DnD 5e: They took my little girl!

[chkflip]

You all begin moving forward to the entrance, the Dwarf and Kobold cautiously peering down the stairwell. It descends about 10' down into an ornate hallway adorned with etchings of what appear to be warriors in heavy armor battling all sorts of monsters before the hallway disappears to the right. You can faintly here a single Goblin chittering somewhere deeper still. Though the Dwarf couldn't discern what this place used to be, it's perhaps clear to all of you that this isn't of Goblin make. The hinges, where doors clearly once stood, dangle at the edges of the entryway. A broken chain lie dormant at the foot of the bottom of the stairs.

[The Fonz]

As they descend, Jodove peered at the artwork on the wall, trying to place whether he'd seen it before. As the party edged forward, he spotted the broken chain, and wondered if it were of any import.

[chkflip]

The four of you advance cautiously. The Elf picks up, mends, and bags the chain he found on the floor along the way. Perhaps it will be useful later. Bhreh clutches his crossbow as he peers around the corner, noting the completely decimated doors crumbled on the floor right beneath him, and looks down the hallway. It opens into a bit of a wider room with columns surrounding a large bowl in the center before continuing on forward and turning again, this time to the left. He can hear Goblins... but it is unclear how close -- or how far away -- they may be. Perhaps both. The chittering of their guttural language echoes through their thick pungent scent covering the hallway and room before the party.

[The Fonz]

Right,

said Jodove, softly. I have a plan.

You two,

he tapped the two adventurers in front on their outside shoulders,

keep your crossbows readied. And you,

he looked at Elloria - and started whispering in her ear.

I need you to pretend you're...er... applying some robust interrogation techniques to one of our Goblin friends. The Orc language tends to be quite useful for this purpose.

Jodove took a deep breath, and reached into his mind for a spell.

[xofelf]

Elloria chuckles softly, a grin spreading across her face. She whispers back, "I gotchu. I'll even mix in some Goblin insults into the Orcish just to add some flavour. Can it make it look like one of the ones from outside to sell it better?"

[The Fonz]

Jodove was briefly confused.

I'm not sure how you make it Look like anything, but that's what we want it to sound like.

He clutched his staff in his left hand and began weaving his right in a simple, repetitive pattern.

[chkflip]

Jodove and Elloria's collective efforts go off without a hitch. The Elf waves his hands and after a quickly muttered incantation produces a cacophony of Goblin-like yelps with his minor illusion spell while Elloria begins barking loudly in Orc and slamming her feet on the ground and wall nearest to her. It doesn't take long for the chittering of the actual Goblins to silence entirely as they listen in to the horrors before them. This goes on for a moment before you all hear, in clear broken common tongue...

"You hurt Goblinses... we hurt you badder!"

The light pitter patter of footfalls follow as the one that responded yells out to his comrades.

[Haschel Cedricson]

Bori watches as Bhreh's bolt clanks off the bowl, followed by an arrow from the far goblin hitting a pillar.

"Time to show these goblins what a real marksman can do,"

he thinks to himself. With one fluid motion he draws his longbow and sends an arrow sailing straight into the far goblin's heart. As the goblin tumbles lifeless to the ground, Bori tells his companions "

That's one down. Who wants the next?

"

[The Fonz]

Patience,

says the robed Elf, as the goblinoid screams fade away into nothing.

We hold position.

Jodove's view was obscured by the corner of the wall, and he had no desire to play the hero by trying to leap the Kobold and fire off a desperate firebolt. Instead, his left hand moving in a familiar pattern, a fallen pillar began shimmering into... well, not exactly existence, but the appearance of existence, between the two crossbowmen in front and the taller party members behind. Jodove Osteroth ducked behind the illusory barrier, and kept his eyes focused ahead of him, waiting for a small, greenskinned form to come into his vision.

[chkflip]

The Goblins shuffled around in their positions but didn't make their presence known to you by advancing on the party. Instead, out of nowhere comes a green beam that bursts into what appear to be little miniature cackling Goblin faces. You all grab your heads when it flashes in your eyes and feel... overcome, somehow. A voice begins muttering in the back of everyone but Jodove's mind. Jodove looks in horror as the eyes of his companions begin to flash that same hue of green.

Elloria, overtaken by the magic, begins rushing forward through her comrades until she reaches the wall. With a shake of her head... the magic doesn't seem to dissipate. This doesn't make a difference, currently, as she gets pelted in the shoulder and chest with an arrow each. The Half-Orc grunts in pain before falling unconscious to the ground. Goblins jubilate at their success.

"Leave now, maybe you live, longshanks!"

The voice taunts from the other room.

[Rautherdir]

Bhreh, temporarily clear-minded from the confusing magic, puts his crossbow back into the bag at his side before calling out:

"

Not a longshank! Not running away!

"

The kobold then charges at the goblins closest to him, delivering a hard punch to the head of the closest goblin; and sweeping the legs out from under the other goblin before slamming it to the ground. Bhreh then ducks behind the southwestern pillar and readies himself for the goblin's next action, before calling out:
"

You knock out one, I knock out two!

"

[Haschel Cedricson]

A wince flashes across Bori's face as the cacophony in his mind gets louder and louder.

"This isn't right,"

he thinks.

"You don't belong here..."

continue the chattering voices.

"You don't belong anywhere..."

Eyes wide, Bori bolts past Jodove and scrambles up the stairs, barely managing to not stumble on the stone as he flees the building.

[The Fonz]

Bhreh, temporarily clear-minded from the confusing magic, puts his crossbow back into the bag at his side before calling out:

"

Not a longshank! Not running away!

"

The kobold then charges at the goblins closest to him, delivering a hard punch to the head of the closest goblin; and sweeping the legs out from under the other goblin before slamming it to the ground. Bhreh then ducks behind the southwestern pillar and readies himself for the goblin's next action, before calling out:
"

You knock out one, I knock out two!

"

Jodove allowed himself a smile as he heard the reassuring sound of Bhreh handing out a kicking to a couple of goblins.

He darted out from behind the wall, and deadpanned

Looks like it's heating up in here, folks.

[/i] He readied a firebolt, and cocked his elbow back to fling it toward the goblin that, for some reason, had decided to jump into a large stone bowl in the middle of the corridor. As he brought his arm forward to throw, though, he somehow found himself waving energetically at the goblin instead, as the firebolt flickered out harmlessly in his hand.

Damn, honey! You are looking GOOD! That hat really accentuates those beady red eyes of yours! And that leather armor... MIAOW!

[The Fonz]

The hell?

Thought Jodove. He wasn't ready to stand there feeling embarrassed, though. Not with the goblins readying their weapons. He ducked back out of sight of the goblins, cursing whatever it was that had thrown him off.

[chkflip]

The Goblin stands tall to the praise before leaping down to point and laugh at the Kobold.

"You saying?"

It called as it begins retreating backward, it's only standing cohort sliding in for another failed shot at its dragon-scaled opponent. Both move back behind pillars, seemingly content to wait out their enemy's fate.

[xofelf]

Elloria shakes off the confusion and shouts menacingly in Goblin,

"I don't go down that easy, and you best run and hide, because I'm coming for you. And I will get you."

[chkflip]

Spells are a terrible thing sometimes and, unfortunately for our Kobold and Dwarf, that time is now. Both couldn't help but be completely overcome by the strength of the magics currently flowing through them. The Goblins continued to chortle amongst themselves as Jodove began to concoct a plan.

Meanwhile, outside, Bori the Dwarf finally overcame the sorcery and took a look around. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

[chkflip]

Jodove, completely through with fighting these fickle monsters, reaches out around the corner to fling another firebolt only to burst it into the large bowl in the center of the room. An echoing

'bwooooong'

fills the room and makes the little green menaces shudder.

"Gah! You done! Me kill N-- kehk!"

Right as the magical of the two exposes himself from behind his hiding spot, another arrows thwips through the air and pierces through its throat. The Goblin beside it screams in horror as the gurgling sound escapes it's compatriot in violence. It grabs at its ally, only getting a grasp on the scepter-like club on its allies back before they fall dead to the ground.

FLASH!

Just like that, a torrid plume of brackish smoke exudes from the fallen one's orifices and fills the air surrounding it. Those of you with eyes on the situation think -- nay, you know -- you see a smile in the smoke before it consumes the lone Goblin in the room. A terrible shrill of screaming and gargling overpowers you all as the smoke seems to strike down it's throat. And in that quick moment... this Goblin turns to you all speaking broken common in an all too familiar voice.

"You pay for that! Nilbog have that body for twelve moons. Best personal record!! YOU. WILL. DIE!!!"

It bellows at all of you... then flees the room. The overpowering magic seems to have faded, the killing blow shattering it's clutches on the party. You all look to one another unsure if you could truly believe whatever the hell you just saw.

[chkflip]

You spend some time regrouping as you collect what little you can from the corpses of the Goblins slain thus far. And it's at this point that the room they occupied becomes more clear as to what it's original purpose may have been. The original art in this room echoes the previous hallway of mighty heroes championing against great evils. Down each pillar is a single word written in several different languages: truth, order, law, and justice each exemplified on their own part of this prolific structure. On the southernmost wall you see the following words in what can best be described as a calligraphy-style font.

"I, Sextus Varius, swear the Delian Oath.
To serve law, battle chaos, and keep the Delian lore secret."

Below it is a stalwart figure, helm in arm, with a single foot atop a bested monster you've never seen before. Upon looking throughout the walls, however, you do notice one figure that has been changed by the Goblins. Mud and slash marks surround one particular Goblin on the wall. One that dons a very familiar cap and scepter.

[The Fonz]

Jodove briefly marvelled at the artwork. He felt himself briefly becoming somewhat hot under the collar at the thought of secret lore, before bringing himself to his senses. He took in the sight of the Half-Orc, brooding menacingly but clearly badly hurt from the flurry of arrows. Frankly, he was incredibly impressed that Elloria was still drawing breath. Grudgingly, given how intensely vulnerable the wizard still felt, he handed the healing potion to his companion.

Take this. I suspect you'll be trading a fair few more injuries with these creatures before we're done.

[xofelf]

Elloria nods gratefully, and downs the potion in one gulp.

"Thank you. I'll try to protect you all as I can, with hopefully less injuries this time."

[chkflip]

You all soldier forward in a zig-zag pattern after perhaps learning something from the first assault on these little green menaces. A soft humming hits your ears as you inch closer to the next 90-degree turn in the hallway. More stairs downward make it impossible to see much further than the very beginnings of the next room, but what you can see is telling. A long rug, perhaps colorful if all you could see wasn't shades of grey, is draped along the center of the room between what appears to be two pews. The humming you hear rises and drops in cadence and it's at this point you realize, collectively, that it isn't humming.

It's chanting.

Though unclear, it sounds like it's fairly far away from you, perhaps coming from the Northeast end of this new room.

[chkflip]

The party stops at the corner, Bhreh looking back with a nod before continuing down the set of stairs. What lies before him would in any other circumstance be breathtaking. The room, roughly 50x50 feet in feet and length, stands beautifully to the test of time compared to the rest of the building. Two aisles of five sets of pews sit centrally in the room -- separated only by a long, beautiful rug -- before a massive statue of what appears to be an honor to some long-passed warrior, defender, or deity to whomever built this place.

Silence has long taken this place; however, that is being cut down currently by what happens in the far corner of the huge room. A chained and struggling humanoid seems to be making every failed effort and attempt to free themselves from whatever it is the little goblinoid is doing in front of them. Black smoke and chanting are two very bad signs, however, and this might be the last moment you have to stop whatever it is you're seeing transpire.

[Haschel Cedricson]

Bori rushes into the room and takes cover behind one of the pews.

"Oh no you don't; not today!"

he whispers, although there is no way his opponents heard him.

He lets loose an arrow at the creature closest to the captured girl.

[The Fonz]

Jodove set off apace, following his Dwarven companion into the room. He came up behind Bhreh, and whispered in the diminutive Monk's ear

Hey, I saw another goblin trying to sneak in behind us back there. Keep your eyes peeled.

Then he raised himself to his full height, and surveyed the room. The sight of the repulsive ritual alarmed Jodove, and he hastily tossed a firebolt in the direction of the solitary goblin. Again the wizard ground his teeth, as the flaming missile appeared to be heftily off target. But as it neared the chanting creature, the bolt began to curve back towards its target.

C'mon,

prayed the High Elf, silently...