[IC] D&D 5e - Lost Mine of Phandelver

[Daemanis]

The Goblins would look as they are ‘offered’ what the half-orc had called ‘horse on a stick’ the look on their faces showed not only bewilderment at what the half-orc was doing, but also an edge of terror.
“Ar daan or dar, daan'k rhaan draal... Daan ghaar an rhal... daan huuruuc... ghalaan daan ghaar huun or”
One of the healthier looking of the goblins speaks in its rasping, grating language, a couple of the people here had spoken in Orcish so there was some hope that they would understand his plea.

While the other Goblin that had surrendered looked on in awe and disgust as the barbarian began to make mince meat of his compatriots. It looked like he was taking their skulls which were he not a goblin might have made him sick. Goblins had a society built upon violence however that he was so accustomed to this mindless gore that he would simply turn to look at the woman who spoke to them in orcish.
” Duuraan dar daagaan kerthec oc duuraan muugaan... daagaan dalaac duun daan rhuun ar Sharlal Merthaar daagaan rhuun Mar kol'daan an, Mar an Rhoc Rhaar, rhec tuuc” he would pause before continuing. “Khruur ghakec or an ar Sharlal, Rhuun Mar haar ogaar dhuul Mec Huuch, mel ac Sharlal Sharaan, Rhuun Mar haar ogaar oger ac daac druul, shakhogaan drar ac dhec. He hoped that the information was useful, maybe just maybe this would save his little life.

While the others were doing their things Cienna made her way over to the Half-orc who seemed to be rather injured and walking it off like it was nothing. She reaches into her pack and produces a vial of liquid that would appear red to the eye. “Here.” She would say holding it up to him, it was all she could do from throwing up with watching his barbarism.
“Mani nostale en' barbarism naa sina?” she would say softly to herself shaking her head after the half-orc took the vial from her hands. As she was doing this Swift Strider would walk up behind her, a trained response to the end of battle. She would mount up on his back again with a sight of relief at having caught up with her target. That’s when it occurred to her, was this even the target.
“Say did you leave Neverwinter not a ten day ago?” she asked looking at the members of this rag tag party.

M the Silent

You notice as the others are talking a path lightly concealed to the north leading to parts unknown at this point. It looks as if it could have been used to set up this ambush.

[Samdragonx]

The half-orc was administered many different words and actions. But he had not precieved most of them.
Upon hearing the words of the goblin, however, Bar was not pleased.

He would sneak over to @Mae the cleric:
"Look, we won't get paid if this stuff arrives late."

He would stare back distrustingly at Cienna, partly due to not understanding most of what she said when she handed him some sort of potion, partly due to the fact that she was a strangers minion to him.
He directed himself to the other ork speaker:

"The goblin says he's not gotten his hands on the dwarf. In case you missed it.
Now, fellow leader, until I crack his melon, either we go to recieve word of Gundren, we go back to find ourselves a new job in town or we take a knife to the face from whatever caravan comes through next.
I don't think we can waste time...
Care to help me with loading in the loot?
If I find any, I will give you all the ale in return."

Though in his twisted and scheming mind he already really planned on killing anyone and chasing off anything not woven into his necklace.

[Cu Chulainn]

Seethe

"While you would all do right to listen to Bar when he says to follow my orders, I'll have to add that I do not endorse what he has just said, nor does he speak on my behalf." Seethe would suddenly interject, referring to how Bar has been ordering everyone else to follow the wizard. He has spent his time everyone else has spent squabbling to goblins or cooking horses by making liberal use of the Prestidigitation cantrip cleaning the dirt off his robes. Diving and laying on earthen ground isn't good for your clothes, after all.

"The goblins don't know where our contacts are, was it they said? And what about their maps? Ask about those. The map cases were empty, and from what I know of out destination, those maps may be of dire importance. Phandalin'a some lowly frontier town, but it also home to an ancient trove of treasure known as Wave Echo Cave. Might be the reason why the dwarf called is here, actually..."

"Nevertheless, it's odd if the map cases are empty. If the dwarves got away, surrounded by such a large force of goblins. they would have gotten away in haste, and wouldn't be funbling over maps. Still, it's both in our best interest, as well as that of the Lord's Alliance that we find out where their hideout may be. More pilfered riches may be about for those of whom are simple enough to care for such, and, most importantly, we'll be able to stomp over another nest the pestilence known as banditry has made to harm these civilized lands. Either way, we should get some rest at some point. Fighting goblins is exhausting work..."

Seethe nodded and crossed his arms, taking a seat in one of the carts, pulling out a red leather-bound tome with the Lord's Alliance logo etched onto its cover, reinforced with silver and inlaid with different gemstones. Even the *pages* looked mesmerizing, as if they were all made with sheets of gold, at least if looked at from the outside. As he opened his tome, clean, almost clear white pages with different incantations can be seen to those who decide to take a gander at it.

"Oh, and once we're done with the goblins, don't kill any of them. Beat them into a bloody pulp and leave them with their limbs broken on the roads as an example for the fate of those who decide to stoop to highway robbery to make a profit. Fetid heathens..." Seethe added rather casually while he poured over his tome. He yawned soon after.

Effects

Seethe
HP: 8/8
AC: 15

Seethe casted Prestidigitation, like, a thousand times, at least.

[Regitnui]

Cas' interest was piqued at the mention of Halruaa, and in the back of her mind the others' reactions briefly went through her head. Ilisandoral heard the word and immediately opened a hundred books he had read. Ardiane did much the same, launching into a song from that region about ill-fated lovers and tragedy. Hymn's reaction most mirrored her own; I've never slept with someone from Halruaa before. The changeling's smile spread into a almost predatory grin, and she took a few steps forward. Reaching out to straighten the woman's armour, Cas took a good long look at her.

"I think you need those wounds looked at," she said, running a slim, nimble hand over a dent across the rogue's chest. "I might have something in my wagon that would distract from the pain, relieve tired muscles, even..." Cas stopped her voice from dropping into a low purr, only barely, "rejuvenate your mind and spirit with techniques I learned from the Ffolk druids of Moonshae." It was only a lie in the most technical of terms. After all, it had been Ardiane who was born on Alaron and trained in the Kendrik's court, not Cas. Still, Cas had learned a few things from the half-elf, and she would be glad to share.

@JBRam2002

[Mae]

"Waste a spell? What do you think clerics or wizards do, horde their spells like dragons hoarding mountains of gold?" she rocked backwards and forwards on her feet, letting her gaze drift back over to the terrorised goblins. Evidently, she felt happy with herself for at least doing something right this fight. She paid particular attention to the 6"10 halforc trying to look sneaky as he approached her.

Elki grinned and whistled quietly to herself, pretending she had seen nothing.

Look, we won't get paid if this stuff arrives late.

"GASP." Elki threw her hand against her forehead, pretending to stumble backwards. "Do my ears deceive me? What voice approaches from thin air? Hark, demon! Reveal yourself!" She turned to face Bar, grinning. "I hearken. What is the problem, my friend?"

Her brow furrowed as she strained to hear the goblins blather on, her expression confused as she compared that against Bar's suggestion. Now, Ale was a damn fine thing, and she happened to be running low.

"I'm no leader matey, don't push any of that boring responsibility onto my shoulders, lest you want to end up in the gutter with me singing a round with that Ale you speak of. Now that's something I can get behind, so I'll help you load the loot. But I'm hearing some damn worrying things coming out of their mouths, so give me a minute to make sure my ears aren't deceiving me."

She slid past the orc and back over to the goblins, Crouching down to their level on her ankles and clasping her hands together against her knees. She leaned in intently, listening, occasionally asking for confirmation in orcish.

"They've got a lair nearby. Less then twenty of 'em under a bugbear - don't think I've met one before - named Klarg. Urm... My orcish might be a bit rough, but I'm picking up he answers to someone called... King Grol, chief of Cragmaw, from Cragmaw castle."

She threw a sideways glance at Seethe with a quick nod to show she'd heard him. Elki snapped something rough back in orcish, and next minute she was drawing rough directions to Cragmaw Castle in the dirt with her finger.

Elki was nodding. "twenty miles northeast from here, in Neverwinter Wood- oh, now that's interesting. Guys, this might be worse then we think. I know who's taken Gundren, and they've got ahold of a map he was carrying." She dusted off her hands and stood.

[JBRam2002]

Kiki Milaan

---

Kiki never liked the feeling of being left out, and the goblins chatter was one of these moments. Thankfully, a couple of the others seemed to get some information out of them, although whether Kiki helped or not was unclear. With the information shared, Kiki sheathed her blades, not caring whether anyone followed through with her threat or not. "I can help you load up," she replied to Bar. "We don't have to be at odds. Just don't try to hit me and realize I am not your pawn, and we should be best of buds."

As she turned back towards the cart, she passed by Seethe. "Oh, you missed a spot," she said, pointing at Seethe's ankle. In truth, he had been clean about 700 Prestidigitations ago, but he seemed like a good person to tease. Her teasing was quickly interrupted by Cas's offer. "Ooh, that sounds like some really good medicine," she replied. "But maybe we should save it for a more dangerous moment. Elki's healing has helped a lot. I should be fine with a little bit of a rest, I think." Kiki offered a grateful smile to the bard. "I don't think I have ever met a shapechanger before, at least not to talk to. I assume you were the blonde as well? I don't see her around anywhere." Kiki's voice lowered a little. "Tell her I think she's cute, okay?"

With Elki's explanation, Kiki perked up. "Well, if Gundren is captured, we should go get him, right? If anyone is worried about just getting paid, Gundren is probably our only paycheck anyways. Let's save him, and maybe we'll get double! If he dies, I bet we won't see a penny." With that, she picked up the last of the elven arrows and the poison vial before hopping onto the cart. "Come on, let's go! No time to waste!"

[The Grey Dust]

"M" the silent

---

With a nod the psion confirmed the fairy's question. Where others would speak, he would listen. The wizard prattling on about Phandalin concealing a lost trove of treasure. Wave Echo Cave. There was more to the job it seemed, at least for this amount of pay, and yet only one guard to escort? Supplies were no good to the dead after all, hence why did the dwarf not care to wait for the entire group before setting off on some grand chase for loot? Either way it seemed inadequate protection to bring just one guard to protect you, especially if the maps did indeed lead to Wave Echo Cave. It was interesting what greed could do to the mind, settling for secrets at the risk of one's life. Yet whereas Gundren had failed to provide the details that may have saved his life, this goblin seemed to have spilled the beans with some coaxing. And there were evidently three speakers of the guttural orcish to understand the goblin close enough. See? Was it that difficult to choose one's life over such little information?

Putting it all together, listening to the rag-tag group of adventurers, if they could even be called that really. But it seems they were becoming one with concerns split between escorting the payload as their original objective, or killing anyone or anything that may hinder said objective. Cragmaw castle it seemed was the place to go for a grand adventure, and yet surely they did not lug their dwarven employer the whole twenty miles. But their nearby lair may be a place to start, if they could catch them in time and deal with this Klarg. Counting the corpses they had, the numbers were with them, but goblins could be vile creatures, sneaky and by the battle proven, cunning. Assuming they were telling the truth at risk of their lives, it seemed fruitful to investigate. Yet if they lied, well maybe this was a spiteful trap. And the self-absorbed wizard seemed too interested in setting an example to those already at the heel. And though he was vengeful, there was a noble light of compassion the mute had for the unfortunate. Life was a struggle, and not all were born equal, he should know being incapable of speech.

"Lead us to Klarg." The telepathic voice resounded in the same goblin's head, imprinting the message as the psion rose, skipping meal as it seemed the fairy's dog had no care for horsemeat or scritches. Either a well trained dog, or perhaps one that could smell something wrong with the meat, better than he could. "You will need arms and legs to walk. Bring us to your tribe's lair and we will have reason not to leave you as our wizard suggested." There was a clearing yonder as the mute noticed, implying he knew where to start suggesting to the goblin if it did not show him, he would find a way anyhow. And though covered by foliage, there was a subtle path north, an unnatural clearing where the earth was trodden by presumably goblin feet. Looking back to where the goblin sat with a knowing look, eyebrows offering up the choice of continued cooperation or being little more than a torso left on the side of the road. Something he would have not preferred to do to the goblins, for these had done nothing against him, just that one who tried an attempt on his life. The ones who attacked the half-orc for example were probably more admired by him in their attempts to kill one of the group's liabilities.

Soft woody eyes looked at the group with a nod and a jerk of a tilting head drew attention to the woodland path. With a finger pointed at first Kiki and then the changeling, and finally the doggo-mounted fairy, he selected his subparty thinking to split the group to complete both targets. The supplies needed to be delivered, Bar, Seethe and Elki the cleric could handle that part, then if they so choose, double back around to this location or investigate the named castle. The rest could see if the bugbear still held their employer and escort him back to the town where the supplies awaited. Beckoning with another hand, the psion called for his selected party members to accompany him, waiting for the goblin at the edge of the path to guide them or for Seethe to ask the Barbarian to start breaking some limbs.

[Daemanis]

GM
After much time spent in deliberation it is decided upon by the party that they will travel the path indicated by the goblins towards Cragmaw Hideout, their base of operations. The only decision that was left to make now was that of the Goblins, what would become of them.
This question wasn’t left up in the air for long as the Barbarian, Bar, stepped forward with his demands;
Bar: "Either strength is proven or the weak are executed."
This lead to a turn of events whereby the Goblins would not understand the meaning of his words, The wizard, Seethe, seeming to have an idea from this walks forward and breaks the shin bones of one of the goblins, The other two goblins were reviled and would attempt to flee quickly from the scene. However the Barbarian would be too fast for them and would cleave their heads from their necks in one quick solid movement, collecting their skulls as he had the others.

The group navigate the two wagons off to the side of the road where they will be safe until the return of the party and set off towards cragmaw.
Before setting out Bar popped open the potion that Cienna had handed him downing the lot.
Bar: Feels great he said as he seemed to become rejuvenated.
Bar takes the lead while the others follow,
After walking north west along the path for approximately ten minutes along the trail the Barbarian almost steps into a snare trap that he had failed to locate, he dodges to the side as the snare snaps around a branch where his foot had been moments before.
"Hey, there's a trap there." Kiki calls out from her position watching.
While ‘M’ changes his psionic focus to the mind of the Nomadic.
Bar proceeds to gather the snare wire before they set out again, while walking he would tie the used up potion vial into his necklace offering kiki a bone from it.
While walking for another 10 minutes Kiki though on lookout for danger failed to notice that the ground had been disturbed. Bar noticed the moment he set foot on the trap an audible snap, which he quickly jumped back from as the ground and earth beneath him began to tumble into a 10 foot deep hole.
Following the goblins’ trail, you come across a large cave in a hillside, five miles from the scene of the ambush. A shallow stream flows out of the cave mouth, which is screened by dense briar thickets. A narrow dry path leads into the cave on the right-hand side of the stream.

Cienna
She would listen to the rest of the group decide what they wanted to do, she had been hired to make sure that they arrived safely and that is what she was going to do. She would take up a position in the middle of the group as the Barbarian she had given a healing potion took the lead.

[Samdragonx]

BAR
Bar felt not only ecstatic by the potion he had consumed. He felt confident in all of his abilities. When the food is fine, the glory of minions are enough and the skulls are plenty, there's only one thing left to keep this Barbarian occupied. He began to pay attention to the more refined shapes of fairer sex of the party. Seeing as he had no ale, no idea of what harpers are and was upset by Cas' inability to choose a gender, he decided that by elimination there was only one female remaining that might stand the test of strength.
Of course, this helpless romantic could not just follow the simple cycle of request and reject he had been exposed to so very often in his life.

Once he arrived at a cave with a little stream, his first action would be placing his axe in the stream. Walking one feet up stream and take off his loincloth. Having revealed his full nudity, the washing of his body in the cold stream would commence. Firstly, being seated on his knees, he washed his shortcut black hair. After rubbing off part of the skin on that part of his body, indicating that it was well overdue, he would focus on his more muscular exterior. Singing a gentle "lalala" as blood, intestines and 2 poisonous darts had ended up in the little stream Bar would wash his chest, abdomen and his arms.
Next, he would be seated in the stream, rubbing his legs and tickling himself between his toes. Finally, he was certain to fully rub, scratch and wash the remainder of his body before standing up.
The barbarian raised his arms, stretching himself in full length. Being fully washed and exposed, the half orc proceeded to clean out one of the goblin skulls and soak his loincloth.
Using anything he could find, he'd try and turn the goblin skull into a codpiece. After all, if he let the female know he was interested, it might spook her. And it was quite hard to hide his excitement when wearing so little distractive clothing, especially now that the loincloth he did wear was all wet. He retrieved his axe and made his way back to the rest of the group.

Having cleaned his most prized possessions and himself, Bar would, as reluctant as kind in expression, ask Kiki( @JBRam2002 ) to consider his desire to respect her freedom and ask if she would freely reposition herself with him to the break in the treeline(2). Being certain he would be rejected in his request, the brute would not wait long for an answer. A few moments later, he walked towards the opening in the treeline. One step at a time, Bar remained at at least one rapiers distance from his currently most desired goal.

Tech details

Bar moves from (1) to the lower end of the stream near (1) and back. Then proceeds to move towards the entranceof (2).

[JBRam2002]

Kiki Milaan

---

Kiki was helping load up the carts when the distinct sickening sound of breaking bones filled her ears. She paused in her actions, the nauseating fwelfeeling quickly overwhelming her momentarily. When she forced herself to look, it seemed that her advice had been followed in technicality. Breaking the goblin's shin seemed... unnecessary, but such was the way of things in war. Kiki breathed slowly, regaining her composure as she finished loading up the excess weapons and arrows.

Her job during their trek to the goblin encampment was clear: look out for traps or hidden enemies. No one needed to ask her; it was simply expected of the thieves and assassins that were often hired for these jobs. The snare trap was an easy trap to point out, but Kiki was curious how her barbarian friend would react. Quickly, was the answer. Almost nimbly. Kiki of course had to rub it in the half-orc's nose a little that she had seen the trap and he hadn't. Perhaps she would prove her value was higher if they worked together.

Her mind drifted off towards Halruaa over the next leg of their journey. She saw the faces of her friends and family that she left behind, and the noble who had forced her into exile. There was nothing she could do about them now. A sigh escaped her lips, followed by a loud snap from beneath Bar's feet. Kiki stopped short as the pathway in front of her opened into a cavernous pit. Deadly? No, but it would have been painful nonetheless.

Kiki's thoughts returned to the present as they finished their trek. She needed to be alert. Reminiscence was liable to get someone hurt, or worse. It was in this state of alertness that Kiki saw what she would be unable to unsee, as Bar abruptly stripped down and began bathing. It would appear the bath was required, but the timing was fairly questionable. Kiki less-than-promptly turned her gaze away from the large green man and proceeded with the obviously enticing task of counting her arrows.

It was during the sixth recount of this ever-important task that Kiki heard Bar's approach and looked up to be greeted by a goblin skull that barely performed its function of covering the half-orc. Bar's request was, albeit somewhat rough, slightly charming, and Kiki nodded her head. She followed him, not sure if the barbarian was planning to test her armor again, but politeness was such a rare thing thus far to find from Bar that Kiki simply felt compelled to follow. Besides, a clearing in the trees was obviously worth investigating, right?

[Regitnui]

The team apparently wanted to go after goblins. Including the Halruaan girl. Fine. Cas could tag along. Not like there was anything better going on. She retrieved a flute from her wagon, just as Ardiane peeked out from her self-imposed box.

Is the fighting over?

Cas sighed and took a deep breath. The Halruaan girl... Kiki, had mentioned she fancied Ardiane, right? Maybe letting her seduce Cas' blonde alter ego would be a step towards letting Cas seduce her. After all, receiving a Moonshae massage might be better from the hands that were actually trained in it instead of Cas' slightly more clumsy ones. It would be interesting to see how Ardiane's fingers matched up with Cas' when it came to other sorts of deft fingering.

Two steps and an adjustment of Hymn's waistcoat and pants into a vest and skirt later, Ardiane spun in a brief circle at the joy of being alive and free again. A day like this needed the lute, not a flute. Giggling at her poetry, Ardiane looked around for the woman who'd chatted with her on the road. She wandered through the group, smiling at the men and hugging the cleric girl. The puppy that had joined their party almost completely derailed her as she squeaked happily and spent ten minutes scratching the dog, cooing over it.

"Who's a good puppy? You're a good wuffy, yes, you're a cute wuffy," Ardiane nuzzled the dog, then looked around. Had Kiki met this cute doggy? Where did Kiki go? Over there, with the orc. Humming a Waterdeep tavern tune about sailors' lost loves, she caught up just as the orc and Kiki went into the forest. "Kiki!" She called, reaching for the rogue's hand and gently brushing it. "Someone in the caravan said you're from Halruaa-a-oh my gods." She blushed bright red right from her light hair down into her cleavage when she saw what the orc was wearing. Or rather, not wearing. Forgetting herself for a moment, Ardiane pressed her face against Kiki's shoulder. His...aah... She screwed her eyes shut, whimpering slightly.

[Mae]

It was a relatively straightforward trek, and Elki mostly kept her thoughts to herself on the way, though at receiving a free hug from the beautiful lady Elki mysteriously started humming a jolly - if slightly outkey - tune the rest of the way.

Upon arriving at the stream, Elki cracked up when she saw how utterly unabashed the half-orc was when it was, apparently, time to bathe. She called to him in orcish, "You'll scare the normies, that unusual in human life!" but her lighthearted mention went unnoticed when the half-orc proceeded to possibly preposition the rogue.

Well then...

Positioning herself up the stream, partly to spy on this blossoming romance and partly to keep watch (and partly to avoid the quiet one, apparently he'd done some creepy stuff last battle and Elki felt quite noticably uncomfortable in his presence) she was amused to hear the distant squeal of Ardianne off somewhere in the clearing.

you're from Halruaa-a-oh my gods"

Man, Elki thought cracking up, she really regretted not bringing booze along the journey.

[+]

Moving to zone 1:

Perception: (16)+2 = 18