After a few months on this new stage of her life. She was finally assigned a Patron Knight to mentor her and guide her through her life as a Knight Postulant. Her patron is non other than the old friend of Uncle Jona: Lanfer Di'Ternian who was no other than the Grandmaster himself. It was a great honor and also a great burden for Amelia. There was more pressure on her than she would have expected it.
Many difficult tasks were laid before her to prove her loyalty, dedication, strenght, stamina and fortitude. A quest was given to her by her Patron Knight.
Her task was to eliminate a dangerous enemy. This task might have been compleated faster by other more experienced knights, but this was assigned to her for its learning value.
Not all was fun and games, lives were at stake here, not only hers, but those of 2 other squires that were assigned to her, her friend Raploch and a new squire Zeke. This task would also measure her leadership abilities.
The Crown of the Goblin King
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| Goblin Stronghold |
A blood diamond was used in the murder of a Palanthian man. The same diamond had been traced back to the goblin perpetradors. The Goblin King had order this assasination while the man was traveling through the mountains.
Amelia and her fellow squires went on the chase. They had to retreive the blood diamond to keep it from being used in the purchase of weapons. Also, they had to retreive the Crown of the Goblin King, the sign of leadership. Without it, the king would be powerless and challanged by any who dared, bringing the goblin stronghold into chaos, and keeping them from organizing and setting further attacks.
"Take these two soldiers and retreive the blood diamond. I also want you to acquire the Crown of the Goblin King and bring it to me." her Patron Knight had told her. But his words tangled and twirled in Amelia's mind. What did he mean by 'accquiring' it? Did he mean 'Steal' it? Did he mean 'Kill the King'. He was very vague, when he never was before. He had always chosen his words carefully. His every speach was a test. Was this too?
A few days of looking for the best tactic led Amelia to find an alternate route inside the Goblin Stronghold. There was a small cave that led directly to the throne room. This was an official matter or knights but bringing her soldiers through the front door would mean suicide. There were far too many goblins to go through the main door.
(====The next part is related as it was posted during online play. Thanks to Raploch, Zeke and the nice imm that played Grumm and made special effects====)
Amelia stands in front of the secret passageway entrance. She looks back at her elven ally and nods as she quietly slips inside.
Raploch quickly follows Amelia into the cold stone passageway as he beckons to Zeke.
Zeke keeps an arrow notched in his bow as he slides through the passagway last, moving backwards to gard their rear. Zeke shoots a glance up towards Amelia, wondering whats up ahead.
Amelia follows the passageway up to the end and quietly lowers the extra board she was carrying. Waiting for the signal horn from the elves to start their distraction outside. Amelia slowly moves the tapestry to peek inside the room and look for tables and other wooden objects they can use to barr the main doors.
Raploch arrives at the end of the passage and lifts off the heavy plank strapped to his back lowers it down to the floor, along with the dwarven hammer and sack of long nails he bought. Quietly lowering himself to the floor he looks back to Zeke to assist him down.
Zeke un-notches his arrow, setting the bow down carefully as he moves to assist Raploch
Zeke quickly slides the bow around his back and follows Raploch down into the throneroom, glancing around for a sight of the goblin king.
The eerie light of the nearby torches affixed to the walls glints off of the goblin kings eyes like dull stone until the sound of a disturbance outside replaces it with a sudden focus.
Grumm snaps up to his feet, glaring at the entrance to the throne room as he gestures wildly to his cohorts to spring into action, making abusive threats all the while.
Amelia turns back and nods at Raploch and Zeke to indicate the attack on the front has started.
Amelia motions to the others that the 6 guards are on their way to the main doorway of the Throne Room.
Raploch taking Amelia's que, prepares his plank of wood by pressing in a few sharp nails to right them on the ends of the planks. He grips his longhandled hammer tightly. Raploch looking around, he sizes up the surrounding furniture. One large armoire and a few benches and chairs. Raploch makes eye contact with zeke and points to the armoire while nodding
+ glancing over towards raploch, and then towards the armoire, Zeke gives a nod of agreement to Raploch and prepares to rush the armoire once the guards exit the room.
The king sinks back into his throne for the barest of moments. Suddenly he's standing and whirling around almost in the same motion and kicks his throne over. Grumm begins taking his sudden rage out on the objects nearby, knocking this and that over, sending peels of metallic shrieks through the dank air as a torch hits the floor. Grumm says in some unknown tongue 'AaHzHzHzHzHzHzHzHz!' Grumm stops and glares at the tapestry hanging on the wall. The three foot frame of the goblin king begins heading toward the tapestry, naked hate written plainly in his eyes.
Amelia widens her eyes as she notices the Goblin King walking right towards them. Its now or never.
Amelia draws her sword and motions for the attack to begin. She flings her sword slicing the tapestry on the top as she charges forward to knock the incoming king.
Raploch pushes up from his kneeling position with the large plank in one arm and his hammer in the other. He rushes towards the main doorway, and slams the doors shut. In one quick movement he heaves the plank across them and slams the hammer down on the nails of one side of the plank.
Zeke bursts out at the same time as raploch, but instead of the door he runs towards the armoire, mashing his shoulder up next to it and with a grunt begins sliding it towards the door.
The goblin's surprise is evident at seeing the humans appear in the room, but not enough to stop him from aiming a shoulder at the female human and rushing forward.
The piece of the tapestry just cut by Amelia's sword manages to land square on the goblin's face, and no small amount of audible consternation is heard as the resulting crash into an armored human well beyond his size meets with little success.
Amelia swiftly gives a glance to asses the room's status and turns back down at the goblin king. Amelia uses the tapestry to hold the goblin king but removes a small portion to let him see her face. She then addresses him with a firm voice. She exclaims 'Your misdeeds have caugth up to you Goblin King! No more shall you torment and assasinate Solamnics nor our allies!' Amelia stares with a grim face as she attempts to intimidate the king with her presence and statements. She exclaims 'You have Killed many innocents over the diamond you just received. YOU will surrender that diamond to us... as payment to those who you wronged!!'
Raploch turns his hammer towards the nails at the other end of the large plank which now somewhat secures the doorway . Shouting can be heard on the other side, and soon the doors begin to rattle from the efforts of the guards trying to gain entry. Raploch jumps to Zeke's assistance with moving the large armoire as he takes a glance at Amelia and the King.
Zeke grunts as the armoire reaches the door, cursing something under his breath
Zeke says 'Door blocked.' Zeke mutters. Zeke slides the bow back off his back and once again notches an arrow while looking towards the goblin king. Zeke exclaims 'Stop!' Zeke screams at the king. Zeke says 'You're outnumbered and you have nowhere to go' Zeke takes a few steps from the door to get the best possible shot at the goblin if he tries something and then waits for the kings reply.
The diminutive creature rubs his shoulder as he rises, muttering in jagged common, 'Innocents. Diamonds purchase future, not lives of weak humans OR elves!' Grumm says, 'Can ask solamnics all about bloodshed of innocents if want. Need diamond to buy way to fight YOU!" The goblin draws a dagger and moves to stab Amelia in the neck, either unaware of the threat from the human with the bow aimed at him or uncaring.
Amelia sees the dagger come from nowhere and wounds the left side of her neck. She instinctively reacts by punching with her right arm and the hilt of the sword, the face of the goblin king while she drops her shield and takes her left hand to cover her wound. Blood gushes quickly from the wound as Amelia falls backwards. Amelia concentrates as fast as she can on asking the aid from the God, Habbakuk. Casting a prayer of healing on herself... blood still gushing.
Raploch, seeing Amelia fall backward and Zeke covering the King with his bow, removes the glove from his left hand and moves deftly towards amelia, catching her fall and focuses his prayers into his hands where he attempts to heal her wounds. Raploch nods. Raploch's hand begins to glow with bright light as he cups her neck.
+ growling curses about 'idiot goblins' under his breath, Zeke pulls the bow taught and sends an arrow at the goblins leg, hoping to both slow him down and show him the knights meant business. Zeke smirks as the arrow lands, quickly notching another one. Zeke says 'Thats your second warning goblin, surrender now.'
As a high pitched squeal echoes through the chamber, the goblin writhes in pain for several moments as he pushes the arrow through the other side of his leg and out, blackish blood spurting between his fingers as he grasps the wound. Glaring at the human with the bow, he rises rather more steadily than he should, seeming enraged beyond the point of acknowledging pain. 'Surrender to humans, knights, is death already.'
The goblin spits on the human woman and attempts to spit on the man healing her but misses widely. 'Go from my home, invaders. Go!'
Amelia stands, still her hand over the wound with little blood flowing now. You exclaim 'You are as good as dead, you say? Well indeed you Are!' Amelia says with a growl as she towers towards the goblin with the sword ready to impale him. You exclaim 'This is you last and final chance. Give us the diamond and your crown and we shall leave your Home with -You alive- in It. Refuse and you shall die right now with the most excrutiating pain as Habbakuk's Might strikes you down with Holy Powers!' Amelia calls for Habbakuks Might and Holy Smite Power and her sword starts to glow with a blinding light. She stabs the goblin into the shoulder of the hand holding the still bloodied dagger. Amelia twists the sword to inflict more pain as she finally says: 'Your reply?'
Raploch picks up the torch lying on the floor and stomps out the torchs marks, he turns his attention toward the secret passageway and tosses the torch into the passageway while keeping an eye out for goblins.
Noticing that she can probably take care of herself now, Zeke lowers his bow and slides back over towards the barricade, listening for returning goblins. Zeke suddenly seems to realise something and turns towards Raploch. Zeke asks in Human 'Uh, are we sure the king has the diamond on him?' Zeke begins scanning the room, keeping his back towards the barricade.
Grumm's face wrinles in defiance as he grabs the blade sticking into his shoulder and runs his hand along its length, his rage practically tangible as he flings blood on the human woman and spits once more. 'No want mercy from a coward...'
Amelia removes in a swift movement the sword from the goblins shoulder and plunges it into his torso.
Amelia removes the sword from the dying king and makes sure his last moves do not inflict any damage.
Amelia bends down and takes the crown from the fallen king. looking then for the place where he might have had the so sought diamond.
A quick glance around the room would reveal that the throne itself is turned over.
Raploch after seeing the king take his last breath, he glaces around the room and notices knocked over throne. Raploch upon inspection, a hidden panel in the floorboards reveals a secret compartment with a large, shiny diamond.
Zeke un-notches the arrow from his bow and slides it into his quiver, looking around the room he moves over and grabs a torch from the wall. Zeke asks 'We got everything we came for?'
Amelia nods at Zeke.
Raploch takes the diamond and secures it in his pouches and makes his way to the passageway
Zeke tosses the torch onto the barricade
Amelia says 'The elven troops must be falling back by now. we must go.' Amelia secures the crown in her packs as she wipes her sword and starts heading for the passageway.
Raploch asks 'let it burn, ey Zeke?'
Zeke shrugs helplessly. Zeke asks 'Why not?'
Raploch says 'Aye, lets go' Raploch makes his way down the passage, picking up the torch he threw down it earlier
Amelia leaves through the passageway and into the hidden path. Mission finished.
Zeke takes up the rear once again through the passageway as we make our escape
