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

[Xenopax]

If Skimptop sees the religious texts before his fellow goblin grabs them, then he politely requests them for study....atleast polite for a goblin. Which meant not hitting him with a stick.

He'd get some goblins to begin bottling some of the goo as a sacrifice for the gods, proof of their worthiness. He would also say a quick prayer to the goblin gods, thanking them for the battle.

[JbeJ275]

Hekx will allow Skimtoo to read the texts, but never to take more than one or two scrolls out of his sight. He’s still suspicious of anyone wanting access to his knowledge.

Once the goblins are returned and settled he’ll be trying to get some other goblins to join him on a rustling expedition. Either sheep or cattle could provide a lot of the materials he wants.

[Kaptin Keen]

The gods accept Skimtop's sacrifice, and it disappears from the altar with a *poof!* and a swirl of purple mist.

Rustling up some sheep is easy. Or, no, easy is the wrong word. Perhaps comical is better, as goblin minions chase sheep around the countryside for days - but it is eventually succesful, and with minimal loss of life. Now you have around 100 sheep, surrounded by minions and kept in line at spearpoint. If only you had some fences, or maybe even some sheepdogs.

Gitmangla for his part raises morale of the common goblin with his praise, and organises the utter dismantlement of the outpost, bringing back a decent sized pile of construction materials.

All that is outstanding now is the question of that one goblin that never returned from scouting.

[Xenopax]

Skimtops eyes glimmer with greed as he sees the new sacrifices Sheep. They were getting closer to the sacrifices he wanted! Either way he would begin ordering goblins to strap together wood, by chopping indents in one bit of one log for the other log to go into. A person with thumbs could easily take it apart but not a sheep. He'd also order 5 guards to stand at 5 points in a pattern pleasing to his eyes/the gods around the fenced area once it was done and the sheep were put inside of it.

[JbeJ275]

Hekx has less interest in the exploits of one unfortunate scout than he does about the grand and imposing castle he can see on the horizon. Thus he saddles up Meatsniffer, gathers two of the wolf riders and sets out on a journey towards the castle.

[Kaptin Keen]

Skimtop succesfully manages to create a wonder of of goblinoid engineering: A corral. Testament to goblin ingenuity, it keeps sheep in, but lets goblins pass.

For his part, Hekx decides that lurking nearby dangers are less intriguing than distant ruined castles, and sets off towards the old keep that stands perched upon the western ridge.

[Xapi]

Ront is, finally, given permission to count himself amongst the war ready tribesgoblin. Not that any particular goblin looks particularily war ready, but the Tribe is what it is, and it won't be better without much sacrifice.

Ront is particularily interested in the lost goblin scout, although having a keep to defend the tribe would be a pretty good thing indeed.

For starters, he tries to recall what he knows about the particular direction that scout went to.

Spoiler: Knowledge (Local) roll

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(1d20+4)[17]

[Kaptin Keen]

The goblin scouts were sent out fairly willy-nilly to the compas directions - this one went to the south west. Owing to part guesswork, part racial memory, part actually having ancient, faded, poorly drawn maps made way back when the original goblin tribe went the opposite way (north to the Firey Mountain), Ront has an idea that there was something there. There was a black blotch, like maybe it was meant to be a cave opening? And some sort of jagged zig-zag line, which might have been supposed to be fangs?

Frankly, the quality of goblin maps is debatable. But if the directions and distances are anywhere near correct, there may be a cave some 10-12 miles SW, with some sort of fanged ... thing.

[Xapi]

Ront is taking about 15 goblins and a pair of wolves to search for the lost scout.

We must not leave a goblin behind. And if something attacked our cousin, then that thing could a danger to all of us. Who's with me?

The party sets out with a couple of goblins about 300 ft ahead of the main force, with the orders have one of them hide and the other run back to the rest at a sight of danger.

[Xenopax]

Skimtop does a check on everything he made the others do earlier. Like how his number one gobbo Vile Adderseye was doing. He also needed to check on the altar to make sure that it was being maintained. After he did that, he couldn't resist pulling out a male sheep and sacrificing it to their goblin gods, praying for treasure and less danger for their adventure (prayers were aimed at making him richer and less hurt for the most part, but the tribe too!), a request for divine Favor!

Once he was done with that he ordered goblins to begin upgrading the Altar with some of the cut stones surrounding it in a circle and a bigger place for bigger sacrifices. Kind of like a circle right infront of the gods. Let the others worry about actually fortifying the village for now, he had a pantheon to please!

[Kaptin Keen]

Skimtop's checks went fine. The altar was fine. The sheep were fine. Vile Adderseye was propably fine - he couldn't be found, and no one seemed to know where he was, but .. eh, why worry? He was a sound, hale goblin of impeccable mental health and only slightly hazardous ability.

[Kaptin Keen]

Saving Minion Gristle!

With much fanfare and aplomp, Skimtop, Ront and Slanter set out - along with a few handpicked goblin wolfriders - so find and save the lost scout. It's not a terribly long trip, some 10-12 miles, but through rather uncooperative terrain, so it ends up taking most of a day.

It's down from the pass (the main caves are situated halfway up the mountain, above the treeline), following one of the many waterways along the foothills - a long reach of cliff that extends down the valley. As you approach the area where the scout disappeared, the landscape grows decidedly less inviting, dotted with tribal warnings, and the occasional skeleton or animal carcass rotting away into the forest floor.

The cave shows clear signs of habitation. A simple, and somewhat inelegantly built stockade circles the entryway, and stakes have been raised around the foot of the wall. A trickle of smoke issues from a natural chimney above the entry. Right now, at this very moment, scout Gristle (someone said that was maybe his name) may be gently roasting above hot embers.

Spoiler: OOC

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If you want to sneak closer, roll Stealth. If not, roll Perception. Or .. a knowledge skill to suit recognizing tribal totems? Bardic knowledge. Go nutz! =)

The Ruined Keep!

Hekx, with clear priorities (goblinkind over individual goblins - and, let's be honest, Hekx above goblinkind in general) estimates that the ruined keep represents a larger potential than a single, lost goblin. Potential threat, or potential gain, that remains to be seen.

Regardless, he sets off with a small escort - two fast wolfriders, and himself - for the longish journey to the southwestern part of the valley. It is a journey of at least five nights of travel, through unknown terrain.

Spoiler: OOC

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If you have any rolls along the way - Perception, Survival, anything of the sort, do roll. There are plenty of things to discover =)

[The BBEG]

Slanter passes the reins of his wolf to another wolf rider. "Give me a few minutes. I'll get a closer look, see what there is to be seen. I'll come back then we make a plan."

Slanter hops off his wolf and stealthily approaches eyes peeled and weapon at the ready.

Stealth: (1d20+14)[27]
Perception: (1d20+4)[19]

[Xapi]

Ront stays behind, trying to find a place to ambush whoever comes out of the caves if they come attacking.

[JbeJ275]

As Hekx journeys he is also surveying the land, looking for natural resources, interesting animals or features of the land that could indicate something more than the obvious. He also keeps a special eye out for leylines and tries to figure out where they might be. A simple sheepskin is also used to form the beginnings of a full map of the valley, though right now only a narrow line from the caves to the fort has any detail. The keeps a general eye out for other things but learning about the more obvious sites is his greater priority.

Knowledge: (Arcana) (1d20+7)[12]
Knowledge: (Geography) (1d20+6)[22]
Knowledge: (Nature) (1d20+6)[22]
Spot: (1d20-1)[8]

[Xenopax]

"Bruddas the Gods have blessed this trip. We shall be successful," Skimtop would say as he threw his mind back, sieving through the lore he knew for anything about this place. And by lore I mean books he half heartedly read before going off to get a snack.

(1d20+7)[17]: Nature (Anything toward what kind of beasties live inside)
(1d20+7)[16]: History (History of the area)
(1d20+7)[27]: Religion (Totems and tribal markings)
(1d20+7)[18]: Local (Anything locals have said about this area)
(1d20+7)[17]: Arcana (Totems and tribal markings)

And an extra psicraft, just to see if there's anything properly psionicy

(1d20+7)[26]: Psicraft (If there's anything psionic at all)

(Blessed be investing in knowledge skills)

[Kaptin Keen]

Saving Minion Gristle!

Slanter sneaks closer to the cave entry, close enough at least to peek over the stockade and look behind it. Whoever lives here is clearly two things: Possessed of a military mindset, and a terrible slob.

There are two crossbows, loaded and ready to fire. There are long spears, a small forge on which rests half-finished armor. Weapons are strewn about - tossed carelessly, but all in decent repair.

On the other hand, the place is piled with refuse. All manner of junk, from half-eaten carcass to broken furniture to kitchen midden to .. just piles of it.

Also, there's muted singing from inside the cave. In goblin. It's a merry little tune that goes something like:

He ducked to the left and he ducked to the right .. and then I crushed his skull - his wife came running and screamed out loud .. and then I crushed her skull - then came his brother strong and proud - and then I crushed his skull. There is occasional chuckles mixed in every time the crushing of skulls is mentioned.

-----

Ront finds a decent place to ambush - anyone who comes rushing out the gate in the stockade will be exposing themselves, and Ront is ready to show them the error of their ways.

-----

Skimtop takes half a look at the totems and recognizes them as clan markings of the type bugbears use. There are also religious markers for Hruggek, the chief god of the bugbears. They all seem to be somewhat clumsily - or carelessly - made.

The Ruined Keep!

Hekx is able to learn much about the valley simply by travelling it. Upon observation, it's clear that this whole chain is an active subduction zone. There are earth quakes, and active volcanoes (well not right here, but the tribe used to live in one). Looking at waterways and lakes, it's clear that there's metals in the mountains, and that they are washed out and settle in the soil, making for a red tinted clay. But since the top strata of rock are bare of interesting minerals and ore, clearly it's .. deeper, somewhere. Interestingly, the humans don't seem to have any mines, but rather get what metal they can from burning iron-rich peat in tall furnaces.

It's days of travel, but eventually, Hekx approaches the area around and below the ruined keep. It's desolate and forbidding. Snow clings to the slopes, but spring isn't far off, and rivulets of melt water run across the road. In ancient, rusting gibbets ancient, bleached skeletons while away their sad, cold afterlife.

Cresting the last rise, he stands before the keep. It's broken, tumbledown, great stone blocks that once made proud, strong walls now scattered across the mountainside. A single tower still stands, alone with the gatehouse and parts of the walls. This place wasn't defeated by time itself - it was attacked, sacked, and put to the torch, a long, long time ago.

Regardless, though, it's clearly occupied. There are signs of recent activities. Also, two skeletons stand guard at the gate.

Spoiler: OOC

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Your recently gained understanding of the land will prove valuable in future efforts to locate ore and other valuables. There's also a suspicion about the subduction zone and how it relates to the ley lines - but nothing entirely certain yet.

I'll leave it up to you whether you approach the keep in the daytime, or at night.

[The BBEG]

As much as he wants to grab those crossbows, or at least unload them, Slanter is not quite ready to go into the belly of the beast. Armed with his current knowledge he returns to his comrades to report his findings. Slanter tells of the weapons, the forge, the militaristic nature of the inhabitants, and the catchy little song that was sang in goblin he can't quite get out of his head. Slanters head continues to bounce back and forth as he silently sings it in his head.

Slanter tries to estimate how many might be there based on the singing. He also tries to determine if the singing was from goblins or hobbies.

Speaking to the group Slanter ponders, "I wonder if we should try to bring them into our fold, or just smash them in a show of dominance?"

[Xapi]

Mph, I don't like this at all. I think we should parlay, they speak goblin, Bargrivyek demands we unite. But if they caused the dissapearance of our cousin, then I don't know if we have the numbers to take on them if we have to.

Perhaps a couple of us should go try to negotiate riding wolves. If they attack, we run back here where the ambush is set.

[Kaptin Keen]

Slanter tries to estimate how many might be there based on the singing. He also tries to determine if the singing was from goblins or hobbies.[/COLOR]

Slanter isn't quite sure. It was definitely a deep, rumbly voice.

[JbeJ275]

Hekx sneers out of the night and checks out the keep, if taken by force there may be secret doors even the current occupants don’t know well.

Hekx will cast Detect Secret Doors then do a lap of the outside of the citadel.

[Kaptin Keen]

Hekx casts his spell, and begins a circle of the keep. A single casting isn't enough to completely scan it, but it's more than enough - there are multiple possible entries. Some are concealed sally ports, others are just places where the walls have tumbled down, or rain water has eroded them, or small rodents have dug tunnels. Getting in will not be a problem.

[JbeJ275]

With that part of the scouting completed, Hekx will leave meatsniffer with the two other goblin riders and waits for nightfall then slips into an old sally port. He keeps quiet, wanting a chance to loot the place without the attention of these new undead being drawn to him. He then goes to slip through the corridors, sally port system and roof spaces. Looking for armouries, libraries, studies or other places with interesting resources.

Move Silently: (1d20+5)[20]
Search: (1d20+3)[20]

[The BBEG]

Slanter nods to Ront. "Ok, we try talking. Though, by their voices I think they are hobos and not gobos. Not sure. Just in case they don't talk, I'll be ready to smash."

Slanter jumps back up on his wolf trying to avoid the bitey end as he does so. "Let's go talk."

[Xenopax]

"These not Hobgoblins. These bugbears. They eat other goblin when hungry. Me thinks we should go back and get sheep, to make less hungry. Then...then they listen,"
Skimtop would say as he went through the list of powers he knew. THat powerful list consisting of three spells, and no real offensive ones.

[Kaptin Keen]

The Ruined Keep!

Hekx sneaks through a broken old sally port, into a crawl space beyond. This would have been a narrow corridor, once upon a time, but it has long ago collapsed, and leaves very little space for anyone to enter - none, for larger creatures. Hekx slips in easily.

Yet small as the space is - it is not unguarded. There is ... well, a trap, of sorts. Yet another undead guard has been stuffed bodily into a crevice among the fallen stones, with only an arm, the head and part of the torso peeking out. It holds a spear ready to poke any who'd crawl in this way. However, even animated skeletons have no special senses to spot stealthy goblins, and Hekx creeps past undetected.

The keep is a broken old shell. Once, buildings lined the inside of the walls, but they are long since gone to rot and ruin. However, there are stables here, new and solid, well built. There is also a storage shed, firmly locked, and a huge sleigh stands in the central courtyard. Animal noises can be heard from the stables. They do not sounds like horses.

Finally, stairs lead down. It would have been the old main building, when the fortress was new. Now, it's a wreck like all the rest, but the entry to the old storm cellar remains - and like the stables, it looks new, well maintained and well built. It's also open, and light and music streams out.

[The BBEG]

Slanter looks at Skimtop. "Not gobos, or hobos, but bugos you say. Id rather talk after a full belly Soo... What you say makes sense. Back for sheep?"

[Xapi]

Ront is not clear on the best course of action, but speaks his mind.

"Sheeps could be a real advantage in this discussion, indeed. But if there's a small chance our cousin is alive now but not in two days when we come back with sheep, would we take that chance? I think we could promise the sheep, maybe they would listen. This is the best for our cousin, but it risks other cousins as well. A difficult choice."

[Xenopax]

"Think about it this way. If we go now, they hungry. Probably kill more of us to eat. If we feed, we can discuss and talk without being eat,"

He didn't want to put his own life at risk just yet

[JbeJ275]

Hekx stays away from the storm cellar, as alluring an option as it presents going into the light and towards observers would hinder his attempts to learn about this situation. He makes his way towards the storage shed, and tries to peel to see what’s inside checking first for windows, then any crack in the locked door. He also checks for gaps on the floor level as even if the shed’s structure is new it may have been joined onto old foundations.

If he can’t find a hole to sneak into the storage shed he also tries to look into the stables, or at least get close enough to identify what lies inside.

Knowledge (Nature): (1d20+6)[17]