Expedition - Foxy: Bounty On The Goblin HQ - 02 June 2021

[Dram]

Baxtaws- takes cover ready to cast his spell at the king when he presents himself.

[Rusty Tincanne]

For clarification:

We are still at the intersection of the tunnel with a cavernous room to either side, correct?

If so, we could have half the group in one room, half in the other and spread oil on the floor again. Burn them up when they reach us, then fight the remainder before heading to the King. Anyone have oil more oil?

[Starbeard]

The Grizzly Woman likes the suggestion, and moves into the north room where the barrels of fish were. She picks one up and sets it near the doorway, and continues to fetch more if there is time. If nothing else, tossing barrels full of fish in front of the approaching goblins should trip them up a little.

Grizzly doesn't have any oil.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Nice thinking. And if the goblins don't come, we can roll those barrels in front of us to provide cover and a distraction in the king's hall.

[onlyme]

Halfpint has no more available oil after last one.

She gathers her breath and looks for a place to defend.

[Marullus]

Halfpint breathlessly reveals what lies at the bottom of the wide hallway, urging the others into action. Baxtaw watches down the sloping passage with his elven eyes, ready with a spell - he reports no approaching figures. Clay suggests mounting an ambush defense quickly, expecting an impending assault. Grizzly Woman moves back through the right-hand doorways into the dwarven temple, moving six barrels of fish from the far-left end of the room back to the doorway where they can be utilized on the long, sloping floor.

The others peek into the left-hand doorway - also a set of double doors, they push them open fully to expose what was a dwarven infirmary. About half-the size of the room across the hall, it is filled with sturdy wooden beds for short limbs, polished stone operating tables, and storage cabinets -- all thoroughly trashed and covered with the mess of goblin habitation. Four traction tables stand against the right wall: once used to straighten broken limbs, they now are stained by blood and caked gore. Two doorways lead off this room on the left wall and two more on the right.


Date: 12:30am, 05 June 2021
Light: Foxy's lantern (until 1:00am); Smoking Goblin Pyre.
Spell effects: None
Injuries: Halfpint (moderate injury), Foxy (mild injury), Huckleberry (mild injury), Baxtaw (mild injury), Clay (mild injury)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Vicious creatures. They are without mercy. It can be difficult to remember they serve a purpose in the great cycle... Clay offers his idea to use the barrels as a moving barricade as they assault the King's chamber, looking to the others for input before acting.
Dmukas's guards and the cleric fled towards the king, correct? Or did they run through the Infirmary?

[Marullus]

Dmukas's guards and the cleric fled towards the king, correct? Or did they run through the Infirmary?

They fled down the ramp to the king.

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare

Foxy will stand guard by the passageway to the king, listening to Half-pints report. If we knew there were prisoners here we could sneakily release them. The Farrow girls were kept in cells and I suspect the king had more.

Foxy reaches into her satchel and withdraws the three flasks of oil she kept. She keeps one for her lantern and passes the other two over to the Halfling. Her others remain on Bluebelle and her thoughts drift towards the outcome of the battle. We must focus on the King and retrieve his magic relics. Outnumbered we must gain an advantage somehow.

Can Shortbread inspect the kettledrums? I wonder if they are dwarven made and if sounded to a 'dwarven marching beat' they may inspire fear into the goblins, especially if it echoes down the narrow passageway. We need to get the goblins to charge into the passage and thin their numbers out, rolling the barrels to crush them and setting a flaming trap.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay nods in agreement. There will be many deaths in this fight. If we happen upon captives, that is fine, but we need to keep the king and his relics the objective. Clay quickly inspects the drums to see if they would be easily transported. Is there a way to coat the barrels with oil so they burn while rolling?

Clay also points out that there are probably ways for the goblins to circle around us and attack from the rear. He recommends vigilance.

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Stays focussed on his spell. He will move along the walll to keep his back protected.

[Marullus]

The group prepares further and waits, Baxtaw spying no movement in the darkness of the tunnel beyond Foxy's dwindling lamplight. While the pyre of goblins continues to smolder and smoke, the noxious fumes drafting up the tunnel away from you, it provides little value as a light source any longer.

Moving into the large and messy temple, you check the barrels and drums. You've moved a dozen full barrels of salt-fish to the corridor and have two dozen empty barrels as well. The drums are large kettle-drums about three feet across and awkwardly shaped - they can't be easily moved but could be moved with effort. Foxy hands Halfpint two flasks of oil, reserving the last one for the lantern. You figure you could coat six barrels and have them burn for about three rounds each. Shortbread seems pleased with the drums, pronouncing the quality worksmanship and hallmarks of his clan's handiwork and heritage. He can beat a dwarven tattoo upon it if needed.

Foxy contemplates rescuing prisoners - she recalls that the farm girls were brought up a ramp from a lower chamber accessed through the right-hand wall of the chamber as she faced the goblin king's throne.

Date: 12:50am, 05 June 2021
Light: Foxy's lantern (until 1:00am)
Spell effects: None
Injuries: Halfpint (moderate injury), Foxy (mild injury), Huckleberry (mild injury), Baxtaw (mild injury), Clay (mild injury)

[onlyme]

Halfpint asks,
Do you think we have the firepower to win? There are dozens against us. and I cant take another hit, I believe. Should we not leave and reformulate a plan with more oil and spells to help us.

[Stirling]

Foxy O'Hare

"Leave? To go where? Our time here was bought in blood by Thundred and the ogres. As injured as we are we need to press on. If we can take out the king then perhaps the loss will strike confusion into the hearts of the goblins and allow us to leave unhindered. But just hoping we can even find a cubby hole and pray and study till morning is a forlorn hope. I stand as injured as you since Thundreds axe almost clove me in half. "

Foxy tries not to sound like a spoilsport but I don't think we have much choice other than attempting to kill the king, she fires an arrow down the passageway at any approaching shadowy goblin to keep their heads down.

Foxy: Shortbow normal range: [1d20+2] = 2+2 = 4 arrow damage: [1d6] = 5

well they know we are here since the goblins fled that way, let us stir them up a little too so it is not us cowering in fear.

"Shortbread, battle a battle anthem!" she encourages the others. (something along the lines of Men of Harlech comes to mind!)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Clay has suggested doing the barrels in front of us, possibly seeing them alight. It would give act as a makeshift siege weapon (in the style of a battering ram), and if it is flaming, it provides​ a light source for us. They would also provide cover from their arrows/spears/etc and likely trigger any traps they have set.

Clay also suggests sending them in waves. When the first set of barrels reach the goblins, they will waste ammunition. They might pause when the second set reach the chamber, giving us a free action. Maybe.

After making suggestions about the barrels, Clay asks Halfpint if she saw the Goblin King in the chamber, and asks if she saw any undead. He agrees with Ms. O'Hare about leaving, pointing out that they are likely to find more reinforcements and traps of they leave and return.

How low is Halfpint on HP?

[Marullus]

HP...

HD:
- Foxy O'Hare: 16 / 18
- Clay Weatherwax: 21 / 23
- Baxtaw Greayburst: 15 / 16
- Halfpint: 7 / 11
- Grizzly Woman: 10 / 10
- Morr (Hunting Dog): 15 / 15
- Huckleberry (Young Bear): 14 / 17
- Shortbread (NPC/Hiring): 2 / 2

[onlyme]

Halfpint resigns herself to a probably suicide mission. She holds her arrow ready to fight.
she whispers an answer, Yes, saw the king. None of those undeads. Just 30-40 goblins, some with bows.

[Rusty Tincanne]

week that is in our favor then. When we first go in, if you and Ms. O'Hare can keep the acolytes or any wargs occupied, I can call him Beith to tend the King motionless and Baxtaw can put a few of them to sleep.

Also, I just realized I can use that scroll to draw the symbol of own on one of the barrels before doing it into the room. Unless there is something better to draw it on.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Your plan to assault the king's chamber?

My/Clay's proposal. Consider this as having been proposed in character, please:

1. Send in 2 flaming barrels (if they fit next to one another easily and aren't likely to jam up in the passage). Baxtaw casts Magic Missile and keeps them with him as we march forward; Clay casts Symbol of Pain on a makeshift Banner.
2. Send in 2 more, nonflaming barrels; party follows those in with Shortbread acting as a banner dwarf, carrying the Symbol of Pain*.
3. Round 1 - Foxy and Halfpint use their bows to target elites (acolytes, wargs, etc); Clay uses Hold Person on the Goblin King; Baxtaw casts sleep.**
4. Round 2 - Foxy and Halfpint use their bows to target elites (acolytes, wargs, etc); but Baxtaw releases magic missiles at elite targets, further eroding goblin morale. Clay uses second Hold Person if needed, otherwise uses his sling.
5. Round 3 - Huckleberry and Morr engage in CC as appropriate, scattering goblins hopefully.
6. Continue fighting until we find a time to parlay with the second in command, whom we offer the bangles off Dmukas and his acolytes and a Kingship in exchange for the current King, his goodies (Fingers of Zhint, etc) and any prisoners (including Thundred's group and the Horn of Jarkul).***

*This might keep our 2 HP friend out of harms way a bit, and he should be honored to carry a banner. Dwarfs are gullible proud like that.
** Can the Grizzly Woman use Baxtaw's bow for two or three rounds?
*** In other threads, I have read that the Goblin King has something to make him immortal. We don't know that yet, but when we find out, I recommend one of the non-clerical PC's cut out his tongue to stop him from commanding his troops or using magics after Hold Person wears off.

Regarding the deal making. Clay would like to see us all live long enough to finish off the Goblin King. He doesn't have a problem with the goblins keeping this mountain, though this might be an issue for Shortbread.


Feel free to offer alternative plans or to embellish this. If no one has an issue with it, Clay will ask Shortbread to help him make a banner with things from the Infirmary - bedding, poles, etc. Or, if he is taking the drum with us (an idea I love!), Clay could cast the spell on the side of the kettle, but it puts our group at higher risk of seeing the symbol.
Anyone that looks at it will be effected.

[Marullus]

Baxtaw continues his watch, no goblins appearing in the dark hallway while the party contemplates their plan.