Enemy clerics.
This was the first time the group (in either this batch or for the most part, from the other incarnation) had run into enemy clerics and it was eye opening for them. It was only a single one, and it was Command spells (never got to use any other ones) and the party was dismayed to see what had typically been their bailiwick be used against them, and to such devastating effectiveness.
The big battle ended up with one member dead, another captured (and dead), and two others at 0 and under and then back to positive again. However, unlike other times the party had faced such difficult foes, the decision was made to run - and flee they did.
Write up follows:
Chase plunged onward across the slippery stone (oil) and took the fight to the next chamber, a dining hall of some sort. A few goblins were there and some shot bows. Meanwhile both Tempi and Fergus followed after a brief pause, adding their weight to the struggle. From down the hall a few goblins shot bows at us, with flint heads that rang off the ground and attempted to light the oil ablaze. We returned fire but it was blind shooting into the darkness, hitting nothing except what sounded like water.
Eventually the fire did go out and the battle in the dining room was resolved. One of the goblins had been knocked out for questioning and a then left for dead. We took stock of the situation, heard nothing new from the “wet” area north of here, and after binding wounds set off once again. We passed a side corridor that smells like grease and cooked meat (kitchen?) and then came to a place where the ground sloped down slightly. There was a sizable long chamber with maybe 6 inches of scummy water on the ground. The far end of the room was a narrow corridor, barely 2’ wide. We decided to NOT go there as of yet and to instead explore the kitchen area.
It was a decent sized room and from what it appeared like the goblins had been in the process of preparing meal when the call to arms came and we assaulted them. There was a pantry here as well, fairly well stocked. We were dismayed to notice that some of the barrels and boxes had the stamping of Ferron, Orland, and Shakun on them – leading us to believe that there were some goblin sympathizers operating in the towns or on the trade routes.
Finding no other way to go we went back to the water room and the group was split up: Chase, Enthir and Fist’al were waiting here by the narrow passage and the rest of the group was in the “dining room” while Fergus and Flimflam were taking care of bandages.
It was when the first goblin tried to sneak through the opening that we hit it and dragged it into the water room where we dispatched it swiftly. A second followed and Enthir went off to let Flimflam know that we were being probed and should respond swiftly. The party entered the watery room and we prepared to follow the curving corridor and enter the deeper portion of the goblin lair. Fist’al scouted ahead, the elf relying on his stealth as well as his ability to blend in. We watched him go until some time had passed and we heard nothing from him anymore. Something had happened and we needed to come to his aid (and possibly rescue).
Chase went first, the narrow walls making it difficult for the group to move at any speed. It was when we rounded a corner and could see in the faint glow of the large chamber that he was told, “Surrender, human!” given a 5 count, and then fired upon until he dropped to the ground @ -5. The party raced to follow, Tempi forced last as his bulk was too large to run along the narrow walls. There were 10 goblins here, a mix of bows and spears.
As we tried to enter the room, Fergus was shot at by a number of bows, his shield shattering from a brutal impact. One of the greenskins in the back called out to Hades and command the paladin to “Die!” where he fell over and was stabbed by the nearest goblin and dragged into the room. There was a side door that they were bucket brigading the bodies (Fist’al was already at the door), while the goblin in the back was calling out, “Elves! Get the elves!”
Marcus hurled a handful of rose petals into the room and 3 of the goblins fell over asleep. This spurred the rest of us on to hit them harder and faster. Enthir and Marcus fired what arrows they could but to little affect while Flimflam jammed a potion of jump into Whosea’s mouth, the war dog getting hyper from the enchanted water. Tempi was trying to get further along but there were too many of us and the hall was tight. As Fergus was being dragged away, Enthir cast sleep on the mass of goblin putting another couple of them to sleep. Fist’al was shoved through the doorway at this point while Chase’s heavy body was brought to the portal.
At this point Flimflam climbed on his dog, pointed at the goblin cleric at the back of the pack (who was debilitating the party with the command spells) and JUMPED at her. The mass of gnome, war dog, teeth, fur, claws, and the cudgel all brought the cleric to the ground and stunned the goblin assault briefly. The local goblins around Flimflam and Whosea try to regroup and assault the deadly pair while the rest of the party is going toe-to-toe with what appears to be the goblin champion.
The battle is a chaotic mix of arrows, spears, sleeping and unconscious friends, dogs barking and goblins shouting. Enthir casts shield on himself, Marcus fires an ensorcelled arrow into the melee, but the shaft still fails to hit anyone of note. Spears are flying. The Champion hits Marcus with a flurry of blows and the elven archer hits the ground with a thud. Tempi tries to get into the fight, finally able to shove past Enthir and takes his anger out on the goblin Champion. The struggle is terrible and the half-orc gets his shield shattered from a powerful blow from the Champion.
Whosea takes down another goblin while Flimflam finally gets to Fergus’ side and using his goodberries, manages to get the paladin back up. As soon as he regains consciousness, a feeling of might washed over the group as the protection of evil aura he exudes gets reestablished. Enthir plugs a sleeping goblin, killing it while Tempi’s assault on the Champion does NOT drop the goblin stalwart! Whosea continues to take out goblins (and goblin dogs!) around him, Flimflam is braining sleeping goblins, and Marcus manages to suck a healing draught down, pretending to be asleep. Fergus snatches up another shield and prepared to rejoin the fray.
The battle is all over the place and we hear Tempi howl and fall over, the Champion bringing our mighty fighter low. Flimflam hands Tempi his last goodberries and healing and begs the paladin to get Tempi back up. Fergus surges across the battlefield while Marcus attempt to energy sap the Champion, failing. This makes Enthir fire off a distracting spell, the Champion sneezing, and gives a window of opportunity for the paladin to bring Tempi back to “0” and then back to positive.
There are precious few goblins left at this point, and a few of the sleeping ones that hadn’t killed are back up and in the fray. Tempi, Fergus, and Marcus and taking a terrible toll on the Champion who returns the struggle by shattering another of Fergus’ stolen shields as well as dropping Tempi AGAIN. Chase and Fist’al are long gone, there are TWO doors into this room (currently closed), and Whosea/Flimflam are mopping up the last of the stubborn goblins. We are beyond out of time and need to go now, the noises behind the closed doors are getting louder and we have almost nothing left, most of the party is at 4 or fewer hit points.
Enthir breaks first, the elven mage high-tailing it out of the narrow corridor first, the rest of the party struggling to drag the barely conscious Tempi along, knowing the goblin forces on the other side of the door will be coming through any moment. On making it to the water filled chamber though, the goblin that Tempi had brained a while ago and had disappeared was now here, trying to bar the mage’s way. Enthir barreled into him, his shield spell sending up a mass of phosphorous bursts, as he scuttled past the goblin and continued on towards the exit.
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