When Kaileer had yet to materialize from the cave after ten minutes, Aloysius braved the unknown depths as well, daggers in hand. He clung to the wall of the cave as he stumbled into the blackness. Almost immediately thereafter came a yelling in a strange language from deeper within than Aloysius could have gotten at that point.
"Goblins!" Pug growled after hearing the yells "And they' ve seen Kaileer." Pug pulls his gloves from his belt and puts them on with a very determined look. "I need one of them alive, a leader preferably." Pug said moving into the mouth of the cave.
Arachne eyed the gloves dubiously, but stayed beside the other gnome. "And just what did you want this lead goblin for?" she asked. "Answers to a lot of difficult questions or something more personal?"
Jana glanced over at the gnomes as she geared up for the foray into the cavern. "My father always told me," she remarked dryly, "'never ask a question if you think you might not want to know the answer.' 'Course," she continued, "that sort of attitude got him killed. You planning on getting information from your prisoner? I'll try to catch one for you."
"Just to answer some nagging questions and give us as much information as he has in his tiny little brain." Pug said with distaste.
Gala watched Aloysius wander into the dark and shook her head. "Anybody got a torch or lantern?" she asked. "I'm hesistant to go into the dark without being able to see."
Jana smiled and set her mace down long enough to rummage through a pack on her horse. She pulled out three torches. She tucked one in her belt and handed the other two to Gala. "If you don't mind holding the light, I'll walk in front." Jana picked her mace back up and walked to the cavern entrance.
"I'd be delighted." said Gala. "Let's hurry. I think they might be in trouble."
As soon as Gala had the torch lit, Jana started into the cavern. She stayed close to Gala, needing the torchlight to see.
With both Aloysius and Kaileer in the cave now, Jana and Gala prepared torches to go after them. The yelling had turned into the sound of a small squirmish inside the cave. By the time the torches were lit and they went in, a loud squeal pierced the evening and the noises fell silent.
Aloysius met them near the cave entrance.
Seeing the torch light from near the cave opening, Aloysius headed for it as quickly as possible. The magic-user "loud whispered" "don't shoot, don't shoot" as he stumbled along towards the light.
The magic-user was slightly out of breath as he reached Gala and Jana. "No sign found I of brave Kaileer. 'Tis darker than the heart of a succubi in here. Whatever lives here knows we are here as well." Aloysius looked confused for a moment and looked behind the two women. "Uh, where be the others?"
Aloysius turned frantically upon hearing these new sounds from within the cave. "By the gods, Kaileer!" he muttered. Turning back towards Gala and Jana, he suggested a plan. "Methinks our brave scout hath met with troubles foul! Ebonhair, give me the torch and the two of you ready thy weapons. Let us advance and find Kaileer. If accosted we become, hold the rank, for magics have I to fell these dank cavelings." With that, Aloysius put his daggers into his bandolier and withdrew a small vial. After emptying a small portion of the vial's contents into his hand, he reached out to Jana with the other hand and reached for the torch.
"Wait until they have the torches lit, I'm going to scout in ahead." Pug said to Arachne and Aloysius. "Don't worry, I can handle more than my share of goblins. Besides, they won't even see me until it's too late." Pug says as he melts into the darkness.
"Don't be ridiculous," Arachne told Pug sharply. "The big people may need the torches to see by, but you and I both know that they'll also give the goblins -- or whatever they are -- a target to aim at. Torchlight isn't essential to us and, since I have no desire to get shot full of goblin arrows, I'll stay clear of that torch, if you don't mind. Now come on." Arachne attempted to drag Pug into the cave. "Kaileer may well be injured. And if we _do_ find a goblin you want to sneak up on, then of course we'll split up. Perhaps we should anyway; I'll just look for Kaileer and you look for someone to question. Come on! Before they get that damned torch lit and blind everybody."
The two gnomes slipped into the cave as Jana and Gala get torches. They passed by Aloysius in the darkness. Aloysius met the two women near the mouth of the cave and took the torch from Gala.
Pug and Arachne came upon Kaileer as the elf was hefting a goblin body onto his shoulder. Jana, Gala, and Aloysius followed close behind them with the torch.
Aloysius let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Kaileer. Upon seeing the goblin, he whispered to Kaileer, "be that creature dead or merely captured? If plan do we on assaulting this lair, I propose that we press on now, lest the goblins have the chance to fully ready themselves."
Aloysius then turned and looked down at Arachne. "Small one, would you bear this torch? That way, my hands are free for the casting of spells or the slinging of blades. If thou art behind us, you will yet be a difficult target and the rest of us can see."
"I'm fairly well protected," Jana remarked to Aloysius, "so it'd be best if you folks stayed behind me." Torchlight glinted off the tall woman's chainmail. She held her metal shield easily on her left arm, not at all bothered by the weight. In her right hand, she held a mace, twirling it around slightly in anticipation of braining some hapless goblins.
Aloysius nodded in agreement. "This cave be wide enow for two abreadth," he began. "Galaret, loath am I to suggest that you be placed in harm's way, but perhaps you should join Ebonhair in front? Kaileer and I can follow and support with missiles and spells. Arachne can bear the light in the back and Pug will be able to well-employ the shadows generated by the torch. What say you all?"
"My name," Jana said evenly, looking at Aloysius, "is Janathell Caislean. You may call me Jana or Janathell." She didn't try to look menacing, but then, she didn't try not to, either.
Gala smiled at them both. "I'd be delighted to march next to you Jana. Which do you prefer then, Jana or Janathell?" she asked in a soft voice as they entered the cave.
"Jana is fine," she said quietly, smiling at the priest's courtesy.
The magic-user looked slightly concerned as he glanced back at the cave opening. "Hopefully, Maisar and Azrun will be able to forestall a rear attack in case a goblin patrol be yet outside in the Mire somewhere . . . ."
Arachne gave the scarecrow wizard a peculiar look. "Maisar mightn't mind..." she muttered, "but -- Look, Aloysius: Leaving aside the fact that I don't want to be anywhere near that flame you're carrying -- and could you point it the other way, for Peace' sake? Can you see that putting an open flame in the hands of someone only three feet tall is risky? The flame's going to be below your eye level; you, and other folks who you promise will be milling around in front of me, are likely to catch fire. And you won't be seeing that well -- though I'd have an excellently bright view of your backsides -- because you'd be blocking the light. And, incidentally, do you know what the one thing is that people would rather shoot at than a bright light in a dark background? A dark something that's blocking the bright light in the dark background. No, I won't carry your torch."
Aloysius frowned at the small gnome, and then looked about. "Hmm . . . .Gala and Jana have armor and weapons, Kaileer needs two hands to shoot arrows, Pug likes the dark, and . . . .", after taking one last quick look around, "no one else is in here besides Arachne and I. Ok, I'll carry the torch. Mind that I know of no one-handed spells, so I won't be much good for anything else." With that, Aloysius slipped behind the other party members and dumped the powder-like substance he was carrying in one hand onto the ground. "Don't foresee needing this . . . . " he muttered to himself. He pulled out one dagger that he held in his free hand and waited for the others to move forward into the cave.
"Yuck," Arachne said. "I don't think you want me trying to carry this thing the whole time. [ooc: And how much does it weigh, by the way?] And I really can't guarantee keeping it lit all the time. Who knows how to re-light it in pitch blackness? Just in case something happens."
"QUIET!" Kaileer cut in with a hiss. "We not go in goblin cave make big fight for sheep. Kaileer not want die for sheep. Kaileer only shoot when Goblin attack, not go goblin place with no plan."
Taking advantage of the party being here, the ranger put the goblin back on the ground to check if it's still alive.
"I agree with Kaileer, as long as that goblin is still alive. Otherwise, I'll havta git me another one." Pug whispered with an evil grin. "Either way the rest of you better head out before they figure out how many of us are here. Assuming one of them can count." Pug finishes quietly
After taking the torch from Arachne and moving towards the rear, Aloysius heard Kaileer cut in with his objection to moving forward. After noting that 1/4 of the party was still outside, the magic-user sighed and piped up one last time. "Well," he whispered, "know of we do these creatures. The window of surprise hath slammed shut. Mayhap a quick retreat to the Mire would be best rather than a hasty plunge forward?" Realizing that he had just contradicted his statement from a few moments earlier, Aloysius simply looked about sheepishly and awaited a response.
Kaileer put the goblin back down. The goblin was quite obviously dead, his shoulder shattered and contorted into a horribly unnatural position. His face was blue, and he had an odd tattoo on his forehead, a circle with two wavy lines extending its diameter. Now that everyone was still and mostly silent, they could hear quiet footsteps coming in their direction.
"Well, that's no use," Arachne whispered to Pug, when the wrecked shoulder was revealed. "And no, there aren't any miracles I can perform with dead goblins. But I could help you, if you want to stay here and pick out another specimen (live) while the big people make a show of withdrawing (with torch) from the cave.
Kaileer stood back from the dead goblin and turned towards the steps, putting a hand on his club and waiting to see if the goblins had the stomach or even desire to fight before he took any offensive action.
"Not want die for sheep," he reminded the party, then looked at Pug and Aloysius to emphasise who the warning was most meant for.
Arachne gave no direct response to Kaileer's recommendation. Instead, she leaned again against Pug and whispered something to him.
Upon hearing the approaching footsteps, Aloysius glanced at his companions to be sure they heard them too. "Arachne, methinks I'll reconsider thy grudging acceptance of the torch," he said, hopefully extending it towards the gnome. "Prepare fellows," he muttered. "Yon goblins have made our decision for us it appears. . . ."
Azrun stood outside quietly, listening for blood curdling screams. "Might as well have walked in there with a giant shoot me sign tied to their chests."
Maisar nodding his head in agreement, says "They're gonna die." Maisar waits a second and then adds "If they do die we have horses now."
Azrun nodded, "Yeah, you're right. Ever been to Waterdeep? I have a few friends back there. Of, course there was those two barmaids that me and Torro met while we stayed with Tauster."
