Reta moves through the middle of the stables quietly(I know, weird right? I mean, c'mon. 'Quietly'? Yeah it doesn't make sense to me either), ready to strike at the first sound of screaming.
Smuz follows Reta. However, he keeps looking over at the cake, and the distraction causes him to stumble and bang into things a few times. He glances around embarrassedly, hoping no one noticed.
Reta and Smuz head through the barn, while Poog follows Chuffy circling around the outside of the building and the remainder of the Licktoads scatter into the open farmyard.
Reta and Smuz find, after they have entered the barn, that a scarred Longshanks is between them and the exit into the farmyard. An odd-smelling haze of smoke hangs in the air around him. At first, he doesn't seem to hear them, but then Smuz bumps into one of the stall walls rather loudly. The Longshanks turns toward the pair of goblins rather befuddledly, just as the screaming starts outside: The rest of the tribe has been seen.
Chuffy continues to creep forward. "They never wait." He laments.
Smuz grins at the longshanks. "Smuz goblin!" he proclaims. "Eat!" He grabs his tanglefoot bag, steps beside Reta to get a clearer throw, and lobs it at the longshanks.
He frowns as the bag lands well in front of its target and bursts open uselessly. "Smuz goblin," he grumbles.
Chuffy silently laments his tribemates' lack of tactical acumen while Smuz tosses a tanglefoot bag which misses the target but gums up a distressed-looking cow in the corner stall.
Poog stealthily stealths closer, just behind Chuffy. Using stealth.
Reta - utter confidence showing upon her face - moves over to the human and swings her mighty dogslicer at him, wondering where she will go next after he dies.
The Longshanks watches Reta's approach as if he's not entirely convinced she's really there, but the dogslicer drawing blood from his leg jerks him out of his reverie. He lets out a growly squawk and draws a long straight blade with which he chops down at her. The sword misses the goblin entirely and thuds into the dirt floor.
Outside, the short Longshanks at the tables begin to shriek and run in various panicked directions, except for the two standing with the ribboned boxes and cake, who seem determined to defend the contents of the long table.
Chuffy sees the red haired boy running towards him and nearly jumps in glee. As soon as he runs close enough, Chuffy springs out and slices him.
Dog Slicer
Grumbling, Smuz fumbles for his javelin, steps to the side for a better line of sight, and then tosses it at the longshanks.
Chuffy slashes at the short Longshanks unlucky enough to run in his direction and is rewarded both with its look of sudden terror and the spurting of blood from the wound.
The luckless Smuz tosses his javelin only for it to clang harmlessly off the Longshanks's metal codpiece.
Poog angrily brandishes his club, steps in, and pokes it hard against the meddlesome longshank's kneecaps. Noticing a portentious paling of its face, he cackles gleefully.
As the human remains upright and actually manages to swing at her, Reta scowls at him. she asks, swinging her fantastic blade of death at him once again.
Poog viciously clubs the small Longshanks already bleeding from Chuffy's attack before it can react.
Reta cuts a gash into her foe's other leg to match the first, but the Longshanks stubbornly refuses to die.
He swings at the goblin again, but his longsword whiffs through the air above her head, not coming close to hitting her. Nervously looking over his shoulder at the panic behind him, he takes a step out of the barn.
Both bleeding and bruised, the small Longshanks being attacked by Chuffy and Poog stumbles desperately away.
Chuffy's not about to let that one get away and Charges after him.
Dog Slicer: charge
Still grumbling at his terrible luck, Smuz fumbles for his vial of alchemist fire, then lobs it at the longshanks.
Smuz cheers as the vial shatters and flames engulf the longshanks. "Smuz goblin!"
Poog follows right after Chuffy, aiming his club low - the stinging pain like an ankle biter on the longshank's foot.
Chuffy chases his quarry and lays him low with another slash of his dogslicer.
Smuz experiences the novelty of hitting what he was aiming at. The rather lackluster explosion does little to dampen the "goblin"'s enthusiasm at his success.
As he comes around the corner of the barn, Poog's eye is attracted by the half-hearted flames licking at the clothing of a Longshanks at the barn door. Taking it as a sign from Zarongel, he alters his course and clubs the toe of the burning Longshanks.
Reta remains really unhappy at the idea of the non-dead longshanks. she yells, swinging her slicer once again at the man.
The Longshanks stubbornly refuses to die ... but he does run. He takes off toward the house, through the panicking crowd of shorter Longshanks.
The short Longshanks scatter toward the farmyard gates, trying to dodge the rest of the Licktoads, all save the pair still standing next to the table of colorful boxes and delicious cake.
Chuffy goes under the round table to try and get out of the line of sight as he prepares to assault the big table with the colorful boxes and delicious cake.
With the tall longshanks out of the way, Smuz makes his way to the object of his desire, not even caring about the final flash alchemist's fire makes as it burns out. "Smuz goblin eat!" he cries longingly at the cake.
Poog scampers switfly to chase away the obvioiusly delusional remaining longshanks. "OOGA BOOGA!?" he shouts hopefully at them.
Chuffy ducks under one of the round tables as he heads for the big rectangular one.
Smuz fails to notice that his alchemist's fire was a late bloomer, a final sparking burst of flame dropping the longshanks in a charred huddle on the ground, as he heads for the cake.
Poog scampers around the edge of the big table and shouts at the pair of short Longshanks there.
Seeing the longshanks run away and catch fire as he does, Reta giggles.
The no-longer-whelps converge at the cake table. The short Longshanks standing there, however, show no signs of running and screaming; instead, they glare at the interlopers and prepare to defend their loot.
The male short Longshanks takes a moment to size up Poog, spits on the ground, then swings a fist that smashes the goblin right in his handsome face. He shouts something to the female, then steps out of the way, leaving her a clear path to the devotee of Zarongel.
The female short Longshanks takes the male's place and follows his punch with an attempt of her own, which Poog just manages to duck.
Chuffy sneaks from his hiding spot under the round table to a new place under the cake table. From there he stabs out at the female.
Dog Slicer
Smuz hurries forward as fast as his slow legs will carry him, his eyes still hungrily on the cake that is almost in his reach.
Poog activates his Happy Beat Badge; just in time to avoid the worst of it. It still stings though. Poog screeches in anger, "You dare lay hands on Zarongoolee's chosen?" The echo of his words (and self-preservatory reflexes) make him add, "...well he likes me anyway."
Poog steps gingerly back and unleashes a world of fiery opinion on them!
Chuffy's dogslicer fails to penetrate the many petticoats of the female's impractical-looking white dress, but she yelps in dismay as he slices open a slash in the skirt.
Smuz hurries toward the sugary deliciousness of the cake.
Poog uses the magic of his Licktoad badge not only to escape serious injury but also to position himself ideally to dish out the fiery wrath of Zarongel on the pair of short Longshanks. The divine fire licks hungrily at their ridiculously-elaborate clothing.
Reta's eyes go wide at the veil the female halfling is wearing. "Ooooooooh, pretty," she says in awe. Narrowing her eyes at the short longshanks, She then moves up and swings at the halfling closest to her, hoping to quickly eliminate him and then move on to the real prize.
Reta slashes the male short Longshanks, making a superficial, if still satisfyingly bloody, wound.
The male shouts something to the female, then steps away from and back toward Reta before punching her with his bare knuckles.
The female closes in on the other side of the girl goblin and throws an elbow at her which fails to connect.
Chuffy pops out from under the table and tries to bloody the pretty dress.
Dog Slicer: flank
Smuz's eyes gleam and his lips part into a wide smile. He reaches out with a hand and tears into the cake, bringing back a large piece to stuff into his face.
Poog moves next to Smuz and snatches a handful of cake for himself.
Smuz and Poog each grab a handful of the cake and stuff it in their respective mouths. The sugary concoction has a quasi-magical effect on their metabolisms, giving each a rush of manic energy.
Seeing two of her goblin party eat the cake, Reta becomes quite jealous. she demands quite kindly as she swings again at the halfling.
Distracted by her companions stuffing their mouths with cake, Reta misses the short Longshanks entirely, instead striking the leg of the table. Her dogslicer shatters with the blow, leaving her holding only the hilt.
To make matters worse, the male short Longshanks steps in behind Reta, sandwiching her between himself and the female, and punches her in the back of her wide head. As she rebounds from that blow, the female follows up with a second punch, which drops the young goblin to the ground.
Not only does her weapon shatter, but she is struck from multiple angles managing to only absorb one of the hits with one of her badges.
Unfortunately, that one hit is all it takes as she falls in a heap.
CHuffy pokes at the female longshanks then scuttles back under the big table.
Dog Slicer
Smuz's eyes gleam and he laughs gleefully at his new-found energy. At speeds uncharacteristic for Smuz, he bounds around the table and to the other side of the male short longshanks to cut off his escape. "Smuz fast goblin!" he proclaims and moves to stab with his knitting needle, realizing at the last moment that he doesn't have it out yet. He quickly draws it.
Poog nearly doubles up laughing at Reta's mishap (sputtering up some sweet icing, which he gingerly licks back in) - but gets angrily serious when he sees her drop to the ground. "Zarongul never allow Reta to shuttup!" The words invoke divine magic which Poog holds in his hands, then he quickly steps in and unloads his hand on Reta.
Chuffy seems more concerned with regaining cover than with hurting the short Longshanks, his slash failing to hurt her.
Smuz dashes around the end of the table, drawing his trusty knitting needle.
Poog delivers Zarongel's blessing to Reta, restoring the girl-goblin to consciousness, albeit prone and unarmed.
As her eyes flicker open from the deep recess of unconsciousness, she scowls as she finds herself laying on the ground. Until she happens to notice a big, green and gold, multi-legged bug crawling about a foot from her nose which causes her eyes to go wide. Remaining perfectly still so as not to frighten it, OKAY, RETA WILL WAIT FOR RIGHT TIME TO SNATCH PRETTY BUG. ONCE IT PAST RETA'S NOSE, IT WILL NOT SEE ME NO MORE AND THEN I WILL GET IT. She giggles quietly to herself at her wonderful plan as she waits for the bug to pass.
The male short Longshanks shouts something to the female as he steps between Reta and Smuz and punches the blue goblin.
More cautiously, the bleeding female circles around to Smuz's other side and kicks at him.