"No oil, taste bad."
Keil shakes his head no, "Save your precious writing material. It will serve you better intact." Rummaging through some of his pockets sends ripples throughout the fetchling's cloak. Sneering mainly to himself, Keil eventually produces an old looking flask with a yellowish liquid in it. His yellow eyes dart around scanning the area around him for something to wipe with when they fall on the metal boots and glove laying on the floor. The fetchling removes his cloak and backpack, freeing himself of loose or dangling pieces of kit that may get snagged on the glue. Setting them down in a safe area along the wall, he carefully reaches out to try and retrieve the boots and gauntlet.
"Ah Arlok get it. Floor and door sticky. Boots and Gauntlet not stick. So person that come through here leave stuff at that door. Here Arlok help."
If Keil is having trouble reaching the stuff Arlok will lean in and use his glaive to retrieve the objects.
Keil finds the boots and the gauntlet do not stick to the floor, having been affected by the glue previously. Using the gauntlet to open the door it opens easily. Looking into the room, you see a treasure chest on the northern wall across from the door, and a skeleton’s hand lying on the floor cut off at the wrist.
"Ugrh..." Keil rolls his eyes at the simplicity of the solution. Replacing his treasured oil into a pouch under his cloak the fetchling then, nodding a thanks to Arlok, slips his feet into the boots. Stepping carefully into the room, Keil approaches the chest and examines both it and the hand.
Brok points to the skeletal hand on the floor.
"Best be cautious ... unless you want to leave something important behind."
Brok looks to see if the glue seems to be on the walls as well.
Keil sees the floor and the walls of the room are also coated in the adhesive glue. The treasure chest however is not. It is bolted to the floor though. The fetchling determines it is not trapped or even locked, and opening it reveals a pile of gold coins, 500 in total along with a single silver piece.
The fetchling grins wickedly at Brok's comment but Varg's words stop Keil's hand cold. Turning his head slowly to face the group, his raspy voice betrays his usual level of displeasure, "Well?"
Throwing his hands up, he decides to wait a few moments until someone of some sort of magical talent has had a chance to weigh in with their opinion. Returning to the doorway he moves to the backpack he'd left laying by the wall. Opening a flap, the fetchling retrieves a mud encrusted sack and gives it a quick flick in the air. Pieces of mud, dirt and dust are sent flying into the air. Returning to the doorway, Keil looks at the group expectantly...
Grey's eyes flare with faint purple light as he scans for auras.
Praetor scans the room for magical auras paying close attention to the chest for any emanations. The witch doctor detects no auras whatsoever from either the chest or the room itself.
"Grab the coin and get back out of there Keil, I'd rather not have to come in there after you if you get stuck by accident." Brok says to the rogue.
"Then I say we circle back and check the room to the west." he says to the group.
"We can skip that door to the south. I feel like doors are just targets for bad things to happen in this place." he finishes.
With little word from the grey witch, Keil shrugs his shoulders and frowns, Sure, why not, at Broks encouragement. Taking up the sack, he steps back into the room still sporting the exotic footwear. Careful not to touch anything but the coins, Keil squats at the chest and, holding the sack over the pile of coins, meticulously scoops them into the canvas pocket. A few minutes later, he deposits the last few coins, closes the sack and exits the room.
Safely back in the hallway, the shadowy man, looking to be in a slightly better mood than usual (a bag of gold will do that) drops the sack on the floor near his backpack and removes the boots. Stuffing the glove and boots into his pack, he slings his pack once more over his shoulders then dons the worn and blackened cloak like a tent over top once more concealing it all. "We should divide it now. "
"Clear." was the only work Keil got from Grey.
.
;
.
Perception
As Keil returns to the others with his newly-claimed loot, his keen senses detect the sound of something chittering from the empty room you just came from .
Before the prize could be sorted, Keil stops and looks past the others. Snarling, the fetchling adds, "Be on your guard, something is coming." Reaching a hand back under his cloak and into his pack, he pulls out the boots once more and slips them on. I'd like to see insects fight on glue...
Brok readies his crossbow and cocks head, listening to the noise and trying to determine what's coming down the corridor.
.
As Malzii sends her goddesses' blessing over you the rest of you prepare your weapons for whatever approaches. Before long you see a pair of large rats come into view. As they approach you they skitter along the wall avoiding the floor here.
Raaz Al'Zuul watches the fletchling recover the treasure with unmasked greed and rubs his hands in anticipation when Keil suggests they split the gold right away.
He is quickly distracted by the sound of critters approaching. He steps in behind Varg and levels his longspear towards the incoming beasts.
His plan is to attack the same critter Varg picks.
Brok curses at the ill luck that places two party members between him and his targets.
"Dagnnabbit!" he hisses.
He seizes on a possible solution and attempts to climb up the wall at the passage intersection for a better vantage point.
If he's high enough to see the rats over Varg, he'll shoot at one with his crossbow.
(-2 for one handed shot, +1 for bless)
From his vantage, Keil sees the creatures scurrying along the wall, but cares little what they are; their blood will bathe these dungeon walls if the fetchling has his way. Taking up a jagged looking bow, Keil knocks an blackened arrow and takes aim. As the lead rat approaches the grey witch, Keil looses the arrow sending it hurling down the hallway over the witch's head and puncturing the rats diseased flesh.
Brok scales the dungeon wall effortlessly and send a shot at one of the giant rats which goes wide. Vargrenz has better luck as he slays one of the rats with a well timed shot.
The other rat continues advancing which sends Vargrenz into action. The duergar slides in front of Praetor and calmly waits for the rat to come into range of his fists. The rat notices the threat and tries to scurry out of reach but Keils bow-shot nearly kills it. Squealing in pain, the rat turns tail and flees back the way it came.
Grey chuckles, impressed with his allies quick reflexes and deadly skill.
"I say we head northwest, back up the passage and then check out the room we saw to the south" Brok says as he drops down from his perch on the wall.
He withdraws a bolt from the case on his back and ratchets back the arms of his crossbow, reloading it.
"Good job, Arlok eat rat later."
Arlok string us the two by their necks and opens them up and guts them quickly and lets them hang over his glaive over his shoulder.
"Lead on goblin Brok"
Returning to the sack of coins on the floor, Keil stuffs the items into his backpack and readies himself for more sneaking around as Arlok collects lunch. The fetchling eyes the rats ravenously licking his lips as Arlok strings the rodents up over his shoulder.
"Why wait? Better to eat them fresh."
"Arlok like cooked meat. They last till we rest. Need fire. Smell may bring more dinner." He smiles.
"I think the distinction, and possibly the order of those two things, is lost on the majority of our companions." Grey said with a shrug to Vargrenz.
Seeing no disagreement, Brok cautiously makes his way back down to the northwest room.
From there, he crouches down and scans the room just to the south for anything suspicious.
to himself he mutters "We have to find something for these people to kill soon before they fight each other over the rat carcasses"
Keil's glowing yellow eyes blink slowly. Apparently Varg's views are lost on, "All the more for us." Shrugging his shoulders, Keil notices Brok moving on. Falling in behind, the fetchling's expression turns to business while the duo scout ahead.
As Keil and Brok move to investigate the empty room, the rest of you hear a commotion from where the wounded rat retreated. As you all ready your weapons once more you see to your dismay a troop of goblins, at least a score of them, move into the corridor and take up a threatening posture at the group of you.
The leader of the squad, a particularly nasty looking goblin, turns behind him and motions to a hobgoblin dressed in the guard uniform of Mitchrod. "That be them?" He snarls in the guttural goblin tongue.
The hobgoblin sergeant nods once in reply.
The goblin smiles evilly and turns to face Praetor. "We be the Ripdog tribe! That one...he under arrest! He come with us now!" He yells in the same tngue while pointing a grubby finger at the goblin wizard Chugs, who shrieks in a voice of anger mixed with fear and bolts away from you!
"AAAHHHHH...Get HIM!" The goblin squad leader screams at his underlings who immediately rush off to catch the fat wizard...All except the hobgoblin and another goblin.
The hobgoblin nods to you and motions the goblin forward. "Komm sends this one as a replacement to help you find the way to the Goat Prince's home. Be safe and may Kakobovia guide your sword arms to victory!" He then moves off after the other goblins.
It is not long before the goblins return with the wizard trussed up and being carried along by four other goblins. The hobgoblin sergeant turns to give you a final salute. "Komm expects you to complete your mission. Do not lose sight of it." He then turns and follows along behind the goblin tribe, leaving you alone once again...except for the goblin newcomer...
Grey said nothing as the goblin guards meted out goblin justice. He simply waited for the distraction to pass and gave the goblin sergeant a nod as they left with Chuggs.
"Shall we continue then?" he said when the distraction had run its course.
The bluish goblin steps forward with a snarl at the hobgoblin next to him - he dresses in simple, efficient black traveling attire, a gnarled quarterstaff in hand.
His movements seem sure and well balanced - the large backpack seems to be stuffed full, while multiple pouches dangle from well placed positions around his waist and bandolier, where a dagger rests casually.
One of the pouches definitely has something moving inside it.
Fiddling with his necklace - a simple string with a small shard of obsidian, he observes you all with red, gleaming eyes - "I am Grezzor. Chugs will not be... Returning" - he adds, matter of fact.
This strange one seems to have the most surprising feature in all the goblins you have ever seen, more catchy than his large ears, green bluish skin, red eyes or stubbed beard - he sports clean, well tended, perfect teeth.
"This one looks like he eats less than the last one, maybe you can have the rats all to yourself, Arlok." Brok says to the big man.
"Welcome Grezzor." he says to the new goblin companion.
"Grezzor, me Arlok. Arlok welcome new goblin friend. Nothing for us to drink here, so we share drink when we return home."
|
Varg simply stands and watches the proceedings as the goblin tribe arrests Chugs. All this time, the dwarf stands as still as stone. You are unsure whether he is in fact rooted into the stone, although it appears as though he is standing in both a flatfooted posture that would likely be impossible to move, yet simultaneously on the balls of his feet and prepared to react in an instant if necessary.
Violate the law and suffer its justice, whatever that justice may be.
When the new goblin introduces himself, Varg listens. After several of his companions introduce themselves, the grey dwarf finally speaks.
Varg. Welcome.
Keil stops in his tracks, What's this? The fetchling watches suspiciously while the troop of goblins run after the fat one. Turning to Brok he asks, "Wonder what he did?"
Moving in to get a closer look at the new comer, Keil waits in the middle of the passage for the guards to return with the fallen wizard. He waits until the last second before stepping out of the way, bumping Chugs in the process. As he does, the shadowy man lifts the tattered black blanket he'd lent the goblin earlier from Chugs possessions sneering, "You won't be needing this anymore." Returning to Brok's side Keil shrugs and holds up his blanket, "It has... sentimental value."
The fetchling takes a moment to size Grezzor up as the others make introductions. Hmmm, we'll see. Taking a knee, Keil flips over his cloak, removes his backpack and begins folding the blanket for storage. Without bother to look up at Grezzor Keil candidly remarks, "Nice teeth. What's in the bag?"
Keil had lent Chugs his ratty old blanket which I think he'd like to get back. And, since Keil is a greedy evil rogue type :)) he'd like to make a grab/slight of hand at Chug's money as well - it seems the guy is in trouble anyways and probably won't be needing it. If this goes against the game's morals then we can forget this conversation ever took place :)
"This one looks like he eats less than the last one, maybe you can have the rats all to yourself, Arlok." Brok says to the big man.
"Welcome Grezzor." he says to the new goblin companion.
The goblin nods in response, but adds no further.
"Grezzor, me Arlok. Arlok welcome new goblin friend. Nothing for us to drink here, so we share drink when we return home."
At those words, he does grin - "Your invitation is accepted Arlok"
"You talk like fat one. Are you wizard like him, too?" she asks, eyeing the wriggling pouch that Grezzor is carrying.
"That I am - a wizard. But not like Chugs. We are very different"
Without bother to look up at Grezzor Keil candidly remarks, "Nice teeth. What's in the bag?"
Grezzor slowly opens the small bag, and a jet black scorpion moves out from it, standing in the wizard's open palm - "Sting is in the bag" - he retorts - "And thank you for the compliment"