Session 10: Solid Sartorii
The session starts with most of the party tucked into Fort First's guest quarters, awaiting assignment from their new goblin overlords.Sartorii has free roam, heretofore undetected. Well-hidden atop a tower, she can see so many goblins and goblin dogs.
While Sartorii observes, Pyromancer Chuck and his regiment of guards return to their posts outside the front gate.
After they're gone, Sartorii takes aim at a random goblin and looses an arrow.
The goblin is knocked to the ground. He immediately leaps back up and exclaims, "Who threw that?!"
Meanwhile, inside the barracks...
While Clarence treats the Sprite's wounds, the Sprite hears a commotion!
The party peeks out the window. They still can't see much, just a few goblins remaining in the yard, walking around and making commotion like something happened.
Another goblin walks into view with a flaming arrow sticking out of his back like a torch.
"Someone threw this, and no one leaves until we find out who!"
And then, the front gate shuts.
The party decides to stay put, at least long enough for Clarence to finish healing the Sprite.
Sartorii observes that the pyromancers are rather dumber than other goblins. Only the pyromancer she shot thinks someone threw the arrow. The rest are looking up.
Sartorii decides to excplore the parapets. She finds a loose brick, rather hefty.
She carries it over the decayed roof of the forge and drops it onto the quenching pit. Tepid water spills all over the floor, scaring the goblin dogs away. The dogs run into a barn, likely used as a kennel.
The pyromancer is convinced the rock just fell out of the sky, as did the arrow. All is well.
He makes some other goblins sop up the tepid water with their socks.
One goblin eyes the forge, certain someone is around.
Sartorii shoots the wary goblin with her sleep arrow.
He falls asleep instantly.
The party sees a goblin dragging an unconscious goblin into the room next to them. The remaining goblin appears to be sopping wet.
Sartorii takes one more shot at the pyromancer through the decrepit fucking roof.
The pyromancer takes an arrow to the back of his head while inspecting some ore, and drops dead.
The three remaining goblins hesitantly debate if they should tell someone.
"Tell ya what, if someone we actually like dies, then we ring the bell."
"Sounds like a plan. Ya wanna drink?"
"Hell yeah I want a drink!"
And then they leave.
The party sees three wet goblins also retreat into the barracks.
The Sprite leaves the guest room, waves down a goblin, and asks for a cup of water. The goblin points at the barracks, says go get water then, I'm not serving you, grumble mumble mutter grumble.
The Sprite peeks into the barracks. Four goblins sing in the most high-pitched shrill noise imaginable, like children on a playground but with malice.
The Sprite waves a little to get their attention, and asks for water. The goblin hands him a very obviously used cup. He takes it over to the well.
Rutana spots Sartorii at the top of the tower and very carefully informs the party.
As the party stands at the well, a hobgoblin about Clarence's size walks up to the party with two wargs behind him.
"Who you?"
Hobgoblins appear to outsiders as the most civilized of goblins. They revel in all that is militaristic and destructive, work efficiently in groups, and thrive in war and conflict.
As there are no other hobgoblins around, this is either an exile or the sole survivor of his group.
Wargs are intelligent, malevolent wolves. Fucked up, love to eat sentient flesh more than anything, enjoy causing pain and being fed. Intelligent enough to speak. They may be able to speak common better than goblins do, but rarely have the desire to.
The Sprite responds, "They told us to get water from the well, so here we are!"
"Why here?"
Rutana responds, "Chuck told us to!"
"Stay with."
The wargs nod and sit by the party. The hobgoblin walks out the front gate.
He returns dragging Chuck's depacited body and throws him to the wargs, who start playing tug-o-war with the body.
"Now, why here?"
Rutana explains how Chuck and the pixie here cast fire at each other.
The hobgoblin pulls out a sword and presses the tip to the Sprite's throat, tilting the Sprite's head back.
The Sprite hurriedly explains about the goblin grease and bonding with Chuck.
The hobgoblin then examines Rutana and Clarence, judging their strength.
"Remain. You may prove useful, if you survive. If nothing else, free loincloths."
He snaps his fingers at the wargs and walkbs back toward his hut.
While the party has the hobgoblin's attention, Sartorii flaps down from the parapets and sneaks into hobgoblin hut.
The hut does just appear to be the hobgoblin's home. One well-used bed, an empty armor stand, footlockers with ball bearings and nets and 24g.
Unfortunately, the hobgoblin and his wargs spot Sartorii on her way back out.
The hobgoblin introduces himself as Mazkol.
"That's a cool name!"
His eyebrow very briefly shoots up, but he regains his composure.
"So who areyou to sneak into our little home?"
"I heard a commotion nearby and came to check it out."
Mazkol takes the arrow out of the dead pyromancer's head and compares it to one of Sartorii's. He's reasonably sure they're the same set.
"If I were in charge you would all be in shackles, but I am unfortunately not."
Rutana asks, "So if you're not in charge but want to be, why are you sticking around?"
She sees Mazkol go white-knuckled on his sword. This seems to be a sore subject.
Sartorii pushes the subject.
"Neeble came upon my troop. Five of us, warriors all. I am all that remains."
She wheedles out that he's basically a spoil of war, who must subject to Neeble or meetthe same fate.
Sartorii asks if he'd considered going against Neeble.
"If Neeble falls, the goblins will follow. The follow who is strongest."
Between Sartorii's compliments and Rutana's interjections, Mazkol realizes that he is, in fact, smart.
Mazkol agrees to saynothing about the dead pyromancers. If the party is to help him take down Neeble and the camp, he can assist them.
Neeble does not trust Mazkol, but knows him to bethe wisest of the goblins here.
Mazkol states Neeble will awaken in about an hour and pitch his daily fit.
In lieu of telling the party funny stories about inter-goblin politics, Mazkol leads them into his hut. Rend and Ruin, the wargs, lay down by the fire.
For the past month since the goblins set up in Fort First, Neeble has wanted into the tower because there are shinies there. However, everyone they sent inside has not returned.
It is entirely possible that, if Neeble accepts the party, he will send the party into the tower and try to take anything they find.
One group of four goblins went in, then later a group of three goblins. Shortly after the second group entered, Mazkol and Neeble heard a whole cacophany of goblin screaming before they fell silent.
Neeble is too large to fit through the door.
Ogres delight mostly in torturing small pretty creatures.
Mazkol explains that Neeble is on the far north-western side of the camp.
The possibility of sneaking into the tower while Neeble sleeps is raised. Sounds dangerous, maybe not.
The whole place smells like rotting wood, lighter fluid, coal smoke, and passing whiffs of hair clogs in drains thanks to the goblin dogs.
The party chills in Mazkol's hut for about an hour.
They hear a massive thudding step approach, and Mazkol muttering, "Here we fuckin go."
A loud, repetitive, meaty clap resounds through the fort, like a drum being beat.
Mazkol and the party emerge to see Neeble slapping his belly to summon his followers.
Neeble looks out over the crowd, one goblin standing before him.
He starts screaming in Jotun, the Sprite using Message to translate for the party. Neeble wants his weapons and shinies and toys, the goblins have not delivered. Neeble spots the party, thinking they're new toys.
Mazkol steps forward to explain the party has proven to be strong and allies of the goblins, good to send to gather the shinies.
Neeble backhands Mazkol several feet away. Neeble is wise, Neeble is strong, Neeble is struck by the brilliant idea to send the party in to gather the shinies!
The Sprite relays Jotun to Rutan to respond about how Neeble's brilliant idea is too terrifying and wise and scary.
Neeble crushes one goblin and slaps another away to inspect his new minions. He leads the way to the inner doors, the rest of his goblins pushing the party along with them.
Rend and Ruin pick Mazkol up and bring him along.
Within is a garden and a fairly large door.
It's dark in here!
Rutana whips out both the Sprite and the everburning torch from her pockets. Light sources galore!
Within are seven dead goblins and gouge marks in the stone, three large claw marks.
"Let's inspect the claw marks!"
Bird crits, because of course she did.
The claw marks are very old, perhaps over a thousand years old. Dust has collected inside of them
The claw marks are over an inch wide each and have left a residue, a dried ooze that discolored the stone. Whatever it is, it's not something the party has ever noticed.
No goblin was killed by whatever this was.
(Occultism crit: If the party comes into contact with whatever this is, DM will tell us for free)
The Sprite casts Detect Magic. He detects magic absolutely everywhere.
(Oops, all magic!)
A breeze flows through the area. The outlines of humans standing there can just be seen. One right beside Clarence is holding a sword. It raises its sword and shouts, it's coming!
One is sitting with a heavy wound.
The party moves out of the way. The ghosts appear ready to fight something. A loud thump comes from the door and the whole area starts to shake. Three of the guards hold their heads and scream. With a loud smash, translucent boards hit the floor and the ghosts are massacred by a swift breeze. One of the ghosts is slammed to the wall and is rent to pieces by whatever left the claw marks.
Footsteps, the carpet grows wet as it passes.
Three ghosts remain. The commander kills the other two.
"I die free," he says before slitting his own throat.
The spirits vanish, the carpet dries.
The Sprite inspects the nearest goblin. It's been broken by blunt trauma, mundane weapons.
All of their pockets have been turned out.
The upper room is an armory, with some chests and armor stands.
The Sprite inspects one of the chests.
Some guys appear!
Four suits of armor come to life, one stabs the Sprite for 14 damage.
The party gains 100 xp!