[001] A Wizard in Danger

[Eris]

OOC: Wendel is dealing with Fergus' wound. Naugrim, Willow and Ulfgar are dealing with the prisoner. What is Black Wolf doing right now?

Naugrim smiles benignly to the goblin, adjusting his tack. He simply gestures to the imposing Ulfgar, standing beside him."What I mean to say, you need to offer something more substantive to live at all. The punishment for your crimes is otherwise death." He drops into a crouch to look the Goblin in the eyes. "Who is Salub? What did he wish that your gods forbid you to do? What does he want the wizard for? Be forthcoming. I really do not wish to see you dead, either... and there's little purpose in you trying to hustle me."

There's no difficulty in following a plodding, barefoot big ol' human wizard," pipes up Willow, efficiently wiping blood and goblin brain matter from her arrows as she pads into the clearing. She points to the the trail. "No reason to be so foolish as to say we will follow the goblin. What else does he know?"

The Goblin says, "I'm not trying to fool ya and I'd rather not be dead either. I'll answer your questions but I don't know everything. Let's see...Salub is my boss, he's a Hobgoblin, and he wants to get something...a crown I think...out of an old ruin, but that place is taboo. We won't go in there, he won't go in there, the Boss says we gotta go in there. It's a pickle! Ya understand what I mean?"

"Okay, so the Boss, he wants the magic man because he knows something that he wants to know. I don't know what that is, so I can't tell ya. Maybe Salub will, if ya ask him nice." the Goblin looks at Willow and snorts, "Sure ya can follow the trail and ya might avoid the traps, too, but there'll be a fight at the end of it where ya might get what ya want and ya might not. If I take ya to Salub maybe no fight and he can make ya a deal that will be good for everybody, I'm thinking. See?"

OOC: Now for the bow...

As Fergus, the grim efficiency drops away as the tiny woman moves to the side to aid her fellow scout. She smiles kindly to him, rosy cheeked, her nimble, small fingers deftly following his direction to help with the bow.

Willow removes the good string and attaches it to the no so bad stave of the other bow. When she is finished,

([1d20+2]=17+2=19)

you have a pretty good shortbow...and digging around in the goblins' quivers come up with

([2d6]=8)

8 good arrows and 1 good quiver that will hold 20 arrows.

OOC: The shortbow will take 1 gear slot. The quiver and arrows will take 1 gear slot. Who is taking them? Remember to add them to your character sheets and don't over fill your slots or you'll have to drop something!

[shaidar]

Fergus

"I'll admit I'm an average archer at best. My strength lies in my sword arm." he flexes his muscles to make the point "If nobody can make better use of it then I'll take it."

[Rex]

Ulfgar

"Maybe we should just chop his ears off and collect the bounty on him. He hasn't given us anything useful like where these traps are located."

Trying to bluff him into saying more.

[Marullus]

Fergus
"I'll admit I'm an average archer at best. My strength lies in my sword arm." he flexes his muscles to make the point "If nobody can make better use of it then I'll take it."

"We may have foes who stay out of swordlength," Naugrim replies "but I have my spear in a pinch. You're welcome to them seeing as to your industrious acquisition..."
Naugrim has room to carry them, and can use it with +1 dex. Storywise, you keeping it makes sense. Willow has a bow and no carrying capacity.

[Eris]

Ulfgar

"Maybe we should just chop his ears off and collect the bounty on him. He hasn't given us anything useful like where these traps are located."

Trying to bluff him into saying more.

The Goblin flashes a worried look, but shakes his head, "Ya either going to kill me or not and I can't do much about dat. The traps are marked with a sign I kin see, but I won't kin where they be til I see em."

"Le'me live long enough to take ya to Salub er kill me now." he shrugs his shoulders.

[Rex]

Ulfgar

To Slaub it is then. If anyone sets a trap off you didn’t warn us of I will end your life then, understood?

[Eris]

Tick Toc!

OOC: Time is passing...

Timer: [1d6]=2

Now and then, you notice the Goblin prisoner is looking around the clearing and out into the thick forest that surrounds it as you talk to him.

Everyone roll a WIS check + [1d6]=4 >= 12. If you fail you feel fine, if you succeed you're getting anxious that something is going to happen and you just know you had better make a decision and get a move on fast!

[Rex]

Ulfgar

Wis (7) [1d20+4]=4+4=8

Almost made it.

[shaidar]

Wendel

WIS (vs 14): [1d20+4]=14+4=18

Wendel makes the finishing touches to Fegus's bandage.

[shaidar]

Fergus

WIS (vs 13): [1d20+4]=5+4=9

He starts to fidget, "Come on wizard, I don't like being stuck out here like this, let's get a move on and see what's these gobbo's want."

[Marullus]

Naugrim nods gruffly, accepting Naugrim's Ulfgar's decision. He sets about unbinding the goblins feet and ensuring they can hold the rope as the other end binds the goblins hands.
WIS (8, -1) [1d20]=9

Willow gets her own bow back to hand, visibly anxious. "This way to Bedo's feet," she whispers, heading to the trailhead.
Wisdom (14, +2) [1d20]=7

[Eris]

Everyone Follows a Path...and a Goblin!

OOC: The path leading north out of the clearing is only wide enough for two people to march side by side, so I'm going to want a Marching Order from you folks....

Row	Person One	Person Two
1st	left	right
2nd	left	right
2nd	left	right

OOC: Anything you pick up from the Goblin bodies and carry with you needs to go into your Gear Slots. I haven't checked y'all, but I will from time to time and you'll start unexpectedly dropping things or getting exhausted if you try carrying to much or too many things.

IG: As you enter the path leading north you feel the thick brush on either side of you closing in tightly. It's almost like you have walls to either side, woody, walls thick with thorns, but walls none the less. Willow and Ulfgar hear noises from beyond the constricting walls of dark green, but can't see anything through the foliage. The low overhanging branches are blocking the afternoon sun and the path is bathed in dimness...not quite needing torches, but getting close!

The Goblin calls out in his language, "I'm taking 'em to da boss! Leave us alone!"

A few strides deeper along the path and the Goblin says loudly in Common while pointing to an area of smoothed dirt on the path ahead, "Stop! There's a pit trap just ahead on the right side." The scouts among you can easily see where the tracks all constrict and move around that smooth area of dirt.

OOC: What is everyone doing?

[shaidar]

Wendel will be happy in the middle, left or right doesn't matter.

Fergus would like to be in the front row, again left or right doesn't matter, but ideally on the opposite side to wendel so they can't both be caught in an AoE

[Marullus]

Distrustful of the Goblin, Willow walks at the front to make sure she can see tracks before they're trampled. Particularly, she is keen on noting if they Wizard's bare feet veer off or if goblins peel off that group to form an ambush or a different trail.

Naugrim lets Ulfgar hold the rope tied to the goblin, falling back in the group. His mace and shield at hand, he doesn't mind being rear guard.

Perform. Make a Charisma check to enact one of the following effects. If you fail, you can't use that effect again until you successfully rest.
• Inspire. DC 12. One target in near gains a luck token.

Inspire (DC 12) [1d20+1]=2+1=3
Oh well....
Inspire (DC 12) [1d20+1]=16+1=17 (if Advantage)
Grants Ulfgar a token for a free re-roll.

He natters the whole time, trying to engage Ulfgar. "A sound plan kinsman! Why it reminds me of Alfric the Bold, perhaps an epithet yet in your future, who performed a similar act of charity. Sparing a life to allow him to guide..."

[Rex]

Ulfgar

"Perhaps but killing a couple of goblins ain't going to be enough for that sort of thing. Now maybe saving a wizard so stupid he got caught by goblins, maybe that will be enough."

Ulfgar works his way around the pit, holding onto the goblin's leash just in case.

[Eris]

Everyone Follows a Path...and a Goblin!

This is what I think we have, correct me if I have it wrong...

Row	Person One	Person Two
1st	Willow	Fergus
2nd	Wendel	Goblin
2nd	Naugrin	Ulfgar

Sure enough, there is a pit trap in the path where the Goblin said there was. Willow slides around it and keeps going making sure she points it out to those following. The party strings out then reforms on the other side of the trap and continues.

This path continues mostly toward the north winding back and forth a bit, then after rounding a bunch of trees the path branches east and west as it can't go further north.

It can't go further north as it has reached the ruins of what once was a 20 foot high stone wall! This wall extends out of sight to the east and the west. Although it is in ruin, it is still 10 feet high at the lowest. Large stone blocks, many broken, are scattered along the eastern and western paths that hug the remaining wall. Everything looks ancient, as the stone blocks and fragments are weathered and covered with vines and other plants. The wall itself is likewise weathered and you can see vines snaking up its sides. Plants grow out of chinks in the stones on the sides.

"Go to your left here." the Goblin tells you adding, "And mind the trip wire just ahead of you, it drops rocks from the wall if you trip over it."

Willow sees the tracks leading along the eastern branch of the path next to the wall...that is toward her left, so the Goblin seems to be still speaking true.

Sure enough, Willow and Fergus spot a thin wire about ankle high stretching across the path. It appears to be attached to a boulder on one side and the wall on the other, but you can see where it goes up the wall in a crack in the stone toward what looks like a wooden platform.

No one has trouble stepping over the wire and when they do nothing happens.

No more than a dozen strides further you reach a dark hole that leads into the thick wall. The tracks you have been following disappear into this hole.

The Goblin speaks up, "Ya got to go through there and ya better let me lead to tell the guards to not attack ya. The ceiling ought to be high enough for even the humans but it's narrow, single file from here on."

What do you do now?

[shaidar]

Wendel eyes the goblin suspiciously

"Maybe it would be best if we meet your boss out here in the open."

[Eris]

Wendel eyes the goblin suspiciously

"Maybe it would be best if we meet your boss out here in the open."

"Yeah, maybe, but that ain't gonna happen." says the Goblin shaking his head, "He's a ways from here and unless ya send me to ask him he ain't gonna come. Probably kill me and send a troop to kill ya if I did ask him. Probably, busy with that magic fella now, anyway."

The Goblin scratches behind his ear, "I know ya don't trust me, but I'm telling ya the truth. The Boss will wanna see ya, I swear it! He'll have a job for you, I know. It'll be Good for you. Good for us. Good for that magic guy, too. Come on."

OOC: Everyone give me 3 d20 rolls to bank for the next little bit, okay?

[Marullus]

Willow [1d20]=1 [1d20]=12 [1d20]=20
Naugrim [1d20]=20 [1d20]=16 [1d20]=18

Willow looks as anxious as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. "The wizards tracks DO go that way."

Naugrim looks to Ulfgar for the decision.

[Rex]

Ulfgar

"I say we move inside, I don't like being exposed out here. Archers above us would have us dead to rights. You first goblin."

He holds onto the rope tightly, keeping the goblin just in front of him.