"Ah, my good man, do you intend to simply wander the hinterlands, checking under rocks? I believe there must be a more logical method than mere search and destroy!"
"It also details where the goblins are hiding out"..."They are at a place known locally as Thistletop, and I can give you a map to get there if you need it."Witz seems to have missed something ;)
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"It also details where the goblins are hiding out"..."They are at a place known locally as Thistletop, and I can give you a map to get there if you need it."Witz seems to have missed something ;)
Yes, it took me 5 whole minutes to re-find those two sentences. I almost wondered if I'd never typed them for a while!
"'Authority.' Pssh," Jerjia mutters darkly. "Talks mighty big for a man in such flammable surroundings, doesn't he, Sparky?"
Reynard turns his head towards the little woman, his eyes widening.
"All right let's get this circus on the road shall we? Need to stock a few things first but we should get moving. Ay idea how long it takes to get to Thisletop?"
"Ah, my good man, do you intend to simply wander the hinterlands, checking under rocks?"
Casey stares at Wits curiously, looking as if he's trying to figure out if that was a real question or not. Working his toothpick from one side of his mouth to the other and coming to the conclusion the gnome really wondered if that's how he was going to work. "Yep." Was his lone response as if there was no better way.
"All right let's get this circus on the road shall we? Need to stock a few things first but we should get moving. Ay idea how long it takes to get to Thisletop?"
"Well then, let's stock up and move out. Them goblins ain't gonna kill themselves." He pauses a moment and thinks about that last statement, "Course, if they did, that'd be a whole lot less fun for me." He says with a straight face.
Reynard chuckles, "Personally that'd kill a whole lot of my fun."
He turns to the Constable. "Well if that'll be all we'll get ourselves outfitted and get on with it."
"Ah, my good man, do you intend to simply wander the hinterlands, checking under rocks? I believe there must be a more logical method than mere search and destroy!"
"My good gnome, ser, your ear must still be ringing from that blast."
Reynard chuckles, "Personally that'd kill a whole lot of my fun."[/b]
He turns to the Constable. "Well if that'll be all we'll get ourselves outfitted and get on with it."
"Yes, lets get on with this. This new sword needs to be broken in, and I can't think of anything better to break it on than some hobgoblin, Thisletop can't be far. Let's go."
Jerjia takes the map from the inspector, with a last long, unfriendly look at him, and leaves the station with the rest of the party.
"Yes, yes, off you go. Thistle top is a little less than 4 hours from here, so if you leave in the morning you should arrive by midday."
Once out of the constabule's office and back on the pavement, Jerjia's mood improves visibly. Snapping her goggles over her eyes, she teeters down the steet, one foot in and one out of the gutter. "Where are we staying?" she asks the others.
"Why, I am heading back to my flat. I have to go sign out now." says the deputy sheriff. "I guess I'll be seeing you all in the morning." Adon holds out his hand to shake each of the party member's hands. "It was great meeting all of you, and glad to be on the team. I am sure we will get to the bottom of this mystery. Good evening, gentlepersons." He tips his hat and heads down the street towards his apartment.
"Oh!" Jerjia says in an offended tone, stopping in her footsteps to watch Adon walk away. "'To his flat'! La-di-dah! Too good to offer anyone who's a stranger in town a place to sleep for the night, isn't he, Sparky?" She looks around as if to dare anyone else to be the next not to offer her a place to sleep.
After seeing Jerjia handle the constable and then speaking her mind on the other lawman, Casey can't help but offer her a place, seeing how he himself is not much of a fan of lawmen. "Alright, little lady." He starts as he bends his knees so he can be at her level, "I'm staying at the Rusty Dragon. I can get you a place to stay all to yourself. And, um, your Sparky fella there also. It's on me. Whaddaya say?"
Wits pulls himself up to his full height. [b]"Well, miss. I don't know about the deputy, but I do possess a room at the Rusty Dragon. I would be honored if a lady such as yourself would share it with me. Not to say that I expect any sort of congress of the carnal variety, but if such a congress was to be had, I would not be adverse to such. Of course, I may have to move some chemicals and equipment. Some slight movement of objects, you see. I have a great deal of things to pack...[b]" Wits trails off, looking vaguely embarrassed, but not certain as to why.
Listening to Wits's "offer", Casey raises himself back up, "Well, little lady, whatever you decide, it looks like you gotta place at the Rusty Dragon." He says with a wink and then turns and leaves so as to give the small folk some privacy.
Jerjia smiles complacently between her two offers, placated. "Chemicals, you say?" she smiles at Wits. "Sounds ... combustible. Tell me, how attached are you to your other ear?"
Reynard chokes momentarily, then walks towards his room at the Rusty Dragon as well, hoping to last the night without the inn burning to the ground.
Jerjia smiles complacently between her two offers, placated. "Chemicals, you say?" she smiles at Wits. "Sounds ... combustible. Tell me, how attached are you to your other ear?"
"Combustibility? Why, my dear, I have been researching into the volatility of substances and I believe I have discovered a formula that maybe twice as potent as alchemist's fire, and indeed, may burn even under water! Now, when you factor in the intense effect on flesh and dare I say, even stone, you have quite a volatile mix! Allow me to demonstrate?" Wits looks much happier to be on familiar ground, explosive as that ground might be...
Reynard chokes momentarily, then walks towards his room at the Rusty Dragon as well, hoping to last the night without the inn burning to the ground.
Internally chucklingat Reynard's reaction, Jayne speaks at him, "Come on, Raynard. I'll buy you a drink 'fore it's time for some shuteye. Maybe that'll help take your mind off, well, stuff." He pats him on the shoulder.
"Combustibility? Why, my dear, I have been researching into the volatility of substances and I believe I have discovered a formula that maybe twice as potent as alchemist's fire, and indeed, may burn even under water! Now, when you factor in the intense effect on flesh and dare I say, even stone, you have quite a volatile mix! Allow me to demonstrate?" Wits looks much happier to be on familiar ground, explosive as that ground might be...
"I have a lizard," she tells him. "He makes sparks. For that matter, so do I."
The route to Thistletop is relative easy to follow, mostly being a cobbled road that tracks the edge of the cliffs that form the lost coast. The air is still, and cool, with an overcast sky to keep he sun away, and allow the semi-perpetual fog to linger even longer than is normal for this early in the autumn. Gulls wheel about in the sky, fewer and fewer as you move away from the junk yard near Sandpoint though.
Eventually, the route turns from the road, onto a bare dirt path. The sound of waves crashing comes from nearby, but any view of the sea is obscured by thorny briers. Over the bushes, you can just about make out a wooden building in the distance.
"What a beautiful morning. Crisp air. Sounds of the sea. I feel good about today. Wow, Jerjia you're glowing! You must have had a good night."
Too busy looking to see if he can make out what lies in the distance, Jayne hears the lawman speak but is not really listening. "Yep." He responds.
Jerjia has been sniffy with Adon since he rejoined them at the Rusty Dragon in the morning, and if he considers his comment an attempt at reconciliation, she is having no part of it. "Glowing?" she asks her lizard. "Like a nimbus, Sparky? Like an aura, like a cloud full of lightning on a dark and stormy night?" Having completed her enigmatic retort, she eyes the lawman suspiciously.
Moving only his eyes to catch what Jerjia is saying, Jayne manages an internal chuckle as he returns his vision back to what's ahead. "Well, I can't make out what's ahead. Looks like some kinda building." He says while staring ahead still trying to attempt to discern what it is. Pulling out a handkerchief to clean the barrel of his gun, "Looks like we might be durn near close. Best be ready." He says as he finishes up, returns the cloth to his pocket and then checks the sight.
The paladin looks down at Jerjia as she answers. "Yeah. Pretty much like that, but with less dark and stormy. Hmm, that sounds good. When we get back, I'm buying us all a round of Dark and Stormies.
Then, at Jayne's proclamation, he nods his head. [b]"Yeah, we should be on guard." He hovers a hand over a chakrum.
Adonai draws his new longsword and uses it to swipe and hold aside the fake bushes. He leans over and peers in, "Why I don't believe I can fit in there," he exclaims.
"What is it?" Jayne asks Adon as he moves in position and quickly takes aim at whatever is behind there.
Wits shakes himself free of his travel revelry. "Of course you can't fit. You're not a fit size. Perhaps if shrank you down to a normal size? How do you feel about terriers? How about riding a terrier? Let me make some calculations..."
"Good Wits I think I may have to take you up on that offer sometime. I like terriers, but nothing beats a good ole mutt."
"Looks like we found the goblins' nest." She looks from the thorn bushes to the wooden building beyond and smiles. "It all looks very ... flammable. Let's blow it all up, cut down any goblins fleeing the flames, and I'll be back in Sandpoint in time to set fire to the inspector's evening post."
Jayne raises up from looking down his sight and looks to Jerjia, "Now, now little lady. If we blow it all up, then I don't get to have no fun killin' 'em myself. 'Sides, I'd hate the forest to catch afire. I ain't got nothin' against the forest, just the stupid goblins." He looks back at the path behind the bushes. "What the heck we gonna do now? Try an' take this trail, or just walk on up and knock, blowin' any of 'em to pieces that we just happen to run into?" He revels at the thought while working his toothpick again from one side of his mouth to the other.
Another thought then crosses his mind, so he leans down to speak to Jerjia, "Course, if you do give the inspector what for when we get back, make sure I'm there when you do." He gives her a wink then raises back up.
"I'm right heeeere. No need to burn the inspector with fire or anything," Adonai looks at Jerjia and Casey sternly, "When I am sure some itching powder in his underwear drawer...." His voice trails off as Adonai raises his eyes, then whistles an innocent tune while waiting for his Detect Evil to kick in.
Reynard curses quietly as he takes in the briars.
"This is gonna be fun." he spits sarcastically. "I'd say we move in carefully, but leave the fire as a backup plan."
"Sounds like a fine plan to me. Let's go huntin'." Jayne remarks as he brings up the rear, his weapon drawn, and an itchy trigger finger.
"I don't sense any immediate evil threats, but that might change." Adon replaces his longsword in its sheath and draws his short sword. Then he says to Jerjia, "You going scouting little lady?"
Reynard checks the clip on his new crossbow, the elaborately carb=ved stock sitting comfortably in his hand.
Almost as you enter the unnels, there is a fork, one branch leading North, with the sound of the Sea, and the other leading North-East, with a slightly fainter sound.
Which way?
"Well, which way we gonna go? I'm game for either." Upon hearing the sound of the water. "I will say, I ain't much of a swimmer. But, whatever." He shrugs.
"I say! I don't imagine goblins to be aquatic creatures. Perhaps we should head away from the sounds of the sea?"
"I'm game."
"Let's move then." He tells the others. "Alright, who's gonna take lead? It don't matter none to me. I can go first or I can protect our backsides. What's it gonna be?" He asks no one in particular.