Welcome to the Blight IC

[AngryCyc]

A Prologue: Welcome to Blight Valley

The big day has finally arrived. The four goblins who will be sent into the city have finished packing all their things just as the rest of the tribe has finished preparations for their own departure. The tribe would be headed out shortly to trek a ways into the desert, to areas they had been letting lay fallow... all the resources in the immediate area had been exhausted and it was time to move. Without much pomp or celebration, the tribe collectively bid farewell as the party began marching solemnly towards the walls of the city they rarely talked about.

****

Walking through the gates of the city, each of you is met with a bizarre scene before you. What had just 2 weeks ago been an empty, crumbling ruin of a city built of clay and mud has now turned into a veritable oasis of life and civilization in the harsh desert. the walled city is full of people now. You immediately each see that the main street through which the gate is built is bustling with wagons and carts being unloaded by what appear to be mainly humans, all hurrying in and out of certain buildings. Some buildings are decorated, clean, lit-up, and look very active while other buildings appear to be just as broken and filthy as you remembered the entire city being (had you ever been here before). These few closed off buildings even have some new wood planks barring some of the doors and windows for some odd reason...

Making your way into the gates, you see someone who appears to be a guard of some sort making his way towards you.

"Ahhh... yes. You would be them, then, wouldn't you? Yes we were expecting you yesterday but... Okay. Do you..... do you lot even understand me? I'm Rodrick and I guess I'll be getting you situated soon enough."

Assuming Old Man Withers takes the time to do some basic translations and greetings, it eventually gets worked out that you lot will be left pretty much on your own for the majority of the time, though with the understanding that requests made by the City should be followed. Rodrick, the guardsman, gives you all a fairly general idea of the city... detailing how they'd all arrived by caravans over the last couple weeks and how more caravans would be arriving shortly; how some of the more important buildings had already been claimed by City Officials(particularly the center of the city, which had a small fort, walled even within the walls of the city, home to the new City Hall); how the central street here would be a thoroughfare of business and commerce (taking note to point out a particularly noticeable tavern just a ways down from the main gate, already teeming with people taking breaks from their duties); and then listing many many names and words that frankly meant nothing at all to any of you.

"OH. I almost forgot," Rodrick says with a slight jump, almost as if his entire personhood had no previous knowledge of what he was about to say, and that even now, some strange force had wormed its way into his mind to force him to give the information he previously had not known: "There are several unoccupied buildings in which you are free to make your homes:

A small house located over by the stables and livery. It's a pretty nice house, several rooms, even has a cellar I think;

There's also a small shack built hanging off the edge of the SANDSTONE STEEPLE but it's only one small room;

There's a large building near the center of town that has already been claimed for the most part, as they're are several structures alongside it all melded into one building... however, the central-most part appears to be a two-story shop of some sort, that is currently barricaded off and locked up tight. If you can get inside it's all yours.

Oh. And I guess you could always talk to the owner of the tavern. There are rooms available there for... well... I actually don't think that's really the best place for you lot.

EITHER WAY! Wherever you decide to situate yourselves, be sure you "claim" your building by putting a flag or colored cloth of some sort outside of your doors or windows. Food shouldn't be too difficult to come by if you've got some money to pay for it. Several market places are already springing up in the odd streets around town. Be on your way now. I have more work to do. If you find something not quite to your likings and need to talk to anyone, please refer to the City Hall Visitors Center, as they are the ones who will be helping you out the most. Just head towards the central spire in the middle of town, and look to the left of the blood-letting pools. You'll find the Visitors Center right in a door over there."


With that, the guard hurries over to a very large wagon being slowly rode into town by 6 oxen, all hauling a massive shape covered everywhere with thick tarp, and tied down with far more rope than necessary.

Taking a few unimpeded steps into the walls of the city, you see the large central street before you bustling with people, and several smaller streets and allies sticking off at odd intervals. Nearly every building on this street has various flags and cloths hanging out of windows.

[Fouredged Sword]

Old Man Withers does his best to translate to goblinoid.

"The muckle bigun's name is Rodger, or some such muckle name. He greats us with all due pomp and respect due to a goblin of my renown and wisdom, and said we get to claim a place for us to bed down. He suggested a few options, and none of them sound as good as the desert sand. There is a house, but it's near the pen they hold their monster horsebeasts in, and I want nothing to do with that. There is another big house, but it's already got humans living in it, but the center part is blocked off and the humans can't get in. I like the sound of that. Maybe we could sleep in peace. Then there is a shack out hanging off something called the SANDSTONE STEEPLE, and I got no idea what that is, but it sounds like a place they may just leave us alone at, so that sounds great to me.

I guess I should hear you lot's opinion. Formality and all that. Us goblins gots to stick together right now."

[Vhaidara]

Vralla stops chewing on one of the pieces of metal junk dangling from her beltstrap.
Can we eat the horsebeasts? If we can eat the horsebeasts, I wanna sleep there.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers scratches his scraggly chin hair at that thought.

"Meeeybeee. I'm not sure. The human mentioned BUYING food. Not sure I like the sound of that, but I guess we gots to make some concession to their less enlightened culture. They seem to use their horses to pull stuff around. I figure we can meybe buy us a horse to eat later. I don't like the idea of living so close to the beasts. Don't greck where ye eats afterall."

[Xealot7]

The dimwitted, doe-eyed, veritable eating machine looks up from the stick she is chewing on. "Dimbo say horsebeasts bad... les'n we eats horsebeasts... then horsebeasts good. Dimbo no care for which place stay. Dimbo think shack by steeple work good. Dimbo have shiny metal pieces that no taste good. Dimbo think humans like shiny metal pieces. Dimbo trade shiny metal pieces for food."

Dimbo is obviously referring to a rather substantial (120gp) she has in her pouch.

[Fouredged Sword]

"Wes gonna need some cloth, and some paint. Wes gonna mark our place so all the muckle hummies know to keep out."

[Xealot7]

Dimbo smiles at the mention of paint. "Dimbo like paint. Paint make Dimbo look funny. Paint taste funny too. We goes buy paint now?" Dimbo begins gnawing on the stick she was carrying again, slobber flowing freely down here chin.

[Vhaidara]

Vralla looks over at the tavern full of people.
Are you sure they care if we eat just one of them? I'm hungry, and I haven't had human before.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers walks up to the humans unloading the caravans and attempts to speak with authority in the most affluent manner he can.

In common

"Can yer please tell me where I can find some bloke sellin' cloff and paint?"

[AngryCyc]

The man stares for a good 8 seconds at the goblin and his companions before heading over to the caravan he was working on, grabbing some of the cargo that was stored in some kind of burlap sack, and turning it over to dump it all out. While making deep, prolonged, and nearly unblinking eye contact with old man Withers, he takes the sacks and begins cutting them into long strips with a serrated knife he pulled out of the back of his clothing. Once he's made several strips, he goes over to a different pile and pulls out 4 jars of what appear to be spices. He takes several pinches of spice and mixes it in his hand with a small amount of water out of a leather pouch, mushes it around a bit, and then smears it onto the cloth, saying "Cloth. .... Paint. ..... That'll be 15 gp." The spices offered come in red's, brown's, yellow's, and even an earthy green tone.

They are not worth 15 gp.

[Xealot7]

Dimbo sits idly chewing on her favorite stick as the man mixes the "paint" up. She is not sure what he says, but all she can think is how badly she really wants to be gnawing on his femur. She says nothing and just chews harder on her stick. She glances towards the old coot Withers waiting on him to translate.

[Vhaidara]

Vralla stops chewing one of her metal bits for a moment
What did he say, Big Ears?

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers looks at the man with the corner of his eyes for a moment, then holds up five coins. He again tries his high courtly common.

"Blimey! Lad, I fnk what clof an' pain' ain't worf 15 gold. Maybe 5, but not 15. Nuff said, yeah? "

Diplomacy

[roll[1d20+4[/roll]

[AngryCyc]

"No." the man says calmly, and turns away and immediately gets back to work not paying you a second mind.

[Fouredged Sword]

Rage boils beneath the surface of Old Man Wither's face. Images of fire and teeth, death and ruin. Of goblin hordes and fury...

He then dedicates that human's face to memory.

He then turns to his companions with a scowl on his face, dry and unforgiving as the desert dust.

He mumbles softly to his companions in goblin.

"Remember that face girls, we eat that one later. We just need to get him alone. Lets check out that big house right now. This place may look like it's full, but we are on our own here."

[Vhaidara]

Vralla laughs
Of course we ain't alone. We got each other! And no one gonna take my sister from me. Well, not without losing their ankles.
As they walk away, she looks back at the men and grins, showing her massive teeth.

[Xealot7]

"Dimbo think why wait to eat his face... Why we not eat face now" Dimbo shrugs her shoulders and follows after Vralla

[AngryCyc]

The goblins head off down the road, getting some glimpse at what the rest of town is like. The main road from the gate seems to be the largest road, and has the most excitement happening on it. However, on the walk, Withers notices a few things that the other goblins don't quite pick up on. Several of the shop-owners are busy drawing up large signs to put on the front of their stores. The signs, horrifyingly enough, are being WRITTEN. With words. Where these words might be stolen from and whoever's mind was being robbed, he couldn't be sure, but a great uneasy feeling washes over Withers as he witnesses the horrible act. Thankfully none of the other goblins have a very good grasp on the common language to understand that they were writing.

Hurrying along the road at a quicker pace, several blocks in from the gate, the scenery starts to change a bit. There's much less bustle in this central part of town. The buildings are a bit taller and closer together, and there are fewer people around. Those who are around do not look around too much, keeping their eyes firmly facing down while they walk. Nobody is talking to eachother. Many of the buildings are locked and boarded up, though interestingly enough, there are still flags hanging out of many of the boarded windows. The stillness of the air and the muted atmosphere of the street gives the entire area and frightful calm, but hey there's no signs being drawn and not a scrap of writing is visible!

The air smells saturated with a very canine-like smell, but not like any dog or wolf you've ever smelled. This entire stretch of road has been very smelly for you.

Finally, after several minutes of walking, the group spots about 6 buildings that have all been connected to form one long building, some of them quite intentionally built together while the two on the end were more obviously just built on as an after-thought, barely hanging on with mismatched mortar and some wooden planks. Near the center is the only unflagged opening you've seen. There is a large door on the front, with an even larger area for a display window besides it. However, both are boarded up extremely heavily with at least 3 different layers of planks.

[Fouredged Sword]

Old man Withers goes up to the door and puts his ear to the wall and listens REALLY CLOSELY for a full 1 min.

Taking 20 on a listen check. Two checks per round = 1 min.

Check result 29

[AngryCyc]

Withers hears not much, except the occasional dull CLANG of metal from inside every once in a while. Once he even made out the sound of the earth being burrowed underneath him, but he could not hear it again. When the wind blows just right, a slight puff of air makes it out of the cracks in the boards and a smell like putrid death is obvious, but it quickly dissipates in the air.

Several thin, wispy clouds blow the wrong direction against the wind.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers shrugs. Seems normal enough, lets go look inside.

"Alright ladies, lets see if you can chew a tiny hole in the corner of this door. Just tiny, no need to make it big enough for one of the humies to crawl though."

[Vhaidara]

Vralla grins and starts gnawing.

posting from a mechanic's on the way home, do you want rolls for biting through?

[Smileybastard]

Hue follows the others around as they argue about where to stay and sleep. He looks up a lot and things that living on roofs might be fun.

"Why don't we lives on a roof? I see birds up there. We can eats them."

He readies his bow and watches for birds to shoot.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers ***** and eyebrow and looks at his companion skepticly.

"You want to be up on one of these giant buildings in the middle of the day, baking in the sun, ready to plunge to your death of the edge at any moment? No thanks, I want someplace dark and safe."

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue looks up at the buildings and the burning sun. "Of course I do!"

[Fouredged Sword]

Seeing Vralla grin, Withers quickly steps away from the door, openly hiding behind Hue. He snaps words of encouragement (he swears in goblinoid) at Vralla, to encourage her to bite harder.

(using lead from behind to give her +1 damage)

[Vhaidara]

Vralla begins viciously gnawing at the wood.

To hit, if needed: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[AngryCyc]

Small pieces of the wood start splintering away but it's still for the most part intact.

[Vhaidara]

Vralla stubbornly keeps gnawing.


Actually, I did 1 more damage. I forgot about Wither's bonus.
Attack : [roll0]
Damage : [roll1]

[AngryCyc]

The natural hardness and thickness of the wood seems to be upholding pretty well against the goblin's mouth.

[AngryCyc]

After quite a bit of biting, the planks on the door finally start to break away. A single resident of one of the neighboring buildings has come outside to stand and watch the goblins, but he says and does nothing.

As the last plank breaks away under the vicious teeth of Vralla, the door swings open. It apparently was not closed by anything other than the nails holding the wood on. As the door opens, all are hit with a powerful stench of filth and rot and death. The inside of the building is nearly dark, with the only light coming from the now open door. Inside, the goblins can see a former shop now in shambles. There are a few tables and shelves around with various items on them, but what they are is hard to tell. They are all covered in a black, organic looking gunk. In fact, the entire room is. It looks like something exploded in here, sending blood and guts everywhere.

Peering closer with their darkvision, the goblins can make out near the left side of the shop there is a special section with a metal grate barring the way, and a small gate on the caged area. It looks like the sort of place where valuable merchandise would be kept. However, inside it right now are a small halfling child, and a cat. At least, that's what they appear to be, save for the fact that both are rotten and falling apart, and also happen to be standing next to the grate slowly running into it every now and then, arms outstretched and mouth forming a silent, breathless scream.


It looks to you like some type of zombie, a humanoid raised from the dead. It is a shamble of rotting flesh held "alive" by negative energy, and can be harmed by positive energy.

You've heard talk of this sort of thing before, these walking dead... They are a disease, created from a disease and carriers of that disease. When killed, these creatures burst spewing rotten filth everywhere as a vector to further spread disease.

That's an apocalypse zombie. It eats brains and spreads disease and explodes when it dies... it's extremely scary. It can absorb a lot of damage while only being harmed by slashing damage. If something dies from being bit by it, it'll turn into one.

The cat is... also one. Yep.

Looks like undead. Yup, definitely undead. They probably do some things differently than the living, but also probably do other things the same.



There also appears to be a staircase back behind to counter in the furthest corner of the room, leading up to a second story.

[Xealot7]

"Dimbo think that thing not good. Dimbo think me and Vralla not should bite that thing. Dimbo think that thing should not bite us. Dimbo think we go... we go now. Also Dimbo think should have told that this road smell big of dog. Not just dog, but big dog... special dog. Yummy dog?"

Dimbo makes it readily apparent that she thinks the group should channel their inner goblin heritage and do what goblins do best... retreat.

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue's eyes light up at the cat and then his face distorts slightly as he sees it is rotting. His skin become slightly more ashen. "Thems are undead, so we should maybe leave them, but I wants to see what is begin that cage."

[Vhaidara]

Vralla steps into the building, wrinkling her nose.
Dead flesh is rotten. Doesn't taste good. Smells bad too. We should throw it outside for the humans to eat.

[Smileybastard]

Hue

"I think maybe the door was stuck to stop what is in hear from getting out to them. Does any of you know anything about undead? I don't."

Hue pulls out his shortsword and sneaks into the dark in after Vralla.

Perception [roll0]
Stealth [roll1]

[AngryCyc]

The caged area appears to be holding quite stoutly. Closer observation reveals several arrows firmly lodged in the back wall, and a few broken arrow pieces blasted around the center of the filth. Arrows may have been fired in through the window before it was barred.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers scratches his scraggly chin hair for a moment.

"Hue, think you can put a few arrows in the mini humie, see if you can weaken it. I gots the healing mojo, and that will hurt the things, but I ain't sure it will KILL it."

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue sheaths his sword and takes out his bow and an arrow and whispers "I can. Where are they?"

[AngryCyc]

The line watcher has by this time been joined by a few more folks... All standing watching silently.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers turns and looks at the humans for a moment.

"Hang up a second Hue. Lets see what this is about first."

Withers walks out the door and looks at the humans. He speaks in common to them, in his impeccable noble dialect.

"Lawd above! What are yew all garferin' 'ere for. We are just preparin' ter clear aaaht dis buildin' ter allow us ter move in. Is there a problem?, innit. "

[AngryCyc]

Not a single one of them even looks at Withers, nor reacts to his words. They each keep staring at the doorway, each of them has their arms crossed behind their back in an almost militaristic manner.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers turns back inside, the humies properly chastised.

Withers bravely plants his feet (behind the cover of his allies) and rallies his companions

"Alright Hue, the humies are being weird again, but I think that may be normal for them, see if you can hurt them"

Using Lead from behind. Everyone gets +1 damage to all attacks.

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue looks confused and looks out the door at the humans. Pulls back on the string half-heartedly and then relaxes it. "Shoot the humies?"

[Vhaidara]

Vralla shakes her head at Hue.
I don't think we wanna fight all them hummies at once. Try shootin' the stinky dead thing. If it makes the hummies mad, then Dimbo and I will bite the hummies.

[Xealot7]

Dimbo who is still very much opposed to fighting something she can't munch on perks up quite a bit when she hears she might get to bite some humans.

"Dimbo bite hummies soon as Vralla say... or soon as Dimbo find excuse. Dimbo no want bite dead thing."

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue again peers into the darkness looking for the undead creatures.

Perception [roll0]

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hues takes aim and fires an arrow at the human undead.

Attack [roll0]
Confrmation[roll1]
Damage [roll2]

[AngryCyc]

[roll0]

The shot goes through the metal grating and pierces the undead creature.

[Xealot7]

Dimbo bounces around from foot to foot in happiness at the effectiveness of their attack. "Dat a goot shot Hue! Dimbo think you should do again!"

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue draws another arrow and fires again.

To Hit [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[AngryCyc]

[roll0]

The second shot just barely connects, doing a bit more damage to the creature.

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue draws a third arrow and fires. "This is like shootin' things trapped in a thing."

Attack [roll0]
Damage [roll1]

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue continues to fire at the undead.


Attack [roll0]
Damage[roll1]

Attack [roll2]
Damage[roll3]

Attack [roll4]
Damage[roll5]

Attack [roll6]
Damage[roll7]

Attack [roll8]
Damage[roll9]

[AngryCyc]

After several arrows, the creature suddenly falls down, and lays there not moving for just moment before erupting in a gory explosion, sending ancient blood and disintegrated guts everywhere. The inside of the caged area is now covered in a thick layer of sludge.

[Vhaidara]

What about the kitty?
Vralla moves further into the building, closer to the caged off area.

[Fouredged Sword]

Withers shrugs. He peaks out the door to check the crowd of creepy humans, then searches the area.

[roll0]

[AngryCyc]

Withers searches around the old shop, digging through the shelves and filth. He finds many things scattered around the bottom floor, especially behind the counter.

All items are clearly labeled, and small size unless otherwise specified.
1) Longbow 75 gp [98.67%, Low Quality] : 74gp [+]
2) Noble's outfit 75 gp [88%, Low Quality] : 66gp [+]
3) Grappling hook 1 gp [Standard Quality] : 1gp [+]
4) Scythe 18 gp [116.67%, High Quality] : 21gp [+]
5) Musical instrument, common 5 gp [120%, Fine Quality] : 6gp [+]

And, seen inside the locked cage on a shelf:
6) Potion of Invisibility {2nd/3rd} : 300gp [+]
Obsidian 1gp, Sardonyx 32gp, Star rose quartz 15gp, Tigereye 1gp, Malachite 1gp

[Vhaidara]

Vralla moves further into the shop.
Think we can get rid of the smell somehow?

[Smileybastard]

Hue

Hue looks around for the kitty.