Getting set up to run this for an existing group.
Dot.
dotting.
We will be taking it from just before the fighting started in the last game. The party is in the White Deer Tavern, which fronts the square that the main festival is being held. There are crowds of people about, buying and selling from stalls and baskets, laughing and drinking, all in all a very festive and happy affair.
In front of the White Deer Taver, are a pair of wooden life-sized deer. Carved with painstaking care from white birch, stand astride the entrance to this sizable tavern and inn. The White Deer commands an impressive view of the Varisian Gulf to the north. The building is new, recently rebuilt after the previous inn at this location burnt to the ground five years ago in the same fire that destroyed the Sandpoint Chapel. The new building is a grand affair, three stories tall with a stone first floor and wooden upper floors with a dozen large rooms that can accommodate two to three guests each.
A somber and quiet Shoanti man named Garridan Viskalai owns the White Deer and runs the place with the aid of his family and a few local girls.
Turning to Calathes, Scipio continues playing the tour guide, "I am glad that you agreed on that. The tavern crawl is definitely a thing during the festival, especially for esteemed visitors like yourself. You can never see all the places on your own otherwise, so this is just me guiding you through town. I have heard that the Brown Mold Ale here, despite it's name, is quite delicious, and has nothing to do with mold, rather than it being server particularly cold. I shall depart to grab us all a pint each, unless somebody objects, and will be back shortly to discuss where we'd be going. Now if you'd excuse me..." Scipio stops his enthusiastic tone, scented with hints of Cheliaxian accent, and goes to the bar.
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Calathes smiles, "I am certainly more than willing to let you be my tour guide through this town, though I may have to beg off having a drink at every tavern in town lest I not be able to remember the journey." Thinking about things a bit further, "Well perhaps trying the brown mold ale would not be so bad."
"I will accompany you, but I must decline the drinks. I still have memories of Kaer Maga..." Ranna looks away from the group, out a window toward the gulf. Though her eyes see nothing, she tries her best to imagine what's out there.
Dot - Marshman Jim and Zloster, his cellmate frog are here.
The party is in a very nice and unusually clean bar. Through the windows and the open door, you can hear the sounds of revelry and party. Crowds of voices and snatches of song float over the group. Gradually, the din and noise is replaced by a single voice calling for quiet and for all townsfolk to join him in the square. The crowd inside of the bar slowly starts to filter out into the pleasant evening air.
"So tavern crawl got canceled, eh lad ?" says Jim looking, from under the brim of his hat, at the door."Might be worth a thing or five to see what's this jay silencing the bog.
Scipio comes straight from the bar, carrying several drinks in his hands, and puts them on the table as Jim speaks. Looking at the drinks and the "No Refunds" sign above the bar, written in several languages, Scipio says, "Oh... Bother. Well, I guess we might as well see what's going on outside. They know me here, and I got a tap, so I suppose we can take the mugs outside with us, and it would be alright. It'd be my pleasure, in fact." Scipio then goes to the barmaid, gives her a gold piece and notions the party to follow him through the door.
You exit the Tavern into the midst of a large group of revelers all listening to a woman standing on a podium.
Mayor Deverin's friendly attitude and excitement prove contagious as she welcomes visitors to town and jokes about how even Larz Rovanky, the local tanner (and notorious workaholic) managed to tear himself away from the tannery to attend, much to everyone's but Larz's amusement.
After the Mayor steps back, Sheriff Hemlock brings the crowd down a bit with his dour mood, his reminder to be safe around the evenings bonfire, and ends his speech by calling for a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives in the fire that claimed the town's previous church five years ago.
Fortunately, Cyrdak Drokkus is more than up to the challenge of bringing the crowd's mood back up with his rousing anecdotes as he delivers a not-completely-irreverent recap of the long process the town went through to finance and construct the new cathedral.
Finally, Father Zantus steps up give a short speech thanking everyone for coming before declaring the Swallowtail Festival underway. After the cheers subside, he leads the town people in several prayers of consecration. As the sun's setting rays paint the western sky, Father Zantus claps his hands, and a clap of thunder reverberates through the town. A stray dog that has crawled under a nearby wagon to sleep starts awake. He clears his throat, takes a breath to speak, and suddenly a woman’s scream slices through the air. A few moments later, another scream rises, then another. Beyond them, a sudden surge of strange new voices rises— high-pitched, tittering shrieks that sound not quite human. The crowd parts and something low to the ground races by, giggling with disturbing glee as the stray dog gives a pained yelp and then collapses with a gurgle, its throat cut open from ear to ear. As blood pools around
its head, the raucous sound of a strange song begins, chanted from shrill, scratchy voices.
"What the hells!", shouts Scipio, attempting to draw his trident.
Jim dashes pissed to Zloster and jumps on the back of her, looking around and trying to find the source of this nonsense, disturbing his drinking.
Marshman Jim and Scipio are able to see a goblin crouching under the wagon, next to the dead dog. He is licking blood from his dogslicer as he grins maniacally at the crowd, gleefully watching the panic ensue.
From around the square, a hideous song arises from a great many little psychotic voices. Dripping with glee and abandon, shivers go up and down your spines as you begin to understand the words.
Goblins chew, and goblins bite
Goblins cut and goblins fight!
Stab the dog and cut the horse,
Goblins eat and take by force!
Goblins race and goblins jump
Goblins slash and goblins bump
Burn the skin and mash the head,
Goblins here, and you be dead!
Chase the baby and catch the pup
Bonk the head to shut it up
Bones be cracked and flesh be stewed,
We be goblins, and you be food!
"SWAMP BOGGERS!" yells the marshman at the sight of the little maniacal freaks, known in the swamps for their savage cruelty. "Zloster dear, green is back on the menu" continues the equally green man and points with his whip towards the little abomination.
"Aim for their heads, everyone! Pincer movement!", shouts Scipio, trying to organise anyone willing to lend a hand. "Help the civilians! You there, run, I'll cover you!"
As Marshman and Scipio move to engage the Goblin and organize a resistance, the little psycho looks up and realizes that he is the target of the attention. As he darts into the crowd, you hear more screams from behind you.
Calathes:
Marshman:
Ranna:
Sarvis:
Scipio:
Goblins:
Scipio
Calathes
Marshman and froggy
Goblin A
Goblin B
Goblin C
Sarvis
Ranna
Jim turns around and swings his whip at the feeble legs of the swamp bogger. Get on yer back pet-food! My darling's hungry! The frog bends her knees, takes a deep breath and launches her tongue at the green creature.
Goblins B and C really take a hard hit from Calathes color spray spell and are seeing rainbows.. hopefully for Eternity.
Marshman tries to trip his goblin, but it manages to jump out of the way with a gleeful cackle. He is still laughing when Zloster wraps its tongue around its ankles and sends it sprawling, pulling it into the square.
Scipio runs to Calathes and begins to say something before seeing the two goblins start muttering about and talking about rainbows. He stops right next to him and says, "Good job! Are there any others?"
Goblin B- Kicking at the leprechaun at the end of the rainbow he is submerged in
Goblin C- Fascinated in his dream world by all the pretty pretty color.
Goblin A- Takes a swing at Zloster with his dogslicer
And misses because it is screaming too hard to truly aim
Scipio
Calathes
Marshman and froggy
Goblin A
Goblin B
Goblin C
Sarvis
Ranna
Ranna steps toward the sound of shrieking goblin. As she gets close enough to see Goblin A, she stops and shouts. "May the fires of the Cinderlands take you!"
She waves her hands about, and Goblin A's weapon turns red-hot.
The little bugger screams even harder as his dogslicer turns red hot and burns his hand. He flings the weapon across the square and tries to cram his whole hand into his mouth.
Scipio
Calathes
Marshman and froggy
Goblin A- 2 dmg
Goblin B- Unconcious x5, B/S x2
Goblin C- Unconcious x5, B/S x2
Sarvis
Ranna
Sarvis trips over his feet, but makes a dutiful attempt to add to the companions endeavors none the less.
Scipio
Calathes
Marshman and froggy
Goblin A- 2 dmg
Goblin B- Unconcious x5, B/S x2
Goblin C- Unconcious x5, B/S x2
Sarvis
Ranna
1 rounds left of teamwork-Precise strike +1/+1
Scipio moves in front of Calathes and stabs one of the prancing Goblins.
The snoozing goblin takes 3 dmg, interrupting his sweet dreams but still unconcious.
Jim lets Zloster nom nom on the little bugger and looks around for extra trouble coming their way.
With two of the goblins nothing more than greasy smears on the cobblestones, one remains unconcious. Everyone can easily hear screams and sounds of battle intermixed with psychotic laughter and sounds of general destruction all around you. It appears that the whole city has come under attack from all sides, all at once. Marshman is able to discern that there are three general focii to the mayhem: North, South, and East.
Scipio mashes his heavy shield on the last goblin's head, and cleans off the brain matter with its clothes.
"Little rats... Anyone hurt? I suggest since we're all able bodied individuals, we go and help Sheriff Hemlock in driving these bastards back where they came from. The Northern part is the most inhabited, let's go there!" says Scipio in one big breath. He readies his gear, and wait for the others to proceed.