Edlethron quietly looks at the elderly Tian man not knowing what to do.
Sejanus looks at Dolgrin and silently mouths the word, Awkward.
Doll grin looks at the young human confused before saying, "What he sayin', lad? Ah didn' catch wha' ye gabbed!" His voice rings out loudly over the suddenly much quieter room. When he realizes how quiet things had gotten, he looks around and adds, "Wha' 'as go'en tha lot o' ya so quiet fer? Ah thought we were 'avin' us a par'y!"
At the loud statement from the dwarf, the Tian man glares at the group assembled at their table, switching to the common tongue with a sneer. "Oh, and here we have the band of armed thugs who endangered this whole town with their 'heroics.' They nearly got us all killed with their fumbling about while the goblins came to slit our throats!" He looks at Dolgrin and laughs derisively. "I'd thought that last dwarf was bad enough, but it looks like he wasn't the last filthy vagrant coming to bring trouble to this town!"
Edlethron slowly stands with his hands on his hips. His sliding chair making the only noise in the tavern for a few seconds. The normally open and curious face of the elf is now closed and grim. "You accuse us of thuggery and endangering this town? You will apologize to me and my companions. And specifically to Master Girndmar who you personally insult. Or there will be consequences."
Dolgrin's face goes slack with shock at the mans brazen insults to himself and his kin. He stands shortly behind Edlethron and makes his way around the table, saying "Aye, ye be'er believe thar be consequences, ye ol' kodger! 'Ow dare ye insult tha only people wit' enough stones between thar legs ta take up arms again' a gobbin pack attackin' YER town! An' more importan'ly, 'ow dare ye insult me an' me kin, me very own brothar!?!?"
As Dolgrin rounds the table, his gauntleted fists are clenched tightly into fists, and he is clearly making his way to let this old goat know just what consequences are involved when you insult a dwarf.
Lonjiku opens his mouth to respond to the elf and dwarf, his arrogant sneer reeking of misplaced confidence, but he is interrupted when Ameiko bursts forth from the kitchen, carrying a ladle in her hand still dripping with soup and her face twisted in anger. A rapid shouting match in Minkaian results, Lonjiku shrieking at his daughter and Ameiko firing off a stream of what can only be colorful expletives. After only a few moments, Lonjiku lunges forward, as if to grab at Ameiko's long braid of hair.
Dolgrin continues to stomp forward, despite the old man focusing on his daughter. The dwarf manages to weave through the crowd as the old man lunges for Ameiko...which conveniently puts his face close enough for Dolgrin to punch.
The dwarf's muscular fist connects solidly with Lonjiku's face with a satisfying crunch, just as Ameiko lashes out with the soup-filled ladle. The heavy iron implement crashes into the side of the man's head, splattering his fine clothes with soup broth and fish stock. The man shrieks in terror and runs for the exit, stopping by the door for a moment to glare back at his daughter with seething rage and pain. Blood drips from his nose as he spits at her, "You're as dead to me as your mother," before fleeing the tavern as fast as his legs can carry him.
The room is silent once more as for a moment, it looks like the normally stoic Ameiko is biting back tears. She shakingly pulls a long hair off the side of the now-dented ladle and says aloud, "Looks like I need to get this ladle cleaned, because jackass stew's not on the menu." The crowd erupts into cheers, and more than one group of locals approaches the heroes who stood up to Lonjiku to offer to buy them drinks. Ameiko approaches shortly thereafter, when the bustle of the common room has resumed and not all eyes are on her and the group. "Thanks for helping throw that old bastard out, you lot." Her gratitude is apparent in her expression, and she seems to have calmed down from earlier. "You can all stay here as long as you like, and your meals are on the house. Sandpoint's blessed to have you around."
"It was my pleasure, Ameiko. You are most generous." Edlethron politely replies to her.
Later to Dolgrin, Edlethron grins and says, "you beat me to him. Couldn't imagine short legs could move so fast."
"'At sunnova b%@!% 'ad it comin' lass. Whoe'er 'e was, nobody insults me or me kin an' gets off with anythin' short o' a busted jaw!"
Dolgrin smirks and answers the elf, "We can move per'y quick when properly mo'ivated!"
Apparently Sejanus is having a slow day, because he barely has time to set down his drink before the burly dwarf is clocking Lonjiku in the face. "Ouch! That had to hurt. Unless, of course, he was using the famed and legendary My-Face-to-Your-Fist Style."
Several hours later, the festivities have died down some, and many of the patrons have returned to their homes or their rooms. The assembled group is just thinking that it might be time to turn in when the door bursts open yet again. For a moment, it seems that it might be Lonjiku again, having regathered his courage, but as the newcomer enters, the party can see that it is a woman clutching a baby tightly to her chest, clinging to the shirt of a slightly older child as though afraid he will vanish from her sight at any moment. Her eyes scan the room and latch onto the heroes, and she rushes over to their table. "Sirs! Please! You must help... there's a goblin in our home! We thought it was just little Aeran's night terrors," she says, indicating the boy whose shirt she still clutches, "We thought it was just stories! He's been saying there's a goblin in his closet ever since the raid. We thought it was just his imagination... but then the dog cried out and his father rushed in..." She shows the group the boy's arms. They're covered in fresh goblin bites.
"Please! His father's in there alone now! He flew into a rage, started tearing the closet apart to get at the creature!" The woman looks absolutely panicked and sick with worry about the fate of her husband.
Edlethron shakes his head at the drama in this small town and stands up. At this rate, he will never get to the crux of the Thassilonian empire. "Sejanus, do you know the way? Lead on."
Dolgrin sighs and grabs up Thunderer.
"Ah dun get 'is town. One minu' thar insul'in ye, tha nex' thar beggin' fer yer 'elp. Tell me, Edley, is 'is tha normal be'avior o' most 'uman towns?"
"Algerast!?" Sejanus slams his mug and grabs his crossbow. "Follow me, now! I know the way!" He bolts through the front door of the Rusty Dragon toward their home.
When the group arrives at the Barett home, the door is ajar. No lights shine from inside, but the light from nearby street lamps illuminate a slice of the interior. A chair is knocked to its side near the entrance, and a closed interior door is visible along the back wall.
It is eerily silent.
Edlethron quietly draws his sword waiting for Sejanus to lead them inside.
Dolgrin catches up to the others moments after they arrive at the house, his armor rattling the entire way. He takes just a moment to catch his breath, but then notes that nobody else has made a move inside yet.
"Bloo'y 'ells! It's just a single gobbin'! 'Emme lead tha way!"
He raises his shield and tightens his grip on his warhammer as he makes his way through the door and calls out, "'Allo in 'ere!? Mistar 'Ooman!? We be 'ere ta rid yer 'ome o' some gobbin' filth! Don' be comin' out a swingin' anythin' a' us!"
Sejanus looks at Edlethron, shrugs, and follows quickly behind Dolgrin. His crossbow is loaded, cocked, and shouldered.
As the dwarf barrels through the door, he spots a small dog in the back room laying unmoving on the ground. The three heroes rush inside, catching sight of what seems to be a makeshift blade buried in the creature's ear as they take in what seems to be a child's bedroom. A man, recognizable to Sejanus as Alergast by his stature, lies facedown on the floor, head and arms out of sight inside a small, cramped closet.
Edlethron nods toward his companions and the closet signaling that he hears something within. With his free hand, he grabs the ankle of the body and pulls it out of the closet when his companions are ready.
The body seems caught on something at first, but as the elf pulls it back, the guardsman comes free, leaving a wide trail of blood. The man is horribly mutilated, most of his face completely gone as if devoured. The heroes have only seconds to notice this, though, because from a hole in the closet's wooden floor bursts a savage, blood-drenched goblin, yammering incoherently as it rushes forward with gnashing teeth.
Initiative:
Round 1
Edlethron forces some of his considerable will power into his sword causing the blade to start glowing blue from hilt to tip and hum with power. He then takes a two-handed swing at the extraordinarily deranged goblin.
The goblin is too distracted by its charge () to dodge, taking the mighty blow hard across the chest. The creature is badly wounded, but does not falter. Sejanus has seconds to react before it sinks its teeth into him.
"Filthy greenskin." Sejanus aims and fires.
The goblin leaps forward, and Sejanus's crossbow bolt catches it square in the throat. It falters, nearly spent, but manages to sink its teeth into the guardsman's arm. Its grip is weak though, barely hanging on as it clings to consciousness.
"Aacch! Tha bloo'y gobbin' was eatin' tha poor lad! Filthy mongrel!" Dolgrin exclaims as he swings his hammer at the goblins oversized head.
__________
Round 2
Edlethron can't believe and wonders about the power of this goblin.
He then takes a two-handed swing at the extraordinarily deranged creature. The blade humming as it misses.
"Raaaaaaaa-get it off of me!" Sejanus tries to club the disgusting creature with the butt of his crossbow.
...but apparently having nasty goblin teeth in your arm makes a for a good distraction, and he flails about ineffectively.