The Tribe! 3.5 goblin only with GGM (General Goblin Management)

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Gibs stands there, pretty much in the open, and stares at the humans for a half second trying to figure out why they can't see him. "Maybe I'm invisible" Gibs says quietly to no one. His wolf stands next to him with his teeth barred. Gibs takes out his bow, slowly knocks an arrow, and let's it fly through the night. Then he scurries behind a bush behind his wolf.

Spoiler: Surprise!

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Gibs decides to hit the easier target. But he doesn't want him getting away once Gibbs presses the attack! Gibs feels like he can kill the horse for food and take the humans prisoner because of course!

Gibs fires his super magical animal dekorated shortbow of +1 magiks with an ironwood +1 arrow! (1d20+6)[11] vs portly fellow's horse for (1d4+1)[4] points of damage.

Then Gibs tries to hide using the sniping action! Hide (1d20-14)[6] (=6 + 10 darkness + 3 range = 19)

[Kaptin Keen]

The arrow flies out of the darkness - in principle on target, but just unlucky enough to hit the saddle and lodge there, quivering disconcertingly close to the man's reproductive organs. He squeals loudly, waving his hands as if he'd just found a spider crawling in his crotch.

The other man is less ineffectual, shouting loudly: Ambush! Get behind me. He has the right idea, but then he tries to make his horse step sideways to cover the other man, something it's ill equipped to do without extensive training.

Spoiler: Initiative

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Stolzenberg: (1d20+2)[5]
Holk: (1d20+1)[21]

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Gibs Initiative: (1d20+2)[17]
Wolf Initiative: (1d20+2)[15]

Do they spot us?

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC

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I don't understand this roll:

Hide (1d20-14)[6] (=6 + 10 darkness + 3 range = 19)

Why -14?! Am I just not thinking straight? It's early here, and I haven't had coffee yet.

Spot rolls:
Stolzenberg: (1d20+1)[18]
Holk: (1d20-2)[5]

I'll need to see these rolls to decide their actions. Further rolls will be in OOC.

[JbeJ275]

Scouting the human towns takes a couple of nights work, but is easy enough as long as caution is maintained. There is a town, called Hallow, and two smaller villages called, respectively, Riverford and Brooksglade.

Hallow is a reasonably large town, numbering an estimated 1000+ humans. It is walled in stone and wooden palisade, and looks fairly formidable, having been built on a naturally defensible hill. It even has a moat. This is certainly a dangerous land, but this town looks like it was built to withstand concerted assault. It's also reasonably newly built, if you had to guess.

Riverford, unsurprisingly, is built beside the river, in a place where it is fordable - however, a bridge across is being built. The town has a low wooden wall, irregular guard towers, and - as judged from a safe distance - a modest militia. It is, however, defensible, and ready. It is the lightest defended of the settlements. It is also the easternmost, farthest from the ruined keep of the vampires. Possibly there's a direct connection between those facts.

Brooksglade is built where a brook skirts the boundaries of a copse of deciduous trees - most of the trees in the valley are firs and pines. It is strongly defended for it's size, with robust walls and stakes at the base. Well equipped militiamen are on patrol. Brooksglade houses a large church, proudly perched upon a hill in the center of town.

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For his part, Gibs rides off north, towards the caves, and home. The trip is largely uneventful, until - as night lightens into dawn - Gibs encounters two humans. It being late, Gibs is looking for a decent place to sleep during the day, while the humans are just leaving their camp. They are mounted on sturdy horses, with a laden pack mule tagging along.

One is a portly fellow, weirdly dressed in puffy cloth and a silly hat. The other wears chainmail and a shield. Both are armed.

At each location, Hekx casts detect magic and detect secret doors while they are circling the walls. Attempting to divine the presence of additional magical defenses or of little-known passageways that could help them find thier way inside.

[Kaptin Keen]

Carefully circling the settlements doesn't reveal much in the way of neither magic nor secret passages. That's not to say it reveals nothing. While there are no secret passages, there are river gates - in Brooksglade, and in Hallow, both of which are bisected by waterways requiring such things. These may represent a sneaky way in. It's likely to have occurred to the defenders as well, however.

Also, each guard at Hallow has a faint magical aura about them. Abjuration magic of some sort.

But other than those details, the magical scouting reveals nothing.

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Gibs get's upset at his bad shot and that the bow doesn't do something special against animals. He stays hidden but pulls out his adamantine axe and watches what they do. He starts licking his lips and grins and giggles to himself.

Spoiler: Round 1

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Move: Pull out axe
Standard: Ready an action to attack if someone gets within range.

[Kaptin Keen]

There is a brief moment in which it's unclear whether the two men will fight or flee. However, there's only one arrow, and no horde of raving enemies presents itself. Stolzenberg dismounts - with a fair bit of elegance his considerable bulk taken into account - grabs a log from the dying fire, and tosses it into the trees. Meanwhile, Holk grabs a crossbow from his saddle, and levels it in the approximate direction of the incoming fire.

As it turns out, Stolzenberg forgets that his horse has moved. He looks down, looks which way the arrow points, and tosses the log that way. It sails off into the trees, easily 50 feet left of Gibs. A very surprised fox starts at the sudden light - but it's surprise is shortlived, as Holk reacts to it's movement, and shoots it dead.

It dies with an unhappy yelp, it's last thought on the harsh cruelty of an uncaring world.

Spoiler: OOC

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Stolzenberg, aiming at the kinda-sorta approximage area the arrow came from:
Attack: (1d20+1)[8] - 10 is enough to succeed.

Holk, Spot: (1d20-2)[0] I don't recall your latest hide, but well, the big positive modifiers disappear.
Attack: (1d20+2)[15]
Damage: (1d6+2)[7]

... or not. That's also possible =D

[JbeJ275]

With magical and physical scouting both complete, Hekx Will motion that the larger party moves back the lair and prevent to much chaos emerging.

[Morovir]

Krog shakes his head at the absence of Gibs, but does little more. He follows the rest of the goblin scouting party dutifully, lurking in the shadows whilst Hekx cast his spells and generally leaving the sneaks to their sneaking. Until they were in a fight, he reasoned, he was probably going to be more harm than help, and for his part, he was perfectly content to follow behind whilst that was still the case.

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Gibs nods in agreement with some invisible voice in his head. He twitches violently, slaps the wolf on his ass, and moves out as soon as the human shot his crossbow bolt. He lurches out of hiding, nearly stumbles over foilage, and his attack is foiled terribly by the multiple horses in the area! He screams terribly at the two humans in gibberish!

Spoiler: Round 2

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Free: Rage!
Move: Move 30 feet towards the human, mounted, with the crossbow
Standard: Adamantine Axe (counts as +2) (1d20)[1]^{+1 size, +2 bab, +2 enhancement, +4 strength} vs unarmored human for (1d8)[7]^{+6 strength, +2 enhancement} points of damage.

Wolf Attacks too!


Current AC: 16
Current HP: 21

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC

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In general, you roll the attacks for your side of the fight - including the mounts, minions, summons or random nameless goblins you brought along. However, I'll roll for the wolf this time, no worries.

Wolf: (1d20+5)[15] Base +3, charge bonus +2. That's actually a hit. He's holding a crossbow, meaning he cannot use his shield.
Damage: (1d6+1)[6]
Trip, opposed strength: (1d20+1)[8]

I'll have to double post. Meh =)

[Kaptin Keen]

Gibs charges - and even all alone, his unhinged fury is a terror to behold. However, what would otherwise have been a lethal attack is foiled by sheer bad luck, a root unseen in the darkness tripping him up at just the wrong moment, making the cutting edge of his battleaxe cleave nothing but air, rather than the chest of the mercenary it would have struck otherwise.

Gibs' wolf, having more legs (and quite possibly more sanity too) fares better, grabbing hold of the mercenary's leg and doing it's damndest to pull him from the saddle.

Both humans swing at poor Gibs - and both attacks land, dealing near fatal damage to the poor, angry goblin.

Spoiler: OOC

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Holk:
Strength: (1d20+2)[14]
Attack: (1d20+4)[18] base +2, str +2. He drops his crossbow unceremoniously, draws his sword and swings.
Damage: (1d8+2)[9]

Stolzen: (1d20+2)[17]
Damage: (1d6)[6]

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Things look bleak for poor Gibs, and it looks like the conundrum of the bow might be resolved soon! Gibs screams loudly and leaves his wolf to continue attacking! He flee's like a coward!

Spoiler: Round 2

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Full Round Withdraw! He moves 80 feet away and uses tree's so the horses can't charge him!

Current AC: 16
Current HP: 6/21

[Kaptin Keen]

Spoiler: OOC

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You should'a just killed them. No way you would have missed again. Holk was already wounded, and ... well, Stolzenberg isn't worth much in a fight.

The fight ends as suddenly and unexpectedly as it started. The goblin who charged screaming out of the woods, retreats screaming back into them, and disappears in the darkness under the trees.

Stolzenberg, the merchant, looks at his hired guard Holk, and ponders: Do you think this is a trap? It could very well be a trap, I feel.

Holk, who has survived as a mercenary and guard for years on the simple principle of not fighting any fights he doesn't absolutely have to, replies simply: Almost certainly a trap. Let's be on our way.

And so the two quickly point their mounts down the road, and ride off as quick as they can.

Spoiler: Oh, also ..

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You still get 100 xp for this little show.

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Gibs howls in anger at being bested by two mere humans. He rants and raves, screaming in pain as he rubs leaves and other things into his wounds to help him heal through the day. He's angry and bitter that he wasn't strong enough to pull a weak goblin to the ground and couldn't even hit a fat slow human on a fat slow horse.

Gibs, in between his rants and ravings, sobs, "Gibs not strong enough to rule clan. Clan weak just like Gibs. No leader, no strong warriors, no conquest time ever ever ever..."

After 8 hours of resting through the day, the weakened and injured Gibs gets onto his mount who he has taken to naming, Jibbers, and looks in every direction for somewhere interesting to go.

After much trepidation Gibs decides to take a long way home, he remembers a stream that they could have followed. He goes in search of this stream and begins to follow it upstream into the mountains.

Spoiler: stream reference

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Another option is to follow one of the streams that pour out of the mountains. It appears the largest of them winds it's way fairly close to the base of the eastern mountains.

[Kaptin Keen]

The trip back from scouting the human villages is uneventful. Gibs does not magically reappear, and is also absent from the caves, reinforcing the suspicion that he has now become a hill giant snack. The tribe mourns his unexpected passing with ... mostly a sigh of relief, and mutterings along the lines of 'wow, was that guy ever crazy!'

Just as the intrepid explorers enter the main cave, a .. strange event takes place. A small group of young goblins are messing about, doing goblin things. They have found a weird blue spider - one of the Annoying Spiders, but a mutant of some sort, and on a dare, one of the goblins eats it. There is a moment of cheering from the others, and he even wins some .. well, not money, the tribe doesn't have any, but he wins a small carved token of Maglubiyet, a tiny flask of mushroom spirits, and a tiny dagger.

Then he burps. Then there's a loud ZAP! accompanied by blue lightning and a sort of lensing effect, like reality is bent, then snaps back into shape.

In the aftermath, one goblin is transformed into a small pouch of rocks, another has turned into a rather nice earthenware pot, and the last has simply disappeard entirely. However the goblin who ate the spider remains a goblin - but his skin has turned blue. He seems immediately concerned with the fate of his friends - he does not seem to realise his own change.

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Gibs travels to the large waterway that skirts the eastern foothills of the valley. It is an interesting journey: There are signs of human habitation, logging, and evidence timber is transported on the river. There are no towns, but it's all but certain logging camps are hidden in the forest. This, however, is not the main attraction.

There are signs of fighting, too - the human settlers fought someone else. Here and there, broken equipment and spent arrows show where two sides clashed. Both have gathered their fallen - or the meetings were incompetently bloodless - so there's no telling who won, or who fought precisely.

Further north, as the river shrinks closer to it's source, Gibs comes across one last thing. He happens upon a small waterfall - hard to miss, when following the river. It is a beautiful place, water cascading over a tall rock, filling a series of small pools. Salmon leap here, birds sing among the trees, deer and other forest critters come to the pool to drink. Where the water sprays, it casts small rainbows in the sunlight. Someone clearly comes here: There are carved symbols in ancient boughs of trees, tall stones have been erected, full of some sort of runic script. There is not, however, any sign of a fireplace.

This is Gibs' fourth day of travel - he is now relatively close to the home caves.

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

A morose Gibs searches the battlefield for anything of value (and specifically arrows that were not broken in flight). When he reaches the waterfall with it's plentiful food and an abundance of natural beauty he decides to make camp to let his wounds continue healing. During the night time he spends most of it hunting for food but also searching the area fore anything that interests crazy ol' Gibs.

Spoiler: Stuff

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Gibs makes use of the survival skill that he has to live here for a bit in the wilderness and continue letting his wounds heal. His sleeping spot for him and his wolf, Jibbers, is hidden. But during the night he'll explore the area to see if there is anything interesting for him to find. Anyway he lives here until his wounds heal naturally - so just two more days I guess to get to full hit points.

survival:(1d20+4)[19]

[Kaptin Keen]

A fox watches Gibs. He notices it several times, looking at him while he eats, hunts or mends his equipment. Basically, it seems to just always be around. Gibs gets the distinct feeling it particularly disapproves whenever he lights a fire.

Spoiler: OOC

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You manage to scrounge 11 arrows from various skirmishes along the river - all of them different in make, length and so on. I don't know how Gibs feels about them, but I find they offend my OCD. Arrows should be neat and identical! =)

[Xenopax]

Well the blue goblin worries about his friends for a very short time before looking around...he felt...different. But there was a nice sack of rocks so he disgards such thoughts and puts it on his side, ready to start tossing it at people. He looks around for a way to get some food other than a blue spider...not that he wouldn't eat another one if he saw one.

[Kaptin Keen]

The various ongoing works in the caves is progressing nicely. Traps are being put in place, wolves and spiders are being bred, and goblins do what goblins do best: Multiply. Food stores are plentiful, but the tribe is hard pressed for other ressources. There is no metal for weapons (or other tools), and no leather for armor.

Some goblins - curious if cowardly by nature - have strayed into the deeper tunnels under the home caves. Wandering the seemingly endless tunnels, they've found nothing of particularly keen interest. Some have reported an underground lake, but they've been unable to say anything meaningful about where. None have reported any dangers - however, a couple have failed to return. They may be simply lost. Or, on the other hand, they may have found - or been found by - danger.

Spoiler: OOC

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I'll update the first post of the OOC with pertinent data. You gain the usual 10 goblins, but lose 5 to the emergence of the tribes first psyker, and random wanderings. You're down 2 wolves, but gain 1 from breeding. You also get another spider, which you can use as you please.

Oh and:
Meeting with the ghouls: 100 xp for everyone
Scouting human villages: 100 xp for everyone (except for Gibs, obviously).

[JbeJ275]

When Hekx gets back the first thing he does is get Pipzy down and feed Silkwhisper the now thourougly digested treat.

The second thing he does, is to check for any explanation as to what this new magic could be, he also sends his one surviving assistant to bring the newly magical goblin up to talk to him.

[Kaptin Keen]

When Hekx gets back the first thing he does is get Pipzy down and feed Silkwhisper the now thourougly digested treat.

Silkwhisper munches happily on goblin snack =)

The second thing he does, is to check for any explanation as to what this new magic could be, he also sends his one surviving assistant to bring the newly magical goblin up to talk to him.

Um .. which magic are you referring to?

[JbeJ275]

Silkwhisper munches happily on goblin snack =)



Um .. which magic are you referring to?

Psionics, as apparently we saw it soon after entering.

Relevant Checks- Arcana: (1d20+8)[24]
Spellcraft? (1d20+9)[22]

Any others?

[Kaptin Keen]

Psionics, as apparently we saw it soon after entering.

Relevant Checks- Arcana: [roll0]
Spellcraft? [roll1]

Any others?

Um no .. those are fine.

I'm fine with any explanation for psionics Hekx is comfortable with - or I can cook up an entire metaphysics theory if you like.

I mean, psionics are this: What mages consider the ethereal is a medium of mind. There are rare individuals - unschooled hacks, frankly - who through some trait of mutation, genetics or just blind, pointless luck, happen to be able to link their minds with this universal mind stuff, to create inane and pointless effects better created by magic, as the gods surely intended. It is a crude and inelegant thing, like smashing rocks together to create fire, rather than use alchemy like a civilized person.

.. will that do?

Also, this should all be in the OOC =D

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

Gibs finds it odd that he's able to empathize with... well anything. He looks at the fox oddly while it judges him cooking his fresh fish he caught. Oddly... Gibs puts the fire out. He finds himself at peace here in nature and for some reason it has calmed his chaotic nature; for the first time in a long time he isn't talking to himself or acting crazy. During the early hours he practices his fighting technique, when the sun fully sets he hunts for fish, collects berries, and generally explores the area along with Jibbers. He tries to befriend the fox for some reason and refers to him as "Foxers" in common. He leaves out an extra fish he caught for the guy and calls out to him when he see's him. If Jibbers is mean to him Gibs yells at the wolf to shut up in goblin.

Gibs swims in the water if it's safe and bathes under the waterfall and checks to see if anything is behind it. He explores the runic stones in detail but doesn't care about writing at all so probably doesn't glean much, he explores the runic writing in the tree branches too. He begins trying to teach himself how to track prey while here and practices shooting with his bow since he was so bad he couldn't hit an unmoving horse. He begins eating his fish raw and just generally living off the land while his wounds heal.

[Kaptin Keen]

Food really is suspiciously plentyful around the small lake. Fruit trees, berry bushes, fish in the lake, even edible roots and tasty herbs all grow in plentiful profusion at or near the lake. Also, all the healthy living must be good for Gibs, because on the morning of the second day, he finds his wounds healed.

The stones are old ... but then, what stones aren't? However, the area as a whole seems to be a work in progress: Parts of it are clearly ancient, trees so might and tall they seem to reach the heavens, the standing stones so old the all but creak with age .. on the other hand, the herbs and flowers and bushes seem, if not deliberately planted then at least tended to.

There are wooden carvings too, animal motifs and flowers and trees, a single quite beautiful carving of a male figure of indeterminate race - and some of these are clearly still being worked on. Looking more closely, Gibs even finds shavings among the leaves on the ground.

Sadly, there's nothing behind the waterfall.

[Jopustopin]

Gibs

After his beautiful time here he realizes it's his time to leave. He sits on the ground next to Jibbers and pets him.

"What should we do boy?" Gibs asks him in goblin. After sitting in silence for a bit, Gibs stands up and dons his mithril chain shirt. He stars at the heavens for a bit, a tear rolling down his face. He shakes fitfully for a bit before turning away.

"Gibs needs face all his fears. And revenge his leader, Plink. Kill the deaders more. Kill them deaders into the ground and make them stay dead." Gibs says to Jibbers.

Gibs wipes the tears away, "Deaders take everything from clan. Gibs take everything from them."

Gibs rides off towards the ghouls, to face his fears and avenge his clan... or die trying.

[JbeJ275]

Hekx having finally figured out what this new Skimtop is, has satisfied himself that he’s more an asset than a danger. And he might be the only other goblin with enough smarts to talk to, even if he’s jamming arcane energy wherever it fits instead of using the proper patterns. He finds the goblin’s name then speaks to them.

Skimtop. I hear you might do new magic now. That is good, we need more smart people to do what needs doing even if your magic is very.... odd. There may be a place for you on the council of way important diciders but only if you help with something important. Will you do the tribe proud?

[Xenopax]

Skimtop looked deep into Hekx's eyes, analyzing the other smart goblin. The spider had made him far smarter. Smart enough to know that he was a mere goblin in a land full of things that could kill him. What these things were he wasn't completely sure. Humans for one. Pretty much anything bigger than him for another. So it benefited him to agree.
"I do new magic for Tribe. I do what needs doing important But I have terms. I want guard. Two. One has to have a green cap," Skimptop said this with much importance put upon the green cap.