4E shape the game

[stupnick]

lotz the goblin says as he is asked the last question.

Spoiler

Show

my only thing is, some times there are modifiers to rolls.. like to his will defense, he receives a +10 bonus. so yes the 21 did intimidate him.. but sometimes bonuses are unknown.

[slurpz]

Lolita

Lolita couldn't help but grin at the last answer. A kindred spirit that loves killing people just because? That's pretty awesome.

Instead of saying that thought out loud, she continues, "What would let us through the swamp, untouched?"

[stupnick]

So far the goblin has been on the level with everything he has said. He has not tried to hide anything, and has not tried to lie. It seems he just wants to get this done and over with as quickly as possible.me go tel no tak. den u no git takd n u safe

[frogman55]

While Lolita is talking with the goblin, Dain has picked his way back through the grass and is thoroughly picking over their bodies. He isn't actually hacking the goblins apart, but he is making a rather serious search for any bits of food or usable items they are carrying; he even goes as far as to cut clothing off, look inside their mouths, and roll them over in case they landed on something.

[stupnick]

As Dain begins looking through the bodies he doesn't really find anything of usefulness on them. a few shortswords, a few crossbow bolts, and some ratty armor. No coins, or anything else of the sort, and nothing that he could possibly sell for more than maybe a silver or two.

[opakedragon]

While Lolita tries to gleen information from the tiny creature, Ironshod straps his weapon and shield to his back. While he is made of metal, that metal is really living metal. The crossbow bolts had stuck into him, and they did create dents and ripped holes into the metal. Ripping out one of the bolts, Ironshod set about folding the edges of the metal back together. It wasn't magically repairing itself, but the wound was closed. Ironshod knew that, with time, the living metal would fuse back together on its own, and that there would be an uneven seam for only a while.

When the goblin mentions going to his allies and telling them not to attack, he was skeptical of the truth of that statement.

Spoiler

Show

"Insight" - (d20+1)[13] to see if Ironshod can tell if the goblin is lying.

If he believes the goblin is lying, Ironshod tells the group and draws his khopesh ready to kill the goblin if he tries to escape.

If he thinks he is telling the truth, Ironshod says and does nothing else pertaining to the goblin until the situation changes.

I meant to mention that I was using second wind

short rest then

[Tanaar]

Soveliss

"Enough of this." Soveliss calmly walks up to the captive goblin, drawing one of the carved arrows from his quiver. Kicking the goblin square in the chest, he knocks it down on the ground. He holds up the arrow, displaying the elegantly carved name, "Jilliana". "Goblin, I have no doubt in my mind that you cannot read, but what is carved on this arrow is the name of a human woman that you and yours murdered." Soveliss sets it to the string and draws it back to the fletchings, aiming between the goblin's eyes. "I fully intend to kill you with it now, and avenge her murder. Your only hope to live is to lead us to your tribe, undetected. Make up your mind fast, goblin. I cannot hold this string back forever."

Spoiler

Show

I'm unsure how you want to play this, Stupnick. He's not trying to intimidate the goblin, he's stone-cold serious. Its taking some effort not to kill the little bastard right here and now, there's no attempt at bluffing.
Intimidation, in case you want it. Add whatever modifiers you deem appropriate for the physical threat. (d20+0)[17]

[stupnick]

The goblin goes white as he looks his death in the face. The expression on the elf driving home the point.

Staggering his words, barely able to talk, the goblin nodsoly kil n swamp, y she swamp oly kil gobins. me sho u ar hom, if allowed the goblin get's up and begins to lead you through the swamp. Making sure to move slow enough not to seem threatening or look like he is escaping.

[Tanaar]

Soveliss

"Not so fast, runt. You're staying in front of me. If anything goes wrong, you won't even have a chance to scream. Ironshod, do me a favor. Tie a rope around this sneakthief's neck and hold onto his leash." Glancing to the side, he catches Flint's eye. Knowing his friend had never seen this cruel streak before, his expression softens for a moment. Turning back to the captive, all pity evaporates once more.

[opakedragon]

[Ironshod]

Surprised by the seeming turn around of the elf, 'weird meat in that bag,' thinks Ironshod to himself, as he retrieves his rope from his pack. He ties a slip knot on one end and puts the around the squirming, trembling creature's neck. Ironshod takes up the slack, and when Soveliss moves, he begins pulling up on the rope. This action is clearly meant to stand him up as the loop gets tighter round his neck, as the rope is pulled. Once up, Ironshod ties the other end of the rope across the goblin's chest, knotting it in the back and leaving about four feet of slack on the end. He loops this slack between the goblins legs and over his thigh. Tying the goblins hands together behind his back, and leaving no room from hand movement.

Ironshod turns the creature around, and lifts the leash like rope in front of his face, saying, "I control you now. If you try to run or signal anyone I will pull back, hard. When I pull back you will be strangled, and will come flying back to me." Ironshod stands up and turns to Soveliss, saying, "Is that sufficient?" as he draws his khopesh.

[slurpz]

Lolita

Seeing that the elf had taken over the job of interrogating the goblin, Lolita slowly walks over to the corpses. She goes to the last goblin corpse that she killed and kneels beside it. Working efficiently, she removes everything from the torso of the goblin. Taking her dagger, she gazes lovingly at it for a second before running it first down the goblin's left side, and then the goblin's right side. She finishes by cutting straight across the goblin's abdomen. She then peels the entire top half of the goblin's torso off, as if she were a butcher preparing fish fillet.

Dropping the flap of meat over the goblin's face, she reaches in with her left hand and grasps the goblin's heart. She pulls it out and swiftly cuts all of the arteries and veins, severing the heart completely from the body.

She walks over to the other goblin corpse, and repeats the same process. With the two hearts in hand, she sits down on the ground. She lifts her dagger up above her head, and it almost seems as if the dagger takes on a life of its own, shimmering in an odd way. You can't tell for sure because the next moment, the dagger is embedded deeply in one of the goblin hearts. Disembowling it, Lolita then rolls up her left sleeve. Her left shoulder now exposed, you see that it is covered with parallel white lines. Scars, you realize with a shudder. She puts the edge of the dagger against the skin of shoulder and presses into the flesh. You can't help but wince with disgust and horror after seeing the goblin blood mixing with the all-too-crimson blood of the tiefling.

Lolita exhales her breath sharply. Lifting the blade once again, she lifts her face to the sky. Her face is a terrifying visage to behold, her beautiful features twisted in a snarl of menace. Her mouth half-open, she plunges the dagger into the earth again, its fall stopped once again by what used to be a goblin heart. Without wiping the blood away from the other self-inflicted dagger wound, she places the edge of the dagger against her shoulder and presses again.

Picking one of the hearts up from the ground, she carelessly brushes the grass from the bottom of it. She looks at the heart in her hand and gently lifts the heart to her mouth. Putting the heart in front of her mouth, she closes her eyes as her tongue snakes out and licks the heart. Her hand and tongue move in the same direction: closer to her mouth. The heart is inside her mouth now, her jaws closing like a guillotine without oil, slow and inexorable. The part of the heart that is outside of her mouth bulges for a few moments before it gives way, bisected by her sharp teeth. Some blood splatters onto her cheek, but she uses her long tongue to lick it off. Chewing for a moment and then swallowing, Lolita finishes the rest of the heart before grabbing the other heart.

She stands and walks slowly back to the rest of the party, nibbling at the heart as if it were a small wheel of cheese.

[Poru93]

Flint

Though he is startled to see Soveliss threaten the goblin like that, he understands its cause. Flint would rather see Soveliss yelling and pointing arrows at people than firing the arrows into the people. Even before the elf's glance at him, Flint still knew that the fun-loving elf was still there, just hidden below a face that was needed.

Once the goblin is starting to lead the group, Flint glances around to make sure they haven't forgotten anything. As he does so, he notices Lolita's strange ritual. Flint turns away in disgust, repulsed by the tiefling. By the gods... how can a person do such a thing? That... that... that is one of the worst things my eyes have ever had the poor fortune to see... Flint thinks to himself. He hurries to catch up to the rest of the group, wanting to get away from the warlock as fast as he can.

[stupnick]

The goblin begins to lead you through the weeds, about 75 feet from where you guys found him. There is a small trade door in the ground that he shows you.

Gobin hom

[slurpz]

Lolita

Still reeking of goblin blood, Lolita says, "Open it, filth."

Mentally, she prepares for an ambush.

[opakedragon]

[Ironshod]

Intrigued by the tielfling, 'that is one way to eat. Although, I don't need to, but she does seem to be enjoying herself,' Ironshod thinks, 'these meat bags keep getting stranger by the instance. When does cutting into one's own flesh become enjoyable?'

When Lolita tells the goblin, to open the trap door, Ironshod leans forward pulling the line slightly, "I would suggest listening to her, or she may eat your heart." whispers Ironshod, "and make sure to perform or speak any pass-phrases that needs to get us in there safely." Ironshod gets himself ready for the ambush that may be awaiting them.

Spoiler

Show

Ironshod takes the total defense standard action, gaining a +2 bonus to
all defenses until the start of your next turn.

[Tanaar]

Soveliss

Wincing at Lolita's gruesome display, Soveliss grabs his dropped dagger (sheathing it) before following the goblin. Keeping close behind the filthy creature, he occasionally pulls back on the bowstring, the tensing wood and sinew making a quiet, yet audible sound for the captive's benefit. As the creature steps forward to obey Lolita, he leans forward. "Remember, if this is a trap, you will be the first to die."

[frogman55]

Dain watches Lolita rather intensely as she works. He seems puzzled, like somebody watching something that's not quite familiar, and yet not quite strange, either. After she finishes and walks off, Dain puts his finger into the chest of one of the opened up corpses, and licks the blood off.

He makes a face, spits, proceeds to try and scrape his tongue off with some grass nearby. He gets up to follow Soveliss as they leave, mumbling to himself as usual, "Not good, not tasty. Foul that was, bugs are better, yes yes. But I have food, I don't need to eat whats nasty, no I don't. No no no. Oh, it won't go away..."

[stupnick]

The small little goblin says something in goblin towards the trap door in the swamp, then opens it. He once again repeats what he said and looks to see if you are wanting him to go first, or if you are wanting to go first. If it is him, he proceeds to head down.

plez no kil dem. dey ar kiz in wimen

The trap door opens to a large long hallway with no light. As no one has darkvision no one can see anything at the moment.

[frogman55]

Seeing the group hesitating at the trap door, Dain sits down and begins rummaging in his bags. "It's not hard, no it's not, where is it, is it hard, it's not hard, it's dark, but dark isn't hard, but it's not soft either..." He finally pulls out a ivory rod. Putting the bits of detritus, rations, and miscellaneous supplies back into his bag, he stands back up. Holding the rod, he shakes it a couple times, "not hard, not hard, not hard," and finally smacks it against the ground, causing a bright, steady glow to emanate from it's tip.

Louder, he speaks again, "I said it wasn't hard, just dark, not light!" He steps down through the trap door behind the goblin, and waits to the side just inside the passageway.

[stupnick]

As the light is lit, you can finally see down the tunnel.

Looking down it maybe extends 30 feet, and the tunnel opens into a large room. In the room you see about 30 goblins in there, some small some large. They are either female or under fully grown.

As the light is lit, they all shield there eye's momentarily, and are against the far wall trying to hide, and get as far away from the intruders as possible.

[slurpz]

Lolita

Peering distastefully at dismal tunnel, Lolita says, "No way in hell are these the goblins that killed the wife." Pausing to ponder, she continues, "Though, I wouldn't mind killing a couple more things."

As she finishes speaking, eldritch flames surround her hands.

Spoiler

Show

Perception - (d20+2)[12]

For seeing if there's anything out of the ordinary

Insight - (d20+6)[25]

For revealing stuff

[frogman55]

"Goblins? Or furry goblins, the strange light man said furry things, right? furry..." With this, Dain pulls out the small metal sphere that was given to him before and opens it up, unscrewing the two halves.

[Tanaar]

Soveliss

"Bugbears, Dain. Big, hairy goblins." Soveliss steps into the dim passage, eyes keen in the dim light. At the sight of noncombatants in the lair, he is visibly uneasy and conflicted. Goblins are innately evil...But they themselves are likely innocent...These women support their raiders, and the children will grow up to be murderers...Everyone should have a chance to turn from evil. Soveliss glances back to Flint, looking for some of his friend's guidance.

[slurpz]

Lolita

Lolita raises an eyebrow at the elf. "We here for a barbeque, or are we here to help them nanny their babies?"

[stupnick]

As you look around the room in the bright light of the Sunrod, you don't see anything that isn't already in view, and the goblins all seem completely terrified of the intruders in there den.

[Poru93]

Flint

"We are not here to kill them. These creatures live in this swamp and only this swamp. They have done nothing wrong; we have no right to kill them. Think about it, do humans and other races kill the goblins if they encroach on our lands? They are merely defending their home here. Besides, we are looking for bugbears, not just plain goblins. So let's ask these goblins if they know where their furry cousins are, okay?" Flint says to the group sternly. Turning to the terrified goblins, Flint tries to speak kindly to them. "We mean you no harm." He says, casting a sharp glance at Soveliss and Lolita. "We were wondering if you know where the bugbears live."

Spoiler

Show

Diplomacy check: (1d20+8)[20]
Perception check: (1d20+5)[22]
Insight check: (1d20+9)[29]

[Tanaar]

Soveliss

Soveliss relaxes. "Flint's right, Lolita. We're not here for indiscriminate slaughter. You'll get your...fill...when we find the real killers." He prods the captive goblin with his bow. "We'll leave them alone if you take us to the bugbears. Otherwise, I look the other way while my tiefling friend has some fun."

[stupnick]

the goblin looks relieve when he hears Flint talking, although you can tell he doesn't quite understand and know all the words.

As he is asked about the bugbears he looks curious at the dwarf. Bug..bares? i not no wat dey ar. Furysn cav

[Poru93]

Flint

"Please, take us to the furries. You say they are in a cave?" Flint asks the goblin, relieved that the goblin wasn't scared.

He turns to Soveliss,"Settle, my friend. The goblin knows he wouldn't get anywhere if he tried to run. Maybe being a little more friendly to him would help. Instead of aiming that arrow at him, make sure you are ready for the 'furries.'"

[slurpz]

Lolita

Lolita grimaces and mutters, "We'll try this your way, goblin."

Taking a deep breath, she says, "Find." With that word, she takes her hands, forms them into cylinders, and puts them against her eyes. After that, she pantomimes staring off into the distance.

Continuing, she says, "Big." She takes her hands, puts them in front of her, and then lies one hand on top of the other one, palm to palm, parallel to the ground. Then she separates her palms, moving her right hand to the sky while dropping her left hand to the ground, still keeping them parallel to the ground.

"You," she finishes, taking a finger and pointing imperiously at the goblin.