Chapter 3.5: The Temple of Merikka

Round Two
(this is preceded by round one, followed by round three)

Chase calls to his companions and he steps protectively over Eugenios' body as the mage falls: "Help him and I will try to hold them off." But then the ranger's sword clashes with goblin B1's murder weapon, sparks flying from blades, shadows dancing crazily as they step on and over the Light shield and Chase feints with the lit torch. Chase sees an opening and slides his sword into the monster's throat.
Goblin B1 takes 8 damage and dies!
This triggers Goblin C1's Readied action, and it uses its reaction to loose an arrow at Chase!
The arrow misses by a mile!
Goblin C2 uses its reaction to loose an arrow, too!
This arrow takes Chase in the chest.
Chase takes 7 piercing damage and falls, dying!



"Ferranzo, get behind me!" Myrtha yells in horror as three of her companions fall in the initial onslaught. Charging forward, she steps past where Chase and Eugenios are dying on the ground and skewers her spear through Goblin B2.
Goblin B2 takes 8 piercing damage and dies!
Myrtha flicks the goblin off of her spear and plunges the magic weapon at the next target, Goblin B3, but the canny creature is just barely able to dodge the deadly spearpoint. It only carves a furrow in its armor, not its flesh.

The world fades in and out for Eugenios as the blood drains from his body. The Special Investigator hears voices that are both familiar and not, murmuring words just beyond the range of hearing. Louder, above the voices, is the dull ring of metal on metal. Is it a memory of a forge from long ago, his brothers in the City Watch training in the practice yard, or the clash of weapons as Myrtha fights goblins above him now?
Eugenios succeeds on his first death save.

Myrtha has Goblin B3's attention now. It drops its bow and whips out its scimitar, slashing at the Valorous Maiden, knowing that it must kill or be killed! But Myrtha's shield is too much for the little goblin, and all of its blows are blocked.

Aanbo steps forward, swinging his staff to draw Goblin A2's gaze. Then, as the staff is in mid-swing, he thrusts it forward, punching the heavy wood into the goblin's face. Bones crunch and the monster falls.
Goblin A2 takes 11 bludgeoning and dies!
Then the Earthshaker monk steps up to kick Goblin A1. The goblin is busy yanking out its sword; the kick hits him hard in the side.
Goblin A1 takes 3 bludgeoning damage!

Looking for revenge, Goblin C1 rushes forward, drawing its notched blade, and tries to hamstring Myrtha! Finding a gap in her armor, the blade takes her across the backs of her legs.
Myrtha takes 8 slashing damage!

Goblin C2 looses an arrow at Myrtha!
The arrow punches through her heavy armor.
Myrtha takes 8 damage and falls, dying!

Goblin C3 looses an arrow at Ferranzo!
The halfling's prodigious luck that left him unscathed through all the fighting so far has run out; the arrow punches into his chest.
Ferranzo takes 11 damage and falls, dying!

"Ack...ack...!" Ferranzo chokes, clawing at the unyielding tile.
Ferranzo succeeds on his first death save.

As Goblin A1 draws its sword and tries to hack into Aanbo, Goblin A3 moves around, drawing another arrow. Looking down the hallway filled with dying adventurers, it nods approvingly, yodels a quick "Bree-yark!" then draws and looses at the monk!
Aanbo takes 3 slashing damage as the goblin's sword carves into his arm, but he snatches the other goblin's arrow out of the air!

---

22 - Chase (0/17) Dying
20 - Myrtha (0/30) Dying
18 - Eugenios (0/8) Mage armor, Cursed, Holding the Light shield, Dying One success
18 - Goblin B1 (Dead), Goblin B2 (Dead), Goblin B3
16 - Aanbo (15/27)
12 - Goblin C1,Goblin C2, Goblin C3
7 - Ferranzo (0/8) Dying One success
7 - Goblin A1 (-3), Goblin A2 (Dead), Goblin A3

Ember (0/12) Dying

Round two, continued...

"Ferranzo, get behind me!" Myrtha yells in horror as three of her companions fall in the initial onslaught. Charging forward, she steps past where Chase and Eugenios are dying on the ground and skewers her spear through Goblin B2.
Goblin B2 takes 8 piercing damage and dies!
Myrtha flicks the goblin off of her spear and plunges the magic weapon at the next target, Goblin B3, but the canny creature is just barely able to dodge the deadly spearpoint. It only carves a furrow in its armor, not its flesh.

The world fades in and out for Eugenios as the blood drains from his body. The Special Investigator hears voices that are both familiar and not, murmuring words just beyond the range of hearing. Louder, above the voices, is the dull ring of metal on metal. Is it a memory of a forge from long ago, his brothers in the City Watch training in the practice yard, or the clash of weapons as Myrtha fights goblins above him now?
Eugenios succeeds on his first death save.

Myrtha has Goblin B3's attention now. It drops its bow and whips out its scimitar, slashing at the Valorous Maiden, knowing that it must kill or be killed! But Myrtha's shield is too much for the little goblin, and all of its blows are blocked.

Aanbo steps forward, swinging his staff to draw Goblin A2's gaze. Then, as the staff is in mid-swing, he thrusts it forward, punching the heavy wood into the goblin's face. Bones crunch and the monster falls.
Goblin A2 takes 11 bludgeoning and dies!
Then the Earthshaker monk steps up to kick Goblin A1. The goblin is busy yanking out its sword; the kick hits him hard in the side.
Goblin A1 takes 3 bludgeoning damage!

Looking for revenge, Goblin C1 rushes forward, drawing its notched blade, and tries to hamstring Myrtha! Finding a gap in her armor, the blade takes her across the backs of her legs.
Myrtha takes 8 slashing damage!

Goblin C2 looses an arrow at Myrtha!
The arrow punches through her heavy armor.
Myrtha takes 8 damage and falls, dying!

Goblin C3 looses an arrow at Ferranzo!
The halfling's prodigious luck that left him unscathed through all the fighting so far has run out; the arrow punches into his chest.
Ferranzo takes 11 damage and falls, dying!As Goblin A1 draws its sword and tries to hack into Aanbo, Goblin A3 moves around, drawing another arrow. Looking down the hallway filled with dying adventurers, it nods approvingly, yodels a quick "Bree-yark!" then draws and looses at the monk!
Aanbo takes 3 slashing damage as the goblin's sword carves into his arm, but he snatches the other goblin's arrow out of the air!

---

22 - Chase (0/17) Dying
20 - Myrtha (0/30) Dying
18 - Eugenios (0/8) Mage armor, Cursed, Holding the Light shield, Dying One success
18 - Goblin B1 (Dead), Goblin B2 (Dead), Goblin B3
16 - Aanbo (15/27)
12 - Goblin C1,Goblin C2, Goblin C3
7 - Ferranzo (0/8) Dying
7 - Goblin A1 (-3), Goblin A2 (Dead), Goblin A3

Ember (0/12) Dying

Round Three
(this is preceded by Round two, followed by round four)

As round three begins in the torture chamber, Aanbo stands alone, surrounded by goblins, his companions new and old dying around him. He doesn't know that Ember is alive, but playing dead.

Blood flecks Chase's lips as he struggles to breathe.
Chase succeeds his first death save!

Ember, every sense hyper-alert, lies still in the ground and plays dead. This seems to work; the goblins all seem focused on Aanbo.

Myrtha begins to daydream of the scar this wound will make, and while she imagines this, she slips closer to death.
Myrtha fails her first death save!

Special Investigator Eugenios blinks away the red spots in his vision.
Eugenios succeeds his second death save!

Hearing the call of its companion, Goblin B3 takes up its bow again and moves down the corridor, skipping over the fallen Dungeon Busters. Dashing to get into the wider torture room, it draws a nocked arrow and lets fly at the Earthshaker monk as it circles behind him. The arrow misses and flies off through the secret door into the dark space beyond.



Aanbo continues his attack on Goblin A1, battering it with heavy blows from his staff.
Goblin A1 takes 9 bludgeoning damage and falls dead!
Then the dwarf looks around, spying the source of the most recent arrow to wing past his head. He runs over and begins punching and kicking the hostile humanoid.
Goblin B3 takes 5 bludgeoning damage!

The other goblins in the hall come running, too, Dashing to get closer to the whirling dwarf.
Goblin C1 looses an arrow at Aanbo, but misses!
Goblin C2 runs up and attacks Aanbo with its scimitar, hoping to stab the monk in the back! The blade cuts deep.
Aanbo takes 6 slashing damage!
Goblin C3, having moved around to the other side of the monk, looses another arrow at Aanbo; it misses, the arrow embedding itself in the rack.

Ferranzo imagines the recriminations of everyone he's ever loved, berating him for his failure to save Lindun. Too late...too slow...too reckless...
Ferranzo fails his first death save.

Goblin A3, having just seen the dwarf literally pluck its last arrow out of the air, tosses its bow aside, draws its scimitar, and rushes in. It has always enjoyed ganging up on enemies, even before it met Her and saw the light...but Aanbo is now aware that he's been surrounded, and he redoubles his ducking, twisting, and dodging such that the little monster's blade fails to taste his flesh.

---

22 - Chase (0/17) Dying One success
22 - Ember (1/12)
20 - Myrtha (0/30) Dying One failure
18 - Eugenios (0/8) Mage armor, Cursed, Holding the Light shield, Dying Two successes
18 - Goblin B1 (Dead), Goblin B2 (Dead), Goblin B3 (-5)
16 - Aanbo (9/27)
12 - Goblin C1,Goblin C2, Goblin C3
7 - Ferranzo (0/8) Dying One failure
7 - Goblin A1 (Dead), Goblin A2 (Dead), Goblin A3

Round three, continued...

Aanbo continues his attack on Goblin A1, battering it with heavy blows from his staff.
Goblin A1 takes 9 bludgeoning damage and falls dead!
Then the dwarf looks around, spying the source of the most recent arrow to wing past his head. He runs over and begins punching and kicking the hostile humanoid.
Goblin B3 takes 5 bludgeoning damage!

The other goblins in the hall come running, too, Dashing to get closer to the whirling dwarf.
Goblin C1 looses an arrow at Aanbo, but misses!
Goblin C2 runs up and attacks Aanbo with its scimitar, hoping to stab the monk in the back! The blade cuts deep.
Aanbo takes 6 slashing damage!
Goblin C3, having moved around to the other side of the monk, looses another arrow at Aanbo; it misses, the arrow embedding itself in the rack.
Goblin A3, having just seen the dwarf literally pluck its last arrow out of the air, tosses its bow aside, draws its scimitar, and rushes in. It has always enjoyed ganging up on enemies, even before it met Her and saw the light...but Aanbo is now aware that he's been surrounded, and he redoubles his ducking, twisting, and dodging such that the little monster's blade fails to taste his flesh.

---

22 - Chase (0/17) Dying One success
22 - Ember (0/12) Dying
20 - Myrtha (0/30) Dying One failure
18 - Eugenios (0/8) Mage armor, Cursed, Holding the Light shield, Dying One success
18 - Goblin B1 (Dead), Goblin B2 (Dead), Goblin B3 (-5)
16 - Aanbo (9/27)
12 - Goblin C1,Goblin C2, Goblin C3
7 - Ferranzo (0/8) Dying One failure
7 - Goblin A1 (Dead), Goblin A2 (Dead), Goblin A3