# Wildwood Red in Tooth and Claw [IC]



## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

RG 
Info 
OOC 
DM only monster link 
IC new 
From behind his mask Haiel gazed into the pool. Within the depths of the water arose the image of a great meteor pulsing with eldritch energies and speeding through the depths of the void. He lifted his spear up high and gestured with ritual motions. The rune carved stones surrounding the natural pool flared to life and divine power flowed through his frame. With a great effort he plunged the spear into the bound form of a black dragon, piercing its heart and sacrificing the magical beast as the culmination of a ritual. He turned to the pool and immediately struck the image calling his power in time with the released energy of the ritual. Swarming black forms covered the image briefly and it disappeared from view. In the night sky above the Forge a small new light appeared.

Pleased with his work, Haiel returned his gaze to the pool and with a sweeping gesture changed the image from the emptiness of the void. A pack of gnolls raced through the jungle after some javelinas, suddenly a vine lashed out to snag the last gnoll and wrapped around his neck, yanking him off his feet to have the life strangled out of him. 

The scene shifted to a green dragon flying through a massive forest after a great elk. The dragon followed the elk around a curve in the game trail only to be ensnared by almost invisible strands of webbing. As the dragon struggled to rip itself free a huge spider descended from the massive trees on a silken line, venom dripping. It pounced, the strong mandibles piercing the young dragon’s scaly hide again and again, the venom quickly slowing the green beast’s struggles. 

The scene shifted again to a great armored beetle trundling along a forest floor until with a great roar an enormous bear with bony spike projections leaped upon it with claws that ripped through the giant insect’s carapace and dragged it into a crushing hug. Despite the spraying of a burning chemical defense the beetle was quickly overcome by the bear. Another gesture and badgers could be seen burrowing into the earthen floor of an abandoned tower to get at a buried wasp’s nest, the bones of elves lying nearby. 

With another gesture the scene shifted to that of a human and lizardman moving through the forest carefully in pursuit of a grazing doe, unaware that they were heading directly towards the path of a big hungry bear.

Haiel smiled and gestured, the scene changing to a battlefield where black armored men and magic users fell alongside trolls and giants to the unexpected magical potency of the forces they had thought to catch unawares. A pair of brass scaled dragons fought alongside a host of summoned angels and celestial creatures in support of a group of knights and holy priests, cutting through the dark forces like a scythe. Haiel’s eye fell on one dark warrior activating psionic tattoos to fend off the attacks of an archon. Haiel called out and the ravens that had gathered near the battlefield to pick at the dead rose in a cawing cloud to swarm around the warrior obscuring him from sight. They dispersed quickly revealing that the warrior was no longer on the battlefield.


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*New Seed*

Voadam:
In the Wildwood forest Noni and Tur look up from their stalking of a deer (Noni in the lead) as a swarm of blackbirds condenses, swirls, and disperses revealing Alan Keep, a disoriented man in light chain armor shaking his head to clear it. With a roar a black shape rises up to stand on its hind legs, Keep’s appearance disturbed a bear who is now exposing gleaming teeth and sharp claws.

Initiative!

Keep 22
Tur 18
Noni 15
Bear 14
Deer 9

Keep is 10’ from the bear,

Noni and Tur are 70’ from Keep, 75 feet from the bear and in a different vector 50’ from the deer.

The terrain is heavily wooded providing light cover.


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Recreation from caches 1*

Voadam:
Bear! 

http://www.painetworks.com/photos/fg/fg0436.JPG 

Watus:
Tur growls slightly under his breath, understanding immediately what is expected of him in this situation, and though it contradicts common sense and offends every fiber of his being, he chokes up his grip on the javelin, closes with the bear, and throws.

The ways of his new tribe may be mad, but at least they give him plenty of opportunity to do battle.

ooc: this is assuming that Mr. Keep doesn't enter into melee with the bear. If, however, he should prove to be deranged, Tur will drop the javelin, unlimber his axe, and move 30 feet looking for a clear lane to charge the bear in the next round, if possible.

ooc: move 30' toward bear and throw javelin +3 ranged (1d6+3, 30ft.) 

Fenris:
Noni looked askance at the situation. His immediate thought is that the Hunter sent a poor prey for the bear as this would be over soon. Survival of the fittest. This was Nature's concern not his. But he remembered Zallon's teachings and his instructions and despite his reservations, despite what instinct told him, inspite of what the Hunter had inadvertantly instilled within him, Noni raised his bow and let loose an arrow at the bear. 

Endovior:
ooc: hang on a minute... I've been reading some of the Oathbound material (the free demos available online)... aren't new arrivals dazed for 1d4 rounds following arrival?

Confused from the sudden change in location, Alan is caught quite off-guard.

"What in the Nine Hells?"

(If Alan is, in fact, not dazed, he then proceeds to curse the obviously hostile bear, create his Mind Blade, take a Total Defense action, and take a 5 foot step away from the bear. If he is dazed, then naturally enough, he proceeds to do nothing.)


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Round 1*

Voadam:
Round 1

Keep is disoriented but realizes the roaring beast rising up near him is a threat. Calling upon Dark Forces, he hurls a curse at the bear who gives a reflexive sneeze as the magic falls upon him. Enraged further the bear lets out a larger roar. Keep takes a step back activating a pulse of psionic energy at his fist as a glowing spike of energy coalesces. He crouches ready to dodge the angry animal.

With a snarl and going against his better judgment Tur rushes forward and hurls a javelin at the beast. The missile soars across the distance to pierce the foliage but bounce off the bear's thick hide, further enraging the beast.

Despite his own reservations Noni draws an arrow and lets fly at the bear but the shot goes wide.

However hampered by the curse, the bear rushes forward swinging an eldritch force hampered claw, which Keep dodges nimbly.




ooc I'm not using the dazed rule.

Curse DC 13 bear 8, Tur 16 miss, Noni 8 miss, bear 14 miss.

Keep in melee range of bear, Tur 45' away, Noni 75' 

Watus:
Tur rips his axe from its sling as he closes with the great beast. A bitter taste fills his mouth as the bear roars, the sound muffled by the rushing of the blood in his ears. The smell of the thing fills his mouth, his nostrils flare, his pupils dilate, and he knows the blood-frenzy is near.

Gods, but he loves this part.

ooc: close another 30' and draw greataxe. Next round: rage & charge! 

Endovior:
Still maintaining a strong defense, Alan makes a test attack on the bear's defenses.

(Attacking the bear while fighting defensively) 

Fenris:
Noni smoothly draws another arrow, nocks it, draws it and lets it fly towards the bear again.


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Bear Concluded*

Voadam:
Round 2

Keep maintains a defensive stance but strikes out with his psionic blade scoring first blood and eliciting a roar of anger from the bear.

The lizardman Tur bounds forward drawing his iron axe, the sound of his own beating pulse beginning to fill his ears as he maneuvers to be in position to charge as a true warrior, anticipating the clash of arms with the beast.

Noni calmly draws another arrow and sights at the bear now engaged in melee with Keep. The arrow flies through the cover above Keep's shoulder to graze the bear doing only superficial damage that does not pierce the beast's thick hide.

The bear roars and lashes out at Keep. The warrior nimbly dodges the bear's swiping claws but is caught as the beast's jaws sink into his shoulder and cause a ripping wound.

ooc
Keep 18 hit 3 damage to bear. Tur 15' away ready to rage and in position to charge. Noni 16 (cover and firing into melee apply) miss, 75 feet away. Bear 14, 11, miss, natural 20 no crit, 4 damage to Keep.   

Watus:
The smell of fresh blood fills his nostrils, and Tur's vision goes red. Swinging the enormous axe above his head, he charges into the fray.

ooc: rage & charge: greataxe +8 melee (1d12+6); AC 12 (next round AC 14); Str 20, Con 18; HP 16. 

Endovior:
Alan curses (without Naming Powers), and continues his tactic. He realises that he is, on the whole, a better combatent then the bear... in this situation, so long as he keeps his defenses up, he can only be hit by luck. Furthermore, aid is forthcoming... so this should not be a problem. 

Fenris:
Noni will move towards the bear, making an arc off to the right so as to have a better shot at the bear as he draws and fires again. 

Voadam:
Round 3 

Keep grits against the pain but feels that his current tactics are sound if the ones coming are in fact aid against the beast, he continues to duck and doge and swipe at the bear with his mindblade but the bear pulls back out of the short psionic weapon's reach as Keep strikes.

The blood pounding to a crescendo in his ears Tur rages and charges into the fray with the big mammal. With a great overhead swing the iron of the axe bites deep into the beast's neck spraying blood in a fountain as muscle, fat, and bone are severed. A roaring cry from the bear is cut short as it tumbles over and bleeds profusely into the ground, the axe buried deep in flesh and bone.

Noni moves forward to get in a shot from an oblique angle, but holds his arrow when he sees the bear fall.

ooc

Spoiler: ￼Keep 14 miss, Tur natural 20 confirm 25, crit 41 damage!

Reminder, Keep does not speak Dover yet. 

Voadam:
Now that Keep is getting his bearings somewhat his senses fill with the world around him. The colors seem crisper than he is used to seeing, the sounds more vibrant, even his senses of smell and touch seem more acute. Breathing heavily after his exertions the air tastes better and feels more invigorating. Keep believes he can even make out the sharp tang of the bear's spilled blood as it lies in a beam of sunlight that makes it through the tall canopy of the thick woods here. 

Watus:
Panting heavily, the large reptilian looms over the fallen bear, giving the newcomer a cold and steady look, his slitted yellow eyes betraying no hint of emotion. He plants his foot on the bear's head and with a grunt, extracts his enormous axe from its steaming carcass.

Dropping the outsized weapon, he steps over the bear, toward Keep, and draws an oddly curved knife from his belt. He pauses for a moment, uncomfortably close, testing the knife's sharpness with his scaly thumb and giving Keep what he can only assume is an appraising look.

Abruptly, he turns back to the fallen beast and, growling something over his shoulder in an unfamiliar language*, drops to his knees and guts it from stem to stern.


* "Welcome to the Forge, warmblood."

ooc: 41 damage? Holy smokes! Tur will nonchalantly prepare the carcass to be carried back to the Dover village. 

Fenris:
Noni will calmly walk over and search the area behind the bear for his arrows or arrowheads. They are too precisou to be left if it can be helped. Once he has finished searching he will approach the stranger and gesture for him to follow.


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Through the woods*

Endovior:
The immediate danger having passes, Alan puts away his soulblade. With a flick of the wrist, it is gone. Although he does not comprehend what he has just heard, he does recognize the gesture, and responds accordingly, beginning to follow the two hunters. As he walks, he attempts to communicate, in the common tongue of the Flanaess.

"Greetings, strangers! I am Alan Keep, an officer of the Horned Society, in service to Iuz the Evil. I seem to have been hit by some sort of teleportation effect, which has taken me from my rightful place of duty... could you tell me, where on Oerth this is?"

When that fails, Alan will repeat himself in the Orcish and Gnollish tongues... before giving up and following the pair the remaining distance to the village. 

Watus:
In a moment, Tur has felled a couple of saplings and lashed them together into a rude A-frame to which he secures the field-dressed carcass. Dragging it back to the village, so as to leave Noni's bow free, he listens to the stranger's jibber-jabber, uncomprehendingly.

After some time, he pauses a moment in his toil to raise a single, upright finger to his toothy maw and blow a sibilant "shhhhh", hoping the stranger understands that by this he means for him to be silent. He gestures out into the woods, hoping to indicate that the Wildlands are not a place for frivolous conversation. Out here, bears are the least of their worries.

After surveying their surroundings for a moment, he grunts in satisfaction, and resumes the long slog back to the village. He wonders if the Scholar King will understand a word of this unusual stranger's language. 

Endovior:
Alan looks around... and ceases his attempt to communicate.

Hopefully, a village or something will be encountered soon. 

Voadam:
Noni is able to recover one arrow intact, the other one has a damaged shaft but the head is still intact. 

Fenris:
Upon hearing his speech in gnoll Noni turns to Alan:

"Alan Keep, I do not know what Oerth is. You are in Wildwood. As our friend Tur here has indicated you would do well to draw less attention to us. More hunts in this wood than bears. We will go to the village. They will help explain things for you" and Noni continues onto the dover village. 

Endovior:
Alan responds in Gnoll.

"You... don't know what Oerth is?"

He remains silent for the remainder of the journey, a shocked expression on his face. Clearly, this is rather more then some minor teleportation effect. He considers the possibilities grimly as he continues on. 

Voadam:
Knowing the blood and entrails they left behind from the field dressed bear could attract scavengers Tur and Noni press on quietly towards the village as soon as the carrying preparations can be made. The trio travels throughout the forest, Noni leading the group along game trails sufficient to accomodate the quickly made travois for the most part, though there are times when assistance is required in carrying the heavy carcass of the bear. Breaks are short as Noni and Tur do not want the blood of the kill to attract scavenging predators.

Despite his wound and the daunting implications of Noni's statement, Keep feels physically invigorated. As part of him grows quiet considering the possibilities of what happened, another part feels infused with the feeling of life pulsing through his veins.

It is a long trek as the village hunters regularly travel hours out in search of prey. Thankfully the trek back is mostly uninterrupted by anything more than the presence of watching and calling birds and the loud crash of squirrels bounding in bursts across dry leaves. The journey gives Keep time to think and gather his thoughts. At one point Noni spots a cross trail with the fresh tracks of a large boar that weighs more than twice as much as the bear by his estimate based on the size and depth of the markings. 

Endovior:
Barring a good reason to do otherwise, Alan continues on to the village with the two hunters.


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Meeting the Dover*

Voadam:
The first signs of the village are when the barking sounds of the dover language reach the party's ears as a small group of Dover hail them. A group of Four dover scented the party and heard the dragging of the travois. One offers to help Tur with dragging the bear, while others ask about the new stranger and your hunt. One offers to run ahead to the village to alert the Scholar King about the stranger and bounds off. Their language is a combination of growls, yips, barks, and howls.

The dover stand a little shorter than men on average and appear as large german sheperd-like canine humanoids. Thick fur covers their bodies and varies in color from blacks to greys to various browns. In contrast to their delicately structured hands and dexterous digits, the dovers’ feet are very similar to a wolf’s paw. Except for their bipedal posture and clawless hands they appear very animalistic with the jaws and teeth of lupine predators.

These four had been on an errand for Zallon gathering certain herbs the druid requested. 

Fenris:
Noni will greet the dovers in their language.

"Tell Zallon we have found another newcomer in the forest. Though we lost the prey we sought, he helped us bring back what we did, though Tur was mostly responsible for the kill" 

Watus:
Tur grunts at this, but says nothing, stoically refusing any help with the travois. 

Endovior:
Alan speaks to Noni, in Gnoll (of course).

"Who are these beings? Friends of yours, I assume?" 

Fenris:
Noni replies to Alan in gnoll:

"These are the Dover. They find and look after people who, arrive here." 

Voadam:
Sentelle, an apprentice of Zallon's, nods to Noni and sends one of the other Dover to run ahead and tell the druid.

Dolph and Tatel, the two Dovers who offered to aid Tur shrug goodnaturedly at the gruff lizardman's stoicism. "You are one of us now Tur," Dolph says with a smile "We're happy to help out with such a labor if you want." but does not press the matter after that. "This should be a good story," Tatel says "a newcomer and some bear meat."

A small triangular blaze marks the official border of the Dover village territory and there are maintained trails that make progress much easier. Noni and Tur note the hidden tree blinds that can provide archers a high platform to trarget creatures or invaders entering the Dover territory or provide a secure area to flee too or to hide in if needed.

Soon the village proper comes into view with its wooden structures organized and divided by function, sleeping, crafting, food preparation, and storage areas all in their places. The sounds of Dover villagers going about their activities is punctuated by the hails for the returning hunters. 

The party heads to the King's audience hall where he and the Queen reside. In quiet attendance on the king as an adviser is the black furred druid Zallon.

The King warmly bids Noni and Tur welcome and would hear your tale, his eyes show a deep interest as he evaluates the newcomer. The Queen, as always, looks more feral and predatory. Her view of the newcomer seems more a probing of threats and weaknesses than the intellectual curiosity displayed by the King. 

Watus:
The last to enter the hall, Tur stays toward the back and allows others to do the talking as he quietly works the kinks out of his tired muscles. 

Voadam:
The king listens to Noni tell the tale, drinking up every detail.

When Noni is finished he commends Tur on his kill and the two of them for rescuing a newcomer.

Speaking in gnoll he addresses Keep.

"Alan Keep of the Horned Society, I am King Alagor chief of the Silber Dover territory. Know that you are in the land known as Wildwood on the world of the Forge. Divine lords of the Forge reach out to other worlds and pluck creatures, people, and places to seed this world for their own purposes. Lord Haiel the Hunter, the Blade of the Green, stocks Wildwood with both predators and prey from a thousand worlds. Most seeds whether individuals or nations fall to predators shortly after arrival as the Land is full of beasts and dragons ever on the lookout for victims. However, those who adapt to the wilderness may thrive under the laws of tooth and claw."

"Within the forests marked by our blaze the Dover people are the top predators and our territory is a haven for our people as we maintain dominance over our hunting grounds. There are many beasts and various peoples within Wildwood to learn about from bears and gnolls to elves and dragons. If you are willing to abide under my authority, observe our laws, and work to the good of this village I offer you the hand of friendship and an opportunity to learn of the Land you now reside in and how you can make a place for yourself in it."

"I am interested in hearing your tale of who you are, the things that you have done and can do. Noni mentioned you created a spike from your fist with which you fought the bear. . . "


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*King's Offer and Commission*

Endovior:
At that obvious cue, Alan produces a mind blade... he holds it out point downwards, clearly displaying it as a blade similar to a shortsword, held in the same manner as one would any other blade.

"Yes... this is what is known to my people as a 'mind blade'. How it works is... difficult to explain with this language... most of the terms fall under the general word for 'magic', which is not an accurate description at all... it has to do with mind powers, and not magic."

Thinking, Alan switches to Common.

"Perhaps you understand this, my native tongue?" 

Voadam:
The king nods his words shifting to common "As king of the Silber Dovers I know magic to be able to speak with any sentient being in their own language. If it allows you to speak more completely continue in this tongue." 

After listening closely to Keep's tales and descriptions Alagor talks briefly with his queen and the druid and recieving their council.

Turning back to the party the king says in gnoll "Keep, as King I offer you my hand in friendship, think over whether you will accept and wish to stay here or if you wish to leave and strike off on your own." 

Switching to Dover as he turns to Tur and Noni he says, "You two are to be commended on bringing a warrior seed who may enrich our community. You two have proven a good team, will you accept my charge to teach this new seed and oversee him as a newcomer? He will need to learn the ways of our hunting life. Noni, as you speak a common language with him, will you teach him our tongue?"

Queen Celon leans forward at this point and says "And he will need to be instructed that threats to this village and its people are hunted down whether within the village or not."

The druid Zallon quietly observes, watching reactions. 

Watus:
Tur merely nods, having expected this charge from the moment he first spotted the birds in the wood. He shifts his weight, preparing to leave, and looks Alan Keep up and down. He had not understood most of the conversation with the Scholar King, but it was clear that the witchblade bore watching. Whether the king trusts him or no, anyone who can produce such a weapon from nothing bears close watching indeed.

Inwardly, he smiles at the Queen's words. She is a truly impressive woman. Especially for a mammal. 

Endovior:
(Alan does indeed explain, and he tells the king in general about the mental powers of a Soulknife, and about the magical abilities he posesses as a Hexblade... in Common, which nobody else in the room understands.)

After hearing the king's offer, Alan responds.

"Although I appreciate your hospitality, I am must return to my own lands, and my own people. Iuz do not look kindly upon defecters... especially from within the ranks of the officers of the Horned Society. If I do not return soon, assassins will surely be sent out. Even those who have fled to other planes have been caught and killed before, and although I know not where this 'Forge' lies within the Great Circle, I doubt that it lies beyond the influence of Old Wicked. Could you perhaps provide me with directions to a Wizard of sufficient power to send me back to my own world?" 

Voadam:
In common the King responds.

"Many seeds seek a quick return to their homes and families. It is no small thing to accomplish."

"The epics of lore say that travel magic that works on other worlds does not allow escape from the Forge. There are tales though of those who journeyed to the citadels of the seven divine overlords, overcoming great hazards and challenges to bathe in their power and obtain the components for a Key that can open the dimensional barriers for the crafter of the Key. Once such a Key is forged the crafter, it is said, is then able to use such magics normally. Few native magic users learn spells that do not operate here, so finding a wizard with such knowledge after crafting a Key is not an easy matter. The elves and dragons are best known for their magical might, though goblins, fey, and hags delve into the arcane as well."

"The citadels are all remote and well defended. Wildwood is a vast continent of wilderness that holds the ruins of thousands of civilizations over run by nature. Tales conflict about where Haiel's citadel lies. Some say it is within the fastness of the jungles to the south where life teems the thickest. Others say it lies at the bottom of one of the oceans bordering Wildwood. One tale says it lies on an island within the center of a mountain of fire so that he has access to earth, air, fire and water. Another places it at the heart of the oldest forest in the center of Wildwood where druidic ley lines of power converge."

"It is also said that much as the barriers keep in seeds and Forge-born, they keep the Forge hidden from the views of offworlders. While some have come to the Forge on their own or as sent by others, the tales about them say they came in blind, not knowing where they would arrive and with no contact back out after entry despite mighty magics and powers brought to bear." 

Endovior:
"Hmm... that sounds quite difficult... but I suppose that if the Forge is protected thus against magical travel, then I am indeed beyond the reach of Iuz. And if I'm not in danger of pursuit... then what reason have I to return?"

He considers this a moment, then smiles.

"All things considered, I'm probably better off, now that I'm out from under the shadow of Old Wicked. Certainly more likely to live a full life! Very well, then. I accept your offer." 

Voadam:
As Tur accepts the King's charge he nods approvingly and turns his attention to Noni, awaiting his response. 

Fenris:
Noni replies to both the King anf the Queen with a simple "As you command"


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Party and Goblin Offer*

Voadam:
The king announces Keep’s acceptance and the druid Zallon nods and offers to heal Keep’s wound. His druidic invocation is more than sufficient to restore the damage inflicted by the bear’s claws.

That night there is a celebration and ritual of welcoming for the new seed who has accepted the King’s hospitality. Each member of the village is invited to view and take in the scent of the newcomer who has permission to reside within Dover territory. The food is rich and the community comes together to socialize. 

The overwhelming majority of the villagers are Dover, but there is a distinct minority of non-Dover. There are elves being fostered by the Scholar King. There are Dover who fell to beasts but were reincarnated into new forms by Zallon’s druidic magic. There are other seeds who have been adopted by the village such as the Ilonis named Cursed Darkmantle, a tall thin elf-life being with striking tattoos on his gray spotted skin and false eye patterns tattooed where most humanoids have eyes. Despite his name Cursed is a generally friendly and joyful being, although the fact that he appears to see people without ever looking directly at them is a bit disconcerting. The Scholar King makes a point of introducing Keep and Darkmantle, letting Keep know that Darkmantle is a practitioner of arcane magics. 

The Dover enjoy storytelling and epic poetry and there are tales told of great beasts, hunts, and noble quests through the wilderness. One Dover tells a tale of hunting beasts downriver on hills near the goblin territory with sealed doorways and strange marks on them. 

One of the elves tells a tragic love tale of a wizard sentinel betrayed by one of his own apprentices who let in marauding werewolves so that he might take the wizard’s wife. The wizard and the outpost occupants were slain but the wizard’s spirit rose to strike down the betrayer and drive off the marauders. His tower is now abandoned by the elves as it is haunted by the ghosts of the tragedy. 

The Scholar King tells the tale of the Goblin’s Return with their great hordes of crazed warriors and claims on the lands herein. He tells of the Queen’s leadership in organizing the Dover to repulse and then strike back against the goblins with their allies the elves. Old battles come to life and concludes with the negotiated peace the King worked out that keeps the goblins claims to their side of the river and enriched the Dover.

Zallon talks to Tur about the dead bear as he is interested in acquiring a tooth or claw as well as the heart of the beast.

After the celebration Noni takes up the task of teaching Keep the Dover hunting life and the Dover language through their mutual knowledge of the barking Gnoll tongue. Keep finds that his mind feels sharper and new languages and skills seem to come easier to him. Sooner than he thought possible he not only learns but masters the growling speech of the Dover.

As time passes a new light appears in the night sky. Among the host of constellations that are the background for the Forge’s two moons a new star has appeared and grows brighter each night.

Dover life goes on with the needs of hunting and maintaining dominance over Dover territory. The party patrols Dover territory and goes out on hunting expeditions, sometimes successful, sometimes not. Hunting parties journey along the river, searching for watering animals, or journey into the deep forest following game trails.

A goblin trading expedition comes to the village led by one Tefan Doverspeak. They pack in raw stone suitable for crafting, fine worked clothing done with bone needles, and provide some minor magical items that had been commissioned on their last trip. The biggest Dover export are in hides, skins, and certain parts of animals and beasts that Doverspeak seeks out on behalf of goblin spellcasters. It is said that Doverspeak also has been discretely asking about warriors who are willing to do some work in goblin territory in return for goblin goods. The goblin territory is more than a day’s journey downstream and, by treaty after the previous conflict, restricted to the other side of the river. 

D20Dazza:
Cursed buys another round of drinks and addresses his close friends, friends he has made over the last few months living amongst the Dover "So have you heard? That trader Tefan Doverspeak is looking for help in a little raid into goblin lands" he says a grin spreading across his face "Could be some fun eh? I mean Dover life is interesting but it can get a little ahhhh boring" the pale humanoid says with a chuckle and a sigh thinking of all the effort he'd lately put into trying to romance the local Dover women - unsuccessfully. 

Watus:
Being the only reptilian in the village, Tur tends to stick out a bit. Being a foot taller than nearly everyone else and having no particular talent for discretion doesn't help much either, so it is almost certain that Doverspeak will have noticed Tur watching him all afternoon, sizing him up.

It should come as no surprise when Tur approaches him in a lull in the goblin's business, and crouches down to eye level. Being who he is, Tur gets right to business: "You are looking for warriors. I would know why."

ooc: Tur has a great deal of respect for the nature priest and freely gives him whatever parts of the bear he desires. 

Voadam:
Grinning a wide smile the goblin trader says "Greetings big scaly one! It is family matter. Younger brothers rose up killed parents, eldest brother, almost kill me. Took over family rock mine. I need warriors kill brothers and scheming cousins so take back mine. Brothers no want trade with Dover, only war. Chief say is family matter who in charge of mine and what do with stone. If I not take back mine this last shipment of trade rock for Doverpeople from mine. I trader, not hunter, not warrior. Need warriors." He smiles cheerily up at Tur showing many teeth. "You have big axe. Interested?"


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Group forms merc band*

Watus:
Tur stares at this goblin-creature for a few moments, unblinking - letting his question hang in the air. He has discovered that these mammals tend to find his attention somewhat unnerving.

"My kin do not consider it dishonorable to fight for money. So long as they are not insulted by the amount that is offered."

He levels the full force of his gaze on the diminuative trader, leaning slightly forward. 

Voadam:
"Excellent, excellent!" his smile goes past what you think is reasonable for most creature's mouths. He eyes you up and down, eyes lingering on the iron of your axe. "I know how much the Dover Villagers despise haggling. Just want one price decide yes or no. I offer 200 gp in goblin trade goods total for group of at least four. To be split if more answer want to go. From last war figure four from village should be able take care of brothers." He looks Tur up and down. "Trade goods or credit with my uncle. He knows dark magic and can craft. He backs me, but not fronts, after brother abandoned prenticeship. Interested? Know others interested?" 

Watus:
"Perhaps," Tur growls, rising to his full height. This thing's grinning face is beginning to bother him. He is beginning to suspect that this creature's word is not to be fully trusted, but the offer is tempting nevertheless.

"I will return before Shroud."

He spins on his heel and leaves in search of Noni. 

Watus:
Pushing open the tavern door, Tur pauses a moment on the lintel, scanning the common room. Finding Noni and the others in a corner, he enters, letting the door swing closed behind him.

He strides purposefully across the floor, and, looming above the table where Noni, Cursed and the witchblade sit, he announces: "I need you to help me kill some goblins."

After some prompting, he relates the details of the trader's offer. 

Fenris:
Noni listens to the offer and says. "We need to ensure that our absence is permitted by the King and Queen. Though I am sure they will agree." 

Endovior:
Alan considers this.

"Hmm... sounds reasonable." 

D20Dazza:
"I concur, in fact I was just suggesting that we should look into the merchants offer further" Cursed says to the lizard-like man "I'm finding our current surrounds a little stifling and wouldn't mind testing the waters elsewhere. Should we go and see the King and Queen and get their blessing before signing on with the merchant?"


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*King's Blessing and Warning*

Voadam:
You are quickly granted an audience with the king who listens to your request.

The king encourages his subjects to explore and learn about the areas and peoples outside of the Dover territory and so as expected he gives his blessing for your proposal. He offers warnings though as his dealings with the goblins has demonstrated their unreliability and the need to watch ones back with them.

He says though that this is a good opportunity to observe their southern neighbors. During the previous conflict the dover and elves scythed through their invading hordes and forced them to abandon their war of aggression. After the peace settlements and the deaths of many goblin warriors a faction favoring trade became ascendant among them, but many still favor death and slavery for all non-goblins and it is always good to get a sense of how things currently stand. 

Their chieftan is a faust named Galak. Faust he explains, are a powerful but bestial type of goblin known for their wickedness and treachery. Galak generally construes even the smallest etiquette breach as a grave insult and when within Goblin territory you are within his power so if you deal with him, tread carefully. He has proven to be quite exacting in interpreting the terms of the peace agreements made and within his recognized territory he commands the hunters and can call a hunt upon any he chooses. His favorite past-time seems to be boasting and appears to be in favor of the trade faction, at least for the moment. If Doverspeak speaks truly, the king says, then Galak is not throwing his weight on either side of the mine issue. In any case, he says, t would be in the dover's interest that the trade faction remained dominant in goblin politics. 

The king therefore grants his blessing but asks you to keep your ears pricked and your noses to the wind as you enter the goblin's internal politics.

"Good hunting." 

Voadam:
With the King's permission granted the party informs Doverspeak of their intention to accept his offer.

Reeking of the animal fat concoction that helps keep dry goblin skin from cracking under the Forge's two suns, Doverspeak grins broadly at your acceptance and says he will be leaving in two days time, travelling late to take advantage of as much of the night shadow as possible.

The journey will take over a day's travel by the narrow twisting game trails that separate the two territories. While the trails within the territories and over the bridges are wide, the unclaimed wilderness between requires traversing single file. Once to the goblin village and his goods are unpacked his plan is to lead you the half day's travel to the mine during the day so you can take them at their weakest, and then await your succesful return at his uncle's warren. 

Endovior:
Alan agrees to this plan, and spends the next two days in training and meditation, honing his skills before the excursion. 

D20Dazza:
Cursed readies himself for the journey ahead, gathering the necessary focus items to aid him in his spellcasting. 

Fenris:
Noni bows in response to his King's will.

He will spend the next two days crafting a few additional arrows. 

Voadam:
The evening of departure comes and the goblins pack up their new trade goods into stuffed packs. Tefan has some porter goblins who take on the heavy packs and two warrior types with shields, javelins, and spiked clubs for the front and rear of the procession. Another leather clad goblin with a small spear is their pathfinder and leads the way through the trails squinting in the declining red light of the evening sun.

Tefan has timed the journey so that the return occurs in the week long summer season when the nights are almost nonexistant. He hopes this will give the hired non goblins an advantage against his siblings. 

Endovior:
Alan takes the right flank, his mindblade lighting the way.

He keeps his attention on the woods... although he's hardly an expert, he's learned to recognize some of the dangerous predators by now, and he's determined not to screw up on his first mission. 

D20Dazza:
Cursed walks stiffly next to the merchant, his 'eyes' sweeping the darkness, 'hearing' for any sound of movement.


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## Voadam (May 10, 2006)

*Leao!*

Voadam:
Fight or Flight 

The party journeys with the goblins, spread out among them as they follow the Dover maintained trails then the narrow game trails of the no man's land wildernes between villages, the goblin pathfinder leading with Tur and the goblin warrior close behind. Everyone staying alert, particularly after leaving Dover territory. Alan's psionic blade is kept active, ready for action as he keeps his eyes out for predators.

Doverspeak seems quite nervous with the tall elf-like being walking stiffly near him, as do most of the goblins. He keeps staring at the tattoo eye images where normal eyes should be then blinking and looking away quickly. A big unsure grin seems plastered on his face showing many small fanged teeth. Apparently to cover his nervousness he keeps up a line of patter.

"Midok I could expect this of. He always been power hungry. Always tell everybody what to do. Since earned black robes turned back on uncle to be own top goblin in family. Apprentice no more! Full of hidden moon power. Always want more, more, more. He young and stupid, fearlessness of youth plus ambition. Want command, tell others what do. That sickly snotling Jahk though, I was surprised he has gumption to stand up. He hate everybody but so weak and sniveling. Always scared before. Wheezy we call him. Bad lungs. Not sure how he kill mom, dad. Mebbe Midok magick him. Traitorous cousins follow Midok, call him new family leader. Midok important one kill. Dead, dead, dead." He gestures to Cursed's crossbow, "Arrow kill him dead. He no tell any what do then."

From the rear of the line as Noni and Alan pass around a bend and the two hindmost goblins are briefly out of sight Noni hears something big off in the distance moving quickly in a charge through the underbrush. It leaps out at the flat-footed hindmost goblin and both Noni and Alan then hear the high pitched screams of the goblins one of which is cut off abruptly. The next goblin in line screams "Leao!" in a horrified shriek. The call is quickly passed up the line as the goblins start fleeing down the trail.

Initiative
Noni 18
Tefan 18
Goblins 12
Alan 10
Tur 9
Cursed 8
Leao 6

Noni has an extra standard action during the charge thanks to his listen roll. Whatever is back there is out of sight around the bend. Tur in the lead of the party will have to wait one round before taking an action. The beast was not within Cursed's echolocation range when he passed by the area. 

Fenris:
Noni draws an arrow, nocks it and backs slowly towards the rest of the goblins, waiting for the leao to appear. 

Watus:
Happily oblivious to the threat, Tur continues on his way. 

Endovior:
Alan immediately turns around and runs to face the threat, a baleful curse forming on his lips as he moves.

(double move to get to where he can see the thing, and then he curses it, whatever it is)


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## Voadam (May 11, 2006)

Keep turns the corner and sees the leao, a great tawny cat with a broad face and large mane. It stands over the goblin rear guard bloody of tooth and claw, the goblin mauled badly beneath it. The other goblin runs past Keep to the bend shouting "Leao! Leao!."

The curse flings through the air upon the leao but the great beast shrugs it off.

The leao provoked by the goblin's flight and an easy kill leaps after the fleeing goblin past Keep. The human takes the opportunity to strike the beast in the side with his mindblade and inflict a minor wound.

Noni fires but the arrow falls just behind the beast as its great speed carries it through the air to land upon the goblin with all four clawed paws tearing, drawing blood despite the terrified goblins desperate dodges. The goblin goes down in a spray of blood.

The goblins start fleeing down the trail, Cursed turns and heads towards the fray with his crossbow, listening with his great ears for the shape of the leao to target. Keep charges the beast but his mindblade is checked as the leao spins and keeps the human at bay with slashing claws. Tur hears the commotion and starts loping back quickly as well unlimbering his axe. Cursed lets fly a shot that goes wide and curses. 

Initiative
Tefan 18
Goblins 12
Alan 10
Tur 9
Cursed 8
Noni 6
Leao 6


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## Watus (May 11, 2006)

Goblins scream past him, careening off his legs in their desperation to flee the leao, but Tur is barely even aware of them.  The thrum of his heart drowns out their crys and the world is narrow enough to include only him and the great beast.  Unconsciouly shifting his grip on the axe for an overhand strike, he crouches down, throws back his head, and bellows the ancient two-toned battlecry of the dragonkin.

ooc: rage & charge: greataxe +8 melee (1d12+6); AC 12 (next round AC 14); Str 20, Con 18; HP 16.


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## Fenris (May 11, 2006)

OOC: Not sure where we are from the posts and the confusion, so I will post pre-emptively

Noni draw another arrow and fires


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## Voadam (May 12, 2006)

*End round 2*

Noni's arrow flies true striking the leao and causing it to roar and snap at the stinging pain.

Spinning back to the mindblade wielder threatening him, the leao roars and snaps at the air next to Alan. As Alan dodges the leao lashes out with claws extended raking Alan and drawing blood. As Alan staggers back a step the leao takes the opportunity to snatch up the unconscious goblin in its jaws, picking up the limp orange-skinned porter easily.

ooc Noni 18 hit 4 damage. Leao one hit on Alan 9 damage.

Round 3
Tur declared action to rage and charge.

Initiative
Tefan 18
Goblins 12
Alan 10
Tur 9
Cursed 8
Noni 6
Leao 6


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## Endovior (May 12, 2006)

Grimly hanging on to consciousness, Alan ceases his offensive, becoming totally defensive in his actions.  He steps backwards, hoping to get out of melee range with the thing.


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## D20Dazza (May 13, 2006)

Cursed slaps another bolt home, sights and squeezes firing the deadly missile at the Laeo


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## Voadam (May 15, 2006)

*round 3*

Grimly hanging on to consciousness, Alan ceases his offensive, becoming totally defensive in his actions. He steps backwards, hoping to get out of melee range with the thing.

Goblins scream past Tur, careening off his legs in their desperation to flee the leao, but he is barely even aware of them. The thrum of his heart drowns out their cries and the world is narrow enough to include only him and the great beast. Unconsciouly shifting his grip on the axe for an overhand strike, he crouches down, throws back his head, and bellows the ancient two-toned battlecry of the dragonkin. 

As Alan backs off carefully the leao hears the new theat barrelling towards him and spins aside as Tur's greataxe swings through the space the cat occupied. With the goblin dangling from its mouth it turns its attention to the lizardman warrior.

Cursed slaps another bolt home, sights and squeezes firing the deadly missile at the Laeo but the bolt also whizzes past where the cat was.

Noni draws another arrow and fires into the melee as well, just grazing the beast but not piercing its thick hide to inflict a wound.

Tur has fully caught the leao's attention, diverting it from Alan. It slashes at him with its claws, not releasing the goblin from the tight grip of its teeth, though it does not seem greatly impeded by its small prize. One claw slashes threateningly in the air next to Tur while another rakes across the lizardman's chest drawing blood.


ooc 
Alan five foot step back full defense, 
Tur 10 miss after charging to attack, 
Cursed 12 miss firing into melee, 
Noni 18 miss firing into melee, 
leao natural 1, 26 hitting Tur for 8 damage.

Round 4

Initiative
Tefan 18
Goblins 12
Alan 10
Tur 9
Cursed 8
Noni 6
Leao 6


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## Watus (May 15, 2006)

*Tur*

OOC: Ouchie!

Slightly off-balance from his mighty swing, Tur fails to evade the great beast's swipe.  Barely noticing the seemingly greivous wound, he shifts his grip yet again and swings his enormous axe back on the upswing.

OOC: RAGE (round 2 of 7): Greateaxe +6 melee (1d12+6, x3) and bite +4 melee (1d4+2); AC 14; Str 20, Con 18; HP (14 + 2[rage] - 8[dam]) 8.

Operating on a purely instinctual level, Tur moves to his left in attempt to flank the beast.  

OOC: 5-foot step.  I understand it won't happen next round.


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## Endovior (May 15, 2006)

Alan retreats further, until he reaches the mangled corpse of the rear guard.  Inspiration strikes him, and he drops his mind blade and begins gathering weapons.

(Not sure how far away the goblin was, or if it's close enough for Alan to get there this round, but when he does... Alan takes the goblin's shield and javelins, and begins attacking from afar)


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## Fenris (May 15, 2006)

Noni frowns at his last shot and decides to fire one more arrow at the beast.


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## D20Dazza (May 16, 2006)

Cursed locates the leao with his echolocation, slips another bolt home and fires once again at the beast.


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## Voadam (May 16, 2006)

*Round 4*

With the leao occupied by Tur and distracted by the whizzing missiles Alan retreats further, until he reaches the mangled corpse of the rear guard. Inspiration strikes him, and he drops his mind blade and reaches for the goblins quiver of small javelins.

Slightly off-balance from his mighty swing, Tur fails to evade the great beast's swipe. Barely noticing the seemingly greivous wound, he shifts his grip yet again and swings his enormous axe back on the upswing. The circling blade is powered by great momentum as the lizardman times his swing with one of the leao's lunges to catch the beast in the chest and deal it a massive gash, slicing through flesh to score the leao's ribcage, causing it to drop the goblin from its jaws as it roars in pain. Blood from the leao mixes with the lizardman's.

Cursed locates the leao with his echolocation, slips another bolt home and fires once again at the beast as it trades vicious nigh mortal wounds with Tur. 

Noni frowns at his last shot and decides to fire one more arrow at the beast.

Both missiles fly just over the heavily wounded leao whose head snaps around at the harassment.

The leao leaps away from the frenzied blood spattered lizardman and crashes into the heavy undergrowth off the trail. Tur takes another swing at the leao but it's leap takes it to safety and it speeds away.

ooc
Alan double move to get to the dead goblin.
Tur natural 20 22 crit 30 damage,
Cursed firing into melee 11 miss
Noni firing into melee 11 miss
Leao 40' into the heavy undergrowth (impeded movement for half speed) has partial cover from missile fire. Tur AoO 13 miss

Round 5

Initiative
Tefan 18
Goblins 12
Alan 10
Tur 9
Cursed 8
Noni 6
Leao 6


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## Endovior (May 17, 2006)

Alan grabs the quiver of javelins... and attempts to strap it on in a somewhat useful location, if possible.  If not, he'll just hold it.


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## D20Dazza (May 17, 2006)

Curse races over to Tur "Are you OK friend?" he asks eyeing the mans wounds worriedly.


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## Watus (May 17, 2006)

*Tur the mighty*

With a supreme effort of will, Tur supresses the urge to charge through the undergrowth after the fleeing beast.  He grits his teeth and forces the blood frenzy from him.

Panting heavily, he notices that he is covered in blood - a mixture of his own and the leao's - and he begins to feel the pain of his wounds.  He reaches into his pack and grabs his curative potion.



> Curse races over to Tur "Are you OK friend?" he asks eyeing the mans wounds worriedly.




"I am fine," he says, his face inscrutable.  He moves to Alan Keep and makes to hand him the potion.

"Your wounds are nearly mortal.  Drink this."


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## Endovior (May 17, 2006)

Alan gulps the potion down, then finishes his scavenging.

"My thanks, friend."

As the healing power of the potion works it's magic, Alan considers something.

"We should probably go after those goblins... who knows what trouble they're getting into without us..."

(ooc: I won't be needing the goblin javelins for long, but it's good to have the capability to make SOME kind of ranged attack.  That being said, I seem to remember a 3.0 rule dealing with shield size, which made a heavy shield for a small-sized creature a light shield for a medium-sized creature... not sure if you'll use that, or whatever, but I'm hoping for a +1 to AC for the shield...)


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## Fenris (May 17, 2006)

Noni watches as the leao crashes throught he underbrush. He stands listening for a time, watching for the tell tales signs of birds to show the the leao has indeed left and is not just circling around. Once he is satisfied that the beast has left he turns and heads back down the trail to find the goblins.


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## Voadam (May 17, 2006)

The continues to crash away, leaving a bloody trail.

As Alan drinks the blue potion the unnaturally cool liquid is instantly refreshing taking away part of the sting of his serious claw wounds.

Noni watches warily until the bird song heralds that the great beast is not among them then heads down the trail to recover the fleeing goblins.


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## Voadam (May 17, 2006)

ooc Alan recovers 5 hp from the healing potion.


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## D20Dazza (May 18, 2006)

Cursed beckons to his remaining friends and trudges down the path after Noni


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## Watus (May 18, 2006)

Tur quickly shoulders his axe and prepares to leave.

"We should leave this place before the smell of carrion draws the interest of other predators."

He trots off down the trail after the fleeing goblins.


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## Endovior (May 18, 2006)

Alan follows.

(ooc: so, DO I get a +1 from the goblin shield?)


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## Voadam (May 19, 2006)

Before any other predators arrive the party leaves the dead, with Alan quickly taking the javelin quiver and small shield. The quiver holds four small javelins and the strap is adjustable so that it is easily carried by the soulknife while the small wooden shield feels about the size of a buckler to him, a little awkward but providing a little protection. Tur and Alan are wounded and the combat rush soon fades from the lizardman's veins leaving a deep fatigue as the party presses on to rejoin the goblins.

The goblins are swift when fleeing but their trail is easy for Noni to follow and soon the party rejoins the little orange beings.


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## Endovior (May 19, 2006)

Alan returns to his previous position, and resumes scanning the forest for threats.


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## D20Dazza (May 20, 2006)

"Good of you and your people to help us out back there" Cursed says to the merchant as he takes up his place beside him again.


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## Voadam (May 20, 2006)

Tefan grins at Cursed nervously "I trader, not warrior. Not want lose more to leao. Usually only take slowest. If stay then lose more to beast frenzy. Leao! Need goblins. Also had not taken coragem. Ahh! Scaly warrior and one pink flesh wounded! Still good to fight?" His grin drops and he looks concerned. "Maybe need hide you at uncle's 'till better to fight brother."

There is no talk of going back for the fallen and the group proceeds through the wood as darkness falls.


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## Endovior (May 22, 2006)

Barring any odd occurances, they set up camp and rest.

Alan will ask to be excused from the watch order, on account of his injury.


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## D20Dazza (May 22, 2006)

Cursed keeps a careful eye on Tefan, engaging him in small talk and bedding down near him.


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## Voadam (May 22, 2006)

With darkness fallen the goblins become much more at ease, their movements less tentative and their postures more erect. They stop their constant squinting and seem to notice more of the world around them. Their movements through the dark forest are eerily quiet as the night travel gets more difficult for the humans and lizardfolk. Even with their eyes adjusting for the darkness Tur, Alan, and Noni feel the concealment of shadows all around them cloaking creatures of the night on the prowl or lying in wait.

The night journey however passes with the travelling party unmolested, though Cursed does note the presence of several small and tiny creatures hiding in underbrush hiding from the group's notice as you pass.

Cursed stays near Tefan engaging in small talk as the goblin trader talks about how his family is known for their language skills, how some are translators, some such as himself went into trade with other races, and some into the study of magic. He feels that contact with others is better for both the goblins and the others, a win-win situation.

Dawn comes early and Tefan eventually calls a halt to make camp for rest and Alan begs off a shift to rest his wounds.


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## Voadam (May 23, 2006)

The daylight rest period passes uneventfully though there are times when the bird song goes silent, though nothing shows up and eventually the songs return.

Tur and Alan feel a little better though their wounds still ache and it looks like both may have scars from the encounter.

The goblins pack up their gear squinting in the light and Tefan shouts at them to get them going, he wants to arrive in daylight while most are asleep. 

Cursed [SBLOCK] He explains that he wants to get you into his uncle's tunnels without any knowing so your companions can rest undisturbed and be fresh to surprise his brother when you do attack. [/SBLOCK]

The pace is brisk and soon the interim game trails turn into poorly maintained twisting trails that are however designed for humanoid figures to walk along. A slashing curved blade mark is hacked into trees, marking the edge of the goblin territory. The canopy here is thick blocking much of the light and the goblins seem more at ease. Brambles are thicker and more common and the tall trees have a dark, almost menacing presence as they cast deeper shadows and many have dark openings that look like prime lairing opportunities for small creatures.

Noni [SBLOCK] you notice the occasional track of a large wolf or wolf-like creature [/SBLOCK]

As the trails lead on the smell of greasy cook fires becomes more apparent. Tefan directs the pathfinder who takes you on a side path that appears less well-travelled. This eventually leads to a squat forest hut with a thin trail of black evil looking smoke bellowing from one of its chimneys into the canopy above. Black pitch sigils of various phases of a moon mark the entrance along with carved runes.


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## D20Dazza (May 24, 2006)

Seeing nothing of the sigils or runes Cursed swings his head slowly from side-to-side across the clearing, hoping to pick up some sense of movement.


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## Voadam (May 25, 2006)

A raven caws and alights from a tree branch to fly in an opening on the broad hut. Tefan turns to the group. "My uncle Illiam's Tower of the Hidden Moon. You can recover here in secrecy."


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## Endovior (May 25, 2006)

Alan nods.

"Excellent.  Let us do so."


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## Voadam (May 25, 2006)

Tefan directs the other goblins to wait out here. As you proceed into the hut different smells of burning incense, boiled alchemical components, and drying herbs become apparent.

The broad hut blocks out the majority of sunlight and you come upon a large central chamber with a large table and some chairs as well as screened off areas. The source fo the smoke comes from behind one of the screened areas. From behind a different one of the dark curtains a craggy faced scowling goblin with blinking eyes steps into the open-ness, a raven perched on his shoulder. He wears black robes with a pointed hood pulled back. A pouch hangs off his belt as does an ornate obsidian dagger. A necklace of bones with sigils carved on them rattles at his neck. Before the curtain falls shut behind him you see a small chamber with what looks like a partially filled book-case and a ladder leading down into a pit in the floor.

Tefan starts speaking rapidly and obsequiously in goblin and there is some back and forth between them with Tefan apparently doing some fast talking and you pick up the word "Leao" being used and he points at Tur and Alan at different points with the old goblin taking notice and scrutinizing the party.

Finally the older goblin nods and Tefan says he will act as translator for his uncle. The uncle speaks and Tefan dutifully begins speaking in Dover to the party.

"Formal introductions. Illiam Moonspeaker Black Robed Initiate of the Dark Eye welcomes you to the Tower of the Hidden Moon and offers you shelter to recover from your wounds."


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## Fenris (May 25, 2006)

"Give him our thanks both for his welcome and his offer of shelter. I am Noni" replies Noni to Tefan's translation


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## Watus (May 25, 2006)

Tur doesn't have much patience for (or, indeed, understanding of) diplomatic niceties, particularly among mammals.  He stands stonily still and says nothing.


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## Endovior (May 26, 2006)

Alan bows respectfully, not familiar with the exact titles, but getting a similar sense to that of the Great Necromancers in his homeland... powerful magi who are big on formality.

"My thanks, enlightened one.  I am Alan Keep, a mystic warrior currently in service to the Dover."


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## D20Dazza (May 29, 2006)

" I am called Cursed and it is a great pleasure to meet one of the Black Robed ones" Cursed says bowing deeply at the waist.


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## Voadam (Jun 5, 2006)

Illiam nods after the translated introductions and turns to draw back one of the curtains revealing an area with a partially filled book case bearing black glowing runes. There is a brazier with incense burning and dried herbs hang from the ceiling while a ladder leads down into a hole in the ground, apparently leading to tunnels. Tefan beckons you to enter, though he looks nervous and starts to sweat as Illiam opens the book case and reaches in a hand to draw out three books.

Noni
[SBLOCK] as his hand enters the plane of the opening there is a slight shimmer along that plane as if water were disturbed[/SBLOCK]

The books are large tomes, each bearing a number of symbols on the spines and covers. Each bears a black eight pointed star symbol, a bunch of runes on the front, and an individual marking. One is a red book with what looks like a demonic minotaur head on an angular almost axelike rune. One is white with a crow skull and wings over a slender eight pointed star, three points up, five down. The third is blue, its mark is a smooth hairless face over a square with lines extending from the cardinal points ending in cresents.

Illiam starts speaking and Tefan translates.

"When Midok abandoned the Tower he stole a book from this bookshelf. Called _The Hungry Earth_ it is a green tome and bears an eight pointed star similar to the ones on these. It also bears a series of three interlocking circles. It is important that you recover this book." Tefan looks a little surprised at the next statement, causing Illiam to scowl and gesture at Tefan to get on with it "Uncle Illiam says if you bring it back he will grant you two extra healing potions in addition to the payment for killing Midok and the rest. However you are not to open it or look at its contents." He finishes quickly.


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## Endovior (Jun 5, 2006)

Alan nods.

"As you will.  I shall carefully check for that book, and on finding it, return it to you unopened."


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## D20Dazza (Jun 5, 2006)

"No problem" says Cursed pointing at his painted-on-eyes with a grin .


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## Fenris (Jun 6, 2006)

"Agreed" agrees Noni.


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## Voadam (Jun 6, 2006)

The black robed goblin nods at your acceptance and reshelves the books. The raven flies off his shoulder with a cawing cry and swoops down the ladder.

Turning to Tefan he speaks some more in the rolling goblin language. "Uncle Illiam says that waiting will not be prudent. News of your arrival will spread and it will be best to catch Midok unprepared. He therefore asks that the two wounded step forward and he will restore you with magics. When I have left with my porters an apprentice will lead you to outside of the rock mine entrance. When you have killed off all inside the mine and recovered the books you are to return to the tower here. Any questions?"


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## Watus (Jun 6, 2006)

Tur uncrosses his arms and steps forward, relieved to be rid of this place so soon.  Getting down to business suits him much better.

"No questions."


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## Voadam (Jun 6, 2006)

Tefan Translates for Tur and the craggy faced goblin invokes a quick incantation and traces a curving gesture suggestive of a crescent moon shape. His gnarly hand becomes enveloped by a blue/black aura and he steps up to the imposing lizardman who towers over him.

The robed goblin reaches to the base of the great gashes created by the leao's tearing claws and the aura transfers to the lizardman's flesh when the goblin establishes physical contact. Tur feels a chill throughout his body and his wound spikes with piercing pain. Then a rush of energy fills him and he feels his flesh binding and his scales reknitting to seal up the wound entirely. Tur feels hale and filled with dark energy but he will bear a scar from the magical flesh knitting. The goblin inspects his handiwork coolly then turns to Alan.


ooc Tur [SBLOCK] Tur is fully healed of the 8 points of damage[/SBLOCK]


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## Endovior (Jun 6, 2006)

Alan nods, stepping forward after Tur.

"The job seems straightforward enough.  With any luck, stealth and the force of arms shall prevail.  Unless you have any information on the nature of their defenses, we have all we need."


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## D20Dazza (Jun 7, 2006)

"I am prepared for the journey" Cursed says eagerly, looking forward to another great adventure.


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## Voadam (Jun 8, 2006)

Tefan translates the group's words.

The robed goblin steps up to Alan and repeats his incantation and gesture. Alan feels the chill that causes a light sweat to break out on his flesh as the black aura shifts to him. A spike of pain followed by the rush of dark energy leaves his flesh fully reknitted.

The scowling Illiam gobbles at Tefan a little more and the trader turns to you with a nervous grin.

"Midok has magic of fire and ice. He is magicked enough to not succumb to corruptive magics of book. Uncle says though if any are green then they must be burned." Tefan mops the sweat off his orange skinned brow. "Others have javelins, bows, spike sticks. Coragem. Some warriors, some not. Kill all."


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## Fenris (Jun 8, 2006)

"Any what are green? Goblins or books" asks Noni quizically


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## D20Dazza (Jun 8, 2006)

"Kill all?" Cursed asks "Well that seems a little extreme. Can't we negotiate and just ask them to move on?"


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## Voadam (Jun 8, 2006)

"Any goblins that green kill and burn. Bring back green book for reward. Do not burn book! Kill Midok, Kill Jahk. Dead. Kill goblins with green and burn them. Any who surrender and willing join me, let live. Any who won't you kill. Midok wears black robes. Jahk is short, chewed up ear here." Tefan points to the length of the underside of his left ear. "Ouglas set weasel on him when young."


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## Fenris (Jun 8, 2006)

"Clear as a lake on a breeze-less day. I am ready to venture forth my friends."


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## D20Dazza (Jun 9, 2006)

"yes let us leave immediately" Cursed says cheerily as he walks towards the door.


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## Endovior (Jun 9, 2006)

Alan nods grimly.

"It shall be as you command, enlightened one."

Alan bows again, then turns and leaves.


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## Voadam (Jun 9, 2006)

Coming up from the ladder from the tunnels below, as promised, is another younger goblin in brown robes.

Illiam gobbles at the younger goblin who looks glum but nods and peers over the party, clearly surprised at the beings he sees. He nods when Illiam is done speaking.

Tefan says "Give me minute to get porters and leave. Any talk will place you here, not leaving here. Word will be that you came to make deal with Uncle Illiam, perhaps to buy potion. Apprentice Avi will lead you to mines then leave you to you work. When done, come back to Tower with book and head of Midok and Jahk." With that and a last broad toothy grin he gets up and hustles out of the hut, apparently relieved to be going.

The brown robed goblin gobbles tentatively at Illiam who scowls and gives a couple curt answers. Avi nods and looks back at the party. He goes over to a different curtained area, revealing a series of cooking apparatus including many clay jars in a fire. He goes over and takes down a clay jar off a shelf and smears some type of fatty ointment on his face, ears, neck and hands.

Once the noise of the porters leaving dies down, Avi goes to the doorway and peers out. He then gestures to your party, gobbles something and leads you out of the hut. The concoction he spread over himself is a bit foul smelling, similar to what Tefan and some of the porters were wearing for the journey in the daylight. The raven flies out the entrance and accompanies you as well, though mostly from a distance. 

The brown robed goblin leads the party down a path through a heavily wooded area. Most daylight is blocked off by the thick growth of tall dark trees and choking vines. The half day's journey is mostly uneventful, though Noni notices the occasional tracks of big wolves. The trail connects up to others but you don't see another goblin as you go. There are plenty of birds, squirrels, and insects though.

A short time after noon as marked by the red sun the goblin leads the party over one hill and the daylight breaks through in part more easily here as the tree cover is less constant. The goblin points to across a dip to another hill side where the path leads to a broader more worn trail that leads up to the shored up entrance to a tunnel entrance. The entrance looks quite wide.

The goblin gobbles something at you then turns and heads back.


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## Endovior (Jun 9, 2006)

Activating his Mind Blade, Alan steps forward.

"Let's do what we came here to do."

(assuming the others follow)

With 'sword' and shield, Alan advances, watching carefully for any sign of opposition.


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## Watus (Jun 9, 2006)

Tur will follow close behind.


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## Fenris (Jun 9, 2006)

Noni nocks an arrow and advances as well.


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## Voadam (Jun 9, 2006)

Alan and Tur in the lead, the party advances along the trail to the opposite hillside that holds the mine. Several trees around the entrance have been chopped down creating a bit of a clearing. A single darkened shaft leads into the depths of the mine ahead. The dirt path beneath its wooden support structure is covered with stone debris. Tracks of small humanoids and cart wheels are present, several apparently bearing heavy loads as evidenced by the depth of the impressions.

A few small details catch Noni's eye, some of the beams bear nicks and cuts, and there are small patches of dried blood on some of the ground.

The entrance is almost fifteen feet wide and goes into the hillside at a slight downward sloping incline.

No lights come from within and there are no signs of guards. The shaft goes straight into darkness.


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## Endovior (Jun 10, 2006)

Alan strides forward boldly, his sword lighting the way.  He watches for any sign of opposition, ready to cut it down.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 11, 2006)

Cursed follows warily behind, the words of a spell sitting ready upon his tongue.


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## Voadam (Jun 12, 2006)

*Fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy*

With the light of his mindblade illuminating the passage Alan leads the party down the tunnel.

Soon the light from outside fails to pierce the depths of darkness and only the psionically created energy allows a pool of visibility centered on the hexblade.

More than a hundred feet in Alan's light reveals the presence of an overturned cart about forty feet ahead (the far edge of the illumination). Lying beneath it is the unmoving corpse of a goblin. Growing from the goblin's back and side is a fuzzy purple growth and there is even sort of a mushroom-like stalk but instead of a cap it has fuzzy purple tendrils coming off the top.

The cart does not block the whole of the tunnel and there is even enough room for another cart to get past it.


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## Endovior (Jun 13, 2006)

"Be careful... this is a perfect place for an ambush."

Alan cautiously steps forward, carefully checking the area for any trap or lurking assailant.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 13, 2006)

"Wait" Cursed hisses quietly "Describe the fungus to me. It may be useful somehow, or somehow dangerous". Once Alan has finished describing the infestation, and Cursed clarifies a couple of points, the Ilonis scratches his head and tries to think of anything he may know about it. 

OOC: Know (arcane) +2


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## Voadam (Jun 14, 2006)

As Alan moves forward a few steps watching for movement behind the cart the light falls more fully upon the scene and he notes the tendrils of the fungus move slightly as he approaches. As Cursed hisses his request Alan halts his forward progress.

As the fungus is described to Cursed he ponders the details but cannot recall any knowledge of such a fungus with regards to matters arcane, though he does know some potion recipes call for specific fungul ingredients.


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## Fenris (Jun 14, 2006)

"Though I have traveled countless trails under the sun and moon, I have travel few under the earth. yet I know that above ground at least, the rotting fungi do not move. I think we need to burn that thing, lest it devour us as it's brethern do a log." suggests Noni.


OOC: [sblock] Voadam, I took some liberties with my Kn: Nature  I am sure mycology falls under that heading [/sblock]


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## Watus (Jun 14, 2006)

Ignorant of such matters, Tur remains silent, leaving the decision of how to proceed to the others.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 14, 2006)

"Hmmm I know nothing of the origins or uses of this infestation but, I believe we should heed the words of friend Noni" Cursed says as he takes a step away from the fungus.


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## Voadam (Jun 14, 2006)

Tur and Noni survival [SBLOCK]The damaged wooden cart could be turned into kindling, and the scraps of clothing the goblin corpse is wearing could conceivably be used to turn a piece of wood into a torch. Alternatively would could be gathered from outside, and there were a few pine trees whose pitch could be used to turn a dry branch or stick into a torch.[/SBLOCK]


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## Endovior (Jun 15, 2006)

Alan keeps his mindblade in a position to shed light on the scene, though he stays back to avoid any encroaching tendrils.


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## Fenris (Jun 15, 2006)

"Wait here friends" says Noni, who proceeds to go back out side and gather a fe handfulls of dry pine needles from the ground, and few dry branches and searching the trees finds a few still closed pine cones full of resin. Once gathered together, Noni heads back into the cave and begins to start a fire.


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## Voadam (Jun 15, 2006)

As Noni works on the fire behind him Alan notices that the tendrils of the fungus seem to respond to his actions. As he lowers the mindblade into a more comfortable position for waiting the tendrils respond by lowering slightly. Raising his arm again, the tendrils rise slightly as well.


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## Endovior (Jun 16, 2006)

Alan watches it carefully as it moves.

"Well... that can't be good..."


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## Fenris (Jun 16, 2006)

"Aye,"  says Noni continuing with the fire. "Upon the surface there are plants which turn thier faces to the sun throughout the day. Perhaps it it attracted tot the light. The other option would be it is tracking your movement, a far more ominous result as I know of only animals that do so. As a test extinguish your blades, take a step or three to the right and re-light your blades after a moment, then we may see what it watches."


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## Voadam (Jun 16, 2006)

As Alan extinguishes his blade darkness falls upon the party. Alan moves to his right, waits a few heartbeats then ignites his mindblade. The illumination reveals that the tendrils had lowered a bit in the interim of darkness but rise slightly, orienting a touch towards him. The movement is slight, but with the party's focus on the fungus' tendrils it is detectable.


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## Voadam (Jun 16, 2006)

Alan is closest to the fungus at about 35' feet from the corpse. His light shines brightly out for 20' and then extends shadowy illumination to 40'.


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## Fenris (Jun 16, 2006)

"There you are" says Noni still working on the fire. "Let see what it thinks about a lot of light" he sasy as he get the blaze going.


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## Voadam (Jun 16, 2006)

With satisfaction Noni is able to get the pitch torches to catch and remain alight.


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## Fenris (Jun 16, 2006)

Walking carefully forward, Noni stops a few feet away from the longest extent of the hyphae he had observed. He tend tosses the remaining dry pine needles on top of the fungi. He then extedns the torch out to catch the kindling on fire while calling for more small sticks to be tossed on to keep the fire going.

"I think we need to get that cart alight as well, no telling how far the fungal mat may be under it. Toss wood on until the the cart is ablaze." he intructs the others.


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## Voadam (Jun 16, 2006)

*Not good*

As Noni moves closer and closer the tendrils rise slightly more and more orienting towards the approaching ranger and the stalk swells slightly as he approaches. Ten feet from the tendrils, just a few feet from where Noni planned to stop, the tendrils quiver and the stalk contracts convulsively. The fungal tube emits an ongoing teeth-grindingly piercing wail of a sound that carries loudly down the hall.

ooc this interrupts Noni's plan to toss pine needles and kindling on it then set it on fire.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 17, 2006)

"Well that's blown it" Cursed says with a grimace "They know we're hear now". He moves forward past the fungus and quickly 'scans' the area looking for any other corridors that enter the room "If we can find a couple of exits I might have a spell or two that will make it look like we're fleeing down one tunnel when we've taken the other or are, in fact, still hiding in this room"


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## Endovior (Jun 17, 2006)

"We need to act.  There's only one direction we can go in now... shall we advance, or wait for them?"


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## Voadam (Jun 18, 2006)

As Cursed rushes past the shrieking fungus he senses that the corridor shortly dead-ends and splits thereafter leading to the left and to the right.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 18, 2006)

"Left or right people? Or do we hide here and I make some lights dance down one of the corridos to try and lead any pursuit away from us?" the blind man says "We could then go down the corridor they came through?"


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## Endovior (Jun 18, 2006)

(ooc: oh, you were actually moving... in that case)

Alan follows Cursed to the junction.

"Left.  No reason, just a choice that must be made.  You could try some lights down the other way, but I doubt it would fool anyone, if you consider the setup.  Either we're walking into their main base, and sending a decoy down a side tunnel, making the distraction useless, or we're walking into a side tunnel, and sending a decoy at them.  Neither will work.  But do cast that spell, as we benefit from the light more then they do, and having more illumination can only help us."

Alan takes point down the left corridor, shield up and blade ready.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 19, 2006)

Cursed follows behind Alan, a spell ready on his lips, all his senses straining for any sign of movement in the dark tunnel.

OOC: Prep'd sleep.


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## Watus (Jun 19, 2006)

Tur keeps his axe handy and stays close behind Alan.


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## Voadam (Jun 19, 2006)

*Goblins!*

Alan leading the way the party progresses down the left hallway alert for oncoming foes.

The wait is not long as two goblins in leathers appear down the hall, appearing a little surprised at the party. One is armed with a bow and the other with a spiked club and shield.

As the party is wary and the goblins are alerted as well no surprise,

Initiative!

Noni 20+4=24
Tur 4+3=7
Alan 10+2=12
Cursed 2+4=6
Goblin archer 17
Goblin spiker 21

Actions.


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## Endovior (Jun 20, 2006)

(Barring a serious injury before his init)

Alan advances and attacks the Archer, while maintaining a defensive style.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 20, 2006)

Cursed curses Alan's desire to engage the enemy and quickly changes his plan "I must remember to have a word to Alan about letting me get a spell off before he charges into battle" he mumbles as he waves his fingers over his head and mutters some arcane words.

OOC: Casting Mage Armour +4 AC 2 hours - I figured Alan and the goblins would be engaged by the time it got around to Cursed's go so that ruled sleep out.


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## Watus (Jun 20, 2006)

Tur grits his teeth and charges.

OOC: Charging, _not raging_: Greateaxe +6 melee (1d12+4, x3), AC 14.  If charging is not feasible, he will simply close and attack: Greateaxe +4 melee (1d12+4, x3), AC 16.


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## Voadam (Jun 20, 2006)

*Round 1*

Noni steps to the side to get a clear shot on the archer and draws back his bow, releasing a shaft that strikes the little orange warrior solidly and knocks him off his feet, bow and arrow clattering to the ground.

The remaining goblin looks at his companion and the oncoming warriors and quickly turns and runs, ducking back down the corridor screaming.

Alan and Tur take off after him, weapons held ready but they cannot completely close the distance with the spry goblin. The sound of something big crashing can be heard ahead along with shouted gobbling. Cursed curses and then invokes magical protection for himself. He follows after his fellows.

Alan and Tur follow the goblin through an archway into a bigger hollowed out chamber. The chamber houses four long wooden tables, each with a bench on either side. One of the tables has been flipped and goblins can be seen behind it gobbling at each other and getting weapons ready. On top of the tables lie a number of wooden bowls and eating utensils, and there are a few rumpled blankets on some of the benches. In the far left corner of the room, a small stewpot hangs over a dead cooking fire. An opening leads off to the right of the chamber.

Noni follows passing Cursed and catching up to the party.

Alan, Tur, and Noni are a short distance into the chamber when the spiked club wielder ducks around the end of the table pulling himself to safety and holding his club at the ready. The goblin archers fire from behind their cover with shouted gobbling, forcing the party to duck to avoid the short barbed shafts but quick reflexes and shaky shots insure that none find their mark.

Round 2
Alan 12
Tur 7
Cursed 6
Round 3
Noni 24
Spiker 1 21
Spiker 2 15
Archer 2 15
Archer 3 15
Archer 4 13

ooc Noni 24 hit, 7 damage, goblin double moved, followed by double moves from Alan, Tur, and Noni, Cursed casting mage armor then single move, 30' back from the rest. Goblins 16 v. Noni, 16 versus Alan, 3 versus Tur all miss.

Goblins are behind the table lined up: spiker 2, archer 2-5, spiker 1. Table provides cover. Single move can bring to engage archer through cover or around edge of table to either spiker.


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## Endovior (Jun 20, 2006)

Alan moves around the table to attack the spiker, maintaining a defensive stance all the while.


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## Fenris (Jun 20, 2006)

Noni drops his bow and draws his axe as he moves forward to the table to strike at the archers.


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## Watus (Jun 21, 2006)

Tur circles around the table in the opposite direction from Alan and engages the other spiker.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 21, 2006)

Cursed hurries forward and then flicks his hand at the enemy behind the barricades, barking the words of a spell.

OOC: 30' move action and then casting Sleep - Will DC 15


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## Voadam (Jun 21, 2006)

Alan and Tur rush forward to flank the table and directly engage the goblins. The soulknife's mindblade flashes out sparkling with psychic energy but the goblin catches it on his wooden shield. The lizardman swings his greataxe past the goblin's shield but it is turned aside by his leather armor. 

Cursed rushes up so he enters the room and can pinpoint the enemy. He begins to incant mystic words while gesturing at the assembled goblins.

Noni rushes straightforward, dropping his bow and drawing his axe. With the rush of his momentum his swing catches the middle archer squarely in the neck and decapitates the orange skinned goblin.

The goblin spikers lash back but are shaken by the party's onslaught. The one on Alan misses entirely while the one on Tur hits but the lizardman's scales protect him from harm from the club's spikes.

The two remaining archers back up a space to take them out of the ranger's axe range and fire at him, gobbling madly. The table now provides the human with cover from their shots and Noni deftly dodges out of the way of the short arrows whistling over the table.

Round 3
Alan 
Tur
Cursed
Round 4
Noni
Spiker 1 
Spiker 2 
Archer 2 
Archer 3 dead
Archer 4 


ooc Alan 12 miss, Tur 14, miss Cursed moves then starts 1 round casting time sleep, Noni 19 hit 10 damage. goblin spike 1 9 miss against Alan spike 2 14 miss against Tur, archers 15, 19 missing Noni who has cover from their shots.


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## Fenris (Jun 22, 2006)

Noni clambers over the table and takes a swing at another archer.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 22, 2006)

Cursed finishes casting his spell and then draws his spear from where it is strapped to his back.


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## Endovior (Jun 22, 2006)

As Alan has cover from other attacks, now, he switches to a more offensive stance, focusing his energies on the goblin before him.


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## Watus (Jun 22, 2006)

Tur chokes up his grip and takes another swing.

OOC: Greateaxe +4 melee (1d12+4, x3), AC 16.


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## Voadam (Jun 23, 2006)

*Victory*

Alan focuses his energies to be more agressive but catches his mindblade in the side of the table with a spark of psychic energy. 

Tur chokes up on his greataxe and  swings with a blow sufficient to cleave the goblin in two, instantly killing the diminutive warrior.

Cursed's incantation finishes and he flings sand towards the goblins. There is a burst of magic and one of the archers slumps to the ground as does the warrior facing Alan.

Noni scrambles over the table and lands with cat like grace. He quickly swings his stone axe overhead and drives it deep into the chest of the last standing archer. With a cry the goblin falls to the ground bleeding heavily.


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## Fenris (Jun 23, 2006)

Noni calmly uses his axe to behead the last two sleeping goblins and then returns down the hall to recover his bow.


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## Endovior (Jun 24, 2006)

Alan slits the throat of the warrior he was fighting, as Noni finishes the other archer.

"Moving on..."

Alan begins walking forward towards the next area.


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## Voadam (Jun 25, 2006)

Noni quickly scoops up his bow and notes the torch and kindling he dropped next to the shrieking fungus. He notes nothing coming down the other corridor at the moment.

After stabbing his mindblade into the throat of the unconscious goblin Alan heads down the opening leading out the side of the chamber to a narrow passage that ends at a wooden door.


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## Endovior (Jun 25, 2006)

Alan listens at the door while he waits for his companions to catch up.


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## Watus (Jun 26, 2006)

Tur moves up quickly behind him.


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## Voadam (Jun 26, 2006)

Alan does not hear anything at first, then he thinks he hears a faint rustling/scratching sound, but looses it as Tur comes up behind him, axe at the ready and shortly followed by Cursed.


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## Endovior (Jun 26, 2006)

Alan speaks quietly.

"Sounds like some kind of beast is hidden behind the door... probably some kind of guard animal... so it's probably not smart enough to know we're here.  Let's go for surprise... we'll need one person to open the door and step aside, while everyone else charges through and attacks whatever's on the other side."

(Alan's trying to arrange for a surprise round, with all the party members acting more or less simeltaneously.  I'd imagine that Cursed would open the door while everyone else moves in (from right behind the door) and attacks.)


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## Fenris (Jun 26, 2006)

Noni gathers his bow, nocks an arrow and follows the glowing blades of his companions.


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## Voadam (Jun 27, 2006)

Cursed slings his crossbow and agrees to be the doorman.

Noni loads an arrow and readies to provide fire as the other two burst into the chamber.

This long, narrow room is lined with shelves on either side loaded with foodstuffs and supplies. Heavy sacks are piled haphazardly atop one another in the four corners of the chamber. A few have been torn open, leaving spills of grains and flour along the floor. Several barrels stand in a cluster near the far wall.

Alan and Tur burst in mindblade and axe at the ready but they do not see any immediately visible foe to attack.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 28, 2006)

Cursed moves into the room and scans the area with his echolocation, ready to fire his loaded ccrossbow at any apparent threats.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 28, 2006)

[edit]*Double Post*[/edit]


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## Endovior (Jun 28, 2006)

Alan shrugs.

"Hmm... perhaps it was merely lesser vermin."

He holds up his mindblade like a torch, looking for any creatures present.


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## Voadam (Jun 28, 2006)

*Ping!*

Cursed steps in then spins with alarm and fires his crossbow into the sacks to the left causing a cloud of flour to erupt. A long but slim furred beast rises up swiftly from its concealment beneath the sacks, most of its five foot-body having lain in a tunnel beneath.

Round 1 initiative
Beast 15
Noni 13
Cursed 11
Alan 6
Tur 6

The beast lashes out in a flash leaping at the blind Cursed. It latches on with sharp teeth drawing blood. Cursed stumbles back a step with the slender bodied mammal hanging on ferociously black paws scrabbling, apparently unafraid of the bigger humanoid.


ooc Cursed takes 4 damage


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## Fenris (Jun 28, 2006)

Noni quickly fires at the beast.

OOC: [sblock] +1 from PBS. Any ID from Kn: nature? [/sblock]


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## Voadam (Jun 28, 2006)

Noni

[SBLOCK] Bony growths at certain joint points, cylindrical body, tiny horizontally flattened head with prominent ears - dire weasel. Known to take on creatures several times their size and to latch on ferociously making themselves vulnerable to attacks but not releasing their jaw grips until their foes drop from blood loss. Ambush hunters known to eat meat voraciously. [/SBLOCK]


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## Voadam (Jun 28, 2006)

Noni quickly fires but as Cursed turns the beast is pulled with him and out of the path of the arrow which strikes a shelf beside Tur.


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## Endovior (Jun 29, 2006)

Alan (who was busy searching the far side of the room) was a bit late realizing the danger, but once he did, he charged in with vigor, slashing at the vile beast.


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## D20Dazza (Jun 29, 2006)

Cursed grimaces in pain, bile rising in his throat, as the creature rips at his arm. He struggles to hold it away from his body so that its claws can't rip open his stomach as he spits out the words to a spell targetting the monster.

OOC: +3 Concentration, Sleep


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## Watus (Jun 29, 2006)

Reacting slowly (as usual) Tur leaps foward with a growl and tries to pry the beast's jaws off of Cursed.

OOC: Tur initiates a grapple.  As the weasel is already grappling Cursed, Tur's grab is automatically successful.  Grapple +4.


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## Voadam (Jun 29, 2006)

Cursed begins incanting again

Alan lashes out with his mindblade scoring a light wound on the snarling beast's body.

Tur drops his axe and digs his clawed hands into the beast's neck getting a strong grip and squeezing into its windpipe. With a mighty wrench he pulls the beast off of Cursed and pins it struggling to his own chest. 

Round 2 initiative
Beast 15
Noni 13
Cursed 11
Alan 6
Tur 6

The beast struggles ineffectively against the lizardman's grip. Tur has it for the moment.


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## Fenris (Jun 29, 2006)

While the beast is thus contained, Noni leaves it's fate to Tur and nicking another arrow investagtes the burrow under the sacks.


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## Endovior (Jun 29, 2006)

Alan nods appreciatively at Tur's skill, and watches him finish the creature... although he remains ready to step in if things get out of hand.

(Alan will Delay.  If the weasel escapes Tur's grip (ie: is no longer grappled), or Tur requests aid, Alan will attack it.)


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## Voadam (Jun 30, 2006)

*Night night*

Cursed finishes his spell and places the burst of magical energy to catch just the big mustilid in Tur's arms. It falls limp in his clawed grasp.


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## Voadam (Jun 30, 2006)

Noni sees that the tunnel goes deep into the wall but it is too narrow for a full sized man like him to squeeze into.


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## Endovior (Jul 1, 2006)

Noting that the beast is effectively finished, Alan searches the room for anything useful or valuable.


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## D20Dazza (Jul 3, 2006)

Cursed grits his teeth in pain, blood flowing down his arm and pooling at his feet"can someone help wrap something around this to stop the flow of blood?" he asks indicating his ravaged arm.


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## Watus (Jul 3, 2006)

Tuan quickly punctures the weasel's jugular with his thumb and retrieves his axe.

"I am sorry," he says, turning to Cursed.  "I have not the skill."


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## Voadam (Jul 3, 2006)

The big weasel's chest rises and falls as it lies asleep in Tur's firm grasp.

Alan begins poking around the containers on the shelves and the sacks near the entrance. They are filled with foodstuffs: various grains, odd tubers, dessicated beetle shells, salted meats, mushrooms, some fuzzy lichen-like things, and herb leaves.

Tur and Noni

[SBLOCK] You hear faint scrabbling coming from the barrels at the back that Alan is heading towards [/SBLOCK]


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## D20Dazza (Jul 6, 2006)

Cursed 'looks' around for some cloth with which he can try and bind his own arm, resorting to ripping a sack of grain apart if he has to.


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## Voadam (Jul 6, 2006)

As Alan moves to the back with the barrels he gets a whiff of alcohol and hears some swishing and chittering coming from one of the barrels.

Cursed rips apart one of the sacks to craft a makeshift bandage for his bleeding arm.


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## Endovior (Jul 6, 2006)

Alan steps back, and gestures with his sword.

"Hmm... there's another one in that barrel."


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## D20Dazza (Jul 8, 2006)

"Well be careful" Cursed says backing away from the barrel"Their bite is not comfortable. I hope that thing was not diseased" he says as he struggles to tie the makeshift bandage around his wound.


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## Voadam (Jul 11, 2006)

As Alan backs away there is some more muffled chittering but nothing comes out of the barrel.


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## Watus (Jul 11, 2006)

Tur hefts his axe and moves to investigate the sounds.


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## Endovior (Jul 13, 2006)

Alan looks to Tur, and back to the barrel.

"Hmm... we could kill it now, but we should probably get back to the Goblins.  Once we've dealt with them, we can afford to spend time looting the place.  For now, we should move on."

Alan moves toward the door.


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## D20Dazza (Jul 13, 2006)

Cursed follows closely behind Alan, casting furtive glances over his shoulder towards the barrels as walks.


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## Watus (Jul 13, 2006)

Tur pauses, sees the wisdom of what Alan is saying, and moves to follow him.


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## Voadam (Jul 13, 2006)

Tur pulls back and as the light of Alan's Mindblade fades the scrabbling subsides, nothing emerges from the barrels.

The party proceeds back and down the other corridor passing the dead of the eating hall.

The corridor proceeds a ways then widens into an expanding cavern. The floor slopes sharply downwards and there are knotted ropes along both walls anchored past the opening you now stand at.

Noni notices the groves of wagon tracks on both sides next to the ropes.

Peering down the mindblade illuminates stalactites hanging from the ceilings and the passages extends down the slope past the limits of the psionicly generated light.

One of the ropes, the one on your right, quivers slightly in short jerks.


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## Voadam (Jul 15, 2006)

Cursed's Ilonis hearing notes only the slight vibration of the rope.


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## Fenris (Jul 16, 2006)

Noni hishes out "They are coming, quickly, let us hide and ambush them"


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## Voadam (Jul 18, 2006)

The party quickly pulls back a little and readies missile weapons and spells to rain down upon any goblin emerging up the slope.

The rope quivers a few more times then is still. Nothing emerges.


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## D20Dazza (Jul 20, 2006)

Cursed dabs at his brow, his senses straining to detect the first sign of movement in the chamber.


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## Fenris (Jul 20, 2006)

Noni glides forward quiet as the wind through the trees. He reaches out his hand and places it upon the rope, trying to feel more vibrations.

OOC: Move Silently


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## Voadam (Jul 20, 2006)

Cursed senses only his companions and the immediate cavern surroundings.

Noni creeps forward and reaches out to feel for vibrations along the guide rope, careful not to disturb the rope itself.

Nothing.

Whatever was disturbing the rope before has stopped. Or left.

The slope is steep but could be descended without use of the rope, though the rope could act as a stabilizing support. Its height seems appropriate for the short goblins to use it as loose railing.


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## Voadam (Jul 24, 2006)

Just at the edge of his hearing Noni hears something hard smack against a stone wall some distance away deeper down the tunnel. There is a faint curse and scrabbling, almost inaudible at this distance, then silence again.


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## Watus (Jul 24, 2006)

Tur restlessly fingers his axe in the darkness, straining to hear something - anything.  That an ambush awaits them below is plain, but there doesn't seem to be any option but to push forward.


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## Fenris (Jul 24, 2006)

Noni waves the group ahead and grabbing the rope to test if it will hold his weight, uses it to help him navigate down the slope.


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## Voadam (Jul 24, 2006)

The thick rope easily holds and Noni begins to proceed downwards. Tur anticipates arrows at any moment to fly at them while they are exposed going down but as Noni begins his descent none comes. Alan's mindblade illumination reveals that the tunnel opens up into a vast inner cavern with large stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites growing from the floor. Well worn thick paths are clear of these stony obtrusions, leading off in two directions into the darkness. A second set of ropes head off to the wider left path while the right hand path holds none. A glance down shows Noni that the left hand path is more heavily trodden and there are small ruts from carts. There is a faint trace of occasional slime drippings though that heads down the right hand path.

Noni believes the sound he heard earlier came from the left.


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## Fenris (Jul 26, 2006)

Axe in hand Noni creeps quietly down the left hand tunnel.


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## Voadam (Jul 27, 2006)

Alan's mindblade illuminates a vast cavern filled with stalagmites as big as tree trunks.

Noni creeps out along the left hand path with the party following behind. At the edge of the shadowy illumination Noni can see the rope paths leading to a wall with carts at its base and more ropes leading up the wall.

A rumbling sibilant string of interrogatory utterances comes from up high in the darkness about 20 feet above the base of the ropes.

Tur
[SBLOCK]It is draconic with an odd accent "Stay where you are or my archers will drop you all where you stand. What do you here scaled one? Why are you and the pink skins in my mine?[/SBLOCK]


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## Watus (Jul 27, 2006)

Tur curls his lip and growls in surprise at being addressed in his own tongue.  Without turning, he addesses the others.

"He says he has archers.  He wants to know why we've come."

Forumulating his own particular response to that question, Tur chokes down his grip on his axe.


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## D20Dazza (Jul 28, 2006)

Cursed's looks up, his 'blind' eyes taking in the 'scene', as he watches the words to a spell sit powerfully upon his tongue.

OOC: prepping sleep and casting at the first sign of attack.


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## Voadam (Jul 28, 2006)

More sibilant interrogatories issue forth from the darkness above

Tur
[SBLOCK] "Did you come on your own or were you sent? This mine is under the curse of the Moonspeaker. Nothing but ill shall come to you down here, even if it was he who sent you. Can you not feel it? Arrows and magical death await you up here. However if you seek blood and plunder, go down that other path. One sickly goblin waits down there with treasure. Kill that traitor, take what you want from his stolen hoard, then leave and we need have no feud. Your axes cannot reach us before my demons tear you apart and my archers' fill you with shafts. He holds a valuable book the Moonseeker wants. Kill him, take it, and leave. One goblin with treasure versus a horde with nothing but weapons. Do you understand me scaly one?"

[/SBLOCK]


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## Watus (Jul 28, 2006)

"More lies and threats," Tur translates.  "If he actually had half the power he claims, he would have already attacked.  Instead he blusters and tries to send us down the other path."

OOC: Can Tur determine how far away the speaker is?  Listen: +5.


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## Voadam (Jul 28, 2006)

The shadowy illumination at the edge of Alan's psychic light reveals the base of a wall with ropes hanging down along the wall in three places spaced about ten feet apart each. The voice sounds like it comes from about 20 feet up from the base, Alan's mindblade does not reach that high that far out.


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## Voadam (Aug 1, 2006)

Looking over the tactical situation it would take climbing the ropes to get to the voice. Tur and Noni have their axes in hands while Alan has the goblin shield in one and his mindblad in the other. The stalagmites go up to the base of the wall. You could dive behind them here or at the base and receive cover from anything coming down from where the voice is.


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## Voadam (Aug 4, 2006)

The voice gobbles something and there is a lot of commotion. The time for words is over as a rain of barbed shafts comes down from above!

Initiative
Cursed 19
Archers 15
Alan 12
Javelins 11
Noni 10
Voice 10
Tur 8


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## Watus (Aug 5, 2006)

Tur utters a vile curse in Draconic and charges for the ropes.


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## Fenris (Aug 5, 2006)

Noni races towards the carts and dives under the closest one.

OOC:[sblock] Full defense [/sblock]


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## D20Dazza (Aug 7, 2006)

Cursed weaves his hands in front of himself and spits out the words of the spell that he had prepared, he then races for the cover of the carts.

[sblock=DM OOC] cast Sleep as discussed in the OOC[/sblock]


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## Voadam (Aug 7, 2006)

*Round 1*

Cursed begins to chant a long invocation gathering magical power to unleash upon the hidden foes above.

Arrows rain down from above, one whizzing between Tur and Noni narrowly missing the warriors, while another two strike unerringly into Alan and drawing blood as the light bearer is targeted.

Alan rushes over to the side to put a tall stalagmite between him and further missiles just before a hail of javelins arcs down out of the darkness. One clatters against the stone barrier, Noni dodges nimbly aside ducking another, and a third barbed shaft lances down just to the side of Cursed.

Noni races forward to the base of the wall and dives under a cart gaining cover and making himself a lower profile target.

The voice from above cuts above the snarling gobbles and begins its own drawn out chant.

Tur rushes over to the base of the wall. Seeing no immediate foe to lash out at he drops his greataxe and grabs the knotted rope in preparation for ascending to rend his foes with his jagged teeth, claws, and sharp kukri.

Cursed finishes his chant and a burst of magical energy is unleashed into the darkness and there are gobbling curses from above as well as the sound of bodies dropping. He then hurries to join Noni at the carts.

Initiative
Cursed 19
Archers 15
Alan 12
Javelins 11
Noni 10
Voice 10
Tur 8

ooc Cursed [SBLOCK] Sleep is a full round casting time spell which means the movement happens second round leaving Cursed still with a standard action in round 2[/SBLOCk]


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## Fenris (Aug 8, 2006)

From the cover of the cart, Noni begins pulls off small pieces of wood and laying them in a small pile with a bit of his own clothes begins to make a fire.

Without looking up he says to Cursed "If any of those goblins fell close by make sure to finish them or see if they have a javelin to throw back."


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## D20Dazza (Aug 8, 2006)

Cursed starts to prepare the same spell again, hoping to take out more of the enemy.

[sblock=DM ooc]the remaining half a round prepping, then the next round is half  round prepping, and then moving back to where I let off the first one and, once there, saying the trigger word[/sblock]


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## Voadam (Aug 8, 2006)

Cursed begins chanting again.

An arrow streaks down at Tur whistling just past his head.

Another streaks out to strike the stalagmite protecting Alan.

Alan raises his shield and rushes over to join the others at the carts, bringing his light source closer to the wall and revealing a large wide entrance 20 feet up filled with five goblins. Two archers, two shield and javelin throwers, and a black robed chanting goblin. 
There is no room at the first cart with Cursed and Noni so Alan dives under the second cart.

Tur releases the rope to dodge aside from two thrown javelins, one which clatters against where the lizard man just stood while the second strikes but Tur's scaly hide protects him.

Noni wrenches off a piece of wood from the cart and a strip of clothing to begin to make a fire.

The black robed goblin's chant culminates and there is a poof of brimstone as a black spider with red glowing eyes and three foot legspan appears and scuttles under the second cart. It chomps down on Alan's leg with a venomous bite that injects toxins deep into his blood stream, eliciting a scream from the hexblade. 

Initiative
Tur 8
Cursed 19
Archers 15
Alan 12
Javelins 11
Noni 10
Voice 10


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## Fenris (Aug 9, 2006)

Noni continues on with making his fire, hoping to set the entire cart ablaze to illuminate the cavern.


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## Watus (Aug 9, 2006)

Tur grabs a rope with both hands and scrambles up.

OOC: Not sure of the timing, but when he gets to the top he will rage and look to take a bite out of the one in robes.


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## Voadam (Aug 9, 2006)

Tur grabs the knotted rope and pushes hard to scale the wall quickly. He makes it to the top and with a grin exposes his sharp teeth as he advances a step towards the black-robed chanting goblin with the battle rage falling upon him. As the goblin continues to chant Tur chomps down drawing foul goblin blood but the chants continue without breaking.

Down below Cursed completes another of his own chants and the magical burst goes off above dropping another two goblins to the side of Tur.

One archer off to the side takes steady aim and fires at the ascended Tur striking him with a glancing shot drawing blood.

Alan stabs at the monstrous spider with his mindblade but fails to pierce its exoskeleton in the cramped confines under the second cart.

The other goblin steps forward to engage Tur with a spiked club swinging at the lizardman's ribs and catching him, though Tur's scales deflect the pointed club aside.

Noni gathers up the wood fragments and torn clothing into a kindling pile under the cart he can find in the dark easily if the light goes out but to make a fire from scratch without proper tools will take a while. 

The spider again bites into Alan's leg and pumping more venom into him, drawing another scream from the man "Arrh! The fiend is killing me!"

Noni rips off pieces of wood from the 

The robed goblin finishes his chant and there is another cloud of brimstone appears next to Tur and opposite the spiker. Another glowing eyed spider, its sharp mandibles dripping venom. It scuttles forward and bites Tur on the leg injecting venom that saps some of the feeling from his limbs.

"Stay back you scaly monster!" the bleeding black robes cries in draconic as he takes a step back and begins to chant again.


Initiative
Tur 8
Cursed 19
Archers 15
Alan 12
Spiker 11
Noni 10
Voice 10

ooc Tur[SBLOCK]Taking a climb penalty can still only go 1/2 speed, requiring a double move to get to the opening.

The arrow did 2 damage, the bite another 2, and you took 1 point of str damage from the poison.
[/SBLOCK]


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## Fenris (Aug 9, 2006)

Voadam OOC: Noni?


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## D20Dazza (Aug 10, 2006)

Cursed unhitches and loads his crossbow and fires a deadly bolt at the black robe "Time to resort to more mundane methods" he hisses under his breath as he fires.

OOC: If the black robe is out of his 30' 'sight' then he'll just have to take a guess and fire in the general direction.


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## Watus (Aug 10, 2006)

Blind with fury, Tur ignores the spider's appearance and tears at the blackrobes with tooth and claw.

OOC: RAGE: Full atk 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+4) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2); Str 19 (16, +4 RAGE, -1 Poison), Con 18; SV Will +4, Fort +6; AC 14.


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## Voadam (Aug 10, 2006)

Fenris said:
			
		

> Voadam OOC: Noni?




Sorry about that, rushed my last post. Edited in Noni's action above.


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## Voadam (Aug 10, 2006)

In his rage Tur ignores the combatants battering at him and presses on to tear into the black robed goblin. The lizardman's clawed hand shoots out ripping a gash into the goblin's side eliciting a high shriek that ends its chanting.

"You fool! Moonspeaker's curse fell on you as well when you entered, and more when you bit me! You are . . ." the goblin starts to shout defiantly at Tur, but is cut off as he ducks a slash with the other claw. The lizardman's jaws clamp onto the scrawny neck piercing flesh and ending his rantings which turn into an aborted gobling death rattle.

With the black robed goblin taken care of Cursed fires a bolt at the unengaged archer who draws back out of harm's way in time.

The goblin archer glares blackly and fires at the light bearing human, almost miraculously scoring another wound with a flinty arrowhead that draws a curse from Alan.

Desperate now Alan unleashes black magic upon the fiendish beast plaguing him and stabs at the black spider. He then collapses from the effort and his mindblade goes out, plunging the cavern into darkness.

The spiker swings at Tur, unimpeded by the darkness and battering the raging lizardman's ribs.

Initiative
Noni 10
Spiders 10
Tur 8
Cursed 19
Archer 15
Spiker 11

ooc [SBLOCK] Tur took 2 more points of damage[/SBLOCK]


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## Fenris (Aug 11, 2006)

OOC: Does Noni have a fire going yet?


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## D20Dazza (Aug 14, 2006)

Cursed reaches for another bolt, locks it home, aims and fires.


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## Watus (Aug 14, 2006)

His senses alive in the pitch black, Tur lays about himself with tooth and claw striking whomever seems nearest.

OOC: RAGE: Full atk 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+4) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2); Str 19 (16, +4 RAGE, -1 Poison), Con 18; SV Will +4, Fort +6; AC 14.

Note that Tur has the _Blind-Fight_ feat, so he does not lose his Dex bonus to AC, attackers do not recieve the usual +2 bonus to hit, and he may reroll any misses due to concealment.


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## Voadam (Aug 14, 2006)

Fenris said:
			
		

> OOC: Does Noni have a fire going yet?




Not yet, you have the beginnings of one, but it has not caught yet. You could keep working on it or it is well placed under the cart in that you could find your way back to it in the dark.


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## Voadam (Aug 14, 2006)

Noni continues with the fire for a little bit in the pitch black.

The spider mandibles again clamp down onto Tur's leg injecting more venom into his cold blood.

Tur lashes out in response one clawed hand swinging at air, the other slashing into the spider's head and ripping off the top half, spraying ichor in a great swath. Tur turns to the goblin beside him and snaps at him though the lizardman's jaws only catch air.

Cursed takes aim and fires quickly but his aim is high and the bolt clangs off a stalactite.

The archer returns fire causing Cursed to duck back out of the way of the incoming arrow.

The goblin spiker swings at Tur, hitting solidly with loud smack as the club impacts ribs. 

Initiative
Noni 10
Spiders 10
Tur 8
Cursed 19
Archer 15
Spiker 11

ooc Tur 1 damage from the spider +1 str damage, 4 damage from the club


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## Watus (Aug 14, 2006)

Tur tears at the goblin spiker he senses beside him.

OOC: RAGE: Full atk 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+4) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2); Str 18 (16, +4 RAGE, -2 Poison), Con 18; SV Will +4, Fort +6; AC 14.

Note that Tur has the _Blind-Fight_ feat, so he does not lose his Dex bonus to AC, attackers do not recieve the usual +2 bonus to hit, and he may reroll any misses due to concealment.


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## Fenris (Aug 15, 2006)

Noni continues on the fire, blowing upon the embers to bring it to full flame, hoping that it's light and heat will turn the tide by illuminating their remaining enemies.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 15, 2006)

Cursed fumbles for another bolt, slams it home takes aim and fires at the spell caster.


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## Voadam (Aug 15, 2006)

Noni's efforts are rewarded with a small smoldering but it will require tending to make sure it catches and grows into a fire enough to offer illumination beyond his immediate area (about the illumination of a candle currently).

Tur's totem instincts guide his rage towards the goblin smashing his ribs but the little warrior is able to deflect the lizardman's attacks off his wooden shield as the poison in his veins slows Tur's movements.

Cursed loads another bolt and fires at the archer but again it flies wide.

The archer returns fire gobbling darkly and an arrow thunks into the cart, its flint tip embedded in the wood between Noni and Cursed.

The spiker gobbles cackling madly and swings again connecting with another smashing blow that would normally drop the lizardman but adrenaline and bloodlust keeps the large warrior on his feet.


Initiative
Noni 10
Tur 8
Cursed 19
Archer 15
Spiker 11

ooc 
Tur takes another 4 hp 
The spellcaster is down from Tur's previous attacks so Cursed turned his crossbow on the archer.


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## Watus (Aug 15, 2006)

There are no words for "retreat" or "surrender" in _Draconic_, and these are not easy concepts for the dragonkin to understand.  Tur is dimly aware the those of lesser races are sometimes willing to back down from a fight, but...

He tears at the spiker with a roar of pain and frustration.

OOC: RAGE: Full atk 2 claws +5 melee (1d4+4) and bite +3 melee (1d4+2); Str 18 (16, +4 RAGE, -2 Poison), Con 18; SV Will +4, Fort +6; AC 14.

Note that Tur has the Blind-Fight feat, so he does not lose his Dex bonus to AC, attackers do not recieve the usual +2 bonus to hit, and he may reroll any misses due to concealment.


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## Voadam (Aug 16, 2006)

Noni continues with his fire making it more stable. As he feeds the small blaze he gets it to a stage where he can either stabilize it and safely leave it as is without it immediately going out, take a small brand with him (about candle light strength) or work on growing it.

Tur in a punch drunk rage swings and snaps wildly at the cackling goblin who ducks and dodges laughing madly, only to be caught and lifted off his feet as the lizardman's claws catch him in a vicious upswing that leaves the goblin's chest ripped open and him lying on the ground. 

The spiker issues shocked gobbles from the ground, no longer cackling.

The archer curses darkly.

Initiative
Cursed 19
Archer 15
Spiker 11
Noni 10
Tur 8


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## D20Dazza (Aug 18, 2006)

Cursed rushes forward and grabs a hold of one of the vines dangling dwon the cliff face, gritting his teeth he starts to pull himself up "Those sleeping above won't stay that way for long" he says as he climbs.


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## Voadam (Aug 18, 2006)

Cursed drops his crossbow as he rushes forward and begins to climb up the wall shouting to Noni a warning of the goblins he temporarily magicked.

The goblin gobbles darkly and drops his own bow. Tur hears the goblin spit out a curse but despite the poison slowing his movements he easily dodges the clumsy attack of the last standing goblin as his dragon senses guide him in this fight in the dark.

Tur also hears the goblin spiker he dropped gobble lowly as he pulls himself back across the stone floor of this cavern opening.

Initiative
Noni 10
Tur 8 
Cursed 19
Archer 15
Spiker 11

A short distance away Jeanpierre hears the cries of combat and various gobbling and roarings. Bound hand and foot with his mouth tightly gagged there is little he can do though.

It was only a short time ago that he was riding off on his lord's bidding, a newly anointed knight as well as an ordained champion of the noble faith. The sky filled with black birds that swarmed him in a great could, knocking him from his mount and tumbling him against rough stones that were impossibly beneath him instead of the grass of the field he had been riding upon. As the birds dispersed he was stunned and in complete darkness when small gobbling brutes leapt upon him and bore him to the ground. When he regained his senses and tried to fight it was already too late. He was pinned and then bound and gagged. His arms stripped from him he was brought into another chamber and could hear more of the verminous beasts though all was black. There was a gobbling and roaring angry interrogation that proved fruitless and soon his gag was returned. His holy symbol was taken and he was tossed back here with his feet bound as well.


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## Ilium (Aug 18, 2006)

Jeanpierre closes his eyes and offers a heartfelt prayer to Campita that trouble for his captors means good news for him, and not simply an argument over who gets the best parts of his carcass.  He again strains futilely against his bonds, praying that Campita will give him the strength to burst them.

[OOC: Using the Strength domain ability Feat of Strength.  In fact this will have no effect since it only raises my Strength by 1, but it's worth a shot ]


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## Watus (Aug 18, 2006)

Approaching exhaustion, Tur tears at the final gobbler, hoping to take him down before he falls himself.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 21, 2006)

Cursed continutes to scramble up the vines to the goblins that sleep above.


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## Voadam (Aug 21, 2006)

Initiative
Noni 10
Tur 8 
Cursed 19
Archer 15
Jeanpierre 15
Spiker 11

Noni continues building the fire so that the glow of illumination begins to spread further.

Approaching exhaustion, Tur tears at the final gobbler a frustrating slash just past its neck, then a satisfyingly devastating rake that leaves the goblin expiring on the floor.

Cursed makes it to the top and takes in the scene: Tur, several sleeping goblins, several dead, and one crawling to one of two back caverns, leaving a trail of blood. Tur is grievously battered and looks about to drop. Blood oozes from several wounds and off his claws. Cursed has enough time to ready his spear but not to make an attack.

A loud snap is heard from the second cavern extension as a thin vine binding breaks. Jeanpierre's prayers to Campita have been answered as divine strength floods him giving him enough of a mental boost to burst his bonds while his captors are otherwise engaged. His mouth is still gagged and his feet are still bound, but he has burst the bonds on his arms.

The crawling goblin dissapears into the first back cavern letting out a little coughing cackle.


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## Ilium (Aug 21, 2006)

Silently thanking Campita for her grace, Jeanpierre yanks the gag from his mouth and sets to work on the vines binding his legs.


----------



## Watus (Aug 21, 2006)

With the last of his rage-fueled fury, Tur falls on the crawling goblin and finishes what he had begun.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 22, 2006)

"Quick we need healing up here, Tur is sorely wounded" Cursed cries over his shoulder as he rushes forward towards the escaping goblin, his spear at the ready.


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## Voadam (Aug 23, 2006)

Noni continues working on the fire.

Tur races after the crawling goblin, but as soon as the goblin stops its cackling Tur loses it in the dark.

Cursed however races past surefooted as his illonis senses guide him. Seeing the goblin reaching for a shelf with bottles on it the sorcerer's spear lashes out and strikes the goblin cleanly. The impaled goblin coughs his last and expires. Cursed shouts about the need for healing as Tur wobbles unsteadily on his feet.

Jeanpierre works on getting his gag off then moving to his leg bindings. The gobbling replaced by deeper barking, yipping, and growling shouts of a different unknown language.


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## Fenris (Aug 23, 2006)

Noni curses, but with the fire started, he leaves it to continute it's slow conflagron and heads quickly towards Tur, scrambling up the ropes, just barely lit by his small fire.

"I know little of his kind, but I will do what I can"  replies Noni to Cursed

OOC:[sblock] Heal check to stabilize Tur [/sblock]


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## D20Dazza (Aug 23, 2006)

Cursed reaches for the bottle that the goblin had been making for "He was injured, perhaps he was trying to heal himself?" he mumbles under his breath. Picking up the bottle he turns and moves back towards Tur, flipping the lid off the bottle as he moves and sniffing at its contents.


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## Voadam (Aug 23, 2006)

Noni moves the cart from over the fire so its illumination is not blocked and rushes up the ropes at Cursed's shouts. His fire providing a little illumination at the edge of the cave though still heavily shadowed and dark further in.

Fatigue and loss of blood overwhelms Tur as the rush of battle leaves him. Weariness washes over him and the spider venom courses through his blood. 

Inside the cavern Cursed drops his spear and reaches for the shelf containing multiple baked earth containers. He grabs the one he figures the goblin was most likely going for and opens it. There is a slosh of liquid from inside the container and it smells of fresh clean spring water.

Jeanpierre works off his leg bindings in his darkened cavern. He can hear more commotion outside it and there is a distant faint glow providing enough illumination for him to know a way out.  

Light hacking snores can be heard from the upper cavern battlefield near Tur where goblins lay slumped.


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## Ilium (Aug 23, 2006)

Jeanpierre moves as stealthily as his stiff legs allow toward the light.  Though unarmed, he is looking to bring some retribution to the strange little creatures who've done this to him.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 24, 2006)

Cursed hands the clay pot to Noni "This may help?" he says as he retrieves his spear and dispatches the sleeping goblins quickly and mercifully.

OOC Coup de grace


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## Voadam (Aug 24, 2006)

Jeanpierre can make out shadowy forms in the adjoinging chamber. One tall and thin one hands something to a big looming shadow then moves around carefully stabbing forms on the ground with a spear. Another form rises up from the far wall opening where the faint light comes in and it moves quickly to the big form. All three are much bigger than the gobbling creatures that attacked Jeanpierre.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 28, 2006)

Cursed moves over to where Tur and the others are gathered "Grisly work that, but it needed doing. Anyway, how are you Tur?" the blind man asks, concern evident in his voice "If whatever was in that jar helped there are more of them back there on a shelf" he says his finger pointing to the back of the cave "Look, I'll go and get them eh?" he continues jogging over to the shelves.


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## Ilium (Aug 28, 2006)

Jeanpierre listens to the battle's survivors for a moment.  He is still unsure of their intentions, but as they are clearly enemies of those who captured him, he decides to rely once more on Campita's good will.  He steps slowly out, empty hands outstretched, and says, "Well met, warriors."  Looking about he adds, "You have won a great victory here.  I see that some of you are hurt.  I can help."


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## Watus (Aug 28, 2006)

At the sound of the unfamiliar language in the pitch dark, Tur gulps down whatever happens to be in the vial and wearily pushing himself off the wall, ready to face this new threat.

OOC: As ready as someone with negative hitpoints can be, anyway.


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## Voadam (Aug 28, 2006)

Noni works on aiding the hurt Tur but healing others is not something he mastered in his years of hunting alone and there is not much more that he can do other than stop the lizardman from bleeding out. 

As Cursed races back to the shelf he hears words spoken in the common tongue of men that he knew on Faerun. As the human steps forward from the adjoining cave the Illonis quickly pinpoints his form in the dark.

The shelf contained three racks, the jar Cursed grabbed was from the middle rack and contains one more similar clay jar. There are two jars on the racks above and two below it. 

Tur gulps down the contents of the jar and the cool water like substance instantly restores a little vitality to the lizardman. While still fatigued, his wounds ache and bleed less and he feels he can now act without further injuring himself.

Tur gains 2 hp and is up to 1.


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## Fenris (Aug 28, 2006)

At the sound of the newcomer, Noni stands and places himself in front of Tur, his axe casually held in his hand, waiting for some gesture from the new comer as to his intent.


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## Ilium (Aug 28, 2006)

Jeanpierre smiles a gestures at the wounded Tur.  He speaks again in the strange tongue.[SBLOCK=For D20Dazza and Voadam]Jeanpierre says "I can help your injured...friend.  My goddess can heal him through me."[/SBLOCK]


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## Voadam (Aug 28, 2006)

Noni's hand goes to his axe but realizing quickly that he left it to climb up quickly he brings his bow around casually instead as he takes up his position in front of the severely wounded Tur.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 29, 2006)

Cursed spins as he hears words he thought not to hear again

[sblock=Faerunian]"Well met. Hold there I will relay your offer to the others. What is your name?"[/sblock] "Hold your actions my friends. He offers aid in healing Tur" Cursed says as he moves quickly over to his companions and interposes himself between the stranger and his friends "He speaks in the language of Faerun - my birth home"


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## Ilium (Aug 29, 2006)

Jeanpierre puts a hand to his breast and bows formally.  "I am Jeanpierre de Corbeau, acolyte in the service of Campita, knight of the Black Shield and aide to his grace Etienne Valmont, Viscount of Rochelle."  Raising his head he looks inquiringly at the strange, gaunt man before him, clearly awaiting a response.


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## D20Dazza (Aug 30, 2006)

"Welcome Jeanpierre de Corbeau, I am Cursed" the blind man says in Faeruniun "And these are my companions" he continues introducing each of his companions.

Turning his back on the newcomer Cursed addresses his companions "His name is Jenpierre de Corbeau and it would appear he is a priest of Campita and a knight as well. As I said he has offered to heal Tur, wll you allow it?"


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## Watus (Aug 30, 2006)

Briefly considering his options, Tur nods in the darkness.

"I will," he says.


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## Voadam (Aug 30, 2006)

Jeanpierre begins to make out more details in the shadowy light. The tall thin man, Cursed, has huge bat like ears, the archer Noni seems human, but the one who barked last, Tur, has an elongated reptilian head and a large powerful tail. As Jeanpierre approaches he sees the warrior is a lizardman.


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## Ilium (Aug 30, 2006)

Jeanpierre sidles toward the reptilian creature.  Jeanpierre has never seen anything like him, or the one who calls himself Cursed.  He nods carefully at each of them, keeping his movements slow and deliberate as he kneels next to Tur.  He places his large hands gently on the most serious of the strange creature's wounds and prays that Campita will find him a warrior worthy to be healed.

_OOC: Casting Cure Light Wounds once, checking the effect, then casting it again, since I know, OOC, that Tur is in really bad shape._


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## Voadam (Aug 31, 2006)

Jeanpierre intones mystic words and performs ritual gestures invoking divine power to channel positive energy into the lizardman. Seeing that this does not fully heal the multitude of wounds from the fray the human channels more positive energy into Tur.

ooc Tur is healed 6 points then 6 points again.


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## D20Dazza (Sep 1, 2006)

Seeing some colour back in Tur's cheeks Cursed turns to the new comer "Thank you sir" he says gratefully "How long have you been here? You have the look of someone newly arrived - the birds was it?"


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## Ilium (Sep 1, 2006)

Jeanpierre nods in agreement.  "Yes, and before I had a chance to gather my wits, these little beasts were swarming all over me.  They've taken my weapons and armor as well, I'm afraid."  He begins looking for a weapon among the fallen goblins that he might use as a dagger.  "I haven't been here long, perhaps my gear is somewhere close by.  What are you all doing here?"


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## Watus (Sep 1, 2006)

Tur stretches his freshly healed limbs and rolls his shoulders, feeling the vitality spread through them again.  He turns to Cursed:

"You speak this one's language.  Please tell him that I am in his debt."


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## Voadam (Sep 1, 2006)

Jeanpierre easily finds a small stone dagger among the fallen. Three of the goblins had shields and small spiked clubs, three had goblin sized short bows and knives, and the robed goblin has a somewhat ceremonial looking dagger.

Cursed was speedy in retrieving the potion and then dispatching the goblins. He did not have time to make a thorough search of the area before.


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## Fenris (Sep 2, 2006)

Seeing that the new comer is not a threat, Noni leaves Tur to his ministrations and returns tot he cart to retrieve his axe and further tend to the fire, hoping to make a few torches by which to search the cave better.


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## D20Dazza (Sep 3, 2006)

Cursed acts as the interpreter, relaying messages between his friends and Jeanpierre. While the party recovers Cursed retrieves the other jars from the shelves and has a more thorough search of the area.


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## Ilium (Sep 5, 2006)

Jeanpierre gathers up a couple of goblin daggers as well as the ceremonial dagger and a club.  He swings the tiny thing experimentally and shakes his head in disgust.  "I might be better off with my fists," he mutters.


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## Voadam (Sep 6, 2006)

Noni efficiently hacks off more of the cart and makes some serviceable torches. Bringing the illumination up to the upper cavern reveals all the living and dead to those with sight. 

Seven goblins in all litter the ground, mostly orange skinned, though some have a slimy greenish pallor. Closer inspection reveals small oozing weals on some of them in patterns of three circles. None of them look like they were the picture of health even before the fight.

The jar that Tur drained has a pattern of three wavy lines marked on it. One more jar has a similar pattern while two bear asterisk like star patterns and two bear upward pointing wide-based triangles.

A small opening leads to another cavern where it looks like more mining work was done. Piles of stone, digging and smashing tools, and  makeshift rest areas are found, one much nicer than the others. Jeanpierre's weapons and holy symbol are found at the nice resting area at a desk-like table with a small crystal lying next to them. Assorted bones and insect carapaces lie on another corner of the table.


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## D20Dazza (Sep 7, 2006)

"So where to next?" Cursed asks once the clay jars, bones, carapaces and crystal have been fully investigated, the desk searched and Jeanpierre is out-fitted.


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## Ilium (Sep 7, 2006)

"Praise be to Campita!" Jeanpierre says with obvious relief.  He straps on his sword and checks that it is loose in its sheath.  He then eyes the crystal curiously and holding it up to his eye says, "I don't know much about gems and such.  Does anyone have any idea if this is valuable?"


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## Voadam (Sep 8, 2006)

As Jeanpierre holds up the crystal it is clearly not a gem, though it is a finely shaped prism and shows marks it was crafted to its current form.


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## Voadam (Sep 11, 2006)

After searching the stone mining and resting areas thoroughly there seems but two options. Heading back or proceeding onward down the side passage through the stalagmite cavern. Tur has caught his breath and shaken off his after battle fatigue.


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## Ilium (Sep 11, 2006)

Shrugging over the crystal, Jeanpierre hands it to Cursed.  "Well what are your intentions now?" he asks.  "I would dearly like to get home.  My home, as you may have guessed from my manner of speech, is Toulon, and I gather we are far from there.  Can you tell me where on Ithimara I am?"


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## D20Dazza (Sep 13, 2006)

Cursed happily accepts the crystal and 'stares' at it, trying to get a feel for its mysteries [color=seagreen'Well we're all reasonably newly arrved, none of us locals, and we don't know how to get home. Oh, and we aren't on Ithimara"[/color] Cursed says in Faerunian "And as to what we're doing now, just hold a minute for that answer" he says "What are we doing now guys?" the blind man asks his original companions in dover.


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## Voadam (Sep 13, 2006)

As Cursed accepts the crystal from Jeanpierre the knight sees that the strange elf-like man has no eyes, just tattoos where eyesockets would be on a normal humanoid. As Cursed "stares" at the crystal it gives off a faint violet light after a brief period of time, though he evinces no apparent reaction to this. 


Cursed[SBLOCK]You don't see the light. Your arcane knowledge and spellcraft do not reveal anything about the nature of this particular crystal. You are aware that in general crystals are sometimes used to hold power, for divinations, and for healing purposes though. [/SBLOCK]


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## D20Dazza (Sep 14, 2006)

"This crystal bears further examination" Cursed says to no one in particular "Does anyone mind if I hold onto it for further investigation?"

OOC: If I don't have any objections I'll add one unidentified crystal to Cursed's inventory.


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## Ilium (Sep 14, 2006)

Jeanpierre pauses a moment, then shakes his head as if to clear it.  "Truly this is a land different from my own.  But if anyone wants my opinion I'd like to get back under the open sky and out of this hole."


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## Watus (Sep 14, 2006)

Tur turns toward the ropes leading back down to the branching cavern.  "Let us get back to the business at hand.  We agreed to clear these caverns, and we must be sure we have done so."

Hand over hand, he climbs back down the cliff, picking up his axe at the bottom.


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## Voadam (Sep 15, 2006)

Descending the knotted ropes is no problem for the lizardman, though the foul lingering aftertaste of goblin flesh and blood plagues him.


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## D20Dazza (Sep 15, 2006)

"Well then. I guess we're going down the side passage through the stalagmite cavern" Cursed says with a wry grin at Jeanpierre "I'm the only person I've ever met on this rock that speaks our language" he says to the knight in Faerunian "So you'd best follow along eh? We'll sort this out and then see what we can do to make you more comfortable" 

"Lead on friend Tur, lead on" the blind man calls, his tattoed eyes all the time staring at Jeanpierre. With a bow and a flourish of his right hand Cursed invites Jeanpierre to proceed.


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## Ilium (Sep 15, 2006)

Jeanpierre shrugs and nods.  "I suppose I have nowhere better to be," he admits and follows the others.


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## Voadam (Sep 15, 2006)

edited to happen a little later.


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## Voadam (Sep 18, 2006)

Just as it seems Tur is feeling better the poison in his system burns away part of his second wind, leaving him further weakened.

As Jeanpierre descended the knotted rope from the battle cavern before heading down the tunnel with the party he noted two carts at the bottom of the ledge, one torn apart and one intact with the remains of a dead armored human under it. Goblin arrows and javelins lie around the area, some sticking in the carts.


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## Ilium (Sep 18, 2006)

"You fought well," Jeanpierre observes.  He gestures to the dead man.  "Was this one of your companions?" he asks.


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## Voadam (Sep 20, 2006)

In the torchlight Jeanpierre can see the dead man was armored in a chain shirt and bears a small shield, though his only weapons seemed to be a quiver with undersized stone javelins. His corpse seems savaged as if by some beast.


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## Fenris (Sep 20, 2006)

"We knew him not." says Noni simply.


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## Ilium (Sep 20, 2006)

Jeanpierre nods and bows his head in prayer.  "Campita grant this warrior swift passage to the halls of Fannus, where his deeds of bravery may be judged and his spirit pass to its reward."  He looks to Cursed to translate for him as he says, "If none of you knew him and his arms cannot be returned to his family, I think it best that they serve to smite his tormentors.  Agreed?"


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## D20Dazza (Sep 21, 2006)

"I like your style of thinking" Cursed says to Jeanpierre "I was about to suggest just such a course of action myself" he says as he moves towards the body.


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## Voadam (Sep 21, 2006)

Once the fine chain shirt is appropriated for further use against the goblins the party continues on.

As the party follows the track through the stalagmite field it leads to a corridor heading deeper underground. The traces of slime Noni noticed on the ground before become more common and a gray green fungus can bee seen on the walls in the light of Noni's torch. Everyone starts to feel the air grow warmer and moister.

Ahead Noni's sharp ears are the first to hear the scuttling of multiple small vermin. As Noni wipes sweat from his brow and holds up his torch, it appears that the corriodor opens up into a larger chamber ahead, though details within cannot yet be made out.


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## Voadam (Sep 22, 2006)

The fungus can be seen on the corridor walls as it opens into the chamber.


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## D20Dazza (Sep 24, 2006)

Cursed moves cautiously foward, his senses straining for any danger.


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## Ilium (Sep 25, 2006)

Jeanpierre follows, sword in hand.  With a wave of his hand and a muttered prayer, he causes the sword to glow with a mild white radiance.

OOC: Light spell, just so we aren't dependent on a single light source.  Down to 3 0-level spells and NO 1st-level spells for today, BTW.  Everybody try not to get hit.


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## Voadam (Sep 25, 2006)

Squeaking and chittering can be heard in addition to the scuttling as you approach the cave opening.

Waves of heat wash through the cave, thickening the air and making breathing a little difficult. This small, bowl-shaped cavern’s floor is littered with green fuzzy goblin corpses. Rats skitter through the sea of bodies within the sunken floor, pausing occasionally to nibble at a choice morsel. A host of their brethren lie nearby on their backs, some of them still twitching with a few remnants of life. The walls are covered with the gray-green fungus. Slime is thick on the cavern floor amid the bloated corpses. One body even oozes slime out of its bodily orifices: nose, ears, mouth. Another seems to have split, spilling out a quantity of greenish slime that sparkles in the light of the torch and glowing sword.

You can see a tunnel’s opening visible in one of the walls of this chamber and, in the distance, the sound of rushing water can be heard.


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## Watus (Sep 25, 2006)

Tur pauses, his eyes wide, staring at the ruined corpses littering the cavern.  Given an enemy he can swing an axe at, Tur will behave as an heir of the dragonkin and be utterely with fear.

But this.  The prospect of it touching him.  Infecting him.  Growing inside, turning him into itself....

His chest tightens.  A bitter taste fills his mouth and the muscles in his leg begin to twitch.  Are these the first signs of infection?


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## Voadam (Sep 26, 2006)

Tur is not sure whether the foul taste in his mouth is just from the warm fetid air of this hot chamber or the lingering aftertaste of the foul goblin blood and flesh from his downed foes.

After listening while everyone pauses, the sound coming from the tunnel opening on the side of the chamber is definitely the flow of water.


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## Voadam (Sep 29, 2006)

As you stand at the opening of the chamber looking over the bodies those of you with sight notice that several bodies have little dark green weals on them, overlapping and interlocking circles in groups of three.


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## Ilium (Sep 29, 2006)

Jeanpierre kneels next to one of the bodies to look it over more carefully.  *"I've never seen anything like this before,"* he observes.  *"I suppose I don't need to tell you all to be careful.  Well we might as well get on with it."*  He moves forward, holding his light before him.


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## D20Dazza (Oct 2, 2006)

Cursed watches the walls and roof, an uneasy feeling settling over him.


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## Voadam (Oct 2, 2006)

The rats scitter over and around bodies out of the knight's way as he inspects a green hued goblin. Jeanpierre finds the air around the corpses fetid and rank while the corpses themselves seem to be generating heat.

Jeanpierre arises and proceeds, his glowing sword held out before him while the uneasy Cursed inspects the walls and roof as a bad feeling settles upon him.

Danger arises not from above however, but from the sea of bodies as Jeanpierre's movement seems to have triggered a response. The slightly bloated corpse with green ooze spilling from its orifices rises up and shambles towards Jeanpierre. It opens its mouth as if to cry out but only thick strands of slime drool out.

The rats scatter away from the risen corpse.

Initiative!

Cursed 19
Tur 15
Green Goblin 13
Noni 9
Jeanpierre 9


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## Fenris (Oct 3, 2006)

Noni swears a silent curse. All that walked under the many suns he had seen and faced. But these abominations under the earth were strange, alien and unknown. Fearing that an arro would pass harmlessly through the green thing as through algae on a rancid pond, Noni draws his axe and cirlces the creature ready to swing.


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## D20Dazza (Oct 3, 2006)

Wracking his brain Cursed realises that he knows no spells that will help them and so, instead, will have to aid the combat via more physical means. Drawing a deep, shaky breath Cursed takes a step back and mutters the words to a spell, a deep blue nimbus of light enveloping him like some sort of mystical armour. Gritting his teeth and steeling his gaze the blind man levels his spear at the creature and prepares to attack.

OOC: Mage armour (use noted on sheet), +4AC (now 19)


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## Ilium (Oct 3, 2006)

Jeanpierre shudders in revolt but takes comfort from the touch of Campita's holy lance hanging around his neck.  "Begone vile thing!" he shouts.

OOC: Turn Undead.  I have a bad feeling it's not undead, but I'm pretty sure Jeanpierre would have been trained to try this first when dead things get up and start moving.


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## Voadam (Oct 3, 2006)

*Something icky this way comes*

Cursed takes a step back and levels his spear ready to join his comrades in dealing with the creature. A little uneasy at the prospect of hand to hand combat the Ilonis takes a little comfort in his magical spirit armor.

Tur feels nothing but horrified revulsion but he lifts his tired arms to bring his great axe at the ready and steps forward. Unfortunately the slime of the floor is slick and the lizardman stumbles over some corpses losing his balance.

The goblin corpse lunges forward unsteadily to Jeanpierre but keeps its feet and slams a grasping hand against the man's chest, though his armor protects the knight from direct harm. Cursed stabs at the same moment with his spear but the point is turned aside against the thing's thickened outer skin. 

Noni maneuvers up to flank the goblin drawing his axe lest arrows pass through its slimy innards without effect. The ranger too keeps his feet on the slime slick terrain. With a great slash the ranger opens a big gash alongside of the creature's bloated body.

Jeanpierre holds up the Lance symbol of Campita and channels positive energy to attempt to turn the thing from its course of action. In response it opens its mouth as if in a silent scream. More strands drool out as it pulls back its lips baring small slime covered teeth and continues to pursue its chosen target with little grasping hands.

A big schlurping sound behind Noni draws a little attention to the fact that the puddle of green ooze in the downed split corpse seems to be sliding slowly out of the corpse and towards Noni.

Tur 15
Cursed 13
Green Goblin 13
Noni 9
Jeanpierre 9


CURSED
[SBLOCK]Mage armor was still going, the hour duration is not yet up. I had you ready an action instead of merely preparing to act later.[/SBLOCK]


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## Ilium (Oct 3, 2006)

Making a disgusted noise in the back of his throat Jeanpierre levels a swing at the moving corpse.

Long Sword +5 (including flank) (1d8 + 2, 19-20/x2)


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## D20Dazza (Oct 8, 2006)

Cursed stabs again at the corpse "Can we defeat this thing or should we flee?" he yells to his companions with a quick look at the ooze.


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## Voadam (Oct 13, 2006)

Tur picks himself up and carefully maneuvers over to the battle.

Cursed stabs at the goblin but catches his spear point on the thing's unnatural skin.

The fuzzy bloated goblin turns from Jeanpierre to Noni and swings at the ranger but the nimble man is able to duck back from the snapping jaws and grasping claws of the ooze dripping goblin.

Noni slashes with his axe catching the goblin again as Jeanpierre lashes out with his sword from the other side, both ripping rents in the shambling goblin, revealing more green ooze within.

With more schlorping the party can hear the puddle of green ooze coming closer to Noni's back.

Tur 15
Cursed 13
Green Goblin 13
Noni 9
Jeanpierre 9


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## Voadam (Oct 16, 2006)

As Tur maneuvers over most rats scurry out of his way, one bloated one rushes him however, its mouth dripping green ooze as it bites down hard on the lizardman's foot, eliciting a hiss from the lizardman.


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## Ilium (Oct 16, 2006)

"I don't know what these things are," Jeanpierre replies as he tries again to decapitate the one before him.  "It galls me to flee, but we need to know how to kill them.  Retreat!"

Jeanpierre backs slowly in the direction they came, making sure his allies are going as well.

_OOC: Attack, then 5 foot step back the way we came.  Jeanpierre is willing to do a fighting retreat, but he'll try to make sure he's the one covering everyone's escape._


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## Voadam (Oct 20, 2006)

Cursed nods in response to Jeanpierre's shout and slips back out of the melee.

The bloated goblin rushes at Noni who evades its grasping hands but is caught on the arm by its snapping green jaws, leaving a slime covered wound.

Noni 9
Jeanpierre 9
Tur 15
Cursed 13
Green Goblin 13

Noni takes 1 point of damage from the bite


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## Voadam (Oct 23, 2006)

Noni pulls back and withdraws to join Cursed and Tur. Jeanpierre slashes but misses the small goblin thing entirely and takes a step back to cover the other's retreat. The thing presses Jeanpierre, but the knight's combat skills keep it's grasping claws at bay.

The others pull back out of the heat chamber and call for Jeanpierre.

Initiative  
Jeanpierre 9
Tur 15
Cursed 13
Green Goblin 13
Noni 9


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## Ilium (Oct 23, 2006)

With the others safely retreating, Jeanpierre moves to join them shouting "Back, foul things!"

_OOC: Take a Withdraw action to join the others._


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## Voadam (Oct 23, 2006)

The party is able to withdraw safely out of the chamber and the goblin does not pursue out into the corridor. As you hustle back Cursed asks "Should we retire to the stalactite field to rest up and talk or all the way out of the rock mines? This place feels oppressive but outside predators might be attracted to our wounds."


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## Voadam (Nov 3, 2006)

Cursed says "There is also the eating chamber but the store-rooms there had that weasel hole and there was that rustling from among the barrels. It did have those tables we could use as a barricade though and it did not feel as oppresive as the high cavern chambers."


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## Ilium (Nov 3, 2006)

Jeanpierre nods.  "Sounds good.  Lead the way."


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## Voadam (Nov 7, 2006)

The party heads back down the corridor and the moist heat drops off. You enter the large open cavern with stalactites and stalagmites. Passing the cart and the limp form of the dead man you go past the ropes leading to the goblin's upper chambers and head to a passage that slopes up sharply. Noni puts his bow away and grasps the guide rope on the side of the passageto steady himself as he takes the lead heading up the steep incline. Tur, Cursed, and Jeanpierre follow.

After pulling yourselves up the long ascent the passage continues down a ways. "Don't take the side passage, and be prepared. There is a shrieking . . . thing . . . in there that reacts to movement and light. It is some kind of cavern plant."


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## Voadam (Nov 8, 2006)

Once past the side tunnel you quickly come to a room that was obviously the scene of a recent battle. Overturned tables, benches, and dead goblins litter the floor. There is a cookpot in the corner and a side passage leading out of the eating chamber. Cursed points with a bandaged arm that way as Tur and Noni start setting up a little defensive wall in the corner using the tables and benches.

Cursed says "That's a store room off there. A giant weasel in there got a piece of me before Tur was able to pry it off and we got it. There are goblin foodstuffs and there was scrabbling noises from a barrel in there but we left that one alone. The weasel had a burrow tunnel in one of the walls there." 

Tur, Noni, and Cursed then start speaking to each other in a growling, barking tongue with a few yips thrown in, and Cursed summarizes for Jeanpierre. "We each have taken wounds that we are worried are unclean. We came to kill two goblin brothers here and recover a dangerous book they had stolen. Danger lies is looking at the Book's runes. I was going to pick it up and carry it." He gestures with an amused smile to his blank eye spots. "We got one goblin, the summoner who captured you. We believe the other is down past that charnel room of ooze filled dead with the Book. However with the state of the goblins here and the slimy dead we think we are at risk from the foul bites we've taken. We think our village's druid, Zallon, is our best bet to not succumb to the foulness here. This place has a cursed feel to it and I think we are at risk the longer we stay here. The wounds do not feel clean. "


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## Voadam (Nov 14, 2006)

"Will you join us in heading back to our village?" Cursed asks. "Our king is most welcoming of newcomers and it is a safe haven for those seeds who arrive from elsewhere. Most of the land is full of predators and quite dangerous, and we are in goblin territory right now. Half of them want peaceful trade with us and the elves, but half want to kill or enslave all outsiders."  He smiles "And none of them can tell stories as good as the dover or provide as friendly a meadhall as the Belly."


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