Waker's Awakening (IC)

[Lord Of Mantas]

Sarrox

damn. notquitewhatIwashopingfor. anditwouldbeawkwardtokeeppressinghim.

"ah, ofcourse, Ishouldhaveknown. thankyouMimix."

Somewhat deflated, though trying to keep up an appearance of good cheer, Sarrox then bade him to continue, passing the time until they were taken further into Movopopolis.

[Felhammer]

Gertrude

The hunter never really cared for goblins, not that they were overly common in her home town. The ones she had met were a bit too irreverent and... Odd for her tastes. She wasn't spiciest or anything but... Maybe the goblins she encountered were all bad eggs. Sarrox certainly seems nice. She would give the rest of the goblins in this town the benefit of the doubt.

[BramsesII]

Jeanne

Immediately upon arriving at the goblin settlement, Jeanne decides that it's probably best to let Sarrox take the lead here. Better to let someone who thinks like these people do the talking. She's the last of the group to go in, holding her glaive in her hand since it will not fit in the straps on her back with a ceiling this low. When the goblin greets them officially, she bows, nearly banging her head on a jutting rock as she stands back up. "We're very grateful for your hospitality, master goblin."

She's content in listening to the goblins talk as they make their way further into Movopopolis. When it turns out that the goblin doesn't know - or doesn't want to tell them - the date, she frowns a little. Hmm... I hope someone'll clue us in on what year it is now.

[HanaRei]

Larien

The elf kept quite as the exchange went about. It's good we do have a goblin in our group... and their care for the ability to deliver more coherent speech isn't a sticking point for them. She thought quietly as they were given permission in. She nearly hit her head venturing in, ducking down in time to avoid such embarrassment. It only grew quickly apparent venturing in that her head would be in constant threat of smacking into something in such a place.

She looked on as the asking of the date seemed to be glossed over. It wasn't too surprising to her. Most 'lower class' individuals tended to not take into consideration actual dates. They often focused more on the 'day to day' rather then looking on a larger time scale. A bit of a shame though she had to admit, even given a lower class in society it seemed like it would help benefit them further to have more thoughtful planning.

She looked to Mimix deciding it wouldn't hurt to ask. "Do you happen to have an athenaeum within this burghal?" She asked with curiosity. It would be far easier to find out more information in archives to her then to actually attempt to speak with a goblin. They weren't well known for their acuity from what she knew of them. It likely would easier to find out what they needed to know through text then to attempt to question a goblin about it, even if she was almost certain the texts themselves could possibly be a mess to fumble through.

[Mathemagics]

The goblin stares blankly (well, at least that's how it looks given the mask and his general body language) at Larien's question before slowly tilting his head in confusion.

"Skooh? Gobbie doesn't understand such wordspeak."

At this point, the sound of multiple creatures shuffling up the tunnel is heard and a pair of goblins emerge into the front chamber. Much 'skooh'ing follows before Mimix waves to you and indicates you should follow them further into the complex. The watchgoblin promises to visit you once his shift at the gate is over. The pair lead you to the tunnel, which slopes downward at a steep angle; combined with the low ceiling, it makes for an almost precarious descent (though the artificial lights and regular steps carved into the floor help somewhat). As you go further down and in, the sound of numerous other goblins, all chattering at once, reaches your ears and you eventually emerge into a large (by goblin standards) chamber.

This room is over a hundred feet across, and features a luxuriously high ceiling that soars a full 12 feet above the floor below. Like the previous room, it is lit with the same type of glowing glass bulbs, all wired together. A large number of tunnels fan out from this central hub in all directions; you count at least half a dozen at a glance, though there's likely several more. In the center of the room is a large fire pit, over which is roasting a whole pig. About a dozen goblins are either idling or milling about, and all of them currently drop what they're doing to turn and stare at you intently as you enter. Excited whisperings, frequently punctuated by a high-pitched "skooh!" fill the room as one goblin, slightly larger than the rest, moves forward to intercept you.

"Skooh! Greetings gobbiekin and gobbiefriends. I am being Lodgeleader Lobrix. Guests are welcomed to Movopopolos! Soon it shall be time for much eatfeast and chattertalk. Friends may rest while gobbies finish work!"

[Lord Of Mantas]

Sarrox

Even Sarrox had to scrunch her eyes as she tried to understand Larien, and raised an eyebrow.

whydidn'tshejustaskiftheyhavealibrary?

Then they entered the main chamber, and Sarrox had to avoid squealing with glee as she nearly twisted her own head off in an attempt to see everything. Such marvelous new inventions, those bulbs! What else had they come up with while they slept?

istillmissyoumom, dad. buttherearegoingtobeSOmanynewthingstolearn!

Then Lobrix stepped forward and introduced himself. Doing a little goblin curtsy in greeting, Sarrox spoke.

"thankyou, Lodgeleader. mynameisSarrox, andthesearemyfriends, Ran, Jeanne, Gertrude, andLairen. weareverygladtobehere, andverymuchappreicatethehospitality." Sarrox stepped forward. "whilewewait, Larien-" Sarrox gestured appropriately, "waswondering... isthereastudy, archive, anythinglikethathereinMovopolos? anyplacewithsomebooks."

I, ofcourse, wouldalsoverymuchliketoknow, butit'smuchbettertoappeartheconcernedfriendthanthe demandingguest.

[BramsesII]

Jeanne

Jeanne mentally berates herself for not thinking of a library when Larien asks if the goblins have one. Of course, if they have a library we can undoubtedly find the information we need. She silently nods to herself, resolving to step up her game in the future.

When they arrive in the large chamber, Jeanne is relieved that the ceiling is a lot higher here. Phew... This feels a lot less claustrophobic. She bows to the lodgeleader. "We're honoured by your hospitality, Lodgeleader." Aside from that remark she keeps silent for fear of saying something to offend the goblins. Best let Sarrox do the talking.

She does take the time to look around occasionally, hoping to spot the symbol of the Knights Curator somewhere. Perhaps my order has an established presence here nowadays.

Spoiler: Actions

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Perception: (1d20+3)[4]

[Felhammer]

Gertrude

The hunter keeps quiet. She didn't like goblins and their town did nothing to change that opinion. Still, at least the lodgeleader is nice-ish. She nodded in thanks to the Lodgeleader when the other tanked him. She was grateful they had found a town without undead. Hopefully the goblins' disposition would not turn on the group.

[Mathemagics]

The host tilts his head to one side and crosses his arms in deliberation. After a moment or two of consideration, he seems to reach a conclusion.

"Skooh? Probably not what what bigwalkers in hoping for, but gobbierecords we have. Be in the followwalking!"

The Lodgeleader turns to shuffle towards one of the side tunnels, which proves more to be an archway than a proper tunnel path, and in into a side room. From here a series of three doors, each placed at a roughly equal interval along one side of the room, greet you. Lobrix opens the leftmost, revealing a short hallway which he proceeds to lead you down. At the far end you emerge in a square room, about 30 feet across with another low ceiling. It's dark in here at first, but the goblin fumbles along the wall until he finds a button, which conjures the same electric glow and lights up the room.

The scene that greets you as the room brightens is not very encouraging. Stacks upon stacks of papers, books, and parchments are piled on tables, chairs, and even the floor, all of them precariously balanced as they tower upward toward the ceiling. Several of the walls are lined with cubby holes, each of them crammed to the brim with the same sort of material; evidently when the goblins ran out of room here they had turned to just dumping their records on the nearest available surface. A fine layer of dust covers most of the objects in this room, betraying the fact that it hasn't been greatly used for a while.

For his part, Lobrix has the decency to look at least a little bit ashamed at the mess as he meekly scratches the back of his head.

"Skooooooooh... Gobbie isn't sure what bigwalkers hope to seekfind. Gobbierecords full of spotgaps, but friends are welcome to try!"

[HanaRei]

Larien

She listened to the goblin's bewilderment by her words. She let out a soft sigh hearing her goblin companion speak more directly. Is it really that difficult to understand what I meant? She followed along traveling forward with the group. Goblins were far from the best place to start with piecing together things. Still, it was the first place they had made their way too. Hopefully it would be enough to at least gain some direction or understanding. She looked up as they reached their destination, looking at the poor excuse of an Archive.

"Well... I have to admit I'm not completely surprised by such a sight... as disappointing as it is to see such important documentation as this to be put into such disrepair. One can not hope to take steps forward when historical documentation is left in disrepair and education is abandoned for frivolous affairs in its stead." She shook her head speaking in a partially scolding tone. It was part of her deep seeded belief in education instilled by her mother. If it hadn't been for her desire to adventure and learn, its quite likely she would of ventured into teaching others in an institution, perhaps even taking over for her mother at some point.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Sarrox

wow. thisremindsmeofdad'slabbackintheday. still, I'mwillingtobetthere'splentyofusefulinfo, ifIcanfindtherightpapers.

After casting a quick glare at Larien (which was dulled somewhat by the fact that Sarrox's goggles covered her eyebrows), Sarrox curtsied again.

"thankyouverymuch, lodgeleader. thiswillbeperfect. justletusknowwhendinner'sready." As if to punctuate this sentiment, Sarrox's stomach gurgled, and snapping her goggles, she set to work searching through the records...

Spoiler: Actions

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Sarrox will look through the records, looking, in order of priority, for the following:

• The most recent documents (those with the least dust on them), to try and ascertain the date.
• Any documents pertaining to historical events.
• Any documents pertaining to engineering or arcane marvels conducted while they were asleep.

She will then study them in-depth, as time allows.

Perception: (1d20+6)[19]
Perception: (1d20+6)[8]
Perception: (1d20+6)[24]
Perception: (1d20+6)[10]
Perception: (1d20+6)[15]

[Rysc]

Jarandei

At the sight of the books, no matter how dusty and messy, Jarandei relaxes somewhat. She hadn't had proper time to settle down with one since...now an even longer time ago. She smiles at their goblin guide in thanks.

"Well... I have to admit I'm not completely surprised by such a sight... as disappointing as it is to see such important documentation as this to be put into such disrepair. One can not hope to take steps forward when historical documentation is left in disrepair and education is abandoned for frivolous affairs in its stead."

"Whoever said they abandoned education? Not everything's in, or needs...nevermind." Deciding that it would probably be fruitless to try to spell out her argument, Jarandei instead turns her attention to the books. She doubts there'd be anything on the Ordo in there, but it's always worth a try...

Spoiler: Actions

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Not sure what kind of roll is required, but here's:

Perception: (1d20+6)[16] ((1d20+6)[14] as backup)
Knowledge (History): (1d20+2)[17]
Knowledge (Local): (1d20+5)[19]

Jarandei's looking for any clues to the date (or how they slept so long, not that she hopes to find anything), any major events that have happened since then, and any information on the Ordo.

[Mathemagics]

The archives are unorganized and haphazard in their arrangement. Once you start taking books out of the stacks, you find that they really must have just been flung in there as they were stored without any real forethought or design. Much of the material is unhelpful, containing things such as bookkeeping records (or what passes for them in goblin parlance at least) tracking various supplies, notes of various goblin-contracts like Momox Sneakyslip owing half a week's labor to Smellypick Talalix in exchange for "several poundsweights" of sulfur, and the occasional reference to recent events. What historical notes you find are highly myopic in scope, and don't seem to extend beyond the reach of the settlement itself; evidently it has been some time since they had any extensive dealings with outsiders. You do run across several references that imply some sort of ongoing conflict with kobolds, however.

Spoiler: Sarrox

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Towards the bottom of one of the piles, you run across a tattered old book, its pages practically falling out. On one of them, in the footnotes, you find something scrawled in almost like an afterthought. "Human city overrun. Undead attack. Not safe outside."

Piecing together the tidbits of historical references, as well as comments about local achievements and events, you begin to get the impression that a substantial amount of time has passed. You cannot be exactly certain how long, but you're almost sure it's been longer than the original estimate of 40 years. At least double that.

Among the various items, you also run across what looks to be a binder of research notes. Sketches and diagrams fill many of the pages, along with tiny notes crammed in the margins. Some of the things you see look familiar, being a more gobliny variant of traditional technology, or other slight variations thereof. Some of the drawings, however, are completely new to you. One of them you recognize to be the electricity-filled lights that populate the excavation, the drawing showing a bulb with a wire running to a large furnace-like machine. Another shows the use of some sort of black grainy powder being used to blast holes in rock for mining.

Spoiler: Ran

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Piecing together the tidbits of historical references, as well as comments about local achievements and events, you begin to get the impression that a substantial amount of time has passed. You cannot be exactly certain how long, but you're almost sure it's been longer than the original estimate of 40 years. At least double that.

You come across no mention of the Ordo. To all appearances the goblins have been extremely limited with their outside contact for some time now.

All told, you spend about an hour in the archives before another goblin timidly approaches from the hallway. Knocking politely on the door, it meekly gestures for you to follow and leads your group back to the central chamber. It's a fair bit more crowded now, with the total number of goblins up to at least 20, and a number of long low tables have been set up surrounding the central fire pit. A number of very tiny goblins, barely even half the size of the others, are running around excitedly, and it occurs to you that they must be goblin children. (This is a fact that Gerd has already become acquainted with, as he found himself quickly pressganged into substituting as playground equipment for the little kids.)

A goblin moves from stirring a large cooking pot and withdraws a ladle nearly as big as itself and proceeds to slam it against the side of the cauldron. This is apparently the signal that dinner is ready, as all the other goblins begin to rush for their seats, many of them excitedly jostling against each other in a bid to be seated nearer to the exotic and strange guests. Plates are quickly passed around in a chaotic fashion, followed shortly by food being served. It's difficult for you to follow exactly what is happening, since it doesn't seem like anybody is actually in charge of serving, but in the space of a minute, virtually every plate is heaped full of slices of roast pork, a sort of lumpy gray bread, and a thick gravy-like stew of some sort. Also adorning each dish is a tall block of quivering congealed something with bright blue veins of mold running through it and giving off a cloying rancid smell. A closer inspection (for the brave only) eventually reveals it to be some sort of cheese, which the goblins seem to treat with an almost reverential sort of awe.

[Lord Of Mantas]

Sarrox

As the estimate of the passing years grew and grew, Sarrox's heart sank deeper and deeper. Long removed from the levity of the intelligent ursine, she curled up briefly once more and gave a soft sniff, gently cradling her father's grenade.

Raising her head back up, she then looked at the little footnote, crinkling her brow.

whattrulyhappenedwiththeundead? wasthatwhatledthemtobewaryofoutsiders? somanyquestions, sofewanswers. maybethisthingwiththekoboldscouldbeourtickettoceme ntingtheirtrust, though.

In contrast to the historical literature, however, Sarrox threw herself into the academic stuff, her eyes flitting over the diagrams.

allmyknowledgeisatleast80yearsoutofdate. ifI'mtogetajobasa- "SCIENTIST!" -again, Igottagetbackuptodate! thisfurnacething... that'swhatIneedtotryandfigureout.

*** I Wonder What's For DinNUHR... ***

Having grabbed her own plate, Sarrox licked her lips at the sight before her - for the most part, anyway. Bringing up a hand, she took her thumb and depressed a hidden switch on the side of her mask, causing the lower 'jaw' of the beak to drop open, her inner breather sliding out to the side. She started out with the sliced pork, chewing it with gusto, before taking a few bites of the stew. Then, her attention was brought back to it - the cheese. With a mixture of complete curiousity and caution, she tore off a small piece of bread before taking a a small piece of the cheese. Using the bread to pick it up, she brought it up to her nose, took a deep whiff... and then popped it in her mouth.

Spoiler: Actions

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Not really sure what to roll here. I'm guessing the cheese gets to attack against my Fortitude to see if I like it? And would I get a racial bonus since I'm a goblin and it seems to be an invention of theirs?

Spoiler: OOC

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Before I first came to buffalo, I was not a very big fan of blue cheese. Then I was introduced to buffalo wings and blue cheese dip, and now I can't get enough of the stuff. This town really has ruined me, in a number of ways - or more accurately, it's ruined my waistline.

[BramsesII]

Jeanne

When the others are searching through the library, Jeanne conducts some research of her own, looking for something that might tell her what year they are currently in, and searching for any possible records the goblins might have on the Knights Curator.

~~

When they're finally seated at dinner, the cleric remains quiet, pondering over the consequences of the information she found. This is... grave indeed...

[Rysc]

Jarandei

Not forty. Seventy? Eighty? Ninety? How long? A century?

There's no one.

As she leafs through more and more books, Jarandei feels strangely empty. Not sad, just really...tired. Considering that she's just had a who-knows-how-long-sleep, she shouldn't be.

***

When the party follows the goblin down to their dinner, she still has a smile for the tiny children. She barely notices the food, though, and halfheartedly takes several bites of the stew.

[Felhammer]

Gertrude

The hunter tried to help the others sort through the mess but her mind was distracted, by what will come after this town. Of the journeys they will have. Of her beloved husband. "Where are you Kalgit..." Her thoughts are interrupted by the timid goblin. She nods to him as he escorts the party to the, well, party. Gertrude smiled as she watched the children play with Gerd... Then she practically began to weep as the sight calls forth many similar memories of her own children and grandchildren playing with their pets... She's lost everything... All of her family... "Oh gods..." She bit down hard on her tongue to quickly change her emotional state. She would not cry in front of their hosts and her new-found friends. No. She would cry when she was alone. Cry for days... "Oh Kalgit... I..." No, she was strong. Sure this was a gigantic mess but she could sort this out. Yes. Definitely. She would find a way to travel back in time and rectify this entire problem. It was like a puzzle... A really difficult puzzle. One she would solve and then... Get her happy ending. Indeed. Happy endings. Years from now she would look back on this and laugh... No. Not years from now. Years from...Then? From this point in time...? No, from the day she fell asleep. Oh gods why was this so difficult to discuss?

Then the platter of food arrived. Truth be told, Gertrude was hungry. The sudden appearance of the bear earlier caused her to scarf down her trail ration, which made it quite unsatisfying... Her eyes grow wide as she looks at the disgusting blue mold... "They call this food!? THEY PEOPLE ARE INSANE! THEY ARE TRYING TO POISON US! I KNEW GOBLINS WERE NO GOOD!" She bites her tongue again. "These people are our hosts. They have a different culture... A very different culture. One that... Likes mold, apparently." She eyed the meat underneath and it look palatable enough, so long as it was free of the moldy cheese... The only words Gertrude could utter were, "Thank you for your hospitality." As she stared at the undulating mass, trying her best to find a mold-free piece to taste-test.

[Mathemagics]

Spoiler: If you tried the cheese...

Show

The smell of the cheese as you tentatively take a bite is almost enough to make you gag. As terrible as it smells on your plate, it's nothing compared to the overpowering odor that attacks your senses as you try popping it into your mouth. As the fermented food product hits your tongue, you feel you've made a terrible mistake as a horribly rancid taste flashes over your tastebuds. However, before the panic can properly set in, the hellish sensation fades, immediately replaced by a heavy and complex buttery flavor that spreads across your tongue as the cheese instantly dissolves.

Even still, you can only imagine how awful your breath is going to be for the next several days. Unless they have equally exotic after-dinner mints here too.

The food is good--nothing especially fancy or extravagant, but filling and nourishing at least. The goblins are noisy diners, and the room is filled with the din of a dozen different conversations taking place at once as you eat. Several latecomers have filtered in to the central hall by now, causing some of those already present to shuffle over and make room. Consequently, the place has a pleasantly cozy feel to it, bringing a bit of small comfort after the ordeals of the day.

Spoiler: Sarrox

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At some point during the meal, you notice Lobrix grab a seat next to you. The Lodgeleader is holding a plate with an especially large block of goblin cheese wobbling atop it, which he seems to be eying suspiciously... Or it may be anticipation, you can't tell for sure. He apparently decides to put the cheese off for later and sets the plate down in front of him before turning to you.

"Skooh. Gobbie apologizes for sorrybad state of recordsnotes. Were Sarrox and friends in the finding of helplearning?"

Spoiler: Gertrude

Show

At some point during the meal, you get the feeling that somebody is staring at you (well more than the rest of these goblins). Glancing over, you notice a tiny creature, one of the goblin children from before, peering intently at you in childish curiosity and wonder. As soon as she notices you (at least you're fairly sure the large pink bow sitting atop the mask means it's a girl) looking back at her, she darts behind the back of a normal-sized goblin, probably her parent. A moment later, she shyly peeks around the edge of her cover and timidly raises a mitten-covered hand to wave at you.

[Felhammer]

Gertrude

The woman's keen senses were honed for any and all danger... And, apparently, noticing timid children's fascination. She looked over at the little girl but was saddened when she ran away behind her parent. Gertrude's youngest son, Foril, was much like this meek little creature. Shy but adorable, timid yet curious. It warmed her heart to see that such cute little personality traits were not limited to just those of the "big" races but shared equally with the goblinoid races as well. After taking a moment to eye the child a few more times, Gertrude decides to show a touch of affection by smiling warmly and waving back to the little girl.

[HanaRei]

Larien

After a rather frustrating search she was more then happy with taking a break for food. It was one thing attempting to find records through some ruins. It was a lot worst when any bit of text was left in a state of total disrepair and neglect. While it could be made out to be... for lack of better terms... words, it seemed as if it was more so thrown together haphazardly. It was far from a source she could expect to get anything useful out of.

Larien had looked upon the meal seemingly with distaste. Her eyes oddly fell upon the cheese. She was far less hesitant as she took a bite. She looked up in thought seeming to look almost blank into the air before returning to take another bite. "At the very least one part of the dish I must say stands up to quite high standards." She spoke as the stench seemed almost minor to her focusing on the cheese in her conquest to fill her stomach. If it was one thing learned as being upper class, abstract choices of food were expected. She had tasted far more initially repugnant dishes.

[BramsesII]

Jeanne

The young knight curator looks at the cheese on her plate with a mixture of morbid curiosity and dread. She sniffs the substance, then prodding it with a knife. She begins eating around it, eventually leaving only the cheese on her plate, excusing herself with a quick "Allergic to dairy."

When her dinner is finished, she looks around at the group, specifically focusing on the other people in what is now probably an adventuring party. I wonder how they feel. I wonder if they had many friends. The elf is lucky, her friends and family are probably still alive. She sighs. How long has it really been? What happened to the Knights? So many questions...

Eventually, she turns to Gertrude, the one she's barely talked to on their trip, trying to strike up a casual conversation to lighten the mood a bit. "Gertrude, the little ones seem to like your dog. Is he always this patient with children? You're lucky to have a friend like him."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Sarrox

As Sarrox chewed the bite of bread and cheese, her eyes initially watered, the protection against foul smells gone with the opening of her mask. She was about to spit it out when, against all odds, the aroma gave way to a heavenly taste. She paused for a moment, then continued chewing with gusto.

howcansomethingthatsmellssofoultastesogood! Idon'tknow. allIknowisIwantmore.

Then, as she finished polishing off her plate (the cheese was the next to go, followed by the bread and gravy-stew), Lobrix sat down next to her.

"Skooh. Gobbie apologizes for sorrybad state of recordsnotes. Were Sarrox and friends in the finding of helplearning?"

"don'tapologize, Lodgeleader. wedidfindalotofusefulinformation, yes."

granted, thedateistillkindofvague, butitwasbetterthannothavinganyideaatall.

Sarrox put down her now-empty plate, closed her 'beak' and slotted her primary breathing filter back into place, turning to directly face Lobrix.

"therewassomestuffIwantedtoaskabout, actually. whilelookingthroughtherecords, Icouldn'thelpbutnoticeafewnotesreferencingtroublew ithkobolds. aretheystillaproblem?"

It took all of Sarrox's willpower not to ask any more questions, especially regarding the furnace-like machine and blasting powder, but she managed it.

ifIaskfortoomuchatonce, hemightgetsuspicious. besttowinhimovergradually. proveyoucanbeofhelp. thenalltheknowledgewillbemineminemine-

Sarrox then realized that she had accidentally lost her composure and started rubbing her hands together.

"um, sorry."

[Mathemagics]

Lobrix crosses his arms and then tilts his head back and forth several times.

"Skooh. Scalyscales were big troublebad in past, is true. Gobbietunnels dug too far and opened natural cavehole. Kobolds came from deepcave and fought with gobbies long time. But no problems now! Gobbies used cleverthink and sealed digtunnel years back. No worry-"

The goblin is suddenly cut off mid-sentence by a commotion from the far end of the room. A handful of goblins, only about 3 or 4 in total, have stumbled in to the chamber. All of them look injured, their gear and masks in disarray and spotted with blood. One of them collapses to the floor while the others barely manage to stay standing. One of them, possibly the leader, spots Lobrix and calls out to him.

"Scalies! In tunneldigs! Kobolds blasted through gobbie tunnelblock! Miners managed to reclose tunnel further up, but kobolds shoveldigging forward! Not much time!"

[Felhammer]

Gertrude

Gertrude stands up, grabs her bow, whistles for Gerd and proclaims, "Where are these kobolds? We will help save your miners and protect the town."

[Lord Of Mantas]

Sarrox

Sarrox reached out a hand in distress as the wounded goblins emerged, then clenched her fist. Standing up stock straight, she brushed aside her trenchcoat in a dramatic fashion while looking at no-one in particular.

"no-onehurtsmykin. notonmywatch. ifyou'llexcuseme, Lodgeleader." Rushing over to the wounded goblins, she knelt down. "whichwaytothem?"

[Rysc]

Jarandei

Jarandei is jerked from her thoughts at the commotion over the wounded goblins. She stands and gestures at Sarrox with her still-cestus-covered hand. "What she said. Not much time left for the kobolds." She smiles somewhat lopsidedly and shifts her weight to one foot, glancing around for someone to lead them somewhere.

[Mathemagics]

Some of the goblins begin arming themselves while others begin evacuating the hall, presumably for safer chambers. Lobrix nods to you and calls several of the larger goblins over to him, while another pair begin assisting the wounded. The Lodgeleader begins making for the same tunnel the injured goblins emerged from, waving for you to follow.

"Much thankings for hand-lending gobbiefriends! Tunnelmine is this way!"

You follow after the goblins down a series of tunnels. The passage twists and turns, and you quickly lose track of your bearings beyond the fact that you're progressively heading further down. Eventually you come to a deadend chamber, roughly 40 feet wide and just as deep. In the center of the room is a square metal floor, which the goblins quickly move to stand on before motioning for you to do the same. As you do so, you notice a series of chains at each corner of the metal floor rising up into the ceiling. Lobrix pushes a lever on the nearby wall, causing the floor to give a sudden jolt before dropping away at a slow pace.

As you descend to the sound of clanking chains and metallic groans, the Lodgeleader gestures for everyone to pay attention.

"Scalyscales return is surprise, but not in the unexpect part of planmake. Bestthink plan is to recollapse tunneldig, but with extrabonus gobbieboom. Friends will hold off kobolds while gobbies ready big boom, then sound runback call. Kobolds be luretricked into blasting and mine be blocked. Good plan?"

Spoiler

Show

You'll have a minute or so while you wait on the elevator to descend to talk or preemptively use buffs.

[Felhammer]

Gertrude

Now we were doing something Gertrude enjoyed - defending the innocent from vile invaders. The stuff of paladin myths. She always enjoyed sitting around a campfire with her husband, listening to the lore of his order, as well as the stories of knights saving damsels and the like. They filled her with hope and helped re-enforce her decision to abandon town-life for the adventurers of a knight-errant. Today she would earn her own tale, one that she will one day share with her husband...

"I understand the plan. We hold them off, then lure them into the boom. I like it. Simple yet elegant." The hunter bends down and casts a spell on Gerd, which makes the saliva from his mouth turn green. Shortly thereafter she casts a spell on her bow, which doesn't seem to have any obvious effect.

[HanaRei]

Larien

The young noble had been eating the cheese when suddenly she witnessed injured goblins coming in. She kept quiet, seeming almost unaffected outside keeping her eyes upon the group eating her food. It wasn't so much her not caring as much as her own desire to keep calm and composed and eat up while she could. She waited as they were gestured forward, getting up meticulously fixing up her plate from habit.

Approaching forward she had kept quiet listening to the plan as they headed down. The elf seemed a bit more skeptical of the plan. "No offense, but this plan itself seems to have some... risks involved on our part. What insurance do we have the explosives will be fired at the correct time, and that we will find our way through in a timely manor of which we ourselves avoid being blown up or Kobolds manage to slip in behind us? I would prefer more fail safes in place for our own safety as well as limiting potential problems from appearing in this plan." She spoke keeping a rather formal tone to her voice.

"It would be more beneficial towards the plan's success to slow our enemy approach or even temporarily stop it to create further distance and preparation should the explosives fail. Might I suggest planning ways of snaring or slowing our foes? I have the ability to grease the ground behind us, although having more disruptive means of slowing them would further increase the time we have to ensure success or come up with other methodology to stop the attack."

[BramsesII]

Jeanne

Jeanne is about to ask Larien something inconsequential when the wounded goblins come in. Immediately, her attention turns to the new arrivals. Trouble. She's quick to get up and walk over to the goblins, checking their wounds to see if nobody is lethally injured. Once satisfied that such is not the case, the young Knight Curator looks at Lobrix. "Do you have healers here who can take care your wounded? Otherwise, I can see to their wounds once the immediate threat has passed."

~~

Once in the lift, Jeanne listens to the plan, and she nods. "Very well. Sounds like a good plan. It's a tad risky, but I'm sure you guys have safeguards in place to make sure you don't blow us up with them, right?" She says, underlining Larien's worries. Her attention then turns to the elf. "Lady Carnesîr, a word of advice. Try to keep it simple when talking. On the battlefield, clear communication can be the difference between life and death. That goes for you too, Sarrox." Jeanne nods to the goblin. "The plan is simple, then. We hold the kobolds back, giving the goblins the time to blow up the tunnel. Jarandei, you and I take point. The others, well, just do what you do best."

Then, when Gertured begins preparing herself with spells, Jeanne decides to do the same. "Jarandei. Hold out your scimitar." The cleric begins chanting, moving her symbol of Meraena along the blade of the weapon. When she's done, the weapon seems to hum softly. Also, it looks like it's glowing. Some who saw it would call it awe-inspiring. She then proceeds to do something similar for her own glaive, but her weapon doesn't seem to change like Jarandei's scimitar. It looks wickedly sharp, though.

Spoiler: Actions

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Casting weapon of awe on Jarandei's scimitar and magic weapon on Jeanne's glaive

Spoiler: Weapon of awe (lasts 3 minutes):

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You transform a single weapon into an awe-inspiring instrument. The weapon gains a +2 sacred bonus on damage rolls, and if the weapon scores a critical hit, the target of that critical hit becomes shaken for 1 round with no Saving Throw.

This is a mind-affecting fear effect. A ranged weapon affected by this spell applies these effects to its ammunition.

You can't cast this spell on a natural weapon, but you can cast it on an unarmed strike.

Spoiler: Magic weapon (lasts 3 minutes):

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Magic weapon gives a weapon a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls. An enhancement bonus does not stack with a masterwork weapon's +1 bonus on attack rolls.

You can't cast this spell on a natural weapon, such as an unarmed strike (instead, see magic fang). A monk's unarmed strike is considered a weapon, and thus it can be enhanced by this spell.