With bile still dribbling from it's maws, the double-headed beast steps forward and snaps as those that threaten it.
The beast's foulness and stench threaten to overwhelm its victims but both the pale paladin and the dwarf shake off the effects.
Another crack of thunder splits the air and in the distance a bolt of lightning lights up the night sky.
Ventus rushes in and thrusts with his sword.
Once at a safe distance, Doran pulls the potion he'd been given from his satchel, popping the cork and downing the liquid in a deep gulp.
Ventus's sword drives deep into the monster's flank but it doesn't fall. Both heads snap in defiance at the ranger.
As the beast takes a chunk out of his shoulder, Pirknok stumbles backward and to the side, slashing violently at it with his axe, but too hurt to aim well.
As the beast snaps & worries at her & her compatriots, Ysme edges further to her left as she swings her flail about to bring it down on the beast's side.
Eli ducks behind the beast and threatens it with his club, staying as defensive as possible. He takes a tentative swing at its back.
Ensu will move up behind Ysme and Pirknok, and see if he can't do anything with his longspear now that he is basically out of all other options.
Eli steps up behind the beast and cracks it hard in the knee in with his club. The blow is solid and though it doesn't drop the monster, it distracts it long enough for Ysme's flail to smack it across the muzzle and Ensu's spear to pierce its hide.
Now spitting bloody slaver, the wounded mutant animal snaps again at the heroes again.
One of the heads finds a soft spot in Ventus's armor and bites down.
Ensu keeps up the attack, wincing at the damage being done, but trying to ignore it for the time being.
"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE!!!" screams Pirknok, slashing viciously at the evil creature.
Ensu's probing attack distracts the beast long enough for Pirknok to wind up and strike a massive deadly blow, lopping off not one but both of the mutant's heads. The hound's mangy body twitches twice before flopping to the ground.
As the mutated goblin dog is slain, a glance over at the sheriff and his men shows that their battle is just ending as well. The goblin force is broken and the survivors can be seen fleeing into the alleys and back deeper into the city. Somehow the assembled host of goblins outside the wall hear of the defeat and can be heard panicking and turning tail as well.
Ensu stops for a second, long enough to regain his composure, before looking over the dead creature closely. "Dark magics here. I've heard of these kind of creatures, but never thought I'd have the joy of meeting one in person. If the goblins have access to someone who can do this, we may have bigger problems on our hands."
Finally straightening after shrugging off the disgust towards the mutated dog's vomit, Doran watches as Pirknok slays the beast. He notices the goblins begin to flee from the city, sighing heavily. "Told ya, fat'eads! 'is city won' be yours!" The Abadaran's shoulders slump as the adrenaline begins to leave his blood, and he moves to retrieve and of his bolts that are still in decent shape.
Pirknok rests the end of his axe on the ground and leans heavily on it. He breathes deeply, his eyes closed and his brows knitted in suddenly-realized pain.
Sputtering briefly from the wash of the foul beast's blood as Pirknok's blow decapitates it, Ysme turns to the mass of the town guard's forces, calling out. Turning to the dwarf, "Did the children say where their father might be found?"
"Friends, I know we are all tired from this ordeal, but we cannot consider it concluded until we have swept the town for any remaining Goblin holdouts. Will you accompany me?"
After the pummeling he had received pretty much all day, Ventus felt like there was not a single part of him that did not hurt at this point.
"How're we doing?" He asked, shaking off his weariness for the moment. He wanted to know what state the others were in before they went charging into trouble again.
Pirknok suddenly looks panicked.
"Rodrick an' Sarah! How cud ah ferget?? Ah sher hope..." He trails off, looking meaningfully over at the guards.
Hoisting his axe with a slight grunt, Pirknok trudges wearily over to the sheriff and addresses him in Shoanti. "Nishmek, nak kai lokmit. Shok shov... ok dai Rodrick vav kin?"
The worry in his voice and face outweighs the weariness, but both are certainly present.
After doing what little he could to help tend to the wounded at the gate, Ensu returns to the cathedral to help out there. While not overly comfortable with the day to day operations of running a church, this was precisely where he tended to do better than the traditional clergy, having field experience to draw on while faced with dealing the carnage left after the attack.
Doran stands with Sheriff Hemlock and the militia, hoping to help them clean up any stragglers or generally assist the townspeople as best as they are able. His face is impassive, but his eyes betray just how exhausted he is after the day's events. Ne'er thought 'is would be 'ow I'd spend th' festival...
Eli seems alarmed that the battle is over, but he just can't believe that more Goblins won't just leap out at him at any moment. He slumps on a nearby doorstep and begins fumbling with vials and powders from his many pouches and bandolier until he has concocted a slightly green liquid, which he inspects carefully before drinking. He seems much better after he has done so, and he hops to his feet with renewed vigor. He smiles at the others and says, "I have to go check on Marysin! Thank you, friends for helping to save Sandpoint. I'm new here, but it is home. If you ever need alchemical services, I am at your command!" Eli shakes hands and claps people on shoulders and then rushes off.
Ventus looked to the other three he had fought with who were still near the gate with him. "I don't know about you lot but I need to find someone good with a needle and thread and some stiff drinks, not necessarily in that order. Anyone think there might be a tavern still open?"
With the gate secured the greatest of the danger has passed and, although it is nearly dawn before people feel safe enough to take to streets and return to their homes, it appears Sandpoint is safe... for now.
***
It's late into the following morning, when each of you receives a summons calling you to the mayor's office for urgent business.
Ventus promises the other soldiers a round once the bloody business is done and is true to his word if any take him up on it after the joint effort to sweep the town clear.
The summons reaches Ventus on a public bench outside whatever tavern he managed to make it to. After the one round, exhaustion crept in on him and what was supposed to be a short nap turned into something approaching an night's sleep. On the way to the mayor he tries to work some of the kinks out of his back. He pauses by the well where he first spoke to Pirknok to wash his gear and splash some water on his face.
"What a mess," he says to no one in particular as he makes his way to the mayor's office, no doubt getting lost once or twice.
Having dragged Pirknok through nearly three-quarters of the town in search of the children's father, then re-united the surviving family members, then gone through once more in search of Father Zantus & finally completed a full sweep of the town for any last pockets of Goblin marauders; Ysme is notably bleary-eyed & unfresh when she arrives in response to the Mayor's summons. Nevertheless, she makes an effort to comport herself with all courtesy.
let this not be something to be dealt with right now. I need about another night & a half's worth of sleep,
"You could always just turn them down," Ventus said, mildly amused by Ysme's state.
Doran trods tiredly towards the Mayor's office, dark circles very apparent under his eyes. Having spent most of the night helping to finish clearing out the last of the goblins, the tanned Chelaxian looks like death warmed over this morning. With his crossbow hanging at his hip, the normally composed Quickstep looks anything but pleased with being summoned this early in the morning.
However, it would be both rude and unbecoming of a servant of the Master of the First Vault to decline a request from such an official, so Doran makes his best effort to arrive on time, and in the best physical state he can manage. Upon seeing Ysme and Ventus in the office, Doran grins slightly, nodding to the two. "Lon' time no see, huh?" he asks sardonically.
Pirknok is clearly very relieved to find Rodrick's father alive and mostly well. He tries to help clean and bandage the man's wound, but has never been very good at that and is glad when one of the local priests takes over.
Pirknok relates, in a stilted and grieved tone, the news about the man's wife, and helps him remove her body from the common room before they retrieve the children. After they're safely reunited and accompanied to their home, Pirknok hugs the children fiercely and tells them to get some sleep. Once they've closed the door, he lies down outside the least defensible opening and falls into a fitful sleep, his hands clasped around his axe-haft.
He wakes just before dawn to check that all is still and peaceful, then heads to the Rusty Dragon for a quiet breakfast, stopping to clean up at the well.
He's still at the Dragon when the summons arrives, and he follows the messenger to the mayor's office in silence, his face pensive... being summoned by elders is rarely good.
Eli is probably the best-rested of the group when he turns up at the Mayor's office in his best clothes. He is tentative with city officials and stays as quiet as anyone will let him. Marysin said to be deferent and polite. I haven't seen her so happy in a while. Last night when we got home... he shakes his head and puts on a slightly silly smile as he greets the others. "Well, everyone seems a little worse for wear, but I'm glad to see we're all in one piece."
Ensu still looks tired when he shows up at the mayor's office, having worked with the local clergy well into the night. Still he seems cheerful enough, and there is one notable addition to his outfit; he has his full armament of weapons on him, most notably his crossbow that hangs from his belt. He greets the others quietly and waits quietly for the meeting to start.
The mayor’s office is what you would expect - well-appointed and finely furnished. The furniture is made of sturdy dark wood and silk tapestries cover the walls. A large desk dominates the southern end of the room on the surface of which lies a grand detailed map of Sandpoint.
Waiting within are three people, a haggard sheriff Hemlock, his bred-for-war lieutenant, and Mayor Kendra Deverin herself.
Mayor Deverin is a middle-aged woman of slightly taller than average height and short maroon-colored hair. Although not beautiful in a classic sense, she carries herself with a bearing that demands attention. She’s dressed in statesman’s robes that look like they’ve been worn a half-day too long.
”Thank you, all of you, for coming. I know you all must still be very tired”, she says apologetically.
"Please, how may we be of aid?" Ysmerelda attempts to politely nudge Mayor Deverin into getting to the point.
Pirknok listens quietly, his gaze on the floor. Huh. Thuh elders never thank us fer comin'... jus' say the punishment an' "yer dismissed, Pirknok."
Ventus elbowed Pirknok in a way that was supposed to be subtle but was not subtle in the least. The dwarf was as easy to read as a book. As per usual the drover had a wry smile on his face. "And sore too, don't forget the sore part. So yes, please enlighten us as to what comes next." Out of everyone, he was perhaps the least worried about this meeting.
Doran nods, speaking, "It mus' be important if ya need us 'is early af'er a day like yesterday..."
"Sheriff Hemlock and Lieutenant Krojun both spoke very highly of you. Your actions last night saved many lives, some might argue the whole of Sandpoint owes you a debt", she says with a slight smile. "Word of your participation has spread fast and many are calling you heroes."
"What's even more interesting is that most of you don't even call this place home. What drove all of you to action? As I understand it, only you Mr. Blakewater formally live here. Why risk your lives so personally for a city that you owe no loyalty to?"
"Th' Church o' Abadar sen' me to help maintain th' peace, ma'am. I' was only nat'ral f'r me t' help out," Doran says, standing at parade rest. Though he seems very tired, he is doing his best to look professional.
Pirknok frowns, clearly puzzled. After a moment, the puzzled look disappears as he sets his jaw and closes his eyes. His eyebrows twitch spasmodically, his eyes closing more tightly now and again, all in the space of the few moments it takes Doran to answer. When he opens his eyes to give his own answer, his voice is quiet and somewhat strained. He looks up at the deputy briefly, but looks away as he speaks.
"Ah cudint let 'um... cudint let et happen, not agin... not here, not never. Ah won't. Ah cudint stop 'um last time..."
Ventus shrugged, "I didn't like my chances alone. If the town defenses went down, the odds I would make it out intact would take a sharp dive. I killed some gobs, got stuck a couple of times but I'm alive, right? Besides, there are worse things to die of."
"I must admit to being somewhat taken aback at your...
Surprise,
Mayor. As has been pointed out by these gentlemen, wits, morals, both self-interest & a desire for the common weal all but demanded it."
"None of us but Mr. Blakewater are residents, no, but none of us have a ready means of leaving at speed, so flight was out."
"Goblins aren't known for differentiating between different nations of man, so why would they treat us any differently than you?" Fixing Mayor Deverin squarely in the eye, "why do you ask?"
Eli looks around at the others as they give their justifications and he steps forward after they have all spoken. He clears his throat and in a soft voice says, "I think it comes down to this. All these people are uncommonly good. It may be coincidence, or it may be fate that they have all come together to defend Sandpoint as they have, but we have to thank our gods for that." Eli looks down uncomfortably.
"They? I certainly hope you don't exclude yourself from their number. More than one story has reached my office, about how you turned your knowledge of alchemy and explosives to the defense of others last night."
"A hero is not always the one with the strength or training for the task. Often, it's the will to do good alone that sets legends apart from others."
The sheriff, too exhausted for words, simply nods his agreement.
"I'm sorry, but you still have not answered my question. Why do you ask?"
"What is the purpose of this meeting? You have called us here, here we are. By your own words you have much evidence that we have, each of us, been busy last night. At the same time, I cannot believe that the necessary recovery efforts have been concluded."
"Yet, here we are, here you are, when there are other matters with which we could, perhaps should, be occupying ourselves."
"We were called. We are here. Why?"
"Easy there, killer, I'm sure the mayor had her own fun last night. Let her have a moment for eloquence."
Pirknok frowns at what he perceives as such disrespect from Ysmerelda.
The mayor smiles a bit in the changeling's direction and nods.
"Of course. Public office has given me an appreciation for prose and ceremony that not everyone shares. I'll get right to the point."
"Many lost their lives in last night's attack, many times more were injured, and even more suffered personal property damage. Sandpoint is not new to strife and tragedy; as I'm sure you know, yesterday's festival commemorated the fire that claimed our last grand cathedral and the lives of one of Sandpoint's most cherish clergymen and his adopted daughter, but the weeks to come will be trying times all the same. In my experience, it's times like these that the people need heroes - those they can look up to - more than ever."
"Sheriff Hemlock and his men will be leading the investigation into the goblin attack, how they got into the city, and how they were able to maneuver into position all but unnoticed. This investigation will take an unknown amount of time and in the interim, I'd like to make each of you deputies under his command. In doing so, I'd ask that you make yourself known around the city. Let your presence inspire the people of Sandpoint and reassure them that even in the darkest of times, there's nothing to fear."