PBEM - Episode 358. Gear, North, Lab again.

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHT

(I/C)

Kovid unrolled his map and motioned the party to gather around. "I think there are Hobs to the west by the Garden and a patrol near the stairs to the north east.” He looked up. “I say we cross the hall here and make for the Lab.”

“Ballsy,” Brendon nodded. “I like it.”

The dwarf grinned and continued, “Abraxas and Lyra go through first…without weapons drawn in case the Iron Golem is there. Hopefully the room is clear and Lyra can get it to stand down. We should all have our weapons down so the rest of us can pass through without too much noise or trouble.” He looked around the floor and picked up two ratty goblin blankets. “Maybe we can throw these blankets over the magic users so the Iron Man can't see them.”

Lannis frowned, "I'm not some incessant chirping parrot you can cover to make me fall asleep you know."

The Scout looked troubled, “Are we sure the golem won’t flip out if we try to tarp it? It might interpret that as aggression and attack, but otherwise I’m good with Li’l Man’s plan. I’m in.”

“Brendon, the blanket was to put over Lannis and Wyn, not the golem. We don’t want to engage with it.”

“Dis sounds like a good plan, Monsieur Dwarf,” Wyn agreed, taking out his shield and looping one of the blankets over his head for now. “Very much big-brain idea.”

Shrugging and taking the other blanket, Lannis sniffed it and scowled before taking off his hat and looping the blanket around his neck. "Makes sense to me, if someone IS in there though, I'd rather meet them head on than have them flank our rear. Rear...like butt, got it?

“Whatever,” Kovid continued, “We don't stop, open the north door in the lab, give a quick glance to the east to see how deep in shit we are, and we keep moving up the main hall north toward the Throne Room. That’s the plan.”

“If Salazar en de priestess be in de front, does dat mean you be bringing up de rear as we go into de lab?”

The dwarf nodded, “Yes Wyn, I can be the last through to watch our backs.”

“Excellente!”

Abraxas tapped his chin, “Si hay es no one in the Lab, should Señora Lyrcresta try to remove the Mana Gem?”

Lyra shook her head. “I think it’ll take some time. Looks like it was very difficult to remove last time based upon the gouges and chisel marks in the shield.”

Nodding, the Fighter then continued, “Pero es mas likely Mirabell-aire es en el Lab. So si Mirabellisimo es there, then we can usar el Golem a luchar en opuesto de Mirabellini. Y si Miramax es en el Lab, ella tienes ayuda. Maybe Pittales o las Harp-keys.”

“Abraxas, if we’re going on there first and there’s the golem, you should lower your weapon,” Lyra tapped the Scythe. “Last time it didn’t really appreciate us being armed.”

“No problema, Senorita. I’m not pullin it out unless there is someone in there to fight. En any case, necessitamos a estar listo.”

Brendon gave a thumbs up, “I always do, Doc. Will make it quick though, I assume the hall is NOT somewhere we want to be hanging out.”

The party all nodded and grunted in agreement. Comfortable, Abraxas concluded, “Si hay es no one there, then I agree con Señor Korgifs plan. Tambien, si Miraballs es en el Lab, Señora Lycheera should usas el scroll of Silencio en ella. That way Mirabellathorne no can cast spells."

Lyra felt around and made sure the Silence Spell Scroll was near the top. “I’ll take care of it, if we need to.”

Once all finished, we gathered at the north door and with slow care, Brendon opened it. The hall was clear, the faint smell of smoke could be detected. The barrel of sand had been pushed to the far corner of the hall and the hall was swept clear but still felt gritty beneath our feet (Sense party? >Black 13 – no). We crossed the hall and Brendon gave the door the fastest of listens (>Hear Noise, -10% quick, Red 53) before stepping aside.

Abraxas opened the door and Lyra and he entered first, the rest of the group following, Kovid quickly closing the door behind us.

Mirabellis was not in the room. Neither was anyone else. What was here was the Iron Statue, and it was in front of the alembic and alchemy set up, working the burners, turning the stoppers, and tapping the glass in places to make sure the slow mix and steady flow of brewing potion was proceeding apace. It turned when the party entered and Kovid and Brendon quickly pulled the blankets over Wyn and Lannis’ heads.

It scanned the party and then its visor twinged from white to purple on seeing Lyra. She gave a weak, “Hey” to it and added, “We’re just passing through, ok? No alarm or warning needed.” It seemed to stare at the group another 2 or three heartbeats and then turned back to its task. “Go. Go.” She whispered and Abraxas led the party to the other side of the chamber where Brendon quickly listened to the door (<Hear Noise, -10% quick, Red 03) and gave the group the ok sign. Kovid and he swapped places, the dwarf opening the door to look east and west down the hall.

The Cleric though walked closer to the Iron Statue, getting a number of ‘nos!!’ mouthed by Abraxas and Brendon that she waved off. She looked over what it was doing and even though she had no alchemy skill or knowledge, she could see the fine and careful processing that was going on. Looking over the Iron Statue, she whispered to it, “That’s your job right? You make potions in here. Probably did it for the Ispan too. But someone with a strong will needs to get you started and then once done, they leave you to it.”

The statue had said nothing, continuing its job without change. Kovid whispered back, “Hall to the east has the door open at the top of the stairs but no on up there. I can only barely make out faint hobgoblin voices to the west and south. Let’s go.”

“Okay, okay!” Lyra leaned closer to the Iron Statue and whispered at it, “I don’t know what you are making, but I want you to open these next two stoppers in the alchemy rig now, flood the mixture with whatever is in there, and then return to the normal speed of the potion making.” She smirked (<Cha Command, +4 link, White 8), “That should fuck up whatever these potions are going to be.”

“Now!” Kovid called back and stepped into the hall, Brendon right behind him.

“Senora, please!”

Lyra ran to the door, gave the statue a last look, smiling as she saw it was following her directions, and then joined the rest of the party back to the hall and on their way, the Fighter shutting the door behind them. “All ok?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’ll be a nice surprise for someone soon I hope.”

“My blanket smelled of pee,” Lannis complained, taking it off his head and replacing it with his hat. “You did that on purpose.”

“Shh,” Abraxas said. “Vamanos.”

The party moved to the “T” and then turned north, making their way down the dark hall quietly. (<Sense Party, Black 5)

However an inquisitive Hobgoblin all the way back by the Western Hall leading to the Gardens glanced down the hall on seeing the distant lantern light and yelled out, “HEY! HEY!! It’s THEM!!”

“Merde!”

Time now is Day 8, 2:06 PM

(OOC)

Called Kelly and she gave me what Lyra wanted to do in those 30 seconds or so. Good idea! As for being seen, it was only a matter of time. There is 50’ from the back of the party (Abraxas and Lyra) to the hall where “X” number of hobgoblins are going to come from and give chase. Let me know if the thought is turn and fight, or run now and make for the Bridge of Khazad Dum if swords are no more use here.

PBEM - Episode 357. Gear, North, Lab again.

The man rolled a 01 for listening, how could I not give him any info?

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY SEVEN

(I/C)

Brendon pointed to the eastern door. “I suggest we take the door to the east, it’ll put at the end of the adjacent hall. Then onto than onto the lab.”

Wyn nodded. “I agree, Monsieur Du Lac. De gobs be close by...”

“Roberts, Senor,” Abraxas corrected him. “De Roberts, according to Brian.”

“Oui. De Hobs den. Dat be worser. We should go into de goblin room, den listen to de nord door en see if we cen get any new information. Wyn cen take de east door if du Lac listens to dat door,” he pointed.

“Will do,” the Scout agreed, heading back to listen.

“Time is really running out on getting that ward back up,” Lannis noted. “We should really look into getting on them immediately, if not sooner."

“I hears ya,” the elf agreed. “Need to do as much info gatherin as possible before movin forward. Iffin we don’t hear anytin to de east or west, den we should go to de door to de hallway to see if we hear anytin. If we hear notin, den we just sneak to de lab.”

Lyra frowned. “Sounds like a lot of chances to getting found all this stopping and starting. But the lab is a good place to shoot for and then maybe the sulfur pool. Also, I didn’t realize you were pretty beat up Wyn. Maybe before we start all this roaming around we should get you healed up? At least take a potion, maybe the scroll if you want?”

Smiling in thanks, Wyn held his hand up and replied, “Merci Priestess fer de offer... it may be a stupid risk to take, but I have a feelin dat all my booboos will be goin away soon... as long as we cen make it dat far.”

“Let me know if you change your mind,” she answered.

“You’ll know,” Lannis suggested, “He’ll be the dead guy on the floor.”

“Ugh,” Wyn shook his head and wrapped up, “While we in de gob room, Priestess cen test her connection to de golem en see if dere be any information she cen get by concentrating on de golem... it may not be tell us anytin. But don’t hurt to try, oui?”

 “A sound plan, elf-friend,” Kovid agreed. “Let’s be quick, let’s be quiet, and let’s be smart. We need to get to the throne room, but if there’s a chance to get downstairs unnoticed to clean the bandages, we should take it.”

The Fighter spun his Scythe with concern. “I dunno. I is sure the enemies are right outside the north door, so let’s be as quiet as possible.”

Kovid opened up the eastern door to the goblin sleeping warren. It had been ransacked since we had been here earlier, bedding, belongings, sacks and whatnot had been shoved, kicked, and thrown about most likely by the forces as they followed us hours ago, leaving a path through the mess. Abraxas and Kovid positioned themselves there, weapons out and ready, while Wyn went down to listen (>Hear Noise, +4 Quiet, Orange 8) to the door, and Lyra and Lannis entered cautiously, everyone holding their breath and being silent. Brendon had been at the main door to the north hall, listening intently (<Hear Noise, +20% quiet, Red 01 – perfect).

It might have been acoustics, or luck, or just a bit of blessing, but the Scout was in the right position at the right time to hear snippets of conversation the hobgoblins had been having in the hall. He whispered them to Kovid as he heard them who passed it along to the rest of the party:

“..Fury wants the smoke smell..”

“..tracking them as best he could..”

“..knowing what Grimtooth knows about hunting, he’s the best one..”

“..telling me! Catharandamus, the Guardians, Brutus. They’ve left a swath of dead..”

“..that’s just today..”

“..runt doesn’t know how many teleports they have, at least I’m not stuck on Watchtower..”

“..I just couldn’t do it with one, you know? Pretty, but the feathers just..”

“..all over the first floor, finding wherever they stays, slept, ate..”

“..enough meat to feed an army..”

“..hoping to lure Hoots upstairs at some point..”

“..I was at the meeting, Corfard was THRILLED the ward was down..”

“..chit chatting, sir! Sorry, sir! You heard the Optio, patrol time people..”

And then the voices were no longer so properly placed.

As for the Statue, Lyra could sense the connection to it, but nothing else outside of knowing it was active and live.

“So,” Abraxas sighed, “Are we going to the Lab and then where…Oooh!!” He smiled as the last of Lyra’s Continuous Healing spell went off (1d4+1, Blue 3+1 = Heal 4!!)

But it did sound like the short hall between these sets of door and the Lab did not have anyone in it.

Time now is Day 8, 1:56 PM

(OOC)

Ok – there is nothing more to be gleaned by listening. Time to fish or cut bait. Shit or get off the pot.

PBEM - Episode 356. Gear, North, Lab again.

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY SIX

(I/C)

Let’s do this quick,” Brendon said, heading back to Mirabellis’ room. Giving the dead bodies on the wall a glance, he asked, “Should all the heads be removed from the two on the wall and the duchess?”

“Let’s leave what we’ve done enough as is,” Lyra commented.

Heading to the fireplace, he nodded and said, “I’ll check this out. Wyn, the rest of you, divide up the goods,I’m good with whatever. Hey, Little Man, since you are bothered with that section, do you want to look at the wall behind the ghoul for a secret door?”

“Good idea Brendon,” Kovid agreed, heading over there and stepping around the gore and blood. 

“I’ll check this wall. A ghoul would certainly deter a thorough search.” As he was looking, he asked, “After this, where to folks? Back to the throne room? We’re on a tight schedule, right?”

“What, it’s about midday?”Lyra asked, wiping off the worst of the mess as she headed over to the pile of treasures found. “A little past maybe? Whatever we do we shouldn’t plan on digging ourselves into a hole we can’t get out of quickly. We still need to head downstairs at some point and wash the bandages before we call it a night - just a reminder.”

"Whatever takes the least time,” Lannis replied, poking at the wolfsbane necklace. “I don’t think I need any of those potions. As nice as it would be to have that Invulnerablity potion, I'm sure several of you are fairly waiting to explain how someone else could use it better.”

“Stick a sock in it, Big Brain,” Kovid offered from the other room.

“This was an AB conversation, Wang Chung, so C yourself out of it, ok?” he called back. Turning back to the group, he continued, “Assuming Pinto the Wonder Horse here is done telling everyone where we are…”

“Dick,” Lyra muttered.

“…We should really start thinking about getting back to that throne room as soon as possible, or wait in the hidey hole and hope the way forward clears for us."

Abraxas was picking up the potions and weighing them against each other, brows furrowed. “Bryndlebus, tomas el potion de Invisibility, asi tu can stabby stabby El Drogo en el Dick. Y Señora Lyronica, tomas el potion de Resist Dragons, si?”

‘Yeah, sure,” she said with a shrug. “Don’t see the resist dragon potion..unless you mean the Invulnerability.”

“Eh, no. Y tambien, Señor Lantpiss, tomas el potion de Invulnerability. Necessitamos fuerza mucho a luchar en opuesto de Corhats.”

Lannis shook his head. “I have the Scroll of Protection versus Dragons. And you need to be a wizard or maybe an elf to use it. So I’ll keep that and she can take the Invulnerability Potion and it should still do what you’re trying to say in your butchering stop gap version of a languaging.”

Abraxas chuckled. “Whatever you say. As por el potion de Healing...” he shuddered as a healing wave from Lyra’s spell went through him for a 4th time (Heal 1d4+1: Blue 2+1 = Heal 3 (7 pts damage) ). “Quien necessita ayuda? Si es nunca, tomo el potion. Pero, si alguien otro tomas el. After Senor KoViky check este wall, y head to the Throne Room?”

The group talked around for a bit until it was discussed and finalized. “Hokay,” Wyn said, handing out the items. “Ever’one take a day o de Duchess’ standard rations – she be dead an we goin ta need ta eat later…” (Everyone add 1 day standard rations). “Monsieur Offop dun take de Wolfsbane necklace [2] and Priestess take de Potion o Invulnerability [5].”

She pockets it and reminded the group, “I don’t have any more healing spells, but I have a scroll of cure light wounds if need be.” She looked around at the party and both Wyn (down to 4/15) and Kovid (down to 14/37) looked the worst off. “Just let me know, or we can use the potion.”

“Tanks Priestesse,” Wyn smiled. “I’ll take de 3 potions o de Recall [15, 3/per] for now and dis Pearl necklace [2]…” Getting a snicker from the wizard. “I was tinkin about takin de sacks but I seem to be filled on my inventory an I already gots tree of dem in de Large size dat I took some days ago. Weird.”

He turned to Abraxas “Monsieur Salazar you said dat you would carry a few more spikes (take 2, fill back to 10), and you said you’d take de coins as well.”

The Fighter nodded. “Si. Just de silver. And it’s a bit, so Senor Krampus, you help an take some too?”

The dwarf had come back, defeated at NOT finding a secret door on the wall again and looked around. “Sure. Let’s split it up.” (Kovid add 150 silver, Abraxas add 157 silver)

Once the coins were squared away, the Fighter bent down and took Duchess’ bracelet and ring combo. “I’ll carry this,” he said, “No chance anyone else can take it if we have it.” (Add Master/Slave jewelry [4] to magic)

“Monsieur Du Lac, you already did take de Invisibility Potion, you should also carry de Healing potion for now.”

“Sounds good,” he replied, “Incidentally, there was nothing in the fireplace.”

“Tres mal,” Wyn replied, “As for where to go, I tink it be time to try to get down stairs again... or to de throne room. Eidder way, we gots to go to de North door into de goblin suite eet ees den.” He snapped his fingers remembering, “Watch for falling slime! Dat bastard Smallpox still be around.”

“I think I burned the last of it away in the alembic,” Lannis shrugged. “But either way, I agree. Don’t get Smallpox.”

Brendon had been listening to the north door (no roll needed) and after giving a thumbs up, stepped aside for Kovid to open the passage. The room was as it appeared earlier. The chamber was sparsely furnished with a simple bed and oversized desk on the south wall. A simple wooden chair was in front of the desk and an end table was near the bed, where a pair of slightly worn ivory silk slippers still sat. A floor length unlit candelabra was near the door we entered. Three other doors were here on the north, east, and west walls.

Brendon moved to the north door to listen (<Hear Noise, +20% Quiet, Red 41) while the rest of the party looked around with slow care. Lyra felt a bit funny as she walked through the room, a pressure that she could sense behind her eyes. It was as she moved past the midway point of the room that she could feel a “ping” in the back of her head and the same sort of connection she felt when she had activated the Iron Statue was re-established. “Hey!” she whispered. “I can sense the iron statue again.” She thought hard but nothing happened. “Same as before, can’t do shit with it, but they didn’t deactivate it.”

“It needs to see you I tink,” Wyn said, “Dat and hear you.”

“But it’s good to know we can still control it if need be,” Kovid agreed, looking around with care.

“Guide,” she answered. “I can guide it.”

The Scout moved back from the door and motioned the group closer. “Hobgoblins. Not on the other side of the door, more than 50 feet away, less than 100. At least 5. I don’t know. Murmuring as best. Couldn’t make out anything.” He pointed north and then west. “My guess? Somewhere in that main north/south hall that we had come down or maybe in the hall leading to the gardens and the orcs.”

The party nodded in thought. “So,” Kovid counted off three fingers. “We need to decide if we are going to try to head downstairs, if we are going to try to head for the Throne Room, and which way we’re going to go whether its through the Alchemy lab or take our chance in the hall.”

Time now is Day 8, 1:51 PM

(OOC)

Alright! What is the thoughts on where to go? And how to get there? Also, Lyra did offer to use a CLW scroll so you guys decide about that. I’ll also send the character sheets after this go round.

PBEM - Episode 355. Back, Recheck, and Ghoul

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE

(I/C)

Lowering her holy symbol and winding up her flail, Lyra frantically cried out, “Oh shit oh shit! Quick Abraxas we need to shut this thing up NOW.”

"Punta, silencio!"

"Banner fucking effort there Ringo,” Lannis hissed, scrabbling to get his Ishtari Rob out. “What's your next trick? Make it shoot pink lights out of its eyes? So much for stealth now D-Horse, we need to hide!"

Meanwhile in the other chamber, Kovid had been musing aloud, “Why would they build this area with two extra walls? Makes no sense. Maybe they had extra stones lying around?" At this point the ghoul began screaming and he whirled back around, vaulting over the bed and complaining, “I'm sure there was a scenario there where we just left the thing hanging quietly from the wall, no?"

From the bookcase, Wyn shook his head and jammed the 3 recall potions in the bag with the coins and necklace and looped it closed. “”Well dere goes any chance for de sneaky sneak.”

“Damn it!” Brendon quickly scooped up the rope and mirror and then stuffed the 3 potions back in the bandolier, turning on Lannis to ask, “I thought you said you were directing things, DID you tell them to fuck with the ghoul?”

"Hey! I was over here, and they're a big boy and a medium sized horse’ they can do their own thing!"

Gritting his teeth, the Scout mouthed exaggeratedly, “Do Some Thing.”

Pointing back in the room, Lannis mimed choking Lyra, eyebrow raised.

Brendon raced to the western door, ear against it, foot braced at the bottom about the same time that Kovid arrived at the northern door, doing the same. Wyn was between the two of them, looking worriedly south as Abraxas (>+7 to hit, +2 held, Blue 18..1d8+4 damage, Blue 3+4 = 7 Damage!!  >+7 to hit, +2 held, Blue 14..1d8+4 Damage, Blue 7+4 = 11 Damage and killed!!) and Lyra (>+4 to hit, +2 held, White 14..1d6+1+1 Damage, White 5+2 = 7 Damage and still killed!!) beat the living hell out of the stapled ghoul.

It grunted and gibbered as it was struck again and again. Necrotic blood flew wildly about as the two adventurers hacked and chopped and swung until the scream died out and the only sound left was the whacking sound of chopping and slapping flesh. Finally when it was done, the two of them breathing hard, weapons dipping with gore, the ghoul hanging limply by its neck, they stared at one another and gave a weak smile, the echoes of the sudden battle and howling screams fading away.

The group held their breath, waiting and listening (WMC: Red/Black 2 – no (IF you did not kill it, this would have been a YES). Brendon could hear movement in the halls, but it was so distant and nothing was coming our way. After 2 minutes we released a ragged breath and looked around.

“Hokay,” Wyn said with a whisper. “Dat is done. Noisy and messy, but dun. We need to decide who is takin’ wot from all dis treasure and potions and where we are lookin to go next. Cause whoever comes in ‘ere is gonna be pissed.”

Time now is Day 8, 1:41 PM

(OOC)

So close on the WMC!! Ok – let me know who wants what, you have a little bit of time to split up the stuff, potions as well. I’ll take care of the divvie up of the coins on the next write up.

PBEM - Episode 354. Back, Recheck, and Ghoul

The question came up, what happens to an undead that you turn that can't flee? The answer occurred this turn.

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY FOUR

(I/C)

The group was silent, looking in at the room, the ghoul was the only noise making gasping sounds as it twisted and tried to remove itself. Lannis picked up a loose chunk of stone for the floor and tossed it at Duchess, saying, “Yo! Shebitch!” in a harsh whisper. “I don’t trust it. Everyone should kill her again.”

“Monsieur, I don’t tink she can lie dere in a pool o blood an not blink as long as she did.”

“You’ve never pissed off a woman before, I can tell. Their stares are deadly.”

“We sure she’s dead?” Lyra asked with a frown. “Maybe we should light her on fire or something. I’d hate to see this bitch come back.” 

Brendon held up his hand, “Let me go check. Big Brain’s right, I don’t trust it or her.” The Scout made his way to the body giving her a once over. He pricked her forearm with his dagger and got no reaction. Crouching low he put his hand in front of her face, and then slowly moved his thumb until it touched her eye.

She didn’t blink.

Sidling back, waving his hand, and making a “ewww” sound, Brendon motioned the group to come in. “She’s dead. Stay alert, don’t know if she fucked with anything.” He began going through her pack and pouches, unlacing the buckles slowly and with care, waiting to find a wire, needle, or trap.

Kovid stepped up to Brendon and offered to help, “You know, I still have a suspicion there might be something hidden behind her bed maybe behind the wall. Need to check it out for traps before I poke around?”

He stood up, “Leave the body alone. Let me go with you Little Man. I’ll help you look behind her bed.” As they walked to the back end of the room, Brendon asked, “Maybe we could hide her and the chests in the secret chapel room.”

Wyn cleared his throat. “Hey dwarfriend, un moment!”

“Yeah?”

“Cen ye crab walk dis shelf out of de way like ye did in the library a few days ago?”

Sure, hang on.” Kovid said, heading back to help the elf move the bookcase.

From the archway, Lannis was nodding his head, directing the party what to do. “Scrappy McGee, you’ll get back to the body after Puffinstuff and Angry Ron Jeremy move the case to check for magic girl porn and treasure. Why don’t you two go see if you can put some quiet speed holes in Walmart Shane while I try and keep this wreck of a Saturday afternoon on the rails for a change.”

“Thanks, Big Brain,” the dwarf grunted, taking one side of the shelf while Wyn did the other, the two of them sidling the case away from the wall.

"Alright Kovid, what you want to do first when lifting is lock the knees,” the Magic User advised, using the Ishtari Rod as a pointer, “after that it's all in the back. Fast jerking movements makes the job go faster."

Sighing, Abraxas pointed back at the ghoul on the wall. “Señora Lyrite, let's put ghoul este en el Afterlife, si? Let's send this Undead back to Dead. So... El Cabeza? O El Cuerpo? Donde hacemos strike?"

“Agreed,” she nodded, “We can’t have someone unchaining this thing and it being used against us later. Ghouls are a huge issue. Best to put it down now while it’s still restrained.” She looked back. “Hey, Momma’s Boy, you think you do 2 things at once and watch us as well what’s going on in here?”

“Roadwarriror, you have no idea how many things I can do at once.” Lannis waved idly back into Mirabellis’ room. “You two go do your cleric killy stuff and try to not make more of a mess than you’ve made of your life.”

“Douche.”

“You should try it,” he retorted.

Wyn thanked Kovid for his help and then said, “Monsieur Du Lac. Dese are for you,” he handed over 3 arrows from those we had taken from the fallen goblins, keeping 5 for himself (Brendon total normal arrows 15, Wyn total normal arrows 19).

“Thanks, Wyn.” He tapped the dwarf, “Come on let me go check that wall for you, I want to get back to her body.”

“Keep up the good work, Precious!” Lannis cheered on the Scout, getting a friendship finger in reply. Wyn was checking over the back of the bookcase with care, remembering there had been a glow from the detect magic earlier. Lyra and Abraxas were staying out of reach of the ghoul, the two of them discussing exactly how to hit it for maximum effectiveness.

After giving the wall a once over (no roll needed), Brendon gave Kovid a thumb’s up, allowing the dwarf to check the wall while the Scout returned to the body and resumed cataloging her items and what she had.

“Ok,” he said, taking 1 item at a time and moving it aside. “We have, let’s see. 50’ of rope [10], 2 small sacks [1], 6 iron spikes [2/per], a small mirror [10], hmm…a set of thieves tools [10]…hang on.” He unrolled her set and then his own, checking them both against each other. Taking a few of her prods that were in slightly better condition than his own, he swapped them out and rolled up both sets again. “Ok, where was I?”

“Scout tools,” Lannis suggested.

“Yeah. Ok…necklace with some small white flowers on it.”

“Wolfsbane,” the Magic User offered.

“Right. No more werewolves?” Brendon asked.

“Who knows with this goofy castle.” He shrugged. “What else?”

“Let’s see. Belt pouch. 21 copper, 7 silver, and…13, no, 15 gold crowns.”

“She is a shitty thief,” Lannis groused. “Seems paltry.”

“Yeah,” Brendon kept looking. “Short sword, nothing special, both Wyn and mine seems a lot better. There’s a ring on her right hand, gold band, some writing on it. I can pry…it…off. Got it.” At that point, he looked over at Wyn. “Hey! This ring feels like it’s pulling my hand to you.”

“Dats weird.” The elf frowned. “Is it a ring of elf locating?”

Brendon walked over, holding the ring and moving his arm up and down slowly. “No. I can feel a faint buzz and pull.” He walked closer and closer, moving the ring about until it stopped at the gold bracelet the elf had taken from the battle in the Adepts’ room. “Here. It’s pointing..here. At this.”

Wyn looked at the bracelet. “Dis was hers, right?”

“Yep.”

“She lost it during de battle when I hit her, yes?”

Brendon nodded, seeing where this was going. “Yeah. Hit her and the bracelet just fell off.”

“And I picked it up, and I put it on, Oui?”

The Scout nodded. “And that bitch was able to find us wherever we went afterwards, her and her pet goblins.”

“Ugh,” Wyn twisted off the bracelet and held the ring to it, feeling the same pull and buzz the Scout was talking about. “She played us. Well done, you bitch.” He sighed, laying them aside for now (Master and Slave tracking Set – range up to 3 miles). “What else she have?” he sighed, “Anyting dat is potion like?”

“Aye,” the Scout replied, “she has a bandolier with 3 potions left on it.”

“What are they?”

“Poiton of…Invisibility. Potion of…Healing. And Potion of…Invulnerability.”

“Whoa!” Kovid exclaimed. “What’s THAT do?”

Lannis (Int >13, no roll needed) looked at the vial. “It’s pretty good. Makes your skin act as if it’s tougher than platemail, and most everything else that might kill you doesn’t. Master Brooklyr had a few of these brewed when he would sell then to the pugilists who would come by when they had their challenge fights.” (Gives effective AC of 18 and a +2 on all saves for 7-12 turns after drunk)

Kovid meanwhile had gone all over the wall (<Stonework, Yellow 2) convinced there was a secret door there, but his rigorous searching turned up nothing and he returned to the Scout dejected. “I was sure there was gonna be something there.”

“It’s ok, Little Man. It’s the Castle’s fault, not yours.”

Wyn had been searching over the back of the case with diligent care (<Int Search, Orange 3) when he found a section near the base that had been cut away and reset in place. With care he used the tip of his dagger to pop the back off and then coaxed out the sack from within that jingled promisingly. “I found sometin,” he said with a smile. Once free, he slid it out and unwrapped the top.

“What you find?”

Opening the back revealed it was filled with copper and silver coins. Quickly sorting them and counting them up, Wyn said, “Tree hunnerd copper pieces and tree hunnerd silver pieces, mes amis.”

“Oi,” Kovid sighed, “That’s a lot of copper weight to carry.” He shrugged. “But fuck her. Anything else?”

“Butt fuck?” Lannis asked.

“What?”

“You said…know what? Never mind. What else, Wyn?”

“Dere is a necklace ‘ere. Pearls, string o dem.”

The Magic User bent over laughing, wiping his eyes. “Are you serious? She has a pearl necklace? HAHAHHAHHAAHA…SNORT…AHAHAHHAHAHAHHA!!” The rest of the group just looked at the wizard until he finally calmed down and wiped his eyes clear. “Ok, ok, so sorry. What else?”

“You really have like the brain of a 12 year old, don’t you?” Lyra asked from the other room.

“Come on, it is funny.”

Brendon looked over the necklace  and smiled. “Worth 300 crowns back in Specularum.

“Dat is good at least.” The bag was empty but the hidey hole did have 3 potion vials in it. He pulled them out, they were all identical. “And here we go. 3 Recall Potions.”

“Alright, that’s very nice,” Lannis agreed.

While all this was going on, Abraxas had positioned himself on one side of the restrained undead, holding the Scythe as low as he could and still swing it effectively as well as stay out of the ghoul’s reach. He had gotten another burst of healing (1d4+1, Blue 2 = Heal 3!!!)  “I am going to hit it above the bolt, in the capeza. Si?”

Lyra was on the other side, holy symbol in one hand and brandished, Flail in the other. “Works for me. I have a turn undead ready in case this goes pear shaped. Not sure how effective it’ll be against ghouls, but if anything looks less than kosher, I’m going to blast it.”

“Si. It’s not like it can escape, Hahaha.” He laughed, getting a weak chuckle in reply from Lyra. The ghoul, seeing the Fighter getting ready to swing was twisting and looking about, legs braced on the floor, hands out as if it could ward off the blow it suspected was coming. “Hokay. Uno…Dos…TRES!” and he swung hard (>+7 to hit, +2 held, Blue 9), the Morrigaan weapon giving a whistle as it parted the air and slammed ABOVE the bolt as intended, crashing into the ghoul’s head (1d8+4 damage, Blue 4+4=8 Damage!) with a crackling THUD.

(<+3 to hit, -2 grab, Black 12) The blow would have killed an ordinary being. But the undead, still with the Scythe in its skull, reached up with both hands and GRABBED the weapon at the back end of the blade AND at the shaft and gibbering and hissing, tried to PULL the weapon and Abraxas closer

“Ah!” The Fighter snarled, digging his feet in and holding on to the end of the Scythe. “LET…GO!!” (Combative Str check: Abraxas Blue 11 (under 7) vs Ghoul White 15 (under 3)) The Fighter was able to lock his leg and stay just outside the ghoul’s potential reach, halting the pull forward, but was at a loss as the ghoul did not let go of the Scythe and was shaking the weapon while cackling and spitting brown stained spetum at Abraxas.

“Hang on, Big Guy! Aine! TURN this thing!” Lyra commanded, her holy symbol bursting with white light that bathed the ghoul from head to toe. It spasmed and whirled on the Cleric and SCREAMED, letting go of the weapon, as the holy light washed over it (Auto Turn ghouls: 2d6 hd: White 4+6=10 HD). It howled as if in terrible pain, shrieking to high heavens as Lyra’s turning tried to drive it away, but it was held in place by the bolt around the neck.

“ARE YOU BOTH FUCKING CRAZY?!” Lannis yelled at them. “Every Orc in Mordor’s going to hear that racket!”

Time now is Day 8, 1:38 PM

(OOC)

Explore XP (Duchess room): Everyone get 45 xp.

Treasure XP: 321 copper, 307 silver, 15 gold, Necklace 300 gold: 348 Divided

Combined Explore and Treasure – Everyone add 103 xp

WMC no matter what, end of next turn. Will be DOUBLE chance if you can’t kill or silence the ghoul next turn. Let me know who wants what from the items found (assuming you have time to divvie it up if WMC goes poor). The bracelet and ring combo was how Duchess always knew where we were today. Let me know who’s doing what and how soon fast. Please look at pic for placement – there are 3 possible ways into this room as well as how far each person is or isn’t from the screaming ghoul.

PBEM - Episode 353. Back, Recheck, and Ghoul

Group had a bit of time to recheck the last 2 rooms a bit more carefully since they had skimmed it earlier. But they were aware that they were on borrowed time and were in danger of being found.

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THREE

(I/C)

“Duchess. I can almost hear the “T” when you say her name, weird,” Lannis noted. “And yes, we’re leaving. Oui, Wyn?”

“Oui, Monsieur Offop. Dis goblin ‘ad nudding on him,” he chuckled a bit, “And he seems ta be one ‘and shy as well.”

“Elves and goblins just don’t mix.”

“Who said that?”

“Could have been any one of us.”

Brendon bent down and scooped up Duchess’ bow, then coughed, getting his ear to the door and listening, “The ghoul might be loose in the room as we backtrack to, I assume, the crazy bitch’s bed chamber.”

As the group was gathering at the north door, Lannis pulled out his healing potion and popped the top, drinking it down (Healing Potion 1d6: Pink 4 – Heal 4). “Not Mirabellis’ room, dumb shit,” he muttered, “the one north of there.”

“No…Not the haaandy bed,” the scout said with a grunt.

“I wasn’t…never mind. And I know that how magic works is beyond you, as well as soap, manners, and no rolling the letter ‘r’ when you are stressed, but I doubt Duchess let it go on her way through,” he noted snidely, “She probably can't control it any more than we can.”

“Whatever, Big Brain,” he chuckled. “I really like your entertaining impression of a trotting pony before.”

“Quick to point fingers, huh? The goblins are dead right?” he pointed back at the slain greenskins. “How about this, if two small, weak enemies ever jump on you while better fighters approach, I promise to take a few swings in your direction. Better?"

Brendon shrugged, “You couldn’t figure out that maybe searching the bodies WHILE everyone was working to get done with this room and make sure the Duchess was finally dead would expedite our departure? Great use of that big brain.”

"Sorry my mind doesn't immediately jump to robbing the dead,” Lannis retorted. “Besides I doubt any of these ankle biters are holding the key to this adventure.” He pointed to the dead goblin that Kovid had smashed the skull in “That one doesn't even have pockets."

Shaking Duchess bow, Brendon replied, “Yeah, they gave us nothing to take, huh? Why don’t you scavenge some arrows or something.”

"Oh wow,” Lannis gasped in fake wonder, clapping both hands to his cheeks, mouth wide. “You found the bow you were looking directly at when she dropped it! Good thing you were here Captain Charisma.” He pointed at the door, “Can WE please go stab that broad now?"

Grabbing the two quivers that the goblin bowmen had (8 arrows remaining total in both quivers), Wyn shook his head and said, “Du Lac, I tink we cen save time en just take de arrows from doze two gobs so we don’t need ta try ta salvage any.”

“Thanks, Wyn,” Brendon nodded at the elf (<Hear Noise, Red 20) satisfied there was nothing nearby anywhere. Giving Lannis a sharp eye he said, “We? Is that French for ‘as in someone else does it’?”

Placing one hand on his chest, the magic user drew himself up and answered, "Well I've never heard of any place called French before…but if you don't like it, it must be lovely. Hey Wyn, you ever heard of French before, they got maps in your swamp?"

From the back of the party, Abraxas snapped his fingers and pointed at the two friends bickering. "Vamonos amigos. To La Dyke-chessas room. Brefdin, por favor, did you check la puerta?” On getting a nod and thumbs up he nodded back and motioned ahead, “Hokay. Then we listen to Mirabellisella's room puerta. Then, we figure out whether to go in or go around. Si? We need to find her ahora."

Leaning closer to Brendon, Lannis whispered, “Abraxas isn’t from French.”

“No,” he replied, “he said he’s from Specularum. I can’t understand one tenth of what he says sometimes.”

“Not with that accent.”

“Could you imagine if you had to read something Doc wrote?” Brendon whispered in reply.

Lannis smirked and shook his head. Raising his voice he looked at the dead goblins, “So…We’re done here? Nothing else, let’s go?”

Lyra had unwound her flail and was holding it ready again. Looking back at the dead, including the still giant goblin on the dais, she said, “Whatever, can’t say the goblins definitely don’t have anything good. That asshole there had a giant potion. But I don’t disagree, finding Dutchess should probably be our first priority.”

“Oui. Ye be right,” Wyn nodded, “I was tinking dat leavin de gobs here might bite us in de ass later... maybe literally... but dere be nottin we cen do bout it. Gotta move.”

Lannis leaned over and whispered again, “Wyn can’t be from French either, hear that accent?”

Kovid pushed his way past the two men whispering to each other and said angrily, “Can you cut the chatter? I’m opening the door.”

As the dwarf gripped the handle, hammer at the ready, Lannis leaned over to Brendon and mouthed in a breathy fake whispering squeaky voice, “Can you cut the chatter? I’m opening the door.”

The Scout snickered, which had the wizard give forth a short laugh, getting a eyeful from the rest of the party until everyone calmed down enough to finally return to the business at hand. Kovid opened the door, and the party looked into the hall. The chairs and candelabra were still there, although they looked disturbed. The hall also showed signs of recent passage down its length, many sooty footprints and the acrid stink of hobgoblins. But as of now, the passage was empty.

“I tink dey bought our ruse from before,” Wyn said pointing down the hall.

“Except for El Dyke-chess,” Abraxas frowned. “Vamanos,” he shut the door behind us as the last person passed through. We also noted that Kovid’s armor and hammer no longer had that scintillating look they had while in the Sanctuary. The Scout listened to the door to Mirabellis’ room (no roll needed) and although he heard a faint chain rattle not too far away (the ghoul?), there was nothing else sounding from within.

Confident the hall’s ceiling was free of danger, Wyn nodded to Kovid who once more readied his hammer and opened the door to Mirabellis’ chamber.

It too was also as we had seen it before. There was nothing new or different except for a number of sooty footprints heading south across the chamber. The ghoul on the wall once more tried to pry itself off the neck staple and get to us but was unable to do so, gasping and wheezing in fury instead. Whatever, outside of the undead, the chamber and surrounding areas were eerily quiet.

The Scout led us across the room, Kovid’s lantern lighting the way. Abraxas gasped and smiled (Continuous Heal 1d4+1: Blue 4 = Heal 5 Damage!) as more of the wounds on his body closed up. He gave Lyra a thumbs up and she returned it, holding up three fingers and pointing at him. He nodded in thanks and the group pressed on.

We approached the far end of the room and peered through the archway to Duchess’ chamber, weapons ready and waiting for any problem. Sunlight was still streaming in through the windows. The two doors in here were closed but the stops we had put under them had been forced open and missing.

And Duchess was lying on the floor in a pool of blood near the chair between the two windows, unmoving, unbreathing, pale and staring out with dead eyes.

Time now is Day 8, 1:28 PM

(OOC)

Ok – you guys are at the archway going to her chamber. So far no one is here or heard us, and according to Brendon, he heard nothing nearby.

PBEM - Episode 352. Duchess, Goblins, and Giants.

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY TWO

(I/C)

“Filthy fucking rodents!” Lyra cursed, wrapping her flail around her neck and then diving at Abraxas, hoping to pull the one off his waist free.

Meanwhile the one around his head with a deathgrip on his hair, the Fighter was struggling to get a grip on its neck, driving his forearm into its face and getting bit and scratched for his efforts. "¡Mama las pingas! Get estes fuckers off me!”

“Come on, damn it!” Brendon yanked out a dagger and vaulted over the leg of the fallen Theystran statue, racing to help out, while Kovid joined in, running hard, hammer waving in the air. “You green filths are slowing us down,” he cried out, “We’ve got more important people to kill ya know.”

“Hurry Lannis!” the Scout called as he charged past the Magic user.

Lannis was jogging up, his rod of Ishtari out, looking at the fighter spinning with two goblins scrabbling all over him, blood flying, Lyra wrapping her arms around one of them legs braced and pulling hard. “I…I’m coming!” He could see the Fighter’s face red and eyes bloodshot, radiating anger and fury. “He’ll probably be REAL mad if I hit him on accident.”

Seeing the rest of the party making their way over to the scrum, Wyn shifted over to his axe and started looking across at the fallen goblins. “I’ll make sure de verte putain are dead, Monsieur Offop. You can go.”

“I’ll get there. I don’t want to crowd out the others, you know.” He put a bit of a jog in his step for two paces and slowed down again. "If he wants my help he'll say so; clean up is a perfectly fine position."

The Cleric had finally gotten a good enough grip (Combative Strength: Lyra White 5 (under 4) vs goblin Teal 14 (over 4)) on the goblin and PULLED. It gibbered in its own language, wrapping one arm completely around Abraxas’ thigh, its other hand hooked into his belt. “By Aine’s Flowing Locks…Let..the…hell…GO!!” With a final pull, its grip slipped free and it wailed as the Cleric pulled the goblin free and spun around, holding it by the leg and waist.

“Gracias!” Abraxas cried out, able to devote all his attention to the lone goblin.

“Hang on Lass!” Kovid cried out, running faster, hammer spinning as he went. It’s head raised sparks at it cracked against the ground and then as Lyra was able to correct her balance and before the goblin could whirl around and grapple her, the dwarf finished his charge and swing (>+6 to hit, Yellow 13) and blasted his hammer right in the greenskin’s skull (1d8+3 Damage, Yellow 4+3=7 Damage and killed!!), sending brain and skull fragments to splatter around him and Lyra. “Gotcha!! Haw haw haw! Look at the mess!”

The Fighter, no longer having to split his attention, wrapped one hand and then the other around the goblin’s midsection, snarling in its face as it screamed in his. “Rrrrrnnnngggaaa!” he roared (Combative Strength: Abraxas Blue 1 (Under 17, perfect!!) vs Goblin White 20 (Over 10, fumble!!) HAHA!) and with ludicrous ease, pulled the goblin off of him, the greeskin taking a hunk of the Fighter’s hair with it in one bony fist. He held the gyrating humanoid up like a squealing pig. “Ahora you’ve e volvio loco!” And then he drove the goblin face first DOWN to the Sanctuary’s stones with a wet crack (1d2 +3 Damage: Blue 5: 2+3 = 5 Damage!). It gasped for air, its nose broken, the sound of ribs snapping like twigs.

“Allow me to help,” Brendon called out, blade flashing. Abraxas twisted the goblin off the ground slightly and the Scout (>+3 to hit, Red 19) was able to bury 9 inches of his dagger into its neck, severing it carotid (1d4 Damage, Red 4 and killed!) and killing it.

Releasing the dead body so it fell to the floor, Abraxas was dismayed to see the amount of hair it had yanked from his scalp and felt his head for the stinging bare patch. “Ugh. Let’s finish this up and then let's find La Dyke-chess and make her mad muerte."

Lannis looked over at the dead bodies and put away his Rod with a smile. “I’m all for that.” He turned back around, watching Wyn who was standing over a goblin breathing shallowly, eyes rolling, covered in its own blood. “You ok there, Lojack?”

“Oui.” He continued to watch, eyes focused on the goblin’s twitching hand. “Just making sure dis one ain’t gonna run.” He crouched lower and smiled at it, watching its eyes flutter and hand curl and uncurl, gurgling in the back of its throat. “Oh look, he’s tryin’ to escape.” Casually he let the blade fall on the goblin’s wrist, raising a welter of blood. “Stop. Don’t run,” he said, lifting the axe and letting it fall again, the goblin rattling at this point. “Wait, we want to parley.” He then let the blade fall a third time harder and the hand was severed at the wrist and the greenskin looked horrified as he flicked it away before he died.

With another whack on the goblin’s neck and then one more to cut the head free, Wyn wiped the blood from his chin and chest and stood up with a shrug. “Can’t trust dem little bastards not to fake it an’ try to run, ya know?”

“Yeah, and I wonder why some of the monster races refer to you as the boogie man?” Lannis asked sarcastically.

“Who knows.” He smiled, “Eets a mystery.”

“Are we whacking goblins apart of heading to where DUCHESS might have bampfed off to?” Kovid asked.

Time now is Day 8, 1:18 PM

(OOC)

XP: 8 goblins @ 20 xp per. 160 divided

1 goblin w./ giant potion @ 140 xp divided

Duchess @ 350 xp divided

Lannis and Lyra – Add 109 each

Wyn add 123

Brendon add 138

Kovid add 153

Abraxas add 168

Killing and checking bodies for 5 minutes or moving on?

PBEM - Episode 351. Duchess, Goblins, and Giants.

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY ONE

(I/C)

Abraxas and Lyra immediately took off, looking to close the distance, Wyn dodging to the right, shoulder hitting the leg of Theystra’s statue, getting some cover. Brendon loaded up an arrow and yelled out in their language at the goblins readying another volley of projectiles, “If ONLY you had taken me up on my offer, BUT NO you choose to stick with the Duchess.” He began pointing around with his bow randomly, laughing. “Where is she again?!”

Kovid who had returned to normal size spun his weapon across his wrist, catching the hammer on the swing, and backhanded the spearman facing him (>+6 to hit, Yellow 9), the sound of steel cracking flesh filled the air, the greenskin moaning in pain. “Let’s finish this up and find the Duchess,” he said with a faint grin, stepping on the goblin’s foot and then swinging his hammer a final time (1d8+3 Damage, Yellow 4+3=7 Damage and killed!!), ending the goblin with a wet crunch.

Pointing at the dead goblin dropped by the dwarf, Brendon shouted out one last time, “Drop your weapons and kneel down NOW!!”

Wyn had loaded up his own bow, sighting across the battlefield. “Du Lac,” he said as he took aim, “as much as I appreciate yer attempt at sparin’ de gobs...”

At this point Abraxas had run up to the closest goblin, a slinger with a stone already loaded and trying to bring his weapon to speed. But the Fighter struck first, his Scythe ripping through the air (>+7 to hit, Blue 15), with a faint whistle before tearing the goblin’s chest and throat wide open (1d8+4, Blue 7+4=11 Damage and killed!!), spinning the bastard like a top before it crashed to the ground, dying.

Lyra could not close fast enough to strike this round, but she was only a few paces behind Abraxas and in a great position to swing next round.

Brendon released his arrow (=+6 to hit, Red 7), the clothyard shaft hitting the last slinger in the abdomen (1d6 Damage, Red 4), blood raining down its leg. “Damned idiots,” he muttered. “You were saying, Wyn?”

The elf shifted his aim to the wounded goblin and fired as well (>+6 to hit, Orange 14), striking the cursing greenskin in the head (1d6 Damage, Orange 5 and killed!!), with a hollow thwacking noise before it fell over gibbering and spitting as it died. “I was sayin’ we dunt have time for dat.”

“I never meant a word of it,” he sighed. “Just tired of wasting arrows.”

Lannis took out one of his darts and shook his head, jogging forward to stand near Kovid. “Just a bit too far.” He turned back to Brendon and said, “I'm with Slater on this one Captain Stubing, we're way beyond this point, and we don't have time to watch it not work. Nice idea though, B+ for effort."

“Rapido amigos. We must get to La Dyke-chess, y make sure she is dead!” Abraxas readied himself as the two goblins took aim at him and fired (<+1 to hit, White 15…<+1 to hit, White 13), both arrows ricocheting off his breastplate. “We can not allow her to be raise'ed. Or comes back as a ghoul."

Seeing just the two goblin bowmen left, Lyra lifted her shield higher and asked, “We have any ideas on where the Duchess just teleported to? I doubt it would be an obvious spot if it’s for retreat.”

(Initiative: Party Steel 2 vs Enemy Red/Black 4)

From back across the room, Lannis replied sarcastically, “Yeah, Binky? Smart money is on her room, the one where she keeps all her shit and is usually within spitting distance of allies."

The two goblins were pretty dismayed at their bowwork against the imposing fighter and seeing him this close and closing had them glance at each other, faces grim.

“Don’t listen to him,Lyra,” Kovid answered, “Empty barrels rattle the loudest.”

“Ha! You talking about HER head or YOUR drinking problem?”

And with that, the two goblins abandoned their bows and charged the Fighter! “Wot the hell?” (>Grapple attempt Green 19..=Grapple attempt Green 11) One of them hit Abraxas in the midsection, pulling close and grabbing the fighter by the waist and kneeing him repeatedly in the upper thigh, trying to catch him in the codpiece. “Low blow! Low blow! REF!!” Abraxas called out.

The second one leapt higher and wrapping its legs around the fighter, grabbed him by the hair and was pulling his head HARD and to the right, turning the big man’s neck and making him stagger and sidestep. “Get it OFF!” (Combative Strength: Goblin Black 2 (under 8) & Goblin Black 10 (even) vs Abraxas Blue 11 (under 7) He tried to shake them free but the two goblins were ripping and pulling, trying to get the fighter to fall (didn’t beat by 5 or more – Abraxas more than strong enough to remain standing), although he was getting twisted, bit, pulled, and scratched by the two anklebiters (Take 2 Damage).

“Damn it, Abraxas,” Lannis cursed. “No time for this shit, ok? We need to get a flea comb and burn your clothes now to shake those ticks free.”

“GET THEM OFF ME!!!”

Time now is Day 8, 1:17 PM

(OOC)

Same grapple problem as before – short weapons (daggers, fists, held darts) or pull it off – anything else is 50/50 hit Abraxas vs goblin. They have no weapons in their hands, unarmed goblins do 1-2 damage. Lyra is in melee range. You guys go.

PBEM - Episode 350. Duchess, Goblins, and Giants.

And Duchess "bamphed" away again. hahahahah.

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED FIFTY

(I/C)

Making a low whistle, Kovid fished out his vial with the 1 drop of giant growth potion in it and shook it. “Hang on guys, I’ll get you out.” He popped the top and tilted it back, "Lady Theystra, we need all the weight of your glory,” swallowing the minty flavored drop, feeling it fizzle in his throat.

Brendon took out another magic arrow and nocked it in place. “With all your command,” he called across the battlefield, “and the fancy title of duchess you can’t get anything right.”

“It’s my name you dumb hick.” She retorted, loading her own arrow. “Gods you’re stupid.”

“You failed to kill me, you failed to ever find us proper, and you failed at those fucked up writings.” He chuckled, “What the fuck were they supposed to be poems? Scratch crack hoe should be your title.”

“Did you read my shit?” She stomped her foot. “They’re PRIVATE you trumped up bilge choking barrel fucking loser! Stop reading MY shit!”

At this point, Brendon swapped over to goblin and said, “The Duchess has failed you before, kill the Duchess and I’ll reward you more than she ever could.”

(Reaction roll: 3+2, +1 Cha, -2 loyalty: 4 – no)

“We’ll follow Duchess without fail!” the goblins cried back. “Do your worst!”

And with that, the Scout smiled and released the bow string. The arrow whummmed again, a streak of gold and silver behind it (>+6 to hit, +2 Magic, Red 20 – Critical – Max Damage: 6+2 = 8 Damage and killed! (Provincially – down to -3), and then burst right below the Duchess’ chest, pitching her back with a gasping wail. As she fell, her hands went slack, and the empty vial that had been in her bow hand, slipped free…(excerpt from Post 349: . “You’re proving to be more a pain in the ass that the reward is worth,” she snarled, poking an empty vial out of her bandolier and into her bow hand. “But thankfully, I expected something like this.” ) and she disappeared.

“FUUUUUCK!!” Brendon wailed. “That fucking shot KILLED her! Where the HELL did she go!?!”

“Bet you it was a Recall potion,” Lannis’s voice came muffled from under the statue. “Most likely she’s in her room past Mirabellis’ room.”

“Bleeding out, I would ‘ope,” Wyn agreed. “Hey, Dwarffriend! We need you!”

"So Wyn, how ya doin? I feel like we never talk anymore,” Lannis said, trying to keep the statue from further crushing him. “Me, I feel like I've finally achieved parity. The two women crushing the life out of me are the 100 pound tit shaped reckoning for my constant misogyny and a wash board.”

Seeing Abraxas about to charge the goblin engaged with Kovid, Lyra grabbed him by the backpack with her free hand and said, “Hang on a sec. Aine! Gift this man with a Continuous Heal!” A burst of white energy and the smell of mown grass covered the Fighter (Heal 1d4+1 for 5 turns: White 3 – Heal 4!), adding some vigor to his step. “There you go, Big Guy!”

“Gracias!” He turned to the goblin spearman and smiled. “And now por tu, Time to die, puta!” His Scythe flashed in a figure eight, slicing and ripping as the Morrigaan weapon tore through the goblin’s defenses (>+7 to hit, Blue 10) and sprayed green blood in an arcing splash (1d8+4 Damage, Blue 2 = 6 Damage and killed!!), the goblin dropping with a whining gurgling wailing cry.

Still trapped, the sound of the battle raging past them, Wyn let out a shallow breath and replied to the Magic User. “Oh, you know, Monsieur Offop. Just contemplatin' a few life choices. You ever feel de gods might be lookin' down on wit a bit too much humor? Like... literally?”

Lannis grunted in agreement, “I can believe that. Maybe this whole thing was about finding the center. What do you think?"

“Mebbe, when we get outta here, remind me to buy ye a drink. I tink we be deservin' it after dis ordeal.”

“Hang on you two,” Kovid said as if in pain. “It’s like a Hallmark moment here.” He placed one hand on his chest and let out a small burp. “Ahh..Ah Hells. Here is comes!” And with that, the Dwarf suddenly swelled up in size, rising to almost 10 feet in height and easily over 7’ wide at the shoulder. He reached over and grabbed the Theystra statue with two big hands, giving the giant goblin a withering glare.

"Woah! Look how big you got!” Lannis exclaimed, looking past the statue’s bosom. “Kovid, you're a real boy!”

“Zip it, Big Brain,” the dwarf chuckled, making as if to walk away.

“Wait, pick it back up I'm still stuck! Kovid? Kovid!"

With that, the dwarf lifted the statue with some trouble, and hoisted it high, voice straining as he addressed the other giant, "You shouldn't take the Gods for granite... ore hard times will befall on you!" And then SLAMMED it at the goblin (>+9 to hit, Yellow 11), where it smashed the greenskin on its back (1d10+6 Damage, Yellow 6+6=12 Damage and killed!!) and caved its chest in, the goblin howling in agony as it died horribly.

“No Kovid,” Lyra moaned, “Please gods no. No puns please.”

With the giant goblin slain and Duchess missing, the 5 goblins remaining took a quick accounting with one another (Morale check: 6+6 – fail!) and then ran for the north door.

“Stop them!” Abraxas cried out, moving to charge across the chamber.

The one fleeing past Lyra had the cleric give her a passing shot with her flail (<+4 to hit, White 8), buffeting him and making him stagger, but he picked himself up and kept running.

But the door out of the Sanctuary was closed. And no matter how hard they tried, the door without a lock on it…refused to open.

(Initiative: Party Steel 4 vs Enemy Red/Black 5)

They turned back (no flee – cornered rats, fight) and seeing the giant Kovid there, his armor and hammer reflecting the light strangely in the Sanctuary, they fired their stones and weapons at him. “Kill that one!” They cried out.

Arrows slashed out (>+1 to hit, Black 18..<+1 to hit, Black 5), one of them cracking the giant dwarf in the shin (1d6 Damage: Green 4 – Take 4 Damage!) the other hitting and breaking apart. And two sling stones whirled in the air and were released (>+1 to hit, White 20 – Critical Max Damage 3) one of them hitting the dwarf right between the eyes, making him curse, “Thor’s Balls!” while the second stone (<+1 to hit, White 9) was deflected from his armor.

This left the spear wielder who charged the dwarf who was noticeably shrinking at this point (<+0 to hit, Teal 13) but Kovid was able to stop his attack, his glittering weapon and armor shimmering around the dwarf as he worked his hammer around to ready a follow up blow. “I’m not sure guys, but I think wearing the armor AND the hammer is allowing me to keep that door closed for now.”

Time now is Day 8, 1:16 PM

(OOC)

Continuous Heal on Abraxas – 4 more heals each 10 minutes apart. Giant growth potion is over for Kovid. You guys go! No WMC with the hammer in here – so this is it. But Duchess unconscious and dying body did Recall out of here – and she'll be dead/dead @ -6. Good luck!

PBEM - Episode 349. Duchess, Goblins, and Giants.

THREE HUNDRED FORTY NINE

(I/C)

Abraxas took command, moving up to the door, Scythe out, eyes flashing. He held a finger to his lips and caught the group’s attention. Motioning Kovid to come to the front, he pointed to the hammer and then the door. With hand signals he let the group know to follow them in and then held up three fingers to the dwarf and nodded once.

“We should talk like this more often,” Kovid whispered, “I can understand everything you meant.”

“No runners,” Brendon whispered. “Don’t let any escape.” He had his long bow out and plucked one of his enchanted arrows out. “In case the Duchess is there.”

“Good idea,” Wyn mirrored him, taking out his own enchanted bow. “I go last, time to make de green run red, Oui?”

Lyra lifted her flail and Lannis his rod, all with grim faces.

The Fighter then let his fingers count down, from three, to two, and then one. He grabbed the handle of the door and pulled just as Kovid charged into the room and he could feel the magic of the hammer flare to life again.

The room had a line of goblins with spears running from the dais out, beyond them were two slingers, and then beyond them were two goblin archers and the Duchess – all with weapons out, shafts and stones loaded, (Ready? 1-2 no. Red 6 – yes), and eager excitement in their eyes as the party charged out to do battle.

“Told you!” Duchess crowed, “Take them down!”

The spearmen held their weapons out, bristling and we could hear something moving on the dais but whoever it was was hidden by the bulk of the Theystra statue. 

The slingers fired first, each of them cackling with glee as they spun their weapons overhead and let their stones fly. (<+1 to hit, White 16…<+1 to hit, White 7). The first one was a solid slam into the dwarf’s neck, and would have had Kovid choking, but the armor was made of sterner stuff, and even though the gorget didn’t exactly cover the area he was struck in, the stone was turned aside anyway (Lol – first shot and you were missed by one. It’s Platemail +1 – your base AC is 18, not 17). The second stone ricocheted off his shoulder and was lost. “Thor! That was close!”

The arrows fired a half a moment later, the two goblins sighting the charging dwarf (<+1 to hit, Black 13…>+1 to hit, Black 18). One of them struck him in the chest with a THWANG and was stopped, while the second hit him just above the waist on the left side (1d6 Damage, White 3), sticking in briefly before the dwarf tore it out and snarled, still closing with the spearmen.

“Fuck, I gotta do everything,” Duchess drew back and fired, “Later Rockgrubber!” (>+7 to hit, Teal 17) The arrow was pretty much on target and Kovid turned at the last moment, the shaft ripping the side of his face and clipping his ear, spraying blood down the front of his beard (1d6 Damage, Red/Black 4). “Stand still and I’ll pierce your other ear.”

(Initiative: Party Steel 3 vs Enemy Red/Black 2)

Abraxas had put on a burst of speed, tearing just ahead of Kovid to slam into the center of the line of spearmen. He closed, Scythe up, grinning as he swung. The greenskin did have his spear at the ready (<+0 to hit, rec’v charge, Yellow 10) but Abraxas was inside his thrust with ease and hacked his weapon down and around (>+7 to hit, Blue 18). It ripped through the goblin’s leather jerkin like butter and tore the greenskin’s chest wide open (1d8+4 Damage, Blue 4 = 8 Damage and killed), hurling it aside with a scream of agony ending in a gurgle. Pivoting, he let his weapon arc out to the right as he closed to the next goblin (>+0 to hit, rec’v charge, Green 19). It howled back at the fighter and set its spear firm, the point tearing into Abraxas’ upper thigh (1d6x2 Damage, White 3x2=6: Damage Deflection <Str, Blue 4 – yes, Half Damage: Take 3 Damage!). He arrested his movement just in time and let the weapon roll off of him ripping flesh instead of punching deep.

“Real nice!” he snarled, putting a hitch in his step as his kicked the goblin in the shin and then two handed, brought the Scythe down like an executioner’s axe (>+7 to hit, -4 Dam Defl, Blue 13). The goblin raised his spear to turn the Morrigaan weapon aside but the silvered steel head ripped through the shaft (1d8+4 Damage, Blue 6 – 10 Damage and killed!!) and clove the greenskin’ skull, driving it to the Sanctuary’s stones. “I hit harder!”

With the front line already half gone, Kovid hit the goblin on the right and Lyra the one on the left. The dwarf (<+0 to hit, rec’v charge, Green 4) battered the spear aside and his war hammer connected with a clobbering strike (1d8+3 Damage, Yellow 2 – 5 Damage!). The goblin reeled from the hit, spit out a wad of blood, and then waded back in, the two of them trading blows.

As for the Cleric, she had her flail swinging but the goblin tried to stick her once as she closed in for striking (<+0 to hit, rec’v charge, Red/Black 14), her elven chainmail blunted the strike. The Lolthian weapon spun with a silver waving splash (>+4 to hit, White 18), cracking the greenskin in the shoulder and neck (1d6+1+1 Damage, White 2 = 4 Damage!), knocking it aside but the spearman spun back in place and spat out some invectives in its own language and stayed engaged with Lyra.

With the front line fighters and cleric doing their job, that left Brendon, Wyn, and Lannis the luxury of picking their targets. As the elf shut the door to the chapel behind, Brendon grinned broadly and called out, “Duchess! I hope you’re not upset we pissed in your bed?!” as he drew his bow back, the silver and gold runes on the enchanted Ispan’s arrow flaring to life.

“Fuck! Didn’t I kill you once already?” she chuckled, scrabbling for another arrow.

She wasn’t nearly quick enough as the Scout let his bow fire (>+6 to hit, +2 magic, Red 10), the arrow making a “whummmm” noise as it left a gold line behind and slammed into the female thief (1d6+2 Damage, Red 5 – 7 Damage!), making her stagger back and gasp in pain. “Holy SHIT! That fucking hurt!”

“Too bad you didn’t take our parley,” he quipped, “that which you love would’ve continue to live.”

Wyn was a handful of seconds behind Brendon, loading up one of his two remaining magic arrows. As he drew back, the black runes running down the shaft all grew brighter and the head of the arrow took on a sharp metallic sheen. And then he fired (>+6 to hit, Orange 14), the clothyard shaft rippling across the battlefield, and the magic within DRAGGED another arrow from Wyn’s quiver to fly along right with it. Both shaft slammed into Duchess (1d6 Damage: Orange 5 and Orange 6 – Takes 11 Damage!), both of them hitting the Scout hard, driving her to one knee as she gasped for breath. “Dis be your last hour, Gatorbait.”

Lannis went last, his Ishtari Rod out. “I hate to waste a charge,” he shrugged, “But if it means killing your skanky ass, I’m good to go!” (#: Pink 2: 1+1 = 2 Bolts. <+6 to hit, Pink 8, >+6 to hit, Pink 16) The weapon sparked and two bolts tore free, the counter running down to “7” on the handle. One of them was deflected by a buckle on her armor, but the second one hit hard (1d6 Damage: Pink 3), making Duchess spit up blood and wave her hands across her face and screech.

“Argghhghgh!!”

“DO NOT LET HER GET THE FUCK AWAY!” Brendon cried out, getting another arrow ready as he could see the thief was snatching a potion vial from her bandolier.

The spearman fighting Lyra struggled hard to pin the Cleric (<+0 to hit, White 15) and although did hit, did not even come close to doing any real damage. Kovid had the same situation with his goblin spearman (<+0 to hit, Steel 17) as it came close, but could not land a telling blow.

Seeing no one blocking his way, Duchess had a vial in her hand and tore the top out, ordering the remaining goblins, “Take out the big one with the Butcher’s weapon. An extra 15 gold to whoever drops his ass!”

The goblin slingers and bowmen cheered and let their weapons fly. Stones whizzed out (>+1 to hit, Red 18), one cracking against the Fighter’s left arm (1d3 Damage: Steel 1 – Take 1 Damage!), the other (<+1 to hit, Purple 13) hitting his in the breastplate and then bouncing away. An arrow followed (<+1 to hit, Steel 2) but passed almost 3 feet over the Fighter’s head, and then another followed (=+1 to hit, Yellow 17) cracking him in the abdomen (1d6 Damage, Blue 2).

As for Duchess, she drank her potion down and sighed in relief (Healing Potion: Yellow 4), her wounds closing up as she pulled the arrows free of her body and armor. “You’re proving to be more a pain in the ass that the reward is worth,” she snarled, poking an empty vial out of her bandolier and into her bow hand. “But thankfully, I expected something like this.” Turning to the dais, she said, “Push it down.”

At this point, from the Dais the figure we could now see suddenly swelled up and grew to over 10 feet in height. The goblin there grinned down at the group and said, “HI!!!!” a tiny potion vial dropping from his hand.

“Ok, that’s big,” Lannis whistled.

And then the Giant Goblin SHOVED the statue of Theystra forward, off it’s plinth blocks, and sent it crashing down at the three party members near the door.

“Fuck!”

(Save vs Death Magic: Brendon >Red 14, Wyn <Orange 9, Lannis <White 5)

The Scout just managed to roll forward out of the way but the elf and Magic User were not as lucky (1d8 Damage: Red/Black 5 – Each take 5 Damage, and trapped under the statue. Without help, Dex and Str check needed to extricate self from under) as the statue slammed into them, driving them to the ground, and blocking the door back into the Chapel, preventing the group from heading that back that way without lots of effort.

“Dat FUCKING bitch dropped a statue on me!” Wyn cursed, shaking his head clear as dust and grit rained about him, feeling himself under the effigy of Theystra. “I can’t begin to TELL you ‘ow much I am gonna FUCKING kill you!”

Lannis was holding his arm close to his chest, noting that one of Theystra’s breasts was pressing the magic user to the ground. “I KNEW it would be a god damned nipple!” He raised his voice, “HEY KOVID! Tell your girlfriend to get the fuck off of me, I’m not in the mood!!”

(Initiative: Party Green 4 vs Enemy Red/Black 3)

Time now is Day 8, 1:14 PM

(OOC)

Door to Chapel is blocked, Wyn and Lannis trapped underneath. They can try to get out themselves, need 2 checks to succeed (str and dex). There is GIANT Goblin on the dais. There are 2 wounded goblin spearmen (one on Kovid, one on Lyra). 2 slingers, 2 bowmen, and a pretty wounded Duchess. You guys go!

PBEM - Episode 348. Duchess, Goblins, and Giants.

The group was once again being braced by Duchess and her contingent of loyal goblins. She had been dogging the group, hoping to pick them off one at a time and claim some reward money that Corfard had offered. With no interest in sharing it, she's been going it alone (no, she wasn't going to actually pay the goblins - haha!) and being pretty smart about it. However, luck only gets you so far, and a 6th level thief, no matter how resourceful, will eventually run afoul of bad rolls.

Follows:

THREE HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT

(I/C)

Running his thumb across the label of one of the bottles, Brendon grunted in appreciation and using the hooked pommel of the silver dagger, worked the cork free. “We could hang out in here for a few hours,” he said, then took a deep drink and swallowed, his cheeks taking on a red hue. “Before buggin out to the 1st floor or to the throne room to raise the shield.” He held the bottle out for someone else to take a drink.

Opening his pack up and taking out some rations to eat, Lannis also removed his cat book, placed it on his lap, and gave the bottle a dubious glance. "Letting the heat die down may be smart, and raising that ward can't wait much longer.” He bit the corner off his dried cheese, swallowed, and then took another bite. “Also...isn’t that vinegar by now?"

Wyn reached out and took the bottle, glancing at the label. “Wingale Vinyards, 289. Vera nice.” He took a sip and smiled. “Elven wine known to age quite a long time dere, Monsieur Offop, so it still be pretty good.”

Abraxas looked at the second bottle, pointed to his backpack first, and when no one said anything, placed it within (Add Wine(B) – 4 to the Rations side of the sheet). “For later tonight.”

“Good thinking,” Brendon smiled, and motioned the Fighter to the opened bottle to take a drink. “How long do you think before the motley crew gets tired of looking for us?”

Lannis shrugged and then sighed. “As for getting tired of looking? Eventually, but once they tire of that they'll start waiting for us which is just as bad. We should focus on the Throne room and ritual after we eat. Bandages come and go, monsters come and punch our nipples.”

“Really? Bandages come and go? Magical bandages?” Lyra scoffed, wiping her mouth on the corner of her skirt as she ate her lunch. “I say we finish our lunch break and at the least TRY to wander back down to clean the bandages. We’re going to need it.”

“Dat reminds moi,” Wyn said, taking the bottle again and sipping it. “Priestess, wit de latest finds of doze raise dead scrolls, I tink it make sense fer ye to make sure yerself be on tip top health please use one of dem on yerself.”

“Raise dead scroll?” Lannis laughed? “I think her ego and sex appeal are going to need a bit more than a raise dead spell.”

“No, dumba…Monsiuer Offop. De Cure scrolls we got from de putain wit de vera long stupid name.”

“You sure?” Lyra asked, taking one of the Cure Light Wound Scrolls out. “I can wait if need be.”

The group all nodded and agreed that she should hit herself at least for now. Unrolling it, she read the words and the scroll burned away as she channeled the divine magic into herself (CLW 1d6+1: White 5 = Heal 6!!) and she looked better and healthier. (reduce damage to 8) “Done. Thanks Aine!”

Throughout all this Kovid had been stripping off his armor he had taken from Travis long ago, stacking the pieces to the side. He then picked up each piece of the Theystran armor and strapped it on, from the breastplate out through every greave, pauldron, and bracing. Running his finger across the Theystran symbol on the front, matching the ones on the face of his hammer, he smiled and softly said, "Thanks again Lady Theystra. I am honored you've chosen to shine your light on this humble dwarf. I was hoping to have a matching set commissioned, but the real thing is even better." (Add Platemail to Magic (I can’t give you any details yet about it until a Detect Magic is done and the wizards/elf can let you know what’s what, or you get hit a few times and can figure it out then – however, the CW of the armor is not 500, but 250 (magic armor always weighs half after its on) – so your total CW is 951 at this point).

“Not bad, Doc,” Lannis noted. “Sneezy and Pervy are going to be jealous when you get home.”

“You are just so strange,” Brendon shook his head. “Also, he’s not Doc. He’s Kovid or Little Man.”

“Whatever you say. Tomato, Potato. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Wyn was also thumbing through the tattered notebook. “Well, dis was Braunur’s little journal. Filled wit tidbits o tings he might of talked about. Hmm, dere is mention of a panic room in de Grotto o De Goddesses. But we already found dat, so dat is good for us at least.”

Wrapping up his own lunch, Kovid looked around and pulled out his oft-folded map again. "Where we headed folks, back north through the bedrooms? Should I mark the Throne Room as our next stop? If Duchess's room is still clear, maybe we check the wall behind her bed?"

Abraxas chuckled, "I know it's been a while, Señor Kovgisil, pero I see no reason to be jumping in La Dyke-chessas bed. No, pero seriousmente, we should maybe go back to the Sanctuary, figure out our next move from there? We can always come back here to rest if the Secret Vault is unavailable.”

Dusting his hands clean and taking one last sip of the almost empty wine bottle, Wyn righted his kit and smoothed back his hair. “Iffin we be done here, Monsieur Dwarf and Salazar, I tink it be a good time to see if we cen hear anyting at de door leading out to de dais room. Den maybe we cen check what might be up dere,” he took a deep breath and let it out, “Also, call me paranoid, is anyone else a little jumpy worryin bout de duchess maybe bein invisible?”

Rubbing his nipples and then doffing his hat, Lannis blew out a ragged breath. “Being paranoid is what I refer to as Tuesday. Everything in here is going to kill us, just go with that as your default stage and you won’t be surprised.”

The group went back to the Chapel, and Abraxas shoved the heavy secret door closed again, hiding it from view. Kovid dusted some of the rock grit out of the way so it didn’t look like it had been disturbed. Lannis reached into the invisible box and made sure the Scroll of Protection from Dragons was still inside. He then handed the Potion of Regeneration over to Kovid, “Here, you’ll probably need this at some point (Kovid, Add Potion Regeneration [5] to Magic)” and then he shut the box, took a length of twine from the table with the Astrolabe on it, and wrapped it around the box tying it in place. “So I don’t lose it.” He then put it in his backpack (Add Invisible box [15] w./Scroll Protection Dragons [1] to Magic (takes up 1 slot line, box can hold up to [25]) and queued up with the rest of the group to leave.

At the door, Brendon had been listening, ears pressed against the portal, hand raised up to motion for silence (<Hear Noise, +20% Quiet/Group, Red 41) and kept it up for a good 30, 40 seconds. His brows had arched a few times and he shifted his position twice to listen lower and higher before pushing away from the door and facing the group.

“Ok. Faint noises on the other side of the door. I can hear the odd higher pitched goblin grunt or whispered muttering.”

“What did dey say?”

“Just pretty much, ‘wait’, and ‘be ready’.”

“How many?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. But they aren’t all in one place in there. They aren’t right outside the door, but the room is pretty big through there, and I get the feeling they are not clumped up.”

“Any hobgoblins? Grimtooth? Mirabellis? Fuck, the harpies?” Kovid asked.

Brendon shook his head. “Honestly, no. Didn’t hear anything but goblins.”

(Lyra Wis<White 8) “When we faced Duchess that last time, she only had goblins with her. And when we were being hunted, at no point did we hear anything from anyone else that Duchess was there or goblins were there.” She shrugged. “It might just be goblins. Or goblins and Duchess.”

“And wit de Hammer, de room will go quiet so no one else will come an’ ‘ear us.”

Abraxas nodded slowly. “My belly is full and my Scythe is clean. Estoy Listo.”

Time now is Day 8, 1:12 PM

(OOC)

Explore XP: Secret Closet – All add 45 xp.

Ok – unknown number of goblins (? +?) in the Sanctuary. What is the plan?