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Lazybones's Keep on the Shadowfell/Thunderspire Labyrinth
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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4491053" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 39</p><p></p><p></p><p>Jaron found himself outnumbered, facing a pair of goblin crossbows pointed unerringly at his chest. Thus far he’d avoided injury in this latest engagement, but it looked as though that was about to change. </p><p></p><p>Something glittered in the torchlight as it flashed through the air. It struck the first goblin, glancing off the sharpshooter’s arm as his finger pulled the trigger of his bow. His shot went wide, missing Jaron cleanly by several feet. His companion only shifted slightly in reaction, but even that distraction caused his bolt to hit Jaron not squarely in the chest, but high on the shoulder, stabbing through his armor at an angle that inflicted a painful but relatively minor wound. </p><p></p><p>Jaron drew back as he pulled out another arrow, shifting back toward the center of the room, and the cover offered by the stone pillars there. The goblins, to their credit, held their ground as they pulled hooks from their belts and cocked their bows. Jaron’s hasty shot missed, whistling past the ear of the goblin on the left. </p><p></p><p>Devrem almost fell as the drake leapt at him, its hind legs clawing at his thighs while it seized his left elbow in its powerful jaws. The cleric swung around, the heavy lizard pulling him off-balance with its weight. With his free hand he flung <em>sacred flame</em> into its face, but the drake refused to release its grip. Multicolored fey lights flared around both combatants as another <em>eldritch blast</em> went awry, harming neither. </p><p></p><p>“Help Jaron!” Devrem hissed between clenched teeth, as he struggled to keep his feet. Blood trailed down from his mangled arm, splattering on the floor. </p><p></p><p>Careful not to fall into the adjacent pit, Jaron stood behind one of the stone pillars, sending arrows at the goblin snipers as quickly as he could fire. His skill with the bow seemed to have deserted him, however, and his initial miss was followed by two more, both shots shooting wildly past the goblins into the corridor behind them. The goblins, in turn, kept firing in staggered volleys, trying to catch the halfling off-guard. The tactic paid off as another bolt clipped his hip, punching through his leather armor and the flesh beneath, scraping the bone of his pelvis. Jaron cried out and fell back behind the pillar, holding onto the stone to avoid stumbling into the pit. The rats, thrown into a frenzy by recent events, shrieked up at him. </p><p></p><p>He didn’t see the goblin warrior that crept up from the passage to the south, hugging the wall as he lined up a perfect shot for his javelin. </p><p></p><p>Devrem was flagging; the drake’s weight had pulled him forward until it had gotten purchase with its clawed feet, and it yanked its head around like a dog worrying a leather throng. Devrem’s repeated applications of divine power seemed to barely faze it, the silver sparks failing to distract it from its prey. But Mara’s longsword was far more effective, severing its neck almost fully from its body. Even as it died its bite remained locked, and Devrem had to crack its jaws open with the end of his staff to free himself. </p><p></p><p>The goblins were likewise finding themselves pressed. Elevaren hit one squarely with a hex, confounding and confusing him as the <em>eyebite</em> invocation caused the warlock to vanish from the creature’s vision. His fellow, sensing the dangerous nature of this new foe, fired his bow at him, but the shot narrowly missed. </p><p></p><p>Grimacing as he yanked the bolt from his hip, Jaron drew another arrow from his quiver and slipped from cover to shoot again. This time he scored a direct hit, his arrow burying itself into the chest of the goblin that Elevaren had just cursed. The goblin sniper slumped to the ground, his bow falling from his fingers to land beside him. </p><p></p><p>The still-hidden warrior had a perfect shot; he lifted his javelin to take down the injured ranger. The goblin’s first warning of danger was when Beetle stepped forward and slapped his hand into his face. The point of the crossbow bolt that still pierced Beetle’s hand penetrated the warrior’s eye; he screamed once, flailed his limbs in a sudden spasm, and fell to the ground. </p><p></p><p>The last goblin elected to flee, but instead of retreating back down the corridor, the creature tried to cross the room, making either for the staircase to the surface, or to the far corridor. They would not learn which, for Devrem and Mara moved quickly to block him. Elevaren met its gaze, dismaying him with the fey power of an <em>eyebite</em>. </p><p></p><p>“Surrender, goblin!” Mara warned. But the creature either did not understand or did not care to comply, and he ran down the corridor to the south. “Don’t let him escape!” Mara cried. She and the cleric rushed after him, but their heavy armor and their serious wounds slowed them down. Elevaren hit him in the back with an <em>eldritch blast</em>, but that failed to stop him. </p><p></p><p>The goblin would have gotten away, save for the fact that his revised route of escape took him past Beetle. It was surprising how much blood could be spilled by such a tiny knife.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 4491053, member: 143"] Chapter 39 Jaron found himself outnumbered, facing a pair of goblin crossbows pointed unerringly at his chest. Thus far he’d avoided injury in this latest engagement, but it looked as though that was about to change. Something glittered in the torchlight as it flashed through the air. It struck the first goblin, glancing off the sharpshooter’s arm as his finger pulled the trigger of his bow. His shot went wide, missing Jaron cleanly by several feet. His companion only shifted slightly in reaction, but even that distraction caused his bolt to hit Jaron not squarely in the chest, but high on the shoulder, stabbing through his armor at an angle that inflicted a painful but relatively minor wound. Jaron drew back as he pulled out another arrow, shifting back toward the center of the room, and the cover offered by the stone pillars there. The goblins, to their credit, held their ground as they pulled hooks from their belts and cocked their bows. Jaron’s hasty shot missed, whistling past the ear of the goblin on the left. Devrem almost fell as the drake leapt at him, its hind legs clawing at his thighs while it seized his left elbow in its powerful jaws. The cleric swung around, the heavy lizard pulling him off-balance with its weight. With his free hand he flung [i]sacred flame[/i] into its face, but the drake refused to release its grip. Multicolored fey lights flared around both combatants as another [i]eldritch blast[/i] went awry, harming neither. “Help Jaron!” Devrem hissed between clenched teeth, as he struggled to keep his feet. Blood trailed down from his mangled arm, splattering on the floor. Careful not to fall into the adjacent pit, Jaron stood behind one of the stone pillars, sending arrows at the goblin snipers as quickly as he could fire. His skill with the bow seemed to have deserted him, however, and his initial miss was followed by two more, both shots shooting wildly past the goblins into the corridor behind them. The goblins, in turn, kept firing in staggered volleys, trying to catch the halfling off-guard. The tactic paid off as another bolt clipped his hip, punching through his leather armor and the flesh beneath, scraping the bone of his pelvis. Jaron cried out and fell back behind the pillar, holding onto the stone to avoid stumbling into the pit. The rats, thrown into a frenzy by recent events, shrieked up at him. He didn’t see the goblin warrior that crept up from the passage to the south, hugging the wall as he lined up a perfect shot for his javelin. Devrem was flagging; the drake’s weight had pulled him forward until it had gotten purchase with its clawed feet, and it yanked its head around like a dog worrying a leather throng. Devrem’s repeated applications of divine power seemed to barely faze it, the silver sparks failing to distract it from its prey. But Mara’s longsword was far more effective, severing its neck almost fully from its body. Even as it died its bite remained locked, and Devrem had to crack its jaws open with the end of his staff to free himself. The goblins were likewise finding themselves pressed. Elevaren hit one squarely with a hex, confounding and confusing him as the [i]eyebite[/i] invocation caused the warlock to vanish from the creature’s vision. His fellow, sensing the dangerous nature of this new foe, fired his bow at him, but the shot narrowly missed. Grimacing as he yanked the bolt from his hip, Jaron drew another arrow from his quiver and slipped from cover to shoot again. This time he scored a direct hit, his arrow burying itself into the chest of the goblin that Elevaren had just cursed. The goblin sniper slumped to the ground, his bow falling from his fingers to land beside him. The still-hidden warrior had a perfect shot; he lifted his javelin to take down the injured ranger. The goblin’s first warning of danger was when Beetle stepped forward and slapped his hand into his face. The point of the crossbow bolt that still pierced Beetle’s hand penetrated the warrior’s eye; he screamed once, flailed his limbs in a sudden spasm, and fell to the ground. The last goblin elected to flee, but instead of retreating back down the corridor, the creature tried to cross the room, making either for the staircase to the surface, or to the far corridor. They would not learn which, for Devrem and Mara moved quickly to block him. Elevaren met its gaze, dismaying him with the fey power of an [i]eyebite[/i]. “Surrender, goblin!” Mara warned. But the creature either did not understand or did not care to comply, and he ran down the corridor to the south. “Don’t let him escape!” Mara cried. She and the cleric rushed after him, but their heavy armor and their serious wounds slowed them down. Elevaren hit him in the back with an [i]eldritch blast[/i], but that failed to stop him. The goblin would have gotten away, save for the fact that his revised route of escape took him past Beetle. It was surprising how much blood could be spilled by such a tiny knife. [/QUOTE]
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