Mad Minions 1

Mad Minions 1 is an encounter in the Madness & Magma mission hub. It comes after The Head That Wears a Crown.
==Enemies==
*Unhinged Hunter (1700 Gold, 136 XP, 85 Energy, 7 HP Normal)
*Unhinged Hunt Leader (1800 Gold, 144XP, 90 Energy, 7 HP Normal) can Banish
==Transcript==
===Introduction===
“Goblins?” Tessa frowns.
“Those ones aren’t from the nearby tribes,” Rakshara says. “Their garb marks them as being from more distant reaches. Raiders or scavengers perhaps?”
To your eye, the distant greenskins’ primitive clothing and jewelry seems identical in style and color to those of the creatures you encountered in the Sapphire King’s caverns. But you’re willing to trust your friend’s knowledge of subterranean fashion over your own.
“They’re in bowshot,” Tessa says. “Should we attack?”
You consider this for a moment. It’s an old problem, almost proverbial. During your training the grandmaster who taught you the way of the assassin referred to it as the adventurer’s dilemma. If an adventurer sees a potential threat, such as a member of a race known for their warlike ways, or a dangerous animal, is it morally acceptable for that adventurer to initiate the attack and slay the person or creature in question? The failure to make a preemptive strike might result in a dangerous combat situation if the other party begins hostilities. However, being the instigator of violence and unprovoked slaying might not be entirely justifiable – and in some cases foolhardy adventurers have ended up being hanged for murder after erring on the side of caution.
Granted, in this cavern there isn’t a great likelihood that a guardsman will drop his hand onto your shoulder and arrest you. Thus it would be easy enough to behave as one of the ‘loot and kill’ adventurers who think nothing of visiting a new place and indiscriminately slaughtering all the indigenous peoples and fauna for the purposes of robbery or else simply for the experience. That that’s hardly behavior worthy of a Kasan who wishes to be regarded as a hero…
“Don’t fire unless they do,” you say. “They might not be enemies.”
You walk onwards, approaching the goblins. For their part, the creatures make no move to raise their weapons and pepper you with arrows – always a good sign. It isn’t until you’re within a few dozen paces of them that one among their number raises her hand.
“Stop, humans!”
You do as instructed, and your companions halt alongside you. The goblin’s speech is surprising in its fluency. She’s evidently had a lot of practice speaking the common tongue, and from the sound of her accent she’s most accustomed to speaking with humans. Perhaps her people trade a great deal with the surface, which would imply that they’re one of the more civilized tribes.
“Greetings,” you say. “We apologize for our intrusion into your domain. We’re-“
“Only those who are worthy may pass this way, and visit the sanctum,” she says – in a booming, ornate voice that hints at careful rehearsal.
“Sanctum?” You look to your companions, but even Rakshara seems confused.
“You must answer the riddle to prove that you’re his disciple!”
“Disciple?” It perturbs you to be so much on the back foot that you’re reduced to reiterating the last word of your interlocutor’s sentences in the interrogative. But that seems to be the best you can image.
“What is the sound of one fish clapping?”
“Excuse me?”
“What is the sound of one fish clapping!” Her voice becomes perceptibly grimmer as she repeats herself.
“Is that a riddle?” Hugh asks. “Never bloody heard that one before.”
“Maybe she used the wrong word?” Tessa suggests.
“Maybe,” you agree. You look back at the goblin. “A fish is a creature that lives in water, and swims about using fins…”
“Fry up a treat if you cover ‘em in batter,” Hugh adds.
“They don’t clap,” you finish. “Perhaps you meant to ask what the sound of one hand-“
The goblin’s arrow flies before you can finish.
===Conclusion===
“That was… bizarre,” you say.
“Some goblins eat psychedelic mushrooms,” Rakshara says. “Much like the crystal addicts among my own people. These ones may have had their minds unhinged by the experience.”
“Perhaps…”
But as you glance around at the green bodies, you can’t help feeling that there’s something else behind this.
Category:Madness & Magma