The kids had another get together where they had decided to face off on the tougher goblins that had first chased them out, hoping their two hirelings would even out the battle. It was another rout and they ran away. They HAD run across an adventuring party earlier that was down on their luck and they hoped to go back and entice THOSE three to come with them. And they did!
But it was the goblin guards with the Ogre backup and the group had to face off against the single ogre and prevail.
I will also say that after watching Corg almost die and William almost die, they took it more serious. Going so far to agreeing amongst themselves to pay the hired fighter more for the work he does.
Write up follows:
Charlotte snuck down the corridor with care, sticking to the dark patches while her three companions waited back up the passage. At the corner, she peered around to the right and looked into the dimly lit chamber. It was a goblin guard post and there were 6 of the greenskins there. Two were positioned near a trio of barrels, chatting quietly, three others were near a large table, and a sixth was by a fire pit where a haunch of deer meat was cooking slowly. It seemed there were at least two other passages out of here across the chamber.
Satisfied, Charlotte returned and let the group know what they saw. At this point, William organized the group into action. Charlotte and Loq were to take up the back of the party, with bow and sling at the ready. William and Corg were to be in the front, and at his call, we would fire and charge in as one.
The first part went off, but after that it went pear shaped quickly. The goblins were very ready for us and three of them raced towards us, spears out. Two of the goblins dumped the table over and drew themselves behind under cover to hurl spears.
Arrows and sling stones went wild, hitting nothing. And then the goblins crashed into out two fighters. And Corg was stabbed in the shoulder for 6 hp, dropping him to two. Loq withdrew one of his precious elixirs in order to bring Corg back up, while the two fighters swung again and again at the goblins. Getting nowhere.
And then William took a shot to the body, bleeding almost to death. Followed by another spear slash, this one laying his left cheek open from ear to nose, and dropping him to 0. Followed by Corg getting stabbed in the gut this time, the fighter going to -1.
Loq gave Charlotte an elixir to administer to William (bringing him to 2!) and he used his 2nd to last one to stabilize Corg (back at 1!). It was time to leave…again. Charlotte hurled the torch into the closest goblin’s face and then bodily dragged William back and away while Loq did the same for Corg.
The goblins chose to cast derisive comments at our fleeing forms, laughing at us as we ran away from this same group a goblins…a 2nd time now.
Once outside the cave we travelled upslope until we made it to the tree line and finally relaxed. Loq used his LAST elixir to bring Corg to 3 hp while the party bandaged up what hurts we had. We were chased out again. Not acceptable. It was perhaps quarter to 11 and we were not going to call it quits. We needed help.
The group came up with the idea to go back and find that party that had been assaulted by the mountain lion and was spending the day out here to eventually find their missing companion, Larson. Perhaps they would come back with us?
So we set out (wounded, but game) to head half way back to the keep and find the group. Luck was with us as they were still at their encampment. The leader, a burly fighter named Jakes, heard our tale and agreed to help us to “fight this room full of goblins and no place further” for a full share of the treasures found IF we were then to come with him and his two companion (a wizard named Sparks, and a cleric named Darrel) to find their missing thief friend (eaten by a mountain lion??) named Larson.
We agreed to the terms. Darrel used some of his elixirs (and we paid him for it) to heal our two fighters and then we began the long trek BACK to the Caves of Chaos. We filled our three new companions in on what we’ve done so far and how we hoped to do better this time.
Sparks and Charlotte would start with bow fire, and then the three main fighters would run in and if possible, two fighters on 1 goblin. Loq and Darrel would act as support fighters with their war hammers and be close enough to use elixirs should the situation call for it. Everyone agreed it was a good plan and we proceeded down the cave entrance and then the passage in question.
We listened, Sparks able to speak goblins, the wizard informing us that 4 of them were sitting at the table now and eating, laughing about chasing us off earlier, and should they offer any of the food they have to Kronk? Kronk sounded like a leader type but not one the goblins were interested in dealing with.
Not wanting to push our luck or wait any longer, we gathered in position and made ready. The two bow users fired, hitting the closest goblin who was perched on the water barrels and he fell back, screaming and dead. The rest of us moved into position and the battle lines were drawn. The closest goblin was hit hard; his head and left should cloven from his body, while Loq and William took on the next one, hacking him to bits. Three goblins down.
Jakes hit the table with all his might and shoved it backwards against the wall, trapping the two goblins there. Leaving just one. Darrel and Loq ran towards him, warhammers flailing in an effort to keep him at bay.
Of the two goblins pinned, one of them shoved the table back getting a bit of breathing room, while the other was kicking the back wall and hoisting a bag, screaming “Kronk! Kronk! We need you!”
And from behind the thick stone, we heard a deep voice answer, “What?!”
Another warhammer flew, this one missing the single goblin, while Corg and William engaged the one that had pushed the table. Charlotte and Sparks held their arrows until the back of the cave slid up and out stepped a 700 lb, 9 and ½ foot tall, green and brown skinned monstrous Ogre! It was wearing the flayed skin and fur of a brown bear like a shirt, and it held two large branches like clubs, clapping them together.
The lone goblin tossed the Ogre the bag and then pointed at the party. “Help!” it yelled. The Ogre, Kronk, weighed the bag with one hand, tossed it behind him into his lair, and nodded. His club smashed the table aside as he strode further into the room.
Charlotte fired, her arrow hitting the ogre in the forehead! And he plucked the arrow free and snapped it with two fingers. Sparks was waving his hands in mystic passes and readying a spell while Darren and Loq finally finished off their goblin with a pair of blows. The clerics retreated behind Jakes and William while Corg wasted the lone goblin on his side. This left Kronk the Ogre and 1 goblin cowering behind the upset table.
As the Ogre drew up to the party Sparks’ spell finished and he sent an arcane bolt 3’ long blasting straight from the ether before him to splatter into Kronk’s chest. The Ogre staggered back, the eldritch bolt would have killed a strong man. It only seemed to anger the ogre.
And then he was amongst the group.
The party swung and hacked and chopped but the Ogre was made of tougher stuff than the goblin, their blows turned aside or even just ignored. As for Kronk, he battered his club on Jakes, dimpling the fighter’s shield, denting his armor, and causing his head to ring. A nasty pair of bashing drove the fighter to his knees and the group was stunned to see Jakes barely getting back to his feet.
Arrows flew, swords slashed, and Kronk grew weaker and weaker until at long last, the ogre fell over dead. As for the final goblin, the party shot him as he turned to run, the greenskin going down with a squeal and gurgling rattle.
We listened for anyone who might have heard the fight and was coming to investigate, but we seemed to have lucked out. Charlotte and the two clerics went into the Ogre’s lair and looked around while William and the rest of the group stripped the goblins and ogre of anything important, and made ready to leave. Jakes was incredulous at the fact that there was an OGRE there, a bit more than goblin we had mentioned. We did admit that we did not know of the ogre until this moment and was just as surprised as he.
As for treasures, there were tons. The ogre’s lair was filled with bags or various coins, cheeses, brandy. We also took every spear there was to sell; knowing the smith @ the Keep would give us a gold piece for each. There were also arrows, some scrolls, and even a potion. Deciding we have pressed our luck long enough, we bagged up everything, and between the seven of us, managed to get every bit of treasure out.
We left the caves and began our walk back. Jacks suggested we go to the Keep to sell what we can and divide up the goods before going back with him and his group to the woods to find Larson’s lost body and deal with the mountain lion. The group agreed. It was a longer than normal walk back and the party was chatting back and forth about their new found riches and what they were hoping to do with it (horses and valet were mentioned but cooler heads prevailed and said we should not be so quick to spend what we have).
As we were passing the Greenscale River a flat bottomed fishing skiff (boat) with 6 people were on it and called out to ask how we were doing. We replied well and were then asked if we had come from the Caves. We said yes and then were asked if we had gotten any treasure. Some of us said yes and showed the bags but we were getting a bit worried at the questions. Then they finally asked who we were so they can meet us in town and toast to our success. William said his name and then cursed himself for making a terrible blunder…right about the same time that Charlotte gave up hers.
We went faster, leaving the fishing people behind, and the two friends felt they made a terrible mistake and would be on their guard tonight.
At the Keep we went to the Rusty Nail inn and settled down at a table near the back. A few of us went off to sell the spears to the smith while we sold off the cask of beer and the keg of brandy to the innkeep for a tidy profit. We then went through the hundreds of coins and realized we had over 800 gold pieces, 300 silver, and the same roughly in copper. It was crazy! We divided up the loot, each person getting over 100 gold crowns and other coins as well.
It was now 4:30 and once more ready, we were going to head off back with Jakes and his group to hunt down their missing man Larson and take care of the mountain lion once and for all.
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