The party returned to the goblin town (Saindak) to rescue the pixies from the inn The Quiet Woman (whose sign showed a headless woman). As with any raid, the first hour was dedicated to sharing cunning plans (see below).
The plan was made for Anders to sneak into the second floor and rescue the pixies, while the rest of the party distracted the rest of the goblins with a ruckus. The chosen ruckus was to tunnel beneath the first floor, then create a hole and draw the goblins into the tunnel where they could be fought one at a time. This went poorly, as Hadlof closed the hole and his earth elemental created too large of a tunnel (2×2 m.). One goblin was caught in the cave-in, the rest boiled out of the first floor looking for the trouble makers.
Meanwhile, Cynthia went to a house to the north where she had detected life. Jumping into the house, she was prepared to Dominate/Sleep the inhabitant, but unfortunately it was a skunk who sprayed her and then fled. Her stink drew the attention of several goblins, led by a Geraede. She used Spray to spread Dream Powder among them, but did not know what that did (it is a hallucinogen and aphrodisiac). The Geraede was unaffected and sliced through her plate mail every round with minor wounds. Two of the Waelful behind her said “Oh Wow” and went on a merry trip. Cynthia’s spear broke but she was able to put the Geraede to sleep and then killed it as it slept. One of the Waelful behind it attacked for a time but could do nothing. Another ran away when the Geraede fell. Eventually the attacking Waelful fled as well and as the adrenalin dump ended, Cynthia began to feel the full effect of the skunking.
Sunnhild fought the other Geraede until Hadlof put it to sleep. She killed it, and three Waelful attacked. Sunnhild killed one and Hadlof used Sire to heat the codpieces of the other two, then killed them as they writhed on the ground.
Sunnhild and Hadlof finished off another two then went to look for their comrades. Hadlof went to Cynthia but failed his WILL roll and joined her on the floor overcome with the stink. Sunnhild joined Anders upstairs and they quickly put an end to the goblins there. She spared two that asked for mercy and they tied up another five. Their leader, Frilex the Glyderung, fled the scene. Anders & Sunnhild rescued the pixies, but Starsprinkle was dead and SkinnyMinny had two broken legs and her wings had been ripped off. GertieGedunk was ok. They took the three to Trotter Lively and three other Wee Folk who waited in the woods. Wanting to check on the pixies’ story, Hadlof entered the mind of one of them. However, Hadlof’s player was not paying attention to the names, and entered Starsprinkle’s mind instead of Gertie’s. All he could see at first was darkness, but then a skeletal figure with a scythe came in to view. It turned towards him as the god Deth noticed Hadlof. Hadlof exited quickly, but he had been Noticed. That may have repercussions. Afterwards, the Wee Folk took the pixies to safety through their secret tunnels, and Skinny was Restored, though her mental healing took some time.
The party’s Reputation went up one point for the rescue.
The party then headed southwest along the trail and two days later arrived in a strange village where all of the houses were complete and in excellent shape, as well as an inn and church, but no one was present. Hadlof went up to one house and cast Detect Life, whereupon the house swallowed him whole. His friends tried to burn and strike the house, but its skin was very thick. The other buildings edged towards them, as the village was an entire herd of Grand Mockeries. The horses ran away.
Hadlof thought quickly and using the scimitar he took off the goblins, he heated it with Sire and then cast Domination/Nausea on the house. It took the last of his Fortuna to succeed at the Shakti vs. Shakti roll, but it worked and the house vomited him out, whereupon all the party followed their horses. The next day they tracked their mounts and all were found alive except for Hadlof’s mount, which had been eaten by an Aykrian Tiger.
The date is now Aquae 14.
lostdelights 