Old Ways IC

[Valameer]

"Did they block it?" Stefan instinctively raises his shield a bit. He looks around the rest of the courtyard for signs of movement.

[jmbrown]

Jeanne takes in the courtyard silently. She takes up bow and arrow, backing up to cover the door. "Best to spread out and kick it in."

[Roland St. Jude]

As best Brandon can see from his peek into the hall, the door is being blocked by a pile of broken furniture, large stones, and other debris, shoved in front of the door haphazardly.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

"Wait!" hisses Talsarios with some urgency. "Kick it in? That's what they want us to do... A barrier like this would never hold for long, but it would make plenty of noise while it was broken, and give the defenders time to get to the murderholes and arrow slits.
"Perhaps we might scale the wall, and quietly come into the chamber from above.. Who has rope?"

[Valameer]

"Darn it! See? I knew I needed that grappling hook!" Stefan curses.

"Um, sorry, I don't have any rope. The lumbermen might though, I'll ask them if they have anything to climb with."

Before Stefan goes back to Devin, he takes a peek at the collected junk behind the door.

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Does it look like it could be pushed open far enough to slip through if a couple of us put our shoulders into it?

[Matthew]

Nathros leans on his spear and keeps a cautious eye about the courtyard. "Looks like we are going to have our work cut out for us digging these fellows out."

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor


Brandon says softly, "Wait a bit, let us see first if there's anyone on the other side."

He tries to look or otherwise sense if there is any goblin waiting beyond the barrier of debris. He also looks for any traps, although he has hardly any idea what such might look like.

As he looks, he muses, "You know, if we really wanted to get through this thing safely, all we need to do is set it on fire."

"Part of it is stone rubble, but a lot of it is old furniture. Flammable. Set it on fire then wait for the fire to go out."

[Altair_the_Vexed]

"It might work, if you have any oil left. Just let it be noted that fire wasn't my idea, this time, Brandon."
Talsarios looks around for alternative ways into the buildings.

[Matthew]

Nathros rolls his eyes at the prospect of more fire, but says nothing.

[Valameer]

"No, the last thing we need is more fire. That was crazy last time, plus it takes like forever to burn itself out, while we just wait. I'd rather push."

Stefan comes back to the door.

"I'll push it down, if no one else wants to." He glances around, not noticing he's not exactly the biggest bruiser of the group.

[Matthew]

"Here, let me do it." Nathros thrusts his spear into the ground, draws his short sword and cautiously heads for the door; shield raised before him he attempts to enter over the barricade.

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor

Brandon points out, "They'll hear us entering no matter what we do. This barricade makes that certain."

"So fire, if we use it, is at least -safe-. They can't shoot us through the flames very easily, and they can't attack with even spears."

"And so what if it takes a long time for the fire to die out? Are we in a hurry to meet the gobbos?"

"I dunno about you, but I have no problem at all waiting an hour for the fire to die out, if it means we get to avoid bleeding.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

"But the daylight we enjoy now is an advantage that time will take from us if we delay."

[Matthew]

"If we see any goblins, you can throw fire at them, until then we are just setting random areas of this place alight and hindering our own progress."

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor

Brandon looks a bit puzzled at his companions' lack of interest in his plan, but he nods agreeably.

Then he remembers that they have hirelings.

"Hey, guys, could you pull apart this barricade? We'll stand guard while you work. If anything attacks, just run back and we'll deal with them. Or the lady elf will put them to sleep. One or the other."

[Roland St. Jude]

A human wouldn't fit walking upright through the opening above the debris, but Nathros was able to clamber up on it and still have some room above his head. It extended only several feet into the entry hall, and looked like mostly rubbish.

The hirelings seem willing to start pulling things out through the small opening, but it seems a slow and awkward task. They begin to make a pile a few feet back from the door.

[jmbrown]

Jeanne takes up an advantageous ranged position. "I forgot, why does Bost want this place again? Is this infested rock worth dying for?"

[Valameer]

Stefan watches the workers to make sure they're alright and smirks at Jeanne's comment.

"Oh sure, it may look like a bunch of rubble now, but give my Ma one summer here and she'd whip this place up so nice the Duke himself could live here."

[Matthew]

Nathros observes his surroundings and looks for evidence of any traps. "Typical goblin work, crude but effective. I doubt there are any better entrances hereabouts. Might as well make our way inside."

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor

Brandon stands guard over the hirelings while they labor to clear the doorway.

He mumbles over and over again, "We killed them. None of us were killed. They're more frightened of us than we are of them. We killed them. None of us were killed. They're more frightened of us than we are of them..."

[Roland St. Jude]

Nathros stands on the debris and Brandon outside the front door, watching as the woodsmen clear debris. Before long, they have removed enough to allow the door to swing all the way open. They continue to clear junk, mostly broken furniture, stone, and the like, though the passage is now sufficiently clear that one could crawl, or in the case of demi-humans walk, over the barricade.

The activity seems to have drawn some attention though, and the door at the far end of the hall swings open to reveal a pair of tall, hairy goblins wielding swords. They holler something which seems like "OUT!" though it may or not have been Common, the sentiment seemed clear.

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These are actually Bugbears, though not all characters would know this.

They use the surprise round on opening the door and making their demand. PCs win Initiative.

[Altair_the_Vexed]

"Bugbears! Very dangerous!"
Talsarios gets out his sling and shoots a bullet over the rubble at the emerging foes.

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I'm assuming that Alastor's scholarly pursuits have given him enough knowledge to recognise a bugbear when he sees two.

"Sling attack" - (1d20)[1]
"Sling damage" - (1d4)[2]

[Matthew]

Nathros scrambles back to his companions. He yells to one of the woodsmen, "Spear!" Given the opportunity, he will set his spear against a charge.

[Frivolous]

Brandon raises his voice and calls out, "Jeanne? Now would be a good time to do your thing!"

To the workmen, he says, "Get behind us!"

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Roland, is there enough room for Jeanne to cast Sleep without affecting the party?

Also, can we just close the door?

[Valameer]

Stefan gapes in surprise for a moment, then spins his sling and fires.

To the workmen he yells, "Look out guys, just get to cover!"

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HP: 2/2 AC: 2 THAC0: 19
To hit: (1d20)[12]
Damage: (1d4)[4]

[Roland St. Jude]

The woodsmen fall back as Nathros hops down off the debris and back into the courtyard. Tal and Stefan hurl sling stones down the hall to no avail.

Nathros sets his spear against a charge, and while the bugbears advance, they are slowed by the debris. They try to clamber over but due to their size have to do so single file.

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(1d6)[3]
(1d6)[2]

PCs win initiative for round 2.

[Matthew]

Nathros awaits the attack of the bugbears, if they charge he braces his spear for impact (damage is doubled). If they seem to hold off, he throws his spear.

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Nathros, Level One Dwarf: AC 5(3); HP 4(3); THAC0 19.

Attack Roll: (1d20+1)[3]
Damage Roll: (1d6+1)[6]

[Frivolous]

Brandon Bor

Brandon scowls as the bugbears come. His earlier fear and uncertainty are displaced by tactical considerations. As the first one comes at him, he ducks and swings his sword, trying to cut into the arteries in its leg.

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Hit Points: 4/8.

Attack: (1d20+1)[15]
Thac0: 19
Damage: (1d8+1)[9]

[jmbrown]

"More goblinoids? All gross, no which way you cut it."

Jeanne fires an arrow at the closest one and backs up as far as she can.

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Jeanne, Level One Elf: AC 3(2); HP 1; THAC0 19.

attack - (1d20+1)[2]
damage - (1d6)[1]
e: whoosh

[Altair_the_Vexed]

Talsarios loads up another bullet and slings it at the nearer of the two goblinoid brutes...

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Magic User 1, HP 1 (max), AC 9, THAC0 19
Sling attack - (1d20)[11]
Sling damage - (1d4)[1]