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Story Hour
Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour
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<blockquote data-quote="Milo Windby" data-source="post: 1673" data-attributes="member: 202"><p><strong>Keep of the Borderlands -part two (session one)</strong></p><p></p><p>Keep of the Borderlands -part two (session one)</p><p>------------------</p><p>Milo crept forward, not trying to be too quiet. As he ventured into the cave Milo noticed stonework on the walls. This was not a natural cave, at least farther in. Not ten feet into the cave he happened upon it's inhabitants. Goblins! Luckily they were just as shocked as Milo. <em>"Bree Yark!"</em> the lead goblin shouted when he spied Milo.</p><p>With a startled <em>"Eep!"</em> Milo raced back the ten feet to the rest of the group and warned them of what lie directly ahead. The goblins seemed very unorganized as they all tried to ready their lances and get a formation going. The narrowness of the tunnel prevented the six beasties from charging en masse. They had trouble deciding who would go first. Goblins were a cowardly lot when it came to even numbers. </p><p></p><p>In the rear of the group Charles was the first to react to Milo's return. He noticed the goblins but was unable to reach them through the party members before him. Not wasting a moment Jeremiah let loose a great battle cry and rushed forward to hack away at the nearest goblin. It didn't stand a chance, his greatsword cleaved the miserable beast in two and almost did the same to his companion, had it not ducked at the last moment. Unfortunately for it Brigit was right behind Jeremiah, charging forward with her mighty dwarven waraxe and chopping the hated goblinoid nearly in half. Mazi was next to act, firing an arrow from her elven bow right past Jer and Brigit into the shoulder of the next goblin in line. Meanwhile, the priest Bordamere had been chanting a strange, ominous litany. Milo, suspecting something amiss, barely avoided the priest's touch. As he moved he could see a deep, glowing, black discharge from Bordamere's hand right where he stood moments ago. <em>"Bree Yark!"</em> the cleric shouted. </p><p><em>"He's one of them! Get the priest!"</em> Milo shouted.</p><p>Sir Paul, though surprised at this turn of events, noticed the evil chanting and discharge of energy as well. He pressed his attack behind the priest but was still off balance from the sudden turn of events. The cleric heard him behind and ducked out of the way. Just then Brigit spied some movement down the right passage, four more goblins were rounding the corner. She shouted a warning to her companions before returning her attention to the fray. </p><p></p><p>Recovering from the near miss of the evil priest's attack Milo attempted to fire his crossbow pointblank at the turncoat. He found that firing on a moving target up close is harder than he thought as his bolt flew past Bordamere to bounce uselessly off the cave wall. Charles, following his friend's example, engaged the priest in combat. With three attackers the priest was hard pressed to avoid the next attack and groaned in pain as Charles' longsword finds its mark. The goblins finally got organized after watching two of their own fall under the mighty charge of the barbarian and fierce dwarven warrior. The goblin closest to Mazi thrust his javelin in her general direction but Mazi easily sidestepped the clumsy attack. The goblin next to him attempted to pierce Jeremiah through but was similarly avoided. The other two goblins moved closer but were unable to attack due to the narrow passage. Jeremiah swung his greatsword in a huge, diagonal arc once again slicing clean through another green beast. His sword bounced off the cavern floor before he could complete the arc through the goblin standing next to him. Brigit followed Jer's attack with another of her own, easily dispatching her racial enemy with a snarl. She paused long enough to spit on the twitching corpse. Mazi, ignoring the danger of the goblins near her took aim with her trusty bow at the evil Bordamere. Whispering a silent prayer to the powers that be she let the arrow fly. Her aim never more true, the flying missile found its mark, the evil priest's head. The arrow sunk to the flights, right between his eyes. The traitorous cleric didn't even have a chance to cry out before he fell to the floor, dead. Mazi recognized the true nature of the priest and his evil spells. She put his murderous actions to rest with one blow. While the party shouted in victory over the amazing shot of Mazi, the group of four goblins move up the hall, closer to the melee. Just then another group of six more goblins appeared in the left passage, moving towards the battle as fast as their stumpy legs could carry them. </p><p></p><p>Not being near the action and holding an empty crossbow, Milo decided to take a few moments to reload another bolt into the weapon. Charles, his way free now that the battle had spread out and the priest had fallen, moved forward to attack the two remaining goblins. His attack swung wide and the goblin that was his target laughed cruelly. The two goblins in front of Charles pulled back simultaneously before thrusting their lances directly into his groin. The poor mercenary cried out before he fell silent to the ground, beyond help. Paul, seeing his best friend dying in front of him began to look a little green around the gills. He let out a sob and started toward the goblins responsible for his friend's death. Jeremiah also saw the fighter fall. He heaved his bulk behind a mighty blow of his sword as both goblins virtually explode on contact. Brigit moved next to Jeremiah, sealing off the way they came so the two goblin parties couldn't flank the group. Mazi fired another arrow into the approaching group from the right corridor. She's rewarded with a shout and groan as her arrow finds its mark. By that time the two groups of goblins had made their way down the hall and clashed futilely into the stalwart defense of Jeremiah and Brigit. Their blows easily avoided by Jer and glancing off of Brigit's shield. </p><p></p><p>Seeing no easy target Milo quickly searched the cleric's body after a prompting from Mazi. She and he thought alike, what kind of loot might an evil cleric hide? He found a rolled parchment on the body along with the priest's mace and full plate armor. Milo decided to leave the loot until the battle was over. Jeremiah, rage in his eyes, once again brought his weapon to bear. This time the goblins were wearier and stayed clear of his swinging blade. Brigit attacked the third group of goblins from the left hall and killed the first to reach her easily. As Jer and Brigit fended off the hordes of goblins, Paul, Milo, and Mazi heard a clatter coming from the mouth of the cave. Milo was the first to see the huge ogre stomp up the corridor, followed by two more goblins. Mazi, fearing that the ogre might squash Milo in his charge, switched to her longsword. In the meantime Paul stabbed forward with his longsword at the nearest goblin, missing by the breadth of a hair. Once again the mass of goblins pressed against the two warriors. Again Jeremiah danced away from the lances while Brigit stood steadfast in the rain of blows that bounced harmlessly off her armor and shield. </p><p></p><p>Milo fired his crossbow at the approaching bulk of the ogre. He watched it sink into its thick hide as a slow smile spread from one side of the ugly beast's face to the other. On the other side of the hallway Jeremiah was slightly off balance from dodging the lances of his enemies and missed with the next swing of his greatsword. Fighting behind him Brigit sunk her ax into yet another hapless goblin with a satisfyingly meaty thud. Mazi, noticing the size of the ogre and his equally huge club, decided to cast a protective spell upon her. A faint glow surrounded her briefly and her skin seemed to harden. Paul rose to the challenge of the new threat and moved to block the ogre's path to his newfound, and only, friends. Unfortunately the brave action was to be his last. The ogre, with one mighty downward thrust of his club, drove Paul down to the earth. Never to rise again, Paul gave his life to defend those to whom he pledged his service. Milo looked on in horror as the ogre laughed at the broken body at his feet. Back at the other front Jeremiah, still dodging blows from the goblins, made a slight misstep and was brought up short by the tip of a lance. He groaned as it sunk into his arm, temporarily thrown off by the wound. Brigit was busy fending off the other group of goblins that were still attempting to get past her seemingly invincible armor. </p><p></p><p>Milo took a moment to switch to his shortsword as he shook his head sadly at the loss of first Charles, then Paul. Truly these foul creatures will pay. The pain in his arm distracted Jer and his next attack fell short of its mark. The goblins cried out thinking to take advantage of his lapse. Brigit swung her ax down on the latest foolish goblin that braved her reach. She laughed as she mowed through the goblins like so much wheat in the field. Mazi took a moment to find an opening in which to attack the ogre to the best advantage, readying her longsword to dispatch the beast. She heard a shout of triumph from the goblins behind her as both sides managed to sneak their lances through Jeremiah and Brigit's defense. Their cries are cut off short however when they notice what small effect their lances seemed to have on the pair. Mazi's attention was brought back to the fight near her when she heard Milo cry out from a near miss of the ogre's club. He felt the club whiz by his head as he rolled out of the way. </p><p></p><p>Mazi felt this was her best chance for an opening and drew back her sword a little too quickly. She began to lose her footing on the bloody ground and has to take a few moments to right herself. Her opening lost, she must wait until another opportunity presents itself. Meanwhile, Milo decided to put some of his training to use as he tumbled behind the ogre. The ogre took a swing at the flying halfling but slammed his club so hard against the ground that the vibrations from the impact shook him. If it were another time and place Milo would probably find humor in the comical expression on the ogre's face. At that moment he was more concerned with coming out of the battle in his own skin. He turned quickly and swiped his longsword across the ogre's ankle, bringing a roar of rage from the monster. It'll think twice before it assumes the smallest of them is the weakest. Back in the tunnel Jeremiah's hands slipped on his hilt. The sword had become thick with blood, mingled with his own, its grip had become slick. He took some time to find a firmer hold on the weapon. Brigit was unaware of Jer's predicament as she turned another goblin into minced meat. "That's six of ya scum!" She spat out to the remaining forces. A fury in her eyes glowed with fuel beyond that of the normal dwarven hatred of goblinoids. The goblins seemed shaken and failed to mount an effective counterattack. Perhaps fearing that the tide was turning against them, regardless of the presence of the great ogre. While the ogre was regaining his composure from his fumble with the club his cohorts attacked the halfling that rolled into their midst. One of them tagged the nimble rogue with his lance, drawing a small amount of blood. </p><p></p><p>Heedless of the wound Milo took a stab at the ogre in the back, right near his spine. His shortsword sunk in almost to the hilt before he twisted it and slid it back out of the great beast's hide. The ogre reared his head back and roared in pain. Mazi, seeing her opening, slashed the monster's neck, giving him a second, more permanent smile. She sighed in relief before refocusing her attack at the remaining goblin cohorts. Brigit attacked and missed for the first time against the goblins. The cowards had moved back a little from her deadly ax. The goblins' weak jabs with their lances failed to connect even with her armor from their safe positions. Jer was wounded once more by the lance of the nearest goblin. Though he is still fighting bravely Brigit notices that his strength is lagging. He had taken a lot of damage since the battle was joined. Both of the ogre's cohorts converged on Milo, intent on trapping him between them. He leapt out of the way, but not before a goblin lance pierced his flesh once again. </p><p></p><p>Angered by the wounds and his inability to dodge the clumsy goblins Milo jumped at the offending goblin. With perfect aim he impaled the goblin straight through its heart. The goblin died with a shocked look on his face. It didn't even have the chance to groan as the sword slid out of its body. The goblin's companion was still distracted by Milo's critical blow when Mazi's sword tip appeared through his leather jerkin. He too died with a look of surprise on his misshapen features. Jeremiah fought on bravely, but it was apparent to his friends that he was in dire need of aid. He looked a little dizzy as he swung his sword wildly. Behind him Brigit scored a glancing blow on one of the remaining goblins. The goblin turned tail and ran down the tunnel. "Coward!" She shouted after it. Just then she heard Jer cry out as another lance created a jagged hole in his thigh. Near death, Jer was persuaded to move back a little to let the others finish off the goblins. He rests for a moment. The remaining goblins in front of Brigit surged forward at the sight of Jeremiah retreating but they were still unable to pierce Brigit's defenses. </p><p></p><p>Milo sneaked over to the corner of the forked passage from where Jeremiah retreated. In the partial concealment he took careful aim and once again found the perfect mark for his shortsword. His arm snaked out and his sword traced a deep gash across the throat of the goblin, felling it instantly with another critical blow. Mazi also came to the aid of her barbarian friend, finding her target's heart with her longsword. Many goblins have died between she and Milo's carefully aimed attacks. She dispatched the goblin without a sound. Leaving one goblin out of the original four that attacked Jeremiah. Brigit swung her ax again but was unable to land a blow on the pitiful goblins. The final goblin that attacked from the right passage made a pitiful attempt to injure Mazi but his blow bounced harmlessly off her magically strengthened skin. The final goblin from the other hallway made a similarly pitiful attempt to attack Brigit. She batted its lance aside with her shield and swung her ax in the opening, killing the goblin with one mighty blow. </p><p></p><p>Milo, taking advantage of the lull in combat, tumbled past the last goblin to flank it. He turned too slowly to land an attack but was able to watch with satisfaction as Mazi inflicted the final blow. The goblins were no more. </p><p></p><p>After conferring quickly over the mass of bodies the party decided to loot what they could and run back to safety. In the distant halls they could hear the angry noises of reinforcements on their way. They would have to return and clean out these warrens another day. Milo shook his head sadly over the bodies of the mercenaries. He felt somewhat responsible for their deaths, being the one that persuaded them to come along. Still, they're gold is no good where they are now. He searched their bodies for the payment he gave them that morning but left all of their other valuables as they were. The rest of the group rummaged about the goblin bodies, finding copper and silver pieces on each. They had another hurried discussion over the matter of the evil priest's full plate armor. It would fetch a good price at the market, no damage was evident since Mazi's arrow pierced the shirt in-between plates. Still, the time it would take to divest the cleric of the armor was more than they had. With another sad shake of his head Milo agreed with the rest that it wasn't worth dying for. The group made their way out of the cave and moved down the trail at a steady pace. Eventually they reached their camp and stopped for the night. The excitement of the battle had since worn off and they all seem to be in a melancholy mood. Not only did the seemingly good-natured priest betray them, but they lost the two young mercenaries to the horde as well. They all vowed that their new friends' lives and the murderous priest's betrayal would be repaid in the blood of the goblins. With that they settled down for the night. Milo, Brigit, and Mazi taking turns at watch. They let Jeremiah rest, he was near death by the time they reached the camp anyway.</p><p></p><p><em>[Edited for <strong>emphasis</strong>]</em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Milo Windby, post: 1673, member: 202"] [b]Keep of the Borderlands -part two (session one)[/b] Keep of the Borderlands -part two (session one) ------------------ Milo crept forward, not trying to be too quiet. As he ventured into the cave Milo noticed stonework on the walls. This was not a natural cave, at least farther in. Not ten feet into the cave he happened upon it's inhabitants. Goblins! Luckily they were just as shocked as Milo. [I]"Bree Yark!"[/I] the lead goblin shouted when he spied Milo. With a startled [I]"Eep!"[/I] Milo raced back the ten feet to the rest of the group and warned them of what lie directly ahead. The goblins seemed very unorganized as they all tried to ready their lances and get a formation going. The narrowness of the tunnel prevented the six beasties from charging en masse. They had trouble deciding who would go first. Goblins were a cowardly lot when it came to even numbers. In the rear of the group Charles was the first to react to Milo's return. He noticed the goblins but was unable to reach them through the party members before him. Not wasting a moment Jeremiah let loose a great battle cry and rushed forward to hack away at the nearest goblin. It didn't stand a chance, his greatsword cleaved the miserable beast in two and almost did the same to his companion, had it not ducked at the last moment. Unfortunately for it Brigit was right behind Jeremiah, charging forward with her mighty dwarven waraxe and chopping the hated goblinoid nearly in half. Mazi was next to act, firing an arrow from her elven bow right past Jer and Brigit into the shoulder of the next goblin in line. Meanwhile, the priest Bordamere had been chanting a strange, ominous litany. Milo, suspecting something amiss, barely avoided the priest's touch. As he moved he could see a deep, glowing, black discharge from Bordamere's hand right where he stood moments ago. [I]"Bree Yark!"[/I] the cleric shouted. [I]"He's one of them! Get the priest!"[/I] Milo shouted. Sir Paul, though surprised at this turn of events, noticed the evil chanting and discharge of energy as well. He pressed his attack behind the priest but was still off balance from the sudden turn of events. The cleric heard him behind and ducked out of the way. Just then Brigit spied some movement down the right passage, four more goblins were rounding the corner. She shouted a warning to her companions before returning her attention to the fray. Recovering from the near miss of the evil priest's attack Milo attempted to fire his crossbow pointblank at the turncoat. He found that firing on a moving target up close is harder than he thought as his bolt flew past Bordamere to bounce uselessly off the cave wall. Charles, following his friend's example, engaged the priest in combat. With three attackers the priest was hard pressed to avoid the next attack and groaned in pain as Charles' longsword finds its mark. The goblins finally got organized after watching two of their own fall under the mighty charge of the barbarian and fierce dwarven warrior. The goblin closest to Mazi thrust his javelin in her general direction but Mazi easily sidestepped the clumsy attack. The goblin next to him attempted to pierce Jeremiah through but was similarly avoided. The other two goblins moved closer but were unable to attack due to the narrow passage. Jeremiah swung his greatsword in a huge, diagonal arc once again slicing clean through another green beast. His sword bounced off the cavern floor before he could complete the arc through the goblin standing next to him. Brigit followed Jer's attack with another of her own, easily dispatching her racial enemy with a snarl. She paused long enough to spit on the twitching corpse. Mazi, ignoring the danger of the goblins near her took aim with her trusty bow at the evil Bordamere. Whispering a silent prayer to the powers that be she let the arrow fly. Her aim never more true, the flying missile found its mark, the evil priest's head. The arrow sunk to the flights, right between his eyes. The traitorous cleric didn't even have a chance to cry out before he fell to the floor, dead. Mazi recognized the true nature of the priest and his evil spells. She put his murderous actions to rest with one blow. While the party shouted in victory over the amazing shot of Mazi, the group of four goblins move up the hall, closer to the melee. Just then another group of six more goblins appeared in the left passage, moving towards the battle as fast as their stumpy legs could carry them. Not being near the action and holding an empty crossbow, Milo decided to take a few moments to reload another bolt into the weapon. Charles, his way free now that the battle had spread out and the priest had fallen, moved forward to attack the two remaining goblins. His attack swung wide and the goblin that was his target laughed cruelly. The two goblins in front of Charles pulled back simultaneously before thrusting their lances directly into his groin. The poor mercenary cried out before he fell silent to the ground, beyond help. Paul, seeing his best friend dying in front of him began to look a little green around the gills. He let out a sob and started toward the goblins responsible for his friend's death. Jeremiah also saw the fighter fall. He heaved his bulk behind a mighty blow of his sword as both goblins virtually explode on contact. Brigit moved next to Jeremiah, sealing off the way they came so the two goblin parties couldn't flank the group. Mazi fired another arrow into the approaching group from the right corridor. She's rewarded with a shout and groan as her arrow finds its mark. By that time the two groups of goblins had made their way down the hall and clashed futilely into the stalwart defense of Jeremiah and Brigit. Their blows easily avoided by Jer and glancing off of Brigit's shield. Seeing no easy target Milo quickly searched the cleric's body after a prompting from Mazi. She and he thought alike, what kind of loot might an evil cleric hide? He found a rolled parchment on the body along with the priest's mace and full plate armor. Milo decided to leave the loot until the battle was over. Jeremiah, rage in his eyes, once again brought his weapon to bear. This time the goblins were wearier and stayed clear of his swinging blade. Brigit attacked the third group of goblins from the left hall and killed the first to reach her easily. As Jer and Brigit fended off the hordes of goblins, Paul, Milo, and Mazi heard a clatter coming from the mouth of the cave. Milo was the first to see the huge ogre stomp up the corridor, followed by two more goblins. Mazi, fearing that the ogre might squash Milo in his charge, switched to her longsword. In the meantime Paul stabbed forward with his longsword at the nearest goblin, missing by the breadth of a hair. Once again the mass of goblins pressed against the two warriors. Again Jeremiah danced away from the lances while Brigit stood steadfast in the rain of blows that bounced harmlessly off her armor and shield. Milo fired his crossbow at the approaching bulk of the ogre. He watched it sink into its thick hide as a slow smile spread from one side of the ugly beast's face to the other. On the other side of the hallway Jeremiah was slightly off balance from dodging the lances of his enemies and missed with the next swing of his greatsword. Fighting behind him Brigit sunk her ax into yet another hapless goblin with a satisfyingly meaty thud. Mazi, noticing the size of the ogre and his equally huge club, decided to cast a protective spell upon her. A faint glow surrounded her briefly and her skin seemed to harden. Paul rose to the challenge of the new threat and moved to block the ogre's path to his newfound, and only, friends. Unfortunately the brave action was to be his last. The ogre, with one mighty downward thrust of his club, drove Paul down to the earth. Never to rise again, Paul gave his life to defend those to whom he pledged his service. Milo looked on in horror as the ogre laughed at the broken body at his feet. Back at the other front Jeremiah, still dodging blows from the goblins, made a slight misstep and was brought up short by the tip of a lance. He groaned as it sunk into his arm, temporarily thrown off by the wound. Brigit was busy fending off the other group of goblins that were still attempting to get past her seemingly invincible armor. Milo took a moment to switch to his shortsword as he shook his head sadly at the loss of first Charles, then Paul. Truly these foul creatures will pay. The pain in his arm distracted Jer and his next attack fell short of its mark. The goblins cried out thinking to take advantage of his lapse. Brigit swung her ax down on the latest foolish goblin that braved her reach. She laughed as she mowed through the goblins like so much wheat in the field. Mazi took a moment to find an opening in which to attack the ogre to the best advantage, readying her longsword to dispatch the beast. She heard a shout of triumph from the goblins behind her as both sides managed to sneak their lances through Jeremiah and Brigit's defense. Their cries are cut off short however when they notice what small effect their lances seemed to have on the pair. Mazi's attention was brought back to the fight near her when she heard Milo cry out from a near miss of the ogre's club. He felt the club whiz by his head as he rolled out of the way. Mazi felt this was her best chance for an opening and drew back her sword a little too quickly. She began to lose her footing on the bloody ground and has to take a few moments to right herself. Her opening lost, she must wait until another opportunity presents itself. Meanwhile, Milo decided to put some of his training to use as he tumbled behind the ogre. The ogre took a swing at the flying halfling but slammed his club so hard against the ground that the vibrations from the impact shook him. If it were another time and place Milo would probably find humor in the comical expression on the ogre's face. At that moment he was more concerned with coming out of the battle in his own skin. He turned quickly and swiped his longsword across the ogre's ankle, bringing a roar of rage from the monster. It'll think twice before it assumes the smallest of them is the weakest. Back in the tunnel Jeremiah's hands slipped on his hilt. The sword had become thick with blood, mingled with his own, its grip had become slick. He took some time to find a firmer hold on the weapon. Brigit was unaware of Jer's predicament as she turned another goblin into minced meat. "That's six of ya scum!" She spat out to the remaining forces. A fury in her eyes glowed with fuel beyond that of the normal dwarven hatred of goblinoids. The goblins seemed shaken and failed to mount an effective counterattack. Perhaps fearing that the tide was turning against them, regardless of the presence of the great ogre. While the ogre was regaining his composure from his fumble with the club his cohorts attacked the halfling that rolled into their midst. One of them tagged the nimble rogue with his lance, drawing a small amount of blood. Heedless of the wound Milo took a stab at the ogre in the back, right near his spine. His shortsword sunk in almost to the hilt before he twisted it and slid it back out of the great beast's hide. The ogre reared his head back and roared in pain. Mazi, seeing her opening, slashed the monster's neck, giving him a second, more permanent smile. She sighed in relief before refocusing her attack at the remaining goblin cohorts. Brigit attacked and missed for the first time against the goblins. The cowards had moved back a little from her deadly ax. The goblins' weak jabs with their lances failed to connect even with her armor from their safe positions. Jer was wounded once more by the lance of the nearest goblin. Though he is still fighting bravely Brigit notices that his strength is lagging. He had taken a lot of damage since the battle was joined. Both of the ogre's cohorts converged on Milo, intent on trapping him between them. He leapt out of the way, but not before a goblin lance pierced his flesh once again. Angered by the wounds and his inability to dodge the clumsy goblins Milo jumped at the offending goblin. With perfect aim he impaled the goblin straight through its heart. The goblin died with a shocked look on his face. It didn't even have the chance to groan as the sword slid out of its body. The goblin's companion was still distracted by Milo's critical blow when Mazi's sword tip appeared through his leather jerkin. He too died with a look of surprise on his misshapen features. Jeremiah fought on bravely, but it was apparent to his friends that he was in dire need of aid. He looked a little dizzy as he swung his sword wildly. Behind him Brigit scored a glancing blow on one of the remaining goblins. The goblin turned tail and ran down the tunnel. "Coward!" She shouted after it. Just then she heard Jer cry out as another lance created a jagged hole in his thigh. Near death, Jer was persuaded to move back a little to let the others finish off the goblins. He rests for a moment. The remaining goblins in front of Brigit surged forward at the sight of Jeremiah retreating but they were still unable to pierce Brigit's defenses. Milo sneaked over to the corner of the forked passage from where Jeremiah retreated. In the partial concealment he took careful aim and once again found the perfect mark for his shortsword. His arm snaked out and his sword traced a deep gash across the throat of the goblin, felling it instantly with another critical blow. Mazi also came to the aid of her barbarian friend, finding her target's heart with her longsword. Many goblins have died between she and Milo's carefully aimed attacks. She dispatched the goblin without a sound. Leaving one goblin out of the original four that attacked Jeremiah. Brigit swung her ax again but was unable to land a blow on the pitiful goblins. The final goblin that attacked from the right passage made a pitiful attempt to injure Mazi but his blow bounced harmlessly off her magically strengthened skin. The final goblin from the other hallway made a similarly pitiful attempt to attack Brigit. She batted its lance aside with her shield and swung her ax in the opening, killing the goblin with one mighty blow. Milo, taking advantage of the lull in combat, tumbled past the last goblin to flank it. He turned too slowly to land an attack but was able to watch with satisfaction as Mazi inflicted the final blow. The goblins were no more. After conferring quickly over the mass of bodies the party decided to loot what they could and run back to safety. In the distant halls they could hear the angry noises of reinforcements on their way. They would have to return and clean out these warrens another day. Milo shook his head sadly over the bodies of the mercenaries. He felt somewhat responsible for their deaths, being the one that persuaded them to come along. Still, they're gold is no good where they are now. He searched their bodies for the payment he gave them that morning but left all of their other valuables as they were. The rest of the group rummaged about the goblin bodies, finding copper and silver pieces on each. They had another hurried discussion over the matter of the evil priest's full plate armor. It would fetch a good price at the market, no damage was evident since Mazi's arrow pierced the shirt in-between plates. Still, the time it would take to divest the cleric of the armor was more than they had. With another sad shake of his head Milo agreed with the rest that it wasn't worth dying for. The group made their way out of the cave and moved down the trail at a steady pace. Eventually they reached their camp and stopped for the night. The excitement of the battle had since worn off and they all seem to be in a melancholy mood. Not only did the seemingly good-natured priest betray them, but they lost the two young mercenaries to the horde as well. They all vowed that their new friends' lives and the murderous priest's betrayal would be repaid in the blood of the goblins. With that they settled down for the night. Milo, Brigit, and Mazi taking turns at watch. They let Jeremiah rest, he was near death by the time they reached the camp anyway. [I][Edited for [B]emphasis[/B]][/I] [/QUOTE]
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Milo Windby's Collected Story Hour
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