Expedition: Baxtaw - Seeking Scatha's Lair - 23 July 2021

[Marullus]

So the goblins are within range of a sleep spell?

Easily. Range on that spell is 240'.

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Not being able to see the goblins looks for cover as close to portcullis as possible.




Theres alot of goblins in this place.

[Jernau35]

Yeah. Haven't we killed a couple of dozen already?

I like your plan Zhym. Are we going to try and keep one alive again? Maybe Piers can play Good Cop this time

[Zhym]

Turning talk into actions:
Lug waits for Osuna to cast her spell, then runs to the portcullis and tries to lift it while, hopefully, the others keep the remaining goblins occupied with missile fire.

Marullus, please let me know what I should roll for trying to lift the portcullis.

[Jernau35]

Since he can't use a sling through the portcullis, Piers directs Crowager and Rowine to join in the shooting and waits for Baxtaw to make it back under so Piers can heal him.

[Zhym]

Hopefully I don't have to add "while avoiding the trap" to my post, right?

[Marullus]

Bremen?

[Rusty Tincanne]

I've been working on this all evening on my phone and got Ninja'd!

Theres alot of goblins in this place.

We Baxtaw, et al, didn't clear the caves, just the King. It's bound to be full of them.

Maybe Baxtaw can use Dorbeck as a meat shield. (Those Blackhelms are taking a real beating up North! )

Bremen's jaw hung open, the words of warning disappearing in a barely audible gasp as he watched the carnage unfold. He'd liked that dwarf and elf well enough but Bremen quickly realized their deaths could offer the group a chance at life. He turned to flee and immediately saw Osuna. His mind raced in a different direction.You. Witch. Put then runts to sleep. Archers with me. Fire into the distance. Let's save Baxtaw and maybe get a prisoner that help.
Bremen and Stantz move ahead a bit and shoot past Baxtaw.

Bremen: Heavy Crossbow (THACO 17): [1d20+2] = 20+2 = 22, damage [1d8] = 5
Stantz: Short Bow (THAC0 19) - [1d20+1] = 16+1 = 17, dmg [1d6] = 1
finally!

[Marullus]

Baxtaw scuttles back, bleeding and afraid, trying to make curl by the portcullis to become a smaller target. Dorbeck makes guttural, choking noises as he expels his last breaths.

The group moves swiftly to their aid! Osana chants, sending her ensorcelments into the darkness. There is the sound of thuds and confusion as goblins collapse in their ranks. (5 asleep) Bremen, Stantz, Rowine, and Crowgar unleash a volley of arrows, all of them eliciting cries as they find targets in the long, dark hallway! Bremen's shot is so sure that he takes out the war-cry of the goblin leader mid-yell. He falls with a wet choking noise, instilling fear in his companions. (Critical hit effect: morale penalty. Two goblins slain)

Lug rushes forward and grabs the portcullis, heaving it upwards enough that Piers and Clauson can grab Baxtaw and pull him back to safety. One goblin arrow grazes the massive Lug (-1) as he holds the portcullis open, two others clattering nearby the rescue operation. As Lug drops the portcullis, Clauson and Piers both are able to call upon Baudh to restore the grevious wounds of the elf (+5, +6), helping him to his feet.

There is a clamoring of fear as the goblins retreat from what is clearly a superior foe...

Date: 2:41pm, 26 July 2021
Light: Bremen's Torch (3:20pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Dorbeck (Dead), Baxtaw (Moderately Wounded), Bremen (minor wounds), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

WOTC Die Roller (ours is broken)
Roll(1d6)+0:
4,+0
Total:4[/quote]
Party Init is 4; Goblin Init is 1.

Roll(4d4)+0:
2,1,2,3,+0
Total:8

Roll(2d8)+0:
1,4,+0
Total:5

Sleep Spell: Knocks out 5 Goblins for 8 Turns.

Roll(1d20)+0:
12,+0
Total:12

Roll(1d20)+0:
14,+0
Total:14

Roll(1d8)+0:
3,+0
Total:3

Roll(1d8)+0:
1,+0
Total:1

Rowine (11) and Crowgar (13) both hit with their arrows. They do 4 damage and kill one goblin.

Roll(1d6)+0:
1,+0
Total:1

Lug successfully lifts the portcullis

Roll(1d6)+1:
4,+1
Total:5

Roll(1d6)+1:
5,+1
Total:6

Piers casts CLW on Baxtaw, healing 5hp.
Clouson casts CLW on Baxtaw, healing 6hp.

Roll(1d4)+0:
2,+0
Total:2

Roll(1d4)+0:
1,+0
Total:1

Roll(1d4)+0:
3,+0
Total:3

Roll(1d20)+0:
13,+0
Total:13

Roll(1d20)+0:
17,+0
Total:17

Roll(1d20)+0:
11,+0
Total:11

Roll(1d6)+0:
1,+0
Total:1

Miss on Baxtaw, Hit on Lug (-1hp), Miss on Piers.

Roll(2d6)+-1:
3,1,+-1
Total:3

Goblins fail morale.

[Zhym]

"Anyone got...something...to prop this thing up?" asks Lug, not letting go of the portcullis yet. "Spear or something?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

Without the dice roller I don't even know! Maybe Osuna has a staff. She's a wizard, after all. If not, would Bremen's crossbow be sturdy enough to hold it without breaking?

Bremen hands out accolades to the group. Nicely done, the lot of you. Tend tend to Baxtaw while I deal with what's left of these bastards. Bremen reloads his crossbow and carefully stalks forward with the torch, careful of more tripwires and pressure plates. When he gets to the goblins he sits the throats of the wounded and sleeping survivors, smiling at their last audible, gurgling gasps. He stops when there are only two left alive and takes out his rope, binding and gagging them before looting the corpses. He is particularly interested in whatever the warband leader might have been carrying. When finished, he drags back the two remaining, trussed up goblins, still asleep.

When he returns to the party, he looks at the dead dwarf, then at the elf. He shakes his head. It's always tough losing a companion. This mountain was to become his and his folks when were finished. Shit luck. He asks Baxtaw directly. I'm here to do a job, which is why I brought back two this time. But I'm asking you if it's still worth going on. What magics do we have left today, even?

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Takes Dorbecks weapon to help hold up the porticulis. Thank you friends for your aid and excellent marksmanship. He sees Bremen bring back 2 sleeping goblins. I have used 2 of my 4 spells for the day. He asks the other spell casters what magic they have left. Has everyone used up there magic for today. Is there a safe place for us to rest.


OCC- Do you guys want to return to Gaul or continue on? Do you think moving further up from where we are now would be safe as there is only direction that we could be attacked from.

[Zhym]

It sure doesn't seem like we're in any condition to take on a dragon, does it? Even if we heal and rest up.

OTOH—and this is a dangerous way to think—what have we gotten out of this expedition so far? A few goblins worth of XP? Was there some gold, or am I remembering something else? If we can load up on loot and go home, maybe we can try again with a different batch of characters? Then again, I'm really curious where that secret door is now. Maybe we should at least see if we can get any info out of the two goblins by asking them very very nicely and not tying them up.

[Jernau35]

"I have two Cure spells, a spell to resist the effects of fire, and....er....a spell to....er...help detect traps..." Piers at least has the grace to blush and look away as he confesses the last part.

I think we should stick to it at least for a while. The longer we take, the more the dragon heals up. At least we should find the secret door. We're a bit beat up, but we've only lost Dorbeck, right?

[Rusty Tincanne]

"I have ....er....a spell to....er...help detect traps..." Piers at least has the grace to blush and look away as he confesses the last part.

Ouch! Glad it was an NPC.

Bremen looks at the cleric and recalculates his assessment of the man. Yeah. That last spell could be useful. Might even save a life. His tone is flat.

[Marullus]

Dorbeck lies still, his blood running down the hallway in a thin, red rivulet towards the melted golden doorway now behind you. They take Dorbeck's battleaxe and use it to prop up the portcullis, then discuss their situation.

Bremen slides under the portcullis and slits the throats of three of the slumbering goblins, then uses his silk rope to tie up the last two. He loots their corpses, finding 49 electrum pieces with the closed fist sigil. These goblins are also exceptionally well armored - each wears a shirt of dwarven chainmail in decent condition and carries a dwarven short sword and a goblin-made shortbow and arrows. The leader is identifiable by the crossbow bolt in his throat - Bremen finds he carries a dwarf-made hand axe.

Pocketing the coins, then busying himself with the trussed goblins, he brings them back for Piers to interrogate once more...

Date: 3:00pm, 26 July 2021
Light: Bremen's Torch (3:20pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Dorbeck (Dead), Baxtaw (Moderately Wounded), Bremen (minor wounds), Stantz (minor wound), Clouson (minor wound), Baxtaw (minor wound), Lug (superficial wound)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Bremen also grabs the hand axe and a few bow, and winners, offering them to the rest of the party. A short sweetie for Osuna, if she can use it

[Dram]

Baxtaw- Gives Piers Helps Bremen with the prisoners. Shall we find a place to rest? We dont have enough magic left to take on the dragon or find the secret door than return to Gaul.

[Jernau35]

Piers points out that they need to at least get out of the hallway while he interrogates their prisoners. He agrees that they are not in particularly good shape to go on, but that he is worried about more delay.

He also points out that resting up will mean having to keep an extra close eye on their two guests to make sure they don't gnaw through theirs ropes or something equally goblinesque.

Once they've found somewhere to question the goblins, Pierce will try to be a bit nicer than last time and begin by asking them their names.

[Marullus]

...so, where are you moving to before you question them?