's open enough for us to stand up here."

Liseth punctuated her remark by shakily pointing the crossbow at the nettle-passage to the northwest.

OOC: Cast Guidance on Kellan (+1 to an attack, save or Skill Check; 1 minute)

Ready Attack on goblins that enter the nettle-cavern.

"We stay together" Kellan insisted with a whisper, Ameiko's last instructions all to clear in his mind "Come on, follow me" he gave a welcoming motion with his off hand and ducked into the previously hidden doorway to the North East moving as fast as his cramped surroundings would allow. "Last one through closes the door"

Getting picked apart piecemeal in a labyrinth of thorns sounded like a nightmare. If they had to storm the bridge, than so be it. Maybe Pisca in her goblin disguise could even help them out in the chaos. Taking his pole axe in both hands now he searched this way and that for the Firepelt, menacing the tunnel ahead with the freshly sharpened head spike.

What the hell would a Firepelt even want with them anyway? They had a reputation for aggression sure, but normally only while hunting like most animals...or so he had always thought. Running with this idea he paused and brought his pack around to pull out the lunch Ameiko had prepared for them. It would be a shame to waste it, but if it got them past the beast without a fight it would be well spent.

OOC:
Move up towards the North East
Ready Lunch in off hand to throw once/if everybody is together
This message was last edited by the player at 22:06, Thu 18 Sept 2014.

The gnome's response to the new information was instantaneous.  She continued her return, and, despite the increasingly dire circumstances, did not quicken her pace.

"No, Lysa, don't ambush the goblins.  Too much chance of them warning the fort.  If that roaring came from the hole, then do whatever it was that you did to make the roaring louder and longer.  That should cover any fighting that we do.  That's got to be something that the gobbies are used to.  Afraid of.  They won't know what stirred it up, but I don't think they're smart enough to do much besides shrug their shoulders."

"Once you stir up the Hole, follow the path to the east and close the door behind you," she said, without knowing that this was exactly what Kellan was doing at that very moment.  "There's a space where you can all crouch just before the junction where the path splits of to either the Firepelt den or the fort.  You might even be able to ambush the Firepelt from there."

"But remember this, and this is important, watch out for anyone else.  I think there's someone else in here with us.  Someone who brought the Firepelt in here.  Keep a sharp lookout."

Stealth Checks, in case the Firepelt has waken.
Perception checks to spot it before it spots Pisca.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (3/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

This message was last edited by the player at 23:02, Thu 18 Sept 2014.

"Okay...okay..."  Liseth repeated to herself as her shaking hands lowered her crossbow.  She looked towards Kellan and nodded, "Okay, I'll be right behind you.  Let's hurry..."

She watched Kellan prepare their food as a distraction for the firepelt cougar.  "I'm not sure that will work...if it's trained to attack it would most likely ignore the food."  Liseth frowned, "And if Pisca is right, it's master might be nearby to order it into attacking anyway.  You should keep your spear ready...let me take the food instead.  I'm good with animals, if it's tained I might be able to keep it away.  But there isn't much that I can do if it's trained to attack anyone who isn't a goblin.  So you'll need to be ready with your spear."

"I just hope those goblins don't follow us...getting stuck in the smaller passage between them would be...really bad."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 00:27, Fri 19 Sept 2014.

Kellan nodded to Liseth and passed her the lunch, resecuring his pack and his grip on his weapon as they moved. With a glance behind he checked for Cato and Kerr. Hoping that they would be able to elude the incoming voices and whoever they belonged to.

OOC: Pass Lunch to Liseth

---

---

Pisca made her way quickly back south down the thistle-tunnel, slowing as she approached the T-junction where tunnels still headed west to the entrance and south to the firepelt's lair.  She crept into a position where she could peek out at the firepelt, then slowly and deliberately moved her head around the corner of a thistle-hedge and took a good look.

The firepelt was definitely awake now.  It was lying in front of its den, watching the passageway to the north, but it didn't seem to see Pisca.  It didn't seem particularly perturbed by the recent roaring, either.  In fact, it stretched and started licking itself clean, stopping every so often to inspect the intersection before returning its attention to feline personal hygiene.

No chain of any sort was in evidence.  At least that a gnome could see.

Pisca was pretty sure that the firepelt wasn't in a position to see up the north tunnel, but it would definitely be able to see anyone moving from the north tunnel to the west tunnel, or vice versa.

Cato backed away from the hole in which he had almost just fallen, looking over to see Kellan disappearing through the thistle-door with Liseth close on his heels.  Kerr stayed behind, holding the door and silently motioning the wizard to follow, his glued to the northwest portion of the room.

The wizard glanced that way himself; the sound of chittering voices indicated they had almost reached the thistle-cavern.  Cato immediately saw the wisdom of following Kerr and darted after the young paladin, moving by him and ducking down to enter the low-overhead passageway.  Kerr carefully closed the thistle-door and kept a close watch on it, drawing his bow as he did so, but for now whoever had entered the thistle-cavern, if indeed anyone had, seemed to take no notice of the group's presence.  Kerr backed slowly down the cramped passageway after his three friends and toward the intersection leading to Thistletop proper.


The gnome saw the firepelt's ears flick up to alertness; its stare was drawn to the intersection just as she heard Kellan laboring up the much-too-small thistle-tunnel to the east with the other three humans right behind him.  She drew back and held up a hand to stop the warrior from continuing; he immediately froze in place.  The gnome looked carefully back around the corner.  The firepelt was still directing its attention to the intersection, but it didn't seem inclined to investigate.

Yet.

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24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+DD+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

K = Kellan    F = Firepelt
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole
BB = Bridge
OO = Overlook

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 02:23, Fri 19 Sept 2014.

Cato hunkered down in the passageway, straining to hear noise through the thistles. Had the voices ceased?  Was that rustle the firepelt moving?  He mentally kicked himself for disturbing whatever had lain in that hole. Though he had been partially right. It was water down there also...just not water making the noise.

His hands moved through familiar patterns, an acolyte's training exercise, as the mage wondered if he'd have to expend another bit of his arcane energy here, before reaching Thistletop itself.

He tried to hold himself motionless, but couldn't but but fidget in the tight space, trying to crane around Kellan for a better look at Pisca  "Thanks, Kerr. Sorry for making a mess of this whole stealth entry, everyone. I'll avoid trying to satisfy my curiosity while we're here, lest I draw any more attention.". Cato went quiet again, trying to stifle the wanderings of his active mind and focusing on survival.

Kellan froze in place as he saw goblin Pisca give her sign to stop. Truth be told he had initially faltered because he had seen a goblin round the corner and was getting ready to stab it just in case, but it had been Pisca, and she apparently did not want him continuing any further. The knowledge that the Fire Pelt was so close, and that they may have goblin pursuers, and that whatever had made that roaring  sound was surely still around sent his heart was racing.

It seemed they were at a crux, and he hoped Pisca had a plan.

"Stay where you are."  The gnome's gaze was locked to the south as she held up her hand to hold the others back.

"Stay where you are but be ready to move.  I'm going to try and Hypnotize it."

And so, daring, Goblin-Disguised Pisca Neep Freemish took a deep steadying breath and stepped boldly into view of the Firepelt.  The illusory image of Thok the Self-Proclaimed Goblin Commando Elite grinned and waved.  Then Thok the SPGCE began to hum a very deeply resonant hum.  It was an indefinably melodic hum.  It was an oddly compelling hum.  It was a hum so intriguing that it was a moment before anyone would even notice the terribly interesting way in which the SPGCE was moving his hands, weaving and dancing them in a repeating pattern that drew the eye, but was, at the same time, terribly difficult to remember.

"Get ready.  Wait for my go, then head up the northern path."

Step to W16 or wherever would be visible to the Firepelt and cast Hypnotism.
Will vs DC15 Disguise Self, then ...
3HD of Creatures (Will vs DC15 Hypnotism or be Fascinated for 5 Rounds.  If the spell affects only a single creature not in combat at the time, the saving throw has a penalty of -2.)

05:37, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 3 using 2d4. Hypnotism HD.
05:40, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 5 using 1d2+4. Hypnotism Rounds.

Fascinated: The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature's ally may shake it free of the spell as a standard action.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (2/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

This message was last edited by the player at 13:19, Fri 19 Sept 2014.

---

---

As the rest of the party did their best imitation of nothing at all, Pisca-Thok stepped out into the open, easily drawing the attention of the now-alert firepelt.  Unfortunately, her catchy hum did not have the desired effect.  The firepelt slowly rose to its feet, hackles raised, back arched, growling in the back of its throat.  The growl morphed into a snarl as the firepelt made it very clear that it did not appreciate Pisca-Thok's visit.

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |  |  |  |
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13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  X  |  |  |  |
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17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  X  X  |  |X | X|  |  |  |
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23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+XX+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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26|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

K = Kellan    F = Firepelt
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole
BB = Bridge
OO = Overlook

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

OOC:  08:50, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Firepelt, rolled 7 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Disguise Self.

---

---

"It's not working.  It's not working."  The sharp edge of panic was creeping about the edges of the gnome's whispered voice.  "I'm going to try again.  One more time," came her voice.

"One more time."  And Pisca started again.

Cast Hypnotism again.
5HD of Creatures (Will vs DC15 Hypnotism or be Fascinated for 7 Rounds.  If the spell affects only a single creature not in combat at the time, the saving throw has a penalty of -2.)

13:00, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 5 using 2d4. h.
13:00, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 7 using 2d4. Hypnotism Rounds.

Fascinated: The creature stands or sits quietly, taking no actions other than to pay attention to the fascinating effect, for as long as the effect lasts. It takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Perception checks. Any potential threat, such as a hostile creature approaching, allows the fascinated creature a new saving throw against the fascinating effect. Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the fascinated creature, automatically breaks the effect. A fascinated creature's ally may shake it free of the spell as a standard action.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

This message was last edited by the player at 20:01, Fri 19 Sept 2014.

---

---

The firepelt started to pace forward, hissing.  Why did this goblin not take the hint?  But then it started noticing the goblin's strange hand gestures.  The designs!  And its peculiar humming.  It was . . . interesting!  The firepelt sat down to watch.  It had never seen such an entertaining goblin!  It was . . . was it drawing lines in the air?  They seemed to be right in front of the firepelt's face!

The firepelt batted through a glowing line with a paw, but it disappeared!  How did that happen?  The firepelt was totally distracted by this new, strange, and very interesting game . . .


OOC:  There is no change in map positioning.

13:26, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Firepelt, rolled 10 using 1d20. Will Save v. Hypnotism.

Effect - Firepelt now fascinated. Rounds remaining:  6.

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Fri 19 Sept 2014.

"Go!"  Even at a whisper the voice of the gnome carries the strain of holding the Firepelt in check.

"I'll hold it here.  Go quietly.  And think friendly, non-hummie type thoughts."

"I'll catch up with you before the bridge.  Don't try the bridge without me."

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m, Hypnotism 7r.

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

---

---

OOC:  Everyone needs to make a Stealth check as they go around the corner. 

---

---

Liseth froze when she heard the growling and snarling of the firepelt cougar.  It didn't sound as though it appreciated whatever Pisca was trying to do!  Hopefully the goblins in the next chamber wouldn't want to try and investigate should they hear the snarling too.

"Pisca?"  She whispered worriedly.  Then the snarling stopped; whatever the gnome had tried finally worked to placate the cougar!  "Good job Pisca!  Be careful, we're moving..."

"Hurry!"  The acolyte whispered to everyone nearby.  "We'll follow you Kellan."  She touched Kerr's arm, "Come on Kerr, maybe we can get through here without having to fight anything."  Liseth sounded hopeful, but she knew that their luck wouldn't continue in such a manner once they were within Thistletop proper.

23:36, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 10 using 1d20+1. Stealth.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:45, Sat 20 Sept 2014.

Kellan moved with as much graceful as he could manage, which was sadly lacking. His armored corn fed bulk refused to be silenced, clanking and jingling here and there as he waddled his way north through the tunnel.

Fri 19 Sept: Kellan Storval rolled 4 using 1d20-2. Stealth past Firepelt
This message was last edited by the player at 20:04, Sun 21 Sept 2014.

Cato anxiously waited for his turn to sneak past the Firepelt, wincing as Kellan moved into the hallway.  When it was his turn, the mage smoothly slid around the corner, making barely a sound as he made his way past the larger room and deeper into the Nettlemaze. As he waited for the reaction, or lack of reaction, from the predatory cat, he rehearsed vague battle plans in his mind.  Better to end this quick, or preserve my spell power?  Sleep, maybe?

08:16, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 22 using 1d20+2. Stealth Roll.

---

---

Kerr cringed as Kellan clanked his way into the intersection and started crawling his way north.  The guardsman's face was red, although whether with exertion or embarrassment the acolyte couldn't tell.  But despite the clamor from Kellan's armor, the firepelt just sat there playing with some fascinating toy only it could see.

Cato made his through the intersection with surprising stealth for a wizard; Kerr followed Liseth as they all finally made it into the northern passageway.  The foursome stopped and looked back, weapons as ready as they could be given the close confines of the tunnel, fully expecting a ferocious firepelt attack.

But there was nothing.

Kerr tried to stretch his muscles as much as he could; he was starting to cramp in the tight, stifling space.  "We're through," he whispered to Pisca through the Whisper Magic.  She could hear the smile even in his whisper-voice.  "Guess your spell worked!"

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--BBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-BBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  BBBBB |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+BBBBB+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | BBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--BBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |BBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXX  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--XXXX--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  | D|  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+-X+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |KX|  |  |  |  |  |
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10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|C X  |  |  |  |  |
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11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XL |X |  |  |  |  |
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13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  X  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XXX|  |  |  |  |  |  X  X  |X |X |  |  |  |
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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  |  |D |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |
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16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |X XP |X |  |  |  |
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17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  |  | X|  |  X  X  |  |X | X|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXX-+--+-X+--XXXX--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XX |  |HH|  |  |  |  |  | X|  | X|  |  |X |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+-X+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+-X+--+--+-X+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  |  X  | F| X|  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--XXXXXXXXXXXX+--+XXXXXXX-+--+--X--+--XX-+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | X|  XXXXXXXXXXX |  |X |  |  |  |  |X | X|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+X-+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--XX-+--+--+--+--+-X+-X+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |X |  |  X  |  |  |X |XX|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

K = Kellan    F = Firepelt
L = Liseth
C = Cato
P = Pisca
R = Kerr

HH = Hole
BB = Bridge
OO = Overlook

D = Door

X = Impenetrable Thistles

OOC:

Rounds remaining in Hypnotism spell:  3

12:44, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Firepelt, rolled 2 using 1d20+1. Perception Check.
12:43, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 16 using 1d20-1. Stealth Check.

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Mon 22 Sept 2014.

It worked!  There had been a lot of noise behind her.  An awful lot of noise.  But the Firepelt had remained where it was, without looking up once!

"Goodbye, Kitty."  The image of the grinning goblin waved a farewell as he backed away to the north.  SPGCE Thok faded into the greenery of the Nettle Maze leaving the Firepelt to play with the remaining few moments of the hypnotic suggestion.

Well, that was rather successful, don't you think?" the goblin-disguised gnome whispered enthusiastically as she squeezed her way past the others to the front of the line that would soon let out onto the rope bridge that spanned the gaping chasm between the mainland and Thistletop.

Pisca the Goblin Commando Elite scanned the far side of the Chasm of Death as she once again approached the rope bridge.  The Thing In The Hole might be know to the gobbies.  But that doesn't mean that its howls wouldn't attract attention.  It seemed to draw the interest of the Nettle Maze Living gobbies.  Could the Fortress Living Pickle Monkeys be any less curious?

"I'm going to walk out onto the bridge and have a look.  If I were a tactical genius like Ripnugget, I'd put at least one trap here," she said.  "Hold still in the shadows until I give the all clear."

Stealth check
Perception check
Knowledge Engineering check.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m, Hypnotism 7r.

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Cato let out a soft sigh of relief when their group had cleared the Firepelt.  "Nice job, Pisca!  Another obstacle done with."  The wizard watched carefully as Pisca ventured out onto the bridge.  With nothing else to do but observe, Cato studied the bridge from the shadows.  He didn't entirely trust the goblin engineering, and the mage knew he'd shortly be trusting his life to to the bridge.  If the bridge was as crude as the dogslicers and horsechoppers the goblins had carried into battle...Cato swallowed and tried not to think about the long drop into the water below.

Knowledge: Engineering check for Cato as well.

Just a glimpse.  That's all that Liseth caught of the firepelt cougar as she was doing her best to sneak through the intersection.  It was actually very pretty!  Although she imagined that had a lot to do with the fact that it was a big kitty at play.  It would probably appear less pretty were it snarling and attacking.

Then she was past the intersection.  Even with all of the noise they made in passing, the firepelt couldn't be bothered to draw its attention away from whatever magic Pisca had used on it.  "Good job Pisca!"  Liseth whispered through the medium of the gnome's magic.

They had bypassed the maze so much more easily than she imagined they would.  And they didn't even see any goblins; despite how close they may have come.  Not to mention getting past the guard cougar!  The acolyte was beginning to get optimistic; if their luck held out at this rate they might actually be able to pull this off!  Although the hardest part was likely just ahead.

Liseth nearly jumped when goblin-Pisca pushed by her.  Her heart pounded for the moment it took for her to realize that it was just Pisca in her magic disguise.  The girl offered her small friend a smile and placed a hand on her shoulder as she went by.

"Kerr," she whispered as her boyfriend watched the passage behind them, "I can't believe we're actually doing it!"  She looked around at the surrounding nettles, "This place would be so amazing if it weren't for all of the goblins.  It would be fun to explore it further."

"Be careful Pisca," Liseth cautioned through the Whisper Magic.  Pausing suddenly as she remembered something, Liseth got back down on the ground to see if she could locate the drag marks again.  It made sense that the goblins would be dragging things over their bridge if they were taking them into the fort.

But if they weren't dragging their heavy things over the bridge, that would mean they were using a different route.  Which might mean that something was wrong with the bridge.

OOC: Survival to find the drag marks again.  Also to see if goblin tracks go out of the passage and over the bridge.

Kellan winced and suppressed a groan as he made his way along the cramped trail. Surely the Firepelt had to havr heard him and ot was simply Piscas magic keeping ot at bay. It was the only thing he could think of to explain the lack of a sudden attack from behind.

When they were more Robles clear of the creature he paused andn looked around in disbelief as they stood at the threshold of Thistletop itself. They were so close.

The guardsman hung back with the others as Pisca moved to scout the next segment of the journey, casting a discerning eye upon the goblin bridge spanning the churning sea below.

Today: Kellan Storval rolled 11 using 1d20+5. Know Engineering: Goblin Bridge.

"Well ... the bridge is trapped."  Goblin-disguised Pisca loitered on the bridge, pretending to look over the side at something swirling about in the crashing waves below.  "It looks ... as though things are set to release the supports on the left-side of the bridge and dump whoever is on the bridge over the side and into the chasm below."

"Hmmm ... " the goblin-disguised gnome hummed.  "Not sure exactly how that works.  Or how to disable it."

The figure cloaked in the appearance of Thok the SPGCE turned its face up to rake the fort with a wary eye.

"I'm going to stroll to the far end of the bridge.  At the very least, I can hold things there.  I'll try to get a better idea of how this Bridge-Dumping works.  Be ready.  I think we'll need to come over one at a time.  Fast."

Awaiting further info via PM.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m, Hypnotism 7r.

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Tue 23 Sept 2014.

---

---

As Pisca crossed the bridge, the fortress of Thistletop rose before her.  The stockade was made of thick wood; as she approached she could see that most of it seemed to have been scavenged from ships.  A few nameplates remained affixed to some of the beams while other timbers looked as if they had once been masts.

Once on the other side, Pisca could hear what sounded like yipping and yapping coming from elsewhere on the island, although she couldn't tell from exactly where the sounds originated.  She could also hear raised goblin voices coming from the eastern watchtower, but could not yet see any sign of their owners.

The main entrance doors to the Thistletop fortress stood ajar.  These large, wooden portals were about 15 feet away from where Pisca stood at the edge of the bridge.  There were dense nettles blocking the way both east and west around the island proper but the gnome could see small breaks in the bushline indicating the presence of passageways much like the ones the party just left in the Nettlemaze.

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--E--+--X--+--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  X  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  N  |  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXD--+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  N  |  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |P |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower
N = Nettles
W = Waterline

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:32, Tue 23 Sept 2014.

Liseth stood from where she was examining the various track marks in the ground, hearing that Pisca was talking through her Whisper Magic again.  "Trapped?" the girl whispered back.  She looked towards the bridge in question, realizing that she had moved somewhat closer during her own investigation.

Slowly, the acolyte looked again at the ground, then back towards the bridge.  "I think the bridge is the only way into the fort from here.  The goblin tracks go straight over the bridge, and it even looks like whatever they were dragging was taken over the bridge as well."  Liseth frowned at the thought of a fall down into the ocean.  "We have to get across here, or it's a trip back past the firepelt and those maze goblins."

As the diminutive blonde watched Goblin-Pisca stroll across the trapped bridge she felt herself holding her breath.  Surely they would not trigger the trap when they saw another goblin moving across?  Her breath let out in relief after Pisca had made it to the far side.

"Does it look safe?"  Liseth whispered through the gnome's magic.  "Are there many goblins?  Can you see how the trap works from there?  Should we start across now too?"  She could feel her nerves starting to get to her.  There were so many bad things that could happen in just the next couple of minutes that she didn't even want to think about them.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:59, Tue 23 Sept 2014.

"No gobbies in sight, Lysa.  And no one's called out or challenged me."  There was a suspicious wariness in the gnome's voice that even carried over her Whisper Magic.  "I hear some gobbies in the eastern watchtower.  But I don't see them."

And the front door ... was ajar.

"Go," called the gnome.  Her decision was made.  As bad as things seemed, she didn't see them getting any better.  At least not until nightfall.  And with the gobbies in the Nettle Maze and the Firepelt, they were unlikely to be able to wait that long.

"Stomper first.  He can help me hold the bridge.  Move fast, but quietly.  If you make it over without an alarm being called, you can throw yourself down near the edge of one of these nettle thickets.  That should hide you a bit from anyone on the walls."

"Kerr Mollin, cover him.  Shoot any gobbie had that appears on the walls.  Cato next.  Then Lysa.  You're last, Kerr Mollin.  If a gobbie does appear, keep coming, Stomper.  I'll pretend I'm tripping the bridge trap.  That might hold them back for a while.  They'll want to watch.  It might take them a while to realize the bridge isn't going to dump.  And, by that time, we might be able to get everyone over."

Pisca the Goblin Deceiver patted one of the poles that held the rope bridge in place.  She waggled the head of Thok the SPGCE as though marveling at the construction.  She squatted at the edge of the cliff as though looking down again into the swirling waters below.  All the time, though, she had an eye on the fort and an ear to any approach.

"Go," Pisca repeated.  "I don't think Desna will be offering us a better chance than this."

Perception, check.  To spot any threats.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Kellans heart started beating faster as Pisca confirmed that she have made it across. And now, it was his turn.

One look across the span and he decided against any kind of creeping or skulking, There was no cover and it was broad daylight. But even as he began his trek to the gates of Thistletop he felt as if in a dream.

He moved at the pace of a swift walk, not fast enough to upset the bridge or cause undue noise, but at the same time he did not slow his gait.

He found that the nearer he came to the threshold the faster and harder his heart seemed to beat. This was it. This was really it.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:42, Fri 26 Sept 2014.

---

---

Kerr gratefully breathed the fresh sea air blowing into the thistle-tunnel as the group approached the goblin-bridge out to Thistletop.  He gave Liseth a somewhat-goofy grin as he considered everything that had transpired to that point, from the near-escape in Pauper's Graves to avoiding the goblins in the thistle-cavern to the firepelt's near-miraculous failure to detect their noisy passage into the tunnel they currently occupied.

Surely, the young acolyte thought, the gods must be looking out for us.

"I can hardly believe it myself," he murmured back to Liseth, although her idea of fun clearly differed somewhat from his own.  He stopped his crouching, stooping advance towards the tunnel exit to knock on its cursedly-low ceiling with his free hand.  "So much fun," he said wryly, cocking an amused eyebrow.  "But my back suggests we stay out of this maze as much as we possibly can."

Kerr's attention was quickly drawn to Pisca's investigation of the bridge.  She seemed to have little fear of either detection by goblin or death by bridge-trap, but he supposed her goblin-form helped with the first and her extremely-elevated-but-not-always-warranted sense of her own competence took care of the latter.

The paladin drew an arrow and scanned the distant island for possible threats, but didn't see anything other than what Pisca reported through her Whisper Magic.  He watched anxiously as the gnome traveled the rest of the way over the bridge, sighing in relief as she seemed to traverse it without incident.  As Kellan started making his way over the span, Kerr nodded in response to Pisca's suggested tactics, then realized that he needed to vocalize his communication.

"Right," he said, nocking the drawn arrow to his bow while keeping his eyes locked on the top of the goblin's fortress.  He took up a classic kneeling-archer stance just outside the thistle-tunnel's entrance, making extra sure that he had a strong, stable base.  "It's a good distance away, but I've made shots like this before.  If I see anything moving up top, I'll do my best to put it down."  He paused, suddenly realizing the tactical implications of their separation.  "But let's try our best not to raise the alarm before we're all back together, agreed?"

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 09:13, Wed 24 Sept 2014.

Cato watched as Kellan crossed the goblin rope bridge.  He couldn't believe a bridge made by goblins could possibly be completely safe to cross, but it seemed so to his well-trained eye.  Cato waited until Kellan had made it across the bridge, then hustled across himself, keeping his gaze forcefully averted from the yawning chasm and the drop into the surging sea below.

Once on the other side, Cato crouched behind a wall of nettles, trying to remain out of sight from any goblins above.  "Are we just getting ourselves into a bigger mess?  What if the goblins behind us in the Nettlemaze realize there are intruders in Thistletop?"  He glanced back at the bridge.  "Not that I want to ruin our only escape option, but I don't want to get caught between whatever is guarding the Nettlemaze and whatever is guarding their lair."

"Hum doo dee-dum."  SPGCE Thok sang tunelessly to himself while, from inside, Pisca the Goblin Stronghold Infiltrator, kept a keen watch for signs that she and her small group of Goblin Stronghold Infiltrating Friends had been spotted.

Stomper.

Cato.

So far so good.

This was a tense moment, filled with the sort of danger that would give a nail-biting gnome bloody fingertips.  "Crossing a goblin bridge onto an island fortress is like taking off an old bandage, Cato," Pisca whispered in reply.  "There's no other way to get to the other side.  So you might as well do it quick and get it over with."

"And if we're attacked from the Nettle Maze side ... "  And here the visage of the Self-Proclaimed Goblin Commando put on a grin, both evil and indulgent.  " ... then we dump the bridge with as many gobbies on it as we can get."

Perception, check.  To spot any threats.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Cato nodded, the realized Pisca probably wasn't watching him.  "Yes, that's what I was thinking.  Using the goblin's own trap against them.  Hopefully, we'd be able to find another way off Thistletop and back to the mainland, though."  He thought back to the drop into the water from the bridge.  "Maybe swimming?  Though I'm not much good at that, and I doubt Kellan would be, in his armor.  Still, better than fighting dozens of goblins at one time."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 16:36, Wed 24 Sept 2014.

"Swim?"  The Goblin-Disguised gnome paused in her vigilance.  She appeared startled, as though coming upon the idea that they might have to swim for it for the first time.

"Butbutbutbut ... " she stammered.  "There are gnome-eating sharks down there."

Perception, check.  To spot any threats.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Liseth smiled at Kerr, who was clearly uncomfortable within the narrow Nettlemaze.  It wasn't exactly a comfortable place to walk, she had to admit.  But it was so very fascinating!  Liseth never imagined a bush so large that she could move around inside of it like this.  She would love to just spend a day crawling around within it and exploring.

If it weren't for the goblins.  Or the cougar.

"Do you think that I could grow a blackberry bush large enough to carve a cavern out of the inside?  Blackberry Bushes mostly have dead vines on the inside of the plant, so I don't think that it would hurt it to clear some out.  Then we could have our own secret vine fort!"  It was a fun thing to imagine.  And with all of her anxiety at their current situation, Liseth enjoyed trying to think of other things.

Once Kellan started across the bridge though, those other things came straight back to the forefront of her mind.  She watched, nervous as ever, as the big guardsman tested his weight against the questionable goblin bridge.  And his noise against the ears of unknowable numbers of goblin sentries.

"Erastil guide your aim..."  She laid a hand on Kerr when he knelt down to cover everyone's advance over the bridge.  She had the distinct feeling that the time for any amount of joking around had come to an end.

Then Cato's turn came to cross the bridge.  Liseth couldn't help but glance down at the rough waters below the bridge.  What if she stumbled?  Best not to think about it.  While waiting her turn she listened to what Pisca was saying to Cato; even though she couldn't hear Cato's half of the conversation.

"Swim?!"  The acolyte Whispered back.  "Sharks!?"  She saw that it was her turn now to get across the bridge, albeit reluctantly.  She tried to pull her eyes off of the chasm filled with churning ocean water and hurried across the bridge as fast as her lame legs could take her.  "Pisca, I can't swim!"  The small girl admitted.  "There has to be a better way out of the fort than that!"

With that possibility juggling around her mind, Liseth did her best to reach her friends at the far side and duck behind whatever looked like it might conceal her from the eyes of goblins.

OOC: Cast Guidance on Kerr (+1 to an attack, save, or skill check)

Kellan was crouched right up against the fortress wall with his pole axe held low and parallel to the ground. He felt exposed and yet at the same time he had conducted patrols atop Sandpoints wall for years and felt that they had picked a good position.

As he watched the others come over he sometimes glanced up and around to make sure no curious green heads could be seen craning over, although he was fairly sure he would hear the twang of Kerrs bow string long before that happened.

As he waited, thankful for the cool sea breeze and the ability to move more freely, he reminded himself that should he need to storm those gates that he would need to clear the way for the others before he sought out Nualia. The knowledge that they could be plunged into chaos at a moments notice was exciting and terrifying at the same time. Who knew what the next few minutes might bring?

---

---

Kerr watched vigilantly as first Kellan, then Cato, then Liseth made their way across the bridge.  The one-at-a-time strategy for bridge-crossing seemed to be working, but Kerr worried about how long it was taking them.  This was the goblins' main fortress, after all.  How long could it be before someone passed by the front door?

But the party's luck seemed to be holding.  The young paladin lowered his bow as Liseth reached Thistletop Island; he supposed it was his turn to cross.  Taking a deep breath, he rose from his kneeling position and moved quickly across the bridge, trying his best not to trigger whatever trap Pisca had discovered.

As he crossed, the acolyte couldn't help but notice what a beautiful day it was.  The sun shone high overhead in a cloudless sky as gulls called to each other during their endless hunt for sustenance.  The crash of the waves on the rocky beach would almost be relaxing if he wasn't facing such a perilous situation.

The goblins had clearly chosen a very nice spot to live.

Kerr reached the other side without incident, which caused him to wonder again about the lack of sentries, patrols, or anything else.  Was it just because every able-bodied goblin was participating in the Thistletop attack?  Was it because they had grown lax in their overconfidence?  Or was it just because goblins were easily bored?  Perhaps some of all three, he told himself.

Kerr knelt down next to the others.  "Okay, here we are," he said in a quiet voice, looking at the doors of the fortress, which hung slightly open.  "Should we head into the fortress, or make sure the exterior is clear, or . . . ."

At that very moment the leaves rustled as a goblin riding a goblin dog emerged around the corner of the path into the western nettle bushes.  The goblin commando looked so similar to the one Pisca had fought during the fateful night of the Swallowtail Festival that it could have been his twin.  The goblin gaped at Kerr and Pisca; he could hardly have been more visibly surprised if he had been holding a sign declaring the fact.  "Thok?"  He said, almost without thinking, before recognizing the situation and scrambling for a bugle-like object attached to the goblin dog's saddle . . . .

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B = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N = Nettles                                L = Liseth
W = Waterline                              C = Cato
G = Mounted Goblin Commando                R = Kerr

OOC - The goblin is surprised.  Everyone can take a surprise-round action, then roll for initiative.

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Fri 26 Sept 2014.

Thoughts of the Gnome-eating Sharks that surely lurked beneath the frothing waves below flew out over the edge of the cliff with the appearance of the unexpected goblin rider.  They dropped like the proverbial stone, and the sound of their entry into the waters below was masked by the incessant churning of the waters themselves.  Whether these thoughts of Pisca Neep Freemish, now below the waves, ever discovered the truth behind their own dubious existence is a thing that no one connected with this story will ever know.  Though, it can be quite safely assumed that they were grateful for having had such an extensive tangent as this devoted exclusively to themselves.

Meanwhile, the mind of Pisca Neep Freemish raced in a completely opposite direction.  Perhaps it was the goblin rider's use of the name of her disguise.  Thok.  Or, perhaps she had been prepared for just this sort of encounter from the time she took upon herself this disguise.  Regardless, whatever the reason might have been, it stifled the gnome's natural reaction to draw on the goblin rider, pinning it with an arrow, and instead, Pisca the Goblin-Disguised Gnome, laughed.

"Hahahaha!"  Without another word, the green, goblin figure of Thok the SPGCE doubled over and pointed a green, goblin finger at the rider as though he were the butt of a tremendous joke.

[Language unknown: "Der roatwe!"] said Pisca as her goblin laughter died.  [Language unknown: "Ateantund mo eidial k neho ionio ureherlat ll ousse ntbe Inloho ugh,"] she added.  [Language unknown: "T.  Ive ame na and.  Safous io yinearugh."]  The goblin form of Thok hooked a thumb over his shoulder in the general direction of the Nettlemaze.  He scratched himself.  Then, as though bored now with this conversation with the rider, and he turned an apathetic gaze in the direction of the fort.  [Language unknown: "Ess ainhatnde,"] said the image of Thok.  Then he gave Kerr Mollin a look of annoyance and waved his hands as though signaling the stupid human to lower his weapon.

Disguise Check to be like Thok (Base of 14.  4Cha +10Bonus from Disguise Self spell.)
Bluff Check for the story, please.

13:59, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 15 using 1d20+4. Initiative.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

This message was last edited by the player at 21:00, Fri 26 Sept 2014.

Kellan was moving befote before he was even fully aware of what he was doing. Something about the high pitched goblin language disturbed him and that the voice had definitely come from somewhere other than Pisca spurred him on.

The thought of his friends being pierced by goblin barbs as they pounded with futility upon the fortress gates was a scenario he had often envisioned in the hours leading up to the assault and he saw his chance to keep it from becoming a reality.

He pushed forward through the double doors far enough to make room for the others should they follow, rising to his full height and leading with the head spike of his weapon as he ran.

OOC:
Move: to M21
Standard: Take in the forts interior.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:40, Tue 30 Sept 2014.

Liseth went rigid the moment the mounted patrol goblin walked into view.  This was it!  Her heart pounded but some self-preservation instinct forced her to keep from making any noise; in startlement or otherwise.

It didn't make her feel any better when Pisca immediately started laughing and speaking with the goblin.  In the harsh goblin language that she couldn't understand.  The mounted goblin and his monster dog reminded her so much of the one that tried to run her down all those days ago, and her last confrontation with goblins went even worse than that!  Suddenly the acolyte was wishing that she was anywhere else.

The goblin hadn't see her yet though...at least she didn't think it had.  His attention was focused on Kerr and Pisca with her goblin disguise.  And whatever it was that Pisca was saying to him.  The girl was certain that if he did see her there behind Kerr they would be in trouble.  She didn't imagine herself looking much like another one of the goblins' human allies.

So she made herself as small as possible, squatting in the corner of the big nettle bush.  Nothing there but another plant.  That's all she was, Liseth kept repeating to herself.  Just a growth of nettles.

With blonde hair.  And trembling eyes watching the mounted goblin and his monster dog.

Surprise Action: Stealth Check, using Kerr as cover from the Goblin.

Initiative: 4

13:26, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 4 using 1d20+1. Initiative.

Cato crouched by the side of the nettle wall.  He couldn't exactly see what was happening, but tensed up and stayed quiet, listening to Pisca's goblin conversation.  Not for the first time, the young sage wished that he had spent more time learning modern languages instead of just ancient ones.  In lieue of that, the mage mentally reviewed his list of spells for the day, trying to decide on the appropriate action to use on whatever unfortunate goblin had encountered their group.

09:38, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 24 using 1d20+6. Initiative.
Surprise Action: Remain still.  Stealth check.

---

---

Kellan burst through the fortress' entrance to find a large hall.  The floor of the room was made of hard-packed sod that looked as if the builders had either run out of lumber after constructing the walls and roof or--more probably--had just never thought about putting in a floor.  A number of poorly-preserved horse and dog heads were mounted along the eastern wall, while a pair of large, black-feathered wings was tacked to the southern wall with some wicked-looking daggers.

Sitting on the floor near the entrance were two goblins who until that moment had been completely enthralled by a game of chance they had been playing.  Their dogslicers lay on the floor next to them while at the same time small, unidentifiable objects that might have been made from carved bone were placed between them with seeming deliberation.

The two could not have been any more surprised by Kellan's bold entrance had he stopped to dance a jig.  They gaped at him, mouths open, before their eyes traveled to the large, brass ship's bell just between them and the doors . . . .


Piq the Goblin Commando rested his hand on his signal horn as he digested Thok's amazing reappearance.  They had all thought that Thok had been captured or killed, yet here he was, looking just as good as new.  Which aroused Piq's suspicions.  If Thok had been out there for days, wouldn't he have been in worse shape than this?

And now Thok was laughing.  Thok.  Laughing.  Thok never laughed.  If there was a more humorless, serious, intense goblin than Thok, Piq didn't want to meet him.

But this more light-hearted Thok was entering Thistletop with humans, which meant . . . . a cold javelin of fear stabbed straight through the pit of Piq's stomach as he jerked his signal horn free and began to raise it to his lips.


Pisca and Kerr saw the goblin commando's eyes widen and his free hand suddenly clench the bugle he carried.  They had only seconds to react once they realized the goblin had seen through their facade . . . .

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXDDDDDXDDXXXX--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--XXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |G1|G2X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  X  |  |  D  |  |  | BX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  XK |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
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23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NC |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N G|  |  |  |P |R |  | L|WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
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25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
G  = Mounted Goblin Commando (Piq)          R = Kerr
G1 = Goblin 1
G2 = Goblin 2

OOC - Goblin 1 and Goblin 2 are surprised.  Kellan, you get a surprise round action and may roll for initiative.

00:50, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando, rolled 14 using 1d20+3. Initiative.
00:52, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 21 using 1d20+5. Initiative.

Cato and Pisca, you get to act before the Commando.  So does Kerr.  Make it count!

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 08:07, Tue 30 Sept 2014.

"Badgers."  The muttered curse came out swift and low, fitting prelude for the next few seconds in the life of Pisca the Elite Gnomish Commando.  Her movements were fluid, the product of well honed instincts and devoid of doubt or hesitation.

The dagger that came into her hand borrowed from the momentum of her few short steps in the direction of the hapless goblin rider.  It too had its mission, and when it left the gnome's hand it flew straight and true with power and magic behind it.

A meaty thunk punched at the moment, aural evidence that the Amazing Returning Dagger that had once belonged to Quasit Girl had buried itself deep in the eye of the luckless goblin.  Wherein Pisca, the Surprisingly Deadly Gnomish Commando, straightened from her throw and added in a cold Deadly Commando voice, "And kill the little dog too."

Draw Returning Dagger / 5ft step / Throw /Arcane Strike as Swift Action
Hit Piq AC9 (+6 +1PbS +1AL +Dagger)
Damage 1d4 +1Dagger +1PbS +1AL +1ArcaneStrike

04:25, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 25 using 1d20+9. Hit Piq AC9 (+6 +1PbS +1AL +Dagger.
04:26, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 8 using 1d4+4. Damage 1d4 +1Dagger +1PbS +1AL +1ArcaneStrike.

Position: O24 (5ft step)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

Liseth wasn't good at this sort of thing.  She always had trouble trying to read people's intentions, and when it came to interpreting the actions of a mean mounted goblin she was at a total loss.  All she could do was watch from her crouched position and pray silently that whatever Pisca was trying worked out.

It was only a second later that Pisca plunged her magic throwing dagger into the goblin's eye.  Liseth was so startled she nearly jumped!  She hadn't seen any sort of change in the goblin, but apparently whatever it had done convinced Pisca that her disguise wasn't working.

Which likely meant that there was going to be a fight really soon.

The acolyte's hand found Sarenrae's Symbol as her heart pounded.  Her mind raced and she knew that she was going to have to calm down quickly if she was going to be any help.

Kellan did not slow or give pause as he set eyes upon the goblins sitting near the gate. After all the work and worry, the sneaking and the praying, there was a certain amount of relief that the moment had finally come. Regardless of how the day ended, at least the wait was over.

As he closed the distance he brought the axe end around high in an arc towards the nearest goblin. Gone was the overwhelming anxiety and nervous trembling of his first battles just a few weeks prior, replaced with a steady hand and a fixed glare upon the enemy that had cost them so much.

OOC
Standard: Reach Attack G1
09:48, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 3 using 1d20+2. Initiative.
09:52, Tue 30 Sept: Kellan Storval rolled 9 using 2d4+6. Damage G1.
09:50, Tue 30 Sept: Kellan Storval rolled 25 using 1d20+9. Reach Attack G1.

This message was last edited by the player at 19:06, Thu 02 Oct 2014.

Cato sat still, hoping to be ignored by the curious goblin.

*Edited to remove incorrect actions.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:29, Thu 02 Oct 2014.

---

---

Piq's signal horn had barely cleared his belt when Not-Thok drew a wicked-looking dagger and threw it at him, hitting him directly in the eye!  Piq rocked backwards, ready to scream in pain, when an arrow came flying in from nowhere to take him through the throat.  Piq croaked in surprise, placing a shocked hand to his punctured windpipe as he watched the now-bloody dagger fly back to its owner--he then slid off his mount, unconscious and bleeding profusely.

The signal horn clattered to the ground beside him, unused.


Mik the goblin dog was almost as surprised at his master when the other goblin drew a dagger and threw it at Piq.  Mik didn't know exactly what was going on, but he knew this goblin was now the enemy, and apparently in league with the bow-armed human who had just shot Piq off his back.

As Piq slumped to the ground, Mik howled in fury and bounded across the space separating him from the traitorous goblin.  He bowled into his enemy, knocking him slightly backwards.  Mik tried to tear out his opponent's throat, but was surprised as the small goblin brought a shoulder around to protect his vulnerable neck.  Mik's teeth sank deep into the offered shoulder.  As Mik savaged the joint, ready to rip the wretched creature limb from limb, a deep, clamorous ringing burst forth from the double doors . . . .


Kellan knew he was in trouble as soon as he entered the hall; the two goblins were too close to the bell and seemed to recover from the shock of his entry with a preternatural quickness.  Unfortunately for the first goblin, that alacrity didn't save him--Kellan's polearm came whistling through the air, cleanly separating his head from his shoulders.

The other goblin had no time to snivel or gape at his decapitated companion; he leaped towards the nearby bell and tugged on its pull rope.  As a loud, resonant ringing echoed through the entry hall, the goblin turned and scampered through his now-forgotten winnings from the game of chance, forsaking his weapon in a mad dash to escape the deadly armored human.  He turned the corner of the eastern hallway and disappeared; his footsteps and wails of anguish receding as he put as much space as possible between him and the Hall of Death.

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--XXXX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  X  |  |  D  |  |  | BX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  XK |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--N--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NC |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
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24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  | G|P |  |R |  | L|WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
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25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
D  = Goblin Dog                             R = Kerr
G1 = Goblin 1
G2 = Goblin 2

OOC -

Party Actions

09:21, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Piq the Goblin Commando, rolled 11 using 1d20+9. Mounted Combat Ride Check.
09:18, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 5 using 1d8+4. Bowshot Damage.
09:17, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 23 using 1d20+6. Shot #2, PB, RF, DA.
09:16, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 10 using 1d20+6. Shot #1, PB, RF, DA.

Results:  Piq the Goblin Commando takes 13 points of damage; he is unconscious and dying.

Kellan kills Goblin 1.

Goblin Dog

Full Round Action:  Charge to N24 and Attack Pisca

12:38, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Dog, rolled 8 using 1d6+3. Bite Damage to Pisca.
12:35, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Dog, rolled 20 using 1d20+4. Charge Attack on Pisca (Bite).

Result:  Pisca takes eight points of damage and must pass a DC12 Fortitude check or suffer -2 to DEX and CHA from the effects of the hideous creature's dander.

Goblin 2

12:52, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Entry Hall Goblins, rolled 26 using 1d20+6. Initiative.
Standard Action:  Ring Bell
Move Action:  Disappears down hall starting at Q17

ALL PARTY MEMBERS MAY NOW TAKE THEIR ACTIONS.

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 20:28, Thu 02 Oct 2014.

Hearing the tolling from the warning bell inside the goblin gates, Cato rushed forward to aid Kellan.  Inside, he quickly examined the scene, catching a faint glimpse of the goblin disappearing down the corridor.  "Too bad we couldn't get them both."  Cato listened, as the sounds of the goblin dog outside reached his ears.  "Since we're going to be expecting some company soon, let me give you a hand."  Cato reached into a pouch on his belt, pulling out a small piece of turtleshell.  He briefly pressed it against Kellan and intoned: [Language unknown: "Venthaingverure io Icaeenain"].

Move: M22
Standard: Cast Protection from Arrows on Kellan.  Kellan gains DR 10/magic vs ranged weapons for 4 hours or until the spell has prevented 40 damage.

Kellan felt the shaft of the pole axe twist slightly in his grip as the blade found the goblins spine and prepared to use the momentum to follow through into a another strike only to hear the low clear tone of the warning bell and see the back end of a goblin careening around the eastern corner.

"By the gods they're quick" he thought to himself as the fear slowly crept into his mind. He imagined hundreds of goblins scrabbling for weapons and armor, goblin dogs baying and snapping from their fetid kennels and Nualia herself looking up from whatever profane rituals she had engrossed herself in.

So it was a great relief when Cato approached him and worked whatever magics he had devised for the occasion. His calm tone and purposeful demeanour set Kellans mind at ease and prompted him to take a deep breath. "Think it through..." Alergast would have said, some misty morning on the drill grounds. "Think it through"


He took in the angles of the room, compared them to what he had seen while crossing the bridge, and tried to think of the battle from Nualias point of view.

As invaders they were cut off, no hope of reenforcements, but they were intact and within the fortress walls. He doubted the sound of the bell could carry over the roar of the sea and the span of the bridge, so she would have to rely on whoever was manning the fort.

Nualia would have done her research, reviewed the reports from the scouts, found out why the attack on the Glassworks had failed. She would know their names, their capabilities...

It was with an uncomfortable certainty that Kellan decided that they would try to kill Liseth first and foremost. Without her divine guidance they could only last so long.

"Liseth!, Pisca! We have to move!" He shouted through the open gate as he took his position near the center and readied himself for what may come.

With a slow, steady exhalation he widened his stance and leveled his pole axe. His eyes darting between the doors in anticipation

OOC
Move: to N19
Standard: Ready normal reach attack against any enemy in range.

After Kerr's quick snap shot, Liseth quickly decided that she wouldn't need to worry so much about this mounted goblin.  Even though the now-riderless monster dog proved it was something to worry about all by itself as it sank its teeth into Pisca.

The girl's gasp came at the same moment as the alarm bell started ringing.  Then her own alarm caused her eyes to widen.  There was no way the whole fort didn't know about them now!

"Move...have to move..."  She repeated what she heard shouted from Kellan within the fort.  Already she was up and moving as fast as she could to reach the inside of the fort where Kellan was at.  Liseth stopped just inside the door and turned around to look at Kerr and Pisca still outside.

"Kerr!  Pisca!  Hurry!  Get inside!  Don't let them catch you in the courtyard!"  The acolyte shouted even as she grasped the large door to shut it closed as soon as her friends had made it inside.

Hopefully Monster Dogs didn't know how to open up doors.

Move: Move to P 21
Standard: Readied Action: Close door once Pisca and Kerr have made it inside.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 21:55, Thu 02 Oct 2014.

With a wrench of her body, Pisca tore her shoulder from the slavering maw of the brutish goblin dog.  "Ew," she whispered through the pain and the shock of her own rent flesh - a sight, she thought, that she should be getting used to by now.  "Did you know that there are more ill-humors in the mouth than there are in the genitalia?" she added, an odd bit of knowledge to come up with in this situation, for sure.  But, perhaps not so odd, as she could almost feel her constitution sending troops to repel the invasion of just such ill-humors flooding in from the dank and fetid pit that was the mouth of this goblin dog.

As though by instinct, the gnome raised her hand and felt the satisfying slap of the hilt in her palm from the Amazing Returning Dagger, come home just in time to be plunged into a dog's skull.

Wait.  Was that a bell that she'd just heard?  And was that Stomper's voice?  Saying ...  And Lysa.  Both calling to get inside.

With dagger still raised high, the gnome changed her mind.  "Come on, Kerr Mollin.  Lets go."  The blade never fell.  Instead, Pisca left the goblin dog with the pink tongue of a raspberry as she rushed away and through the doors of the wooden fort of Thistletop.  Inside there were ... doors.  Doors and doors and doors.  Who would think that gobbies would be so keen on personal privacy.  Especially in a room that held little but horse heads and dog heads and ... what was that?  A glance behind showed ... wings?  Black wings?  Held to the wall by daggers?

The gnome had little but a fraction of a moment for these observations.  There was one gobbie on the ground in the middle of the room, cut down no doubt by Stomper.  Had he been the one to ring the bell?  And, straight to the north, there seemed to be a hallway that lead off to the east.  That's where the gnome ran.  There had only been one ring.  One ring could be a mistake.  If she had been a bell ringer, she'd have rung and rung and rung and rung.  One ring could be a mistake.  Lots of rings is an emergency.

"Well done, Stomper.  Killing the gobbie before he could get out more than one ring.  Maybe the others will think it was nothing," she whispered through her magic.  Then Pisca Neep Freemish peered around the corner to see what might lay beyond.  She opened her ears to the activity in the goblin fort, gauging what the reaction might have been to that single bell ring.

05:04, Fri 03 Oct: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 21 vs DC12 using 1d20+3. Fortitude.

Double Move Withdraw
Perception check at the corner, please.

Position: P18 (30ft move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)

HP 22/30

---

---

Kerr snapped off another shot just as Pisca dove away from the ravaging goblin dog.  The arrow sped through the air, scoring the diseased creature along its side and opening a nasty but non-fatal wound.  The rat-dog yelped in pain, distracted from its pursuit of Pisca by this new focus for its fury.

Kerr was reaching back for another arrow when he realized that the situation had changed.  It looked as if everyone had run into the fortress--he saw Pisca disappear through the double doors and Liseth frantically motioning for him to follow.  The young paladin lowered his bow and moved quickly to follow his friends, with Liseth shoving mightily to close the doors as soon as he'd made it through the frame.  He turned to help his blonde girlfriend, dropping the thick wooden bar into place as soon as the doors closed.

For better or worse, they were now sealed inside.


The double doors immediately to the west of Kellan stood slightly open, revealing a 15-foot-long corridor ending in another set of double doors.  The double doors immediately to the north of Pisca were also cracked open, revealing a similar passageway.  All of the other doors they saw were securely closed.

Pisca peeked around the corner of the eastern passageway to find a narrow, 20-foot-long hallway with a door at the end and another door to the north about 15 feet down its length.  This northern door was ajar, and Pisca could hear the sound of indistinct goblin yelling emanating from it.

Pisca's jaw dropped as the door suddenly burst open and a horde of goblins charged out into the passageway . . . .


Goblins were everywhere.  They flooded out the door, down the hallway and into the trophy room like a flood of shortsword-wielding green sludge.  Kellan hacked them down as they charged into the room, but there were simply too many for him to dispatch one at a time--three or four goblins ran by the big guardsman in the time it took him to dispatch just one of their comrades.

Pisca ducked back behind the corner of the wall, slashing ineffectively at one of the seemingly-innumerable goblins as it ran by, but one of the first goblins into the room rolled straight at her feet and knocked her down.  Soon she was surrounded by excited green-skinned assailants, each attempting to outdo the other in their effort to hack their gnomish foe into pieces.  Pisca managed to avoid most of their blades despite her difficult position on the floor, taking only a small cut on the back of her arm as she defended herself.

One ambitious goblin, seeing the success of his friend's attack against Pisca, threw himself at Kellan's legs in an attempt to take the guardsman down.

It did not go well.  The goblin ended up wrapped around one of Kellan's legs, pulling with all his might, but he hardly even inconvenienced the much-larger human.

As for the rest of the goblins, they dashed towards Cato, and Liseth, and Kerr with teeth bared . . .

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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |Gb|Gc|  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
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18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XGa|G0|P X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
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19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  DG1|K |  |G9X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
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20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |G7|  |G8X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  XG5|G6| R|LD|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
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22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XG4|C |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
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23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
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24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  | G|  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
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25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
D  = Goblin Dog                             R = Kerr
G1 = Goblin 1
G2 = Goblin 2

OOC -

Party Actions

Kerr Mollin

Standard Action - Fire Longbow

13:31, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 5 using 1d8+4. Longbow Damage (with Deadly Aim).
13:30, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 24 using 1d20+8. Longbow Attack (PBS, DA).

Move Action - To O21

Kellan Storval

14:00, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 13 using 2d4+6. AoO 3 Damage.
14:00, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 11 using 2d4+6. AoO 1 Damage.
13:59, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 27 using 1d20+10. Attack of Opportunity 3.
13:58, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 13 using 1d20+10. Attack of Opportunity 2.
13:58, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Attack of Opportunity 1.

Pisca Neep Freemish

14:03, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Pisca Neep Freemish, rolled 6 using 1d20+3. Attack of Opportunity.

Result - Kellan kills G1 and G3.

GOBLIN TURN

G1 makes double-move into Trophy Room, is killed by Kellan's AoO
G2 makes double-move to M19
G3 makes double-move into Trophy Room, is killed by Kellan's AoO
G4 makes double-move to M22
G5 makes double-move to M21
G6 makes double-move to N21
G7 makes double-move to N20
G8 makes double-move to P20

G9 moves to P19, attacks Pisca
G0 moves to O18, attacks Pisca
Ga moves to N18, attacks Kellan
Gb moves to O17, attacks Pisca
Gc moves to P17, attacks Pisca

14:20, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 9, rolled 16 using 1d20. Trip Attack on Pisca.
14:24, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin C, rolled 2 using 1d4. Shortsword Damage to Pisca.
14:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin C, rolled 12 using 1d20+2. Shortsword Attack on Prone Pisca.
14:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin B, rolled 10 using 1d20+2. Shortsword Attack on Prone Pisca.
14:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 0, rolled 6 using 1d20+2. Shortsword Attack on Prone Pisca.
14:27, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin A, rolled 8 using 1d20. Trip Attack on Kellan.

Result – Pisca prone (-4 to AC), takes 2 points of damage 

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 21:48, Tue 07 Oct 2014.

Kellan licked dry lips as he waited for any sign of activity within the fortress, shifting his weight from foot to foot and looking between the doors. Had they heard? Would they come?

It began as the distant pattering of feet and grew to a low rumbling, the chattering of goblin voices and the sound of weapons and armor clattering as they ran.

Kellans eyes grew wide as he saw them come, so many they seemed a writhing mass of green gray and rusted iron. It was like a nightmare, and they just kept coming.

Goblins had a reputation of being cowardly creatures, but the one that threw itself on the point of his weapon at the fore of the mob died without a hint of fear it it's eyes, lashing about wildly with it's crude weapon as it's comrades rushed past the spike now harmlessly sheathed in it's gut.

Kellan brought the shaft back and kicked the dying creature off the point before whirling around and bringing the axe blade down straight through the femur of another, the creature falling and clutching the severed stump frantically.

As he drew the soiled axe blade out of the packed dirt a goblin collided with his knees, causing him to take a step back and assume a fresh stance. He ignored the would be grappler and looked about in the crowd for Liseth, his tactical appraisal fresh in his mind.

Finding a goblin closing on the gentle acolyte he swept low for the creatures legs and used the momentum to come across in an arc, straight through into the hip of the one meancing Cato.

The battle it seemed, had been joined in earnest.

OOC
HP: 48
AC: 18
Move: None
Readied Action: Reach attack G8
Standard Action: Reach attack G6
17:07, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 10 using 2d4+6. Damage.
17:07, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 12 using 1d20+9. First Critical? .
17:06, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 29 using 1d20+9. Reach attack G6.
17:05, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 10 using 2d4+6. Readied attack damage.
17:05, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 27 using 1d20+9. Readied Attack: G8.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:29, Wed 08 Oct 2014.

"Oof."  The floor came up from its usual and very comfortably floor-like place below and struck Pisca with a body blow.  The whole world was topsy-turvy and aswarm with the frantic jumping movement of the heads and limbs and torsos of uncountable goblin attackers.

And then, just as suddenly, the world righted itself.  It was Pisca who was lying on the floor, and she was surrounded by multitudes of gobbies who were slavering for her blood.  A thick and meaty sound came from beyond the angry heads above, and something, silver splashed with red, flashed by in the corner of Pisca's field of vision.  Stomper, Pisca thought, even before she thought, Oh stars, I'm on the floor in the midst of a dozen screaming gobbies who all want to make me into a gnomish pickle.

Got to stand up.  Got.  To.  Stand.  Up.  Every instinct cried out to the gnome to remain on the floor, to protect her body and wait for Kellan Storval to cut the little green monkey butts down.  Or, at least, to clear some space.  But these gobbies were the least of their worries.  These were the least of Sandpoint's problems, and they had to be brushed aside as quickly as possible.  Otherwise, she had the feeling, things would go distinctly sideways.

So, Pisca Neep Freemish took a very deep breath.  Got ... to ...   And she stood up.

"Befuddler!" Pisca whispered with some urgency through her magic.  The momentum from her stand turned to the swipe of the Amazing Returning Dagger in the direction of the goblin separating herself and Lysa, but the need to keep an even and centered footing in the midst of all the goblins almost ensured that the blade would do little more than sweep at empty air.

"Befuddler!"  Pisca whispered again.  "You can hardly miss in here."

Fight Defensively / Stand from Prone / Hit Goblin9

20:09, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 5 using 1d20. Hit +0 Goblin9 fighting defensively.

Position: P18 (No move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 7/8

HP 20/30
For AoO's Standing from Prone: AC14 (+15 -4Prone +3FightingDefensively.)
After Standing from Prone: AC18 (+15 +3FightingDefensively.)

This message was last edited by the player at 14:50, Wed 08 Oct 2014.

Cato watched with shock as goblins poured into the room.  A shocked part of his mind wondered exactly how many goblins were left in Thistletop.  Maybe they're all here, now...just fight these goblins, and we won't have any more foes left except the leaders down below.  The young mage involuntarily took a step back, then another, only stopping when he felt the walls of the fort behind him.

Cato took a deep breath, and surveyed the room in front of him, trying to formulate a coherent plan despite the chaos in front of him.  Finally decided, he quickly reached into his spell pouch and drew forth a handful of fine sand.  Taking care to leave no opening in his defenses, he muttered "[Language unknown: "Toacon!"] under his breath and threw the sand out, targeting the goblins around him.

Unfortunately, chaos of combat was too much for him, and the young mage disrupted the delicate patterns of the spell.  After a brief pulse of arcane power, the energy stored in Cato's mind faded, and the goblins were unaffected.


Standard Action: Cast Sleep
Casting Defensively: DC 17
10:04, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 15 using 1d20+14. Concentration Check.

Liseth struggled to get the fort doors closed.  They were heavy!  She had to put all of her weight into it before she was rewarded with the dull thud signalling the doors' settling into place.  Just in time too; she was relieved when Kerr lowered the bar into place with which to keep them locked.

Just as she was feeling safe from whatever monsters lurked in the courtyard, Liseth heard the cries of a multitude of goblin voices closing on them.  The girl turned from the now-secured door just in time to see a tide of goblins swarm into the room with them.  They were surrounded!

One even came straight for her, screaming and shouting while baring his goblin sword.  Liseth had an immediate flashback to their last fight with goblins, when she was slashed and cut mercilessly by just such a goblin.  Her small shield came up to defend against the coming assault just as Kellan's spear made an appearance, effectively removing the goblin as a threat.

Liseth didn't know whether her shout was out of fear of the goblins or surprise as Kellan chopped down the one in front of her.  Either way, it was cut short when Pisca's loud and urgent whisper came to her ears.

The acolyte nodded quickly in agreement, even though she was pretty sure that Pisca couldn't see the gesture.  Even without full knowledge of what it might do, throwing a Befuddler seemed like it was a good idea.  There were so many goblins, how could she miss?

Reaching to her side, the short girl retrieved one of her Befuddlers.  With little time to think or aim she hurled the bag away from herself, a knot quickly forming in her stomach as she watched the bag sail over the heads of the small goblins and impact the far wall.

She really wasn't very good at this.  Hopefully she would have the opportunity to try doing something helpful again.  For the moment it was time to press against Kerr's back and get ready to defend herself from the next goblin to press in on her.

Move: Draw Befuddler
Standard: Throw Befuddler at G9; Natural 1...

07:46, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 5 using 1d20+4. Throw Befuddler at Goblin 9.

---

---

Kellan's polearm rose and fell two more times, and two more goblins went down, but their deaths seemed to have no effect on the remaining horde of green-skinned attackers.  Kerr, suddenly finding himself without any goblins within arm's reach, quickly drew an arrow and sent it flying towards one of the goblins disturbing Cato, taking it through the throat and ending its threat.  Kerr's second arrow was less accurate; it flew past the goblins surrounding Kellan to bury itself in the slightly-open western doors.  Kerr grimaced at his miss and saw Liseth throw one of Nisk's Befuddlers, but it burst harmlessly against the wall.  He felt his young girlfriend press against him as he reached back to draw another arrow.

Four crazed goblins surrounded Pisca, hacking at her with their shortswords as she rose to her feet, then unsuccessfully trying to take her feet out from under her again once she'd regained them.  Pisca slashed one of them with her magic dagger, opening a huge gash in its shoulder and causing it to squeal with pain and anger.

Meanwhile, the three goblins around Kellan jibbered wildly while they futilely worked at dislodging the polearm from the big guardsman's hands.  The scene would have been humorous had it not been so deadly serious; it was almost like children were attempting to take something away from an adult--Kellan easily brushed them aside.

Cato was having a much tougher time of it.  The consternation written across his face as his spell failed was only amplified when he suddenly felt his legs buckle.  As the wizard fell to the ground, he looked over to find a laughing goblin holding up the decorative animal skin on which he's been standing.  The goblin then moved forward, menacing him with his shortsword.

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4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXDDDDDXDDXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |Gc|  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XGa|Gb|P X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  DG1|K |G0|G9X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |G7|  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  | R|LD|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XG4|C |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
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23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
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24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  | G|  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
D  = Goblin Dog                             R = Kerr
G1 = Goblin 1
G2 = Goblin 2

OOC -

Party Actions

Kerr Mollin

Full-Round Action - Rapid-Shot Longbow

12:08, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 11 using 1d20+6. Shot #2 at G7, PB, RF, DA.
12:07, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 6 using 1d8+4. Rapid Shot #1 Damage.
12:07, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 20 using 1d20+6. Shot #1 at G5, PB, RF, DA.

Cato Crispin

16:46, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Cato Crispin, rolled 9 using 1d20+2. AoO on Goblin 4.

Pisca Neep Freemish

16:51, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Pisca Neep Freemish, rolled 5 using 1d4+1. AoO Damage to Goblin C.
16:51, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Pisca Neep Freemish, rolled 17 using 1d20. AoO on Goblin C.

Result - Kellan kills G8 and G6, Kerr kills G5.  Pisca does five points of damage to Goblin C.



GOBLIN TURN

Attacks of Opportunity Against Standing Pisca (AC14) (Gc, Gb, G0, G9)

16:40, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 0, rolled 10 using 1d20+2. Critical Confirmation v. Pisca.
16:40, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 0, rolled 21 using 1d20+2. Attack of Opportunity v. Pisca.
16:39, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin B, rolled 5 using 1d20+2. Attack of Opportunity v. Pisca.
16:39, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 9, rolled 13 using 1d20+4. Attack of Opportunity v. Pisca.
16:38, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin C, rolled 6 using 1d20+4. Attack of Opportunity v. Pisca.
16:41, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 0, rolled 3 using 1d4. Shortsword Damage to Pisca.

Result - 3 points of damage to Pisca.

Moves

G0 takes 5' step to O19.
Gb takes 5' step to O18.

Attacks

16:43, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 4, rolled 16 using 1d20. Trip Attack on Cato.
16:56, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 0, rolled 16 using 1d20. Trip Attack on Pisca.
16:56, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin B, rolled 11 using 1d20. Trip Attack on Pisca.
16:55, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 9, rolled 10 using 1d20+2. Trip Attack on Pisca.
16:54, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin C, rolled 12 using 1d20+2. Trip Attack on Pisca.
17:01, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 1, rolled 8 using 1d20+2. Disarm Attempt on Kellan.
17:01, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 7, rolled 5 using 1d20+2. Disarm Attempt on Kellan.
17:00, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin A, rolled 8 using 1d20+2. Disarm Attempt on Kellan.

Result - Cato tripped and prone.

---

"Lysa!"  The gnome broke her silence to utter the single, decidedly non-Thok-sounding cry of exasperation.  "I meant hit one of the goblins with one," she added, dropping back into the Whisper Magic.

Pisca stabbed again at the gobbie she'd just slashed, but this time with less satisfactory results.  He was hurt badly, and one good poke should take send him down.  But the Amazing Returning Dagger just wasn't Amazing enough sometimes.

Was she hurt as badly as the goblin?  Was she close to death again?  Amid the pain and the fighting, it was really hard to tell.

The gnome skipped nimbly between two of the gobbies and dove for the corner where they couldn't surround her.

"Say, anybody notice anything ... odd?" she asked the others through the Whisper Magic.  It was a curious question that Pisca asked.  And, in the midst of this fight for their lives, it was  also a curious time to have a curious question.  But, if Pisca was anything, it was curious.  "Anybody notice that they don't seem to be cutting us much with blades?  Anyone else here have the sneaking suspicion that they might be trying to take us alive?"

Fight Defensively / Tr to Hit GoblinC / Move with Tumbling

18:15, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 5 using 1d20+1. Attack GoblinC AC1 (+3 +1Dagger -4FightingDefensively +1AL).
18:16, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 25 using 1d20+14. Tumbling 14 vs DC22? (+9 +4Belt +1AL).

Position: N17 (10ft move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 17/30
AC18 (+15 +3FightingDefensively.)
CMD 16 w/FightingDefensively.)

This message was last edited by the player at 14:54, Thu 09 Oct 2014.

Kellan had just pried his bloodied blade out of the shattered goblin pelvis when he was swarmed, little hands and teeth seemed to surround him, pulling this way and that.

He felt one on his arm and another grab the shaft of his pole axe, yet another was still pushing desperately on the back of his knee. He struggled to free himself with a grunt, then another, before he barked out in frustration.

"Get off'a me damn it!"

He pulled his weapon free of the persistant goblin hands and drove it forward and down towards the first one he saw with a rough cry, plunging the spike straight through it's sternum and out the other side.

With a surge of strength he whipped the weapon around with the goblin still affixed and slammed it into the wall opposite of where it had stood, leaving a crescent of vivid crimson it it's wake and dislodging the broken creature with the impact.

OOC
HP: 48
AC: 18
Move: None
Standard: Reach attack G9
18:30, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 29 using 6d4+18. Finally!
18:27, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 19 using 1d20+9. Crit Confirm?
18:26, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 29 using 1d20+9. Reach attack G9.

The failure of his magic leaves Cato momentarily stunned, quickly compounded by the goblin tripping him onto the floor.  Cato quickly regains his concentration, and attempts to cast another spell to defend himself from further attacks.  Taking a piece of leather from his pouch, he whispers [Language unknown: "Asticaati"] while trying to avoid attacks from the goblin standing beside him.  This time, his caution is rewarded as the magic works, and a faint shimmer of armor bursts into existence around the mage, before fading away.  Suitably defended, Cato climbs to feet, making feints at the offending goblin with his staff.

Standard: Cast Mage Armor Defensively
Move: Stand from Prone, provoking AoO from Goblin 4
10:08, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 24 using 1d20+14. Concentration Check.
Active Effects: Mage Armor (+4 AC for 4 hours)
Protection from Arrows on Kellan (4 hours or 40 damage)

This message was last edited by the player at 14:11, Thu 09 Oct 2014.

"I'm sorry!"  Liseth cried in response to Pisca's exasperation.  "I panicked!"  She watched helplessly as the goblins surrounding the gnome pressed their attack.  Then as the other goblins climbed all over Kellan and attempted to dislodge his weapon.  If they succeeded she didn't want to imagine how grim things would become!

"Kerr, what should I do!?"  At the very least she had Kerr's reassuring presence right beside her.  Then Pisca mentioned that the goblins might be trying to capture them alive.  Liseth could only imagine that the one thing worse than being killed by goblins was becoming a goblin's prisoner!

A shocked gasp escaped the girl at the brutality with which Kellan killed his next goblin.  And the spray of scarlet blood that seemed to cover everything in the room.  Liseth was on the verge of panicking.

"Stop it!"  The acolyte shouted, "Stop fighting!"  It was less a desperate plea and more a command.  Liseth found her hand clutching Sarenrae's symbol and her voice to be much stronger than she expected.  A wave of divine calm descended on the room, strongly urging everyone to stop all aggression.

Standard: Cast Calm Emotions - Will DC 17

OOC:  I'm centering the spell on Liseth, hitting a 20 foot radius around her.  Everyone in the room is affected; with the exception of Pisca since she moved into the corner at N 17.  Anyone who fails their Will save cannot take hostile actions, but hostile actions taken against someone calmed by the spell cancels its effect on them.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:28, Thu 09 Oct 2014.

---

---

Pisca's small figure flitted through the attacking goblins as if they weren't even there; she nimbly avoided their clumsy sword blows with a practiced deftness that made the difficult task look easy.  The only goblin that even looked like it might be able to lay steel on the darting gnome immediately found himself spitted upon Kellan's polearm.

Pisca turned to survey the Battle of the Trophy Room as she arrived in her chosen corner.  Cato clambered to his feet, magical armor shimmering, narrowly avoiding the low swipe of a goblin opponent who danced around him, trying to bring him down.

Kerr, meanwhile, was dodging an attack from the frenzied goblin right in front of him.  "Just stay behind me, Lise!"  He shouted as he drew an arrow, never taking his eyes off the swordsgoblin's attempt to run him through.  "I'll . . . ."

Kerr never finished his sentence.  A wave of serenity flooded over the room, washing away its occupants' aggression like dirt from a dish.  The battle paused; the combatants' breathing loud as clarions in the sudden silence.

But dishes always seem to get dirty again.

The goblin in front of Kerr shook itself free of the magically-induced pacifism, making yet another attempt to stab the young archer; Kerr narrowly avoided the etched blade of the goblin's dogslicer as he released an arrow right into its eye, killing it immediately.  Kerr quickly drew another arrow and felled one of the still-aggressive goblins that looked to take off after the departed Pisca--it too went down, silenced by a shaft through its shoulder.

As Liseth looked on, horrified, another goblin broke loose from her magic and immediately continued attacking Kellan, beating ineffectually against the big guardsman's armor with its dogslicer.

But three of the goblins seemed to have taken Liseth's magical message of peace to heart.  Or perhaps her spell simply removed their battle lust enough for them to properly evaluate their tactical situation.  They immediately took off in three different directions.  One goblin fled down the eastern corridor, opening the door at the end and disappearing inside of it.  The second goblin moved into the western corridor, slamming the door shut behind it.  The third and final goblin headed for the northern corridor, but not fast enough to avoid Kellan's deadly polearm . . . the goblin's life ended in a miasma of pain, fear, and regret.

The battle, however, continued.

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15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
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19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |K |Gb|  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
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20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |G4| R|LD|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |C |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
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23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  | G|  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
D  = Goblin Dog                             R = Kerr
G1 = Goblin 1
G2 = Goblin 2

OOC -

Party Actions

Kerr Mollin

11:39, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 24 using 1d20+9. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
13:17, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 18 using 1d20+2. Will Save: Calm Emotions.

Full-Round Action - Rapid-Shot Longbow

12:46, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 9 using 1d8+4. Bowshot Damage to Goblin 0.
12:45, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 21 using 1d20+6. Shot #2 at G0, PB, RF, DA.
12:45, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 8 using 1d8+4. Bowshot Damage to Goblin 7.
12:44, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 17 using 1d20+6. Shot #1 at G7, PB, RF, DA.

Cato Crispin

16:46, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Cato Crispin, rolled 9 using 1d20+2. AoO on Goblin 4.

Pisca Neep Freemish

16:51, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Pisca Neep Freemish, rolled 5 using 1d4+1. AoO Damage to Goblin C.
16:51, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Pisca Neep Freemish, rolled 17 using 1d20. AoO on Goblin C.

Attacks of Opportunity

15:16, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 12 using 2d4+6. Damage against Goblin A.
15:15, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 22 using 1d20+10. AoO v. Fleeing Goblin A.

Result - Kellan kills G9, Ga; Kerr kills G0 and G7.


GOBLIN TURN

Attacks of Opportunity

11:34, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 4, rolled 9 using 1d20+2. AoO Shortsword Attack on Cato.
12:47, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 7, rolled 15 using 1d20+2. AoO on Kerr Mollin.

Result - None.

11:33, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 1, rolled 6 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
11:32, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 4, rolled 17 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
11:32, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 7, rolled 18 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
11:32, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 0, rolled 19 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
11:31, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin A, rolled 13 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
11:31, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin B, rolled 18 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
11:31, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin C, rolled 6 using 1d20-1. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.

Moves

Goblin B takes 5-foot step to 019
Goblin 4 takes 5-foot step to N21
Goblin A moves and is killed by Kellan's AoO
Goblin C moves down eastern corridor, opens door, and disappears through it
Goblin 1 moves through door to western corridor and closes it.

Attacks

12:59, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin 4, rolled 5 using 1d20+2. Shortsword Attack on Cato.
13:00, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin B, rolled 18 using 1d20+4. Shortsword Attack on Kellan.

Result - None.

Status - Goblin C has five points of damage.  G1, GA, and GC are calmed.

---

It certainly was useful to have a pole-wielding human friend when there were goblins about.  If that had not been clear to Pisca before, it was now a thing that was waving about and pointing at itself in a manner that made it very difficult to ignore.  Yes indeed.  There was some true master crafted mayhem on display here today.  Despite the quite frightening number of goblins that had just flooded the room only moments ago, the room was now nearly clear again.

Good thing too.  They couldn't stay here.  More would come.  They would, at the very least, have to keep moving.  Keep the gobbies guessing as to where they were.  The little monkey butts might know they were here.  But they wouldn't know just exactly where *here* was.

"We need to keep moving," whispered the gnome, expressing to her friends the thoughts that she was just having.  "Finish them off," she added with a bloody-minded simplicity.  "I'm going to see what's beyond these double doors."

And Pisca did just that.  But, before slipping through the doors ajar, her eye fell on a bloody dogslicer, the red stain upon which could only have been from her own blood.  She bent quickly and scooped it off the ground.  It would lend just that little touch of authenticity to her disguise as Thok the SPGCE.

There was only a short distance to a second set of double doors, and the goblin-disguised gnome traversed it in a few quick and quiet steps.  "Nothing so far," Pisca reported to the others.  She put an ear to these new doors - doors that were pregnant with goblin peril.  "I'll keep talking as I go."

Pick up Dogslicer / Move

Perception Check, please.  For sounds beyond door to the north.

Position: O14 (20ft move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 17/30
AC15

This message was last edited by the player at 17:04, Fri 10 Oct 2014.

On his feet again, Cato takes a step to the side, hoping to pin the goblin against himself at Kerr if the paladin decides to use a melee weapon.

Move: 5' step to M21
Standard: Attack goblin 4

11:18, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 5 using 1d6. Damage.
11:18, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 17 using 1d20+2. Attack.

Kellans passion for what they were trying to accomplish just barely managed to overcome Liseths potent magics, although it seemed that he was not the only one.

It took him a moment to realize why the goblin trio was filing out of the room, but only one more to bury the axe blade through the collar bone of the last one within his reach.

Turning around he was greeted by yet more goblins being peppered with arrows,  the room now seemingly littered with the dead.

Careful not to strike Cato he jabbed towards one of the few remaining with his spear point, dimly aware that Pisca was calling for them to move. It was a good idea, a very good idea...just a few more moments...

HP:48
AC: 18
Move: None
Standard: Reach attack G4, flanking
08:48, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 11 using 2d4+6. Damage.
08:47, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 18 using 1d20+11. Reach Attack G4, Flanking w/ Cato.

This message was last edited by the player at 17:08, Fri 10 Oct 2014.

For just a moment, one glorious moment, the fighting paused.  It just stopped.  The goblins stopped attacking.  Liseth was dumbstruck; had she done that?

But it wasn't to last.  One of the goblins, its savagery too great to be contained, stabbed at Kerr and the battle was back on.  The acolyte's awe at what she had almost accomplished was quickly washed away in the shouts of combat.

The slight lull in the fighting that she had created, however, did seem to affect at least some of the goblins.  A few began to leave, giving up the fight.  Liseth sighed; at least she had managed to be helpful.  Hopefully those goblins would stay away from them now.

But there was still a couple of them remaining, even though everyone now had a whole lot of breathing room.  Liseth watched as Cato smashed his staff into the goblin between him and Kerr, then as Kellan moved into position with his poleaxe.  That goblin wasn't going to be much of a threat any more, but there was still that one attacking Kellan from under the tall guardsman's...guard.

Pisca's words echoed in her head.  If you can shoot me you can shoot a gobbie, she had said.  Liseth never wanted to shoot anything, that's what she thought as she brought her enchanted crossbow up from her side.  Pisca's words from before mixed with her words just then.  The gnome was right, they had to keep moving and they had to get through these berserk goblins.

The girl aimed the crossbow in the way that her father had always showed her back home.  Though she had never aimed at live, hostile goblins then.  Then the moment of confusion came as she wondered how to fire this crossbow.  It didn't have a trigger like the ones she was accustomed to!  Flummoxed, the acolyte took her eyes off of the goblin to see that there was a kind lever on the crossbow.

Curiously, she pulled down on the lever.  The crossbow fell out of Liseth's hands immediately after the contraption released its bolt; she was startled!  Even more so when the bolt actually hit the goblin!  Her eyes went wide and Liseth's hands shot to her mouth as the impact knocked the little goblin to the floor.

Was it supposed to do that?  The magical crossbow was supposed to be nonlethal!

Move: Ready Crossbow
Standard: Shoot at Gb; 17 to hit; 13 Critical Threat; 9 Nonlethal Damage (14 if Critical)

09:45, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 5,4 using d8+1,d6. Nonlethal Damage to Gb.
09:42, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 13 using 1d20-3. Critical Threat...Really!?
09:42, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 17 using 1d20-3. Shoot Crossbow (-4 into melee) at Gb.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:11, Fri 10 Oct 2014.

---

---

Cato stepped to one side as his goblin opponent continued trying to take him down.  The scholar found an opening in his enemy's defenses, scoring a solid hit with his quarterstaff that left the smaller creature woozy . . . just woozy enough for it to be completely oblivious to the whoosh of Kellan's polearm.

The guardsman's weapon finished the job Cato's staff had started.

This left only one goblin in the room, and he was starting to realize the precariousness of his situation.  He had just seemed to decide upon following his departed friends--discretion being the better part of valor, and all that--but before he could do more than turn a crossbow bolt hit him directly in the temple, knocking him to the floor, unconscious.

The party had fended off the attack; the trophy room was theirs.

Kerr turned to Liseth, a look of awe and admiration on his face.  "Wow, Liseth!"  He said, looking back and forth between his girlfriend and the now-insensate goblin.  "That was an amazing shot!"  He moved among the goblin corpses to the motionless creature, bending down to examine it.  "It seems okay; as far as I can tell the bolt just knocked it out."  He looked up at Kellan and Liseth.  "What do you want to do with it?  Tie it up?"

He looked around, suddenly remembering the scouting Pisca.  "What do you see, Pisca?"


Pisca the Goblin moved silently up the northern passageway to the double doors at its end.  She bent her ear to them, but could not hear anything from the other side.  She did notice, however, that the doors were securely locked.  There would be no further travel in this direction until the lock was defeated.

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XP |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
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18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |K |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  | R|  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  XC |  |  |LD|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--N--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
                                            R = Kerr

---

---

Kellan looked around frantically for another enemy with heavy breaths and a bright red face. His wide eyes travelled to each of the doors, then to his friends, then slowly down to the dead stewn about the room. The realization of what they had just done washed over him slowly and caused him to measure his ragged breaths with a long steady one.

"Everybody ok?" He asked as he looked down to find himself...unharmed. Was he really not wounded? What was it Pisca had said about taking them alive?

Keeping his eyes on the northern door and his bloodied weapon ready he glanced down to the unconscious goblin, spurred on by Kerr's question. "Guess that's up to you Liseth...but whatever we do we should do it aware from here" he pulled a half slung his pack and loosened the loop on the coil of rope he carried.

"Doubt he'd be willing to tell us where to find Nualia...but it might be worth a shot, hm?"

With that he looked around for Pisca, curious as to what she had found.

"Door's locked," the gnome whispered through her magic, even as she was slipping her tools from the pouch at her belt.

"Now, why would someone lock a door," Pisca asked rhetorically.  "What are the reasons for locking a door?  One reason would be to keep other people from taking your things.  That is to say, there could be something valuable behind this door.  Another reason would be to protect yourself.  There could be important people behind this door, hiding.  Safe from the fighting."

Pisca's movements were swift and sure as she worked away with a pick and wrench.  "And yet another reason for locking a door would be to keep people inside.  So, we might find prisoners behind this door too."

"Keep quiet out there," the gnome warned.  "If there are people inside, they're probably wondering what's out here.  Wondering as much as we're wondering what's in there.  A little silence ought to make that wondering less bearable for them."

With Clever Explorer opening a lock is only a standard action.

Disable Device checks below.  First round opens Simple Lock.  Second opens a Good Lock.  Will never be able to open an Amazing Lock, so I stopped there.

14:43, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 31 using 1d20+12.
14:43, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 23 using 1d20+12. Disable Device Attempt to Open Lock.

Position: O14 (No move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 17/30
AC15

---

---

Pisca quickly and almost disdainfully disabled the door's lock; she did not consider it to be one of the more complex devices she'd ever encountered.  It certainly didn't compare favorably to the one that Vorvashali Voon employed to protect his establishment.  That lock had artistry.  This one would keep out the riff-raff, nothing more.

The gnomish explorer gently opened the door to see a large, 30' by 30' room decorated with hanging furs along its walls--mostly black-and-red-striped firepelt skins, various dog pelts, and in some cases what looked like horse hides.  Four square timbers supported the ceiling, their faces studded with scores of iron spikes, the lowest of which were decorated with dozens of severed and impaled hands in various stages of decay.

Four flaming torches ensconced upon the pillars filled the room with a bright if flickering light.  They revealed three doors leading away from the room--one in the southern part of the eastern wall, one about 10'-15' north of it in the same wall, and one in middle of the north wall.

To the northeast, the torches revealed a wooden platform supporting a throne heaped with dog pelts and horse hides.  Dog skulls adorned its armrests and a horse skull leered over the throne's back.  Two battle-scarred goblin commandos flanked the throne, each bearing a grim look and a nasty-looking horsechopper.  Before the throne lay a giant gecko wearing an ingeniously-contrived saddle.

Atop the throne sat an impressive-looking goblin.  But his impressiveness wasn't due to his size or any particular physical characteristic; Pisca couldn't really place it.  Perhaps it was his eyes.  Or his bearing.  He looked like someone used to being in control of his surroundings.  Pisca knew that such an effortless air of command was rare in goblins, and perhaps unique to this one.  The sharp-eyed gnome locked gazes with the goblin chief.  He didn't look perturbed or surprised.  Just slightly put out.  He leaned forward to stroke the gecko's head as he called out to Pisca.

"Greetings," he said in Common.  "I see you have defeated my lock.  You may as well come in."  He sighed heavily.  "And bring your friends.  I would ask you to please avoid killing any more of my people, if you don't mind.  I am guessing that your visit is less for the purpose of indiscriminately murdering goblins and more because you want something from the Thistletop tribe.  Well, I am Ripnugget. I am the Thistletop tribe."  His eyes gleamed.  "So if you want something, well . . . you need to talk to me."

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2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

---

---

The words of Ripnugget the Chieftain of the Thistletop goblin tribe rolled over her, only half heard, like the waters of a stream.  But the words, half heard as they might have been, were also stored for later understanding as Pisca Neep Freemish rapidly described the room to her friends through her Whisper Magic.

"He's seen me.  The Jabber Monkey wants to parlay," she added as her description finally came to an end.  "Why don't you come up.  I'll try to keep him occupied."

There was simply no more reason for hiding behind the door.  The gnome straightened and entered the room.  Some of the gobbies might see through her disguise, but it no longer mattered.  Almost casually, she replaced her tools, folded the case, and slipped it back into her pouch.  After stepping inside the door, she took the dogslicer out from under one arm and tossed it, almost contemptuously, to the ground.  In her other hand, she still held the Amazing Returning Dagger once owned by Quasit Girl.

"We know about Nualia," Pisca called across the room - this room that passed for a goblin great hall.  She spoke in the same Common tongue that Rippnugget had addressed her in.  No sense revealing to them that she spoke goblin.  Not yet, at least.  "From that I'm sure you can guess what we want," she continued.  "What can you do for us?"

And, as she spoke, the goblin disguised gnome scanned the room with her keen eyes and listened with her keen ears.  This just couldn't be it - just the three of goblins and the lizard.  Not for the famed tactical genius of Thistletop.  What else was there here?

Perception Check, please.  For other dangers of this chamber.
And Sense Motive vs Ripnugget.

Position: O13 (5ft move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 17/30
AC15

This message was last edited by the player at 17:34, Sun 12 Oct 2014.

Kellan felt a strange sensation begin to build within him as he stepped over the goblin corpses and smelled the overwhelming scents of blood, death and fear that filled the room.

It was a combination of nausea, a leaden pit in the stomach, a kind of aching chill and a creeping fatigue. They had killed...how many? A dozen or so? At what point in his career had he stopped counting the lives he had taken?

It bothered him.

He was snapped from this rumination by Piscas voice in his mind. Jabber Monkey? Parlay? What could she mean by...

He found out soon enough as he gently pressed his way past the door behind Pisca and entered the hall. He looked quite the sight, his hands, boots and the whole of his weapon speckled in darkening blood.

This must be Ripnugget. he thought to himself as he idled up beside the disguised Pisca.

He actually looks almost...regal, in a goblin sort of way. How did their whole society function anyway? Had anybody ever studied them? They must have.

He gave a nod in greeting to the goblin chieftain. If he wanted to talk Kellan could certainly use the rest, and his curiosity about them drove him to observe with a silent facination.

"I, well...um..."  Liseth was still experiencing a bit of shock, but recovered when Kerr confirmed that the goblin was only unconscious.  "Thank you Kerr.  But I think it was more of an accident than anything when the bolt actually hit the goblin."

The acolyte markswoman stooped down to pick her crossbow back off of the floor, hanging it once more on her side, before taking a few cautious steps towards the unconscious goblin.  She gave it her own cursory examination, "I don't think we'll have to worry about tying it up.  He's out cold, unless a goblin healer finds him he'll probably be unconscious for hours."  Liseth grimaced, "I hope we won't be here that long."

The discussion was cut short, it would seem, once Pisca bypassed the door that she was examining.  And then Liseth heard the voice of an actually well-spoken goblin coming from deep inside the next room.  Who identified himself as Ripnugget, the leader of the Thistletop goblin tribe.

"He wants to parley?"  Liseth spoke through the Whisper Magic.  That sounded too good to be true.  What kind of agreement could the goblin chief possibly make with them?  Liseth didn't think that it was possibly for him to suddenly call off the attack on Sandpoint, even if they managed to convince him somehow.

It wasn't as though they had much choice though.  He knew they were there; they couldn't just ignore him and go somewhere else inside of his own fort!

"Come on Kerr...I think we should talk to him."  Liseth moved up with Kerr, following behind Kellan.  Once she had moved into Ripnugget's throne room her eyes were first drawn to the macabre decorations.  Then the goblin on his throne with his bodyguards.  And most surprisingly the giant gecko that laid in front of the throne.  With a saddle.

Ripnugget rode a giant lizard?  Liseth didn't know lizards could be trained like that.  Of course, that would mean the goblin warchief was just as ready and prepared to fight as he was to talk.

The girl stayed next to Kerr with Kellan between herself and the goblins while Pisca made her opening question of the parley.  She could almost feel the goblins' eyes on her; it made her feel very vulnerable.  It wasn't difficult to imagine that the famed goblin chief Ripnugget already knew her abilities.  She would have to be very careful if he did decide to attack after all.

At the least there was no fighting.  Not at that moment.  Liseth made her own tactical analysis of the situation; amazingly only Pisca was injured.  They were actually doing well so far.  Considering where they were.

"Sarenrae, mend this body with your healing light."  The acolyte took advantage of the parley to summon healing energy and cure most of Pisca's injuries.  Then she went back to paying attention to the parley and Ripnugget's response to Pisca's question; hopefully she would have a chance to say something herself.

Cast Cure Light Wounds on Pisca; Heal 11 HPs

05:57, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 11 using 1d8+6. Cure Light Wounds on Pisca.

The gnome felt her body sigh with relief as Liseth brought the touch of Sarenrae to the wounds that she had been trying to ignore.  This lull in the fighting had, at least, brought them this much advantage.

But, who's side was time truly on?  Was the goblin chieftain actually willing to give up his guests and allies?  Or was he doing little more than buying time?  Waiting for reinforcements?

The gnome's mind hopped from one stone to the next as she crossed the stream of logic.  And even as she did so, her eyes roved the goblin's face, seeking any trace of deception.

"I don't trust this," the goblin disguised gnome whispered over her magic.  "This is too easy.  He didn't even seem surprised that we'd gotten through the Nettle Maze."

"And think before you speak, Goblin," Pisca then said aloud.  The disdain in the high clear gnomish voice was as plain as the blood that splashed her Shoanti leathers.  "If you deny us Nualia, we will kill you and cast you aside.  Live or die, Gobbie."

They would see how the goblin chief reacted to the insult.  And, if there was to be any agreement, it would be negotiated from a position of strength, and it would be overwhelmingly to the advantage of her friends from Sandpoint or it would not be at all.

Perception Check, please.  For other dangers of this chamber.
And Sense Motive vs Ripnugget.

Position: O13 (5ft move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 28/30
AC15

Cato took a moment to catch his breath after the brief excitement of battle.  Just as quickly, Pisca's report caused his heart to race again.  Cato's mind starting racing through possibilities, harmful and beneficial, mundane and mysterious.  "He could be stalling for time.  For more of his goblins to assemble and join the fray.  The alarm was sounded after all."  Cato began to make his way to the throne room, glancing behind him at the door through which the goblins had run.  "Or maybe the chief realizes that he's just losing people through Nulia's plans.  There were a lot of goblins killed during the Sandpoint Festival attack.  And today.  And no matter what happens in the next Sandpoint attack, win or lose, there's probably going to be a lot more goblin casualties.  Maybe this Chief wants us to take out Nualia and preserve what's left of his tribe."  Cato ceased using the whisper magic when he entered the goblin throne room, quickly surveying the scene in front of him.

The mage thought about using Detect Magic, and his hands even started to form the familiar gestures, but he stopped, forcing himself to remain still.  Uttering strange words and hand gestures, even for a harmless spell, could easily result in a misunderstanding and break this fragile peace.

Cato instead met the gaze of the goblins as he entered the room and walked forward, looking each commando and the gecko in the eye before bringing his gaze to the chief, stopping by the first set of timber pillars in the room.  The young sage stood silent, waiting for the response from  the goblin on the throne before continuing.


Active Effects:
Protection from Arrows (Kellan)
Mage Armor (Cato)

This message was last edited by the player at 12:59, Tue 14 Oct 2014.

"Gobbies and gnomes are ... hereditary enemies, Cato," said Pisca over her Whisper Magic.  "I know gobbies.  And, believe me when I say, if this one really cares for his fellow gobbies, he's a rare monkey butt indeed."

Then the mind of Pisca Neep Freemish raced ahead, leaving her other friends to infer the rest of her conversation with the Cato from that small fragment.  It was this reminder of goblin nature that clinched the deal for her.  The evil badger bottoms didn't care for each other.  They were nothing but unfeeling mischief monkeys.

And it was then, with that realization, that the gnome came upon the certainty that Ripnugget was lying.

Perception Check, please.  For other dangers of this chamber.
And Sense Motive vs Ripnugget.

Position: O13 (5ft move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 28/30
AC15

---

---

"Charming," Ripnugget said to Pisca, looking disappointed.  His voice was deeper than one might expect from a goblin, although of course it would only be considered a normal register were he a human.  "I suppose I shouldn't expect much more of a gnome.  So many of you are anti-goblin racists.  Yet how much experience have you had with us, really?  Are we all so irredeemable?"  The chieftain leaned forward, spreading his arms as if to indicate all of goblindom.  He shook his head.  "But I can see I will get nowhere with you."

His eyes scanned his quintumvirate of visitors.  "I always think before I speak," he said.  "So it is Nualia you want, is it?"  He nodded to himself, seemingly unsurprised.  "Well, it's possible I can arrange that."  He leaned back on the throne.  "I must warn you that she is a most formidable enemy.  I have my doubts that the might of Thistletop could overcome her, which is why she is not currently dead.  In fact, she has usurped a good deal of my authority--an insult I do not take lightly."

The goblin made a show of thinking.  "She has friends, too.  Did you know?  The half-elf.  The big human warrior.  And others."  The goblin looked again at the group, seemingly with new eyes.  "I wonder whether you are capable of defeating her after all.  Oh, your reputations, of course, precede you.  My warriors can talk of little else.  But if you failed . . .," he tapped one of the throne's armrests, ". . . well, that wouldn't be good for anyone."

Ripnugget continued to think, then apparently arrived at a conclusion.  He nodded.  "Yes, we could help each other.  But not with," he glanced at Pisca, "ultimatums.  We could fight each other, but will that get either side what it wants?  I doubt it.  Surely there is another among you more . . . skilled in the diplomatic arts?  One who is willing to parley in earnest?"

The tension in Ripnugget's commando bodyguard belied their chieftain's easy manner.  They, at least, were prepared for anything the infamous Sandpoint Saviors might do.  It was clear that this meeting was very much balanced on the edge of a knife . . . .

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17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--N--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

---

---

This message was last edited by the GM at 06:47, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

So ... he has seen through the magic disguise.  The confirmation of her suspicions warranted a mental shrug.

"There wouldn't be so many Anti-Goblins in the world, Gobbie," replied the gnome with a deliberate rudeness, "if you weren't all such unpardonably and incorrigibly evil badger butts."

"And yes, we know about Nunzilla's friends," Pisca continued.  Despite all antagonistic talk, the gnome sheathed her dagger and began a slow stroll along the wall, past Liseth, past Kerr Mollin, and to the door on the far wall. "And we also know about ... Malneshfekor," she added, eying the goblin chieftain for a reaction.  "I take it that she hasn't had any luck bringing it under her command, has she?  And she never will, you know.  Want to know why?"

At the door, Pisca paused, and took up an attitude of listening, as though for movements beyond.

"Be ready," she warned the others through her Whisper Magic.  "I don't trust this.  I don't trust this at all.  Things will come loose here very soon.  Very, very soon."

"And watch out for the rug," she added, obviously referring to the only rug on the floor that lay just in front of Ripnugget's gecko.

Perception Check to listen at the door, please.

BTW, Knowledge checks on Malneshfekor.  Religion and Arcana and History.

Position: R13

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 28/30
AC15

Cato took another step forward, glancing around the room and trying not to let his gaze linger on the rug Pisca had mentioned.

"Let me have a chance, Pisca.  Maybe there's something the goblin wants more than our corpses."  Cato cleared his throat.  "Maybe we can parley.  There's a great deal of bad blood between us.  As I understand things, Sandpoint and the Thistletop tribe have been enemies for years, but nothing of this scale.  I'm going to guess that you don't like having Nualia here, in charge of everything.  Calling the shots, and sending your goblins to die.  Yes, you've certainly hurt Sandpoint, but at what cost?"  Cato paused, trying to gauge Ripnugget's reaction.  Maybe some flattery wouldn't hurt.

"You're one of the best goblin warchiefs to come along in ages.  We found Tsutso's journal down in the tunnels underneath Sandpoint, and even he was clear on that fact."  Cato watched for a reaction to that as well.  "You should that we've already undone many of Nualia's plans.  The quasit is dead, and with it her freaks and the means of generating more.  There won't be any backup for the attack on Sandpoint save for your goblins, and Nualia's friends here."

Cato took another step closer to the throne, eyeing the massive gecko with unease.  "I know we can't be allies, but there's a greater evil here, that wants to destroy us both for her own purposes.  Can't we cooperate on that one goal?"

Position: O-10
This message was last edited by the player at 01:05, Thu 16 Oct 2014.

"Please Pisca; don't be so hostile."  Liseth spoke quietly as the parley continued.  She already knew that the gnome hated goblins; Pisca probably wasn't the best choice to negotiate with them.  Although, of all of them Pisca also knew the most about goblins.  And she certainly didn't trust anything about the situation.

Still, Liseth had to agree with Cato's approach to speaking with Ripnugget.  This goblin chief was supposed to be one of the smartest goblins ever.  They must be able to reason with him.

"We don't want anybody to be killed."  Liseth tentatively stepped out from behind Kellan after Cato spoke.  It would be hard to negotiate if she hid from who she was speaking too, even if having the goblins' eyes on her made her so uncomfortable.  "I'm sorry that we had to fight your warriors, but you know why we had to come here in the first place."

"We can't let Sandpoint be attacked again; so many people would be killed, on both sides."  What little she knew about goblins told Liseth that Thistletop's warchief probably didn't care how many goblins from the other four tribes might die.  But he did seem at least somewhat concerned that Nualia's plan was also putting so many of his own people in danger.

"I know that, even if you wanted to, by yourself you couldn't call off the attack.  Maybe your people would listen, but the other four tribes would still follow Nualia.  Because the other goblin chiefs are all scared of the power that Lamashtu granted to Nualia.  That's why we have to stop her; if we can do that then the other chiefs will realize that they don't have to go forward with her attack plan."  Liseth diplomatically left out the part where the goblin tribes would probably fall into fighting one another again without Nualia holding them together.  "Then no more goblins, or humans, or anyone would have to be killed."

"That's why we had to come here.  I'm sorry that we had to invade your home, but we know that this is where Nualia and her friends made their headquarters.  Since it's the best goblin fortress in the region.  Our goal was never just to kill goblins."

"We won't fail."  Liseth felt her voice suddenly get stronger, and she stood straighter.  "There is too much at stake for us to fail.  We are going to defeat Nualia and thwart her misguided plan for revenge.  All that we ask from you is that you call off your warriors and allow us safe passage through your fortress.  Show us where Nualia is, and once we've defeated her allow us safe passage out of your fortress again.  There is no need for any more bloodshed between us and your people, and there is no reason why you should allow Nualia to continue placing your people at risk by usurping your authority over them."

Position: Q 12
This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

Kellan remained silent and glanced this way and that at the doors, the body guards, the huge gecko and the chief himself. It was not so much that he felt he had nothing to contribute to the conversation, but more that he feared being distracted or drawn in to the discourse.

He sized up the competition as he listened, locking eyes with the body guards and looking back and forth between them. Why had these two been chosen? Perhaps some special trial or ritual? Perhaps just friends or family of the chief? He supposed it did not matter, as long as they kept their distance.

Position: Q11
This message was last edited by the player at 00:29, Thu 16 Oct 2014.

---

---

Ripnugget's face tightened at Pisca's insult.  He wasn't a goblin used to suffering casual taunts; most goblins were in awe of him, and Nualia . . . well, there was nothing casual about her.  He calmed himself, though, and took a deep breath before speaking.

"That is exactly my plan, Cato.  Your name is Cato, yes?"  The goblin chief spoke Common with a faintly-Varisian accent.  As the scholar continued to speak, Ripnugget's face betrayed no sign of shock at the news that the party had obtained Tsuto's journal; it remained remarkably still.  Quite remarkably.

"A . . . journal, you say?"  Ripnugget's eyes darted from invader to invader.  Were they telling the truth?  Had Tsuto been so stupid as to keep a journal and actually take it with him on his mission to Sandpoint?  Ripnugget wouldn't put it past the half-elf, whom he viewed as emotionally unstable.  Such idiocy.  He expected it from his goblins, but to have to deal with it from Tsuto irritated him.

And what had the thrice-damned Kaijitsu written?  What did these people know?  If there was anything Ripnugget hated, it was having to act without all the available information.  And it seemed like there was quite a bit of information he did not yet have.

"Clearly you are a force to be reckoned with," he extemporized as the robed human bragged about defeating Nualia's subterranean allies.  He thought quickly; that meant that the underground tunnel was compromised--if Sandpoint knew of it there could be no using it to open a surprise front for the upcoming assault.

"The reason I am talking to you is because we can help each other."  He looked at Liseth.  "Let's be honest. I don't care for your village any more than you care for mine.  But we both see Nualia as a threat.  And it's possible we can, however briefly, work together until this threat is neutralized.  Then we go our separate ways."

"Now, you are right that the assault will be difficult to stop."  He shrugged.  "But why stop it at all?  Nualia and her allies are a key component of the attack; if you eliminate them then it will be that much weaker.  And what if one of the goblin tribes didn't attack with the others, but instead fell upon them from behind?  The assault would assuredly fail.  And since your secret allies would give you information regarding the timing and tactics of the assault, you would not lose too many of your townsfolk to it.  If any."

"It's a good plan, don't you think?  You save your town and greatly reduce the nearby population of goblins. I get rid of . . . unwanted visitors and remove my rivals for goblin leadership in one lightning strike.  Everyone wins."

Ripnugget nodded at Liseth.  "I like your plan.  I tell you how to get to Nualia and her people and give you safe passage there and back again, to the edge of the Nettlemaze.  You kill them, but do not attack any goblins who do not attack you first.  Once you've returned, a raven will locate whichever of your number you choose with written information regarding the timing and location of the upcoming assault.  Are we agreed?"

While the conversation was occurring, one of Ripnugget's bodyguards caught Kellan's eye.  He didn't react to the big guardsman's stare, or seem intimidated by the difference in size; he just returned it, flatly and unemotionally.  He seemed very . . . professional to Kellan.  Very professional.

Pisca couldn't help noticing that the goblin chief had completely ignored her reference to Malneshfekor.  Although he had given her a startled glance when she mentioned the name.  He also shot her a displeased look as she examined the door, although he did not say anything about it.

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |C1|CHX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  | G|C1X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |C |  |  |  D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |K |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |L |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |R | PD  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDDDDXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXDDDDDXDDXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
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23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

---

---

There was the lock.  And then there was the rancid smell.  And there was also the fact that this locked door had to have been built deliberately off of the goblin chief's great hall.  Pisca put two and three together and came up with twenty three.

She chose to ignore the door next to which she stood.  Instead, she issued a warning to her friends.

"I understand that you want to parlay with this gobbie," she sent over the Whisper Magic, "but the idea is to get more from him that he's giving to us.  So far you've told him several important bits of information and we haven't gotten much in return."

"I think he's lying about Noomatia.  Or, at least, only giving us a half truth.  And the offer he's making still gives him too much power in the situation."

"Wait, just one minute, Bugger Breath."  The gnome drew her bow, but instead of firing it, pointed the tip in the direction of the goblin king.  "Before we agree to anything, we want to know more about Malneshfekor.  How far along is Newbinia to commanding it?  Or don't you dare go down into the Lower Chambers with her there?"

The slight curve of a smile touch one corner of her mouth as she pushed and prodded the goblin chieftain with her words.  It wouldn't be long now.  Once again, Pisca's eyes sought to pierce the dark corners of the goblin hall for any dangers that she might have, up to this point, missed.

"And no agreement comes until we know we're safe from an attack from you and your minions, Toad Rider.  If we agree, you're going to march every last gobbie on Thistletop over that bridge and into the Nettlemaze.  We'll collapse the bridge behind you and lock the gates."

"There's no negotiating on that point.  Understand, Gobbie?"

Draw Bow.

Perception Check, please.  One last look around.

Position: R13

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 28/30
AC15

This message was last edited by the player at 13:37, Thu 16 Oct 2014.

Kellan was noticeably suprised as Pisca took the slack out of her bow string and leveled her arrow at goblin chief. As he saw the bow go taught he leveled his own weapon in anticipation of the struggle that seemed imminent, and looked between those present with rapid glances, waiting for somebody to make the first move.

Cato replied to Pisca's whispers.  "I think we also need to impress Ripnugget, or at least remove some of his faith in Nualia.  We've defeated her plans, so it might make him believe that we can defeat her.  Though he probably knows from Tsuto that we defeated him and some of his goblins once.  I'm all for the hard bargaining, and your bridge suggestion is good.  Just don't push him too hard."

Cato found himself carefully monitoring his motions, his eyes, and his speech lest he inadvertently goad the goblins into attacking.  The mage slowly nodded after Pisca spoke.  "Her idea is a good one.  Let's settle on how we insure your cooperation before moving forward, but I have some thoughts about your plan for the attack on Sandpoint as well."

"Mr Ripnugget."  Liseth's voice gained a slightly stern edge, "If you truly cared for my village as much as I cared for yours we wouldn't be where we are now."  She displayed Sarenrae's holy symbol, "Sarenrae cares for all people, everywhere.  That includes goblins."  The acolyte took her hand off of Sarenrae's symbol, "I am Sarenrae's servant, Mr Ripnugget; I have no more hatred for goblins than I do for anyone else.  Nothing would please me more than seeing goblins and humans working together towards similar goals."

"Perhaps you don't care for humans, or gnomes, or anyone else who isn't a part of your tribe.  But if we're to be honest, please don't assume that because you don't care for me means that I don't care for you or your people.  It just is not true."

Liseth silently gathered her thoughts as Pisca told the goblin chief her idea to march his goblins out of the fort while they were there.  "Pisca, I don't think he'll ever agree to something like that,"  Liseth lowered her voice to a whisper and spoke through Pisca's magic.  She did not, however, speak her objection for Ripnugget to overhear.  They couldn't show too much dissension in front of him, after all.

Once Pisca had finished and Liseth had marshaled her thoughts, the girl continued speaking to Ripnugget.  "I know what you are suggesting, and is not something that I can support.  Our goal is to avoid such a battle altogether; we don't want a single person to be placed in danger if they don't have to be.  I already told you that killing goblins has never been our goal."

"And besides, if we were to help you defeat your rivals in the region, what is there to stop you from gathering all of the remaining goblins under your banner?  That isn't a risk we can take; in one short generation you would have an army under your control capable of threatening Sandpoint all over again."  Liseth placed her hands on her hips, "I want to make peace, Mr Ripnugget.  Not merely delay war until another day."

"The best resolution would be for all of the goblin tribes to return to their homes.  I admit that we can't predict what the other four tribes might do once they realize Nualia is gone; perhaps with their armies already assembled they will fight each other anyway.  Then you still get the satisfaction of seeing your rivals weakened.  But there is no way we could convince the people of Sandpoint to actually help you by fighting your enemies for you."

Of the mysterious Malneshfekor Liseth remained silent.  Pisca had already asked about it and Liseth didn't know enough about the subject to add anything of her own.  She also awaited the goblin chief's response to Pisca and Cato's counteroffer, a little bit curious though very wary how he might respond to the idea of vacating his fort as insurance that they wouldn't be attacked.

---

---

Warchief Ripnugget grimaced as he considered the troubling circumstances before him.  He was, by universal acclaim—well, by those who knew anything about it, anyway—the greatest strategic and tactical genius goblindom had ever produced.  But this . . . this situation gave him pause.  While he never shied away from battle, welcoming it as an opportunity to display his skills, he knew that fighting this group was a risky proposition.  They had navigated the Nettlemaze like it wasn’t even there and defeated his door sentries with little effort.  And while those door sentries were nothing compared to Ripnugget’s highly-trained personal guard, their easy defeat still made him pause.

Ripnugget did not like to take unnecessary risks.  He preferred win his battles before they started—and this battle was far from won.

But reaching a peaceful resolution with these invaders was looking more-and-more unlikely.  With whom should he parley?  There was the gnome who kept on name-calling and making ridiculous demands.  There was the big human warrior readying his weapon.  There was the silent armored archer who looked none too pleased with the situation.  The scholar had his own ideas about the agreement.  It seemed like the white-clad human female was someone with whom he could possibly work, but what kind of influence did she have with the group?  She did not seem to be the leader.

So many questions without answers.  Would they even be able to come to a mutually-agreeable solution?  He was beginning to doubt if he could satisfy all five of them; they all had ideas and did not seem to have a leader with whom he could bargain.  If they came to a resolution, could Ripnugget count on them to keep up their end?  Were they simply delaying him while they set up an assault?

So much opportunity.  So much danger.

He listened while he thought.  It turned out that the white-robed woman—the reasonable one—didn’t even like what he thought was an extremely equitable agreement.  She wanted to change things.  The scholar wanted to change things.  The warrior was looking aggressive.

That sealed it.  There would be no dealing with these invaders, and he would never have them in a worse tactical situation than they were now.  He would have to deal with Nualia during the actual attack on Sandpoint, as he had originally planned.  He raised a hand in the air.

“[Language unknown: Earne.]”

*****

A flash of movement drew Pisca’s eyes to the ceiling, where she saw four well-armed goblins, one near the top of each post, climb out of what she now recognized as camouflaged blinds.  Each one quickly scampered down the iron spikes in the post, which she now realized where the goblin equivalent of a ladder.   They moved towards the torches located just below them.

Then the torches went out, and complete darkness fell.

*****

No one could see anything in the pitch black.  But they could hear.  The heard a cacophony of movement, as if many creatures were approaching them in the utter black.  Approaching VERY closely.  They heard a creak of leather and the hiss of the lizard.  And then they heard the familiar strains of a warchanter’s discordant song:

They’ve come here, to Thistletop
They think our plans, they’re going to stop
But they no count, on what they’d get
When they crossed swords with Ripnugget!!!

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B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

OOC:  No one can see anything.  The entire room is dark.

Roll for Initiative.  You may take a combat action if you beat a 7.

14:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Throne Room Goblins, rolled 7 using 1d20+3. Throne Room Goblin Initiative.

Liseth tensed up as she watched Ripnugget go silent.  The way he was looking at them he seemed to be thinking things through.  But something told her that the things he was thinking had little to do with their negotiations.

Her fears proved quite true when the goblin chief signaled his minions to begin an offensive.  The acolyte watched with some surprise as the goblins climbed down from the ceiling; but the surprise quickly faded as saw what they were doing.  Her reflexes took over just before they could snuff the lights in the room with them and the girl took an immediate hold of Sarenrae's Symbol.

They were cast into pitch darkness for just a moment before Liseth called out her invocation, "Sarenrae!  Send us the light of your sun!"  A bright glow centered on the acolyte's divine focus entered the chamber to dispel the sudden darkness.  If Ripnugget was determined to fight them, she could at least deny him the advantage of darkness.

Then she took a step backwards, away from the goblins, and placed her back against the dubious security of the door they had used to enter Ripnugget's throne room.  And next to the more practical security of Kerr's protective presence.  Feeling at her side, the Acolyte then placed her hand upon her final Befuddler from Nisk Tanner.  She had the feeling that it might become quickly necessary to see if she couldn't make a definitive and successful test of the alchemist's creation after all.

Free Action: 5-foot step to P 13
Standard Action: Cast Light on Liseth's Holy Symbol
Move Action: Draw Befuddler Bag

Initiative: 15

OOC: Light sheds normal light out to 20 feet, and Dim Light (20% concealment) 20 feet beyond that.  Pisca's Low-Light Vision should double those numbers

15:31, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 15 using 1d20+1. Initiative.

Edited
This message was last edited by the player at 16:53, Mon 20 Oct 2014.

At the base of one of the columns, Cato had just enough time to see a goblin crawling out above him before the room plunged into darkness.  Moving quickly, Cato reached forward to touch the pillar, whispering [Language unknown: "Hestch"] as he did so.  Having done that, the mage peered out into the light, ready to see what was approaching, quarterstaff held at the ready.

Standard: Cast light on column by O10

10:25, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 11 using 1d20+6. Initiative.

*Edit to change action.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:12, Mon 20 Oct 2014.

---

---

Liseth stumbled back past Kerr in the inky blackness, feeling more than hearing the whoosh of a blade just missing her in the dark.  From Cato's direction she heard the ugly, wet crunch of a weapon finding its target, followed by what sounded like the scholar's pained cry.

Liseth's quickly-uttered prayer caused her holy symbol to light up, its brilliance driving shadows to the edges of the room.  But what she saw terrified her.  Horsechopper-wielding goblins seemed to be everywhere.  The closest was not five feet in front of her, looking annoyed as it brought its horsechopper around for a reverse slash.  A quick glance towards the throne showed that Ripnugget had mounted his riding gecko, and was even now bellowing coded commands in the goblin language.

The awful song, if one could even call it that, emanated from behind the chief, where a warchanter who seemed to have been secreted behind the fur-laded throne had stepped from his hiding place to urge Ripnugget's warriors on to feats of valor.

As for Cato, things looked just as bad as they'd sounded.  He was surrounded by three goblins, one of whom had opened a nasty-looking, freely-bleeding gash in his side.  The magic the wizard been about to cast fizzled on his fingertips as he doubled over in pain, clearly hurting from the goblins' dark-aided assault.

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |WCX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |CH|  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |C6|C |C3|  |  D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |C4|K |C2X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |C5|  |C1X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |L |R | PD  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXDDDDDXDDXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--N--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

OOC:

Goblin Attacks of Opportunity

10:44, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, on behalf of Cato Crispin, rolled 18 using 1d20+8. Concentration Check.
10:40, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 4, rolled 4 using 1d8+1. AoO Damage to Cato.
10:39, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 4, rolled 24 using 1d20+6. AoO on Cato.
10:38, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 3, rolled 5 using 1d8+1. AoO Damage to Cato.
10:38, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 3, rolled 22 using 1d20+8. AoO on Cato.
10:37, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 16 using 3d8+3. Critical Damage to Cato.
10:35, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 16 using 1d20+8. AoO Critical Confirmation on Cato.
10:33, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 28 using 1d20+8. AoO on Cato.
10:33, Today: Secret Roll: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 5, rolled 9 using 1d20+6. AoO on Liseth.

Result:  Liseth's Light spell is cast, but Cato's is interrupted by damage.  Cato takes 25 points of damage.  There is normal light 20 feet from Liseth, dim light (20% concealment chance) in the rest of the room.

---

---

Kellan backed up a step and sharply inhaled as the room was plunged into darkness. The almost nightmarish chanting combined with the scurrying of goblins and Cato's cries sent the guardsmans heart racing brought sweat to his brow.

Suddenly there was light, and standing less than a dozen paces in front of himself Ripnugget himself astride his gecko steed. There were once again goblins to his left right and elsewhere throughout the room, but it seemed Kellan only saw the chief. If he could not end Nualia, Ripnugget would have to suffice.

Stepping forward he swung hard, horizontal across the room in an attempt to sweep the goblin chief from the lizards back, the pole whooshing audibly as it passed before he darted back in a fighting retreat towards the doorway.

HP: 48
AC: 18
Move: 5' Step Towards Door
Standard: Power Attack Ripnugget
11:45, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 14 using 2d4+10. Pole Axe Damage.
11:45, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 25 using 1d20+7. Reach/Power Attack Goblin Chief.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:45, Tue 21 Oct 2014.

"They're speaking in code," the gnome relayed to her friends through her Whisper Magic.  Not that knowing this would do any good.  But, at least they'd know better than to ask what the gobbies were saying.

The little badger humpers had come down out of the blinds with lightning speed.  They were obviously extremely well practiced in this.

Cato was in a bad spot.  She'd been there before herself.  She knew.  She also knew the young human wizard was less than adept at pulling himself out of such tight spots.  This was bad.

Then the bright blade of Kellan Stomper Storval cuts the fetid darkness of the Goblin Hall.  It drinks the bright blood of the goblin chief, and throws off a glimmer of hope.

"KILL RIPNUGGET!" Pisca shouted at the top of her voice.  And then in the goblin language, so that there would be no mistaking her meaning, the gnome called out, [Language unknown: "Larproear armeur fi ieoer t virandman butma ashist!  Cena-wipa concomome naerit nc herenttio ch th onses nabese itet redoreera.  Romkorble anpama estta din as, Stpaonis!  Whare!"]

Maybe that would make the gobbies think again and redirect their attacks.  And, hopefully, Stomper could withstand the assault.

The gnome drew the Amazing Returning Dagger and lashed out at the nearest goblin to punctuate her words.  A quick leap in left a line of goblin blood, and a quick leap out brought her into a defensive stance.

Draw Dagger / Hit C1 - Fighting Defensively / Swift action Arcane Strike

17:29, Fri 17 Oct: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 24 using 1d20+4. Initiative.
15:57, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 21 using 1d20+1. Hit C1 +1 (+3Base +1vsGoblin +1Dagger -4 Fighting Defensively).
15:59, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 3 using 1d4+2. Damage 1d4 +1Dagger +1ArcaneStrike.

Position: R13 (No Move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 28/30
AC18 (Fighting Defensively)

Small victories," thought Cato.  With the goblin's attention momentarily absorbed by attacking the mage, Cato tried to slip past them, towards the door of the room.

Use move action and move to O15

---

---

Kerr was nervous.  He couldn’t really believe he was here, in the throne room of the goblin chieftain most responsible for the recent attacks on his hometown, negotiating with that chieftain.  But it didn’t seem to be going well.  Pisca was prodding the goblin, which made Kerr a little angry.  If only she would let Liseth talk!  Kerr relaxed a little as Liseth spoke up again.  She was SO good at working things out without fighting.  He gave her a bit of a loopy grin.  She was just as talented as she was beautiful . . .

Suddenly darkness fell and everything went directly to the Nine Hells.  Kerr drew an arrow but couldn’t see anything until Liseth managed to conjure some light, and the sight it revealed caused his stomach to drop.

Goblins were everywhere.  And it looked like several of them were attacking Cato, who didn’t look as if he was doing too well.

Kerr saw Pisca throw her knife at one of the closest ones, and he immediately sent a couple of shots that direction.  The goblin they targeted looked pretty damaged, but the shots had also distracted Kerr, who took a scratch from the horsechopper of one of the closer goblins.

Kellan took a mighty chop at the goblin chieftain and connected solidly, nearly knocking Ripnugget off of his gecko.  Kerr felt like cheering.  But the good feelings were short-lived—Kerr saw the warchanter point at Kellan, and suddenly the big guardsman fell to the floor, convulsing in laughter.  Ripnugget’s triumphant smile as he charged the prone guardsman was burned into Kerr’s mind.  Without Kellan, they were in big trouble.  There had to be a way to save him!

His attention was distracted by yet another goblin who was attacking Liseth.  She let out a short cry as the Horsechopper nicked her leg.  He couldn't let them hurt her!  But there were so many of them!

Kerr saw movement to his left and saw Cato run out of the room, closely pursued by one of the horsechopper-wielding goblins.  No sooner had the wizard left then there was a solid “thunk” and an anguished cry that could only have come from the scholar.  Kerr looked back at the goblins surrounding him as he drew another arrow . . . things were looking bad.

Very bad.

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
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1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
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6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |WCX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |C4|CH|C2X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |C5|K |C1X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |C6|L |R | PD  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDDDDXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XC3|  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XC |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXDDDDDXDDXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--N--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

OOC:

Results from Party Turn:  14 points of damage to Warchief Ripnugget, 3 points of damage to Goblin Commando 1.

Goblin Attacks of Opportunity

16:24, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 1, rolled 4 using 1d8+1. AoO Damage to Kerr.
16:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 1, rolled 11 using 1d20+6. Critical Confirmation on Kerr.
16:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 1, rolled 26 using 1d20+6. Attack of Opportunity v. Kerr.

Result:  4 points of damage to Kerr.

Kerr Mollin

Full Round Action:  Rapid Shot

16:28, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 11 using 1d20+6. Longbow Attack #2 on GC1.
16:27, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 6 using 1d8+4. Attack #1 Damage on GC1.
16:27, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 24 using 1d20+6. Longbow Attack #1 on GC1 (PBS, RF, DA).

Result:  6 points of damage to Goblin Commando #1.  Goblin Commando #1 has taken 9 points of damage total.

Goblin Turn

Goblin Warchanter

Move:  None

Free Action:  Maintains Inspire Courage.

Standard Action:  Casts Hideous Laughter on Kellan.

16:35, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kellan Storval, rolled 9 using 1d20+2. Will Save.

Result:  Kellan falls to the ground laughing.  He is prone and can take no actions, but is not helpless.  As a full-round action, he may attempt a new Will Save to end the effect (DC 12).

Warchief Ripnugget

Full-Round Action:  Spirited Charge Attack on Kellan, Moving to Q11

16:56, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Warchief Ripnugget, rolled 15 using 2d4+12. Spirited Charge Damage to Kellan.
16:55, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Warchief Ripnugget, rolled 23 using 1d20+13. Spirited Charge Attack on Kellan.

Result:  Kellan takes 15 damage.

Giant Gecko

17:19, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Giant Gecko, rolled 7 using 2d4+2. Bite Damage to Kellan.
17:18, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Giant Gecko, rolled 18 using 1d20+5. Charge Bite Attack on Kellan.

Result:  Kellan takes 7 damage.

Goblin Commandos 1, 2, 4, and 5

Move:  None

Standard Action:  Attack Kellan with Horsechopper.

17:12, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 5, rolled 3 using 1d8+2. Horsechopper Damage to Kellan.
17:11, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 5, rolled 25 using 1d20+8. Horsechopper Attack on Kellan.
17:10, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 4, rolled 9 using 1d20+6. Horsechopper Attack on Kellan.
17:09, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 2, rolled 3 using 1d8+2. Horsechopper Damage to Kellan.
17:08, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 2, rolled 15 using 1d20+6. Horsechopper Attack on Kellan.
17:08, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 1, rolled 11 using 1d20+8. Horsechopper Attack on Kellan.

Result - Kellan takes 6 points of damage.

Goblin Commando 3

Move:  To O14

Standard Action:  Horsechopper Attack on Cato

17:56, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 3, rolled 9 using 1d8+2. Horsechopper Damage to Cato.
17:56, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 3, rolled 23 using 1d20+6. Horsechopper Attack on Cato.

Goblin Commando 6

Move:  To 013

Standard Action:  Horsechopper Attach on Liseth

18:00, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 6 using 1d8+2. Horsechopper Damage to Liseth.
18:00, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 15 using 1d20+6. Horsechopper Attack on Liseth.


Status:  Kerr has taken 4 points of damage, Liseth has taken 6 points of damage, Kellan has taken 28 points of damage, Cato has taken 34 points of damage.

Cato is unconscious and dying.

Party has done 14 points of damage to Warchief Ripnugget and 9 points of damage to Goblin Commando 1.

---

---

Putting on the lights did not do much to help the situation.  How could all of those goblins have surrounded them so quickly?!  Liseth had little time to wonder as her attention went immediately to the horsechopper swinging at her.

Was that scream from her?  It sounded like her scream.  Liseth hadn't had time to even react before she was cut.  The goblin must have expected her to try and move more because the slash wasn't nearly as deep as it could have been.  Not that the girl found it reassuring as the goblin brought its weapon around to swing again.

Along with the other goblins surrounding her.  After they chased Cato and chopped him down.

"Kerr!"  Even as she tried to bring her shield up to guard against the three goblins surrounding her, Liseth shouted.  She couldn't even hold off a single goblin the last time!  But there wasn't much that Kerr could do; he was just as trapped as she was!

"Pisca, help!"  Liseth whispered urgently, using Pisca's magic to carry her voice over the sounds of Kellan's inappropriate laughter.  The gnome was small and quick; plus the goblins seemed to hate her more than anyone else.  "You have to distract them!  I can't use my magic; there's too many!"

Free Action: Speak

OOC: Delaying the rest of my turn for now.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:11, Fri 24 Oct 2014.

"Kerr Mollin!"  Despite her exasperation, the gnome had the presence of mind to send it through her Whisper Magic.  "Ripnugget!  Forget the other gobbies.  Shoot Ripnugget.  That's the best chance of stopping the attack on Sandpoint.  Even if we die here and now, if we kill Ripnugget, we might still save Sandpoint."

Pisca then prepared to deliver the final blow to the wounded goblin anyway.  That was when Liseth's voice came to her through the Whisper Magic.

"You want me to do what, Lys?"  A quick glance showed her the human girl's predicament.  Hooboy.  This could hurt.  But it was where she needed to be.  She'd been surprised when Cato had fled the room.  Even more worrying had been the gobbie that had followed him.  She had to know what had happened to the mage, and to do that, she'd have to cross the room.

"Alright.  Here I go."

"Hee-yeh!" Pisca said in Gnomish, as she lashed out at the wounded goblin with the Amazing Returning Dagger (or ARD).  It was a word that was nearly untranslatable to Common, meaning something close to, 'Die!  But in an interesting or otherwise visually spectacular manner.'  The gnome felt the dagger strike home, but did not have time to note whether her cut had penetrated the leather that passed for goblin armor.  Then she ran.

It was a short dash.  It was a short gauntlet through flashing horsechoppers.  And, aside from holding her arms up to defend the core of her body, Pisca made no attempt to avoid drawing any attacks at all.

"Lysa!  Cato's down," Pisca called aloud, as though this had been the sole reason for making the unwise dash.  From her new perspective near the other side of the room, she saw the mage on the floor in a pool of his own blood.  Above him stood the gobbie with his stained blade.

Whatever Lysa had in mind, it had better work.

Hit C1-FightingDefensively  / Swift Action=Arcane Strike / Move triggering AoO's from C1, C5, C6 (Unless C1 is down.)

06:47, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 16 using 1d20+1. Hit C1 +1 (+3Base +1vsGoblin +1Dagger -4 Fighting Defensively).
06:48, Today: Pisca Neep Freemish rolled 5 using 1d4+2. Damage 1d4 +1Dagger +1ArcaneStrike.

Position: N12 (20ft Move)

Active Effects:  Message 40m (On All in party.), Disguise Self 40m

Lvl 0 - At Will
Lvl 1 - (1/4)
Lvl 2 - (2/2)
AL: 6/8

HP 28/30
AC18 (Fighting Defensively)

This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Fri 24 Oct 2014.

The moment Pisca dashed through them, Liseth could see that she was going to have a hard time avoiding all of the goblins.  There were so many!  But in the instant it took them to try and slash at the running gnome, Liseth saw her chance.

"Sarenrae!  Calm the savagery in these violent hearts!  Let them be at peace!"  It didn't go so well the last time Liseth tried to calm everyone down, just minutes ago.  But she didn't know what she was doing then.  Now she knew what she could, and had to do.  Liseth poured everything that she had into this spell.

And once it was done she took several steps backwards, away from the goblins on every side.  She stopped next to Cato; Pisca was right, he was hurt very badly, but with all of her attention focused on keeping everyone from fighting, she didn't know whether she could heal him.

Standard: Cast Calm Emotions at Q12 (Using Herb Challenge Trait to increase the Will DC to 18)
Move: Walk to P16 (15 feet)

OOC: Calm Emotions should also suppress any active morale bonuses; such as from the Warchanter's Inspire Courage; the wording on the spell doesn't make it clear whether or not it requires a failed save.  In addition to that, it will also suppress the Hideous Laughter effect on Kellan.  Everyone should be inside of its effected area; I couldn't avoid any allies this time!
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Fri 24 Oct 2014.

Cato fled the room, trying to convince himself it was discretion and not simple fear.  Out in the hallway, he had barely turned back towards the room to see if he could assist from here when a goblin drove a horsechopper into his back.  And like that, Cato's wandering mind shut down and he fell into oblivion.

---

---

Pisca just barely missed her target commando with the Amazing Returning Dagger (tm).  Taking stock of Liseth's situation, the gnome skipped through the attacking goblins, avoiding first this horsechopper, then that one, before the final goblin commando managed to score the back of her armor with his halberd-like blade.  Pisca still managed to make it to the other corner of the room not much worse for wear, where she turned to survey the rapidly-deteriorating situation.

"He's almost down!"  Kerr yelled to her as she moved by, sending an arrow toward the gnome's most-recent target as if to emphasize her failure with the Amazing Returning Dagger.  The young paladin's shot did not go astray, taking the wounded commando through the shoulder and knocking it to the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

Kerr turned and sent another arrow speeding toward the gecko-mounted Ripnugget, but the goblin warchief easily dodged it, still concentrating on his armored quarry.

Suddenly a light blossomed through the room as Liseth beseeched her goddess to calm the fighting and bring peace.  To her surprise, and unlike the previous time she'd invoked the goddess' power, this time it worked like a charm!  All of the goblins lowered their weapons and stopped attacking, although they were still watchful.  Not one of their attackers continued to press their advantage.

This isn't to say that they did nothing.  Warchief Ripnugget rode his gecko to the back of the room, taking a flask from his waist pouch and consuming it.  The commando standing next to the one Kerr had so recently felled knelt and took a similar-looking flask out of its waist pouch, administering it to its injured comrade.  The prostrate goblin's wounds immediately began to close as it coughed its way back to consciousness, raising itself to an elbow and looking around in confusion.

One of the other goblins moved to join its fellow just outside the door, both to keep an eye on Liseth and Cato and to keep the intruders from coming into and out of the throne room as they pleased.  The other goblins kept their focus on Kellan, horsechoppers lowered in a guard position, as they quickly assessed this new situation.

"That's quite a trick," Ripnugget said, throwing the empty vial on the floor, where it crashed into dozens of shiny shards.  He wiped his mouth with his forearm, then waved it about, indicating his goblins.  "You have seen that I have the upper hand here.  And this is only a small portion of the forces I command.  Are you certain that you do not wish to reconsider and accept my previous proposal?"

   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
6 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |CH|WCX  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
10|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
11|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |C4|  |C2X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--T--+--T--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
12|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  | P|  |C5|K |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
13|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |R |  D  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXDDDDDXXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
14|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XC3|C6X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
15|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  XC |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--X--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
16|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |L X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XDDXDDDDDXDDXXXXDDXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
17|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+
18|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  E  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDDX--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--X--+--+
19|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  X  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--D--+--+--D--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXXXXX--+--+
20|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |WS|  D  |  |  D  |  |  |  X  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--X--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--+--X--+--+--+--N--+--+--+--+--+--+
21|  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  X  |  |  | D|  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  NW |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXXXXX--+--+--X--+--+--DD-+--+--+--+--N--+--+--NNNW--+--+
22|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  X  |  |DD|  |  |  |  |  N  |  | NNWW|  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--XXXXXXX--+--+--+--+--+--N--+--NNNW--+--+--+
23|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  | NN  NNNNWW|  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--N--NNNNNNN--+--+--+--+--NNNNNNNWWW--+--+--+--+
24|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  N  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |WWWWWW  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+NNNNNNNNNNBBBBBBBWWWWWWW--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
25|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  NNNWW BBBBBBB  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+NNNN-+--+--+--+--+--+NNNWWW--+BBBBBBB-+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
26|  |  |  |  |  WWWWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNWWWW |  | BBBBBBB|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
  +--+--+--+--+--+--WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW--+--+--+--BBBBBBB--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+


B  = Bridge       WS = Western Watchtower   P = Pisca
X  = Wall         ES = Eastern Watchtower   K = Kellan
N  = Nettles       B = Bell                 L = Liseth
W  = Waterline                              C = Cato
CH = Goblin Chief                           R = Kerr
C1 = Commando 1    G = Giant Gecko
C2 = Commando 2    T = Timber Pillar

OOC:

Goblin Attacks of Opportunity

23:05, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 7 using 1d20+6. AoO on Pisca.
23:04, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 5, rolled 20 using 1d20+6. AoO on Pisca.
23:04, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 1, rolled 13 using 1d20+6. AoO on Pisca.
23:07, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 5, rolled 5 using 1d8+2. AoO Damage to Pisca.

Result - Pisca takes 5 points of Damage

PARTY TURN

Pisca Misses Goblin Commando 1

Kerr Mollin

Full-Round Action:  Rapid Shot

23:10, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 11 using 1d20+6. Longbow Attack on Warchief Ripnugget (PB, RF, DA).
23:09, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 26 using 1d20+7. Longbow Attack on Goblin Commando 1
23:10, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Kerr Mollin, rolled 4 using 1d8+2. Longbow Damage to Goblin Commando 1.

Result - Goblin Commando 1 takes 4 points of damage, is unconscious and dying. 

Liseth Thoradin

Standard Action:  Cast Calm Emotions

22:40, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 6, rolled 4 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:40, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 5, rolled 14 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:39, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 4, rolled 14 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:39, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 3, rolled 13 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:39, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 2, rolled 9 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:39, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 1, rolled 15 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:38, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Warchanter, rolled 14 using 1d20+3. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:38, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Warchief Ripnugget, rolled 15 using 1d20+2. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
22:37, Today: Kerr Mollin rolled 26 using 1d20+9. Will Save v. Calm Emotions.
06:32, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 17 using 1d20+2. DC18 Calm Emotions.

Result - All Goblins are calmed.  Kellan and Pisca are calmed.

Kellan Storval

Full-Round Action - Save vs. Hideous Laughter

06:31, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 17 using 1d20+2. DC12, Hideous Laughter.

Result - Kellan overcomes the Hideous Laughter spell, but is still prone.

Cato Crispin

Full-Round Action - Stabilize Condition

23:31, Today: The Raconteur, on behalf of Cato Crispin, rolled 6 using 1d20-1. DC 10 Constitution Check to Stabilize.

Result - Cato fails to stabilize his condition and takes one point of damage.

GOBLIN TURN

Warchief Ripnugget

Move - Moves to Q8

Standard Action - Drink Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds

23:23, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Warchief Ripnugget, rolled 17 using 2d8+3. Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds.

Result - Warchief Ripnugget heals 17 points of damage and is completely healed.

Warchanter

Move - None

Free Action - End Inspire Courage

Standard Action - None

Goblin Commandos

Commando 2 retrieves a Potion of Cure Moderate Wounds from Goblin Commando 1's waist pouch and administers it to him.

23:46, Today: The Raconteur, for the NPC Goblin Commando 2, rolled 12 using 2d8+3. Administer Cure Moderate Wounds Potion to GC1.

Result - Goblin Commando 1 is healed for 12 points of damage,

Commando 3 does not move

Commando 4 does not move

Commando 5 does not move

Commando 6 moves to P14.

Party Status 

Kerr has taken 4 points of damage, Pisca has taken 5 points of damage, Liseth has taken 6 points of damage, Kellan has taken 28 points of damage and is prone, Cato has taken 35 points of damage and is at -4 hit points.

Cato is unconscious and dying.

Calm Emotions:  One round elapsed.


Goblin Status

Goblin Commando 1 has one point of damage and is prone.

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This message was last edited by the GM at 07:03, Wed 29 Oct 2014.