Rosia Lightfoot's Journal - Part 20

Just as we thought things were looking better, it all went pear-shaped. The goblins had a sorcerer amongst them, and he cast a web spell at us. It caught a couple of the wolves as well, but the goblins obviously thought the sacrifice was worth it, and I think they were right! Even those of us who managed to avoid getting completely entangled in the web could only move through it very slowly, as the sticky strands clung to us and held us fast.

As I struggled to dodge through the web, the goblins began to move some wooden barricades down the corridors towards us. They had covered them in pitch and set fire to them, and I remembered from our experience with the kobolds how the web strands burned briefly but fiercely. As soon as the flaming mobile barriers got near to the web it burst into flames, burning those still trapped within it. It also freed them from the web, but there was nowhere to go expect back into the remaining web, or through the burning barricades. To make matters worse, the goblins were firing their crossbows at us through slits in the barriers.

We eventually managed to finish off the wolves, and move to the north passage, finally all free as the last of the web burnt away. I had been badly burnt by the flaming web, and also had a goblin quarrel stuck in my arm. I was forced to use my healing potion, lest a stray bolt finish me off. Curbag was also badly wounded, and it was only thanks to Quercus that he survived the battle. We decided that it would be better to retreat and regroup, as there was no easy way to get past the barricades. We headed off north, and the goblins did not follow, so we were able to reach the safe room and rest for a few hours to regain our strength and let Quercus work his healing magics.

After our defeat at the hands of the goblins, I was all for leaving this area as quickly as possible, but Ran wanted to go back and attack them again! We argued for some time, and I eventually persuaded him to at least look at the nearest exit to the north, to see if it was passable. However, as we moved to the south, we could see watch fires lit by the goblins. They had set up more of their barricades and had effectively blocked our way. After some consultation, I remembered the secret area we found earlier, and noticed that one of the secret doors out of it opened up behind a goblin barricade. I volunteered to check out this door, and see if we could take advantage of the knowledge we possessed, knowledge that was hopefully not available to the goblins.

I donned my magic glasses, and moved silently through the shadows to the secret door. I opened it carefully and was able to see a band of goblins behind one of the mobile barricades, oblivious to my presence! I closed the door, and went back to report to the others. We formulated a plan: I would go first and try to use the element of surprise to knock out one of the goblins, so that we could question him after the fight. Then the others would quickly move in, and we would be able to use Oren and Curbag as the vanguard, with the others behind to give them aid as necessary. The goblins would be trapped between our fighters and their own barrier!

The plan worked perfectly. I snuck up right behind a small goblin, and hit him over the head with my sap, and he fell unconscious at my feet. The goblin next to him raised the alarm, but by this time I had moved aside and the others charged through the door and began the attack. Oren fought as though possessed! His axe cleaved through the goblins like a scythe through wheat. Even when a goblin mage began to fire spells at him, he did not flinch! The mage was quickly taken down by our own spell-casters, and Ran added to the mayhem by summoning another of his giant badgers right in the midst of the goblins. Even the goblin reinforcements that came round the barrier could not stop us. We drove them back and eventually they fled, leaving a pile of bodies, and one unconscious goblin.

We moved the abandoned goblin barriers to block the corridors in our favour, and then began to question our prisoner. Despite facing death at our hands he did not seem afraid, and Curbag was impressed at both his bravado, and the skill and discipline of our goblin foes. He has not given us much information so far, and some of the others are keen to finish him off, but I think we can use him to send a message to the goblin leaders, and perhaps bargain for safe passage through their territory. The debate continues, and the fate of our prisoner hangs in the balance...