Aeleth understands with that no, the flood will not damage the complex, because the walls of the cave are solid, made of stone, and below, from the inclination of the passage, it is possible to understand that this leads to the path along the stream... so the flood would exit from the main entrance of the Cragmaw Hideout (dragging away and overwhelming any invaders who entered that way, but without damaging the hideout itself).
All in all, the decision to take the south-west passage, the one which is at the same height as the cave, is the most logical, because now you understand that by following the passage that goes down you would return towards the entrance - moving away from the heart of the hideout.
Lola stays at the head of the group, ready to do her best to try to protect all of you, as you take the south-west passage. After just 5' the passage turns at an angle to the right (therefore taking a north-west direction) and after another 15' it arrives at a sort of ravine, 20' deep and 15' wide, crossed by a rickety bridge. The bridge spans the ravine and, on the other side, the tunnel you are on continues, always in a north-west direction. At the bottom of the ravine, you notice the stream flowing, heading towards the mouth of the Cragmaw Hideout and flanked by the narrow passage you would have found yourself in at the beginning, if you hadn't taken the detour that led you to the wolves and the climb.
In the center of the bridge there is a goblin with a bone tied to her hair, who is looking down towards the bottom of the ravine... Evidently, she has been posted there as a sentry! If someone came along the path that runs alongside the stream, she would see the intruders and might attack, or raise the alarm, or both.
Illuminated by the light of the torch (the torch that Aeleth's Mage Hand is holding just in front of Lola's head, to allow her to see), Bone Hair Goblin jumps in fear and tries to reach for her shortbow.
[[Let's roll for Initiative, to determine whether Bone Hair Goblin or Aeleth or any of the other party members goes first! Please, roll 1d20+4 for Aeleth's Initiative]]
Aeleth, observing the narrow bridge and the potential danger of its instability, decides to employ his Mage Hand spell to disarm the Bone Hair Goblin before engaging in melee combat. He directs his Mage Hand to swoop down and snatch the goblin's shortbow from her grasp, aiming to catch it in mid-air and render her weaponless before she can retaliate.
The spectral hand controlled by Aeleth temporarily drops the torch it is holding to the ground (just before the bridge) (but the torch continues to burn and emit light... so Lola continues to be able to see) and rushes to grab the bow of the goblin, who, already surprised by your arrival, is even more surprised by the unexpected magical attack and is unable to prevent the Mage Hand from stealing it... and taking it to Aeleth!
[[Using the Mage Hand was Aeleth's Action... and it was a good one! Bone Hair Goblin is now unarmed. If Aeleth also wants to also use his Movement or say a short phrase to the Goblin, he can do so; otherwise I will continue and narrate the actions of the others...]]
With the Bone Hair Goblin disarmed, Aeleth decides to forgo further magical shenanigans and proceed with melee combat. He instructs his Mage Hand to retrieve the torch once again and then boldly steps onto the rickety bridge, ready to confront the goblin head-on.
"Hold, goblin!" Aeleth commands, his voice echoing through the cavern. "Surrender or face the consequences!"
"Gugga doesn't like consequences!" the goblin exclaims in a shrill voice, crouching down and covering her head with her hands - as if those could stop a possible steel blade... "Gugga surrenders to the powerful elf wizard! Please, mighty one, don't kill Gugga! And don't not even turn her into a toad... If the elf wizard really wants to turn Gugga into something, at least a rat, please... Rats are cute".
[[The goblin has surrendered, so you can act regardless of initiative now]]
"Great trick, Aeleth!" compliments Merric "Now ask Gugga for the informations you want...and if she doesn't give them to you," he furtively winks at the elf "turn her into a toad!"
"But Merric!" Torrga starts to say "Aeleth can't..."
But Lola quickly nudges her and the dwarfs falls silent.
"No, please..." Gugga complains in the meantime "Not a toad! At most a rat! And in any case there won't be any need! Gugga says everything that elf wizards and merciless halflings want to know!"
"Excellent choice, Gugga," Aeleth replies, lowering his hand from his drawn sword, and carefully considers his approach to interrogating the goblin. He decides to focus on information that would directly aid them in their quest to rescue Sildar, such as the location of his cell or the whereabouts of the goblin leader.
"Gugga," Aeleth begins, his voice calm and measured, "tell me all you know about the human prisoner being held in this hideout. Where is he being held? Who is responsible for guarding him?"
"Gugga knows!" exclaims the goblin, all excited "Gugga says! See, there's no need to transform Gugga into anything! Human prisoner's name is Sildar Hallwinter, a human warrior - but a armorless and weaponless warrior, now, because we captured him".
“It wasn't Gugga's idea!” she hastens to add, putting her dirty little hands forward as if to beg you not to hit her or worse "We had orders... Now Sildar is a prisoner in the common room! There are also the other goblins from the hideout... and Yeemik, who is a goblin second-in-command of the gang. The one who really commands is that unbearable bugbear who is always with his wolf, keeps all the treasure for himself and enjoys tyrannising us! His name is Klarg" and Gugga spits out of contempt, after saying the bugbear's name.
“How many goblins are there, besides Yeemik?” Lola is immediately interested.
Gugga thinks for a moment, while she counts in her head - which seems to require great concentration - then she replies confidently: "Six! Besides Yeemik there are six of us in the common room now!"
"Six is quite a few..." Torrga mutters "It will be a tough battle..."
“Maybe we could plot a deception” Merric speculates. “They don't know we're here... We could force Gugga to continue working with us... They don't know Klarg is dead... Maybe we could devise a ruse to trick them into handing Sildar over to us. We just need to think how...”
“Or we could lure them here and deal with them here,” Lola observes. "The bridge is narrow, they could only advance one at a time... this would nullify the advantage of their numerical superiority".
Everyone turns to Aeleth, waiting to hear what he advises...
"I think Lola's plan is the most sensible approach," Aeleth says. "If we can lure the goblins out one by one, we can defeat them more easily. We should also take advantage of the narrow bridge to our advantage. That should make it difficult for them to fight effectively."
"The treasure!" Torrga exclaims, banging her right fist hard against her left palm "Gugga just complained that Klarg keeps all the treasure for himself... We can give that to the goblins in exchange for Sildar!"
"Only to cheat them, though!" protests Merric "We are the ones who killed Klarg! His treasure is ours! We should promise to give it to the goblins, but then lure them into a trap here".
“This isn't honorable at all” Lola crosses her arms over her chest. "I do not agree".
“But it's cost-effective!” Merric retorts "And then, was it honorable of the goblins to capture Sildar?"
Aeleth reflects on the different options presented by his companions. Torrga's plan to offer the goblins treasure in exchange for Sildar has some merit, as it could potentially resolve the situation peacefully. However, Merric's suggestion to deceive the goblins by promising the treasure and then luring them into a trap is more risky, but could also be more effective in eliminating the threat posed by the goblins.
Aeleth considers the moral implications of each plan. Torrga's plan is more honorable, as it would involve making a fair exchange. However, Merric's plan could be more effective in ensuring Sildar's safety, as it would eliminate the goblins as a threat.
Aeleth decides that the best course of action is to try to persuade the goblins to surrender peacefully, but to be prepared to fight if necessary. He instructs his companions to stand guard at the entrance to the bridge, ready to defend themselves if the goblins attack. He then approaches the goblin and speaks in a calm and authoritative voice.
"Gugga," he says, "you have given us valuable information, and we appreciate your cooperation. Now, I want you to tell the other goblins that we are here to rescue Sildar, and that we will not harm them if they surrender peacefully. If they refuse to surrender, we will be forced to fight them. And let me remind you that we are armed with magic and steel, and we are not afraid to use them."
Aeleth understands with that no, the flood will not damage the complex, because the walls of the cave are solid, made of stone, and below, from the inclination of the passage, it is possible to understand that this leads to the path along the stream... so the flood would exit from the main entrance of the Cragmaw Hideout (dragging away and overwhelming any invaders who entered that way, but without damaging the hideout itself).
All in all, the decision to take the south-west passage, the one which is at the same height as the cave, is the most logical, because now you understand that by following the passage that goes down you would return towards the entrance - moving away from the heart of the hideout.
Lola stays at the head of the group, ready to do her best to try to protect all of you, as you take the south-west passage. After just 5' the passage turns at an angle to the right (therefore taking a north-west direction) and after another 15' it arrives at a sort of ravine, 20' deep and 15' wide, crossed by a rickety bridge. The bridge spans the ravine and, on the other side, the tunnel you are on continues, always in a north-west direction. At the bottom of the ravine, you notice the stream flowing, heading towards the mouth of the Cragmaw Hideout and flanked by the narrow passage you would have found yourself in at the beginning, if you hadn't taken the detour that led you to the wolves and the climb.
In the center of the bridge there is a goblin with a bone tied to her hair, who is looking down towards the bottom of the ravine... Evidently, she has been posted there as a sentry! If someone came along the path that runs alongside the stream, she would see the intruders and might attack, or raise the alarm, or both.
Illuminated by the light of the torch (the torch that Aeleth's Mage Hand is holding just in front of Lola's head, to allow her to see), Bone Hair Goblin jumps in fear and tries to reach for her shortbow.
[[Let's roll for Initiative, to determine whether Bone Hair Goblin or Aeleth or any of the other party members goes first! Please, roll 1d20+4 for Aeleth's Initiative]]
A Friend Of Mine:
Aeleth's Initiative: 22
Other Initiatives:
Torgga: 13
Merric: 16
Lola: 13
Bone Hair Goblin: 3
A Friend Of Mine:
Aeleth, observing the narrow bridge and the potential danger of its instability, decides to employ his Mage Hand spell to disarm the Bone Hair Goblin before engaging in melee combat. He directs his Mage Hand to swoop down and snatch the goblin's shortbow from her grasp, aiming to catch it in mid-air and render her weaponless before she can retaliate.
The spectral hand controlled by Aeleth temporarily drops the torch it is holding to the ground (just before the bridge) (but the torch continues to burn and emit light... so Lola continues to be able to see) and rushes to grab the bow of the goblin, who, already surprised by your arrival, is even more surprised by the unexpected magical attack and is unable to prevent the Mage Hand from stealing it... and taking it to Aeleth!
[[Using the Mage Hand was Aeleth's Action... and it was a good one! Bone Hair Goblin is now unarmed. If Aeleth also wants to also use his Movement or say a short phrase to the Goblin, he can do so; otherwise I will continue and narrate the actions of the others...]]
A Friend Of Mine:
With the Bone Hair Goblin disarmed, Aeleth decides to forgo further magical shenanigans and proceed with melee combat. He instructs his Mage Hand to retrieve the torch once again and then boldly steps onto the rickety bridge, ready to confront the goblin head-on.
"Hold, goblin!" Aeleth commands, his voice echoing through the cavern. "Surrender or face the consequences!"
"Gugga doesn't like consequences!" the goblin exclaims in a shrill voice, crouching down and covering her head with her hands - as if those could stop a possible steel blade... "Gugga surrenders to the powerful elf wizard! Please, mighty one, don't kill Gugga! And don't not even turn her into a toad... If the elf wizard really wants to turn Gugga into something, at least a rat, please... Rats are cute".
[[The goblin has surrendered, so you can act regardless of initiative now]]
"Great trick, Aeleth!" compliments Merric "Now ask Gugga for the informations you want...and if she doesn't give them to you," he furtively winks at the elf "turn her into a toad!"
"But Merric!" Torrga starts to say "Aeleth can't..."
But Lola quickly nudges her and the dwarfs falls silent.
"No, please..." Gugga complains in the meantime "Not a toad! At most a rat! And in any case there won't be any need! Gugga says everything that elf wizards and merciless halflings want to know!"
A Friend Of Mine:
"Excellent choice, Gugga," Aeleth replies, lowering his hand from his drawn sword, and carefully considers his approach to interrogating the goblin. He decides to focus on information that would directly aid them in their quest to rescue Sildar, such as the location of his cell or the whereabouts of the goblin leader.
"Gugga," Aeleth begins, his voice calm and measured, "tell me all you know about the human prisoner being held in this hideout. Where is he being held? Who is responsible for guarding him?"
"Gugga knows!" exclaims the goblin, all excited "Gugga says! See, there's no need to transform Gugga into anything! Human prisoner's name is Sildar Hallwinter, a human warrior - but a armorless and weaponless warrior, now, because we captured him".
“It wasn't Gugga's idea!” she hastens to add, putting her dirty little hands forward as if to beg you not to hit her or worse "We had orders... Now Sildar is a prisoner in the common room! There are also the other goblins from the hideout... and Yeemik, who is a goblin second-in-command of the gang. The one who really commands is that unbearable bugbear who is always with his wolf, keeps all the treasure for himself and enjoys tyrannising us! His name is Klarg" and Gugga spits out of contempt, after saying the bugbear's name.
“How many goblins are there, besides Yeemik?” Lola is immediately interested.
Gugga thinks for a moment, while she counts in her head - which seems to require great concentration - then she replies confidently: "Six! Besides Yeemik there are six of us in the common room now!"
"Six is quite a few..." Torrga mutters "It will be a tough battle..."
“Maybe we could plot a deception” Merric speculates. “They don't know we're here... We could force Gugga to continue working with us... They don't know Klarg is dead... Maybe we could devise a ruse to trick them into handing Sildar over to us. We just need to think how...”
“Or we could lure them here and deal with them here,” Lola observes. "The bridge is narrow, they could only advance one at a time... this would nullify the advantage of their numerical superiority".
Everyone turns to Aeleth, waiting to hear what he advises...
A Friend Of Mine:
"I think Lola's plan is the most sensible approach," Aeleth says. "If we can lure the goblins out one by one, we can defeat them more easily. We should also take advantage of the narrow bridge to our advantage. That should make it difficult for them to fight effectively."
"I agree," Merric says. "Let's tie Gugga to the bridge and use her as bait."
"No!" Torrga protests. "We can't treat her like that! She's already surrendered and given us valuable information."
"She's still a goblin," Merric says. "And she's more likely to cooperate if she knows we're serious."
A Friend Of Mine:
"I don't think that's necessary," Aeleth says. "I'm sure we can find a way to persuade the goblins to come to us without resorting to violence."
"How?" Lola asks. "They're not going to just come out here if they don't think there's something in it for them."
A Friend Of Mine:
"We could offer them something in exchange for Sildar," Aeleth suggests. "Or we could threaten them with something they value."
"Like what?" Torrga asks.
A Friend Of Mine:
"I don't know," Aeleth says. "We'll have to think about it. But I'm sure we can come up with something."
"The treasure!" Torrga exclaims, banging her right fist hard against her left palm "Gugga just complained that Klarg keeps all the treasure for himself... We can give that to the goblins in exchange for Sildar!"
"Only to cheat them, though!" protests Merric "We are the ones who killed Klarg! His treasure is ours! We should promise to give it to the goblins, but then lure them into a trap here".
“This isn't honorable at all” Lola crosses her arms over her chest. "I do not agree".
“But it's cost-effective!” Merric retorts "And then, was it honorable of the goblins to capture Sildar?"
A Friend Of Mine:
Aeleth reflects on the different options presented by his companions. Torrga's plan to offer the goblins treasure in exchange for Sildar has some merit, as it could potentially resolve the situation peacefully. However, Merric's suggestion to deceive the goblins by promising the treasure and then luring them into a trap is more risky, but could also be more effective in eliminating the threat posed by the goblins.
Aeleth considers the moral implications of each plan. Torrga's plan is more honorable, as it would involve making a fair exchange. However, Merric's plan could be more effective in ensuring Sildar's safety, as it would eliminate the goblins as a threat.
Aeleth decides that the best course of action is to try to persuade the goblins to surrender peacefully, but to be prepared to fight if necessary. He instructs his companions to stand guard at the entrance to the bridge, ready to defend themselves if the goblins attack. He then approaches the goblin and speaks in a calm and authoritative voice.
"Gugga," he says, "you have given us valuable information, and we appreciate your cooperation. Now, I want you to tell the other goblins that we are here to rescue Sildar, and that we will not harm them if they surrender peacefully. If they refuse to surrender, we will be forced to fight them. And let me remind you that we are armed with magic and steel, and we are not afraid to use them."
Gugga nods her head fearfully: "Yes, sir," she squeaks. "Gugga will tell them".