The Last Paladin IC (Frosty)

[Maquise]

The hobgoblin leader snarls. "You expect us to let our stronghold be besieged by rabble?"

[Frosty]

"If I succeed in talking them down, they won't be besieging your fort anymore. If they continue to press the attack, I won't aid them at all. They're in the wrong."

[Maquise]

DIPLOMACY: (d20+12)[19]

"We will not show weakness! Not to anyone! The time for talk is over!"

[Frosty]

Karrin sighs. "Fine. You have a right to defend yourself. I will not join the fight."

Snarling, Karrin walks away, and tries to find an opportunity or place to go to the humans and get their attention. Someplace where she can Diplomacy or Intimidate effectively while not actually getting in the way of the crossfire.

[Maquise]

The villagers seem to have temporarily fallen back, possibly to rethink their plans after the disastrous first attempt. They are currently fortifying a small crevice on the approach.

[Frosty]

Seeing that she has some time, Karrin actually takes the time to re-armor up, and tells all of her allies to do the same. She doesn't want a fight, but if one breaks out, she's not going to be caught off guard. After that, she approaches the crevice.

[Maquise]

You approach the camp. There are only a handful of villagers remaining, it seems, including Elder Greenearth. The faces of are grim, and regard you coldly. Eventually, Elder Greenearth turns to you. The air is one of hostility; you can feel the animosity of the villagers as they loosely form a circle around you. Berich rests his hand on his hammer, but Mirabelle tries to appear relaxed, though you can tell she is weary.

"You don't have the medicine," he says, not as a question. "We have no more business with you, save for this: where is Sengelus?"

[Frosty]

"Sengelus drew his weapon and attacked me when I suggested that we go up to the mountain to look for the key ingredient to the cure. We had all agreed to NOT draw weapons within the hobgoblin fort. He broke the agreement, presented hostility, and so the hobgoblins killed him."

[Maquise]

Greenearth raises his hand, holding off the villagers. You can feel the burning of cold anger in his gaze.

"Leave now, and a curse upon you."

[Frosty]

"You want your kids to have a chance at living? You go up that mountain and try to find Bloodroot. Otherwise, you'll die here, and no one will take care of your children."

Karrin turns to leave. After walking a bit away, she says to the others, "Come on, we're going back up that mountain. We need to find Lyanna. If we also find Bloodroot, then terrific, but Lyanna is our priority right now."

[Maquise]

You move up the mountain in silence, as the sounds of battle resume behind you. As you approach your destination, Mirabelle puts her arm upon your shoulder. Gently, she says, "This isn't your fault. You did try to do the right thing, but things just didn't work out."

[Frosty]

Karrin nods slowly. "I know. We can't save 'em all. The village will be gone, and there might be a bunch of sick orphans left behind. This is why we must still try to find some bloodroot after we find Lyanna."

Karrin searches more methodically this time around, and calls out Lyanna's name periodically to see if she gets a response.

[Maquise]

Survival (+4 aid): (1d20+2)[12]

Your search comes up empty, and you are caught in the cold mountain wind.
Take 4 damage.

[Frosty]

"We can't leave Lyanna out there, possibly unconscious in this cold. Anybody have any ideas? Grembler, do you have any wierdings to protect people from cold?"

[Maquise]

Grembler shakes his head. "Sorry, Miss Ye."

[Frosty]

Survival (+4 aid): (1d20+4)[23]

Karrin doesn't give up. She takes more time to search more.

Oops, It should be 1d20+2 right? So the result is 21, not 23.

[Maquise]

You find, at the place where Lyanna was last, a set of reptilian footprints.

"Looks like kobolds," Mirabelle says. "They probably took her to their den."

"Why go to the underlings, when we can see the master?" asks Berich. "We know where the dragon lives."

[Frosty]

"Forget the dragon. We must go rescue her immediately. To the den!" They follow the footprints to the den.

[Maquise]

You follow the trail to a carefully concealed crevice in the cliff side, no doubt called home by the creeping kobolds. Cautiously, you peer into the crack, ready to cleave the first foe foolish enough to face your fury. The cave seems to corkscrew out of sight, hiding any signs of distressed damsel or dark, dastardly dragon servants.

(Got a plan going forward?)

[Frosty]

"Alright, this is going to be a tight squeeze. Multiple light sources. Preferably those that can't be snuffed out. Grembler, you can see in the dark right? And you're small enough to go where the rest of us can't. I want you to lead the way *with* Mirabell. Mirabell, move forward with your shield up in front of you. If any of you have illusion magic, lead with an illusion of one of us."

Karrin brings out with ioun stone of light. Can Trombe even fit in?

[Maquise]

(Map)


You proceed into the cave, with Berich at the rear. Trombe stays behind to cover the exit; being to bulky to successfully navigate the cramped kobold tunnels.

[Frosty]

Karrin has her lance out, helping poke the ground in front of Mirabell to make sure that there's no false floors on top of spiked bits. "Grembler, Mira, maks ure to look for wire traps stationed higher than where Grembler's head is. I hear kobolds are quite devious. They're short and can run quickly under such wires, but the rest of us can't."

The move forward slowly, just around the corner.

[Maquise]

Carefully, you proceed further into the cave. As you go, Mirabelle's foot slips on the floor. "Careful," she says, "There's something slick on this ground." You notice a metallic scent in the air.

"Smells like metal grease," says Berich.

[Frosty]

"Anyone to clear it out quickly? If anyone so much as throws a lighted match we''ll be in big trouble."

[Maquise]

"Ah yes, I can see why that would be a problem. Nobody likes roasted ass."

Berich steps forward, carefully moving past you. Raising his hand, he barks a command. A wave of water rolls forward, pushing the grease back.

You barely hear him mutter under his breath, "Would be a waste of some decent ass."

[Frosty]

"Good job, Berich. I knew you'd find a way to stick it to the kobolds. Keep this up and you'll earn your bonus." They proceed once again, still cautious, feeling out for traps.

[Maquise]

You proceed down the tunnel. On your right, recessed into the wall, there is a pit which descends into darkness.

[Frosty]

"Hmm...Grembler, come here. We need you to peer down that hole, but to be safe..."

Worried about the floor suddenly tilting and sloping into the hole, Karrin ties rope around Grembler's waist, so that they can pull him back if necessary. "I'm going to poke the floor in front of the hole. Then you walk carefully to that spot, and look down into the hole. Tell me what you see."

[Maquise]

You carefully lower Grembler into the pit. It is silent for a second, then you hear a commotion. Hearing angrily, Grembler signals you to haul him up. You pull him up, as he fights off kobolds with his staff.

"Grembler okay, but hole filled with kobolds."

[Frosty]

(Would it be Evil to suggest pouring oil down the hole and lighting things on fire? )

Karrin nods and unties Grembler. "Berich, can you tell them...shout at them...whatever...that if they don't harm us, we won't harm them? Grembler, what were they doing down there? Were they preparing to climb out and ambush us?"

The paladin looks for any murder holes in the walls.