It is time for my mannequins to take a well deserved rest. Most of them have returned to the Stage Hall, as I have taken to calling it, to chat and relax a bit. They do not tire, per se, but the excavation is repetitive and boring work, so I told them to take it easy every once in a while. Progress is being made, however, and at a frightening pace compared to my solo efforts way back after that first goblin attack.

That was a scary experience, I must admit, their harrowing shouts sometimes still haunt me, like right now. …wait, no, that goblin shouting isn't imaginary, my monsters reacted too.

There is a commotion outside of my domain, and it sounds like goblins. Again. I wish I could see. As I think about this, I get an idea. Why should I not be able to see? The wall above the door is thin and has been evidently built around a pocket of air that I can sense faintly in the stone. Digging my way into it I soon see the inside of what appears to be an intricate mask relief. In a flash of whimsy, I attempt digging the smallest holes I can through the masks eyes, and lo and behold, the outside world becomes visible to me.

And I don't like what I see. I appear to be located inside a larger underground space full of ruins. Ideally such a space would be empty and devoid of life, but it seems that someone is setting up a small campsite in the center of the space.

Or rather, a group of someones. Somethings. Goblins. Yup, that flag I planted waaaaay back, finally returns to bite me in the proverbial behind. I cannot make out the straggler that escaped my halls last time, but that's no surprise, their group is large. Over twenty of the little creatures, easily thirty even, swarm the space.

Oh boy.

I take some time to watch the camp and its inhabitants while getting my monsters ready to defend ourselves if necessary.

The camp is in the process of being assembled, tents being constructed with wooden posts, fiber-y rope, and animal skins. All the while, the monsters argue amongst themselves, often devolving into shouting and even biting and scratching matches that typically end as soon as blood is drawn.

Many of them are inspecting the surrounding ruins, while the construction takes place. They don't stray far from the central hub that seems to be at the center of a circular plaza in the ruined city, surrounded on all sides by ruins. A larger open space just opposite to my domain might have once been a road, and is being barricaded by the goblins as I watch on.

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Other than the fact that these goblins are larger in number, a few among them have significantly better gear than the rest. I see two of them wearing green cloaks and carrying bows, another one with crude leather armor and a properly forged though simplistic sword, and finally one that is wearing bone charms, totems, cloth scraps and spiders.

Wait a minute… spiders?

I do a double take and, sure enough, a small swarm of not so small spiders crawls around on top of the goblin that resembles a shaman or maybe a witch-doctor. What's more, what I assumed to be a strange rock he was seated on starts moving and I realize that that thing is indeed also a spider… and it's the size of two of my mannequins stacked on top of each other.

The last thing this Neighborhood needed is spiders…

The more I inspect the little tribe, the more something is obvious to me, however. They are scared. Many of them sniff at the air and their heads swivel around all paranoid all the time. Many of them also sport small wounds, with some actually too wounded to move gathered together at the center of the camp. With the amount of attention given to the barricade that they construct out of debris and wood that they carry, it does not take a genius to guess that they must have recently escaped an ugly scuffle. Maybe they aren’t even here for me?

In which case, hiding might be a viable strategy. Except if I were to try and make it seem like this entrance is blocked, I would have to cart over larger fragments from the stairs or hallways, which would likely make noise and lead to my eventual detection. Maybe my sprite can help hide the entrance? No, unlikely, its Illusions cannot affect larger objects and areas, and not for a long enough time.

While contemplating, I am so distracted that I fail to realize that a pair of goblins walked all the way up to the door serving as the portal into my domain. Chattering and grunting to each other, they inspect the door cautiously. Failing to find any obvious threats, and evidently overwhelmed by curiosity, they briefly hesitate before pushing it open and forcing their way in.

As this happens, I feel it again. This vile feeling of violation and invasion. Their presence is a blight and must be removed.

Before I have time to even think, my monsters spring into action. Without prompting, they move to enact my will, to become the instruments of my wrath.

My monsters are going to war.