Session 8: The Goblin Boss (2011-12-05)

[Corsario]

The first notice Dave, Bob and John, warriors in the Gorum caravan, had of the attack was the people running and screaming, passing in front of Goblin Squash Stables, escaping away from the south Sandpoint gate. The three of them were checking on Grumpy at he time, and talking to Daviren Hosk, owner of the stables.

The four of them only had a minute to get ready, grab their weapons and try to build a makeshift barricade, wasted effort because of the need to allow people escape from the Goblin attackers.

They made a valiant stand. They did their best to slow the goblin column from reaching the rest of the city. But the goblins were too many, and in a couple minutes it was over. They saved a lot of lives, and bought the city watchmen valuable instants to react and organize. And pay dearly for it.

Bob was the first to die, with a small prayer to Gorum in his last breath. John didn't noticed the horsechopper that killed him, a savage lunge from the Goblin boss, killing him instantly. Seeing his force cut in half, Dave and Daviren retreated into the stables, ready for they last stand.

A half dozen goblins followed them inside, while the rest continued their advance into the town.

In the small square in front of the Rusty Dragon Inn people tried to escape, panicked. Only a dozen watchmen, leaded by a constable, will defend the people from the goblins.

Bethana Corwin, the halfling maid, pale as a ghost, tried to put people inside of the inn, away from the street.

In front of the inn people saw the most unusual defense force. Half a dozen young boys, recently bathed and with new, if not fancy, clothes grabbing a couple kitchen knives, makeshift wooden clubs and a long pole, behind some tables turned on it's side, as their only protection. Leading them one could see a female figure, stern and standing tall, with the calm only a monk could muster in combat situations. Sabyl Sorn, master of the House of Blue Stones, and new friend of Magu and new foster mother of the children, was speaking to them, trying to keep them together. Trying to keep them calm. Trying to keep them brave facing their moment of dead.

- Confront them with annihilation - her voice recited - and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. - She made a sound to grab the children eyes from the goblins less than a hundred feet away, and have them see her, in his bravery and calm - When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory.

The children, tears in their eyes, away from families and future, subjected to mistreatment and neglect at Gorvi's hands, encountering hope on Kealm's words, Magu and Grummsh interest and Sabyl care, and facing all of that taken away by the goblin attack, along with their own lives, believed they had understand what Sabyl was telling them.

Sanginus, the older of them - to mildly annoyance from Sybil - started a scream the other children joined in less than a second. A scream borne from their years of wanting and solitude, of hardship and fear. A scream borne of hope and strength and courage.

- GORUUUUUUM!!!

Bethana would later say that in that moment, in the children's eyes, she saw something that made her shudder in fear, and hoped the Golbins would feel likewise.

The Goblins force, lead by a huge brute almost dwarf size and half a dozen mounted goblins riders, entered the square. The combat started badly for the defenders, as the constable was the first to fall.

Help came from an unexpected source. From the half a dozen goblins that entered the stables none came out alive. What came out was fury and huge teeth, meanness and hoofs, and a bray filled with rage. A bray that froze the goblins in place, and filled their small dark hearts with dread, as they recognized the meaning of that sound.

The thing they hated, and feared, the most was now behind them. Their doom had arrived.

Grumpy trampled the straggling Goblins, pushing them aside or running over them, and ran into the square. The people saw with amazement the bites and kicks that decimated the goblin force, as if the war god of the recent arrived had chosen the small donkey as his avatar in that moment. Many of the Goblins broke ranks and try to run away, to hide and cower, making them less of a threat.

The children at the Rusty Dragon Inn were the first to cheer. They were not the last.

Even the occasional cut from a dogslicer, or a nasty stab from a horsechopper, seemed not to stop the donkey. But at last Grumpy faced the Goblin boss. The brute was not scared, and with a couple cuts from his horsechopper to the donkey legs Grumpy fell to the floor.

As the characters reached the square, they saw how the Goblin Boss pulled his horsechopper from Grumpy's dead carcass, hold it above his head, bathing him in the donkey's blood, and make a challenging scream.

The fight, for the destiny of Sandpoint, was on.

[Corsario]

* Gorum Followers Caravan
- Kealm, Inquisitor, Caravan Captain. Played by Tyrs13
- Grummsh, Half-Orc Cleric, Caravan Lieutenant. Played by Patrick
- Lucron, Synthesis Summoner, Caravan Warrior. Played by Mark

* Other characters that join them for protection and company
- Grift, Gunslinger, adventurer. Played by James
- Magu, Chelaxian Half-Elf nun, only female PC. Played by Bolo Lacertus
- Aranel Arcamenel, Elven Wizard, Played by Viceran

* Sandpoint NPC's
- Ruperta of Hentzau, Varisian NPC, "Con-artist"
- Aldern Foxglove, Noble NPC

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Time to face Ripgut, the Goblin horde leader, and his last minion. Not only the characters defeat him, but capture him alive. Also, they manage to save Aldern Foxglove from a mounted Goblin.

The cost is big, as they lose two soldier (John and Bob) as well as Grumpy.

[Corsario]

I will use this post to talk about my choices as DM. I hope it will help me to get better as GM, and I hope it can help you understand some of the decisions I do, and give you ideas how to use them with your characters.

Well, we lost another one. James (Grift's Player) decided the campaign was not for him, so we are down to 5 players.
I feel bad because i expected the "Theodosia" arc to be a nice one in the campaign.
But well, the campaign goes on.
So, I finally killed the soldiers I wanted to kill form the beginning, and I think they went in a big way.
The players surprised me by capturing RipGut instead of killing him alright. Will have to give them advantages in the next goblins fights for they effort.
And they are level 2!
Need to do more homework and use more of their backstories and abilities.
We are now completely in the adventure path. Let's follow it!
PS. Will the other romantic plots prosper? Is there something Kealm or Grummsh would do?
PS2. What plot give to Lucron? Her wife? Need to check that.

[Corsario]

Please, all the feedback or opinions of this session put in as replies in this threads.

If any of you even does a character "diary" or something like that, I promise to give some kind of reward "in-game" (I have to motivate it somehow, right?).

You can also give private feedback by mail ([email protected]) or skype (corsario_mexico).

[Corsario]

No technical problems this time! Excelllent!