Mini 18: Rhion's Brook Report

General Summary

16th of Keltier 1524 Continued

At 10:30am Balthazar shares what he was able to pick up from Ruimele's unconscious mind. The acolytes remind the group that the Grandfather Oak has been overrun by goblins since the loss at the tree that resulted in the Paladin being in her current state. They head back to the high priest's office to enquire about a map to continue cementing their current plans.

Nobu suggests instead of going to the tree where the goblins are now, they instead head to where they came from. Maybe they left something behind that could aid them. The agree on this plan, get their horses and head off out of the city.

At about 3pm the party arrives and finds the village, Rhion's Brook, and the space that the goblins had once camped in. Balthazar is busy trying to read and misses it, but everyone else catches it. They look around it seems that it has likely been abandoned for about a week or a little longer. It has become a glorified trash dump as there are clear signs of traffic from here to the abandoned town.

They go and scoop out the town and make a careful approach. Isabelle uses her connection with nature to mask their steps and make them harder to find. They see no signs of goblins in the normal buildings that look rather destroyed but they head for the fortified manor and carefully make their way over the fence.

They move to the building and break in carefully into the building and end up in a library of some sorts. Isabelle head to the door leading out of the room to listen. There she hears footsteps coming towards the door. They go past the door and start to fade. The party leaves the room and heads in the direction the footsteps went to start to explore. They stalk the goblin, noticing it is blue and has ice spikes coming out of it's body. It knocks at a door before going in.

The party approach the door. They prepare themselves for a fight and to try and take the goblin out quickly. When they open the door they see a very strange scene. One goblin is laying out a picnic blanket while another two are trying to light the fire in the fire place. They can hear another around the corner of the room on the bed. Without wasting any time, the party spring to attack the goblins, taking them by surprise.

Working together, they easily take out the goblins. Isabelle keeps an eye out for anyone who might come to investigate the sound of combat while others search the goblins and room. They find:

• Two sets of crude lockpicks (single use)
• 53 copper
• 8 gold
• 5 silver
• One pouch of salt, pepper, sulphur and charcoal
• One small skull bone earring
• A jar of pickled fingers

Sadly a check of the room doesn't bring up darts or poisons. They continue to search. They listen at a few doors before they hear something like chanting and decide it has to be stopped. They sneak up and get a surprise attack once again but there are many more goblins here and one seems to have religious power.

At first it looked to be the same sort of cakewalk as the last fight until the religious figure gets involved. The ice abilities of the standard goblins are very dangerous in these large numbers. Kaida, Balthazar, Galanith and Brienda are badly hurt from the fight. Balthazar had down a few times in the fight but Galanith ensured he never stayed down. Isabelle is slightly hurt but doing better then others. Nobu made it through the fight without much issue.

With all the goblins down, they stabilise the priest and tie him up. After they move the bodies of the other goblins away. They search all the goblins. They find:

• 3 potions
• One pouch with 5 gemstones
• One pouch of salt, pepper, sulphur and charcoal
• 25 gold
• 20 ft long rope made of human hair
• Jar of entrails
• 6 platinum
• 20 silver
• Another small skull bone earring
• 30 copper
• two gnarled dogs ears (not the same dog)
• Water skin with stale rainwater
• Parchment with a crude design of a trap
• A divine focus which is a very cold piece of rock crudely fashioned into an eye

Balthazar uses detect magic to confirm the potions are magical. They debate interrogating the priest. They will use detect thoughts after healing the priest. Through the interrogation the learn:

• Their questions inform the priest that the Southern troops had success, they did not seem to know this.
• The goblin confirms they have a poison maker.
• The poison is made in the lab, a version of the lab.
• The lab is in the shadow world.

With detect thoughts finished, they behead the goblin. A lightning storm bursts from him and hits the party, corrupting the bloodline of many. Balthazar and Isabelle collapse. Galanith feels very unwell. Brienda is able to resist the bloodline as it empowers her and Nobu is untainted by bloodlines. Brienda immediately gets teary and scared at what is happening.