Keep on the Borderlands - The Path of Evil - Session 26c

SESSION 26c: DAY 13 – CAVES OF CHAOS 

Talmark exclaims, "Blasted darkness! I cannot see much! Barrett, take cover at the edge of that side passage. Malandir, can you come forwards and see what lies ahead?” Looking over his shoulder towards the eastern passage he shouts out, “Lucien, we have made some room up here!..."

Barrett dutifully moves to the south.

“Indeed, three dead” Malandir thinks to himself, “most of the others wounded and in flight”.

The elvish rogue moves up to the western corridor, looking for the chance to strike down another goblin with his arrows. Kord keeps back so that his light doesn’t interfere with the elves infravision. 

As Malandir moves up to the corner he checks the corridor to the south from the room and sees that it ends in a dead end. 

As he approaches the western corridor entrance he peers 30ft forwards. He can see another corridor leading off to the south as the western corridor continues to the west. 

He moves up to the next intersection. As he peers to the south he sees that the southern corridor is another dead end. It looks like an unfinished tunnel, abandoned by the lazy goblins.

Looking to the west he can see that the western tunnel continues on but now there is another passage which goes to the north. 

“This place is a maze” he thinks to himself.

DEW

Keep on the Borderlands - The Path of Evil - Session 26b

SESSION 26b: DAY 13 – CAVES OF CHAOS  

Looking at the unsuspecting goblins, Malandir relishes the chance of killing them, but knows the power of the Asmodean clerics. 

He sneaks back to the group to share what he knows, hoping they will agree to follow him up. He wishes to initiate the attack with a bowshot, then the clerics and warriors can do what they do.

Talmark whispers, "Perhaps a good idea would to let a little blast of negative energy be the first inkling to the goblins that their doom is at hand, if we can surprise them. Barrett and I can go into the mouth of the room first after your bow shot, Malandir, and get them stirred up so they surge at us. Then they can be blasted as a pack. One man at least will need to stay to the south to keep us from being surprised from behind." Talmark thinks to himself, “We never did recover Stein’s body. I hope these barbaric goblins aren’t eating him. That’s the sort of thing that might lessen our guy’s resolve.”

“Perhaps,” says Kord. “I can only protect three of us when I Channel Negative Energy and Lucien can protect none of us. Also, if we use light we’ll likely alert the goblins to our presence before we can surprise them.”

Malandir considers Kord’s and Talmark’s comments. “Kord cover your light and if you, Talmark and Barret come with me we’ll initiate the ambush. Hold onto my cloak and I’ll guide us down the hall. It’s only a little way. When I give you the order, uncover the light and unleash Asmodeus’ wrath. Lucien can protect our rear with Fremont, Per and Clovis and charge in reinforcements if we need them.”

The party nods in agreement. 

Lucien martials the reserve into a formation blocking the eastern approach. He is happy to have the faithful and brave Per with him and that Barret has been put into harms way. Lovely. 

The assault party forms up behind Malandir. Talmark is in front with Malandir so that he can charge forth when Malandir gives the order. Kord and Barret follow. 

Malandir Takes 10 in leading the party down the corridor to maximise their chances of surprising the goblins. It’s an uncomfortably slow advance but they get back to the intersection unnoticed. 

SURPRISE ROUND

·        Malandir gives the signal and Kord uncovers the light on his shield bathing the goblins in immediate brightness. The goblins are barely able to raise their hands to their eyes to shield them as Kord Channels Negative Energy. It’s a DC15 Will save for ½ damage and Kord rolls a 5 for damage. The goblins have a Will save of -1 and will need to roll a 16 accordingly. Eight of the nine are caught in the blast. They roll 11, 17, 15, 2, 8, 4, 17, 11 respectively.

·        Malandir lines up one of the lesser wounded goblins that he has line of sight too and fires an arrow at the flat-footed fiend. The arrow strikes true, hitting the little monster in the left thigh and dealing 6pts of damage (including Sneak Attack damage). The goblin slumps to the ground dead. The goblins have taken their first casualty and will need to take a morale check next round.

·        Talmark charges into the fray trying to cut down another goblin and also hoping to penetrate deep into their chaotic formation so that he may block the retreat of as many as possible should they break and run. The smashes the little fiend in the chest with the big 2 handed sword and deals 13pts of damage killing it instantly. In one foul swoop, he cleaves towards the goblin to his north and hits it in the lower abdomen. He practically cuts the beast in two as he deals 12pts of damage. It falls, dead.

·        There is no clear charge arc for Barret. He moves onto the flank of Talmark and into contact with a wounded goblin. With any luck, the party will win the initiative and he’ll finish the little monster next round or if the goblin runs he’ll stab it in the back.

ROUND 1A

Initiative: Party roll 15 + 0 = 15. Goblins roll 11 + 6 = 17. 

·        The goblins recoil in surprise at the violence of the attack. They make a morale check and roll 11 on 2d6 against a morale of 7 and flee.

·        As they go, Barret tries to stab the goblin to his west in the back but he misses.

DEW

Keep on the Borderlands - The Path of Evil - Session 26a

SESSION 26a: DAY 13 – CAVES OF CHAOS  

Malandir signals that he is content to scout ahead once more, especially as enough time has passed for the enemy to have created traps or obstacles which he could discern before the group is caught by them. 

He turns to Talmark, “Perhaps better to keep away from where the hobgoblins were, try to deal with the goblins first?”

Lucien considers that Malandir out front does seem like the way to start however he wonders about option to put Barret into harm’s way a bit more. Barret’s stone-faced demeanor at the encounter of the cave gives Lucien pause on whether he will report what occurred when the party does end up back at the Burg. He resolves that if Barret is injured and we make an effort to heal him in this go around, quite possibly there is more loyalty that can be manipulated. If he is killed the potential of him reporting the deeds at Cragmaw cave disappear. 

Talmark signals Malandir to go to the east where the previous fight was in order to be sure that there is no one coming up from behind the party as it proceeds to the west. He whispers to Malandir that the rest of the party will hang back right where they are as it’ll keep the party handy but out of the way and less likely to be shot at from the darkness. 

Malandir sneaks off to the eastern passage and then down to the south east. He quietly approaches the first room. It is abandoned. He does a quick scan of the room. The fire looks like it was left to burn out. The body of the fallen ogre has been removed but there is still blood and gore about the room.

He reports back to Talmark and the party. 

Reporting back they reform and start to scout to the west. 

Staying just outside of Kord’s light spell range, the sneaky elf comes across a passage turning to the south and a room to the north west. It’s the squabbling noises of dirty little goblins doing Asmodeus knows what that attracts his attention the most.

He peaks around the corner and he can see 9 goblins in the 20ft wide room.

Checking to see if the goblin have noticed him Malandir rolls 12 + 7 stealth = 19. The goblins roll for perception and get 6 – 1 Perception skill – 5 as the goblins are distracted = 0. 

Malandir has the drop on the goblins. 

DEW