Gilreg, the goblin warrior, touched the stone altar with his callous hand and thick yellow nails. He wore his onyx black hair in the manner of warriors from his tribe. Shaved along the sides with his hair growing along the center. He did not use the oils to make it spiked, and he opted to have his hair tied back.
He marveled at the etchings that were so old that they surpassed his comprehension. They were figures, humanoid-shaped like him, praying to a raised being, possibly their god. The figures were round and soft-shaped, so he figured they were not goblins. Goblins were edged and hard with sharp cheekbones, jaws, and ridged brows. The figures were one of the “high races,” maybe humans, dwarves, or elves.
Gilreg scratched an itch under his thick padded leather breastplate. It was stained and worn from use, with stitches that marked its numerous repairs. He looked around the circular temple room with a high ceiling 25 meters above him with a round opening that allowed the sun to create a circle of illumination in the center of the room. He stood just out of the light by the altar at the end. Piles of debris stood before the altar that he guessed were rotted pews and benches for worshipers eons ago. Gilreg started to hum.
One of his passions, aside from sword and axe fighting, was music. He hummed a tune from a goblin folksong and noticed that the temple had terrific acoustics. Gilreg’s lips pulled back to show his small jagged teeth as he smiled. The warrior started to sing, and this relaxed him as he was under a lot of stress. For as long as the Mudrock Clan Goblins could remember, they have been guarding ruins against would-be thieves and looters that called themselves “Adventurers.” Gilreg didn’t mind because it usually involved fighting and getting fame and treasure.
For this assignment, he and three others were sent to guard this temple. The temple itself was not important, but the single artifact it housed was. A golden Chalice set with red and green gems. The Chalice was a lure that baited adventurers, and his clan has been making money off of defeating them and taking their loot. It would bring great shame if he failed his task and the Chalice was taken.
“Hush that nonsense unless you want to alert them,” Shaymus hissed from the shadows.
Gilreg stopped suddenly, his hands going to his axe and curved sword. He squinted into the room, trying to search for Shaymus. The numerous shadows, nooks, and crannies made it nearly impossible for him, but he saw a dark shape move. It was close enough to him to make him uncomfortable, but Shaymus was good at that. One only saw her when she wanted them to see her.
“The adventurers are here?” The warrior asked.
Shaymus nodded as she stepped closer, and her features were more visible to Gilreg. She was small, even by goblin standards. She had agile fingers and a thin, wiry frame. She almost looked delicate, but that would be a dangerous underestimation. What she lacked in size, she more than made up in cunning and viciousness. Shaymous had deep dark green skin, almost onyx black, with eerily pale eyes. Many in the Mudrock clan joked that she was half demon, and they made the jokes with nervous smiles. After weeks of working with Shaymus, Gilreg started to suspect that the rumors were true.
“How close?” He asked.
Shaymus shrugged casually, almost lazily, as if she could care less.
“Maybe half an hour before they make it here. The traps Raine and I put in place are giving them trouble,” she said with a wicked grin that revealed sharp white teeth.
Gilreg suppressed a shiver. Shaymus took a more than healthy pleasure in other people’s pain, even if they were adventurers.
“Where are the others?” He asked.
Shaymus shrugged and faded back into the shadows and out of sight.
“I’m not in charge,” she said, her voice coming from a different direction from where she was last seen.
Gilreg cursed to himself and set off to look for the others. They needed to get ready. Their time waiting here was about to come to an end. The goblin warrior ran down a side passage leading out of the temple. The following rooms, he believed, were the priest’s chambers since each one was roughly the same size. Each with a rotting door, rotting desk, and a cement slab that Gilreg guessed to be a bed, and the mattress had decayed long ago. Among the four chambers, he was sure to find Nulrok, the shaman in training. The spellcaster liked exploring the rooms for books and trying to decipher the writings on the walls.
In the second chamber, he found the shaman. Scattered about the floor were papers that Nulrok was trying to understand their meanings. Also on the floor was the spellcaster’s padded armor. Nulrok sat in his black tunic and trousers on the stone slab with his legs crossed. The spellcaster’s eyes were closed as he meditated. He favored his snow-white hair to be short and spiky. The shaman in training had green skin with swirling arcane tattoos running up and down his thin arms.
Gilreg picked up and threw the armor at the spellcaster’s legs. Nulrok opened one eye, and that was the only indication that he gave that he knew Gilreg was in the room. The eye had no pupil and was a deep black, the mark of the tainted those with the gift. The curse that gives and takes, as Nulrok would explain.
“The adventurers will be at the temple in less than thirty minutes,” Gilreg said.
“Oh,” Nulrok answered while opening his other black pupil-less eye.
“That is most fortunate. We were about to run out of supplies,” the goblin mage added.
Gilreg had not considered that. His mind was so focused on battle tactics for when the adventurers arrived that he forgot to think about food and what they would do when they ran out.
“Do you find it strange that so many would sacrifice so much for a cup made out of gold? They come equipped enough so that we can feed our entire tribe from their belongings,” the shaman in training asked as he donned his armor.
Gilreg was not in the mood to engage in a philosophical discussion, but it was his role as leader to inspire the troops. So the warrior paused to think.
“Maybe the Chalice has power that the high races know about. Or they are misled. In either case, they come, we fight them, and we gain experience,” Gilreg answered while hefting his axe.
“Ahh, yes. Education through blood and steel.”
“Head to the temple. Shaymus is in there. Where is Raine?”
“At the door,” the wizard answered as he walked passed Gilreg and toward the temple.
Further down the corridor, away from the priest’s chambers, was the door. Shimlock, the Goblin Shaman, had said that the adventurers must never open the door. Behind the door was the Chalice, a powerful holy artifact that calls to them.
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Gilreg made his way down the corridor and entered a larger square-shaped chamber. The main object that captured everyone’s attention was a large double steel black door. Sitting before the door was Raine.
Raine favored her dark hair in braids that fell to either side of her round face. She had blue eyes and was pleasing to look at. An almost innocent face, except Gilreg, knew that if the chieftain ordered her to shoot him with an arrow, she would place one in the warrior’s heart without blinking. Raine was examining the door. The mechanics of it intrigued her.
Gilreg cleared his throat and said, “The adventurers will be here shortly. We are preparing in the temple.”
Raine nodded, rose to her feet, buckled her longsword to her waist, slung a quiver of arrows over her shoulder, and grabbed her bow. She was dangerous with both bow and blade and had the focus to maintain the two skills to deadly sharpness. Together they jogged down the corridors in silence toward the others.
When the two entered the temple from the side corridor, they saw Nulrok studying the large square stone altar. Shaymus was nowhere to be seen, but Gilreg was pretty sure she was hidden somewhere. Raine jogged over to her station behind the altar with her bow ready. Nulrok nodded and took up position on the opposite side of Raine.
Gilreg was to hide among the debris, but he felt he should give a speech. This was their moment. He was nervous, but he was also their leader. He turned to face the two by the altar.
“Well, this is it,” he began.
Nulrok and Raine nodded.
“No long speeches. We don’t have time,” Shaymus hissed from somewhere in the shadows.
Gilreg scowled and held up his fist.
“Mook Req Shah!” He said their ancient tribal chant.
“Mook Req Shah!” The others, including Shaymus, repeated back.
As one, they ducked to hide. Nulrok and Raine hid on either side of the massive stone altar. Gilreg hid behind one of the piles of debris in the center, out of the circle of light. Shaymus was somewhere. In front of them was the entrance from the Wastelands, and to their left led to the black door.
STATS
1-2 average, 3-4 above average, 5-6 exceptional, 7-8 superb, 9-10 Magnificent, 11+ Godlike
TOUGHNESS:
Physical strength and durability
SPEED:
Agility and reflexes
MIND:
Focus and concentration
COMBAT SKILLS PROGRESSION
Novice (1-3), Proficient (4-6), Skilled (7-9), Adept (10-12), Master (12-15), Divine (16+)
SKILLS
Represent what the character knows. Some skills have levels. The higher the level, the better they are with that skill.
TALENTS
Represent powers and techniques. Each has levels, and the levels represent the number of techniques they know with the given ability.
GILREG (WARRIOR)
leader of the small group of Goblin Guardians. Head shaved on the sides, hair growing along the middle of his skull in a mohawk common among the warriors of his tribe. He did not waste time on the oils to have his hair stand straight, instead he has it tied back. Wiry corded muscled build, green skin, and yellow eyes.
Stats:
Toughness
Above average (3)
Speed
Average (2)
Mind
Average (1)
Combat Skills
Defense
Proficient (4)
Resistance
Novice (2)
Melee Combat
Proficient (4)
Skills:
Singing, Diplomacy, Leadership, Stealth 1
Talents:
Two Weapon Fighting, 1H Axes 1, 1H Swords 1
Gear:
Low quality Hand axe, Low quality Scimitar, Stitched Padded armor (torso, Limbs).
SHAYMUS (ROGUE)
Small, even by goblin standards. Long agile fingers, slender, favors a buzz cut style haircut. She has pale eyes, which is unusual for goblins which tend to have black, red, or yellow eyes. A metal nose stud, and a wicked smile.
Stats:
Toughness
Average (2)
Speed
Above average (3)
Mind
Average (1)
Combat Skills:
Defense
Novice (3)
Resistance
Novice (2)
Melee Combat
Novice (3)
Skills:
Stealth 2, Mechanical, Trapmaking
Talents:
Discern Vitals 1, Daggers 1
Gear:
Low quality daggers x2, Stitched Padded armor (torso, Limbs).
NULROK (MAGE)
He is the shaman in training. White hair, cut short and spiky. Rings on his fingers, and full black eyes that mark him as tainted by magic. Favors lore, and ice magic. He has pale green skin with swirling tattoos on his arms.
Stats:
Toughness
Average (1)
Speed
Average (2)
Mind
Above average (3)
Combat Skills:
Defense
Novice(2)
Resistance
Proficient (4)
Magery
Proficient (4)
Skills:
Stealth 1, History, Botany
Talents:
Ice Magic 1
Gear:
Stitched Padded armor (torso, Limbs).
RAINE (EXPLORER)
She is both an archer and a sword fighter. She favors her hair in braids. Patient with her archery, and if needed can use the longsword as good as any warrior. Light grey skin, and blue eyes. Daughter to the chieftain.
Stats:
Toughness
Average (2)
Speed
Average (2)
Mind
Average (2)
Skills:
Defense
Proficient (4)
Resistance
Novice (2)
Melee Combat
Novice (3)
Archery
Proficient (4)
Skills:
Mechanical, Trapmaking, Awareness, History, Stealth 1
Talents:
Bows 1, 2H Swords 1,
Gear:
Low quality shortbow,Low quality longsword, Stitched Padded armor (torso, Limbs).