Bletcher and Fortune took their turns to complete the first round. Bletcher failed to land a blow with his staff. Fortune grinned viciously as Redblade glowed in his hand. His sword and shield attacks killed three, and injured a fourth.
With the archers badly mauled, Tree decided to target the goblins down in the chamber. Taking up a good position from the balcony, he made use of the height advantage. He killed two and left a third bleeding out on the floor.
Rilie also changed her target. But it didn’t work out for the halfling as she failed to hit with either action.
Mila arrived on the balcony to find the situation less serious than feared. With two dagger strikes, she finished the goblin injured by Rumblewind.
The Explorer decided to advance on the goblin spearmen. He reached the line of nine with 3 actions remaining, scoring a single hit with his spear for 2 damage.
Ashlyn followed him into the melee. A single sword hit, followed by a shield strike, left one dead with a second lightly injured.
Randall followed the pattern by only scoring one of his three hits, though the blow from Splitter was enough to kill the goblin.
Lurin did a little better with axe and shield, killing one and injuring a second.
Wounded, The Hoffmeister only scored one hit, but the damage was more than enough to earn him his fifth kill.
Two pike strikes were enough for Pecs to join his friend on five.
The Bludgeoner was already in combat with his opponent. His approach was measured, allowing the goblin to avoid his mace, but catching him with two firm shield blows. Finally, the goblin was slow enough for him to crack his mace into its chest, earning him a second kill.
He was rewarded with an arrow to the thigh from the last free archer, taking 3 damage.
The other archer still alive was locked in combat with Fortune. Two blows took the Durnishman down to 19 hit points.
The goblin spearmen attacked. The Explorer evaded his opponent’s blows, despite it still having all 3 action points. Ashlyn wasn’t so lucky, one spear lunge getting past her shield and through her Armour of Resilience, for 4 damage.
Randall took 2 hits for a massive 12 points of damage, leaving him on 11 hit points. In contrast, Lurin’s opponent, with only 2 actions, failed to penetrate the other dwarf’s canny defences.
That left two goblin warriors spare, and Ashlyn’s heart sank when one of them ran around their line to reach Rilie. Its spear slid into the halfling, but only for 1 damage—and that was all its actions used.
Perhaps realising he was badly injured, the last goblin targeted Randall. This time, the dwarf put up a better resistance, only going down to 8 hit points.
On the balcony, Bletcher charged the remaining archer. He looked surprised when one of his strikes actually hit for 2 damage. The goblin looked equally surprised, before its legs gave way and it sank to the floor.
Fortune took out the last goblin on the balcony with his first swing. He rushed down the stone steps to the chamber—as desperate to get more use from Redblade as to save his crewmates. Mila followed him down to the chamber.
The only clean shot available to Tree was the goblin who had struck Rilie—the halfling’s height making it unlikely he would strike her by accident. An arrow through the throat was enough to take it out of the fight. Tree decided to stay in position, in case more enemies arrived.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Rilie Rumblewind stepped over the goblin and moved to the side of the remaining fight—her limited action points not allowing her to do more.
The Explorer got in two good spear strikes, taking his opponent down to 6 hit points.
In the heat of the battle, Ashlyn felt like she couldn’t miss. She finished her own opponent, then Jaelin’s, with two flicks of Greenblade. Two more sword strikes, and both of Randall’s opponents lay dead.
A pickaxe to the head was enough to account for the final goblin and end the action round.
Ashlyn and those on the floor of the chamber rushed over to the chests, knowing how likely it was that the sound of fighting would have carried to the goblins in the tunnels.
Lurin inspected the first. “Goblins can be tricksy bastards,” he said, hands hovering over the wooden lid.
“We don’t have time for that, cousin,” Randall said. “Even if it’s trapped, a blow from Splitter will get us inside, no problem.” He swung the battle-axe overhead, bringing the blade down onto the chest in front of him.
As the weapon chopped through the lid, there was an explosion. Metal fragments went flying. Lurin was struck so hard he was slammed to the ground, losing 12 hit points from the pieces of metal blasted into him.
Randall turned, choking. His hand was at his throat, where a sliver of metal protruded. His eyes bulged, and he sank to his knees. He made a ragged sound, as if struggling to breathe.
“Mila!” Ashlyn shouted, panicking.
The girl arrived, knelt down, and placed her medic kit on the floor. She looked at the dwarf’s injury. “Fuck.” She took out tweezers. “Hold him down.”
Ashlyn, Fortune, and Jaelin grabbed his limbs.
“You’re going to have to trust me,” she told the dwarf. “Do you?”
He nodded.
She grasped the sliver with the tweezers.
“Wait,” said Jaelin. “If you pull it out—”
Mila pulled, ripping a hole in Randall’s throat.
He convulsed, pulling at Ashlyn and the others with all his strength.
Mila grasped her potion of healing. “I said trust me!” she said sternly. “Drink this.” She raised the vessel to his lips and he stopped his struggles, realising this was his only chance.
Mila poured the liquid down his throat.
Ashlyn saw the magic work almost immediately, repairing the destroyed tissue.
The dwarf started breathing—desperate gasps at first, that slowly calmed.
Ashlyn saw cartilage fill the hole Mila had made, then blood vessels, connective tissue, and skin.
Randall slumped, exhausted. “Thank you,” he murmured.
“Idiot,” Lurin said, returning to the chests.
Everyone gave the dwarf time and space to do his job this time. As he opened each lid, they began filling sacks. There were coins, trinkets, jewellery, and bars of precious metal. Pecs appeared from the balcony with a large bag, and upended the contents of a chest into it.
Ashlyn kept glancing at the entrance chamber, expecting to see a new host of goblins at any moment. In the end, she heard them coming.
“Leave the rest,” she said.
They’d got enough, and no one argued.
They made for the stone steps. There was a holler as the goblins appeared, spying the intruders climbing to the balcony.
The first two who gave chase were shot down by Tree, causing the others to back away and shout for backup. There was more shouting, and the barks of wargs.
Randall was the last one who staggered up.
Bletcher waved his staff at the winding steps. “Maybe that will hold them,” he said, with little confidence.
“Come on,” Larik shouted, already heading into a tunnel. “I think we can get back to the surface.”
MISSION COMPLETE
SUCCESS: Strong Club was raided
Some of your mercs improved their stats:
The Explorer:
Skill with spears: competent
Greenblade:
Might +1
Hit Points +1
Action Points +1
Mila:
Intellect +1
Randall the Heavy-Handed:
Grit +1
Hit Points +1
Lurin Veinfinder:
Might +1
Hit Points +1
Rilie Rumblewind:
Agility +1
Hit Points +1
Tree:
Might +1
Hit Points +2
The Hoffmeister:
Might +1
Hit Points +1
Pecs:
Grit +1
Hit Points +1
Fortune:
Agility +1
Bletcher:
Skill with staves: competent
The Bludgeoner:
Intellect +1
Hit Points +1
Some mercs levelled up:
Rilie Rumblewind is now Level 3
Larik the Bludgeoner is now Level 3
Henning ‘Tree’ Teller is now Level 7
