Indra's burst of colors assault the defiant but unsuspecting horse. The large beast collapses to the ground and frees the way for the party to pass. Gaeldrung manages to catch small goblin but as tries to maneuver his blade to inflict only nonlethal damage it swings by missing.
Gaeldrung's proximity and attack causes the goblin to drop her attempts to open the rusted grate and instead try to squeeze down a drainage pipe. She trips on her way to the pipe enters sideways, unable to position her body correctly.
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Indra quickly moved past the horse and found herself suddenly accosted by a sergeant. The man yelled, "Miss, halt!" She tried to pass him and he snagged her arm demanding, "I said halt!" Having finally brought her up short he demanded, "What do you know about this rogue mage casting spells at random passersby?'
Indra almost panicked and replied quickly, "I don't know anything about a rogue mage attacking horses with sprays of light." She mentally cursed herself as she knew she slipped up and said too much as the sergeant's glare became suspicious.
Gaeldrung does indeed manage to thwack the goblin, but she is tougher than he expects and remains on her feet despite a flintstone lump on the side of her head.
The sergeant nods along with her and is considering let her go as she speaks. He lowers his hand and is about to let her go when he suddenly sticks his arm back out. "Wait, who's that?
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Moving forward to the Sergeant, Bregan speaks quickly.
"Sergeant unhand that woman at once please, the horse in question was about to kick that large gentleman over there. A truely formidable Inquisitor for the church. Surely you would not have wanted a full inquisition brought down on your heads here due to a dumb animal? The woman saw the problem and dealt with it, with no last harm to the animal, just look, even now it is already coming around no harm no foul."
Bregan is pointing this way and that back towards where the horse is , at Indra, and even over the sergeants shoulder the way Gaeldrung headed.
"what makes it worse is he's trying to clear the waY for a Mwangi chieftain, would you help clear the path for him as well?"
The guard immiedately steps back and strains to look where Bregan motioned. "I, uh, no certainly not. My apologies, let me assist." The guard steps forward and bellows a loud authoritative command, clearing the street for Ma'Huuk. He waves his hand in circles, gesturing for the large man to make his way through uncontested.
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Having finally caught up to the goblin with her allies Indra saw that the green-skinned hooligan was still trying to get away. With no desire to let the goblin accomplish that she told her companions "Step aside!" With no further warning she again sent a burst of color out, this time catching the fleeing goblin in it and, hopefully, avoiding her companions.
Indra blasts the color towards the small female goblin. She looks away and is able to steel her mind enough to prevent the attack. Shivering and panicing about the continued increase of pursuers on her she reaches down for the grate and yanks on it again. Once more she fails as the grate won't budge. When Bregan reaches out to try and grab her, she slashes back at him with her dogslicer. Bregan dodges out of the way of he blade but in doing so lets the goblin slip from his grasp.
With the damage Gaeldrung already punished the goblin with, he drops the goblin to the ground. Her left arm falls to the ground beside her in a bloody mess. Blood quickly pours from the thief and it's likely she is going to die soon from blood loss if the party doesn't take action to stabilize her wounds.
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Ma'Huuk, who'd been reaching to grab the goblin's arm at the moment of its removal, scrunches his face at the bloody mess. But he doesn't hesitate to reach down, bloody his hand to retrieve the arm, and proceed to jam it back into its bleeding, ragged socket. With his other hand, he draws out a wand and begins muttering chants to bring it to life against the destroyed shoulder joint.
After a few moments of wand-work, the arm is back on. Crooked and misaligned, but most likely functional. He doesn't let the arm go, securing the little beast as his wand brings it to consciousness.
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Lagging behind the others it took him a few moments to catch up to the others but when he does he blinks at the sight of the one armed goblin now turned back to a two armed goblin. He opened his mouth to speak then paused joining Gaeldrung in trying to look like everyone about should go about thier business.
Gaeldrung frightens away the onlookers, but after watching Several attempt to assist in keeping them away they know it's only a matter time before the crowd regathers. The party scoops up the bloody goblin and carries her back to Heidmarch Manor for a 'private conversation'. As they arrive on the grounds they are quickly greeted by Ebrylis once more who asks what all of the commotion was about. When the Pathfinders explain what's happened he statues he will inform Sheila Heidmarch and directs you to gather as much information from the goblin that you can in the interim.
With her wounds healed and securely bound to the chair, the goblin awakes and screams as she looks to her arm. She moves her arm around in circles and then wiggling her fingers. Once she realizes it is still attached she settles down and squirms against the bonds that hold her.
Someone asks her a simple question about what she was doing and she pauses to consider and shakes her head no, as if she doesn't understand. "Чырвоны. Зялёны. Сіні. Тупыя следапыты тупыя і не гавораць гоблін!"
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Gaeldrung switches to goblin.
Синий, фиолетовый, черный. Цвет лица этого гоблина, когда я раздавить ее трахею с сапог и пожирают ее грехи. Теперь, разговоры, борьба с вредителями, или я расчленить вас снова!
The goblin's eyes go wider than you would have previously thought possible when Gaeldrung speaks her language. She swallows hard and sinks down into her seat as if trying to make herself smaller. Clearly she did not anticipate any of the Pathfinder's being capable of speaking her native tongue. She fidgets and scrambles for answers, switching to common. "Ekkie not know you know goblin. Ekkie apologizes, please do not hurt Ekkie any more. Ekkie's arm hurt very much. Ekkie think you chop off and eat Ekkie's arm! Ekkie mean you no arm, Ekkie just trying to do a job. Untie Ekkie? These ropes hurt and Ekkie not run no more, Ekkie want to lose no more arms. Did someone fix Ekkie's arm?"
Looking to the possessions you stripped from here across the room she asks, "Can Ekkie have cage-brother back please?"
"Ekkie hate big mean green halfsies! Meanie cut off Ekkie's arm! Ekkie hope to cut off your arm and see how it feel!"
Turning away from Gaeldrung she starts, "Ekkie is accomplished Wind Whisper goblin. Ekkkie try to join Nightsoil Marauder goblins but given initiation job. Ekkie told to steal from fancy Pathfinders and bring back stuff. Ekkie not told mean ugly green halfsies going to chop her up!"
Ekkie turns and sticks her tongue out at Gaeldrung before looking for friendlier faces in the crowd.
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”Did someone fix Ekkie's arm?”
Ma’Huuk—who’d been standing at the back of the group, scratching his head at the fact that Gaeldrung actually spoke this little creature’s tongue—speaks up.
”I did.” He steps forward, looming over the chair-bound thief. His deep voice continues in its strange, foreign cadence, ”I was thinking this creature who was stealing our things might have a reason to do it. And maybe this creature would speak easier if it had both arms.”
He looks to Gaeldrung, shrugging his massive shoulders, ”But if you are saying you came to steal from us on purpose, maybe I will regret putting your arm back on.” Then again, he says, leaning in close to look levelly at the goblin in her eye, ”Maybe a goblin will want to change her mind? Maybe w are better friends to have than these Nightsoil Marauder goblins.”
”What did you take?”
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Squatting down in front of the goblin,Bregan sees if he can get her talking and answering their questions.
"Little Ekkie Lightfingers, you'd do well to listen to him" He says indicating Ma'Huuk, "He put your arm back on offered you a good deal, much better than the one my inquisitor friend is going to offer you. And we are much better friends to have than the Nightsoil Marauder Goblins."
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Indra was aggravated at the resilience of the goblin, at least until chopped one of the creature's arms off. She nearly threw up at the brutality of it and was about to give the man a blistering tongue lashing for his actions. When Ma'Huuk reattached the arm and she realized that this was awfully public, she held her tongue for the time being. As they took the goblin woman back to the grounds to question she kept a careful eye on Gaeldrung to make sure he didn't try to detach the arm again. As they tried to convince the goblin to speak she nodded and added to Bregan's enticement, "It's also a fact that friends don't chop off each other's arms. I think that, after what just happened, you'd do better to be our friend than our enemy."
The goblin listens to the party and seems to take to those not named Gaeldrung. "Ekkie tell you all. Ekkie only pick up shinies she saw, nothing big. Ekkie was going to take back to Nightsoil and join." He face grows somber as she becomes distracted with a thought. "Ekkie tired of bad end of jokes and fun. Ekkie want family now."
A quick search of Ekkie's belongs reveal a various decoration, ornaments and various other "shiny" items. Each of you identifies with some small item she took, be it coin or jewelry. When you rifle through her possessions you find several pieces of raw meat rations, though you don't readily recognize the cut, thieves tools, a fancy necklace, a potion of cure light wounds, a wayfinder and what looks to be a goblin skull.
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Bregan laughs as looking at the items he finds a silver clasp for one of his harnesses. "Miss Lightfingers, you're a bit like a raven, should it shine it catches you eye." hefting the clasp in his hand a couple of times he grins at her. "Without the other half this would be useless, not even worth a meal in trade, definitely not worth going to pieces over"
Waiting as the others get their items from the pile he picks up the wayfinder and the goblin's skull.
"Whose is this?" holding out the wayfinder towards Ekkie "and WHO is this?" holding up the goblin skull...
Ekkie looks at Bregan and shrugs, "Founds it in the other big house. I think it was hers." The goblin points to a portait of Shelia Heidmarch hanging on the far wall. "Saw her around the area I took it, yes."
When questioned about the skull she strains against her bonds, "That's Plarg, my brother. Please give him back to me, my brother needs me." Looking to the skull now she calls, "It's ok Plarg! I'll get you out of the hands of the nasty longshanks!" She pauses as if listening to someone speak and responds, "Yes, yes. I knows, I knows. I'm trying!"
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Ma’Huuk recovers what appears to be a three-inch claw or talon. Anyone knowledgeable in animals will recognize it as a dinosaur claw … a deinonychus, to be exact, with gold-inlaid runes along one side. The big tribesman holds it, stares at it, his features hardening.
He watches the little goblin freak out about the skull, and then speak to the air. His features go from glower to concerned scowl. ”You speak to this brother? Plarg?” He looks to his teammates, making a face that clearly says ’is this creature mad?’
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Indra was rather surprised at the goblin's worry over her "brother" and actually felt sympathy for her. the fact the green skinned woman was talking to him as if he were there was rather disturbing, at least until she realized it was possible the goblin was speaking with him. She began to do her best to read the goblin and determine if she was really speaking to her brother or only thought she was talking to him or something entirely different.
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He very much frowned when he found his medallion of Sarenrae in the little goblins possesion and he quickly scooped it away and slid it into his belt pouch. He detested thieves... even with sob stories but for some reason he couldnt be that mad at the little goblin... like Bregan he selection of what to steal almost amused him.
Ekkie is excited, her eyes going wide with excitement when her skull is handed back to her. She looks down and says in goblin, "I know you'll protect me Plarg." Looking back to Ma'Huuk and Bregan she furrows her brow. "Of course I talk to brother. You have brother you talk to? You strange longshanks not talking to brother. Right Plarg?"
All that excitement fades away however when Bregan asks her to draw a map. Her face aghast as she screams at Bregan, "NO! Longshanks want to steal my words! Plarg! They want to STEAL MY WORDS!"
Indra doesn't detect much from Ekkie's voice or the way she talks to her brother, it's difficult to get a good read on the small green creature.
Several doesn't pick up on anything mystical happening with the skull or the goblin. It very well may be she's a crazy goblin who wants the comfort of her brother.
Ma'Huuk finds Shelia Heidmarch out in her gardens and explains what information the Pathfinder's have garnered so far. She accompanies him back to the house only a few minutes after he had left. Upon entering the room she approaches the goblin with the skull on her lap. She looks at the group curiously for a moment before turning her attention to the goblin. "You understand common, correct? I should turn you over to the proper authorities for the theft of the possessions, trespassing and unlawful entering of my home. However, I am willing to make an exception just this once. I understand you know where these Nightsoil goblin clan members are, yes? You refuse to draw a map, fine. You WILL however act a dutiful guide and escort these Pathfinder's to that location. If at anytime they suspect foul play I authorize them to end your life immediately. Do I make myself clear?"
Ekkie squirms in her seat and looks down at the skull in her lap. "Whats do we get for helping, eh Plarg? I heard no shinies in this fors us?"
The Venture Captain considers this for a moment and responds, "If you successfully take us to the location of the Nightsoil goblins and we are able to eliminate that threat then I will instruct the Pathfinder's to leave you to with some spoils of this endeavor. My concern is eliminating the threat to this city, not for your reward. Do we have a deal?"
Ekkie nods, "Ekkie wants not to be tied up. Ekkie and Plarg will take Pathfinders to Nightsoil clan. Ekkie get shinies."
Satisified she turns back to you, "Take her with you. You should hide her a container of some kind-a backpack, sack, or barrel-provided that she can still see enough to give you directions. Goblins in the city will make a scene."
Sheila directs the party, "Find the headquarters of these goblins,
stamp out any threat the goblins pose to Pathfinder operations in Magnimar, recover any stolen artifacts they find, and discover why the goblins are targeting the Pathfinder Society."