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The day has finally come! The Swallowtail festival is here!
For weeks the town has watched in anticipation as the final few touches have been placed on, in, and around Sandpoint’s new Temple. The day is the 22nd of Rova, the autumnal equinox, a holy day for many and a festival day for all. For five long years the citizens of Sandpoint have made do, holding their services in homes, taverns, and even the local glassworks, but with the consecration at the end of the day’s festivities, the new church will be ready to admit its congregation along with Father Zantus, the Temple’s clergyman.
A crowd gathers early, eager to start the day’s events. Stalls line the streets with hawkers selling their wares and advertising games of skill and chance. Before long a group of the town’s dignitaries make their way to the stage before the Temple and a hush falls on the crowd.
The first to step forward is Mayor Deverin whose obvious excitement and jubilee is contagious, she’s happy to see her town grow and have a reborn spiritual heart and it comes through in her speech. Jovially she remarks that even Larz Rovanky, Sandpoints resident tanner has made it to the event. Everyone laughs (except Larz).
Next to the podium is Sheriff Belor Hemlock. This dour officer of the law reminds everyone to be safe during the celebrations and asks for a moment of silence to remember Father Tobyn and the other lives lost in the fire that robbed the town of its Temple five years ago.
The third scheduled speaker is local businessman, Lonjiku Kaijutsu, but due to illness he was unable to attend. There’s a murmur in the crowd as everyone nods to themselves, Lonjiku is known for his dislike of frivolities.
To take his place, Cyrdak Drokkus, local showman and owner of the Sandpoint Theater, steps up to the podium and recounts the high points of the Temples construction process. Ever the promoter, he ends with a soliloquy from “The Harpy’s Curse” to be played that night at the Theater with none other than Allishanda to play the Harpy Queen. Miss it at your own detriment.
Finally, Father Zantus steps up and delivers a short speech thanking everyone for coming and asks that the town begin the festival with a short prayer.
And the Swallowtail festival begins.
There are games to be played, exotic foods to eat and sites to be seen.
Games include:
The Devil Hunt (Put an arrow through the Sandpoint Devil’s Heart, win a prize!)
The Goblin Toss (Beanbag Toss, get 3 in win a prize!)
The Lighthouse Smash (Knock over a pyramid of stones with a mini-catapult, win a prize!)
You have several hours to see everything before the Swallowtail release and lunch at noon. Feel free to interact with one another or if you'd rather, we can jump to the chase as well.
Garrokmal surges through the crowd of the Swallowtail festival... He has never particularly enjoyed coming here. He is uncomfortable in crowds of humans, but that's exactly why his adoptive parents always insisted he come when he was younger. They said he needed to get used to it (and the rest of the town to him).
It's not all bad, however. He gets a chance to speak to the Sheriff who helped him so long ago - a smile and show of appreciation once in a while pays a dividend in those moments when his rage gets the better of him in a public place. Then there are the games - the games! A chance to demonstrate the strength and agility he has developed through constant practice since before he can remember.
He sees the Lighthouse Smash. Machines are for the weak - I'll have nothing to do with that.
He passes by the Goblin Toss. A simple game... perhaps after I accomplish my main goal.
He approaches the Devil Hunt. A-ha! I've been practicing for this - my failure in previous years must be put behind me. This year the "Devil" gets his due!
Garrok waves at the game master. "Over here! I'll give that Devil a proper skewering!"
Eager to give your archery skills a shot, you make your way to the beach near the lighthouse where a pair of targets have been setup. A line of young men wait as everyone takes their pair of shots.
Jodar Provolost an older balding Varisian with a ring of dark black hair around his head welcomes Garrok to the Devil Hunt's booth. His rotund belly shakes as he laughs, shakes Garrok's hand and says, "Garrok! I knew that you'd stop by to take your shot at the beast. Just a copper, my big friend. Stick one in the heart and you win a pie from Sandpoint Savories."
He hands you a long bow and points toward a mockup of the Sandpoint devil. A silhouette of a demonic horse with wings rests 50 yards away across the dunes.
Hieronymous wanders through the crowd, trying to blend in despite looking a bit different from most. On his way to check out the new temple, he wanders by the games to see if one interests him. The Ligthouse Smash is somewhat intriguing, he decides he'll probably give it a try.
I think I'll try my luck!
Fresh off the galley, Zafzalurg Marniklum arrives at the Swallowtail Festival with hopes of filling his coin purse with a bit more jingle before signing on to another crew bound for distant ports. Zafzalurg scans the crowd for Cyrdak Drokkus. He wants to congratulate the man on his impassioned speech and impressive (if a little-hammy) soliloquy, He's also curious if “The Harpy’s Curse” could use an opening act.
Before he can spot the theater owner, another opportunity catches his eye. Goblin Toss, eh? A little buffoonery, a little Mage Hand... That should put a silver piece or two in the ol’ pouch.
Weaving through the crowd, Zafzalurg unslings his bloated backpack, then in a single fluid motion lays it in front of the game booth and steps up on it. Standing on the sum of his worldly possessions, the gnome dons his most rube-like expression and says, "Now, how do you play this - what's it called - Bugbear Bag?"
@Hieronymous - You make your way down to the end of Junker's way where the Lighthouse Smash has been placed. The first thing you notice about the game is the catapult, this large contraption has been beautifully carved and painted to look like a stone giant with exacting care. The catapult's bucket is shaped to look like the giants hands, when pulled back and fired, it looks as if the giant holds a boulder behind his head and flings it at a pyramid of stones set 20 feet distant.
Manning the booth and you suspect its primary craftsman is Aesrick Battlehorn, master of Sandpoint's Carpenter Guild. The dwarf looks Hieronymous over with a bit of approval as he steps up and hands over his two copper pieces "You look like a right sturdy boy, must have dwarf blood in your veins, lad."
He gets a look at your clouded pupils and his eyes widen. "Desna's grace, lad, are you blind? I can't let you go firing a catapult into the crowd now."
You assure him that you're more that capable of seeing the distance to the target and he hauls three small boulders over to the catapult. "Three tries you get, knock the stones over and you'll get one of my prize slingshots."
As the crowd is gathering at the new temple to attend the festival, a young girl tries to make her way through to get near the stage. Light of build and a full head shorter than most people there, she is forced to proceed at a harrowing pace, having to politely ask every other person to please let her through.
"Yes, please...", "May I...", "Thank you...", "Nice to see you!...", "Could you please...", "Pardon me...", "Thanks!"
"Caine, don't fall behind! Come, come!"
Following her closely, a curious animal, not larger than a chicken, with a snake-like head, a bird-like body and a long, whip-like tail hurries after her, cooing from time to time.
Managing to get to the stage just as the mayor starts giving her speech, Katarina watches spellbound the short ceremony, her eyes wide with wonder.
When the festival begins in earnest, Katarina starts to roam around, almost bouncing with excitement, trying to see a little bit of everything at once.
@Zaf - As you approach the Goblin Toss game in market square you can see that people are given a set of 3 green bean bags and attempt to toss them into a hole a few feet away that has been designed to look like a fire place.
A man with long salt and pepper hair and the look of a woodsman oversees the booth and addresses Zaf's question as he approaches. He points to a sign overhead. "This is the Goblin Toss master gnome. Best chance most folk get of tossing one of these little terrors into the fireplace. Nothing beats the real thing ya know, but this is a close enough second."
You hand him your copper piece and he hand you a set of the three green beanbags. You notice a name sewn into each one as heft them gauging their weight. Snotmouth, Horbler, and Gort. The man at the booth sees you read the names and states, "Goblins think books are sacrilegious and writing down their names curses their souls. Well, I dont know if its true or not, but I sure hope so." He points at the fireplace/hole, "Get all three in there and you win some of this delicious Venison Jerky made by the Sandpoint Meat Market."
@Katarina - You start out in the square in front of the Cathedral and most people scatter throughout the town as the ceremony ends and the festival proper begins.
As the crowd thins you can make out one nearby stall that is mobbed by a long line of people. You see a boy emerge from the line bouncing a fat sausage link between his hands trying to keep them from getting burned by the plump steaming link. He bites into it and you can see the juices run down his chin even as he fans his mouth and exclaims "Too hot!" to his friend.
You hear Ameiko's laughter come from the booth with the line and she says, "I told you it was hot, Jeremiah." Then you hear her proclaim over the crowd, "Taldoran Spiced Sausages, only a copper, get them while they last!"
Hieronymous says "That's some fine craftsmanship, and thanks for the compliment, I would be a fortunate soul to have dwarf blood in my veins."
He grunts as he tries the first boulder, but then once he has a feel for the catapult easily launches the other two at the target.
@Garrokmal - You heft the bow and get a feel for its weight before taking a short draw on the string. The draw weight is far lighter than what you're used to and you could probably hold the string back for an hour before getting tired.
You take one of the arrows Jodar presents to you and nock it in place. With one smooth motion you draw, aim, and fire, just as you've trained your whole life. You can see the arrow rise in the middle of its trajectory and then fall, hitting the silhouette right in the center of the bull's eye.
Jodar Provolost cheers, his girth bouncing with his thunderous laughter. "That's one dead Sandpoint devil. First one this morning, excellent shot. Couldn't have done it better myself." He points to the prize table nearby with a stack of delicious looking pies on it."Help yourself to a pie, it's well earned."
@Hieronymous - You load the first boulder into the catapult and crank back the rope with a little windlass at its rear then give the contraption a few minor adjustments.
You pull the cord and see the rock sail through the air to strike your stand pyramid of stones in the distance. It strikes them square in the middle of the second row, knocking down the top and most of the second rows of stones.
Aesrick nods. "Good shot, lad, but you've got the hardest to come."
You load up the second stone, noticing that the catapult's first shot shook your precision aiming off. You line it back up, crank back the giant's hands and pull the cord again.
This time the boulder streaks through where the center of the pyramid was seconds ago, but strikes nothing.
Determined, you load the giant up for your third attempt, taking all the factors into account. You fire the third shot.
It lands in the center of the standing boulders, smashing them all to the ground.
Aesrick steps over and places a rough callused hand on your shoulder. "Great work, you showed that Lighthouse who not to mess with, ya did." With his other hand he places a carved wooden slingshot into your hand. The forks are carved to look like two towers of a great keep and the handle looks like a ballista ready to fire between them.
"Enjoy the Festival, you've started off well." he says.
"Thank you Jodar. One day I'll do that for real and be a hero to the town!"
Practice makes perfect! He thinks as he walks away from the game. Glad he decided to play the game before breakfast, Garrok finds a quiet stoop upon which to devour his prize. Hunger sated, he decides to head back to the Goblin Toss.
Now that I've finally bested that challenge, I can relax and have some fun! A nice, uneventful day at the festival - that sounds like it'll do just fine...
Hieronymous looks over his new prize and then looks at Aesrick, "Another amazing bit of craftsmanship, you honor me Mr. Battlehorn. I have to admit that the second shot had me a bit worried, but I suppose it was for nothing. Perhaps it was fate that put this fine sling into my hand. It has been an honor to meet you."
Carefully attaching his new sling to his belt, he then proceeds to wander through the crowds towards the new temple, smiling and nodding at the people of Sandpoint on the way.
Katarina smiles brightly as she sees Ameiko is there. "Hey! Ameiko! Ameiko!" She shouts, making her way to the boot while waving her arms and jumping up and down, trying to get her attention.
As soon as she gets near her friend, she starts rambling overexcited "There are so many stalls! Full of games! And you can win prizes! I want to try them all! Have you see the ceremony? The mayor spo-"
Her barrage of words is interrupted when she feels her skirt being gently pulled from behind. Turning, she sees Caine clinging to her, whining loudly. "Oh? Hey, little one! What is it? Are you ok?" Caine motions with his head towards a nearby sausage, opening and closing his jaws with clear intent. "What? But you just ate! Less than an hour ago, a whole bowl of m-" The little creature starts to whimper even louder, till her mistress finally relents. "Oh, alright, alright! Stop crying, I'll buy you something, I promise..."
The little animal gives a loud yelp, happily moving his tail back and forth.
@Garrokmal - Having filled your stomach on the delicious pie, you make your way to the market square to find the notorious goblin toss booth.
You make your way there to find a funny looking gnome with a large pouch full of odd items taking aim at the hole/fireplace with a green beanbag that has the name Snotmouth sewn into it.
@Hieronymous - As you make your way back to the temple square you pass minstrels singing ballads and playing tunes of celebration. You pass booths selling pastries, pies, and clever crafts. You also happen to hear the sound of something heavy hitting a springboard and turn a corner to see a test of strength.
Savah Bevaniky owner of Savah's Armory, the local armor and weaponry store stands next to a board that's been decorated with a snarling ogre. Above its head is a sign that reads "The Ogre's Balls." You can see at the ogre's crotch are a pair of brass bells and on the ground is a heavy metal spring board. Savah holds a mallet in her hands and looks you over.
"You look like a mighty ogre slayer. Take a smack with my mallet and ring this ogre's bells. Just a copper and you can win a free pitcher of ale from the Rusty Dragon."
@Katarina - Ameiko sees you cheering and shouting at her. She motions you around the line and behind the counter.
"I wondered when I'd see you, but I hadn't guessed this early." She takes a couple sausages from the dwindling stack and tells one of her assistants to take over.
"If I'd named my bar after Caine there, I'd have had to call it The Hungry Dragon," she says as she tosses one of the sausages to the animated reptile. She hands the other to Katarina.
"I have to get back to the Dragon and see how the salmon for lunch is doing, but you stay out of trouble, I don't want to hear from Sheriff Hemlock that you've been telling all the cute boys that they'll grow up to be great hero's again." She winks as she says it and hurries off.
Once again you realize you're surrounded by a whole fair people and entertainments.
As Zafzalurg shifts a bean bag from hand to hand, gauging its heft and giving the moment a bit more drama, he notices a large half-orc sidle up to the booth. "Heyo, not too close now, my eager, and sizable, friend. I have never tossed a Snotnose before, and as such who knows in what direction the bean-stuffed projectile may fly. Also, you smell of... pie."
"A decent show, little one. Now, allow me to show you how it's done."
to the bearded man: "Here's my copper, friend - hand me those goblins."
to the gnome: "Now YOU stand back. I'm likely to confuse you for one of these bags and throw you through yonder target!"
The levity of the moment fades from Garrokmal. Harumph! "Well, when I find where I hear that bell ringing, we'll see what I'm really capable of!"
Hieronymous hands a copper piece to Savan Bevaniky, and hefts the large hammer, then takes a swing at "The Ogre's Balls".
"Huh, I never did say I was coordinated, let me take another try", he hands a second copper piece to Savan.
Katarina smiles broadly when Ameiko gifts her the sausages "Thank you! Thank you! Eh, you know Caine, if he could he'd eat from dawn till dusk, am I not right little one?"
Snout stuffed with delicious meat, the tiny dinosaur raises his head, tilts it sideways a few times as if uncertain, then proceeds to lower it again to finish his little feast.
"Ah, you worry too much, I won't get into trouble I promise!" She exclaims, giving Ameiko a brief hug, then she turns around and runs back into the festival "See you later!"
Biting into her sausage, Katarina looks upon the various stalls, trying to decide what to do first.
'Ohh... So many games! What should I do first? The Devil Hunt? What a curious name... I like it! But... Awww, a bow? I don't know how to use one... Well, maybe later... What's that? The Goblin Toss? Ah! That's a funny name, I wanna try that one! Let's go, Let's go!'
Her mind set, she makes her way toward the Goblin Toss, ready to try her luck.
@Zaf, Garrok, & Katarina - You toss the first goblin/bean bag into the fire place with ease and it makes a 'thunk' as it hits the hole. The second one is lighter and hits the board above the fireplace. The third lands in the hole with no difficulty at all.
The man at the booth gives you a hearty nudge on the arms and says, "Good try my friend! If it was easy, I wouldn't make any money at this, yeah? Maybe next time."
Garrokmal recognizes the man as Daverin Hosk, owner of the Goblin Squash Stables here in Sandpoint, also a local celebrity as a great goblin hunter. He hands Garrok the three beanbags after he retrieves them.
He has similar results to Zaf.
"That second one's a little light, it throws people off. Better luck next time my friend" He says with a wink.
Next up is a pretty young girl that is quite short for a human but is still much taller than Zaf, behind her trails a very hungry looking lizard of some sort that smells of sausages.
She gives Daverin her copper and tosses the three beanbags at the hole. The first hits the board beneath the hole. The second gets much closer but bounces off as well and the third swishes into the fireplace without touching the sides.
"That last one was the best I've seen all day, girl. That's a right cute pet you have there. Better luck to you next time."
@Hieronymous - You take your first swing with the big hammer at the springboard but its off center and just clips the target. The lead load jumps a foot or two before dropping back to the ground.
Savah looks at you and says, "I know you have a better shot than that in you."
Disappointed you pony up the copper for another swing and get a better grip on the mallet, haul it back and pound the springboard like its a spike to be driven into the ground. The load rockets to the top of the board and both of the 'ogre's balls' ring with the impact.
A big grin spreads across Savah's face. [b]"First one this morning. Looks at them arms, I knew you had it in you. Here's your ticket for a free pitcher, ogre slayer." She hands you a wooden chit with a drawing of a rusty dragon on one side and says "One Free Pitcher" on the other.
Hieronymous says, "Excellent, Thank you Mr. Bevaniky, ahh, but look at the sun, getting close to the big event, don't want to miss that! I'll be back for the beer later!"
He carefully places the chit in his pouch and heads for the temple, reminding himself to buy some rations if he sees a good place for it later in the day.
Garrokmal is agitated by his failure to win the prize at the Goblin Toss.
"A good throw, little girl, but when faced with the real thing, you'll want someone with strength on your side! Make way, gnome - lest I bump into you and cause a mortal wound. It wouldn't do well to kill someone before the ceremony at the Temple. Good day, master Hosk!"
He storms off to the north, causing consternation among the passers-by.
The humiliation - equaled by a joker of a gnome... And the girl's throw wasn't better than mine, whatever Daviren says!
He gets angrier as he makes his way up Festival Street and then High Street. Just before he's about to turn toward the Temple, he sees the source of the ringing bell.
Perfect! I need to hit something!
"Savah! Here's my copper - give me that mallet!"
Garrok lets his anger flow from his feet, up through his body and out the end of the hammer as he takes a powerful swing at the springboard.
"GrrrrraaaaaAAAAAHHHHH!"
"There is a definite burr under that man's saddle." Zafzalurg mutters to no one in particular before announcing to the man running the booth, "No matter. We're here to battle the nefarious goblin, Snotnose and its minions. One more go, I think." Zafzalurg flips him another copper.
The look of disappointment on Katarina's face for losing at the game is quickly replaced with a satisfied grin when Daverin compliments her skills.
She looks over with curiosity when the imposing half-orc walks away, a bit perplexed about his behavior. 'Was he upset?... Maybe he feels bad for not winning?'
"Hey mister, don't feel bad!" She shouts after him, trying to cheer him up, "It's hard to hit the target three times in a row!"
When the large half-orc swings the hammer with all his might, Katarina's eyes go wide with amazement. 'Whoa, he is strong! Could've killed a bull with that blow!... Must be hard to swing the hammer like that... Maybe just use the hammer's own weight? I bet if you can lift it over your head, then you just need to let it fall on the springboard just right to win!... That could be fun! Let's give it a try!'
After mulling over it for a while, Katarina approaches 'The Ogre's Balls' stall, gives Savah a shiny copper piece, takes the heavy mallet in hand, reeling under its weight, and puts her (meager) strength to the test!
As he walks away from the armory towards the temple, Hieronymous hears a mild commotion and turns back to look, just in time to see a burly half-orc bring the hammer down on the springboard as if he had pulled the moon itself out of the sky.
He applauds the orc's effort, "Well Done, well done indeed!" As he turns away from the armory, He chuckles a little to himself, this has been a fun day so far. He quickly looks around for a place that might sell rations, but sees nothing. I suppose that'll come later, he thinks.
Just as he is about to resume his walk to the temple, the bell rings again! He turns for a quick look, thinking the half-orc must've had a bit more aggression to work out, and instead he sees a tiny human woman (even shorter than Hieronymous himself), standing there holding the hammer, with a pleased expression on her face. He Applauds again, Talk about never judge a book by it's cover! He makes a mental not to underestimate her, should he ever run into her again.
Smiling, something he hadn't done much of for the past three years, Hieronymous proceeds to the temple.
Taking a look at the sun, Katarina realizes it's almost time for the big ceremony.
'I have to hurry or I won't get a good spot to watch!'
She hastily thanks Savah, grabs Caine with both hands, and rushes to the Temple Square.
@Garrok & Katarina - Savah flips you your prize chit for ringing the ogre's bell. "By the gods, youv'e got the strength of Cayden himself. Strength like that can be put to use. Drop by the Armory sometime and I'll show you the proper use of a hammer."
No sooner has she spoken than the girl from the beabag toss approaches and takes up the hammer, smashing it on the springboard and ringing the ogre's bells.
Savah flips her hair back and says to Garrok, "Three in a row, you must have broken it you big brute."
Then she turns to Katarina and hands her one of the chits too. "You put a hurting on that ogre for such a small girl, nice job! Don't drink that whole pitcher by yourself now."
She looks at the sun and says, "You folks better hurry along if you want to see the swallowtail release. I hear that will be an event not to miss."
@zaf - You toss the three beanbags at the fireplace once more, you feel charged as the first and second bags land in the hole, but the third one smacks against the board.
Daverin Hosk says, "Tough luck my friend. You gave a good go of it. If you ever want to hear some tales of real goblin slaying, come to the stables sometime, I'll even show you what's left of old Chief Whartus of the Bonegrinder Tribe. Not a one of them scamps left. But you better get going if you're going to make the swallowtail release, have a good time my friend."
@Everyone - At noon the crowd gathers once more in front of Sandpoint's new cathedral. Soon after, Father Zantus and his acolytes wheel in a wagon covered with a tarp into the square. Zantus then makes his way back to the podium and gives a short parable telling how Desna first fell to earth and was nursed back to health by a blind child. In reward for the child's aid, she transformed him into a beautiful butterfly. And then he ends with a prayer.
With the final amen of the prayer, the acolytes pull back the tarp on the wagon and a thousand butterflies, known as the the children of Desna flutter into the air in a spiraling riot of color to a great cheer from the crowd.
Soon after, Mayor Deverin steps back up to the podium and announces that a free lunch will be provided by the local inns and taverns at on side of the square where a long row of picnic tables have been setup with a buffet style line going from one end to the other while cooks and servers go full tilt to keep the food hot and fresh.
Ameiko and The Rusty Dragon have a spicy curry salmon that everyone says is the best thing at the fair, while the Hagfish's lobster choweder or the White Deer's peppercorn venison are both well worthy of praise.
Soon everyone is gathering in small groups and talking as they eat their food and enjoy the company of the others in the town. You can feel the community bonding around you.
As the lunch rush and chatter subsides a sharp retort, like the crack of distant thunder, slices through the excited crowd 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.
Hieronymous tried to figure out just what is going on.
Garrok deflates a bit as he accepts the prize token. "Thanks, Savah. I just needed to get that out of my system. Enjoy the rest of the festival!"
He turns up the street toward the Temple. He's not far when he hears the bell ring again - turning, he sees the girl from the goblin toss standing with the mallet, a pleased smile spreading across her face. Well, I'll be spitted - I suspect there's more to her than meets the eye. Better steer clear of her - people like that are trouble!
Recovering from his outburst of energy, he picks up his pace and rounds the corner to the Temple.
Good! They haven't begun yet.
He situates himself on the entry of a small building on the far side of the temple square. Fiddling with his prize token, he drops it into his belt pouch, looking forward to raising his tankard to Cayden Cailean after the ceremony.
Garrok starts at what sounds like thunder and instinctively readies his shield for protection. He keeps his hand on the hilt of his longsword but doesn't want to draw it in this crowd.
Startled by the screams and the unsettling shrieking voices, Katarina quickly looks around trying to understand what's happening.
Feeling his mistress's distress, Caine swiftly runs between Katarina's feet, then starts to frantically move his head about, striving to pinpoint the source of danger.
Order for surprise round looks like this:
Garrok
Katarina
Goblins
Order for round 1 will be:
Garrok
Hieronymous
Katarina
Zaf
Goblins
Garrok and Katarina can see three goblins on their way to attacking townsfolk, a move action will get you to within melee range of any of them and they are all currently flat footed.
Sorry, forgot about Caine
As he made his perception check he can also act in the surprise round if you want him to, but he'll go after the goblins in both cases.
"Goblins!" Garrok roars.
Seeing a lone goblin and a pair of them, he decides to charge the pair, hoping to keep them occupied.
I hope one of Hemlock's men is at hand to take care of that lone goblin!
Shield held high, he rushes at the goblins, bellowing all the while.
Deeply satisfied with the look of surprise on the goblins' faces as he bears down upon them, Garrok readies his longsword and swings at the nearest goblin.
"What's going on? What's all this screaming? There are too many of you tallies to see!"
Zafzalurg fingers the hilt of his sickle and waits nervously for the crowd to thin.
Just as Katarina spots the goblin hiding under the wagon, two more of the vile little creatures appear from the north end of the square, attacking villagers.
'Goblins! They are attacking Sandpoint! B-but why, wha-... No, no! There is no time, I-I need to do something!'
Just as the large Half-orc she met before during the day roars and bravely charges the pair of goblins in the north of the plaza, Katarina springs into action and focuses on the lone one under the wagon.
Power welling up inside her, she points a finger at the wretched creature and utters in a disturbing voice "אַבליוויאַן נעמען איר"
Garrokmal dashes into the fray against two manic goblins, swinging his longsword at them, but they manage to run past him, one of the pair attempts to climb up onto the table, mashing his nasty hands in the food as he goes. The other holds out a lit torch and catches one of the table cloths on fire. They both smile in glee.
The goblin charges out from under the wagon with wild eyed abandon as it slashes its knife across the back of a woman's leg, it seems Katarina's hex went off unnoticed by its target.
In the background you hear the beat of a goblin chant.
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, catch the pup,
Bonk the head to shut it up.
Bones be cracked, flesh be stewed,
We be goblins! You be food!
Bah! They're slipping by me! he thinks as he spins around. That's it! With my sword or my bare hands, I'll make these little monsters pay for attacking my home!
Garrok follows after the goblins, and attacks the one with the torch.
"HA! Sneak past me with your skull broken!"
He quickly scans the area, trying to relocate the third goblin. Ah! There he is next to the wagon - and he's attacking someone- wait- is that HER?! Cayden help me! For the first time he notices the small reptile running between her feet, reacting as she reacts to the goblins' attack. A familiar, eh? Maybe she's not as helpless as she looks... I hope not, because I have my hands full!
He re-focuses on the goblins in front of him. "Die, worms!"
You raise your longsword high above your head and bring it down with a mighty swing into the goblin's skull. The look of surprise on his face is gratifying as he hits the ground.
Hieronymous shakes his head as if to clear his vision and finally sees a goblin running from the tiny little human from earlier. He grabs his spear and tries to impale the repulsive little creature.
You grab your spear with both hands and run toward the small green form causing havoc in the crowd. With a motion you've practiced hundreds of times, you jab the spear at it and feel the point bite into its flesh then pull it free as the goblin falls to the ground.