After Zanax's morning prayer, he stretches and gets something to eat. In between bites, he asks Kadlian, "Are we still going after your swords or shall we finish off this dungeon first? Considering that Kailar was not able to locate your swords last time, I think we best finish off this place first."
"It was night when I tried last, I'll try again now."
Kadlian nods. "And then we shall make a decision."
This time he sees a hobgoblin sleeping in a forest glade. Other forms lie sleeping aorund him.
Trying for the other sword, he sees another hobgoblin sitting in some bushes.
Hlarn smiles. "Hitting them while most of them are asleep is all the better."
Hlarn and the other clerics will cast Endure Heat on those who are going in. "Hit them with a single fireball at point blank range when we arrive Rage, and then its simply time to mop up."
Hlarn has his axe ready, and directs that the fighters should form a protective circle around Rage once we are un-reduced.
"We'll take out anything nearby to you, so you can redirect other fireballs at anything outside the original blast radius. Just don't hit us again."
Just before we teleport Hlarn will ask Sasha to say a prayer, bless us and cast protection against evil spell to aid us.
After hearing Kailar describe the two hobgoblins, Zanax asks, "Kailar, can you see how many hobgoblins we may have to deal with?"
Hlarn smiles, "Over a hundred we know of... with some ogres mixed in to boot. We'll be doing the area a favor removing this threat."
"Possibly priestesses also."
"I'd advise that we go in invisibily, too," Zanax adds.
Hlarn nods. "It will only keep them from seeing us while we set up, but its a good idea."
"Well? Do we follow Hlarn's plan and teleport there? How do people feel about that?"
Hlarn frowns. "What's to feel... lets go bust some hobgobs heads!"
Furgh makes a disgusted sound.
"Have fun stormin' the castle," he says.
"Count me out, too," says Gnarsh.
He then sneezes all over Kadlian.
Kadlian cleans himself off. "Gnarsh, why did you go and do that?"
"'Cuz I caught dis cold an' I wanted t'share me misery."
He then hacks on Zanax.
"Kailar, would you and your cat bring Gnarsh back to Sandas? Perhaps we should get him introduced to the Baron via Ray Jay so that Gnarsh can be installed as the Castellan. No sense keeping him here."
Gnarsh takes umbrage at being talked about like he is not there.
"I go where I want t'go, sergeant," Gnarsh says with a glare at the elf.
He then walks out.
Zanax snorts. "You're going to have a difficult time convincing him to be Castellan, Kadlian."
"If he does not want the position, the Baron will find someone else. While I think Gnarsh could be a good Castellan, I do not believe that would make him happy. So, I am not going to push him into taking it."
Zanax bristles. "But he has a responsibility. Surely, you will not let him shirk it."
"Zanax, I will make sure the Baron knows about Gnarsh, but there is nothing more we can reasonably do. If he does not wish to be the Castellan, no one can force him to do it. Besides, I am sure there are others that would take the job willingly, and might even be better at it."
"Hlarn, you really are psycho!" Jerry says as he stretches awake. "I feel like I have been asleep for a week."
He stands up, stretches again and then says, "let's kill 'em all and let God sort them out ! Cool, I have always wanted to say that !"
He grins as he packs up his belongings and sets himself to go.
Zanax looks perplexed. "Jerry, to which God do you refer to? The hobgoblins, yours, mine?"
"Any suffices, it just a phrase. Geez, you Paladins are so stiff, dammmmmnnn," Jerry says, rolling his eyes up.
Zanax continues, "In any case, I think we should all go invisibly, if possible. Especially, if we're going to be heavily outnumbered."
"Why doesn't Rage just fireball their sorry butts, she did such a good job last time. Of course, I can summon another fire elemental and Rage and I can go to town on these poor gobs." Jerry finishes, a glint in his eye.
The party hears a slight chuckle and "fire, fire, heh, fire" coming from Jerry.
Hlarn nods. "That is indeed the plan. Sasha and I will cast endure heat spells on all of us, so that we can send off a fireball on our very location, killing anything close by. Then while us warriors form a protective circle about the spell casters, you can finish off any that remain in relative safety."
"I'll be off on the side conjuring my ragemental to kick some hobgob ass!" Jerry says as he rubs his hands together.
Kadlian looks confused. "Ragemental? Is that some sort of pun, Jerry, or an actual beast?"
"No pun, just a living testiment to a beautiful woman," Jerry says, gazing longingly at Rage. "You shall see when I summon the elemental again."
"Well, if we are going to go, I need to find myself at least a magical longsword. Rage, did we ever identify the haul we got from the temple fighters?"
"That woulda required ya givin' 'em a day ta try, Boss," Furgh chuckles. "Here, use mine, I don't need 'er."
"Thank you, Furgh. I will try to hold onto this one. And I will give it back when mine are retrieved."
The elf shrugs, grinning slightly. "S'ok. Plenty a those layin' about."
Rage first tries the crystal ball to see if she can locate the swords as well. She is successful. She then studies the area of the hobgoblin with the firebrand and prepare to teleport them there.
Since the plan calls for some seven invisibility spells to be cast, the mages spend the rest of this day doing so.
Late this evening you hear a loud grating or ginding noise outside of the secret door. It opens, and in comes Gnarsh, still sneezing and snotting, and dragging a large chest along behind him. He drags it over into a corner, throws it open, and starts counting the coins and gems therein.