Jade Regent: The Brinewall Legacy (IC)

[jjj54]

Kather

"Laine's right. We've spent enough time here with our thumbs up our collective arse. Lets get back to the task at hand."

[Pink]

Satisfied in your investigation of the creature's lair and that you have disposed of the Soggy River Monster, you once again follow Walthus.

He leads you out of the swamp and you enjoy a hour's hike circumnavigating the swamp. The short trip outside of the swamp does you all some good, the air is fresher, there are no clouds of bugs and unnatural sounds and movement from the swamp creatures. As you cross the Soggy River, Walthus takes you off the Lost Coast Trail and follows the cliffs that now rise up to border the south of the marsh. The trail is certainly faint and overgrown, but many of you are able to see it just as soon as Walthus points it out.

It's a minor climb down the side of the cliff, and Walthus warns you that you're quite close to goblin territory and to be quiet, they may not be expecting travellers from this way, but there could always be some that happen to be looking for white toads over here.

As soon as you re-enter the swamp you're once again at the mercy of your senses, assaulted by strange vile smells, biting insects and shadows and flickers of movement from the hanging tree branches. It's a much shorter trip than the New Fish Trail to Proudstump's house, and before long Walthus slows down and leads you off the trail so you can circle around to the back of the village.

He leads you carefully through the brush so you can get a good view of the village. A filthy village-fort surrounded by a crude wooden palisade sits atop a low hummock of solid ground here. A wooden gate in the north wall of the palisade lies in shambles on the ground. Nearby, a large, algae-filled pool on the northeastern side breaks the palisade and allows a clearer view into the village's interior, which consists of a collection of ramshackle huts connected by wooden walkways, all built on thick wooden stilts.

The Halfling takes you a distance away behind the village after showing it to you. "Odd, they seem pretty quiet today. Can't say I saw a single gobbo in the village. The gate didn't used to be like that either. Something must've happened in the last couple days."

[jjj54]

Kather

"Doesn't exactly boost my confidence either Wlathus," Kather whispers, swatting at a stray insect that found his neck far too tempting.

"I'd say our best bet is that busted north gate," Kather started to draw on the ground using the butt of his spear, "If the goblins were in any shape to resist anyone, they'd have left guards nearby to repel intruders."

"I'm thinking Domeric should lead the way in, to pick off any defenders that would try to surprise us. Hiriko and I will follow to keep Domeric covered. Laine and Jamben con take up the rear and cover our backs. Once we're inside we can sort out what's going on here."

With that said he looked squarely at Walthus, "I'd understand if you wanted to take off at this point. I have a feeling we might be about to do something stupid. However, if you'd stick with us for a bit longer, it'd be greatly appreciated."

[Pink]

The halfling smiles, "I was wondering if you were going to include me in that plan of yours Morgan. I'm good at hunting goblins, and it's the least I can do. I owe you guys one afterall. Just tell me where you want me." he says as he tests the string on his bow.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Jamben

"Are you sure you're up to it, Walthus? You're still recovering from that faceless stalker's attack."

[Pink]

"Well, I'll admit I'm not at the best of health." the halfling says a bit sheepishly. "I still think I could be helpful in a fight and take a few hits if I needed to, though I'm gonna try and keep my distance if I can, but you're the doctor, if you think I'll slow you down or over-exert myself, I'll take your advice."

[Bhaakon]

Laine

"It almost looks like some other bounty hunters beat us here," Laine whispers to no one in particular. She nods in agreement with Kather's plan, and nocks an arrow as as she waits for Domeric to move towards the gate.

[Blisstake]

Domeric

The archer looks at the goblin fortress and frowns. Something is definitely wrong here. Regardless, he notches an arrow on his bow, and moves toward the ruined gate, taking a peak into the interior.

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Perception: (1d20+3)[14]
Stealth: (1d20+4)[9]

[jjj54]

Kather

"I'd say stick close to Laine and Jamben until we're inside, Once we are, keep an eye on the gate. If we're wrong and they were chasing an attacker, then you can warn us and we can regroup to fight them off and make an escape."

With a glance Kather checked the fletching on Walthus' arrows, "Signal arrow fired in our direction should do just fine."

With the plan set, Kather followed Domeric as quietly as he could, cursing every twig snap and rattle of his scimitar.

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Perception (1d20+15)[16]
Stealth (1d20-3)[-1]

[Bhaakon]

Laine

"So much for the stealthy approach," mutters Laine as Kather crashes through the undergrowth.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Jamben

Jamben hangs near the back, a flask of alkahest in his hand ready for throwing. Though he wasn't violent by nature, he hoped to kill many goblins today. Shalelu would be so proud.

[Pink]

Despite the surprise you'd hope to have by taking the lesser known path, the marsh's brush doesn't allow you to make a quiet entrance into the village. While you wince at every snapped branch and clang of a weapon against a tree, waiting for the shouts and screams of vicious goblins to begin at any moment upon their knowledge of your arrival, only silence lingers after each inopportune sound.

With Walthus Proudstump watching the trail that leads into the village, the five of you begin your slow and careful entrance. Something is definitely off about this place. It's just too quiet.

The stilts and walkways of the village keep it raised five feet above the swamp ground, and you can see dispersed throughout the village are three 10-foot-square huts, each has numerous windows, likely the watchtowers of the place as there are very few windows in the other buildings. You can see no lights, no particular movement, and the only sight of a fire you can see is from the pit near the village gates. The smell of burnt fat and flesh lingers here, and it's readily visible that at the bottom of it are many small bodies, burnt to a crisp, some sort've charnel grave.

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((Yes, I think I'm much happier with how that turned out. The lines are still a little off, but I think it's close enough. Some of the doors are a bit harder to see with the grid lines, so consult the previous picture if you're having trouble figuring out what's wall and what's door and such.))
Placement:
Domeric (H4)
Hiriko (H3)
Kather (I3)
Laine (H2)
Jamben (I2)
Walthus (I1)

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Jamben

"This means one of two things: that the goblins are scared of us, which isn't likely, or that something else has already been stirring up trouble in this part of the marsh, and that's troubling, to say the least," Jamben whispers.

He looks to see if there are any goblins lying in wait.

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Perception check: (1d20+8)[20]

[Bhaakon]

Laine

Seeing the the small burnt bodies, Laine blurts out, "Looks like we found the Licktoads." Even more wary (if that were possible) she scans the village for any sign of who or what did this.

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(1d20+4)[8] perception

[Pink]

@Laine

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Your scan of the village reveals very little details. You can see to the east of the village are the remains of a burnt down building, however otherwise there is nothing that jumps out as a detail to you.

@Jamben

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Your search confirms that a deadly and violent battle recently took place in the village. What's more, you notice that there are still inhabitants in the village. You can spot the top of the back of a goblin head in the nearest watchtower (K7), and the door at a larger hut (D9) briefly opens and quickly shuts.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Jamben

"COME ON OUT GOBBOS!" Jamben yells.

"I got a bomb here with your name on it!"

[Pink]

The challenge rings out through the village...to no responce. Some of you with the keenest senses can hear a few sounds like goblins whispers, but those quickly fade.

[Bhaakon]

Laine

"If they won't talk, we'll just burn them out" Laine says. She scans the nearest structure for a bit of dry thatching or dessicated moss capable of holding a flame. If she sees a likely target, she casts spark to set it alight.

"If they've got their fireworks in this village, the threat of an uncontrolled fire should drive them out of hiding."

---

* post roll count doesn't match database

[Pink]

((Apologies, I didn't make it clear. The Pit, apart from being ten-feet deep, is the remains of a fire, and not an active fire. It has likely burnt itself out a fair bit before you arrived.
Also, tiny warning, a bluff check is hard to do if they don't speak common.))

[Bhaakon]

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Also, tiny warning, a bluff check is hard to do if they don't speak common.

I was hoping miming the action would be enough, oh well. I'll change the original post.

[Pink]

Laine is able to start a small fire amongst the roof of the nearest structure (F2). The swamp's natural dampness works against the small cantrips effort, and it takes several castings to make the flames take hold and start to become visible. Without continual care the flame is likely to go out in a few minutes when it has finished with the dry leaves and branches of the roofs and begins to reach the damp wood of the structure, but for now there is a small dancing red flame and alot of smoke coming from the top of the building.

At first there is no response. But after a continual observation of the surroundings, the party can see some movement. From one of the windows of the nearest 'watch tower', a goblin seems to have forgotten whatever cause kept it hidden, and has currently climbed to sit on the window ledge with it's feet dangling outside, watching the small fire and smoke with a sort've maniacal glee in it's huge eyes.

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Jamben

Jamben facepalms.

"Goblins LIKE fire, they're not afraid of it!"

Then he notices the one it lured out.

"YOU! GET DOWN FROM THERE SO WE CAN FIGHT!" he barks in the crude tongue of goblins.

[Pink]

It's trance of watching the fire broken, the goblin nearly falls forward off the window, but catches itself at the last second and looks at Jamben and the rest of the party. For a second it's green skin seems to go a sickly pale and it looks absolutely terrified, but as it's watery red eyes take in the party, it seems confused, yatters something in the goblin tongue, and then shouts out some strange chant that is quickly picked up by many other goblin voices throughout the village before drawing a crude piece of metal sharpened to a deadly point and showing it's many pointed teeth in a terrifying grin. Whatever happened in this village, there are certainly a fair number of goblins still in the village, and you've just seemed to have gotten them ready for battle.

On Deck: The Whole Party! Nice Initiative Rolls!

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Placement:
Domeric (H4)
Hiriko (H3)
Kather (I3)
Laine (H2)
Jamben (I2)
Walthus (I1)
Goblin1 (K7)

@Goblin Translation

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"OH NO! Bones come back to kill more! Wait...You not bones. Not Skellies. Skellies already took cursed treasure. Your fleshy. Tasty. Tasty fleshy. Makes me hungry. Always hungry after good fire."


"Goblins race and goblins jump
Goblins slash and goblins bump
Burn the skin and mash the head
Goblins here and you be dead!"

[Bhaakon]

Laine

Laine takes her shortbow back in hand and draws an arrow, but finds no clear shot with the others interposed between her and the goblin. Searching for an opening she works her way through the crowded gateway and toward the stagnant pond.

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move action to ready bow, move to K4

[jjj54]

Kather

Someone needs to teach these kids a little tact... The gods know I'm not the one to do it...

Keeping his eyes peeled for any ambushes or hidden goblins coming their way, Kather once again summons his storm power.

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Perception check just to keep an eye on things.
(1d20+15)[29]
Ready action to use a storm surge if any gobs come within 25 feet.
Ranged touch(1d20+1)[6]
Nonlethal (1d6+1)[3]

[Blisstake]

Domeric

Panicking slightly as he hears the many goblin voices coming from the fortress, Domeric shoots the arrow he had notched at the sentry, and then releases a second one for good measure.

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Full Round Attack

(1d20+4)[7]
(1d8+3)[5]

(1d20+4)[7]
(1d8+3)[7]

[Archpaladin Zousha]

Jamben

Jamben moves past the walls to get a clear shot at the offending goblin and chucks the alkahest at it.

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Jamben moves to I5 and makes a ranged touch attack on the goblin.

(1d20+4)[10]

If the attack hits, it deals (1d4+5)[8] damage.

[Bhaakon]

Hiriko charges for the ladder leading up to the goblin's perch, drawing her katana en route. Seeing the Doctor lob his alkahest the paladin stops short, wary of any caustic splatter.

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move to I7, draw

[Pink]

@Kather

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Your perception is great, through the beginning of a battle is upon you. You would guess that there is somewhere between 10-18 goblins still in the village. With your carefully honed sense of hearing, you determine that, aside from the watchouse (K7), there are most definitely goblins in the two larger structures near the party (The building containing E9, and the building containing I9). However you can't be certain where the other goblins currently are.

The goblin laughs and continues it's horrid little song, joined in chorus by the rest of the village. Domeric's arrows sink into the building wall above it's head, Jamben's bomb of acid misses to the right of the creature(J8), the acid hissing as it hits the walk-way and the sides of the building, but not doing an apparent amount of damage.

Walthus moves forward and fires his bow at the creature, the arrow piercing deep into it's shoulder and causing an end to it's laughs, replaced instead with a shriek of pain.

As Laine and Hiriko get into a better position to meet the goblin attack, the wounded one drops to the ground, swaying slightly, but still holding onto it's sharpened piece of metal. Then the door that leads off the ladder in the watch-house opens up, and as one goblin leaps down to slash at Hiriko, it's home-made dagger bouncing off her armor, another still in the building aims a strange paper tube, smoke and sparks flying from it, at the paladin, and suddenly a particularly large spark shoots out with a popping sound, hitting the paladin with a small bit of force and heat (Hiriko: 1 dmg, 1 subdual)

On Deck: Domeric, Hiriko, Kather, Laine, Jamben, Walthus

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Placement:
Domeric (H4)
Hiriko (I7)
Kather (I3)
Laine (K4)
Jamben (I5)
Walthus (J4)
Goblin1 (K6) [Wounded]
Goblin2 (J7)
Goblin3 (K7) (Up/Firework)

[Bhaakon]

Laine

Laine begins shuffling in time with the goblins' strained chorus, feeling herself fall into the natural cadence of the battle. At a high point in the rhythm she looses her arrow at the already wounded goblin, hoping to finish it off quickly.

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move action to begin inspire courage battle dance, standard to attack goblin @ K6

attack: (1d20+5)[13]
damage: (1d6+1)[7]