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Post by Indifferent on Mar 18, 2021 0:12:57 GMT
A slight chill washed over Nilly as the group entered the cave. It was as dingy and gross as she expected. Goblins were vile creatures she had come to despise over the years. They were nothing more than disgusting obnoxious creatures filled with greed in her eyes.
That's why the Nilly couldn't understand why Stella glared at her so boldly after she took the life of the goblin outside. It's not like she enjoyed it. Taking a life brought her no pleasure. If there was any other option, she wouldn't have even touched the wretch.
Nilly knew well it couldn't be allowed to roam free, leaving their backs exposed. Its gleeful smile was evidence of its true nature as it talked about consuming human flesh. There was no doubt in her mind that it would've come back for revenge had they spared it.
Now that the group was inside the cave, Stella glared daggers at Nilly again after spouting a comment referring to her potential bloodlust as they stood before two starving wolves. The young elf's hands shot up immediately with outstretched arms.
"Whoa-whoa-whoa, I'm not a monster," she exclaimed while shaking her hands to either side. "If this is about that gob, I only killed him because he would've come back with help later if we left him alive. I'd never hurt these pitiful-looking guys," she said while pointing to the malnourished wolves with a sad expression. "Not to mention, I hate the sight of blood, and I don't even eat meat. Ick," she continued to plead, fearful of what her companions might think of her.
Li had gotten awfully comfy with the wolves quite quickly, allowing Stella to release them from their bindings without issue. Nilly was more than a bit jealous that only Li got to fluff them, but nothing could be done about it - they ran off far too quickly. Meanwhile, Legolas had taken it upon himself to explore the rubble at the other end of the room.
As one would expect, elves were avid climbers and Legolas was on a roll. Nilly looked on from the bottom, quivering with excitement as Legolas neared the top of the pile with ease. Unfortunately, he must have misstepped as he came tumbling down the hill a few seconds later. Nilly barely managed to cover her mouth in time to try and muffle the sounds of her laughter before she alerted the whole cave of their arrival.
"Sorry-sorry," bawled Nilly as she clutched her gut while wiping tears from her eyes. "It-it's just. Your arms were like, wah. And your legs, your legs were like, wee. And your face, oh your face. Ah, it was priceless," she continued between gasps, trying to accurately describe his spectacular mishap.
When she finally managed to calm herself, Nilly offered Legolas a hand. "Thanks. I mean it. I really needed that. Don't worry. I got this. But no looking at my bum," she said before pointing at her eyes with two fingers and then pointing at the two males.
With newfound vigor, Nilly tactfully scaled the pile of stones with the subtlety of a cat. When she reached the top, she poked her head through the hole where she could see two goblins seated around a campfire. The sounds of water trickling in the background led her to believe that they should be able to sneak into the room so long as they weren't too loud.
Before heading through the hole, Nilly turned back to the group to relay what she found using soft speech and hand gestures. First, she pointed at her eyes and then into the hole before mouthing the words, "two gobs." Afterward, she reached into her bag and displayed a small portion of rope before pointing into the hole again. She then placed one finger on her lips, instructing them to be quiet on their way up before she crawled into the room.
Once inside, Nilly crept over to a large nearby rock where she nimbly tied the rope before she returned to the hole and tossed the rest down. With a smug grin, she peeked her head through the opening in the wall and gave a thumbs-up before waving for the others to come along. Everything was perfect so far, and with a little luck, the group would get the drop on these guys with relative ease.
Just to be safe, Nilly retreated into the shadows between the large rock and wall where she had decent sight of one of the goblins. There she drew her bow and notched an arrow, ready to release at any second should the goblins get wise to their infiltration.Actions Climb that rubble like a boss -> [Athletics = 10] + [Stealth = 20] Tie some rope for the others -> [Sleight of Hand = 17] Ready an arrow for some bitch gob [If they become alert to the crew, fire]
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Post by Jay on Mar 18, 2021 18:17:33 GMT
Though his body ached, and his pride chafed after the fall, Legolas didn't clam up. He understood there was still a mission at hand, and a little self-pity would have been understood by the others, but useless towards their goals. He stayed rigid, and focused, watching Nilly disappear over the top with a feeling of success rather than jealously or failure.
Within a few seconds, she was back, letting them know that there were two goblins in whatever room she had made it into. Several more seconds passed while the party was able to watch the shadow of the small elf dance across the room, and then one end of a rope fell down the rubble.
"Li, will you keep a lookout while Stella climbs up behind me?" he said softly to the monk beside him. What he didn't say was that he didn't want to leave Stella alone. Sure, she seemed to be helping them now, but she had definitely lied to them before, perhaps multiple times, and until he knew why, he wasn't too keen to trust her.
With that said, he took the rope in his hands and used it to reach the top quickly. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she was an elf too, but he trusted her knot intrinsically. Within seconds he was kneeling down beside her, looking at two goblins situated around a fire. Neither seemed to have noticed them, and the room appeared empty past them save the stacks of boxes and supplies, obviously looted from passerby on the road.
Silently, the elf pulled his bow over his shoulder and notched an arrow, taking aim at the goblin with his back towards their secret entrance.
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Stealth (DC?): 12 Ready Action: Longbow @goblin if he becomes aware of the party
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 18, 2021 18:33:45 GMT
The wolves' hushed howls in the distance weighted slightly on the heart of the monk. Desiring more time with the fluffy pups, but understanding that time was of the essence, he simply frowned. While Li Jie took some time to adjust to the cave's dim lighting, the hasty exit of the wolves, and allow his mind some time to block out any of the ambient noises the cave produced. Slowly the soft drips of the droplets, the smooth and slow rush of the river, and the ever so faint hum from sounds bouncing off the walls of the cave, all faded from his mind. In the middle of his meditation he could hear the fumbling of his party, the laughter and mocking from Nilly, as well as other attempts to climb the small tunnel in the rear of the kennel. As he sat on his knees, hands folded in his lap with his eyes closed, he felt the presences of Legolas at his side. A request, a simple one at that, asking for the monk to keep a faithful watch as they ascended into the tunnel. " Gladly," Li Jie replied confidently, having already steeled his mind for that very such thing. Once more he stood, creeping over to the break of the cave and peaking his head out ever so slightly. his eyes danced through the darkness, aided by his keen darkvision and trained on any suspicious movement. He would follow when the time came, but for now he simply was the nothing more than a lookout. Rolls Perception: 17
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 18, 2021 21:15:33 GMT
Legolas moved first, but the male elf failed spectacularly and fell hard upon the ground. Stella gave an internal wince, but didn’t move to help - she knew how fragile men’s egos could be, especially when it came to physical tasks. As Nilly smirked and giggled, Stella shot her another dark look - this girl clearly had no conscience. The girl went next, climbing nimbly after threatening the men about watching her behind as she climbed - as if they would be interested in such an androgynous specimen. Stella smirked herself as she crossed her arms, facing instead towards the entrance of the cave. When Nilly’s face reappeared and she relayed her information, Stella stepped forwards - but Legolas got there first, grabbing the rope and making the climb successfully this time. Something about his tone conveyed a feeling of negativity towards Stella - perhaps mistrust? She shook her head slowly, grabbing the rope herself and turning towards Li. ”You might not have looked at the little girl, but hopefully you’ll be able to resist this temptation,” she said with a smirk, starting to climb up the rope while swaying her hips. She reached the top a few seconds later, and immediately dropped into a crouch. She spotted the other two nearby and moved nearby, but the hem of her dress caught on a rock and sent her sprawling to the ground, kicking up rocks and dust as she did so. With a gulp, she turned to the campfire just as the goblin turned to look at her.
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Post by Indifferent on Mar 18, 2021 22:07:08 GMT
Nilly's eyes shifted between the two goblins as the others made their way into the room. Legolas was the first to arrive, who took up a position to strike at one of the vile humanoids same as her. Next to make their way through the hole came Stella. Everything was going smoothly at this point, with the goblins completely unaware of them lurking in the shadows.
That is until Stella somehow managed to plant her face into the floor, causing the enemies to turn their heads. Without a second thought, Nilly let loose her arrow, plunging it into the base of one goblin's skull. Like a sack of potatoes, the creature dropped to the floor, hunched over in front of the fire.
The second goblin crumpled to the floor soon after, and Nilly raised her hand to Legolas with a thumbs-up. She knew they were lucky to clean them up so swiftly this time, after Stella's blunder. Turning to Stella, Nilly leaned over and whispered, "Ouch, huh?"Actions Release arrow into that gob = 9 damage -> it died
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Post by Jay on Mar 19, 2021 3:46:38 GMT
A very light bead of sweat made Legolas's forehead shine in the firelight, and he could feel a slight burn in his fingertips as he held his bow fully bent, an arrow trained on the back of one of the goblin's heads. The amount of noise being broadcast into the room by what sounded like a nearby waterfall gave him hope that any small noises they made climbing into position would be muffled enough to keep their anonymity.
Of course, Stella decided to test this theory out. She stumbled, sending a rock skittering across the cave floor where it bumped into a goblin foot. All of a sudden the goblin whirled around with Stella in full view. Before his arm could even twitch towards the sword at his side, Legolas let the arrow fly. With a muffled squelch, it became one with the target's face, painting a permanent look of surprise there.
Stella turned to him immediately and she said in a sort of urgent whisper, "Another one, on the stairs! He ran down when these two died!" Legolas pieced together immediately that Nilly had dropped the other goblin, but there had been a third that neither of them had noticed. He was torn between giving chase, for fear that the goblin would have time to alert more of their kin, or waiting for Li Jei to catch up so that the party was at full strength.
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Post by Indifferent on Mar 20, 2021 18:12:23 GMT
Nilly was expecting some snide remark or snarky comeback after her mention of Stella's mishap. Instead, she received some startling news that caused her eyes to widen with concern. Another goblin noticed the groups attempt to hide their infiltration. With her bow in hand, the young elf sprung out from her confinement and shifted along the wall as she made her way to the stairs.
There was no sight of the target, but as she peeked around the corner, she could hear some heavy breaths. Nilly assumed what she heard was the panting of her quarry, who was now lying in wait. With little time to plan, the young elf had to come with something on her own before the goblin could alert its comrades.
Reaching around briefly, she snatched up a small rock and charged it with light before tossing it down the stairs. Nilly waited for the stone to stop moving before she darted out to the top of the stairs while mounting an arrow on her bow. To her surprised, she spotted more than one of the vile creatures lying in wait.
One was much further away than the other, so she had a decision to make. There wasn't much time to think about it, but Nilly concluded fast. She felt it was more likely the further goblin would contact its allies first, considering the closer was mildly distracted for the moment.
With a subtle thwip, Nilly released an arrow into the air that quickly buried itself deep into the chest of her target. After which, the young elf barely spent the time to see the goblin drop to its knees before she ran back into the shadows from which she came. In a hushed tone, she immediately began to relay the information she had gained.
"One down at twenty feet northwest. There's another tucked against the wall at the bottom of the stairs on the west side, mind the light. We also have two pools of water to the northeast, maybe waist-deep. They look like some sort of leaky dam they made where most of this noise is coming from, and everything slopes west."Actions Chase gob [Movement] Create a distraction [Bonus Action] Kill a gob [Action] Retreat to the shadows [Movement] Inform group [Misc]
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 20, 2021 18:32:25 GMT
Nilly moved quickly, just as Stella was pulling herself to her feet. Her petite form darted into darkness beyond Stella’s line of sight, but the tell-tale sound of an arrow loosing from a bow told her that the girl had attacked. Stella moved forwards just as the elf came back, delivering her information. Stella nodded slowly, gripping her own bow tightly. She waited for a second before stepping out where Nilly had been, an arrow pulled into her bow already. But what she saw was not what Nilly had described. Another goblin had appeared at the water’s edge, with an arrow trained at the young bard. Before she could even cry out in terror, the water behind the goblin erupted and a figure leapt out, slitting the goblin’s throat in a precise swipe. Panic gripped Stella, and her hands fumbled. The arrow dropped from the taut bowstring, not travelling towards its intended target but instead clattering to the floor. For a second she froze, her eyes locked on the scaly creature that had appeared. Time to take a chance…”Who are you? Are you here to help us?” she yelled, but her voice was covered by the waterfall. With a sigh, part panic and part disappointment, she slipped sideways out of the way of the entrance just as their last party member approached. ”There’s someone else down there… or something. Came out of the water, killed one of the goblins. One goblin still alive, for now, just at the bottom of the stairs. We need to be careful - this newcomer might not be friendly.”Li darted forwards next, his spear in hand. The grunting sound of a dying goblin filled her ears, and Stella gulped again - now there was only the water-dweller to deal with.
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 22, 2021 13:36:41 GMT
As Leoglas had requested, Li Jie stood behind and allowed his eyes ton wander up the stream where they entered. From his position he couldn't see or hear much, apart from the steady roll of the stream out from the mouth of the cave. One by one they all began to travel up the rope that Nilly had thrown down. A quick quip from the bard made Li Jie roll his eyes, but he silently followed a moment after he knew she had reached the top. As he climbed up the narrow tunnel, his arms scrapping against the sides of the cold stone, he began to hear the sounds of a scuffle about. With a sense of urgency he ascended faster, only reaching the top of the stairs as Stella was speaking. " End of stairs, water, got it!" He said, brandishing his spear with a flourish as he whipped around the corner. As if he had practiced the move hundreds of times he leapt forward at a slight angle and then twisted his hips to thrust his spear. With but a single strike the goblin fell, the spear finding purchase through the eye socket. Blood sprayed from the wound as Li Jie pulled back his spear. Crimson ooze smeared over his eyes causing him to temporarily lose his vision. " Fuck, I can't see shit!" He muttered as he backed away slowly for the others to approach. " The last goblin is takin' care of. What should we do now?" Rolls Perception: 1
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Post by Jay on Mar 22, 2021 14:55:30 GMT
While Legolas wrestled with indecision, Nilly and Stella wasted no time jumping into action. One after another they moved to the top of the stairs, but rather than fire an arrow with her salvaged shortbow, the latter seemed to step back in surprise, yelling out to someone unseen. A moment later, she fell back while Li clambered into the room and, with a short direction from Stella, raced down the stairs to handle what she said was the last goblin in the area.
This time, Legolas was right on the monk's back. When Li inserted his spear into the goblin's eye socket, the archer leapt down the slick, slimy staircase and double-checked that the other two corpses weren't going to become not-corpses any time soon. As soon as he was sure, he jumped up onto the rock dam and roved the two pools with his sharp eyes, trying to find any trace of whoever Stella was talking about in the water. Other than his own reflection in the strands of light that spilled down from the room behind him, the elf saw nothing but water, and a rock bottom several feet down.
"I don't see anything in the water," he yelled back.
Rolled Investigation (+0): 4
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 22, 2021 15:26:27 GMT
Li rushed past, and the telltale sign of a goblin dying greeted Stella’s ears. She slowly started to approach the stairs as the man came back, muttering about how he couldn’t see anything. The bard sighed, stepping out into the now empty room with her eyes locked on the water’s edge. Legolas was already there, his elf eyes not able to see anything in the reflecting pool of water. Her curiosity officially piqued, Stella made her way over to the water’s edge before looking deep within. Just like the elf before her, she saw nothing - whatever had popped out was nowhere to be seen. Her face, shocked and confused, looked up at the others. ”B-But where did he go? He was a big guy, scaled and holding a knife... “ she said, her words trailing off. Had she somehow imagined the other man’s presence?
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Post by Indifferent on Mar 22, 2021 16:34:42 GMT
Nilly joined the others in the next room, searching the pools of water for a missing party. Unfortunately, neither of them could find any trace of a scaly individual among the shallow depths. The look on Stella's face gave Nilly the impression that her concern was genuine.
"Nothing here either," said Nilly, confirming Legolas' words.
It was strange, the young elf could think of no reason for Stella to lie. To Nilly, that meant Stella must be telling the truth, but then where did this guy go? With little information to go on, Nilly decided to look around for any tracks that might stand out from the others. Little stood out to her keen eyes, however. Just a trail of blood that led towards the northern pathway.
"Over here, there's some blood. It looks like whatever came out of the water and killed that gob went this way," said Nilly as she pointed along its path of travel.
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Balial
Experienced Creator
Posts: 113
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Post by Balial on Mar 23, 2021 17:39:34 GMT
Fanning out the group began to investigate what they could about the area. They. knew, based off the words and reaction of Stella, that there was something in or around the water. Each of them frantically searched for any signs of the creature or clues for what awaited them, but each of them turned up with nothing, Just as Li Jie was about to give up and suggest moving on, Nilly chirped up with her discovers. " Drips of blood, looks like its going that way too?" Li Jie responded back as looking up from the blood. The two pools were slightly off set and one pushed against a sturdy looking damn. Tracing his eyes over the structure he found a lever. " Look over there!" He said with excitement, running over to the lever so the others would see it. " If we open the dam, whatever is waiting for us down there would be in for a rude awaking." Rolls
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coomer
Experienced Creator
Posts: 82
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Post by coomer on Mar 23, 2021 18:39:40 GMT
A sigh of relief escaped Stella’s lips as Nilly found a trail of blood, confirming her suspicions as correct. Stella wandered over, jumping in shock as Li exclaimed about a new discovery. The lever was positioned between the pools, and judging by the mechanism (and Li’s words!) it would release the flood into the passage below. Stella’s eyes moved down the passage for a second - it was the same way that the blood trails went, so releasing the flood would wash them away. But she couldn’t be certain that the creature she had seen had been a friend. For now, it was best to play it safe. She grabbed the lever and pulled, and the dam collapsed. Water rushed down the passage, the flood rushing through the cavern and leaving that passage accessible if they didn’t want to get wet. ”That way it is then,” she said with a glum look on her face, pointing towards the only remaining passage. If the scaled creature was a friend, she only hoped that he had found a way out of the passage before the floods had hit.
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Post by Indifferent on Mar 24, 2021 7:33:03 GMT
The trail of blood leading down the stairs along the northern passage made Nilly assume the scaly creature intended to leave the cave. For whatever reason, it saved Stella, but the young elf still thought the situation was strange. It clearly shared the same enemy as they did.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, or so they say. Nilly thought it would've been better for them to work together, and she was sure the rest of the group would've welcomed the extra hand. She just couldn't wrap her head around the oddity of it. And then something even more bizarre happened.
Stella, who had stared daggers at Nilly for reluctantly eliminating the threat of a goblin outside the cave, went full savage on her savior. Although she appeared dejected by the prospect, she wasn't all that hesitant when pulling the lever, which Li pointed out only moments prior, that released a flood of water down the northern passage.
Nilly suspected the worst for the scaly hero, but she was too slow to do anything about it. All she could do was ready her bow to thwart any incoming fiends, as the crashing waves had likely alerted any that remained in the cave. "Not much choice left, is there..."
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