[Introduction] Finding the Path

[Avelestar]

Jainus calls back to those behind him "There's a trapdoor, the other two just leapt down it!" before sprinting over to the opening. Barely checking to see if the summoner and ranger had moved out of the way, the warrior follows them down. Looking around as he landed, Jainus was on full-alert, and drew his weapons once more.

[Ehlana]

Dashing up to the trapdoor, Nyx pauses to look down. She doesn't want to land on top of someone holding, say a spear. "Very excitable. I don't think they'll mind us killing anyone who takes hostages." She muses thoughtfully. "Also...trap door in storage shed? That's stretching probability a bit. Silly test." None the less, she follows the others down.

[Jordz92]

Following the others into the storeshed, he see's two of his companions drop down into the darkness. Watching another two follow them, he decides to leap down after them, drawing one of his rapiers as he does so. "Looks like we're finally in for some excitement..." he mutters to himself as he drops into the darkness. Looking around, he prepares himself for anything that might leap at him.

[Prometheus]

Three new tall ones join the other two, jumping down into the cellar with heavy thuds, and the goblins freeze up, almost completely unable to act, one of them stuttering and repeating the same threat. "I-I gut'im... I gutim good..." Those of you with dark or low-light vision can see one, slightly larger than the others, holding a dagger to the neck of a bound and gagged young man at the other end of the still. Those of you that don't can just make out about a half-dozen vague shapes in the shadows. (Make a DC 15 Perception check. Success, or possession of low-light vision reduces your miss chance from 50% to 20.) The air is especially dry down here, making it much easier to light any potential fires. (Lighting a torch takes only a standard action.)

Initiative
Jainus
Nyx
Jaden/Rudhe
Hrodvald
Talos
Goblins

OOC Cherru and jj, I already know your planned actions, so feel free to just make flavor posts, and in Cherru's case, an attack roll. (Don't forget the 20% miss chance from concealment!)

[jj_wolven]

Jaden Deraan AC:13 HP:9/9 Rudhe AC:15 HP:22/22

Jaden's hands begin to move, even as Rudhe bunches up to lurch forward. The air inches in front of the young man warps in a flat disk that stretches as if water or gel, the silvery-clear warp reshaping into a large rat with the normal coloring of a rat quickly fading into view. Jaden barks out a sharp command and the rat clings to Ethan, pushing between him and the dagger.

Rudhe demonstraits near perfect timing between the two as it launches forward toward the goblins.

OOC If it has a clear path to the goblin threatening Ethan, it will hit that goblin (taking the AoOs). Otherwise it will hit the one between them.

[Ehlana]

Nyx AC: 13, HP:8/8

Squinting in the darkness, Nyx's wide blue eyes take in what they can instantly. What they can take in, however, is not enough. The goblins have a clear advantage...and that's not good either in negotiation or combat. Hopefully, given the situation, the former.

They're human, they probably can't even see as well as I can. We haven't been down here long enough for our eyes to adjust. The goblins have. Light will dazzle them but not us.

Nyx mutters a few quick words and light springs from the tip of her spear once more, illuminating the area.

"If you gut him." She tells the goblins very cheerfully. "We'll kill you -all-."

OOC: Casting Light, assuming none of the goblins are close enough to get an AoO on Nyx.

[Avelestar]

Jainus: AC 21 (19 +1 Dodge, +1 Combat Expertise), HP 14/14

Jainus takes in the scene quickly, though he can see little more than huddled shapes in the darkness and hear the repeating death threat. I can't do anything till the others act...we need a light source and hopefully some way to get the boy free before he's killed. Best just to bide my....GO!! screams his mind as suddenly the room is full of light and a summoned rat appears to free Ethan.

Again the young warrior's body springs into action, darting forward to attack whichever goblin was closest to Ethan. If possible, Jainus would put himself between Ethan and any danger, and as a reflex his left arm snaked upwards, shield held close over his chest. However fighting like this always threw off his aim a little, and his attack went astray.

OOC: Delaying until Jaden's spell goes off, so I'm now at the same initiative as him. Using Combat Expertise this round too, as I'm likely to get surrounded very quickly.

[Prometheus]

(Oh, right, I'm NPCing for Cherru, my bad!)

[Post will go here!]

[Prometheus]

With little more than a quick incantation and a gesture, Nyx has filled the room with light, banishing the shadows to the far corners of the cellar. Jainus reacts almost instantaneously, his years of training paying off with lightning-fast reflexes, but the goblins reacted quickly enough to dodge and tumble away from the powerful blow, stumbling back to his feet a bit farther away.

The summoner sees Ethan, and, with a well-placed summon, separates him from the goblin threatening him. Rudhe charges through its still-stunned companions, and pulls it off its feet with its eldritch jaws, teeth sinking into its flesh. Hrodvald follows suit, striking one of the monsters down with his sword, though there is a conspicuous lack of blood, the first real evidence of the test's protection spell working.

Their leader being swung about by a... thing, the others lose any semblance of organization. Two back up fearfully, right into a wall or barrel, and tighten their grips on their crude weapons. The remaining pair act with a bit more valor, or perhaps just foolishness, and jump their closest target, Jainus. But his armor and shield protect him, and despite having foes on opposite sides of him, he manages to avoid harm.

[Avelestar]

Jainus: AC 21 (19 +1 Dodge, +1 Combat Expertise), HP 14/14

One in front, he's going to *clang* and the one behind will *scrape* yup, nothing but scratch my scabbard. Grinning at guessing their attack plan, Jainus strikes at the foe infront of him, and when seeing the blow was solid took a half step to turn and face his second assailant. "Run kid!" he grunts at Ethan if he was standing around in battle shock.

[Ehlana]

Run into melee? Bad plan. Use crossbow? Might shoot my allies. They might get annoyed. No one needs healing. This is probably the only fight for awhile... After some rapid reflection, Nyx decides to use another spell. Rapping the butt of her spear three times against the packed earth floor, she chants quickly. Wisps of vapor seem to rise up from the ground, gathering around first her legs and then climbing up her body. Within a few seconds, she is protected by a misty, translucent suit of arcane armor.

OOC: Casting Mage Armor

[jj_wolven]

Jaden Deraan AC:13 HP:9/9 Rudhe AC:15 HP:22/22

Jaden pauses, but only for the briefest moment.
No blood, minimal injury...I wonder if they stop when they should be killed?

He shakes his head realizing that it doesn't matter as he takes a few steps forward to stay close to Rudhe. Even as he does this he keeps his distance and strikes at one of the remaining goblins. Rudhe keeps his position between Ethan and the goblins, lunging out and snapping at the nearest one.

[Prometheus]

The rest of the goblins down in short order, one swatted right out of the air by Hrodvald as it charges a desperation attack on Nyx, her spell and his reflexes protecting her from what might have been a rather painful stab wound.

Surrounded by unconscious monsters, you free Ethan from his restraints, who thanks you breathlessly, and stumbles upstairs and outside to his waiting mother. The rest of you follow in short order, greeted by both parents as well as Drynn, who is embracing Ethan. Amanda seems to be much less hostile now, and Robert... is picking his nose. Charming.

"I'm sorry for lying to you, Trailblazers." Amanda speaks up remorsefully. "Those creatures... We'd caught them stealing our crops once or twice before, but there were so few of them, we thought we'd be fine, but yesterday, they stole my son away from me while he was bringing in the harvest. They were making outrageous demands, and said they'd kill him if they didn't get what they wanted." She nods back to the storehouse. "That's all we have, we couldn't just give it to them, but, but I..."

"It's alright, Mother, you did the right thing." A group hug between the three isn't too far behind, and it looks like Robert's supposed to be involved as well, but his attention is more focused on what's stuck between his teeth, completely disinterested in his role in the test now that it's winding down. "Though if Drynn hadn't thought up the excuse to send for the Trailblazers, I might be in a few more pieces right now." Cue ending laugh shot.

"Well done!" Roland exclaims, a look of beaming pride on his face, eyes locked on Jainus. "Well done!" He approaches the group of you... four. The dwarf has disappeared, and Talos seems to have picked a horribly inopportune time to sneak off to go take a leak.

"Yes, quite." Davok follows, somewhat less enthused. "But before we get to our evaluation, I'd like to hear from all of you. Your evaluations, of your own actions, the test itself, and most importantly, what you've learned from this experience."

[Ehlana]

Nyx shakes her head slightly, almost involuntarily.

Now -that's- ridiculous. Why would we say anything but what we think they want to hear? We want to -pass-, after all. Silliness.

"I think I acted sensibly." She answers rapidly and while she doesn't say "Of course." her tone does it for her. Obviously, she thinks she acted sensibly or she wouldn't have acted that way in the first place. The rest of the questions she addresses with similar dispatch. "The test was not bad, tested multiple abilities. I learned to let the person best suited for a given job try it, don't have to take care of it all myself."

[jj_wolven]

Jaden Duraan

Jaden shrugs, "People act different if they know they won't get hurt." he pauses, "I never tried summoning something the same place as another person, so that was new."

He lays his spear across his shoulder, draping his arm over either side, "Not sure why they wouldn't just tell us gobs got their kid though, it would've made it easier."