Duty Session 568: Goblins are Forever

    The Goblin queen had escaped the tower, and fled to the outskirt of Yamato, to a cave system north of Fort Ouph, here it is that she began her new brood. Months had passed, and slowly the goblin army was rebuilt, however as more goblins appear the ever watchful eye of the Hunter's Guild has taken notice. This is how a small base camp has of course been set up and plans to stage continuous attacks have been laid out. At least that was the plan.

    As one approaches the base camp, they would notice the smell of smoke and when they got their they would see it in ruins. It would appear that the goblins had already found the camp and ran it to the ground.

     This is how the lizardman, Rizadoman, had found the camp, and at the moment he waits for others to gather but again he understands how Goblin Slayer feels, the only good goblin is a dead one.

At the time it might of been a smart move. Goblins were pretty common in Eas and have stirred up trouble there before. So it was the right place to rebuild numbers, maybe take over a smaller tribe or two. But eventually even that would grow to a point it wouldn't be unnoticable. Especially when Goblins started showing more unified tactics and similar objectives.

Or maybe Kauchemar is reading too much into the scenerio. It happens when you have abilities to peer into the past and the future.

Instead, the Nightmare Bard muses a bit as she rests her staff against her shoulder. "Is it just me, or are there more 'leader monsters forming an army-slash-cult-slash-rebellion-against-society as of late?"

Yeowang is, in game, a scout and tracker, and the human Shadowfist does occasionally use those skills. Not always well, but she's supposed to have them, and she knows, roughly, how to use them. And she dislikes goblins. There isn't a Goblin Slayer level of hatred, she's much too calm for that for anything, nothing vexes her to that degree. She hasn't suffered his level of tragedy, he's been programmed, as they say, with the most tragic backstory. Well, that's how she understands it, she can't really come to grips with the roleplay concept at all. On the other hand, she can kick people's teeth down their throat, and there's uses for that skill here in the gane.

She hrms to Kauchemar, and says, "This just happened with another set of monsters, they were dealt with some months ago? Some gnolls? It seems like something's twisting the game to up the challenges, does it not?"

There are goblins they need to die, they got lose into the wilds of Yamato. She was going to have words with a certain Lion smith. She's not amused about it but for the moment the goblins have to be handled. She's been here for a while she's been making ready to attack but where the hell is she? She really has become the ranger she claimed to be at this point. What is clear she is here and waiting to act.

    Rizadoman looks over at Kauchemar and then Yeowang, "Yes, the gnolls seem to have had their own leader or leaders and seemed to have made a mess about that situation. I believe from reports the leader of the leaders was corrupted by something correct? " There is an underlying thought in the back of his mind, to answer the question about the source of it all, but for now there were more immediate issues. "Lets help the survivors."

    Through out the camp their is carnage everywhere, landers lay wounded, or worse. Tents and wagons are lit on fire. The attack was recent, perhaps if Rizadoman had been a few minutes earlier he would have been here in time to stop it. One interesting this is that all the landers are male, there is not a single female present, which is odd. For now the job is to try to heal any of the wounded enough to find out more about what happened.

Kauchemar surveys the damage to the camp. Pokes and prods a few things with her staff to look around. But can't really do anything else useful in the moment. She causes pain and confusion, not cure it. Also didn't get lucky enough to find any medical supplies or potions lying around. "Well, they were thorough in their raizing, I'll give them that much.

Yeowang nods about the gnolls, she was a part of that investigation also. She has unexpected sources of knowledge, at times. Now, it's not her unexpected knowledge, but her time with the Red Chain that pays off. Not that she works with them in other than a management role, but it seems that in her association with them, some of the healing knowledge has trickled across. That or her basic sports medicine knowledge is useful at long last. She can set bones and treat for shock and knows how to stop bleeding and what to do for a sucking chest wound. It's not like a real doctor, but it's much better than nothing, as she demonstrates, cannibalizing her gear as necessary to make bandages and splints. It takes some time, and it's far from expert, but it's ultimately successful.

Is out there but now see there's an issue a very big issue. She frowns, she's not a healer and the party cleric was not along. So she had tgo make due with what she had, a few healing potions. Would it be enough? She did not know. She doesn't like this. Also she'd just come out of the trees more or less.

"I don't like wheret his is going..."

She steps back to let Yeowang work...

    Rizadoman moves through the camp doing his best to magic up some emergency healing. It could be better, but between him and Kauchemar's attempt they don't make it any worse. Some of them may even live. It is Yeowang who seems to help the most talkative Lander as he comes around and grabs Yeowang's shirt looking at her, "They took them! My wife and little girl were grabbed by the goblins. There was a big one too, I heard one of the scouts call it a champion. Please save them! They came from the ...wesst." After all that excitement he passes back out. It appears the party has a direction and those who still live are helped as much as they can be.

     The four adventurers set out towards the west, and it is quite easy to see where the goblins came from. At least that is how it all starts out, unfortunately as they come to a giant clearing it seems they found the nexus point for all goblin traffic. It would take some great trackers or earth speakers to figure out where their quarry went, unless of course someone can see past. Then it would be a whole lot easier.

Yeowang nods as the man gives his story, and as she treats him, she gives him a solemn nod, though as he grabs her shirt and laments about his wife and child, she gives him a piercing look. But that seems to be his lasy concious gasp, delivering the information, and she finishes treating him before looking around the camp thoughtfully.

"They went that way," she points with a surety that brooks no debate. Well, they say she knows more things about monsters than most players, and she -is- a tracker, perhaps she noticed something less than obviuous? In any event, she will finish treating the Lander, leave him as comfortable as she can make him, and lead the way that she seems positive the goblins left in.

For a while the party has a clear path to follow, until they come to a clearing that appears to be a crissing and crossing of various routes used by the goblins. Kauchemar looks one way, looks another way, then snorts softly. "I think it's best to call in some help with this one," she remarks, tapping her staff on the ground a few times. A furrow briefly appears along the ground, coming to stop at her hooves and a Rock Mole poking his way out. It's the large one, about the size of a bulldog, that is the 'leader' of the pack she trained for various mining and earth related duties. "Use your earthen senses to determine if one of these tracks is more recently traveled."

The Rock Mole nods and scurries out of the hole, shuffling about the clearing, sniffing at various goblin footprints and occasionally licking the soil. Finally he stops, pointing his large claws at two different paths. One of which turns out to be the same one Yeowang indicated. "I think that's a pretty strong affirmative."

She flicks a scrap piece of metal to the mole, which he snatchs up in his mouth and dives back into his furrow until he's needed again.

Erufu looks to the man for a moment she nods. "We will get them." she notes before the man passes out. She'll do her best to make sure the man is comfortbale she'll leave a potion and one of her hunting knives for him. That's all she can really do before she heads out. She will move iwht the other pausin to keneel checking out the earth looking for the signs of where they had been going.

"She's right I can confirm they are going that way.

    Rizadoman reaches down and picks up a broken goblin weapon and begins to chant to himself for a few moments before he looks up, "The spirits say they came by only an hour ago, We can still catch up to them. " Looking over to rest of the party who seem to have all gathered to point in the same direction. "Thats good. I don't want to leave any innocent lander with goblins any longer then we have to."

    The path they are set on leads them to a hidden cave near the clearing they were in. Unfortunately the main entrance appears to be heavily guarded by a large amount of goblins. Fortunately though, not all tracks led to the main entrance. Several goblin tracks break off and lead to a secret entrance through a trap door. Unfortunately the lock is rather complicated and difficult. It would take someone who is good at picking locks or perhaps someone could freeze the lock and break it.

Yeowang nods vehemently to Rizadoman about not leaving anyone with the goblins. "That would be bad," she agrees. As we find ourselves at the secret entrance, and it quite locked before us, she takes a longer look at the lock. She is not best with elemental magic, or any sort of magic, but she will observe what the others do and make note of which strategies are successful.

Freeze the lock so it can be broken? Kauchemar can do that, pointing her staff at the door and the horned skull atop it unleashes a frigid frost from its jaws.

Erufu nods to Rizadoman.

"Then let us put an end to them."

She nods.

"I don't want to even think of what they might do to all those women and girls."

With that she'll move on the good news is Elf does have some magic now and she's able she will use it to freeze the lock.

    Do you know what happens when four people all take the same approach, it happens damn quickly and over a wider area. The lock is flash frozen as if dropped in liquid nitrogen as the four members all choose a similar approach. The lock shatters a moment later as Rizadoman taps it with his claw. The trap door swings open and the group can get it in unnoticed.

     Into the cave system they go and what a cave system it is, winding paths, branches after branches, it would be easy enough to get lost down here for days. After some wandering it becomes clear that they are going to need a system to figure out where they are and how to find the prisoners. It is a shame no one speaks goblin, they could nab a lone guard and ask him, or maybe someone could make a map of where they have been and where they are going. Of course if nothing else they can follow the fresh air to the nearest opening and hope it leads them where they want to go.

Yeowang looks pleased when the lock shatters, and she will proceed on with the others. She is a tracker, technically, but she's also quite aware of the flow of air, as the pathway is a confusing maze, But she can sense where there is flow and where there isn't, and in the main it helps with navigation, following the flow, assuming it is headed towards or away from our destination. Using that as a reference, she will point out the way she thinks our destnation lies.

The lock is... well, opened. Broken to bits is more accurate, but it's a lock for a goblin hideout so no one is really going to complain.

They might complain when it leads them into more tunnels and crisscrossing pathes, even more confusing than the previous encounter. Again Kauchemar pauses, looks one way. Looks another way. And must see something of use because she wanders down one of the side passages.

Where she encounters a lone Goblin guard on patrol. He stops short at seeing the Nightmare Were Fang, but before he can sound any alarms Kauchemar's eyes do that weird psychadelic glow of theres and he falls still. A few minutes of what to anyone else would only look like intense staring between the two follows... until the Goblin collapses to the ground, clutching his head and whimpering, too horrified of whatever REALLY just happened to do anything else.

Kauchemar walks back to catch up with the rest of the group, pausing only long enough to point down another passage. "This way." And proceed on like nothing ever happened, like mentally probing and terrifying a Goblin for the information she wanted and leaving him needing a new pair of trousers.

So four people o though the lock pretty nicely. The elf gives a grin and wiggles her ears before she'll push on ahead what could be wiating in here? Goblins. She ill pause at the air and will tip off her allies to what's going on and where one might be.

    You know that one guy who constantly chooses the wrong direction so everyone else can immediately cross that option out as the right path. That is how Rizadoman contributes to the labrynth of tunnels. Fortunately though Yeowang keeps pointing out the path where air is moving through. If it isn't Yeowang, it is Erufu who is pointing out the right direction. Finally they come across a lone goblin and Kauchemar, well no one wants to ask what Kauchemar did. However she does have a very accurate amount of directions that lead them to the main entrance, and the prisoners.

     As they look about it appears no one has noticed them yet, and it is this momentary break that lets them see what is going on. Goblins are tossing women into cages and in the mix of it all is the Goblin Champion leading them. This thing is fear and lets off a palpable aura that inflicts all who catch it's gaze with <fear>, however it seems that the safest approach for the moment is to get to those cages without being noticed and free the prisoners as quickly as possible.

Yeowang follows the group via Kauchemar's passage. She gives the nightmare a questioning look at her methods, but given that it's to a goblin, she merely shrugs. It says Nightmare right on the character sheet, what else should she expect? But as we find our way to a goblin-occupied cave, she clings to the cave mouth, and spies out the cave with the rest of the party.

She will point out the route she plans to take and then pull her hood over her head, hiding that mane of blonde hair. Now all in dark clothes, she will slink forward, keeping to the shadows, and the goblins do not seem to have spotted her.

Now this is getting interesting as they get deeper into the Goblin lair. Also more disturbing. This explains why there was no -female- remains at the camp, amongst other things. Hmmm. Everyone else goes subtle, either by stealth or the powers of darkness, and while Kauchemar is capable of either especially with her recent training, she realizes that with this many Goblins even successful stealth rolls are going to need a little assistance. So she grabs her cloak, pulls it around herself with one arm in a pastiche of those black clad moustache twirling driftless shifters of old, and creeps forward. Directly into the midst of the Goblin camp.

o/~ Dun dun DUN DUN DUUUUUUN dun-dun dun-dun, Dun dun DUN DUN DUUUUUUN dun-dun dun-dun o/~

While making a famous 'sneaking' music/sound effect. Which is the exact opposite of sneaking, but it's Kauchemar putting on a performance like always, to draw attention away from the actual sneaks freeing the prisoners.

Elf has a very interesting cloak, Rizasdoman would know of it well. Why? For she was running around like a hummingbird on speed after she got it. She was very happy abut just what was it? She will pull the hood of and move. She feels no pitty for goblins and never will. She does however fin something isn't right here and she'll focus on saving people first she will sneak her way past with the cloak. Seriously though where is the elf?!

    Rizadoman reaches deep into himself and pulls forth some of the darkness that lingers in his heart and through it casts a spell of darkness around those that need it, causing the shadows to stick to them. Still Rizadoman is large and must move slow and ends up taking the rear of the group. Fortunately though Kauchemar is able to draw a majority of the goblin attention away from him. It is the two cloaked ladies that move quicker then a blink of an eye unnoticed to the cages first and can start freeing the ladies by the time Rizadoman catches up.

    The prisoners are free but with so many prisoners about it was just a matter of time before the goblins noticed. The good news is that the goblin warriors are rather easy pushovers, the bad news is you can feel the presence of the champion approaching.

Moments after the fighting starts the goblin champion steps forth from his tunnel and easily towers over the others. A club in one hand it charges forward swinging wildly at the adventurers and landers. After everything the party has gone through it is probably best to provide a distraction for the prisoners to escape. This is unfortunately easier said than done, they are panicking and scattering in all directions,and will require the adventurers to be their shield while still trying to slow the monsters or burn them down.

Kauchemar stops in middle of a step of her faux sneaking. "Oh, am I interupting something?" That's when she throws her cloak aside, and levels her staff just as the warrior guards are drawing their weapons. "Good! Say hello to my little and very noisy friend!" The cavern is filled with a sudden explosion of sound and flashing colors as she starts blasting Goblins with a bass drop of up to eleven porportions! The newest technique she's developed essentially turns the Grindcore Staff into a magical bardic Dubstep Gun. "AHAHAHAHAH! ROCK'N'RULE!"

Then the real threat of a champion level goblin finally responds to all the chaos. "Tch. You're not stopping this show." With a wave of her hand draws the Binder Shield from her back... and then summons several Binders posessing shields and various other pieces of armor to form a defensive line between the Goblins, their Champion, and the prisoners.

Yeowang will hustle the prisoners out, urging stealth and quick movement, but the prisoners are weak and afraid, and there's only so much that can be asked of them. The goblins' attention is drawn, but that's not an issue for a martial artist of her caliber. Sweeping kicks punt goblins back, or burst them into pixels, but the goblin champion is another matter. He's big and tough and her butterfly kick deals a telling blow, but it seems he's regenerating on top of everything else. So, fire stops regeneration, right? She's got some firemaking tools in her camping gear kit, but pulling it out and using it in the middle of a fight is a bit too problematic and it takes her far too long to get that done, all the while dodging the attacks in a panic.

Goblins, bloody goblins. She would be focusing on keeping the prisoners safe and vcive them cover. She will shoot then move over and over. she's very intent to keep the thing busy. She's pretty good at distracting it for the prisons and the rest of the party. When all is said and done the goblin has been handled.

"...this is one of those days..."

    Rizadoman moves to stand beside Kauchemar as the line of defense to protect the escaping prisoners. Goblins slam into his shield but the lizardman doesn't move. As Yeowang works to decrease the number of goblins and Erufu works to slow the goblins with distractions, it is enough to keep them from being ran over. Finally the last prisoner gets out of the cave and the party can retreat.As the party gets to safety they can finally recover and while the didn't defeat the champion they did manage to get something to show for all their effort. Yes that is right, the nasty goblin champions grease can be found on their weapons and body from all the roaring and mucus spraying, and whatever other fluids it may have flung during the fight. |