Descent into the Underdark

Great work Oliver, great work indeed! I have my sword ready to smite goblinkin! Oh, there will be marvelous tales told about THIS endeavor, if that I am sure!

"So much ingenuity, i have much to learn"

Brewner looks at his teammates with amazement

Looking over the party, Brewner’s eyes land on Grin, with a finger knuckle-deep up his nose. Grin does not seem surprised by this turn of events. He is used to Oliver’s resourcefulness by now.

The goblin war band with Ishzu makes it to the Pop Square they know about. Hearing activity, they slow down as they approach the area.

Ishzu is told by his immediate companion, that the Pop Square is hidden in the ruins of a small outpost in the marshes. The partial remains of the walls of the main building are still there in the center of the ruins, and the Square is in a room underneath that building. You have to go into the building's ruins, then find the stairs down to find the Square, which is what they had done. The tribe's shaman and his apprentice were able to use the Square. Usually only the apprentice would accompany war bands, but this time, for some reason, both went.

The war band enters the ruins and head for the building's ruins. Once the get there, they see two goblins standing guard per wall facing on the building's ruins, two guards standing where the stairs down are, and what looks like the rest around the center of the building's ruins. The Head Goblin starts to enter the building's ruins, but is blocked by the two guards. Incensed, he knocks them both out of the way and charges in. He is immediately stopped short by what he sees, and the eight goblins who surround him with their weapons drawn. Stunned, he stands speechless at the sight before him. The perimeter guards quickly group and present an armed stance before the rest of the group, between the now isolated Head Goblin, and the rest of the current war band and Ishzu.

Now finally able to see what the commotion was about, Ishzu sees what must be the shaman tied up on a smooth stone table. The apprentice, knife drawn, turns to face the Head Goblin. The Head Goblin says, "What are you doing!? Why are you still here?" It is at this point, the Head Goblin sees the glassy eyes of the apprentice, and in fact, of all of the goblins arrayed against him. In an oddly detached voice the apprentice says, "This one here is too strong willed to control, so he must be sacrificed." With that, she turns to the shaman again and in one swift motion slits the throat of the shaman.

Turning back to the Head Goblin, the apprentice says, "Each of you will go down into the room and touch It. You will either join or you will be sacrificed like he was."

Ishzu tentatively touches the minds of a couple of the Warband B goblins and detects a familiar pattern to it. It is manifesting oddly because of the minds involved, but it bears the very distinct marker of the crystal the goblins took. It looks like the guards and seals Valpip put on it are no longer in effect ...

If you try to sneak away, you are able to successfully. It will take about a minute for the goblins in Warband A to figure it out. It appears that the guards in Warband B don't seem to be paying attention to you as you try to pull back and away.

While the mass of goblins is distracted with each other, Ishzu slowly backs away. He takes a few steps, and mentally makes sure no one is really paying attention to him, then slowly takes a few more steps.
Once he thinks he is far enough away, he quickens his pace away from the goblins.

Hoping to find the others, he retraces the steps that he and goblins took.

While chasing the new source of alcohol, Oliver can sense that they are both moving in the same direction. Not wanting to tire themselves out, they roughly match the pace of the source. After quite some time (don't nail me down, please), he senses that the source has stopped. The group quickens their pace. A brief time later, Oliver sense more movement from the source. He gets the group to stop so he can try to figure out where it is going now and realizes it is coming straight for them!

If his coming straight at us, Brewner hides in the bushes and advices his companions to do the same, so if is hostile they can choose to let it pass or attack with suprise, if is Ishzu they simple get out of cover

Grinfletch follows Brewner’s lead, smudging mud on his hands and face, hugging a nearby tree and willing his cloak to match the tree trunk colors. Other than his pointy ears and hair, he’s pretty camouflaged.

Not knowing wherever the party is Ishzu keeps walking.

Ishzu, still walking very quickly, but still trying to be relatively quiet, bursts into where the group is waiting. You're back together again!

As Ishzu approaches, Grin makes an attempt at a bird call to warn the group that someone is approaching.

Strangely, it sounds like a feathered lizard dying.

"So... someone holding an alcoholic beverage is approaching. Truth be told, this does not make me feel unsafe. Best case scenario, it's Ishzu. Worst case scenario, it's a partying goblin. Wellp, better safe than sorry. Also Ishzu will enjoy some hide and seek."

And Oliver proceeded to hide as well.

Aye, hopefully our crystalline friend is ok. And, also sober!
Ander attempts to hide along with his crafty companions.