You hear the loud squealing of unoiled door hinges in the room ahead, to the north.
"Ready your weapons," Oloc whispers. "We're about to have company!" Oloc draws his daggers for throwing.
Duran notches his arrow and tries to maneuver to make sure he has a clear shot as the threat appears.
Gaven straightens his helm and adjusts his shield and readies his spear. He whispers, "Shall we charge or wait?"
"Wait for them," says Varros. "Let Duran get as many clean shots as he can and Oloc can throw. You and I and our friend Stan will clean up the rest."
From where you stand you cannot see far enough into the room ahead to determine who, if anyone is there, and if so, how many.
Five awkward minutes pass. Stan and Ollie start to fidget nervously, troubled by the silence. Then, from the dimly lit room you hear a harsh guttural voice, calling out to you roughly in the common tongue:
"I don't know who you are, or how you got rid of my guards. But you have one chance. Back off and leave this place now. Otherwise I'll feed your entrails to my dogs. The beasts sound pretty hungry to me!"
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OOC: Actions?
Oloc - Mage
ReplyDelete"He's bluffing about the dogs," Oloc whispers to the others, although a shadow of doubt creeps into his mind. Maybe there is a back way?
"We're here for the girl." Oloc tries to sound more confident than he really is. "The soldiers above will release your guards when we have the girl. Now show yourself."
Oloc looks at the others and shrugs his shoulders.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" comes the voice's cruel laugh. "Is that all? You just want the girl? You're too late – she's already dead!"
ReplyDeleteOloc - Mage
ReplyDeleteOloc looks at the rest of the party expectantly. "What now? Attack?" He then looks at 'dirtbag' and asks in a low voice. "Do you know if the girl is dead?"
Dirtbag replies: "She was alive when I last saw her. Grimtooth, our leader, took her to a back room where most of the others and I were not allowed to go."
ReplyDeleteVarros - Fighter
ReplyDelete"Ollie, be a good lad and guard that dog door, barricade it, blockade it or lay in front of it. Whatever needs done, you will be safer that way and won't have to witness what happens next." whispers Varros. "Dirtbag, you will help him if you wish to live through this morn, by my solemn word you will live or die dependent on your actions and how useful they are."
Varros looks to all and says, "Ready yourselves friends and may the gods be with us!"
As soon as that is done he projects his voice down the hallway in only the way a man trained to yell orders amidst the din of battle can, "Listen and listen well, we have captured half your strength, they still live as they surrendered quickly when faced with the prospect of Wizard's fire. They have told us all there is to tell, we have come to return the girl or her remains. Goblin heads and ears are not our concern, we are a free company not vermin hunters. I have 15 fighting men and 2 wizards, more than enough to burn, freeze or slice through the remainder of your host 4 times over safely and 15 times over if I am angered. Any one of you who wishes to live through this morn drop your weapons and come forth now and by the word of Varros Blackwater you will be shown mercy. However, if you choose to remain in your dirty hovel pray to your dark gods because today is the day you will meet them! Five minutes hence I will roll the first of your clansmen's heads down this hall and you might explain their death to their face. Another will follow every five minutes until they are exhausted. If that fails to move you, mayhaps you will be more responsive when I do the same to the bitches you love to "mount" so much! Either surrender and receive my mercy or die in a futile fight amongst Wizard's fire. It seems an easy decision even for a goblin, your time begins now!"
OOC: I suggest we move back to the doorway with Duran on one side and myself on the other with our bows, Stan can hold the middle as that will allow Gaven to meet a charge with his spear through the front rank. Olec can look as magical and intimidating as possible.
The goblins' leader replies: "You talk big, human. You have taken my guards, so I guess you now outnumber us. But I think if you were as strong as you claim, you would come and take us as well, without so much yammering. I do not think you will. I do not think you can. We are quite comfortable in our position. So you might as well go home. Or you can sit in the hall until our raiding band arrives. It's all the same to us."
ReplyDeleteOOC: Ollie is all too happy to back away from such a volatile situation, and will do as directed most eagerly. The barking has dropped off considerably during the conversation, and no doubt the somewhat quieter dogs scare him much less than the goblins in the next room. If Oloc gives Dirtbag the nod, the goblin will comply and accompany Ollie.
Duran - Fighter
ReplyDeleteIf Duran can tell which way the voice is coming from in the room he will loose 2 arrows in the direction in hopes of hitting something. He will the follow Varro's lead and take a position up next to the door.
Varros - Fighter
ReplyDelete"Olec, ask our friend Dirtbag about this raiding party. Also get the names of the remaining goblins other than Grimtooth and Borrg from him. I have a plan. I'll be back momentarily."
OOC: Varros will retrieve the head from the Goblin used earlier to make steaks as quickly as possible. He will place it in his bag to avoid scaring Dirtbag. Varros' plan is to toss the head into the room and ask the other goblins by their names if they intend to die today for Grimtooth, a leader who clearly values a captured human girl more than his clansmen. He will let them know he is growing tired of this game and his patience is nearly at an end.
OOC: Varros will equip his sword until the task is complete then resume position with his bow.
DeleteGaven - cleric
ReplyDeleteGaven nods in agreement with Varros's plan and accompanies Ollie to the door with dogs. "Be brave Ollie, take the "steaks". In case the dogs get out, drop them and run up the stairs and close and block the hatch until we return."
Gaven goes with Varros to get the heads and cut a few more "steaks" in case Grimtooth has more dogs. He flat out states to Varros, "I do not plan to let these vermin live unless they yield to the Light."
Varros - Fighter
ReplyDeleteVarros looks Gaven in the eye, smiles, and says, "Friend, I do not plan to let these vermin live under any circumstances..."