For five years, the faithful of Sandpoint have attended church in temporary structures erected after fire destroyed the previous temple, and while their new religious leader was helpful, kind, and wise, church wasn't the same. Now, the new cathedral is finally done. All that remains is for the Swallowtail Festival to renew the site's blessings from the gods and it will be as if the Sandpoint fire had never occurred.
People have been up for hours, several merchants have set up tents to vend their wares of food, clothes, local crafts, souvenirs, and beverages. Others folk have arrived early to gain positions near the podiums and the tables beyond. Tables loaded with a picnic buffet ready for the congregation after the ceremonies. The Swallowtail Festival begins promptly as scheduled, and the turnout for the opening speeches is quite respectable. A stage has been set up in front of the cathedral and a woman with short auburn hair stands in the center. Behind her sit four wooden chairs, three of them occupied. The square before the church is crowded now, staff loading the tables and merchants hawking their goods join other locals and travelers as Mayor Deverin walks on the stage. As the crowd notices her, the chatter begins to die down and eyes turn to the stage. She smiles and begins to speak.
"Good morning everyone." The attractive and personable woman welcomes the crowd with her usual friendly attitude. Her excitement is obvious and proves contagious as she welcomes visitors and locals alike. "I see everyone’s arrived. Even Larz Rovanky has left off tanning hides to be here. I’m sure his workers are glad it’s not their hides getting tanned, at least not today." When the chuckles died down and Larz stops glowering past a reluctant smile, Mayor Deverin continues.
"It's wonderful to see so many of you here to join us on this proud day, and I'd like to extend my welcome to the many new faces I see in the crowd. As Mayor, I’d like to welcome you on behalf of the town. I hope you all are enjoying your stay here in Sandpoint and I sincerely hope that you're having a wonderful time. Our town has much to offer and I hope we can consider you as new friends. Spend some time in Sandpoint and you’ll grow to love it like we do. And even if you don’t stay long, spend your money while you’re here!"
Several of the merchants give a vigorous applause, and the Mayor lets the crowd settle before continuing over the remaining chuckles. "And to all of the old faces I see, thank you for coming and thank you for everything that each of you has done to keep this town strong. Thank you especially for all the time, sweat, and love you've put into building this fine cathedral. Sandpoint didn't seem complete without a church. We've always had heart. The true heart of Sandpoint is you, her people. But now we have an expression of that heart, and we built it ourselves!"
"Anyway, I can smell the lunch our tavern keepers are cooking already. A round of applause to Ameiko, Garridan, Cracktooth, and Jargie! I'm sure Father Zantus can spare an extra prayer that they don't burn anything before we get to eat it." More cheering erupts: the enticing aromas drifting over the crowd are overwhelming. "Now, since you have three more of us to stand here through, I'm going to sit down. Today as mayor I am declaring a town order to have fun! This is my favorite time of year!"
The crowd responds with a roar, and its a while before the Mayor could continue over the applause. "Without further ado, let me welcome our dutiful Sheriff, Belor Hemlock to the stage!" She indicates a dark-skinned, bulky man, clearly of Shoanti descent, wearing his armor and armed with a prestigious looking sword. Sheriff Hemlock nods and steps forward onto the stage.
"Thank you, Mayor. First off, let us have a moment of silence." He bows his head and begins speaking, "Let us remember the memories of those friends and family members who lost their lives in the tragic blaze that made our new cathedral necessary. Cherish those memories and may the blessings of our Gods see them happy and well in the Afterlife." He raises his head and stands in silence for a moment scanning the crowd.
"Over the next three days all instances of wrong-doing will be dealt with swiftly and to the fullest extent of the law. No exceptions. As the sheriff of Sandpoint, I, Belor Hemlock, would also like to welcome everyone to enjoy themselves today, and you may or may not be aware of the planned bonfire at the beach tonight... it looks to be a promising festival. Do trust that I will be monitoring the level of safe conduct late into the evening. I am trusting our fun will lean to the side of caution. If you are a militia member, remember where your duties lay, and help Sandpoint keep the peace. Thank you." With that the sheriff steps back awkwardly and beckons with his hand, for the next speaker to approach.
The next speaker is quite a contrast to the Sheriff; he is brightly dressed, sports a well-groomed goatee, and seems to be thoroughly enjoying the day. As he reaches the center stage he loosens his collar a bit, winks into the crowd and starts to talk:
"Well, thank you Sheriff for that uplifting oratory. Don't worry I doubt there will be any fun for you to stress over today. If things get out of hand you can ask Ameiko to take the stage and put us all to sleep with one of her stories." The crowd responds with a combination of chuckles and offended heckles.
Without a beat Ameiko shouts from her merchant tent "What about the story of your last flop at the theater? I'm almost done with my newest ballad, I call it Cyrdak the Unimpressive! Who wants to hear?"
The crowd responds with laughter and cheers. Amieko can still be heard shouting over the crowd "Your secret boyfriend helped me come up with the name!"
Cyrdak stands awkwardly waiting out the crowds laughter to die down, as it does Amieko sneers in one more one liner, "What a sleepy crowd Cyrdak!"
After the noise finally quiets Cyrdak continues with a forced smile as if nothing happened, "We can all agree, this is our time to celebrate! I know this town has been through some hard times, but we don't lay down easily. Look at what we've accomplished!" He motions towards the church. "And I'm telling you, they spared no expense with this place. Father Zantus' chamber pot? It's solid gold and comes with a singing choir standing nearby. It's no doubt our neighbors and nobles put a pretty copper into the construction of this joint. And to think they wanted nothing in return, but to enlighten us and our taxes for many lifetimes to come. But worry not about your coin purse, I've heard from father himself that the gods are getting their gold together to help pay for this place. But don't take it from me, let me hand the stage off to the man who's in charge here. But before I let him get things going I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my personal invitation to each and every one of you to the new production of "The Harpy's Curse" starring the world-famous Magnimarian diva Allishanda as Avisera the harpy queen! It's all premiering tomorrow evening and continuing throughout the next two weeks at the Theater. Come see it, it will be fabulous! And now join me in a bit of applause for his holiness himself, Father Zantus!"
The crowd cheers as Cyrdak motions Zantus to the center stage. The young priest looks noticeably abashed at the reception set up for him. He wears the traditional ceremonial robes of a priest of Desna and a shiny silver holy symbol about his neck. He smiles and tries to calm the crowd down, eventually speaking when the applause has subsided: "Ahem, thank you. Thank you Cyrdak. And thank all of you for coming to join us on this most Holy day."
“Today ushers in the new Fall season. A season I have always thought was named appropriately, as today was the day Desna fell from the heavens during battle with Lamashtu."
"Though all the world wept for the loss of the goddess, it is said that she survived. She was discovered, on the rocks of a beach, by a blind orphan, forgotten and cast aside by the rest of the world. Though the orphan didn't know who she was and could do little for the wounded goddess, she still stayed by her side, holding a vigil on the beach, tending to her as best she could and praying to her god, Desna. When other followers had abandoned Desna, the orphan empathized and held hope in her faith. Through the care of this orphan Desna recovered and revealed herself to the blind girl. In return for the orphans care and continued faith Desna transformed her into an angel and offered the girl ascension to Desna's palace in the heavens. It is now there and forever that they shall remain."
Father Zantus motions toward the newly finished cathedral, the sunlight glittering off the stained glass windows. “This story reminds us that tragedy is just a setback, not an end. Though our place of worship was destroyed, and our previous priest, Father Tobyn, perished in the flame, we have persevered as Desna would desire, and built anew. Today is our day of new beginnings. Our day of ascension. Friends of Sandpoint, I declare the Swallowtail Festival officially underway!"
An acolyte throws off the canvas of a nearby wagon, revealing thousands of swallowtail butterflies...the Children of Desna. He opens the cages and the crowd begins to applaud as butterflies flutter in every direction through the crowd, and eager children begin chasing them.
Moments later Father Zantus and the others step off the stage and the crowd begins to disperse to enjoy the festival. Numerous games and contests take place during the day, including sack races, games of hide-and-seek, weight-lifting challenges, balance beam contests, tug-of-war events, and the like. Lunch is provided free, at the expense of Sandpoint’s taverns. Each brings its best dishes. It soon becomes apparent that the darling of the lunch is, once again, Ameiko Kaijitsu, whose remarkable curry-spiced salmon and early winterdrop mead easily overshadow the other offerings, such as the Hagfish’s lobster chowder or the White Deer’s peppercorn venison.
In the far back of the square, Krios sits on the wall after scrambling up just so he could have a better view of the congregation before the festival's official start. The crowd that had come together was quite impressive and it was always good to see Sandpoint bustling with activity. The excitement in the air left a smile on his face, his eyes focusing in on the stage as the mayor began to speak.
With legs dangling in the air, Krios was a sight to see. His red hood was pulled up over his his head, his ears peeking out through the cuts along the hood. No a speck of facial hair upon his face, his body had the lithe form common for his race. The brigadine armor laid underneath his cloak, well-worn yet maintained, along with the two shortswords that he kept on his sides. While not a proper member of the town militia, Krios had the day off thanks to Lou taking the extra shift to cook up the food for the big day, and there was always a little bit of trouble here or there. Nothing too serious, maybe a goblin gets ambitious and tries to steal some food or a drunken brawl breaks out. Krios's father was always clear on it thought; always be prepared. It was why he kept his quiver and bow on him as well, his father had simply insisted he be armed if he was going to the Swallowtail Festival. The speeches were coming to an end when the hundreds of butterflies of spill out into the crowd, welcomed by the crowd's cheers and chased by children. A flurry of the swallowtail butterflies flutter past Krios as the festival officially gets underway.
"Better get to Ameiko's stand before the news gets out." Having worked part of the night before, he was aware of just how dangerously delicious the food the Rusty Dragon was presenting was going to be and without delay, Krios hopped down from the wall and manuevered his way gracefully through the crowds to Ameiko's stand. Even with his early timing, the food was being swamped and the lines were only beginning to get bigger. Lou looked like he was just beginning to comprehend how huge the crowd was this festival and Ameiko was looking like she was having the time of her life. Grabbing a plate, he made his way to the front and smiled at his boss and friend.
"Looks like you're going to be the town favorite again this year, Ameiko. Going to be busy all day, I presume?" Krios said in a soft voice. He projected himself though, years of working in the tavern had taught him how to be able to shout and still somehow come off as soft-spoken. "I don't know why you and Cydrak keep at each other like that. You both have good stories! I still think you should try working together to make a script." Despite his friendship with Ameiko, the elf had grown up listening to the tales of Cydrak Drokkus when he could sneak into the theater. The bard had seemed to notice him but, rather than be angry, seemed more entertained to have him listening to his shows from the shadows.
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Noro makes her way to the festival a little late, having missed some of the opening remarks. she tries to look presentable, but she still has some bruises from the previous night at the docks.
she checks the few coins she managed to keep from her winnings at the fight pit, her boss having taken the rest.
I just hope that this day will be different she mumbles to herself.
Oh great, missed the opening. oh well, at least I can't get arrested for that. I hope
Noro first stops by Amieko's stand sneaking up behind her brother as he is working feverishly to keep up with the demand.
psst, Lou, you got any spare Sake? she whispers trying to not draw attention to herself.
Lou does not answer but tilts his head toward a small wood crate off to the side. Noro nods and grabs a bottle. She gives Lou a pat on the back, thanks bro.
Noro slips away with the bottle and walks along the games area to see what she can hope to win.
Adarion, garbed in a set of standard elven scholarly clothes and having never experienced a non-elven festival, is firmly in the centre of the crowd in the square. He listens with rapt attention to the speeches, chuckling at the good-natured ribbings and smiling at the requests from the town leadership for the townsfolk to enjoy themselves responsibly. He listens with interest to Cyrdak's mention of a new play, Perhaps I'll have some time to watch a rendition during a break from my research.
He nods along as Father Zantus speaks of Desna, a goddess who's values his people often shared. His message, that tragedy is just a setback, resonates strongly with him as he thinks of Crying Leaf village and the predicament they are currently in. As the swallowtail butterflies are released, he laughs and claps loudly. "Beautiful!" he exclaims happily.
This town has clearly gone through some hardships. I heard mention of the "late unpleasantness" that occurred a few years ago, but it is heartening to see it's people overcome the adversity they endured. My people could learn some lessons here. Now... it's time to sample whatever delight Ameiko has concocted for this festival.
Adarion moves over to Ameiko's stand to get a plate of the curry-spiced salmon. When he finishes, he would look for an archery contest, to see how he measures up against the local talent.
As Krios moved toward the Rusty Dragon's booth, Ameiko noted his approach. With a wide grin she shouts to him "Better be glad you had the day off today." As he neared the front of the line and got some food, Ameiko responds to his inquiry "It's our goal to always be the town favorite, as you well know. I appreciate the extra help last night to get things prepped for today. And, of course it will be a busy day, at least until we run out of food." She turns to hand out another serving to another hungry patron.
As she does Noro makes her way over to the stall bugging her brother for some booze. At her brothers nod Noro seeks out the bottle from a crate and saunters off as Krios mentions Cydrak to her Ameiko. Ameiko shakes her head and rolls her eyes at the comment "Work with that hack? I think not. Just because he can steal plays from Magnimar and put on a production doesn't mean he has any actual artistic talent." She shrugs "Plus he just tries to hard." As Ameiko finishes her off-hand jab at Cydrak she passes out another plate to Adarion who had been in town for just a short time. He nods his thanks as he finds a place to sit and eat, watching the festivities before joining in himself.
Noro takes a few sips from the bottle before corking it and stowing it in her pack, then finds a weight lifting contest to jump in on in an attempt to win a bit of coin. Across the way, an archery contest is taking place and Adarion joins in to test his skills against the locals.
The festivities continue into the afternoon with everyone enjoying themselves. As dusk approaches, there is a general rowdiness to the crowd just from everyone's excitement for the upcoming consecration and the chatter of people talking about the festivities of the day.
As Adarion tucks into the food he watches some of the other games taking place. Just as he finishes up he notices a relatively slender human woman lift an absurd amount of weight in the weightlifting competition, . I'll have to remember not to get on her bad side! I couldn't lift half that! he thinks with amazement.
Getting up, he heads over to the archery competition, eager to see just how good the people here were. He certainly wasn't the best archer in Kyonin, but he wasn't bad either.
Whether he was still distracted by the human woman's feat of strength or overfull from Ameiko's delicious food, his shot was pretty poor. Well, I'm certainly not showing my best form today, he thinks with a disappointed frown.
Krios couldn't keep the wide grin from spreading across his face, his voice shouting over the assembled crowd. "Indeed! Seems like an awful day of working. Can't be doing that during a festival." Finally getting near the front and grabbing a plate of that delicious smelling salmon. He nodded softly in agreement with Ameiko, knowing that all the servers and cooks that worked at the Rusty Dragon had worked their ass off the night before ensuring that the meal would be an absolute hit. Already his stomach was grumbling at the fact that the juicy, tender fish was not already in his stomach. "Shouldn't be too long, not with this crowd. You're going to get the stinkeye from all the other owners when they see how packed your place is again this year." The threat was more jesting in nature, he knew Ameiko enjoyed being seen as the absolute best and seemed to relish the jealousy of her competitors. Maybe that was why she had so many different suitors' eyes.
She rolled her eyes and scoffed at the suggestion of working with Cydrak, bringing a frown to Krios's face as he tsked softly at her. "Just think about it, alright? You've got the storytelling down, he has the stagecraft. I really, truly think you'd both make something special if you didn't rip each other's throats out. If it didn't work...you could just blame each other like you always do." As he spoke, his sharp eyes caught sight of Noro moving up from behind and begging Lou for a bottle from the crate nearby. He was just about an adult when Noro was bored and watched how all the other children teased her for her slur in speech. Krios wasn't much of an elf but he had been taught proper Elven by his mother before the Late Unpleasantness. The way those same boys and girls butchered his language was atrocious and he never understood why they'd be so cruel. Part of him wished he had stepped in when he was younger to help her, maybe she would've been on a better path.
His thoughts were soon distracted by the fanciful elf that had appeared at the food line for just a moment before disappearing, Krios's eyes following him the whole time. The rest of the elves of Sandpoint were polite but he just felt like he never fit in with them and they never really felt welcome. They were of the same race but world's apart. Yet even to them, Adarion was a sight to behold; rumors had it that his family were important members in some conflict far away. He wanted to talk to the man yet he didn't want to bother someone who looked so important. Maybe after the festival was done?
"Take care Ameiko! See you later Lou! I'll see if I can win you guys something good to bring to the tavern tonight!" Walking off from the stand, he'd eagerly consume the delicacy she had perfected before rising up from his seat and making his way to the competitions nearby. Sackracing, balancing competitions, even archery were all things the young elf would find himself attracted to and try to win a few prizes for his friends back at the Rusty Dragon later that night.
This year certainly wasn't Krios's best year, maybe even one of his worst years, but he couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he commiserated with his fellow losers.
Cedric rolled his eyes at the priests speech. He never was one to follow Desna, and held true to the belief that such grandiose expenditure of coin would have been better spent in other ways for the town.
During the speechs Cedric stands back away from the main crowd, wearing leathers and furs he gained from his hunts. He smiles faintly at ameiko's jeering, catching quick glances at her throughout the ceremony. Never particuarly adept at wooing the ladies in conversation, he normally keeps quite and merely helps her out when he can, however he decides to try and show off at the competitions. Eventually, as the crowd thins, Cedric moves over to the archery and beam competitions. Ready to show off both his dexterity and his skills with a bow. He tries to time it so Ameiko sees him during both.
I wager no one can make a shot as well placed as I can. For I've practiced on more than mere wild animals. Cedric boasts as he takes his shot.
Nyx spies Adarion at the archery competition. He clutches the miniature shield-shaped mask hanging from a cord around his neck, half black and half white, while reciting strange-sounding incomprehensible words and moving his free hand in a deliberate motion. With that free hand now sparkling with magical emanations he approaches his new acquaintance and taps him on the shoulder, transferring the magical energy into the elf.
"Try taking another shot," he says with a wry smile. Then, just as quickly as he approached, he wanders off through the crowd toward the cathedral. Anyone observing him would notice him casting spells with uncommon frequency for no obvious reason, periodically muttering to himself under his breath.
With everyone finishing up their meals, and the day breaking into late afternoon/early evening the crowds settle down from the games, where some did much better than others, and the abundance of wonderful food. Most are content on talking among themselves and shopping stalls. A few of the organizers of the festivities go around announcing that the consecration ceremony will begin shortly and try to huddle the masses back to the town square.
There is a general rowdiness to the crowd just from everyone's excitement for the consecration about to being and the chatter of people talking about the festivities of the day.
A sharp retort, like the crack of distant thunder, slices through the excited crowd as the sun’s setting rays paint the western sky. A stray dog that has crawled under a nearby wagon to sleep starts awake, and the buzz of two dozen conversations quickly hushes as all heads turn toward the central podium, where a beaming Father Zantus has taken the stage. 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.
The crowd begins to scatter as battles, screaming, and the horrid song break out all throughout town. There is a small contingent of Goblins that no one else seems to be dealing with and they look ready to attack. As a woman runs by the goblins ambush her behind the cart, all three cutting into her with glee.
Krios begins to settle in for the consecration of the church, a smile on his face as he looks up at the setting sun. His father was likely heading back inside for the day, just about to get dinner set and ready. When the voices begin to die down for the day, all attention turns towards the podium where Father Zantus begins to prepare his speech. Yet it was soon after there was a scream from the crowd, cutting through the jovial atmosphere like a knife through flesh. There was yet another cry from the crowd, followed by the shrill, singing voices that began to ring out.
"G-goblins?" Krios seemed to mutter to himself, stupified for a moment when his eyes caught sight of the blur moving along the ground. His eyes widened for a moment, seeing the dog's lifeblood still out as the wicked thing eagerly lapped at the blood and began looking for its next victims. He shouts, both out of surprise and to alarm the others. He rushes along the way, moving around the tents as he hears the cutting of flesh and goblin laughing from behind the cart. Three of the beasts swiped at the woman, viciously and with murderous intent. His father's training was in full effect, as he found his blades in his hand. The firm hilt gave his shaking hands something to hold onto as fear threatened to take his heart. Yet as that woman cried out, his resolve hardened and those elven eyes narrowed like daggers. With a whirl of his blades, he shouted out to them in their native tongue.
The crude words left his tongue in a flurry and he squared his shoulders, readying for their attack.
Following the loud crack, Adarion looks towards the stage, seeing Father Zantus preparing to talk again. As he hears the first woman scream, he looks around, confused. As more screams join the first, he thinks to himself, This isn't how non-elves normally celebrate is it?
It's not until he sees the dog's throat cut and the elf nearby shout out Goblins, whilst drawing his weapons, that he realises something is drastically wrong. Spotting a group of the evil little creatures nearby, he'll move to get a clear shot and fire his bow at one of the creatures. "Horrible little creatures! he says aloud.
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Noro turned to hear what the holy man had to say, she was thankful for his healing in the past though. but things are cut short.
As Noro tries to size up the situation. her first look is toward the dog.
あなたは私の街に入ることを敢えてし、友達を傷つける。あなたは学ぶべきことがたくさんあります。レッスンナンバーワンの登場です
You dare to enter my town and hurt my friends. You have a lot to learn. Lesson number one coming up
As Noro starts to head toward the sound of the dog, she notices the goblins by a cart. when they slice a fleeing woman. Noro's anger grows.
She slips on a pair of armored gloves as she strides with confidence toward the goblins
At the noise, cedric turns away from the archery contest, having started showing off his handiwork of his darkwood and elegant crossbow.
Then, as the screams begin, and he sees the green menace, Cedric has flash backs to his early life, to seeing his parents taken from him. But now, instead of despair, anger takes hold. Now, Cedric was old enough and strong enough to do something about it.
Anna...need to find her, and Ameiko. Gotta make sure they stay safe.
Anna!? Where are you!? He shouts as he levels his crossbow at the goblin standing slightly to the side of the wagon and releasing. Driving a bolt into its oversized ugly head.
Finally seeming to notice the goblin attack and the retaliation efforts of a few people in the crowd, Nyx's voice is heard clearly and forcefully over the din of battle, inspiring courage in his allies.
"The Cube Is the Red Is the Sphere! Point with the Finger of the Scorched Black Hand!"
A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Krios notices the goblins first and yells out to alert everyone else, before moving to engage them. Cedric notices them as well, and takes out his crossbow to take aim.
The crowd rushes to get out of the square and find safety. While you all are dealing with this small band of goblins you see the sheriff and a few guards making quick work of another small group of goblins further to the west where much of the games were being held. To the south you notice Daviren Hosk, a retired adventurer and owner of the Goblin Squash Stables, dealing with two goblins of his own. The goblins seeing a greater threat, leave the bleeding woman and turn their attention toward Krios. One moves around the tent to get behind the elf while the other two rush toward him to attack.
One of the goblins slices into Krios drawing blood.
The goblins came swarming in, eager to actually get into a fight it seemed. Krios could feel his heart begin to pound within his chest as he twirled his blades for a moment before stepping into the melee. The sound of blades meeting blade began to ring out and all of Krios's father's teaching came to life. Look for the dedicated movement, counter and follow through, readjust and counter their counter.
One of the goblins gets a sure strike through, cutting Krios's hip and leaving a trail of red in his wake. A loud growl of pain escapes the elf's lips, as he tries to reciprocate the strike.
As the goblins rush Krios, Adarion draws his bow and takes a solid shot that the goblin attempting to flank Krios. The arrow flies true and strikes the goblin in the heart, dropping him to the ground. Krios, although in a bit of pain from the recent injury strikes back at the goblin who cut him. Managing to land the strike and cutting into the goblins arm, he then steps back to better protect his rear. Cedric steps up to get a solid line of fire and shoots his crossbow. The bolt flies true and finishes off the goblin Krios had previously cut. Noro moves up to the last remaining goblin, who is a bit shaken seeing both his allies fallen to ranged attacks. She raises her arm and back-hands the goblin so hard it falls to the ground with blood coming out of its ears. Nyx, near the cathedral starts to inspire the others with his words, however unusual they are, it seems to have an effect.
The square is mostly injured, except for the one injured woman leaning against the cart, trying to hold her wounds. The sheriff and the guards see you have handled the goblins here. The sheriff gives a nod and orders the guards deeper into the town where there must be more fighting out of your sight. Daviren puts down one of the goblins he was fighting and turns his attention to the other, who managed to slice into the mans leg. As he he turns toward his other foe something catches his eye to the south of the cathedral and he yells to you "More coming from the south!" You look and see another squad of goblins move into the square taking cover behind a wagon. Seeing you, three of them take out small shortbows, while one continues singing the aweful song.
These people are very capable! Adarion thinks to himself, impressed.
Adarion hears Daviren shout about more goblins and moves into a position better able to see the little menaces. As he moves he closes his eyes, imagining a wall of force surrounding his body and wills it into place. He feels a surge of energy leave him and a slight distortion appears in the air around him.
Krios was ready for a real fight when the arrow caught the goblin in the head, dropping it down to the ground. His blade claimed goblin blood in the next moment, just enough to wound the little bastard before a crossbow bolt crashed into the goblin's head and left it dead. He could see Noro coming now and grinned to the scared little monster, shaking his head.
Before the goblin could respond, Noro's gauntlet rocked it so hard that it could only writhe for a moment before expiring. His eyes sought out the others in the crowd, people he had been watching before the festival began. Only Noro was close enough to hear his appreciation. "Thank you."
Strange words flowed from the cathedral, from some strange cleric or wizard perhaps. Krios could feel something running through his form, as if his morale was soaring and his strength was more than it ever had been. It didn't feel natural but it felt good. Rushing through the crowds, Krios moved to better engage the encroaching goblins coming from the South.
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Noro just winks at Krios, one might mistake that for flirting but this is Noro, she more likely doesn't flirt, she will just grab you if she like you.
she then turns toward the next group. Sheriff better not blame me for this crap she mutters as she strides toward the next group limbering up like she is about to enter the ring once more.
Nyx continues his inspiring, if not entirely comprehensible sermon. "The telling shock of memory starts at the ending of each night!"
A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.
He then traces an invisible sigil in the space to his southwest, and finally moves back away from the goblins.
Blast Rune (Sp): As a standard action, you can create a blast rune in any adjacent square. Any creature entering this square takes 1d6 points of damage + 1 point for every two cleric levels you possess. This rune deals either acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, decided when you create the rune. The rune is invisible and lasts a number of rounds equal to your cleric level or until discharged. You cannot create a blast rune in a square occupied by another creature. This rune counts as a 1st-level spell for the purposes of dispelling. It can be discovered with a DC 26 Perception skill check and disarmed with a DC 26 Disable Device skill check. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Wisdom modifier.
Cedric leaps up to the stand takes aim with his crossbow at the noisy singing goblin, and fires another shot..
Adarion moves to get a better line of sight on the new goblins, while also casting a spell. Krios and Noro also start to move toward the new threat. Nyx continues to inspire the others while moving away from the goblins, after drawing some invisible pattern on the stones in front of him. Cedric moves up onto the platform and takes a shot at the goblin in the rear. The bolt flies true and the goblin promptly stops singing as it drops to the ground.
With the square almost completely cleared, the sounds of surrounding battles have lessened although not stopped completely. Daviren finishes up with the other goblin and seeing you have things in hand moves out of sight, likely to deal with another threat elsewhere.
The goblins behind the cart peak out to take aim as you advance on their position.
The two firing at Cedric miss, but the one firing at Noro hits, as Noro now has an arrow sticking in her shoulder.
Need to finish this quickly... I need to get going and find Anna.
Cedric lays flat on his stomach as he reloads and takes aim again and looses another bolt at a goblin, waiting for one to poke its head out to take a shot if he needs too. He mutters under his breath.
Not this time you green bastards... Not in my town.
Goblin arrows will begin raining out from behind the wagon, making Krios grit his teeth. "We can't let them keep us at range. Even with those incredible crossbow shots coming through." Krios charges forward, ducking into the side of the wagon and engaging the goblin there.
Adarion moves closer again, this time imagining a ball of energy condensing in his palm. A shimmering ball of purple-white forms in his hand as he feels energy leaching from his body and travelling down his arm. He thrusts his arm out and the ball of force moves unerringly towards the red goblin, deftly avoiding any obstacles before striking the goblin.
"The body of mind stands upon somebody else's legs!" shouts the half-mad priest.
A 1st-level bard can use his performance to inspire courage in his allies (including himself), bolstering them against fear and improving their combat abilities. To be affected, an ally must be able to perceive the bard's performance. An affected ally receives a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against charm and fear effects and a +1 competence bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls.
Nyx grins and his eyes sparkle with glee as he recites an incantation and magical emanations form in the air around him. He then runs over to the crossbowman on the stage and touches his shoulder .
"Let the All-Seeing Eye guide your next shot!"
Adarion uses his magic to blast one of the goblins with a small ball of force. The goblin yelps in pain, but seems undeterred. Krios and Noro make it up to the goblins just after Cedric takes out another with a well placed crossbow bolt. Nyx remains safely in the back yelling out phrases that seem to make little sense, but somehow inspire you to fight well.
The two remaining goblins drop their bow and pull out small swords, which they proceed to attack with.
With Noro's rage boiling over it leaves her open to the attack of the goblin who slices into her. However, Krios is able to dodge the attack of the other goblin.
Dodging out of the way of the goblin's strike, Krios brings his first blade around and aims to bury it deep into the goblin's chest. The man's strange ramblings still seem to make something in his mind connect in ways that he really doesn't understand but it was like he was faster and stronger.
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Another hit, more blood spilled, Noro just looks at the little bugger, My turn she says as she lays into him with an uppercut.
contact made, Noro's spiked fist separates the goblin's head as it goes flying leaving a bloody decapitated corpse at her feet.
with the one in front of her gone, Noro walks over to the one fighting Krios Stop fighting like an elf already.
Between Krios and Noro's assault on the remaining two goblins the threat has been neutralized.
Things at the festival itself have calmed. In the distance, the sounds of battle, clanging swords, calls of support by the town guard, and shrieking and singing goblins echo through the streets, but at the festival itself, most of the citizens have fled. In addition to the goblins you have slain, many more lie dead, along with a few unfortunate citizens. It is obvious that the fight has moved on, especially when the sound of a scream and a frantic barking come from the north.
As Noros walks over, Krios pulls his blade out from the goblin's neck and flicks the blade to the side. A trail of red is left in its wake. Adrenaline pumps through him as his eyes flicker over to the bloodied woman. His eyes are immediately drawn to the wound in her shoulder and her backwards comment is forgotten as he murmurs.
"You're hurt. You should have the priest look at that." The pain in his own leg has subsided, the excitement of combat dulling it for the moment. "Keep the adrenaline going. Pain will come if you wait for it." There is a sound of screaming to the North and without hesitation, the young elf begins to rush his way there. Putting away his blades and instead drawing his bow and arrow, he makes way for the continuing conflict.
At Noro's comment about fighting like an elf, Adarion raises an eyebrow. I think she means using tactics and guile instead of blindly running into combat while screaming, he thinks to himself with a smirk. Granted, he had just seen the women decapitate a goblin with a punch so he doesn't say it out loud.
Hearing the barking and the scream and then seeing the elven stranger heading towards the noise, he too decides to go towards the noise. As he goes, he checks his bow and nocks another arrow, ready to fire should another goblinoid creature emerge.
Nyx's voice quiets down as the attackers seem to be defeated.
Oh my, what was all that about?
He approaches the downed goblins and nudges one with his boot, then steps back and casts detect magic in their direction.
Everyone makes their way to the north. Just east of the White Deer, near Sandpoint’s north gate, a goblin mounted on a goblin dog has bravely attacked a noble and his hunting dog. The noble cowers behind a rain barrel where he calls for help, while his dog fights against the goblin. As you arrive on the scene, you're just in time to see the goblin kill the dog with his horsechopper. The dog crashes dying to the ground as the goblin's kin (who were themselves cowering nearby as the dog was handled) throw up a cheer and emerge from hiding.
The goblins are still distracted by their kill, and as they turn their attention to the noble, you have an opportunity to attack with surprise.