Milgen 5 ft adjusts, and flanks the remaining goblin, before bringing his mace down on it from behind again.
"Hideous laughter, the creature is either a bard, a sorcerer, or a cleric. Kill it." He says matter of factly in Varisian, assuming the goblins won't be able to speak that. He assumes at least Miron will understand his words, if no-one else will.
Anneka hmmphs! when the goblin easily breaks free of her spell. She lifts the hem of her dress (an old habit) and jogs forward to join Ferocia and the unknown dwarf with the blood-stained hammer. Anneka hadn't noticed Ferocia to have claws before but, well, she supposes it's not unexpected. She'd seen people comment she must be part wolf.
Besides, stranger things were going on.
"Ferocia," she says, not bothering to sign. She reaches out, her finger sparking, and zapping Ferocia with the force of fate. "Go get 'em!"
She's been stabbed, cut, and stabbed again, but despite her many wounds, Ferocia still kept her feet. Hearing Anneka speak to her, Ferocia turns, a fierce look in her eyes, and gives the woman a nod. Then she stalks forward and swings her claws at the singing goblin.
”I’ll laugh when it’s dead!” Drazh says as he brings his hammer down on one of the goblins killing it.
Miron squints at the goblin, and the shadows erupting beneath it.
"Come on, let us fight!" Miron taunts the singer, circles, and tries to strikes but the spry little goblin dodges the attack.
She's been stabbed, cut, and stabbed again, but despite her many wounds, Ferocia still kept her feet. Hearing Anneka speak to her, Ferocia turns, a fierce look in her eyes, and gives the woman a nod. Then she stalks forward and swings her claws at the singing goblin leaving slashes on it's armour but it's green skin undamaged.
Azalia shoots down at the remaining from the podium catching it in the thigh.
Anneka hmmphs! when the goblin easily breaks free of her spell. She lifts the hem of her dress (an old habit) and jogs forward to join Ferocia and the unknown dwarf with the blood-stained hammer. Anneka hadn't noticed Ferocia to have claws before but, well, she supposes it's not unexpected. She'd seen people comment she must be part wolf.
Besides, stranger things were going on.
"Ferocia," she says, not bothering to sign. She reaches out, her finger sparking, and zapping Ferocia with the force of fate. "Go get 'em!"
"Hideous laughter, the creature is either a bard, a sorcerer, or a cleric. Kill it." Milgen says matter of factly in Varisian, assuming the goblins won't be able to speak that. He assumes at least Miron will understand his words, if no-one else will. His swing with his mace fails to hit.
The goblin singer backs off and tries casting a spell, seeing it's guard go do Milgen lunges his spear at the goblin but it continues to be an elusive target. The injuries on the goblin close as it continues singing with a sneer despite being outnumbered.
It cast cure light wounds on itself
Initiative Order
Drazh
Miron
Ferocia
Azalia
Anneka
Milgen
Goblins Singer
Miron hears the youth's words and redoubles his endeavours to not allow this spellcasting goblin to escape. He continues to circle the goblin and drives his spear forward!
Azalia shoots at yellow from the podium.
and misses.
Milgen steps to the side, flanks with Miron, and brings his mace down!
Anneka rushes up to Milgen, giving him the same treatment.
Ferocia takes a step forward and slashes at the goblin twice.
Draz moves up to attack the goblin, swinging high. The hammer goes over it's head.
Miron hears the youth's words and redoubles his endeavours to not allow this spellcasting goblin to escape. He continues to circle the goblin and drives his spear forward catching it in the side.
Ferocia takes a step forward and slashes at the goblin twice and this time both sink into it's flesh.
Azalia shoots at the goblin from the podium but the arrow goes wide.
Anneka rushes up to Milgen, giving him the some divine guidance.
Milgen steps to the side, flanks with Miron, and brings his mace down!
Between the various blows the goblin lies quite dead on the ground. The sound of fighting can be heard elsewhere but there are no goblins left in this area.
Miron shakes off his spear, taking care not to spattee himself or the others.
That went well. And ouch, that wound hurts.
He speaks up.
"I suspect the cathedral is at risk. The timing and organisation of this attack are likely not coincidence. We should head there straight away or all of Sandpoint will suffer!"
Milgen shakes his head. "Sorry, but I have family I must attend to in such a situation. I will go to the Varisian Quarter now. Your church obviously comes first, do what your duty requires." He bows, and signs another thanks to Anneka before turning to head back the way he had been going, toward the Varisian quarter, Risa's place would be a rally point about now.
Azalia has no idea if Miron knows what he is talking about, but it sounds like as good a suggestion as anything, so she starts off in that direction, looking for more goblins.
Anneka leans warily on the cart, looking to the others for some guidance. "Where's Milgen going? Is it safe? Is that all of them?" She turns to look back at her stall, and to see if Arika is around. Satisfied that her sister listened, Anneka gushes over Miron, Ferocia, and Azalia, as well as the other dwarf with the hammer.
"Hello, I'm Anneka. You were very brave, " she says, trying not to look at the bits of goblin viscera clinging to his weapon.
The group of unlikely adventurers seem to have stopped the goblins before they could do any significant damage to the surrounding buildings including the Cathedral however as ye look about something is out of place not with the Cathedral itself but the adjacent graveyard. One of the mausoleum doors, a rather heavy stone one at that, has been moved aside. The structure is decorated with butterflies and prayers to Desna engraved on it.
Milgen discovers that the rest of town isn't as badly attacked and the Sheriff and a few others who are skilled at arms are driving back the goblins. His family and their holdings seems to have survived the conflict unharmed.
Once ensuring that the Varisian quarter is unharmed, and that there's no issues there, Milgen will return to the festival square.
Feeling a need to keep his hands on his spear, Miron speaks but making sure that Anneka can see his face clearly:
"It is my duty to oppose anarchy. And you were yourself brave, I did not expect you in a battle bringing magic! We will head to the cathedral, and you are welcome to join us. The youth - Milgen? - has his own duties which he is bound to."
*********************
At the cathedral:
Miron looks at the disturbed tomb with a strange expression.
"That is the tomb of Ezakien Tobyn, former head of the Sandpoint temple and priest of Desna. Burned to death with the temple. Let us make sure that he rests easy. If any wish the front, I will cede it to them. Otherwise, I will advance."
He will wait a moment before moving forward, spear in hand.
"It's nothing," Anneka mimes throwing something away and wiping her hands. "Just a trick I picked up."
She follows Miron's gaze to the cemetery, her jaw dropping open in surprise. Why would goblins desecrate the cemetery, and this grave of all graves, on the day of the new cathedral's grand opening? This does not bode well at all! A shiver passes over her.
Ferocia growls once more, surveying the goblin corpses on the ground. She looks at er bloody claws, and forearms thick with black fur. Suddenly, her arms return to normal. Her claws vanish. They're just arms. Normal.
She looks at the others.
"Are any of you healers?"
---
Ferocia looks around for other dangers, but finds none. She returns to mausoleum she noticed ajar. Anneka's there, so she joins her.
Miron turns to the fierce dwarf.
"Aye. I can call upon Abadar to mend flesh. Twice for each dawn if I focus."
Miron reaches out to touch Ferocia on the shoulder.
And twice.
"And thus He brought order to that which was in chaos."
The knowledgeable may recognise Miron is quoting a passage from the Book of Numbers, one of the major holy texts of the Church of Abadar.
By the time the group has checked the area and spotted the disruption at the tomb as well as begun using healing spells Milgen begins to enter the square and can see the group standing near the boneyard looking into it.
On his return, Milgen approaches the others he fought with earlier. "The Varisian quarter is clear of goblins. No casualties that I was able to find. So far anyway. What has happened here?"
He frowns. "Was the attack a cover for looting the old priest's body?" He looks at the others. "Have you investigated already?"
Ferocia nods at the priest as her wounds heal.
"Thanks."
To the Varisian fellow, Ferocia replies, "We are now." Then she turns and stalks toward the mausoleum.
Azalia introduces herself when Anneka offers her name.
I'm Azalia.
When Ferocia heads into the mausoleum, Azalia accompanies her.
As you draw close to the vault a figure is attracted by your group's approach. A charred black skeleton covered in orange flames moves out towards ye, its long, bony fingers reach out to claw at the living, burning with an unending fire.
This is a variant of a skeleton, bludgeoning weapons work best on it. The obvious threat of the fire gets worse when they are destroyed as the magical energy is released in an explosion of energy.
+
It's flaming claws leave a vicious burning wound across his jaw and he collapses to the ground.
Miron
Anneka
Milgen
Drazh
Azalia
Ferocia
Skeleton
Ferocia growls and leaps into the fray. Her forearms suddenly are covered with furry black hair, and her fingers turn into long bear claws.
She swings her claws at the skeleton.
|
Drazh ran after his fellow dwarf. This was how he had spent much of his youth, clearing mines filled with the walking dead. He remembered clearly fighting side by side with his father. Pick axes to dig, hammers against the skeletons, axes against zombies. The gold had been worth it when they were done.
As he went up he yelled ”Get clear! These tend to explode!” He braced himself...
Drazh ran after his fellow dwarf. This was how he had spent much of his youth, clearing mines filled with the walking dead. He remembered clearly fighting side by side with his father. Pick axes to dig, hammers against the skeletons, axes against zombies. The gold had been worth it when they were done.
As he went up he yelled ”Get clear! These tend to explode!” He braced himself...
Milgen frowns. "Wasn't he a little short tall to be a stormtrooper the former high priest?"
Her worst fears are confirmed. Goblins aren't the end of this story--now the dead rise up from the graves. Anneka hopes she's still dreaming, but a quick pinch on the arm confirms she is indeed awake. "Miron!" The man was brave and foolhardy, and like to get himself killed. In an act of courage startling even herself, Anneka runs forward and grabs him as he falls, pulling him back several paces.
|
|
Draz swung his hammer, shattering the bones and unleashing a wave of fire. If it were not for his experience battling such creatures, he would certainly have been caught completely in it's blast. As it was, he was able to shield himself at the last moment, avoiding the brunt of the damage.
Standing over the smoldering remains, he brushed himself off.
"Hate those things. Pa always said to take them down at range. Though I wonder, who made them?"
Azalia searches the room for the remains of the priest (and loot, shh).
Father Zanthus has been gathering up some of the local villagers bringing them into the Cathedral, he has a combat knife in hand. Seeing the commotion in the graveyard he moves over to ye.
Saying a quick prayer to Desna ye can feel cool healing energy roll over ye. "What has happened here? Are you alright. You have my thanks for helping drive back to goblins but this is an evil of a different sort."
As the skeleton advances, Miron tries to shout a warning.
"Watch out! It's-"
And then he fell.
He feels invigorated. The others are near, Anneka, Father Zantus.
"The fiery skeletons? What happened in the tomb after I was downed?"
"Was wondering if someone stirred up the goblins to cover raiding the tomb." He nods toward the tomb. "Kind of suspicious that we have a goblin attack immediately after the temple is rebuilt, which was burned down mysteriously as well. Too many coincidences."
"I don't know why they would do this but it does sound very strange from what I know about goblins. Maybe Shalelu would know, she keeps an eye on the goblin tribes nearby but isn't in town for the Swallowtail Festival."
A young boy runs up "Father, they're going to kill him! I saw a few goblins and this dog without fur corner Lord Foxglove near Redmond's house."
Father Zantus puts a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder "He means Aldern Foxglove, he's from Magnimar. I know you have done more than anyone could have asked of you but I am not equipped for this kind of thing but he needs help. Please go and take these, they might help you." Zantus holds out two potions of cure light wounds.
Miron pulls out his spear.
"Thank you, Father. We should aid Lord Foxglove. The potions should go to our Dwarven duo. I will ready to keep the beast back."
Her search apparently turning up nothing, Azalia comes out to listen to the new developments. When she hears that they are needed elsewhere, she starts towards the new threat.
Ferocia sheathes her claws and takes a potion, slipping in into her belt pouch.
At the sound of the name Shalelu, Ferocia clenches her jaw and scowls. Then she turns to stalk away, clearly off towards whatever foppish noble they had yo save next.
To anyone who follows her, Ferocia grunts, "The dogs the boy mentioned are goblin dogs. Goblins love the damned things. Train 'em and ride 'em. But their dancers an irritant to everything but goblins and their own kind."
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Azalia found the tomb mostly empty, the dead priests coffin empty is empty so if Milgen is right someone's removed his body and left a decoy as an animated undead.
"Thank you, may Desna protect you!"
Milgen cats prestidigitation and cleans himself as people talk. By the time the boy arrives, he's spotless again. He even takes a second to cast Mend on his shirt, repairing the arrow holes. Looking as if he hasn't fought anyone, he nods. "Very well, Father Zantus, we shall proceed to the Manor. For everyone else's edification, I'm afraid I've used up all my good spells for the day on the previous goblins." He hefts a now clean mace with a lopsided grin. "Then again, the good old Mark I Heavy Spikey Object seems to have plenty of use left in it."
"I too have only the most minor magics available to me. But similarly, I have weapons. For those of you who don't know me, I am Miron Vladimirescu, recently raised Inquisitor of Abadar. I am pleased to be in the company of those so quick to oppose the destructive."
Milgren makes an elaborate bow. "Milgen, of House Loztres, recently Pincushion of Goblins." He replies. "I am not sure I would consider myself one quick to oppose the destructive. It depends on the nature and purpose of the destructive. There are times when destruction is useful, even required. Let us say instead that I oppose that which destroys for it's own twisted pleasure."