(Are they actually blocking our path to the pumping station? Do we *need* to fight through them? Or could we delay, mislead, or even ignore them and just rush for the pumping station? I'm thinking that it may not be a good idea to potentially charge into an entire army. The party is strong, but there are only so many spell slots and Ki points, and eventually a few hundred Goblins would finish us)

From some remote realms of the multiverse, perhaps through the eldritch connection to his patron, perhaps through some other telepathic echoes, Zenodor picks up strange whispers and thoughts. Without willing himself to do it, or even fully realising what is happening he hears himself say "The Queen is dead. Long live the King."

He stares unfocused into the distance for a moment, a tear coming unbidden to his eye and rolling down his cheek. 

The strange experience is over in an instant that seems to stretch for an eternity, and whatever strange event just occurred is over as suddenly as it begun.

He shakes his head to clear it, wipes the tear away, and refocuses himself. "Goblins. Goblins in this reality. Just Goblins."

The goblins you hear are at the end of a long tunnel leading off to the West. You have maps so the option to backtrack a little and try to find another way around is possible.

This would take a little time, first backtracking and then finding an alternate route that would take more time than a direct route.

Petcan will move forward towards the goblin squad. 

I've got superior darkvision, so I should be able to see them before they see me

Before Petcan moves forward Pepin lends him his goggles of night,

"here that should improve your darkvision even further., would like to have them back after though. Rather have the option to see in the dark if we would be separated from Randall."

((While wearing these dark lenses, you have darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, wearing the goggles increases its range by 60 feet.))

@Petcan

After moving only 20 feet into the tunnel you can see some goblins, about a dozen, getting organized and preparing to venture into the opposite end of the tunnel you are in.

You all also hear a few more further back but it's hard to make out how many... possibly another dozen.

Petcan doesn't know that much about the Drow he descends from, but he knows it's a common tactic to use magical dancing lights to lure even suspicious targets away in the dark. 

Is there like a side tunnel I could lure them to for just long enough to get the team past this? 

Quote from nschrock >>

Petcan doesn't know that much about the Drow he descends from, but he knows it's a common tactic to use magical dancing lights to lure even suspicious targets away in the dark. 

Is there like a side tunnel I could lure them to for just long enough to get the team past this? 

 Z can cast Minor Illusion to add some sound to it to make it more convincing 

If you backtrack a little and set this diversion up to lure them away from the mouth of this West tunnel once they emerge then you could avoid any confrontation and use the tunnel.

Petcan or Zenodor can make a Deception roll with advantage.

Z seems to know what he's about with where we are down here, whereas Petcan has been a bit more lost. I'll help Z to make his check

Deception check: 20

The goblins seem excited as they rush down a side passage hoping to alleviate their boredom from several days of digging. As their shouts fade into the distance you realize the West tunnel is now free and clear. You hurry on your way and emerge into a T section that goes North and South. You can hear more goblins organizing far to the South.

((do we have any idea on how far they would approximately be from us?))

(How much further to the pumping station?)

Given that the pumping station is NW still (and so far the party went N, then W), Zenodor suggests that they should head north towards the pumping station and away from the Goblins (assuming this is correct, based on the sewer maps).

It's hard to accurately guess by sound alone as the echoes in the sewer are deceptive, but you have some experience at this now and guess the goblins are within 200 to 300 feet, probably closer to 200. Judging by the routes marked on the maps it should take about another hour or so to reach the pumping station. As you continue North you come to another T section, this one leading West and East.

Tempe remains silent as he follows wondering why they are not stopping the goblins.

Quote from Stormbringer4729 >>

Tempe remains silent as he follows wondering why they are not stopping the goblins.

 (Easier to flood the tunnels and stop/kill them all, rather than fighting them one little group at a time and getting slowed down. We don't want to miss our chance and let them attack the city)

Quote from Brian_Avery >>

It's hard to accurately guess by sound alone as the echoes in the sewer are deceptive, but you have some experience at this now and guess the goblins are within 200 to 300 feet, probably closer to 200. Judging by the routes marked on the maps it should take about another hour or so to reach the pumping station. As you continue North you come to another T section, this one leading West and East.

Before continuing north Pepin will cast fog cloud in the S pipes, hoping to slowdown the goblins when going this way. He will try to keep concentration until reaching the pumping station.

A short time after entering the West tunnel you come to a cave-in. Going back to the T intersection you can hear the goblins in the South beginning to move North toward you. And there are noises and lights in the distance from the East tunnel.

Randall:

”Looks like we may have to fight sooner rather than later.  Let’s get as close to the pumping station as possible first,” says Randall, concern growing at the influx of foes.