E2: The Secret of Gemhold [Patlin Judging]

[SlagMortar]

Once it is apparent there are no more immediate threats, Nars lets his shield drop and the point of his blade rest on the ground while his lungs work like a bellows. He feels a grim satisfaction at the route of the goblins and the freeing of Gorefoot's homeland, and a still smaller sense of satisfaction that he may well have won this productive gem mine for his people.

To Percy's request, he says simply, "Aye." He goes about the search systematically, with little feeling for the once living creatures.

OOC: Search +11

 

[Dalamar]

For a moment after the last enemy falls, Rodimus looks around for more. After he comes to the disappointing conclusion that no more targets are coming, he sits down and starts pondering on the kills.

 

[Erekose13]

While Nars beings moving the goblin bodies both to get them out of the way and to look for loot, Ridik and Percy move amongst their allys. It would appear that the pixie (who was eaten) and the treants took the heaviest losses. The nomads have lost a score of their warriors, but Ridik is able to save almost half a dozen (however many orisons he has, there are those who need saving). Celeriant stands with a heavy heart off to one side of the battlefield lamenting the losses.

All totalled there are 12 dead nomads, 3 dead treants (and their animated trees), the missing pixie, almost 100 dead goblins (the rest must have scattered), 3 dead giants, 5 dead goblin dogs, 4 dead goblin shaman, the ashes of one dead demon, and a couple of dead hobgoblins. Amongst those still standing are the other 100 goblins (who are not here), almost 20 nomads, the petals, and the thorns.

Inside the keep the cathedral is still mostly standing as is another building down near the giants. Inside the second is food stores that are mostly fresh(ish). The cathedral holds a number of rough sacks and chests with gems from the hold. Someone must've dug them from the earth recently by the look of it. The mine entrance stands open as well.

The loot contains enough rusted metal to create a rust golem or two, about 1200sp, 50gp, a couple of cut gems that were on one of the shaman, 12 small vials, 1 nice long sword (medium) and 2 nice looking short swords (small though).

ooc: no down turn in the housing market up here in Vancouver. Things are still pricey and selling high.

 

[Manzanita]

Percy goes about giving hugs and grieving with the trees, nomads, and anyone else who lost friends. The tells Gorefoot and Rodimus to guard the mine entrance in case anyone tries to come out and attack. She asks Nars to continue to search for treasure in the Cathedral and elsewhere.

She will examine the vials and see if she can identify the contents via spellcraft check (she's +10).

"Who's coming with us into the mine?" She asks.

 

[Erekose13]

Most of the vials are potions of cure light wounds, though there are a couple of potions of invisibility that were on the shamen. Nars heads into the cathedral and finds a couple of cowering goblins that had fled the battle but not actually Gemhold. He scares them off and they bolt.

The inside of the cathedral smells like a goblin warren. Many flee ridden cots and the like line the floor. It would appear that most of them used this building as a barracks. Towards the back of the cathedral there is a cloister seperated from the rest of the building. Nothing in the cathedral contains any item of religious significance any more, all statuary, stained glass, or other items has been removed.

Back in the cloistery, Nars finds a more well appointed if no less smelly room. Fetishes and the like hang in this artificially darkened room. In what must have been the shamen's abode Nars finds a small chest. Expertly picking the lock, Nars finds a small book and an amulet as well as a few coin (25gp, 10pp).

Celeriant and the others decline the invitation to head into the mine. They will remain outside, nurse the wounded that Ridik has saved and finish disposing of all the remaining goblins.

The entrance to the mine leads down and into the mountain. The tunnel is wide and well maintained. Heavy wooden braces hold the walls and ceiling and the ground has been well groomed. Small gage tracks allow mine carts access all the way to the mine entrance. One such cart seems to have been pushed right off the tracks near the entry way. About 30 feet into the mine, a door stands slightly a jar in the mine wall.

ooc: or if Nars wants to do anything else to the goblins (kill, capture, etc) he can.

 

[Velmont]

"I'll come, but I must tell I have nothing more to heal anyone. I have use it up all on Gorefoot and the fallen. Resting would be wise before adventuring into there and meeting mroe opposition, but time might be against us too." tells Ridik.

 

[SlagMortar]

Upon entering the cathedral, Nars spies movements and immediately brings his sword and shield to a ready position. Seeing them only cowering, he relaxes, but only slightly. He pauses for a second or two before deciding to present them to the nomads as the closest thing to legal authority in the area. He says in goblin, "Er, up with ye, dogs. Don't, ah, try for an, er, weapon. Hand on your heads." He then circles around and prods them back out the cathedral entrance. He calls to the nomads and fey, "Ah, here's some that, ah, didn't flee far. I'm, ah, not sure what you, er, want to do with them." Once some of the nomads take the goblins off his hands, Nars returns to exploring the cathedral.

This will be an awful mess to clean up. I'm glad I won't have to do it.
...
His face fills with pride, even though there's no one around to see it, at the satisfying click of the lock. He glances through the book, careful to not damage it, to see if there are any notes on the mine, and takes the newly found treasures back outside. He is careful not to touch any of the fetishes, thinking only, mongrel barbarians of the goblins each time one catches his eye.
...
When Percy asks about the mine, Nars says, "Well, ah, if you're going in, then, er, so am I." However, the dwarf does look a little worse for wear from the battle with the goblins. "Maybe we should, er, wait until tomorrow?"

OOC: Nars is cautious so would usually rather rest, but if we have a wand of CLW, it might be worth continuing. I do think Ridik and Nezrak are both about out of spells, though I don't think Nezrak's player has posted for awhile so maybe Nezrak would stay on the surface anyway?

 

[Manzanita]

Percy is feeling pumped. "I think we should strike now, at least a little, before they have a chance to set up defenses. Who do we got here? Me, Nars, Gorefoot, Rodiums, Ridik nd Nezrak. What do you guys think?"

OOC: Percy's stats:
AC 16 w/mage armor, 20 w/full defense
Spells remaining after round 9: 6/1/6/1
HPs: 45

Gorefoot and Nezrak haven't posted in awhile. Would you NPC them, Erekose? More likely state they want to stay on top and guard w/the nomads. That's still a group of 4, and not poorly balanced.

 

[Velmont]

"I don't have your combat experience and I don't have only a few spells left and only related to communication, which would be a bit useless. But as long as we fall on goblin soldier, I should be able to put ot good use that new mace and shield we found in the cave... I hope, we still don't know there enchantments." tells Ridik.

 

[SlagMortar]

OOC: Nars has 18/43 hit points. If he can get some healing, he can keep going. He could drink a couple of the cure light wounds potions if we don't have a wand.