The party worked as a cohesive unit, as in other times they proved again that they were stronger united. When the fireballs finished their flash, Cor and the fighter moved into the room to defeat the few that were not consumed by the fire.

Ulthok drew his sword to follow the fighters and as the roar and calmer of battle subsided he heard the voices from the back of the room. What may have been the cheers for their fighter were now wails of anguish.

The evil powers that had brought this castle must moved an entire Goblin village including the female and young into this room. Moving to the back of the room the party found just that, including the Chief’s hut. In a large common area, where they would have been relegate, were a very large number of females and young. As the curs cowered and whimpered Ulthok heard the Lady Jessica address the mass.

“DO NOT ATTACK OR RESIST! WE DO NOT MEAN YOU HARM! WE ONLY DEFENDED OURSELVES AND IF YOU DO NOT RESIST US THEN YOU WILL SURVIVE!”
Her magic helm allowed her words to be understood by the Goblins. They gathered and gumbling could be heard.
Turning she addressed the party members, “We have to secure this area, and then find a way to make sure they can‘t follow us or alert others,” ………“If they don’t attack us then I will not allow these children and females to be slaughtered.”
Cor listened the Paladin and then he too addressed the party,"And in no way they should. They may be goblins, but they're still innocents. We should not attack them." ………………"Ok, we should look around the area and make sure there are no more surprises. We also should check the dead goblin leaders, and see if they carried anything useful. And that hut. Who knows what it may have in it." … " And everyone, only attack if you are attacked first. If we slaughter the innocent, we are no better than the enemy."
Ulthok noticed that the party started to look sympathetic toward the grimy smelly mass of little evil creatures. “Do not let your guard down…… those creatures would have gladly butchered and cooked you down for the young to suck the marrow from your bones. The young are taught that you are FOOD and some may have started to train as fighters………If you consider them to be more than rats or vermin it is only because that they can carry weapons……Do not turn your back to them and do not feel sorry for them.”

The mage started toward the hut to search for item these things had stolen. Passing by the common area he shouted in Goblin a command to the mass of evil, ”SIT……DON’T MOVE” He waved to Weaver to join him in the search.

Ulthok noticed that the party started to look sympathetic toward the grimy smelly mass of little evil creatures. “Do not let your guard down…… those creatures would have gladly butchered and cooked you down for the young to suck the marrow from your bones. The young are taught that you are FOOD and some may have started to train as fighters………If you consider them to be more than rats or vermin it is only because that they can carry weapons……Do not turn your back to them and do not feel sorry for them.”

The mage started toward the hut to search for item these things had stolen. Passing by the common area he shouted a command to the mass of evil, ”SIT……DON’T MOVE” He waved to Weaver to join him in the search.
"That is for sure," Jessica said with a nod and a faint smirk, "they are not cute lil things at all."

The Paladin wasnt doing this because they were cute but because children should be non-combatants. She would be alert and keep her sword handy; if she was attacked then she would defend herself. Moving with the others, she went forward and would help cover the goblins while the place was searched.

"ALL OF YOU, SIT DOWN AND DONT MOVE!" she repeated what Ulthok had said in Goblin and gestured with her sword and shield hands, "OBEY AND NONE WILL BE HARMED. RESIST AND SOME WILL DIE! MOTHERS HOLD YOUR CHILDREN CLOSE"

She didnt search but stood there and kept an eye on the mass of goblins; if there was any movement she would shout to them to be still.

"Hurry, we dont know how much time we have." She said to her group. They needed to get this done and secure this room to keep the Goblins in here for awhile.

Seeing that the battle within the room was over Amara motioned to Valene Rayne and her sister and moved into the room looking for someone to heal. Finding no one needs healing she noticed the goblins she moves to them kneeling on one knee and watches them.

As his first fireball went off his mind began to race. ‘Brothers I will be there soon. May the Gods watch over my friends. My I die with…’ Weaver was shaken to his core as three more Fireballs went off. He then realized these did not come from the Magi. As smoke cleared he glanced toward the door and saw his companions, well the ones he could see. The injured were among those he could and this made him smile.

Weaver took up his sword and dagger and stood fully now. It was in complete disbelief what he watched next.

Weaver moved toward the others when his steps grow heavy. The Lady Jessica let her sword tip fall, as she began to speak in goblin then her next words were fire to Weaver’s ears…

Weaver’s ears burned but it was his heart that felt the next chilling bit of reality. Cor agreed with her.

Weaver now just stood his sword lowered and made a signal tap sound as it hit the stone floor. A tear slipped from his eye, his body felt heavy oh so heavy. All seemed to move around slowly when Ulthok waved to him to join him.

‘Ulthok I cannot! For if I draw any closer to the darkness before me I will go against all that I hold close and dear to me and I dare not do that.’ Weaver then saluted to the Master of Shadows, ‘Go brave one for you now go where I can not.’ He then cleared his throat and began to speak in soothing soft tones. He knew his words would fall goblin ears that may or may not understand them but it was the way he spoke them,…

‘The human animal is a beautiful and terrible creature, capable of limitless compassion and unfathomable cruelty.’ He put away his sword and dagger and holds them open toward the goblin pups and the bitches that hold them close. ‘See limitless compassion.’ Weave is fighting every fiber of his being not slaughtering the next generation of village burners, tomorrow’s killers of women and children, Today’s eaters of flesh eaters.

OOC/OR IS HE… Weaver will be ready to rush in and kill every one of these vile beasts of the darker parts of this world. Sword, Dagger, Fire, or what ever he can get his hands on.

Siréne glided into the still smoking room, picking her way through the burnt goblin corpses. It had been so quick. Only the blink of an eye and so many lives were just burnt away. Once she would have looked away in horror, but now it had been her hand that helped bring the slaughter. The Lady of Retribution had changed her.

Incandescent cerulean eyes traced over the room to land on the cowering goblin women and children. Already the others were moving through the creatures to search the remnants of their out-of-place village. Shaking her head, Siréne moved to join them.

Sending a current of will into the ring on her left hand, she started forward and raised into the air to glide just above the goblin's heads. She had no desire to bring about even more killing. If the little beasts left her alone she would not attack them. Feats of power might well dissuade them from trying anything. So she floated above their heads, searching alongside her companions.

((OOC: Siréne is flying. She will not hesitate to strike if any move against her))

“Ulthok I cannot! For if I draw any closer to the darkness before me I will go against all that I hold close and dear to me and I dare not do that.’ Weaver then saluted to the Master of Shadows, ‘Go brave one for you now go where I can not.”
The mage nodded back the Bard, “I understand my friend…. There is a reason I can speak their foul tongue….. when you are charged to find or bury the missing children of your neighbors you use every means available.”

Peri felt sorrow flash over her mage. She could read his thoughts as the sites and the and sounds of those children he was too late too save tumble over him. A tear fell from her tiny eye… Her little man was fighting the urge to destroy this menace that had so callously brought grief to those he had held dear.

The Halfling turned to the new Mage Warrior as she stood by her sister, "Alyia, I need someone to watch my back as I search and you've proven great skill against large and small foe. We can make this quick and be gone from this retched place."

Walking past Cor Ulthok mentioned, "We should waste no mores on the cur without good reason. If we lock them in they can not spread an alarm.... One of those large Orc axes would fit nicely through the closed door handle. They are too weak to pull it to break the handle and too small to remove the hinge pins."

as soon as Alyia cast the spell and sword in hand followed the others into the room. she hung to the back of the group still slightly shaken from the previous battle.

she heard the others speak their peace to the throngs of goblin kin milling about in abject terror and confusion. Alyia watched Amara kneel, and moved to her side. pressing her hand to Amara's shoulder as a reassuring gesture both for Amara and also for herself. Alyia sighed sheathing her sword and fidgeted as she watched the other advance searching for loot and other items.

she realized like her the others had their own dilemma's with this turn of events.
ulthok spoke to the goblins as if to a rowdy pack of dogs, authoritative and commanding. others spoke beseechingly. but weavers words seemed to flicker a spark with in her.

"The human animal is a beautiful and terrible creature, capable of limitless compassion and unfathomable cruelty.’ He put away his sword and dagger and holds them open toward the goblin pups and the bitches that hold them close. ‘See limitless compassion.’ Weave is fighting every fiber of his being not slaughtering the next generation of village burners, tomorrow’s killers of women and children, Today’s eaters of flesh eaters."

Alyia looked over their little party, such interesting people here.

Alyia patted Amera on the back and leaned low to whisper in here ear.
"my dear sister, what a strange motley group we have joined."

Alyia grinned down at her sister and rocked back on her heels as she fiddled with a flake of flint in her spell pouch her free hand resting on the handle of her dager.

Once the party had finished searching the room, hopefully avoiding any more combat, Cor and the others left the room to the hallway. Taking the rear, Cor pulled the door shut behind himself. "Can someone find me something to bar this door? An axe or sword would do well." Once the door had been barred, Cor walked up to Lady Jessica.

"Before we go any further, I'd like to present you with this..." Cor said as he opened his backpack, and pulled out a sword: the Holy Avenger. Cor held it up, with it lying flat on the palms of his hands, to Lady Jessica. "With my power as the only Knight Cleric of Trilogy, a give you this sword. It belonged to my former friend, Paladin Conall Glendower. I would be honoured if you would accept it.

(OOC: Hopefully this post works...)

After giving the dead goblins near the door another look to see if they had anything valuable, Valene moved over to see what all the commotion was and a shudder went through her spine. "There are no innocents in this room. Sparing them now will only mean they will kill others later, and breed more killers. You wouldn't hesitate to torch a room of rabid rats." she shook her head and moved back, watching them very closely for any sign of struggle.

She wasn't going instigate any sort of attack of course, but she would strike to kill if any of them so much as sneezed in the wrong direction. "At least the Giants were somewhat civilized," she muttered, idly twirling a dagger in her hand.

The Party’s discovery of a Goblin ‘village’ full of ‘innocent’ women and infant Goblins had invoked among the eleven members differing opinions on what should be done with them.

With Lady Jessica and Cor advocating restraint, Ulthok and Valene advocating vigilance. Barreel and Weaver advocating killing them all and the rest picking no sides for the moment the party concerned themselves with searching the village. Even as Ulthok went to check for traps, it was clear that was a waste of time as the hut itself was really nothing more then a pile of molded and misplaced trash, Amara, Aliya and Lothor entered the room. Amara having never seen Goblins before, having lived in an evil free forest, moved close and knelt to examine them first hand. With Aliya by her side, she watched quietly as the females and their children huddled in fear.

With the quick eight-minute search of the ‘village’ completed, the party had gained 25 pieces of gold, 2 possible wands and 2 large 10,000 plus bags of copper coins. The two possible wands were a strange find, as there had been no Shaman among the Goblins during the fight. Nevertheless as for anything else, of value the party came up with nothing.

Then the talk turned to how to keep the Goblin ‘innocents’ within this room and Ulthok came up with the idea of jamming the door shut with one of the large Orc axes. With all agreed the party began to head for the door with the last to start moving Aliya and a still kneeling Amara. As the Elf Druid began to stand, she found heading towards her a small Goblin, perhaps a 1 or 2 year old crawling forward. Pausing to kneel again, this time a little lower, she watched as it stopped at her feet and seemed to look up with child like eyes. Then without warning, it lunged up on surprisingly strong legs to clamp its teeth deep into Amara’s neck tearing out her throat!!

As she lay bleeding the small Goblin child, continued tearing at her throat until a sword strike slashed it in two. Lothor having moved quickly killed it before it could do more harm. A loud scream of anger and rage and the Goblin females were charging full bore. Smelling Amara’s blood and raged at the child’s death all headed straight for Lothor and behind him Aliya as the closet targets. As Lothor moved to retrieve Amara’s still shaking body he was overwhelmed by the mass of Goblin women and forced to fight for his life. As the party began to react the smaller Goblin children moved on Amara and began to feed, ripping off her arms, legs and large patches of soft Elvin skin. Her blood dripping from many Goblin teeth and her body in many a Goblin child’s stomach, the beautiful Elf Druid died.........................

(DM OOC: Ok you are in combat rounds once more, see the map below as to where everyone is. Also lets welcome back Brundel as he has freed up enough time to devote some of it to Trilogy, I asked him to return to play Lothor.
Ok good luck.)

Alyia's shock washed over her as the baby goblin lept and tore out Amara's throat.

Alyia was casting a fire ball even before the heart wrenching scream crossed her lips.

"NO! AMARA! NO!"

leveling it directly at the charging horde of female goblins, over the head of lothor. the fire magic licking flames from the ends of her fingers. the fire's roar was pierced by Alyia's vengeful scream.

"DIE!"

a bit in her thigh brought Alyia to the realization, slashing with her dagger at the goblins around her as they lept at her grabbing and biting. grabbing her sword she kicked and stabbed slashing out at anything that lunged moved towards her.

the only thought thrummed through her mind.

"kill them, kill them all."

Lothor walked amongst the village pushing his way firmly, but not roughly, past the milling crowd of greenskins. As he, and the rest of the party, searched for loot Lothor began to feel more and more anxious about the creatures surrounding him. Were they beginning to look more sternly at the group?

Lothor noticed the cowering families huddled together in the corners and suddenly he saw in their faces all to human emotions. He had been in places like this many times before. The men had been slaughtered. The village was being robbed. Children were crying. Women were screaming. Where was their saviour? Lothor looked down to the floor and noticed a pool of water, looking within he saw not the usual striking hero, but instead the twisting face of a villain.

Lothor was glad the party were on their way, he needed to get away from this place. As he began walking out he looked back taking one last despairing look at the scene. As he twisted his head back around he noticed Amara kneeling down to help a young Goblin. Lothor kept looking, wishing he had the courage to help. Unexpectedly the small goblin lurched forward mouth wide and proceeded to tear the throat from the naïve adventurer.

Lothor gasped in surprise and before he had finished in-taking the stagnant, dirty air his sword was drawn and he was running towards the small bloodthirsty greenskin. His sword cleaved through the Goblin easily and Lothor exhaled looking down at the corpse of Amara.

He had not known Amara long, nor had he known a lot about her but she had fought beside him and had put herself forward to help the future of Trilogy. She had put her life on the line and Lothor was deeply upset she had lost it in such a wasteful way. Before he could kneel down to pick up her lifeless body he began to get swarmed by a mass of young and female Goblins. He swung wildly with his greatsword, he could hardly miss and each connection was followed by a deep regret.

"NO! AMARA! NO!"
Lady Jessica whirled from where she had gathered with the others, having thought all of them were ready to leave the room and secure the Goblins within; what she saw caused her blood to chill.

"By Athena!"

Amara was swarmed by the Goblins who began to tear her apart; Lothor stepped up and started slashing at the Goblins but was himself threatened to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers. With a cry of anguish, Jessica charged forth her shield and sword in hand and began to slash at the Goblins trying to work her way to Aylia and Lothor.

How had it gotten to this? One moment it all seemed to have been working; they were almost out and now it looked like Amara was dead and torn to pieces and Aylia and Lothor were in danger. The only choice for survival of them all was to kill the Goblins. She knew that they were creatures with only basic instincts, but her good nature made it difficult to just slaughter women and children even if they were beasts. But for now, they were outnumbered about 20 to 1 by blood crazy creatures who, though small, could kill as they had so recently shown.

Guilt at not properly protecting the members of her group threatened to overwhelm her much like the Goblins where trying to swarm over the group. Jessica would deal with the consequences afterwards, if she survived.

As the party moved back toward Weaver there were those that lingered. Before he could call out to them it happen. One of the pups, driven by hunger some how slipped free of its mothers watchful eye and moved up on the Lady Amara. In the blink of an eye it had happen. Where once the Lady Amara was, full of life there was none. For in Weaver’s mind the darkness before him had no life only existence to kill life, drain if from the lands, to take without thought.

The Lady Alyia, sister to the fallen was enraged with the loss of one so dear and let go the full extent of the arcane that some many of the arcane users know. This time the sound of the magic was piercing as it left her delicate fingers.

It was Lothor GreenBeard that moved first and in the flash of movement was beside the Lady Amara, but horde was to great for him to retrieve her body. As he was swarmed by the bitches of the pack the children driven by hunger put aside fear and feasted on the fallen. Lothor was now in the fight for his own life.

As the Lady Jessica changed forward so too did Weaver, her with sword and shield him with Sword and Dagger, ‘We must get to the others and form a circle! Do not let rage take over, for if we fight alone they will overwhelm us individually with sheer numbers! Move to the Lady Alyia then together we will push to Lothor! We will then fight in a circle around our fallen!’ Weaver only prayed the Lady Jessica would go with him and not give in to the rage all must be feeling. He also prayed the others would fallow. But of course they would.

As Weaver reached the front of the horde he cried out, ‘You have unleashed the Terrible Creature! Now reap the Unfathomable Cruelty!’

“We must get to the others and form a circle! Do not let rage take over, for if we fight alone they will overwhelm us individually with sheer numbers! Move to the Lady Alyia then together we will push to Lothor! We will then fight in a circle around our fallen!” Weaver said.
“Never fear,” Lady Jessica answered him as he moved up next to her and they fought towards their trapped comrades, “it is not rage that guides me in my purpose.”

She was too cool a head to let rage rule the day; rage was restrained during fighting as it only caused clear thinking to retreat and caused nothing but trouble. No, she didn’t feel rage, but the opposite, guilt. She was a Knight Protector and she had let her concern for slaughtering what she saw as innocents to cloud her judgment and she had dropped her guard and allowed this to happen. If she had been aware she would have been there next to Amara and would have cautioned her against her actions which brought her close enough to be attacked so quickly and viciously. Now, she felt guilt and it cooled her emotions and made her calm and calculating.

Jessica studied the foes before her and she fought shoulder to shoulder with Weaver; her shield bashed anything that tried to swarm her and her sword swept in careful arcs before her as she did what Weaver had suggested. Fight their way to help Alyia and then on to Lothor where they would form a protective circle until the others could arrive.