Castle of the Robber Knight

Orla slips in and out of range quicker than one could reasonably be expected to notice, and a goblin drops to the ground with a suddenly-appearing knife wound. The singular remaining goblin, itself wearing a welt from where Aodhan had clubbed it, screams and gnashes its teeth.

Pointing his staff at the raining goblin, Aodhan will put on his commanding voice:

"You there! Goblin! What are you doing here in this hole! Is this meant to be trap?"

"Not trap! Sleep-place! Was just trying sleeping!" shouts the bewildered goblin as the point of its rusted blade darts from one of you to the next. "Live down here under castle!"

From deeper into the darkness, a voice calls out, "It's true. They live down in this squalid hole." The voice is deeper, but feminine. You cannot see who speaks, not unless you bring your torch further into what appears to be a cellar.

Bastonn flanks the goblin and points his spear threateningly at its neck. "Answer him!" he roars at the frightened imp. "Or you’ll have an extra hole to breath out of very quickly."

Hearing Aodan's booming voice and seeing the support from Bastoon, Krissana takes a flank to the goblin, dagger ready. "Careful! These types aren't typically trustworthy. That being said, it would do you well if you'd obey goblin. You've been bested." She scans the room as best she can keeping watch for any other creatures or hazardous surprises.

Orla grabs her rope from Bastonn
And climbs back up, saying something angry under her nose

Aodhan turns his staff toward the cellar.

"Who’s there!? Show yourself! If you come out unarmed and with good intention, we will not bring you any harm."

Then he’ll whisper to the goblin, not trusting any reply he’ll probably receive.

"Who is that in there?"

A voice comes back, "It's just me, Grunta! Don't hurt me!" Stepping from the darkness, an orc comes into view with trembling hands raised. Her eyes dart around fearfully, occasionally locking on the dead goblins.

"Grunta is coward," whispers the goblin. It seems a little more relieved that it is still alive.

---

Meanwhile, Orla finds her way back out of the cellar and into the surface once again. The broken walls of the castle rise up around you, framing a courtyard filled with rocks and rubble. A gnarled old oak tree reaches for the sky from the center of the courtyard. In the northeast corner is a stone staircase leading up to a rickety old tower. To the west, an open door gapes into a stone building by the western wall. To the east there is a wooden hatch in the ground.

Two goblins laze about by the tree, small and ugly. As you come into view, they gawk for a moment. Two more (for a total of four) leap from the tree where they had been watching!

It is with luck that Orla sees the goblins leaping from the tree, and that she is on the opposite side of the large hole. Though many options present themselves, she knows that escaping from the keep would be difficult due to the thick growth or exposed rock.

I've got a company! Orla cry down the hole grabbing her bow, sending two arrows at the two closes goblins, she moves out of the castle immediately after expecting a chase.

Angry about her previous inability to deal with goblins underground she put all her anger toward the new Nightkin

With reckless urgency, the goblins surge forward and leap across the gap! Two land smoothly and continue towards Orla, while the other two fail to cross and disappear into the darkness. With bows on hand, they begin firing shots towards our elven protagonist, one managing to catch her in a shoulder! It's dangerous to evade archers on a hillside, but the brush might provide cover!

---

Down below, two goblins drop down and land in awkward positions, managing to have braced themselves from the worst of the impact. Immediately surrounded by foes, they lash out with rushed blades, targeting Krisanna and Aodhan by sheer bad luck on their parts!

"What!? Oh no!" Krissana exclaims excitedly as she realizes they got the jump on them as she tries to avoid the blade meant for her!

Aodhan turns to move out of the way, attempting to lunge back away from the attacking goblin without keeping his back to the one they were questioning.

Krissana manages to dodge out of the way as only a nimble halfling can... Aodhan is not so lucky! A line of red crosses his chest as the surprise goblin cuts into him, nearly cutting the frail man in twain!

Not wasting any time, the goblins above continue firing arrows towards Orla, while those below continue their assault! Arrows fly towards the elf, but her current position surrounded by shrubbery keeps them from lining up a clear shot. Leafs explode around her in a green fury!

Below, in the cellar, the two goblins once again manage to endanger their targets.

Having missed one chance to defend Aodhan he was not going to miss the second. Makander moved to shield the man as he swung his axe at the goblin assailant.