Raven decides he should head home before another human raiding party comes, eying the gear the humans wear as the Orcs pile supplies from the dead he decides its best not to ask he had very little to do with this fight. As he walks home Kemo comes running up beside him, seems like the Dino was watching the events and came to walk home with Raven “Kemo I told you to go home, but its good to see you… I think we are going to need to build some defenses on our home and soon… the humans are close.” Kemo bobs its head as it walks and Raven laughs.
Getting home Raven lets Keel know what has happened and he agrees defenses are going to be needed on the settlement. “For now I will throw a hide over the entrance and dye it with some crushed stone and tree sap. It should help with hiding the cave for now at least, but I would invest in some traps and doors.” Raven agrees and they start work on covering the tunnels entrance. Working on some trip wire traps Raven hoists a large log up where the slime caved out some of the stone building a large swinging log trap attached to a trip wire. Raven also has the miners mine out the area where the slime exploded mining down making a pit, using planks to cross chipped away from felled trees attaching a rope to better help pull it back if need be, making a sort of draw bridge that can be retracted leaving a large and deep pit, Next Raven asks the Kobolds to try and make some stone bowls the larger carrying capacity the better. Raven gets the Kobolds to use the stone bowls to transport small parts of the slime filling the pit at the entrance half way, it takes several hours but there isn’t much else for them to do. Raven also builds a few simple wooden spike traps placing them in the tunnels every so often, anything and everything to help defend his home.
Raven then tasks the Kobolds with building a false door in the dungeon room to hide it, making it a sort of panic room if anything were to happen. Having some spears made with stone points placing them around the area of the draw bridge for weapons and a barrel full of arrows and large stones, anything and everything to help defend. Collecting a large amount of fire wood Raven asks the Kobolds to mine a small storage room to hold the wood in the upper level Raven hopes he wont have to set the top floor on fire but seeing the amount of humans and the viscousness they showed in their attack Raven doesn’t want to chance anything. Raven and the Kobolds spend several days building up defenses, making wooden walls throughout the tunnels where they could take cover from arrows and defend with spears and arrows, getting torches ready, making arrows with stone heads, even making a pull trap that will cave in a part of the tunnel with rubble. A few days in while Raven works Kemo comes running up to Raven jumping and making strange sounds then turns and runs out of the tunnel in a hurry, Raven decides it’s best to check what Kemo is panicking about. Stepping outside the tunnels Raven finds the suns bright in the sky most of the snow melted and green grass and rock showing through, Kemo a bit away from the tunnel looks towards the lake Ravens eyes follow Kemos and Raven finds a camp on the far side of the lake very visible from his home, a hundred small tents and many small camp fires, On the tents there are purple and white symbols painted on the side of the tents and small green beings can be seen moving around the camp. The first thought Raven has is “oh more Orcs thats strange must be their backup” but that thought quickly falls away as a small group of the green people pop out of the forest across from his tunnel, the size of ten year old humans but hunched and green with little to no clothing on they crawl around some on all fours and others walking, the ones crawling sniff the ground when one finally sees Raven and Kemo, Pointing their direction and shouting in a strange language the small group looks up and they all seem to grin staring at Raven. One of the creatures quickly runs off towards the camp while the others, Six of them start walking towards Raven drawing daggers and chittering to one another. Raven decides its time to fall back to his tunnel telling Kemo to fall back for now, as they fall back to the tunnel the creatures start to charge up to his tunnel. Raven gets inside and to the first barricade turning around and drawing is bow knocking a fire arrow and waiting, The first creature charges into the tunnel sees Raven and screams as it charges at him, Raven looses an arrow, the arrow strikes the creature between the eyes and its head explodes in a ball of fire bits of burning flesh splashes across the walls and roof. “Congratulations you have killed a level three Goblin hunter but gain no experience.”
Raven loads another arrow waiting for the apparent goblins to continue their attack but the first one dying in such a fashion seems to have scared them off for the time being. Raven falls back deeper into his tunnel coming to his sleeping room he decides to build the fire up next to the draw bridge, retracting the bridge and arming the Kobolds with the spears, Keel prepares to cast a few spells and Kemo sits on Ravens bed shaking. An hour goes by and Raven starts to think they have given up when he hears it, War drums and horns sounding outside the tunnel. Raven lights his torches in his room piling wood next to the draw bridge they brace for a fight, within minutes the first goblin comes charging in carrying nothing but a old rusty dagger it tries to jump the pit falling short it slams into the rock face and slides down into the pit with the slime, as soon as it enters the slimes body it tries to scream filling its insides with the slime almost instantly dying. One after another they seem to blindly jump into the pit and die almost instantly, after the tenth one dies they seemingly wise up slowing down stopping at the pit and glaring at Raven. Keel takes this chance to send a fire ball down the tunnel, with a bang several goblins die and several more go running on fire fleeing the tunnels screaming. It takes a few minutes but the persistent creatures come back yet again this time the next group seems a bit better equipped some of them wearing leather armor and welding bows they begin raining arrows through the tunnel, arrows that miss bounce around the tunnel deflecting everywhere till they strike something softer be it flesh or wood. Raven orders the Kobolds to retreat to the mining tunnel tossing a torch into the pile of wood setting fire to the stored bridge and filling the room with thick smoke.
Retreating to the mining tunnel Raven prepares for a fight many fortifications are built through out the sandy room all the Lesser Kobolds are armed with crude bows and spears. As they sit there waiting they can hear screams as goblins die up top from traps fire smoke and the slime, when finally a lone goblin comes running down the tunnel into the mining pit, as it enters the room all the Kobolds including Raven fire arrows at the goblin dropping it instantly. A moment later a couple more come charging into the room arrows fly and they drop to the ground dead this happens a few more times killing a dozen goblins in a few moments. After that the goblins learn their mistake and a few come down the tunnel slow pushing wood barricades in front of them peaking over them and looking to Ravens small group they smile with sharp teeth. The Kobolds fire a few arrows each but Raven puts a stop to that quickly as ammo is limited, Raven fires a fire arrow but it does little damage to the wood structure setting it on fire but the slow burn of the wood offers little hope to destroy the cover in any useable time. As they sit there staring at the goblins a small group charge out from the burning cover and are instantly hit with arrows they drop one makes it to Ravens cover but is dropped with a spear sticking into its throat.
As they pick off another two dozen goblins as they run into the room just to die to arrows and spears a horn sounds off inside the upper tunnel, and with that a hundred voices scream out and they can be heard charging down the tunnel as the first goblin can be seen charging into the room Raven pulls a rope at his feet triggering a trap dropping rubble from the roof onto the charging goblins crushing several. The dust clears and goblins are already climbing over the rubble loosing arrows as they move, as the Kobolds return fire from behind cover but the number of goblins climbing the rubble just keeps climbing, Raven orders the retreat sending the Kobolds to the dungeon room as Raven and Keel prepare to fall back as well, A horn sounds and several goblins come charging over the rubble wearing what appears to be chain mail holding small round steel shields and short swords, Raven looks to Keel and gives him a nod and with that Keel casts a fireball blasting the rubble the goblins stand on and without looking back they both flee to the dungeon ordering the Kobolds through the dungeon door.
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As they enter the dungeon Raven quickly orders his men to follow as he starts running down the tunnel ignoring the traps that he can and avoiding the Gotchas that he can making it to the Drakes Den quickly, waiting to enter Raven awaits the goblins to catch up. He can hear them entering the dungeon when a voice enters his mind “Dungeon capacity limit reached, creating separate instance for additional challengers. Current limit fifty challengers. Difficulty modified based on average level of challengers.” “Ugh 38 goblins, this is going to suck.” Raven says with a frown. He hears a Goblin scream and hear a few shouts and arrows being fired but after a few minutes can hear the goblins walking down the tunnel. The Kobolds seem scared but ready their arrows. A group of ten goblins come charging at Ravens group with shields and swords wearing chain mail, Keel smiles and fires off a fire ball striking the center of the group, in a explosion of fire the goblins scream and before the fire even clears the Kobolds loose their arrows into the group dropping all ten of them.
Raven orders his group into the boss room “stay close to the walls and make your way to the other door, get ready this is going to be rough, stay low and stay quiet.” The Kobolds nod and rush into the room Keel follows them, Raven looks down the tunnel and sees a Goblin female wearing a human skull as a helmet holding a staff with bones and gems decorating the gnarled wooden stick, Raven decides to send a fire bolt her way but the bolt slams into a shield surrounding the female Goblin, She smiles at Raven as he turns and runs into the boss room.
Raven instantly spots the Drake on the roof but it does not seem to move, making it to the door on the other side he tries opening it but its locked. Turning and facing the other door way he finds the other twenty eight goblins walking into the room, the female and a larger male wearing plate armor holding a large shield and a long sword. There are ten with bows and leather armor and sixteen with simple daggers it seems the forward guard were the best armed and they died at the start. The goblins all sneer at Raven and his group appearing to have the upper hand at last trapping them in the dungeon the goblins advance into the center of the room, as soon as they make it to the center the door behind them closes and Raven smiles. “Fifty enter twelve may leave!” the dagger equipped goblins panic looking back at the closed door being the once farthest forward they are the ones that get hit first, Fire rains from the roof bathing the sixteen goblins in red hot fire in a screech the goblins all drop dead. The goblin archers look up in horror spotting the drake, they take aim and fire the arrows striking the drake but the majority of the arrows bouncing off. The drake drops from the roof directly onto the archers flattening two with its body biting one in half and smacking another goblin with its claws tossing it against the wall in a splat the drake stands on its hind legs and roars in the face of the goblins. The last six archer goblins run behind the leaders and continue firing arrows at the drake seemingly having forgotten about Raven and his group the Plate covered Goblin charges the drake slashing at it and the female Goblin starts casting a spell, a few moments of the plate goblin fighting the drake go by when the spell finishes, a dark purple mist explodes out from the female goblin and as the mist touches the dead goblins their bodies start to shake and they start to stand even the charred corpses stand wielding their daggers.
The sixteen charred goblins jump onto the drake stabbing at it and the archers continue to pelt it with arrows the plate goblin slashing at the drake, The drake takes a gasp of air and blasts fire at the female goblin the fire hitting her shield, As the fire stops the female goblin drops to a knee still alive but visibly exhausted, Raven knows that look her MP must be almost empty. Deciding to take advantage of the situation Raven looses an arrow striking the female goblin as she stands there with an arrow sticking out of her chest she looks down grins and goes to pull the arrow out as she lays her hands on the shaft she freezes as a shocked expression crosses her face then the arrow explodes in fire killing the caster instantly her body launched from the fire slamming into the door with a limp plop. The goblin in plate looks back at the corpse of the caster and screams in anger, its eyes glow red and its arms seem to grow some and the armor creeks with strain. The goblin looks over to Raven with rage in its eyes but the drake sits between them, it charges at the drake slicing one of its wings clean off, the drake swings its tail at the goblin as it rushes past but it misses. The Goblin charges directly at Raven with murder in its eyes as it comes running up the Kobolds all fire their arrows striking it in several spots it stumbles slightly but continues its charge. Raven draws his sword and meets the Goblin swinging high the goblin easily parries the attack swinging its own sword striking Raven in the gut with a slash.
Raven holds his stomach as blood runs down his clothing looking to the drake it seems to be occupied fighting the left over goblins but it does seem to be making quick work of them, Raven decides to draw the plate goblin back towards the drake, Running towards the drake the goblin gives chase, surprisingly quick for some one in full plate. As Raven runs a few arrows whip by as his Kobolds continue to pelt the goblins and drake with arrows, Raven ducks a claw from the drake sliding on the ground hitting a goblin with a quick cast of vampiric touch killing the goblin instantly and healing his gut wound slightly. As Raven stands a fire ball strikes the drake on its side killing several goblins and doing some damage to the drake, as Raven admires the fire the plate goblin swings its sword at Ravens head, he ducks it and kicks the goblin in the stomach pushing it back, and thrusting his sword he stabs the goblin in the arm pit of its left arm causing it to drop its shield, with a loud clank the shield hits the floor and the goblin snarls in pain. It charges Raven again this time with a double handed stabbing motion with the sword Raven side steps, touching the goblin on its shoulder draining it with Vamperic touch. The goblin stumbles coughs up a large amount of black bile and drops to a knee, it takes its helmet off looking at Raven and smiling it reaches into a pouch it has on its belt pulling a orange vile from it popping the top off the glass vile it downs the contents as it laughs. Raven takes a step back looking at the goblin questioningly, the Goblins wounds start to close with light shining from the wounds Raven looks to the drake seeing it finish the last goblin it was fighting he decides the best thing to do is to get these two to fight and pick off the last survivor.
Raven charges towards the drake once again the plate goblin hot on his heals as its wounds seem to have all closed, Raven swipes his hand across the bottom of the drake as he runs by the drake crunching down on the last goblin it was fighting before the spell takes hold hitting it with vamperic touch black ooze pouring from the drakes mouth. The goblin charges at Raven again but the drake bites down on the goblins arm throwing it across the room whipping its tail it smacks Raven in the chest launching him the opposite way as the goblin, with a groan Raven stands coughing some blood up and looking to the drake, it is fighting the goblin with a blast of fire it starts cooking the goblin in plate, Raven loads an arrow and fires it at the drake hitting it in the back of the head, the arrow bouncing off but cutting off the fire breath it whips around and glares at Raven. Firing another arrow at it the arrow finding a soft spot on its throat, the drake growls and breaths in, Raven charges at the drake in hopes to dive under it again to avoid the breath, fire blasts Raven in the face as he slides taking the breath directly for a brief second, skidding to a stop under the drake Raven reaches out with Vamperic Touch draining what he can from the drake to heal his wounds, The drake screeches loudly and tries to jump away only managing to get a few feet away before collapsing to the ground black bile pooling around it. “You have killed a level ten drake and gained 150 EXP.”
Raven stands fully healed but his skin still stinging looking towards the goblin in plate he sees it standing and glaring at him. Several arrows ping off its armor and it looks over at the Kobolds with anger in its eyes, keel strikes the goblin with a fire bolt but it does little and Keel seems to be struggling his MP must be low. Raven charges the goblin redrawing his sword and shouting to get its attention he rushes the goblin. Both Raven and the goblin clash their swords together grunting and snarling at one another, Raven kicks at the goblins legs and the goblin bites at Ravens arms but they are in a stale mate. Raven jumps back forcing the goblin to stumble forward as it does Raven reaches out and uses Vamperic touch once more draining the goblin of some life force, the goblin face plants onto the stone floor Raven stabs his sword down as hard as he can into the back of the goblin, it screams and struggles but slowly it starts to weaken and die. “You have killed a level ten Goblin Chieftain, you gain 150 EXP” “congratulations you are now level 7.” Quickly spending a point on intelligence Raven increases his stat to 11.
