Goblin Heroes II
To be a hero is to be respected for doing amazing deeds and to be depended on by many. Needless to say, goblins don’t want to be heroes. They’d rather avoid danger than face it, and they annoy people they come across. But sometimes there is no choice in the matter, and a goblin finds himself in the position where he must be brave and selfless. That is the tragic fate of the great goblin What’s-His-Face.
What’s-His-Face
It came to pass that a certain wizard named Kastral discovered a terrifying magic weapon called the Ring of the Lunar Hunter. The ring was one of the fifty most powerful magic items on Other Place. On the first night of each full moon, the ring could summon an ancient and powerful monster called the Lunar Hunter. Whoever summoned it could compel the beast to seek out and slay the owner’s foes. It would hunt its prey until the sun rose, then disappear.
The Lunar Hunter could not be defeated in battle or hurt in any way, and nothing could trap it. The only way a victim could hope to survive was by running away. But even this was a temporary victory, for the ring’s owner could send it out again on the first night of the next full moon.
Kastral was the worst possible person to own the ring. He was as petty and vindictive as he was powerful. Over the years he’d made a list of enemies, people guilty of slighting Kastral in ways grand, minor and even imagined. He’d spent years searching for the ring, and now that he had it, it was time to get even. He retreated to a fortified tower where he summoned and hired guardians, and waited for the next full moon.
But Kastal’s revenge was not to be. A small goblin (name unknown) had seen him discover the ring and boast of his wicked plans. Terrified, the goblin fled to the most powerful person he knew, Julius Craton of the Guild of Heroes. The goblin told Julius about Kastal and the ring. Julius’ fellow heroes didn’t believe the goblin, but Julius thought it best to investigate. A blind fortuneteller he knew confirmed the goblin’s story, and worse, that Julius was at the top of Kastal’s hit list.
With mere days until the full moon, Julius and his fellow heroes set off to defeat Kastal. Along the way they met a band of elf mercenaries in the pay of the Yelinid Banking Cartel on the same mission. The cartel had also learned of Kastal’s scheme. While they normally wouldn’t get involved, they had once turned down the wizard for a loan, and they too were on his list.
To the amazement of both heroes and elves, wizards from the Inspired also came to help. The Inspired were dedicated to conquering all the nations of the world and replacing kings with wizards. Neither heroes nor elves liked the Inspired, but the evil wizards pointed out that years ago they had expelled Kastal from their organization for attacking a fellow wizard. It was only a matter of time before he turned his attention on them. Worse, they said Kastal had been one of their strongest wizards. Defeating him would be nearly impossible. Reluctantly the three groups agreed to work together.
Heroes, mercenaries and wizards set out to defeat Kastal before he could summon the Lunar Hunter, but there were others with them. The small goblin (name still unknown) tagged along, often overlooked by the others. No one was even sure why he’d come, for there was little he could do now that he’d warned them. But the goblin stayed with them, even recruiting more goblins as they traveled.
Kastal realized he was in danger with the aid of a crystal ball. He sent golems and trained monsters to ambush Julius and the men with him. But the small goblin (someone really should have asked him his name) saw them and cried out a warning. Kastal’s forces were defeated, with Julius Craton personally cutting an ice golem in half. Kastal sent more monsters and then mercenaries, but all were defeated. Finally he secured himself in his tower and locked the stone doors. If he couldn’t win the fight, he could put it off until the full moon gave him the advantage he needed.
Julius and his allies reached Kastal’s tower a day before the full moon. They attacked it with everything they had, but the tower’s defenses held. The situation looked grim when the small goblin (whose name really should have been known by now) and his fellow goblins went to work. The tower’s entrances were too solid to break, but the locks could be picked. It took hours for the small goblin to open the front door as the sun began to set.
With only minutes to spare, Julius Craton led the charge into the tower. He and his allies faced tamed wyverns, golems, living armor and even animated skeletons, proof that Kastal had become so depraved that he’d turned to necromancy. All these defenders fell until only Kastal remained. The wizard tried to flee, but he’d sealed his tower so tightly that he couldn’t open a window fast enough to escape. Cornered, he tried to use the Ring of the Lunar Hunter, but a sliver of the sun was still on the horizon. Kastal fell before his enemies, more the pity since before he’d gotten the ring many of them had never wished him harm.
Horrible as the battle to defeat Kastal had been, the allied force now found itself on the brink of a worse one. They had agreed that Kastal had to be stopped, but nothing beyond that. What were they to do with the Ring of the Lunar Hunter? Julius and his fellow heroes wanted to lock it away so no one could use it. The elves wanted it in case the day might come that they might need it. The Inspired wizards wanted the ring so they could dominate the world. With victory freshly won, the allied force was on the verge of turning on itself.
The small goblin (honestly, someone could have asked, “Who are you?”) had followed Julius inside. He saw the look on the men’s and elves’ faces, and he knew something had to be done fast. The goblin grabbed the ring and unlocked a window, then hurled it outside. The allied force ran out to get it, only to find that the other goblins had been waiting outside, and one had the ring. The goblins saw heroes and mercenaries and wizards running straight for them, and not too surprisingly they panicked and ran away. The goblins were eventually caught and searched, but none of them had the ring. A determined search of the area didn’t locate it, either.
The goblins were eventually let go, but they did have the ring, specifically the small goblin. In their flight from the allied force, they had passed the ring from one goblin to another, each goblin terrified that he’d be caught with it. But when the small goblin got it, he’d hid it by stuffing it up his nose. No one had thought to look there, and he’d escaped with the ring.
By the time the allied force realized what had happened, it was too late. The Ring of the Lunar Hunter was invisible to scrying devices such as crystal balls. The only reliable way to magically find it was through its owner. But spells that could do that required the owner’s name, or at least a detailed physical description. No one from the allied force knew the little goblin’s name, nor could anyone say what he looked like.
Over the years some of the other goblins involved shared the story of what had happened. To a one, they called the small goblin hero What’s-His-Face. Officially this was so no one could track him by his name. Unofficially, they’d all forgotten who he was.
And so it came to pass that a goblin gained possession of one of the most powerful magic items on Other Place. What’s-His-Face has owned the ring for years without using it. Most people agree this was the best outcome that could be hoped for, as the ring is effectively out of circulation once more and a threat to no one. A few fools still search for the ring, but most have the good sense not to. After all, while What’s-His-Face is not a hateful person and has no desire to let the Lunar Hunter loose on anyone, you never know what someone can do when he’s pushed into a corner.
What’s-His-Face
It came to pass that a certain wizard named Kastral discovered a terrifying magic weapon called the Ring of the Lunar Hunter. The ring was one of the fifty most powerful magic items on Other Place. On the first night of each full moon, the ring could summon an ancient and powerful monster called the Lunar Hunter. Whoever summoned it could compel the beast to seek out and slay the owner’s foes. It would hunt its prey until the sun rose, then disappear.
The Lunar Hunter could not be defeated in battle or hurt in any way, and nothing could trap it. The only way a victim could hope to survive was by running away. But even this was a temporary victory, for the ring’s owner could send it out again on the first night of the next full moon.
Kastral was the worst possible person to own the ring. He was as petty and vindictive as he was powerful. Over the years he’d made a list of enemies, people guilty of slighting Kastral in ways grand, minor and even imagined. He’d spent years searching for the ring, and now that he had it, it was time to get even. He retreated to a fortified tower where he summoned and hired guardians, and waited for the next full moon.
But Kastal’s revenge was not to be. A small goblin (name unknown) had seen him discover the ring and boast of his wicked plans. Terrified, the goblin fled to the most powerful person he knew, Julius Craton of the Guild of Heroes. The goblin told Julius about Kastal and the ring. Julius’ fellow heroes didn’t believe the goblin, but Julius thought it best to investigate. A blind fortuneteller he knew confirmed the goblin’s story, and worse, that Julius was at the top of Kastal’s hit list.
With mere days until the full moon, Julius and his fellow heroes set off to defeat Kastal. Along the way they met a band of elf mercenaries in the pay of the Yelinid Banking Cartel on the same mission. The cartel had also learned of Kastal’s scheme. While they normally wouldn’t get involved, they had once turned down the wizard for a loan, and they too were on his list.
To the amazement of both heroes and elves, wizards from the Inspired also came to help. The Inspired were dedicated to conquering all the nations of the world and replacing kings with wizards. Neither heroes nor elves liked the Inspired, but the evil wizards pointed out that years ago they had expelled Kastal from their organization for attacking a fellow wizard. It was only a matter of time before he turned his attention on them. Worse, they said Kastal had been one of their strongest wizards. Defeating him would be nearly impossible. Reluctantly the three groups agreed to work together.
Heroes, mercenaries and wizards set out to defeat Kastal before he could summon the Lunar Hunter, but there were others with them. The small goblin (name still unknown) tagged along, often overlooked by the others. No one was even sure why he’d come, for there was little he could do now that he’d warned them. But the goblin stayed with them, even recruiting more goblins as they traveled.
Kastal realized he was in danger with the aid of a crystal ball. He sent golems and trained monsters to ambush Julius and the men with him. But the small goblin (someone really should have asked him his name) saw them and cried out a warning. Kastal’s forces were defeated, with Julius Craton personally cutting an ice golem in half. Kastal sent more monsters and then mercenaries, but all were defeated. Finally he secured himself in his tower and locked the stone doors. If he couldn’t win the fight, he could put it off until the full moon gave him the advantage he needed.
Julius and his allies reached Kastal’s tower a day before the full moon. They attacked it with everything they had, but the tower’s defenses held. The situation looked grim when the small goblin (whose name really should have been known by now) and his fellow goblins went to work. The tower’s entrances were too solid to break, but the locks could be picked. It took hours for the small goblin to open the front door as the sun began to set.
With only minutes to spare, Julius Craton led the charge into the tower. He and his allies faced tamed wyverns, golems, living armor and even animated skeletons, proof that Kastal had become so depraved that he’d turned to necromancy. All these defenders fell until only Kastal remained. The wizard tried to flee, but he’d sealed his tower so tightly that he couldn’t open a window fast enough to escape. Cornered, he tried to use the Ring of the Lunar Hunter, but a sliver of the sun was still on the horizon. Kastal fell before his enemies, more the pity since before he’d gotten the ring many of them had never wished him harm.
Horrible as the battle to defeat Kastal had been, the allied force now found itself on the brink of a worse one. They had agreed that Kastal had to be stopped, but nothing beyond that. What were they to do with the Ring of the Lunar Hunter? Julius and his fellow heroes wanted to lock it away so no one could use it. The elves wanted it in case the day might come that they might need it. The Inspired wizards wanted the ring so they could dominate the world. With victory freshly won, the allied force was on the verge of turning on itself.
The small goblin (honestly, someone could have asked, “Who are you?”) had followed Julius inside. He saw the look on the men’s and elves’ faces, and he knew something had to be done fast. The goblin grabbed the ring and unlocked a window, then hurled it outside. The allied force ran out to get it, only to find that the other goblins had been waiting outside, and one had the ring. The goblins saw heroes and mercenaries and wizards running straight for them, and not too surprisingly they panicked and ran away. The goblins were eventually caught and searched, but none of them had the ring. A determined search of the area didn’t locate it, either.
The goblins were eventually let go, but they did have the ring, specifically the small goblin. In their flight from the allied force, they had passed the ring from one goblin to another, each goblin terrified that he’d be caught with it. But when the small goblin got it, he’d hid it by stuffing it up his nose. No one had thought to look there, and he’d escaped with the ring.
By the time the allied force realized what had happened, it was too late. The Ring of the Lunar Hunter was invisible to scrying devices such as crystal balls. The only reliable way to magically find it was through its owner. But spells that could do that required the owner’s name, or at least a detailed physical description. No one from the allied force knew the little goblin’s name, nor could anyone say what he looked like.
Over the years some of the other goblins involved shared the story of what had happened. To a one, they called the small goblin hero What’s-His-Face. Officially this was so no one could track him by his name. Unofficially, they’d all forgotten who he was.
And so it came to pass that a goblin gained possession of one of the most powerful magic items on Other Place. What’s-His-Face has owned the ring for years without using it. Most people agree this was the best outcome that could be hoped for, as the ring is effectively out of circulation once more and a threat to no one. A few fools still search for the ring, but most have the good sense not to. After all, while What’s-His-Face is not a hateful person and has no desire to let the Lunar Hunter loose on anyone, you never know what someone can do when he’s pushed into a corner.
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