It's a bright and shiny day in Sandpoint. The late summer sun is hot on your brows as the time inches closer to midday. The town is on end, as the Swallowtail festival is in full swing. In the shadow of the new cathedral, a number of booths and stands have been raised, and seemingly everyone is out, enjoying the party. Music and laughter rings across the plaza.
As for entertainment, there's lots to be found. Exotic and inviting smells vaft from snackstands, townsfolk roar in excitement as they bet on the lizard races, proffessional dancers draw the eyes to the stage. There's a fortune teller, and an illusionist who showcases incredibly detailed visages of far-off lands and exotic architecture - there's even a dancing booth.
What passes as the town council is due to give a speech come midday - and it will pretty soon.
Sesi had arrived early that morning. Her first order of business was to find and secure a place to sleep for the night.
To say that had not gone well was to say that snow wasn't exactly warm. Her first stop at the White Deer Inn had resulted in a rather heated argument between her and the owner when she found that he did not and never would serve mead. Next was the Hagfish. That had gone slightly better, but she was still disappointed that it was only a restaurant and tavern with no rooms for rent. After promising to come back and test her mettle in taking a drink from Noro's tank, she made her way to the Fatman's Feedbag. A few minutes later, she walked out feeling like she needed a bath after all the leering looks and thinly veiled innuendo. Finally she found the Rusty Dragon, and found that it had been full for a week. Even the customary copper to sleep on the tavern floor was out of the question.
Still, this was a festival day and she was determined to enjoy it. She made her way to the square in front of the cathedral, and that was when she meet some of the town's younger folk. Barely two hours after arriving, she was busy playing a game of Hide and Seek. She had never had any friends to play with growing up, and for a little while, Sesi was a seven year-old kid again as she chased and capered about the square, as often as not turning the tables on the seeker when she was hiding, and letting the little ones get away when she knew exactly where they were. It was nearly noon when mothers and fathers came and thanked her for looking out for the little ones, and leading the little ones away so she could get some food and something to drink before the speeches began.
Something familiar wafted on the wind. It was something she couldn't place, though she did remember smelling it in Kalsgard, but what was it? It smelled inviting, what ever it was, and her belly rumbled like a thunderstorm. She followed her nose until she spotted the stall of a tien woman who couldn't be more than a few years older than she was.
"Sorry," the woman said as she cooked something in a large wok, "I can't serve anything until after the ceremony."
"Ceremony? You mean those speeches I keep hearing about," Sesi asks.
"Yep," the woman answered, "wait, weren't you talking to Bethany earlier?"
"Um, I guess. She was at the Rusty Dragon, right? How did you know, though. I thought everyone in there was still asleep."
"Not everyone," the woman said with a smile, "My name's Ameiko, and I own the place. I take it you just arrived?"
"Yeah, and I haven't had anything all day. Could you spare some bread and some mead for a hungry traveler?"
"Sure, but it'll cost you," The woman said, a positively impish grin on her face.
"How much?"
"Five coppers and a story before you leave Sandpoint."
"DONE!"
---
A short while later, just before the speeches start, Sesi finishes devouring the roll she'd gotten and sips at the pint of mead. Now that the edge of her hunger had been dulled, she looked about the square, watching the people of Sandpoint celebrate and the performances on stage.
"Well, Thordall, you wanted me to see new things. I think I'm doing alright in that department," she says quietly to herself as she sits on her pack.
The smell of freshly smoked salmon makes its way into Lia's nose as she scoops up a portion with her fork and stuffs it into her mouth. The Swallowtail Festival is a time of celebration and enjoyment, and the food on offer is nothing short of the town's best--the salmon chowder from the White Deer Inn sounded appetizing at first, but compared to the Rusty Dragon's offerings, it just fell short.
The young half-elf looks up from her meal and looks around at the attractions lining the market square. Lizard races, exotic dancers, fortune telling... it was the perfect place to get away from the daily grind of hauling lumber. She turns to her father, a sunburnt Varisian man with dark hair and blue eyes, and beams at him. "Thanks for letting me come here today, Dad."
Her father chuckles and pats her on the shoulder. "Don't mention it, Lia. Today's too much fun to let it go to waste." He looks down at her chain shirt and at the many weapons hanging off her person, an eyebrow quirked. "Although I still wonder why you felt the need to bring all that gear with you. Sheriff Hemlock and the rest of the militia are already on duty--I doubt anything's going to get violent on their watch."
"Hey, I feel safer wearing them." Lia shrugs and finishes the last of her salmon. "Now, where should we go first...?"
Her thoughts are interrupted by the cook, Ameiko, conversing with a new customer. She didn't look like she was from around Varisia...
"See, that's why you pack a lunch first." She giggles. "Sometimes, you gotta have something more filling than cookies and pie, ya know?"
"Although they're still pretty tasty, no matter what time of day it is."
Still caked in road dust, Karst grinned as he clomped through the town. Happy people having a good time, joking and laughing more freely than they did back at the Sky Citadel. Children weaved to and fro around the revelers, acting out schemes and plans their parents would never know of. One or two even crept up, thinking themselves crafty, to tug on his beard, egged on by thier fellows. Karst let them: What harm could it do, and it would make for a good story for the children to tell each other. When they tugged, he responded with feigned but appropriate dwarvish temper, letting out a stream of what sounded like dwarvish invective, but was actually just a list of his uncles' first names. He chuckled to himself after they ran off, screaming and giggling.
He had tried a few of the local dishes: meat on sticks and dishes in cheap wooden bowls. They were interesting, if not particularly satisfying. Human cuisine was a bit subtle for his palate, and the portions too meager. One thing that could be said about the dwarvish culture of steady toil: you worked up one hell of an appetite at the end of the day. Dwarvish food came in two varieties: bland but nutritious (utilitarian fuel for working, a staple of Dwarvish lunches), and spicy enough to clean the varnish of a copper kettle. The kind of flavor you need when your tongue is dulled with drink, and yet another test for a cast iron dwarven stomach. What he wouldn't give for a good hard wedge of Janderhoff Cheddar, a plate of mutton served with rock peppers, and a flagon of Hoof and Horns ale to wash it down.
Ah well. There was nothing for it. The local brew had it's charms, however, and went down smooth and cool on a warm summer day. A local inn called The Hagfish had a reputation for a dish to test the gorge of all comers, and a drink none could abide without cursing their mothers. He would have to give the place a try.
Some action seemed to be starting on a raised dais, navel-high for the locals, but up to his chin. A native Varisian man in sober blue stood next to a woman who must be the mayor.
"That would be Father Zantus." he mused. Karst would be seeking him out after the ceremony to pay his respects as a fellow man of faith, and perhaps to find a pallet to sleep on while he found out whether he liked the feel of Sandpoint.
Things were looking good so far.
Pendrix frowned. It was a face he made when he was focusing, and focusing he was. The needles were sharp enough, but orcflesh was always harder to penetrate. Sweat dripped down his forehead from the mental exertion. He pinched the green skin between his thumb and forefinger, and carefully pushed the needle through it. A deep red drop of blood slid out of the hole, and down Pendrix's finger. Pendrix never did get the hang of sewing, but it came with the territory. The body on the table in front of him was done. Sewing the lips shut was the last thing he had to do. Navigating around the tusks had been hard, but he had done it. The half-orc had died of a sudden pain in his chest.
'Certainly not a fitting end for an orc-blooded,' he mused to himself. 'Nonetheless, a paying customer is a paying customer.'
He washed his hands in the stone basin across the room. He was pleased he had finished in time for the Festival. Changing clothes, he grabbed his coat and headed out the door.
His first stop was the sheriff's office. It wasn't that far; just around the corner. The morgue was fairly conveniently located, after all.
He arrived a minute later, dodging all the crowds here for the ceremony. Breezing into the office, he called out to the woman who worked at the front of the office.
"Hello Elizavet...um...how are you this...today?"
Elizavet was a woman in her 50s, a no-nonsense type who'd never had much patience for Pendrix.
"WHAAAT do yoouu want?" She always did drag out her words.
"I, uh....you see...I finished my...assignment."
Elivaet stared at him blankly.
"The uh...gentleman...in the morgue? A Mr. Sharpsmile, I believe?"
"Ah. That's Slipsmeal, you racist jerk!" Erilech Slipsmeal was a retired deputy, and the sheriff and his force had put together a fund to pay for his funeral services. Pendrix has made a major error. He'd be hearing about this for weeks.
"My apologies." He bowed low, and backed slowly out of the door, blushing, and holding the bow.
Once out of the office, he hurried onto the festival. The body would be taken to the cemetary for the service later, but for now Pendrix was free.
He passed all of his favorite haunts, and enjoyed all the sights. So many new people to meet, foods to try, animals to bleed, games to play.
'Perhaps I shouldn't be speaking to anyone today...'
He turned toward the crowd, and made his way in. He followed his nose, and it lead him toward the stage. He thought he would get a good spot for the festivities.
He tripped, and fell flat on his face.
Upon getting his bearings, he realized he'd tripped over an attractive young woman. He blushed furiously, his dark skin darkening still.
"I'm terribly sorry! I didn't see you there. Are you alright? My name is Pendrix. Can I help you up?" The words tumbled out of him. Usually when he embarrassed himself, especially in front of a pretty girl, he clammed up.
This was different.
This was new.
This was terrifying.
It looked like he would have to speak to someone today after all.
Sesi blinked.
She wasn't quite sure how it happened, but here she was now tangled up with someone else and lying flat on her back. Somehow, she'd also managed to not spill what was left of her drink. As she registered these facts, the someone else spoke up.
"I'm terribly sorry! I didn't see you there. Are you alright? My name is Pendrix. Can I help you up?"
"Nothin's broken, and I still have my drink, but yeah, a little help would be nice, just watch where you put your hands," She answers, smiling as she teases the young man. After being helped up, she sets her pack upright again and begins to check everything to make sure it was all in place. "So, Pendrix, right? My name is Sesi. So, do you trip over young girls often, or is this more of a one time thing?"
She takes a sip of her mead, using the cheap mug to hide her smile.
I shouldn't tease him. I really shouldn't, but it's just too tempting! He's nothing like the lads I would have met in Kalsgard.
He blushed even more furiously. His cheeks were turning scarlet.
"No, you are the only young girl I've tripped over. I mean to say that...I've not tripped over other women. NOT THAT I'D WANT TO!"
He rubbed his head, embarrassed.
"Not that you aren't worth tripping over...." He clapped his left hand over his mouth. He'd apparently even surprised himself with that.
He sighed, and held out his right hand to help her up. He kept his left firmly over his mouth.
Karst but his lip and shook his head, stifling a chuckle at the hapless young man's expense. He pointedly looked in the other direction as he drank his ale.
"This poor sod needs a woman to take the edge off so bad he's liable to choke on his own tongue."
He didn't want to laugh at the poor boy, but he kept an ear on the exchange anyway: this was far more entertaining than the dusky dancing girls or the puppet stage.
A woman with short auburn hair climbs up the stage before the cathedral, and walks to the centre of the platform. As the crowd notices Mayor Deverin, the chatter begins to die down and eyes turn to the stage. She smiles and begins to speak.
"Good morning, everyone."
She's smiling, and obviously excited to be here. It's quite infectious.
"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 die down and Larz stops glowering, Mayor Deverin continues.
"It's wonderful to see so many members of our community here on this proud day, and I'd like to extend my welcome to the many new faces I also see in the crowd. 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 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 vigorous applause, and the Mayor lets the crowd settle before continuing.
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 - you, her people. But now we have an expression of that heart, and we built it ourselves! Anyway, I can smell the lunch being prepared already. A round of applause for Ameiko, Garridan, Cracktooth, and Jargie!"
Ameiko pokes Sesi in the side. "That's me," she stage-whispers jokingly.
There's more cheering. There's something to what the Mayor said - if the smell is anything to go by, whatever the inns are cooking up will be amazing.
"Now, since you have three more of us to listen to before you get to eat, I'm going to sit down. Today, as mayor, I am declaring a town order: have fun!
The crowd responds with a roar, and it is a while before the Mayor can continue.
"Without further ado, let me welcome our dutiful Sheriff, Belor Hemlock, to the stage!"
She gestures towards a dark-skinned, bulky man, clearly of Shoanti descent, dressed in well-kept armour and with a sword at his side. He nods and steps onto the stage.
"Thank you, Mayor. First off, there are people I'd like to remember."
He bows his head and continues speaking.
"Let us honour 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 safe in the afterlife. A moment of silence, please."
He raises his head and stands in silence for a moment, scanning the crowd.
"As the Sheriff of Sandpoint, I would also like to welcome you to enjoy yourselves here today, and remind you to stay safe as you do so. If you are planning on attending the bonfire at the beach tonight, be especially careful. Try not to overindulge, as there will always be those who are ready to take advantage of carelessness at a festival such as this. If you are a militia member, remember where your duties lie, and help me keep the peace in Sandpoint. Thank you."
With that, the Sheriff steps back awkwardly and beckons for the next speaker to approach. After a short pause, a young man hurries up onto the stage, dashes over to Mayor Deverin, and speaks briefly to her in a whisper. He hurries away again, and the Mayor steps forward.
"I'm sorry to say that Lonjiku Kaijitsu won't be able to join us today, as he is not feeling well. So please give a warm welcome to Cyrdak Drokkus!"
Cyrdak bounds onto the stage, beaming broadly, and bowing towards the crowd as he goes. He is brightly dressed, sports a well-groomed goatee, and seems to thoroughly enjoy being center stage. He loosens his collar a bit, winks at the crowd and launches into a speech.
"First of all, I'd like to thank the Sheriff for his uplifting oratory. Don't worry, I doubt there will be any fun for you to worry yourself about today, Belor. If things get out of hand, you can always ask Ameiko to take to the stage and put us all to sleep with one of her stories."
The crowd reacts with a combination of chuckles and offended heckles. Without missing a beat, Ameiko shouts back,
"What about the story of your last flop at the theater? I'm almost done with my latest ballad! I call it "Cyrdak the Unimpressive"!"
The crowd responds with laughter and cheers. Ameiko shouts over the crowd - she seems to know how to make her voice carry.
"Your secret boyfriend helped me come up with the title!"
Cyrdak stands awkwardly, waiting for the laughter to die down. When it does, he continues as if nothing happened. His smile seems a bit more strained, though.
Listen, there's something we can all agree on: 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 makes a grand, revealing gesture towards the church.
And, I'm telling you, they spared no expense with this place. Father Zantus' chamber pot is solid gold and comes with a singing choir standing nearby! There's no doubt our neighbors and nobles put a pretty copper into the construction. And to think they want nothing in return except to enlighten us and our purses for many years to come! But don't tax yourselves unduly today - relax, and have some fun. In fact, I'd like to extend my personal invitation to each and every one of you to come to the new production of 'The Harpy's Curse', starring the world-famous Magnimarian diva Allishanda as Avisera, the harpy queen! It's premiering tomorrow evening and continuing throughout the next two weeks at the Theater. And now, join me in a round of applause for his holiness himself, Father Zantus!"
The crowd cheers as Cyrdak calls Zantus to the stage. The young priest looks noticeably flustered at the reception. He wears the traditional ceremonial robes of a priest of Desna and a gleaming holy symbol on his neck. He smiles and lifts his hands to calm the crowd, 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, as I'm sure you know, was the day Desna fell from the heavens during battle with Lamashtu. Though all the world wept for the loss of the goddess, and of dreams, it is said that she survived. She was discovered on the rocks of a beach by a blind orphan, one forgotten and cast aside by the rest of the world. Though the orphan didn't know who the wounded goddes was and could do little for her, still she stayed by her side, holding a vigil on the beach, offering her companionship and prayer. When other followers had abandoned Desna, the orphan held hope in her faith. Through the simple care of this orphan child, Desna recovered, and in return asked the girl to accompany her to Desna's palace. When the orphan agreed, she was transformed into an immortal spirit in the shape of a butterfly and lifted up to the heavens."
Father Zantus motions toward the newly-finished cathedral, the sunlight glittering off the stained glass windows.
This story reminds us that seeming tragedy is just a setback, not an end. Though our place of worship was destroyed, and our previous priest, Father Tobyn, perished in the flames, 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 pulls a lever, and the cages spring open; the crowd begins to applaud as the butterflies swarm into the air in a spiraling riot of color, and eager children begin chasing them through the crowd.
Ameiko smiles at you. "Well, that was really something. Look, I gotta run - the food might be burning. Swing by my tavern for lunch, yeah? Hope to see all of you." And with that, she runs off through the crowd.
Lia listens to the speeches with one ear as she looks around at the gathered people. She notes the new faces in the crowd.
Ooh... a dwarven priest, that new girl, and now--wait, is that--oh, my. It is. Another mage? And he's one clumsy fellow, tripping over her like that. Still kinda adorable, from how he's stumbling over himself.
Once the speeches are over, Lia nods at her father and hops off of her seat to greet the newcomers. "Heya! Can't say I've seen you folks around here before. Welcome to Sandpoint! You picked a great time to visit!" She says with a grin.
Karst blinked as he stared into the sky, watching the butterflies whirl and spiral on the breeze in a dance of colors.
Nothing like this back home. he thought to himself, smiling appreciatively. Closest we have are cave moths: twice the size but not half so colorful.
He drained his mug and clamped it down on a nearby table. Trays of food were being set out now, and he took a roasted potato from a pile, dipped it in a bowl of melted butter and chives, and popped the whole thing into his mouth. A bit of starchy goodness to lay the foundation for a day of drinking. He cast his eyes about the square, looking for something to catch his attention.
A slip of a girl with hair like cornsilk pipped up, addressing the group before the stage.
"Heya! Can't say I've seen you folks around here before. Welcome to Sandpoint! You picked a great time to visit!" She says with a grin.
Karst stopped to gulp his food down, looking back and forth from the girl to the awkward young man and bold young woman. A sword gleamed on the girl's hip, and she moved with a lithe grace, displaying a slightly predatory mien that was at odds with her slight frame. What's this, now? he thought, favoring the girl with a little wave.
Sesi blinked, looking at Pendrix with a blank expression for a moment before she chuckled, then laughed. After a few seconds, she manages to control herself pats the young man on the shoulder.
"No, no. It's fine. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have laughed," Sesi tells him, "No harm done and I've been traveling the road for a couple of weeks so what's a little more dirt? Trust me, You're fine."
Being from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings, Sesi had never seen a live butterfly. Sure, traders that had collections would come to Kalsgard every now and then, but seeing something dead and seeing it alive were two different things. She spent the next few moments just grinning and watching the swarm dance in a dazzling display of color.
Then the smell of the food hit her and she was dragging Pendrix over to the both Ameiko was running. After getting another mug of mead and plate piled with curried rice and salmon, she made her way to the tables to sit down and enjoy her lunch.
"Heya! Can't say I've seen you folks around here before. Welcome to Sandpoint! You picked a great time to visit!"
"I hope you haven't, otherwise there's two of me and Papa always said that one was more than enough for this or any other world," She says as she shifts things about so that one of her hands is free. She holds her right hand out and adds, "my name's Sesi. May I have yours."
Pendrix had been standing with one hand over his mouth, and the other extended to the young woman on the ground for the entire duration of the speeches. His head turned when he heard someone calling toward him.
A young man of obviously Varisian decent, he vaguely resembles his uncle, Ethram Valdemar, in that they both share the same eyes and jawline. Pendrix’s skin was dark by Varisian standards; his eyes golden, and that was never more evidenced that now, with the sun reflecting off his face.
He raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, and waved in the general direction of whoever had called at him. He'd helped the young woman to her feet, and his eyes briefly followed her to the food booth.
”Hello!, welcome to Sandpoint," his eyes turning back to the young half-Varisian. "Greetings Cousin. Always a pleasure to see another Varisian traveler in the city. I grew up on the road myself.”
He turned, and began walking over to Lia, straightening his red and purple robes, his flustered behavior already forgotten.
Lia returns Sesi's handshake, though the lady grips her forearm instead. Her forearms are fairly muscular for her small frame--her grip is like a vise.
"Name's Lia." She says as she relaxes her grip. "Been living here since I was little. How are you guys liking the Festival so far?"
Pendrix looked apologetic.
"How strange I've never bumped into you! Sandpoint is only so big, after all."
He smiled an awkward smile.
"'Course, I don't get out much. So there is that."
He held out his hand to Lia, like Sesi before him.
"I love the Festival. It's always my favorite time of year. It's one of the few times people tend to give me the time of day, so to speak."
He nodded casually to Sesi, in an effort to avoid looking like he's been following her.
Lia shakes the new mage's hand as well. "Well, I spend most of my time at the Lumber Mill here--I work there. So unless you're especially fascinated by wood being cut into firewood and building materials, I can't really blame you for not meeting me. What's your name, by the way?"
Her words are punctuated by a loud explosion. Everything is chaos for a moment, before you start to make sense of it. There's plenty of screaming, and desperate milling about. Down one of the side streets, a column of fire is rising up.
You're halfway stuck in the crowd of people, all of them trying to get to whatever they think is currently safety. Over the shouts and panic, you hear a shrill, singsong chant in a crude language.
A young man on the edge of the crowd falls, and is stabbed by a small, humanoid creature with green skin and an oversized head.
He's flanked by two compratiots, who're waving their weapons around in the air and shouting excitedly. One is in the proccess of setting fire to a turned-over cart, calling flame from its hands.
On the first round, the plaza is difficult terrain. This goes away on your next turn, as people clear out.
I run something I like to call block initiative. Basically, it means that everyone rolls, but if two people on the same team are right after each other, it doesn't matter who goes first.
So if it was a party of Ranger, Wizard cleric & Rogue vs a dragon and its kobold priest, and they rolled in this order:
1:Ranger
2:Rogue
3:Dragon
4:Cleric
5:Kobold
6:Wizard
The ranger and the rogue would start the round, then it'd be the dragon's turn, then the cleric, then the kobold, and then the Wizard, the Ranger and Rogue could all act.
Makes sense?
Karst stands next to the counter proffering the delicious smelling curry salmon from the Rusty Dragon, four bowls in his arms (one for each of their little group). He turns at the explosion, and sees the man felled by the little green devils.
Goblins... he sais dully, but his shock quickly turns to fury. ****ing GOBLINS!
The bowls clatter to the ground as he pulls his shield and hammer off his back. He yells to the panicked people as he charges forward.
GET BACK! GET IN YOUR HOMES! GET BACK!
He bares down on the goblin with the bloody blade, and brings his hammer down to end his menace permanently.
The goblin leaps to the side as Karst's hammer smashes down into the cobblestones.
The goblins squeal in glee as they gang up on the angry dwarf. One of them tries to poke his with a lit torch, while the other stubbornly slices at his arms with a knife.
,
,
Kast has no problem fending off their half-hearted attacks.
Meanwhile, the third darts through the legs of the crowd. As he finds a nice and thick throng, he shakes his holy symbol, summoning a gout of flames, hitting a bunch of townsfolk, including Lia and Pendrix.
People cry out as they're burnt, although it's probably more with shock than pain. The three of you are nearly trampled underfoot as people scramble to get away.
The current Map is up top. Feel free to use coordinates if you want to move somewhere specific - otherwise I'll just move you to what I think is a fairly likely spot. Anyway, all you you go now.
Lia manages to sidestep the worst of the flames, but she's still somewhat singed.
"OW! Hey, that was uncalled for, sir!"
Lia glares at the goblin responsible for the fire and notices the holy symbol in its hand. Gripping her blade, she steps forward and takes aim at it.
She wordlessly swings...
Karst brings his shield up as the goblins' crude blades dart at his face.
Get away, you dirty little buggers!
He sweeps them aside before bringing a hammer blow across and into the lead goblin's rib cage.
Pendrix cried out in pain, and batted at his left arm, where the robes were ablaze. He quickly snuffed the fire, backing up slowly as he did.
He called upon his inner reserve, weaving his energy into his spell.
(In Varisian)"Foul monsters! Remove yourselves from this Festival of the Starsong!"
The energies had coalesced, and burst forth from his hand to form an invisible, floating set of armor around his body.
(Back in Taldan) "Praise be to Desna!"
Sesi realizes a second after Karst does what's going on.
"Sonur skurðgoðadýrkunar sáðu svín!"
She almost goes for her bow, but realizes that was likely going to only make problems worse. Instead, she goes for the sword nearly as long as she was. She takes it in both hands and half-swording it just as she was taught by her foster father, goes for the goblin mage.
"Tule, tanssiahuonosti tuuli," she says in an icy voice as she turns to face the others.
"Son of a pig's whoring sow!"
"Come, dance with an ill-wind"
The crowd clears out, and you have room to move. All the townsfolk that's left is a few stragglers, and even fewer unmoving bodies on the ground.
Lia sends the wooden idol flying out of the goblin's hand, and Sesi has him on the ground, driving her sword point through his throat.
The last remaining goblin looks worried. He backs away from Harsk, and recites what must be a goblin blessing, carefully bending down to touch his companion who had her chest hammered in.
She coughs, and curls up, trying her best to escape another taste of the warhammer as she gets up.
New Map up top.
Satisfied that the goblin mage has been decisively dealt with, Lia turns her attention to the two remaining goblins near Karst. She raises her blade and moves forward.
Okay, Lia... just like you practiced. Line them up with the blade... or, rather, line up your blade with them, and cut!
When she reaches the next goblin, she swings her blade down with both hands!
Pendrix winced at the pain in his arm, and ran to stand with his new friends. He chanted a quick spell, and a sparkling ray of purple energy shot forth from his hand at one of the goblins.
Lia makes a good cut into the goblin, and it falls. The last one remaining throws her weaponry and idol to the ground, holds up her hands, and tries to look innocent. "Erhm. Chiz is sorry?" she asks, in scratchy, high-pitched common.
Just then, the side of the wagon she set on fire gives in with a groan.
Sesi turns to the last goblin and almost goes for a killing blow, but at the last second shifts so the pommel of her sword will strike the goblin in the back of the head.
With a crack, she knocks Chiz out.
"Dammit, little bugger surrendered," she mutters as she turns to help put out the fires.
"Aaah....what are we doing with the rest of them?"
He waved a hand toward the bleeding goblins on the ground.
"Should we even bother?"
Pendrix didn't appear to be speaking to anyone in particular, but rather to himself. He looked a little conflicted.
He walked over to one of the goblins that was bleeding out, and began examining the body, somewhat oblivious to the chaos around him.
Lia winces as Sesi cracks the goblin on the skull.
"Ow. That'll teach her." She says before turning to the burning wagon.
"Right--it's not create water, but it'll have to do." She aims her hand at the burning wagon and begins speaking an incantation.
A thin, pale blue ray lances from her hand and strikes the fire, bringing a chill to the wagon.
"Leave 'em, they'd just eat us if we were the ones on the ground bleeding out," Sesi tells Pendrix before turning to Lia, "I dunno," she says with a hint of a smile, "I've cut open enough goblin skulls to know they're pretty thick. She's lucky I didn't just lop through her scrawny neck."
You manage to stop the flames from spreading anywhere else at least, with a bit of work. The commotion has mostly died down, when the singing grows louder, and a new troop of goblins come into view from the north.
They seem more ordered than the last group, and carry bows in addition to their other stuff. They're lead by a goblin with purple lipstick and a bridal veil, who's singing in goblin at the top of her lungs.
We'll start off fresh, with Karst Ironbrow going first, then goblins etc. Forgive me as I take a few moments to get the map updated.
"Ég sver, að þeir halda bara að koma eins og hag í hitanum," Sesi says in a lilting language, the same as one of the ones she'd used before.
"I swear, they just keep coming like a hag in heat."
Like rats. They'll be in every nook and cranny if we don't root them out!
Hark slides his hand up the haft of his hammer until he is holding it just beneath the head. He strides over to the group.
Gather 'round, friends! he calls as he raises his hammer high. The weapon glows faintly and a tingling sensation fills your limbs. Uncertainty slips away as you become just a bit more confident in your ability to face down this threat.
The veiled goblin points at you, and her entourage lose a volley of arrows in your general direction.
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"OW!" Lia flinches as an arrow strikes her in the shoulder of her chain shirt. She raises her sword in one hand and advances, making arcane gestures and speaking another incantation.
A translucent blue shield flares into existence before her before fading away.
"GAH!"
Sesi drops her sword after an arrow slices her arm open.
"If yer gonna try an' stick me with an arrow, do it right!"
She moves to avoid Karst and draws her bow, the people were gone now, and she was about to show these novice archers just how outmatched they were.
As she draws her bow, her arm spasms and throws off her aim.
The arrow strikes Harsk between the scales of his armor. Grimacing, he grabs the arrow near the base and yanks it free. He calls over his shoulder as he begins to run forward.
Goblin arrows are poisoned as often as not! Watch yourselves!
He levels his gaze at the Goblin leader and charges. As he closes, he jumps into the air and brings his hammer down in a crushing blow.
Karst's weapon comes smashing down onto the goblin's shoulder with a sickening crunch.
An arrow whizzed by Pendrix's ear, so close he was sure he'd been hit. He put his hand up to his ear, but it came away clean.
"Ok, you goblin bastards! Let's try this again!"
He ran around his allies, and sent another glittering bolt of energy at one of the archers.
Karst's hammer swings by over the goblin's head, but Pendrix's murky blow of dark magic catches the goblin square in the chest. He staggers under the very sudden weight of his shortbow.
You can hear other people fighting in the streets nearby - it appears the town militia have arrived on the scene. They can't get to you yet though, and you seem to have your own situation in hand.
The weakened goblin fumbles with his weapon, firing another arrow towards Lia, but there's not much heft behind the shot. His comrade notices, and moves a bit so he can get a clear shot at the girl, firing with a howl of fury.
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Meanwhile, goblins hate dwarves nearly as much as dwarves hate goblins. This is a grudge match, and it's two against one. In the dwarf's favor, that is.
Still, the goblins give a good show of it, circling around so the giant has a hard time keeping track of both of them at once, causing multiple small but irritating wounds with their swords.
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H25->H26, attack Karst.
K25 Shoot Lia with feeble strength.
J24->M26 and shoot Lia.
Lia smirks as she sidesteps one arrow and the other bounces off of her magic shield. She notices the goblins circling Karst, and she raises her sword in both hands.
She moves carefully into the battle, staying on the outside edge, and swings at the goblin!
Sesi tries to send another arrow at the goblin in the bridal veil, only to have her bow arm give out as the pain from her wound shoots up her shoulder like lightning.
"What was that about poison," she tries to jest and hide how much she and her pride were hurting at the moment.
Can't hit a thing, what would Papa say?
Surrounded is no place to be. Karst muses as takes a short hop backwards to get out from between the two goblins, and these little cuts are starting to add up. He looks around, seeing that his compatriots are hurt while the goblins are intact (for the moment).
No time like the present.
He focuses his will on the portwin birthmark at the center of his forehead in the auspicious shape of Torag's Hammer, and sends positive energy cascading outward to heal himself and his comrades.
Everyone take those four points of healing!
Pendrix concentrated for a moment, calling upon his courage. He ran up to one of the archers, screaming the whole way. When he got up in front of the archer, he jumped up and down trying to block any other shots.
One magic-wrecked goblin thinks that his bow is really heavy, so he drops it, and runs around waving his arms over his head in a panic. He gets tired eventually, and takes to hiding behind the singer instead.
Meanwhile, the longshanks in funny robes is begging to get stabbed, so the goblin in front of him drops her bow, draws her knife, and stabs him.
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Lia has entered the melee, and draws some of the heat off of Karst.
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Map is up top.
Lia easily parries the goblin's clumsy swing and notices a gap between the crony goblin and his leader. Seeing it, she steps into it and swings at the leader...
*SLICE!*
The singing is cut short quite abruptly, as the goblin's head rolls across the cobblestones.