DnD 5e: They took my little girl!

[chkflip]

Bori's arrow and Jodove's projectiles may not have aimed true this time, but the backfire from the firebolt licked the chanting enemy's eyes just enough to distract and cause a wince if only momentarily. Still, however, the chanting kept on. The little girl -- if only by age as she appeared rather stout for her age -- cried out and lashed against the makeshift chains that bound her to the overturned wooden table. Just as the Kobold monk processed what they were told, a familiar voice calls out to them.

"What does Goblins call scaly punchy dragonkin? Dinner! Pahahaha!!"

A foul magic most old sprang from the little cretin's fingers as it told it's awful joke, springing out at the Kobold. It was shrugged off as fast as it fired. The goblinoid scoffed as it found solace atop a nearby pew. Bori, distracted by what could hardly even be considered humor, was caught by surprise when a huge, hairy beast roared right in front of him. It lashed out at him with a maul of some sort and scraped hard... against the Dwarf's armor. Too close for comfort.

Bhreh springs to action, launching himself at the jokester ready to cast his favorite spell: fist. But just as he gets face to face with the sweaty little mob... something overcame him. His aggression, much like Jodove's earlier plight, changed in the moment.

[Rautherdir]

Bhreh finds himself stopping in front of the goblin, before bowing and calling out: "

Nilbog survive death! Nilbog prevent getting hit! Nilbog invincible!

"

[The Fonz]

Jodove heard something moving behind him and turned to spot a goblin standing at the top of the stairs. Stikl, his comrade was enthralled by the nilbog, and that was the priority.

Behind you,

he whispered to Elloria, at least as much of a whisper as is possible when speaking Orcish, then ran to the right to get a clean shot at the creature. Putting some distance between himself and the bugbear was a bonus. He felt a strange magic washing over him, and gritted his teeth to resist. Soon, though, he felt a strange chant rising in his throat:

N-I-L! B-O-G!
Nilbog much smarter than me!

G-O-B-L-I-N-S
Elves worship you, you're the best!

[/i]

[xofelf]

Elloria spins around and spots the goblin on the stairs. With a flourish and a growl, she takes out both of her swords and strikes at the creature.

[chkflip]

Unfortunately, in all her courage, the Half-Orc rushes up the steps and misses twice with the swings of her blades. Even more unfortunate, though, was the fact that there wasn't one Goblin up those steps... but two.

Bori turns the tide against the huge beast before him with a well-timed strike with his rapier that sends the bugbear into a pained roar. It looks to him and, though injured, smiles. It would see it's own weapon true with a pounding slam into the stout Dwarf's shoulderblade. Tit for tat, indeed.

Meanwhile, back up the steps, the Goblins cackled at their opponent as one hit and ran away... then the other struck the poor girl down. Elloria drew what may be her last breath after both Goblins ended up getting clean strikes with their blades. The second Goblin rushes down the steps to see what blood it could spew next when --

WHOOSH

-- it gets absolutely incinerated by a firebolt that KFC crispy style barbecues the little green problem child. It squeals as its flesh is charred by the flame. A husk is about all that's left when the fire dies down. In frustration, the magic-weilding Goblin rushes Jodove and whomps him in the chest with a grinning scepter.

Hit points are low... it appears to be a three-versus-three standoff in the echoing cathedral of a room. The chanting has stopped, but the poor young Dwarf girl is still far from being saved by our heroes.

[Rautherdir]

Bhreh takes a swipe at the goblin next to him, knocking it out; before navigating across the room to flank the bugbear and throws a punch that is deflected by the bugbear's shield.

[The Fonz]

Jodove saw the Half-Orc fall to the floor again and grimaced. At the same time, a string of fairly lame insults about his ear shape, mother's profession and spellcasting prowess rang out, seeming to emanate from inside his head, but in a very familiar goblinoid voice.

Dammit, Jodove, if the Gods had meant you to be bested by a damn goblin, they wouldn't have made you an Elf!

he thought. At that moment, another greenskinned halfwit rushed into the room, taking a moment to look around. A moment too long. With another flick of the wrist, the Wizard sent a firebolt hurtling toward the newly-arrived goblin. It landed at the creature's feet, and as if frozen in time, first its boots set alight, then within a second the whole goblin was consumed in a column of flame.

Jodove smiled and turned back to the spellcaster.

Guess you're not the only one looking... hot.

. The smirk was wiped off his face almost immediately, though, as the red-hatted creature rushed the High Elf, swinging his sceptre and connecting with the left side of Jodove's chest. Osteroth was sure he felt at least one rib crack.

Gritting his teeth, he met the creature's gaze...

[xofelf]

Elloria wakes up with a start.

Damn, of all the places to die, it would be the one to have fun vision quests and ghostly figures asking for allegiances. I don't know if that's luck or what.

She shakes off the last remnants of what she's seen, and remembering the words spoken to her and the promises she made, she slowly gets up to her feet. With a mighty roar, she yells out, "Death won't stop me, and y'all are gonna get yours!"

[Haschel Cedricson]

"Aaaaa!"

Bori yells(?) as the bugbear's blow connects. To make matters worse, his counter-counterattack hits nothing but air. With another yell, but focused this time, Bori puts the pain completely out of his mind.

[The Fonz]

Smarting from the pain, Jodove just about managed to reach into his ingredient pouch and grab a pinch of sand between his fingertips. With a snarl, he mouthed an incantation and flung the sand on the floor at his feet.

[chkflip]

The final moments of the battle seemed the longest. Fists flew, spells flung, and weaponry sprayed blood across the walls of this once endearing and holy place. When it was all said and done, however, it would see the end of the bugbear... but also the Dwarf. Both lay breathless and bleeding. The large room -- now that you have a moment to collect it all in -- appears to be a shrine of some sort. If the last room was a place of worship and penance, then surely this would be a place where those devout enough followers would come to further their studies. What this Delian order is may forever be a mystery to you; however, more words are found behind the large statue.

If you are to keep it, you must first give it to me.

The statue, almost ambiguously gendered in nature either by time eroding away at the features or by design (it seems very unclear to you which), stands tall in its heavy armor with a massive blade upon it's back. This moment of triumph of yours, though deserved it may be, is cut short by the Dwarf girl who falls on her face out of nowhere.

[The Fonz]

As the last firebolt's trail faded in front of him, Jodove turned his attention to the spellcasting goblinoid snoring away at his feet. Jodove tossed the greenskin's sceptre across the floor, just far enough to reassure himself that the blasted thing wouldn't be able to reach it. Then he grabbed the chain he had procured earlier, and, with as much care as the limited time available allowed, wrapped his enemy in the chain, tying it off as sturdily as he could manage. Hopefully, it would hold, but even if it didn't, he had an idea..

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his Kobold ally rushing toward the fallen Dwarf, and hoped that Bhreh would not be too late. The thought was interrupted by a thump from the Northeast corner of the room.

[Rautherdir]

Bhreh manages to bind Bori's wounds and stop the bleeding, and noting that this Dwarf should be fine for the time being (even if still unconscious) turns his attention to the other Dwarf in the room, looking her over and... determining that she has a pulse and isn't bleeding. While the situation was no longer hostile, the Kobold was left somewhat agitated.

"

Dwarves should be fine. Probably. Might not be able to see if mind-magic harmed them. Goblin-smoke-thing uses mind-magic.

" Bhreh pauses a bit, taking in the details of the room, before looking directly at Elloria and continuing: "

This place... Don't know if it's a place of god-magic. Do you know, ranger? Chanting-goblin, bound but unharmed young one, death...

subverted

three times... Ah! Should unbind Dwarf girl.

"

[xofelf]

Elloria looks down at the little kobold with a half-smile,

"No little one, I don't know. I think the place has special meaning, but the god they were going to sacrifice this girl to was a goblin god. The one I saw was nothin' so dark and harmful. Looked kinda like that statue there actually."

[The Fonz]

Jodove finished off tying up the Nilbog, the chain completely restraining the diminutive figure as he slumbered.

I Guess you could say I had a spark of inspiration

, thought Jodove, and as he did so he thought he felt some kind of inner voice exclaim

Yeeeeeeeah!

Jodove touched his hand to a chainlink, and whispered a single-word incantation. Electricity coursed through the goblin's body, which shuddered for a second then stopped. Osteroth noticed a small plume of black smoke rise from the now-lifeless body, and exhaled. Was it finally over?

He walked slowly over to the corner where his comrades stood, a slight grimace on his face as the adrenaline of the fight wore off, and the pain from his cracked rib resurfaced.

Think she'll wake up soon? I don't think any of us are in much of a state to carry her back.

In spite of the ache from his flank, Jodove chuckled.

[chkflip]

Soon, the Dwarf girl would wake and thank her heroes. She would smile as they helped her out, shocked to see another of her kind in the group who had also fallen. The Kobold and the wizard would aid the little girl in her steps home while the Half-Orc one-arm presses Bori over her shoulder. The three would stop every now and then to make sure they licked the proverbial treasure bowl clean by picking off every piece of armor and weaponry worth it's copper in weight when they got back to town.

The blacksmith, probably the happiest most have seen him in some time, came at you full sprint with a joyous smile and a warm (if not tight) hug for his little girl. A small embrace later and he too would see to it that you were well compensated for your efforts. The local clergyman came rushing forth after seeing several townsfolk surrounding you, noticing poor Bori unconscious on Elloria's shoulder.

Jubilation all around for our heroes on this fine day!

And with that, our quest is complete...

COMPLETION:

95% (what did you miss!?)

REWARDS:

- Level up! All adventurers may advance to level 2.
- Gear up! All adventurers may acquire 500gp

or

a +1 weapon, not both
- Notoriety! All adventurers will have advantage on social-based skill checks in future quests against/with the villagers of Thode for saving the Blacksmith's daughter.

PT: https://forum.mafiascum.net/viewtopic.php?f=90&t=82477