Shadowdark #12 'Karlyle saves the day!' or 'Gary the sh1t goblin...'

 When we last left our heroes(!), they faced a goblin horde (well, a horde implies danger - not so sure about these lil green dudes)...who match their uselessness with an ability to make random grenades from crap, spores and other less than wholesome ingredients...

'That's not soap dude!'

Climbing into 'piles', they ascend across the shield wall presented by the magical artifact  'Mountainhome' ...though the characters, using Dagmar's light spell, and some theatrics with swords, manage to deflect the attack as the goblins retreat..not least because one of their number fumbles his grenade chuck, is covered in brown stuff, and has light cast upon him, driving the goblin horde nutz! (Christened 'gary' by the party...)

'A bright shining lump of cr*p'

The Mushroom hall

 Coming up with an idea to make ear-muffs from mushroom bits and centipede-legs to combat the 'shroom-shrieks (TM)', the party wipe out most of the remaining gobbos in the shroom hall.

The party manages to free Justin Munchburger and his wife Debbie before they were to be Goblin King Take-away (now that's magic!) and Jeralt takes them home aboard the Griffin...Drusus, the eldest of the brothers, seems less than happy to see them however (curious) and Jeralt lets Maureen the witch know what is happening, including the fact that that they have determined that her wand was traded for the prisoners - and is now in the hands of the Orc chief: White-eye ..she gives him a ring of invisibility to give to Dagmara, and tells him to be careful of the orc caves...'many have died there!'. 

'try not to die dude!...oh yeah, and get my wand back'

Reconnoitering the next cavern, and using information provided by Bruno the scientist... the characters determine that the Goblin King (not that one! jump magic jump...though he does have a blonde wig), is protected by large bodyguard goblins with explosive runes which make them blow when reduced to 0hp...not good (beep beep beep BEEEEEP)..

' i mean I think I look like David Bowie, no?'

 They elect to take a rest before descending next day into the the King's chamber, hearing armoured hobgoblin activity on the next level, that night...

It all starts so well, until Bruno tries to kill Dagmara (apparently having been hit by a spell from the Goblin King), is summarily dispatched, and the characters rush the chamber...of course Jeralt chucks a bunch of marbles to disorient the bodyguards, though this does not go well, and many of the characters on both sides end up on their a*se.

 

Uhh lots of floor clutter ...careful now, mind how you go. Do you have a Risk Assessment and Method Statement?

Elfin John, the 'new guy', sprints across the cavern to get a backstab on the King, and gets slotted by two bodyguards, bleeding to death on the floor (another new character required please - one more for the 'whiteboard o' death'). 

'

'Clear off halfling! ...dwarf...whatever ye are!'

An invisible Leeta the halfling/dwarf fighter, manages to stealth  her way to the spellcasting Goblin King, and stops two goblins raising the grille to the giant centipede lair...later fumbling on a '1' and whacking Jeralt the Paladin cold accidentally, as he follows to help her (oops).

'uhhh why did you hit me Leeta? '

Leeta also gets smacked to zero hp by the goblin bodyguards - who have been exploding on cue and damaging the characters when they expire. Dagmara ALSO is put to zero hp by a bodyguard - at this stage - HALF the party are down, spread all over the complex, and set to expire, one after the other.

Bjorn does some serious damage, as Karlyle the Priest, makes it his mission to rescue ...everyone. After securing Dagmara behind the Mountainhome shield wall, he races back toward the goblin King's chamber, with the invisibility ring allowing him to avoid the fight between the Goblin King and Bjorn...He has ONE chance to save Leeta, then Jeralt , as they are set to die one turn after he gets there...he needs to roll a 14 to save them from insta-death by binding their wounds...and manages to make BOTH ROLLS...give that man a sandwich! 

'

'Come adventure with us they said. There won't be any real danger, they said! Pfffft!'

 Back to (almost...remember Elfin John?) full strength. They raid the King's secret store, lucky to be alive...finding scrolls and a rather strange 'all seeing eye of truth' spyglass...fun!

Flying back, dressing their wounds...Leeta snatches a glance through the all seeing eye, catching a glimpse of Lord Trum watching them come in to land.,,seeing his TRUE form...and it is not good!

The true form of the head of the citadel...I mean, what could go wrong?