Sandpoint is a large town, but not big enough to be called a city. It has a theater, a few taverns, a well known glass works, and a few other points of interest. All in all, just large and popular enough that their annual Swallow Tail Festival is known through the area, attracting locals from Magnimar to see them release the butterflies at the start of the festivies.
This year, the Swallow Tail Festival also marks the dedication of the town's new temple. After the previous one burned down early last year, this new one is largely dedicated to Desna, but most good aligned deities have a shrine inside (Erastil's being the biggest of those).
The six of you find yourself in the town square amongst all of the locals, everyone gathered to hear the opening speeches. Mayor Deverin goes first; as always, her speech is a little stuffy but short. Next is Sheriff Hemlock, his words about safety and responsibly enjoying the party bringing the mood down some. Last is Father Zantus; somewhat nervous at his first festival in Sandpoint, he still comes off as affable and gets the crowd back in the partying mood after the Sheriff's warnings. As as the sun reaches it's crest, he declares the festival begun, pulling the rope and releasing the tarp over the wagon. Hundreds of blue Swallow Tail butterflies burst into the open, filling the sky and the on lookers with their gossamer wings. The children in the crowd begin to chase after them as the games begin all around the square and through out town. Musicians begin to play lively tunes as the crowd begins to disperse towards the various attractions, the sound of their conversations soon filling the square.
A faint smile upon her lips Elery, a pretty young woman with blazing red hair pixie like features and green eyes dressed like a woodsman, moves unobtrusively through the crowds watching the children play and nodding to acquaintances here and there. After a brief perusal of the glasswares, she makes her way over to the horse shoes game and watches a few tosses before stepping forward, stabbing her spear into the dirt, and proceeding to try her hand,
"Pffft, thank goodness Erastil does not actually require you to have a good aim!" She snorts, seeing her less than spectacular effort, as her cheeks turn pink, "give me a shout if anyone with skill similar to my own manages to hit themselves on the head!"
Glancing at a butterfly that has alighted upon her shoulder she admonishes, "You did not see that alright?"
Ambling by Snyk's side, Harness noticies that his heavy feet leave semi-permanent prints in the beautiful earth.
So this is freedom. I...like it so very much!
Harness is self-conscious of his form, and his former function, but others also present are evidently armed and of a martial persuasion, so his thoughts move on to other things.
When the swallowtail butterflies spread aloft he feels something...even more beautiful than anything he has felt ever before. So much of life is fleeting, and yet so incredible. He wonders if Snyk feels the same way. Seeing the arm-wrestling, Harness sees an opportunity to test himself.
"This I can do! Come Snyk, let us see!" he calls to his friend. "Then you can have a turn!"
Harness contorts his facial features into his best approximation of a smile, and pits himself against another.
"As you say."
That would not go well for me. At least he seems to be enjoying himself.
Snyk soaks in all the sights and sounds of the festival. The smells, the music, the bits of overheard conversation. He spots a single low flying butterfly meandering its way through the stalls and civilians. He watches its flight path with his eyes for a time until it flutters out of view.
This is not so bad.
First person Harness pits his strength against is a local wood cutter and last year's champion. You both hold steady for a few seconds, and then you slam his hand down to the surprise of everyone.
@Harness, if you wish to stay in the tournament, make 3 more strength checks and I'll roll against them. Single elimination tournament.
@Elery, the local theater master steps out of the crowd to announce a contest. Everyone interested will be grouped in pairs randomly and the horse shoe game will begin. Entry cost 1 sp with the winning team splitting 2/3 of the pot, second place getting their money back, the rest going to funding the party next year. Would you like to enter?
Despite it being a festival, Girnt has still managed to find himself something to do. Helping out with the archery games, Girnt watches as each contestant tries their luck. A few kids stand close by, probably hoping to hear a story or try a bow.
"Come see just how good your hunting aim really is!" Girnt shouts out, drawing out more customers. "Let's see if you really can hit the side of a barn for once!"
Despite it being a festival, Girnt has still managed to find himself something to do. Helping out with the archery games, Girnt watches as each contestant tries their luck. A few kids stand close by, probably hoping to hear a story or try a bow.
"Come see just how good your hunting aim really is!" Girnt shouts out, drawing out more customers. "Let's see if you really can hit the side of a barn for once!"
Make a diplomacy or perform role to see how many people you attract.
Elery snorts and waves the offer off smiling, "Ah, no I think my trial has shown my true colours! I struggle to hit things with a spear let alone a horseshoe! I would not want to be a burden, good luck everybody Deadeye guide your hands!"
Wandering over to the food stalls she picks up a chicken leg and heads over to watch Girnt trying to encourage the kids to take part in the archery. Waving her chicken leg at Girnt she shouts,
"I don't know Girnt, they do not look much like archers to me! But then I struggle to make an arrow go forwards and I'm a Cleric of Erastil, so its only a matter of seeing how much better than me you lot are."
Fela strides over to her place for the Swallowtail festival, her serpent coiling around left arm.
“No, Tac,” she whispers to him. “You’ll have to wait. I gave you a chance to eat earlier.” She shrugs to the red viper, allowing it to squeeze her arm before melding into her flesh as red ink.
She takes her place among the fellow Desnan followers, happy to be able to take part in the festival, as one of those responsible for releasing the butterlies. Starting to zone out to the dialogue, her interest rekindles when Father Zantus speaks, though his words are far from invigorating.
Fela joins in the festivities, more as an observer than an active participant, and notices a pretty young woman with blazing red hair pixie like features and green eyes dressed like a woodsman. Is she a fey? No, can’t be. Still though…” Her curiosity draws her to follow her as she heads toward the shouting half-elf at the archery contest.
Eydor looks around the festival, surprised to see such festivities for the first time in his life. He walks around aimlessly, enjoying every new experience he finds upon himself.
He glances at the arm wrestling competition, seeing Harness winning over the last years champion.
He looks really strong and... Strange? I for sure wouldn't pick a fight with him. There's a lot of races I have no idea about. I wonder how many I'll find on my travels.
Catching a femenine voice amongst the crowd announcing an archery game, he approaches to take a look.
"Erastil has a spot for each of us, Elery. Who knows. Maybe he's chosen one of these to be his next hunter," Girnt replies. Seeing a few more interested participants come by, Girnt waves them on. "Try your hand and see if your aim is true!"
Elery nods sagely expression solemn, aside from the tiniest twitching upturn at the corners of her mouth, "Could be, could be. Well let's see what you've got, maybe the next Blackfeather."
Then covering her mouth with her hand, longspear hooked awkwardly in the crook of her elbow, she took a bite of her chicken leg.
Local 1 (Hunter)
Local 2 (Hunter)
Local 3 (Commoner)
Local 4 (Kid)
The crowd seems excited with the competition. Both hunters do very well, tied at this point. The young man only hits the target once. The little girl has a terrible first shot, sending the arrow flying towards one of the displays, but then seems to concentrate and hits the bull's eye with the next two.
Harness, would you like to continue with the arm wrestling?
Snyk, what are you doing in this time?
"Wow, what a come back Aggie! Way ta go!" Elery calls excitedly, pumping a fist enthusiastically. She had never really taken to her gods favoured weapon, but she could appreciate its usage at least, especially when the bow was practically bigger than the user.
Harness "smiles" again.
"Look, Snyk! I am powerful. Fun!
I am the champion!.
Only he isn't, at least not yet. He strives to win again.
Snyk is enjoying the party.
"Very good." in reply to Harness, though Snyk is paying more attention to the festival.
Snyk sees the archery competition going on.
Someone foolish enough to gamble their silver on a contest of skill deserves to lose it to their betters. But easy money is easy money.
Snyk draws a silver piece from his pouch and turns it over in his fingers.
to Harness"They have archery." nodding towards the range.
Here we go. The strong and athletic - and even more so those that think they are – are the ones who I probably patron most. This might be the perfect spot to start my clientele in Sandpoint.
Fela positions herself between the arm wrestling and archery competitions, and cries out of the gathering and those coming and going. “Get your vouchers, here! Half off for the first ink job at Inkmaster Fela’s!”
Glancing at the children nearby, "If any of you lot think about taking one of those vouchers... well I will be happy to heal you up after your Ma or Da applies the hot iron, but I do not recommend it."
Movie towards Fela, she gives a slight smile as she takes a voucher, "Do you tattoo holy symbols? Stags? I am Elery by the way, is it you doing the, ah, is it inking?"
1) Harness, lets see how your competitors do against you.
Harness is knocked out in the second to last round of the competition, but does well for a new comer.
2) Fela, you get a few interested villagers that come up. A few ask for prices, some hear Elery's question and ask the same. A few younger locals are chased off by their parents.
3) Elery, at your admonishment (friendly though it is), those few children who seemed interested wander off with Aggie, congratulating him on his success at the archery competition.
Harness shakes his head at being bested so easily in his third bout. He nods to Snyk.
"Let us go. You have the skill - let you try it."
Moving towards Fela, she gives a slight smile as she takes a voucher, "Do you tattoo holy symbols? Stags? I am Elery by the way, is it you doing the, ah, is it inking?"
Fela smiles, handing the voucher over. "Sure, I can ink just about anything, given enough time and materials. The art and the ability certainly wouldn't be shortcoming. Swing by some time. And yes, it's just me so far, so I would be doing it. The name's Fela. Good to meet you, Elery. So, I take it you follow Old Deadeye?"
"Sure, good to meet you to! And yes, but, well, don't expect me to do anything with a bow *sigh* I don't really care for the whole archery thing overmuch. Erastil gives you the power to cure bunnies, and next thing you know every Tom, Dick, and Harry with a bow expects you to judge their mumbling archery contests. I mean I had to learn, but..."
Realizing she has gone off on a bit of a tangent Elery wrinkles her nose sheepishly and tucks the voucher away in a pocket.
"I sort of host a few simple rituals here and there, try and help people and animals, and take care of Aunt Kendra's gardens. So if you are ever in need of healing feel free to give me a shout - I am a bit less formal than the Desna's lot, and much less powerful, but I don't require donations."
"Right away."
Harness and Snyk walk up to the archery competition.
Snyk clinks his silver piece tentatively on the stand, draws his bow and sizes up his target.
remember your training
Snyk releases a bated breath and tries to mask a smirk.
"Thank you." with a nod to Girnt running the booth.
As Snyk wins the competition hands down and gets his silver back plus the extra 3 silver as well, a dog wanders into the square, bleeding from the neck. It lets out a single, pained whelp before collapsing on the ground. As the crowd begins to take notice, they quiet down. As their noise drops, another takes its place.
GOBLINS CHEW AND GOBLINS BITE
GOBLINS CUT AND GOBLINS FIGHT
STAB THE DOG AND CUT THE HORSE
GOBLINS EAT AND TAKE BY FORCE
INITIATIVES
Snyks rodent eaes twitch with the oncoming sound. He reaches a hand to one of his hidden daggers.
"How shall I proceed?" -to Harness
"Kids get over here behind me!" Elery shouts urgently before beginning to chant as she moves towards the archery contestants. A blessing of Erastil flows forth from her holy symbol as she spreads her feet and grips her longspear in both hands.
"Kids get over here behind me!" Elery shouts urgently before beginning to chant as she moves towards the archery contestants. A blessing of Erastil flows forth from her holy symbol as she spreads her feet and grips her longspear in both hands.
"I think it safe to assume they mean to disturb the festivities." intones Harness, deeply disappointed the festival has been interrupted.
"Eliminate them as best as you can, little Snyk. I will head into them and lay waste. If you wish, throw your spikes at them, and stay out of harm's way."
Harness moves north, level with Elery, while readying his heavy flail.
Move Action: Move four squares to the north.
Standard Action: Unhitch Marauder, Harness' heavy flail.
Fela stares at the dead dog, horrified at what could have been the cause of this. Stunned, she stands frozen in place as she drops the vouchers for her shop, several of which scatter and swirl in the wind of the market, adding a visual aesthetic to the chaos in the market. Fela shakes her head to wake herself from her daze and pulls her crossbow out from her back loading a bolt, scanning frantically for the perpetrator(s).
Get a grip, Fela!
Snyk darts off out of sight.
Eydor takes a look at Snyk, first surprised at such a strange creature, and then surprised twice for such aim with a bow.
So, those two seem to be together... Intersting. I could learn a lot from them, maybe I should approach... Gah, I hate social interaction...
Then, the dog catches his attention. And the dog's blood soon does too. Quick to react, he turns upon the goblins chantings, moving to the left of Harness to make a barrier with him and protect the people of the town.
It looks like the party's over for now. If you're half as good with that weapon that you are in arm wrestling, they are in for a bad time. I'm with you.
He draws his scimitar and enchants it with a few arcane words, getting as ready as possible for them.
Move to the left square of Harness
Draw scimitar
Spend 1 arcane pool to enchant scimitar with +1 enhancement
Girnt is surprised and angered as he sees the dog appear and collapse. He instantly recognizes one of the more used goblin songs as it begins to drift in the air. Grabbing his own bow and notching an arrow, Girnt keeps an eye out for the creatures while trying to help ebb the flow of chaos around them.
"Get to cover! Go indoors and block all entrances until it's over! Stay in groups!"
Girnt had experience with goblins, but this was completely unprecedented. The real question is how did they get here?
Goblins race and goblins jump.
Goblins slash and goblins bump.
Burn the skin and mash the head.
Goblins here and you be dead!
The second verse starts up as the goblins move into view. A few of them have bloody swords drawn and a few are carrying torches as well. They see Harness and Eydor standing before them, apparently undeterred, and a frenzy lights their eyes as they charge forward to attack.
Their sudden, feverish violence breaks the local townspeople out of their shock and sends them running from the square in all directions at once, people rushing back and forth, calling out for friends and family members. You see Father Zantus begin to usher as many people as he can into the newly christened cathedral, his eyes darting between the crowd, the attacking goblins, and the six of you.
Three of the four goblins rush forward to attack, the fourth one runs up to the nearby wagon that recently held the swallowtail butterflies and uses its torch to start it on fire, chucking the entire brand into the back of the wagon.
Attack on Eydor:
Attacks on Harness (x2)
Eydor quickly brings his blade to bear, shoving aside the clumsy attack by his little green foe.
Harness doesn't even have to move to avoid the first goblin's wild swing, but the second one lands a solid hit on his thigh. He does a little dance in excitement, not knowing that he didn't have the strength to actually do damage to the warrior before him.
Spotting the goblins coming toward the stage, Girnt aims and lets his arrow fly, but hesitates a moment too long with so many people rushing past. Erastil keep it from hitting someone friendly.
Relieved as the crowd seem to be escaping while more capable folks provide a bulwark Elery moves carefully forward to support them. Frustrated at being unable to reach her foes she calls upon the power of her god and is briefly covered by a surging ass of vines which vanish a split second later revealing Elery's now towering form.
Standing nearly twelve feet tall, her longspear now the height of a flag pole she thrusts out at the goblin before Eydor. Unfortunately unused to her newly acquired bulk, and conscious of the villagers streaming past she stumbles and her spear cracks into the wooden stage sending splinters exploding outwards.
"Mumbling heck!"
Harness looks at Eydor momentarily, eyebrow metal raising before taking notice of a "clong!", a vibration in his leg, and the dancing goblin at his knee. Harness sweeps Marauder accordingly.
"Well met, arcane warrior!" he adds to Eydor. "I am Harness."
The flailing chain sweeps over the head of the goblin, achieving naught but creating a small wind...
(+4 Str, +1 BAB, +1 Weapon Focus)
(+6 THF)
Fela rushes toward the platform and quickly ascends the stairs, tries to steady herself and lets a bolt fly at the goblin lighting the wagon on fire.
what do we have here?
That wagon was someones property. They must be stopped
Snyk darts out from Stealth to attack the rear goblin.
Eydor worries for a split second, seeing a few hits missed from his newfound companions, but he quickly reacts to the situation and tries his best to draw first blood in a combat. All his training must be worth something.
He then moves his right hand and musters a few words, trying to enchant the goblin right in front of Harness to avoid him from attacking his combat companion or doing any harm to anyone.
A flurry of blows and shots go wide as our stalwart warriors attempt to not kill the locals as they fight off these invaders. Eydor lands a solid hit on one of these knee high menaces; but it stays standing, although it is swaying some. A small flash of light then comes from Eydor's hand, streaking towards the goblin in front of Harness, but to no visible affect. The goblins now see their chance to surround and bring down Harness and move to do so, howling and laughing in high pitched voices as they attack. Their crudely made short swords flash, and......
....most of the attacks make contact with his body, none of them are able to penetrate his thick plating to get to any sensitive areas.
Unseen by most, Snyk moves towards the goblin burning the wagon in the back and guts it quickly and efficiently. It dies without making a sound or knowing that Snyk was ever there.
Girnt lets out a deep breath as the last of the townspeople begin to leave. Hopefully they would get somewhere safely. He is heartened to see a few staying back to help fight, though. The warforged especially catches his eye as the armored being takes the brunt of the goblins' attention.
Let's see if we can't help that.
Using her enlarged height to step up onto the stage Elery soon dwindles back to her normal height before thrusting her spear down at the goblin in front of Harness. This time her aim is true and her spearhead sinks home skewering the creature between its neck and shoulder sending blood spraying forth.
"You were not invited!" she snaps, glowering down at the goblins.
Harness grunts as the goblins puny attack rain down upon his adamantine form, then smiles as the goblins either side of him are dispatched. He sweeps Marauder back again at the creature that he missed previously...finally catching one bodily...
"Indeed" the warforged booms, echoing Elery's negation of the goblinoids.
Standard Action: Attack!
[+4 Str, +1 BAB, +1 Weapon Focus]
[+6 THF]
Fela scrambles to reload another bolt into her crossbow.
Needle and flesh. Same things as I always do, just from a distance, right? Maybe not.
She shrugs and clicks the trigger, firing it a bolt at the nearest goblin.
Fela winces. Yeah. Not the same thing at all
As the last goblin drops to the ground, silence rules the town square. The sound of heavy breathing from the sudden and unexpected exertion is all that any of you can hear for the next few seconds. The square is empty of all civilians and the church doors are closed.
After those few seconds, you all hear the sound of more terrible things happening in town and plumes of smoke rising over the rooftops.
Harness looks about at the small carnage, and exhales heavily. He shakes Marauder free of any...goblinic detritus, then looks to his newfound allies. He merely nods.
"I am Harness. [here juts his head toward yonder chaos] It seems there are more uninvited guests. [and looks around] Snyk!?!"
Girnt keeps his bow at the ready and tries to calm a bit. These goblins were taken care of, but it definitely wasn't over yet. "I'm Girnt, local hunter," he says, coming over to the group of braves. "I thank you for helping in the fight. Never believed goblins would make it into Sandpoint proper, especially not during the festival."
While he speaks, Girnt looks around for any other threats as well as searching for any wounded townspeople.
Elery glances around anxiously, before jumping down and moving over to the group, nodding to Girnt, "Elery. Thank you," she says hurriedly, "I am a Cleric, is anybody hurt? If not I ask you to please accompany me and deal with the rest of these goblins quickly, before something more than a dog dies."
Even as she speaks her eyes scan the square frantically trying to ensure there are no stragglers from the crowd who might be in danger.
Harness stows Marauder and nods to Elery and Girnt.
"Well met."
The warforged pats his adamantine body, and casually toes a goblin corpse to make sure it is really dead.
"Barely a dent here. Snyk...you ok? The little sneak in the shadows is my shadow, Snyk."
Fela hops down from the platform and heads to the others in the town center that were just now fighting the goblins.
Lotta good this thing did me, Fela thinks as she reloads her crossbow.Better stick with these lot in case there are any more of the varmints around.