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"Well." Kalais pulls out a small, barely clean cloth from her sleeve and dabs at her mouth. There's barely more than three or so mouthfuls left, but with Viridi's candid storytelling, it's clear the ranger is stopping not because the heavens have graced her with a sated appetite, but because she's having difficulty enjoying anything with the image of a carving knife blade-deep in some unfortunate man's skull lingering in her mind.
"That..." She pauses, stirring her water before putting it to her mouth and muttering, "...Yikes.."
"Did anyone find out why he went off his rocker like that?"
"Did anyone find out why he went off his rocker like that?"
Viridi silently shakes her head. "That was the most frightening part..."
"That..." She pauses, stirring her water before putting it to her mouth and muttering, "...Yikes."
Viridi sniffs and nods. "I didn't want to talk about it, not while we were having something nice to eat..."
She sullenly looks down at her plate. "...I almost didn't survive it..."
"Were you one of his intended victims?"
Viridi is silent for a while before lifting her head up and showing her throat. There's a large, old scar there that mars her otherwise sensual features. "...yes."
The face Kalais makes at the sight of the mark is...well. It's something between disgust, pity, and rampant righteous fury.
After a moment to recollect herself, smothering the look with another mouthful of water, the only thing she manages to get out through her gritted teeth is, "Exactly how dead is he?"
"He's quite dead, as far as I know." Viridi says as she rubs her throat and covers her scar up again. "The watch found his corpse in the basement of his home--he had built a shrine to some dark god or other, and apparently offered himself up as the final victim."
"The watch didn't take any chances--they burned his home to ashes, burned his corpse to ashes, had the ashes blessed, and scattered them about just to make sure he wouldn't rise again."
"...F&%#ing nightmare.." Kalais eventually utters, shaking her head. "Don't get me wrong. Magnimar always had it's fair share, what with the Wringers and the Creepers and...just about anything else in the Shadow, really, but..." The ranger grumbles something under her breath; something like a prayer, but it's not quite to the Inheritor.
"Still, better with that behind you, eh?"
Viridi nods in agreement. "And I learned that Irori has a greater purpose for me from the whole experience."
"Very strange that anyone would go from normal to … … so suddenly."
Kalais seems to want to say something further to Garbund's comment, but to wax lyrical about her own history with fanaticism would be too personal a point than she's prepared to offer.
"So that explains the scar," she brushes, trying to find some other topic. Sadly the only one she can settle on is the one that puts her most on edge, Sable's rogue goblin 'guide' excluded. In for a copper and all that... "But not the scales."
I remember hearing about this. A sorry affair if there ever was one
"It's less strange than I would want to admit Garbund. Much of the work of my brethren and I relates to issues such as those, thought generally not on such a scale." Ansgar comments matter of factly.
"Oh..." Viridi looks rather downcast when Kalais brings up the topic of her scales. "...um..."
"...well, that's because... how do I put this--I'm not entirely human." She looks quite uncomfortable now. "I'm apparently what people call a 'vishkanya'."
"Uh hah." Kalais picks a little at her teeth as Viridi explains. For all the discomfort the Iroran has, the Black Arrow seems rather unbothered by the revelation. So much so in fact that she draws a hand beneath her own collar, behind her neck, wincing a little as she pulls a particularly thick quill from her beneath her hair.
"Well, don't let it bother you, miss," she says, using the feather as a toothpick and off-handedly glancing about their immediate company. A half-dressed mercenary, a semi-intelligent Goblin, a tattooed scholar, and a...well, she hasn't got anything for Ansgar, but that red-wing noose at his neck gives her some pause.
Eventually Kalais just shrugs. "People are weird."
Viridi blinks in surprise when Kalais starts picking her teeth with... a feather? One that came from under her own collar, no less. "Indeed..."
"...but at least, nowadays, people have more or less gotten used to having me around." She shrugs and finishes off her meal.
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze... - the Goblin kept murmuring in low volume, trying not to bother anyone around, while still entertained by the cooked food that was offered. He wasn't used to it, but loved anyway.
Yes, yes, longshanks are strange! - he finally says something to the group, "agreeing" with Kalais but absolutely lost on the conversation. He caught Viridi's story, but limited himself to repeat the word "Vishikanya" after she said it - full of accent, and mispronouncing more than a syllab.
Garbund tries to inject a bit of deadpan humour:
"This may come as a surprise, but I am not entirely human either!"
"Seriously, though. I've been lucky with that in Magnimar."
"I don't face too many problems because my parents are half-orcs."
"Well, not much, anyway."
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The Festivel seems to be slowing down as people are either digesting too much food or drank too much ale; a few hours pass as wood for the evening bonfire starts being piled and a few more activities happen. Everyone seems ready for more partying as the sun begins to set and father Zantus once again takes the central podium to deliver a speech.
A sharp retort, like the crack of distant thunder, slices through the excited crowd as the sun’s setting rays paint the western sky. A stray dog that has crawled under a nearby wagon to sleep starts awake, and the buzz of two dozen conversations quickly hushes as all heads turn toward the central podium, where a beaming Father Zantus has taken the stage. He clears his throat, takes a breath to speak, and suddenly a woman’s scream slices through the air. A few moments later, another scream rises, then another. Beyond them, a sudden surge of strange new voices rises—high-pitched, tittering shrieks that sound not quite human. The crowd parts and something low to the ground races by, giggling with disturbing glee as the stray dog gives a pained yelp and then collapses with a gurgle, its throat cut open from ear to ear. As blood pools around its head, the raucous sound of a strange song begins, chanted from shrill, scratchy voices.
"Goblins chew and goblins bite.", starts the chant,
"Goblins cut and goblins fight.
Stab the dog and cut the horse,
Goblins eat and tak e by force!"
A group of goblins bursts out from inside a wagon and runs in all directions, shrieking, leaping and cackling with joy as the townsfolk start to panic. Some of them light torches, ready to burn tents; while others pick children or pets to run after.
While Squeeze is maybie a little distracted by other goblins suddenly invading the festival under a bloodthirsty song, the other quickly notice that the goblin who sliced the dog's throat is hiding behind a wagon, licking the blood from its dogslicer and looking around in search of a new target. Other four goblin circle the group and the five seem to the decide their next targets are Viridi and her new friends. They seem a little too confident and excited for cowardly goblins, maybie they think Squeeze is on their side?
# Round 1
Two goblins walk up to Kalais and Sable and attack with their dogslicers.
"Eheheh, goblins cut longshanks! Yes! Ehehe!"
The first goblin tries to hit Kalais but does a very predictable swing that is easily dodged.
Sable is not as lucky; fortunately dogslicers aren't very good at cutting, but the blade is sharp enough to leave a superficial but painful bleeding at the upper leg.
Though largely uninterested in the Father's speech, Kalais pulls up her bow with its interruption, the distant gibbering and shrieks disturbingly familiar.
"Goblins?" she mutters, just in time to spot one of the blighters swing at her with its blade. The attack carves another wedge in her buckler, and she pushes off the wretched creature to snap a shot at it in reply.
"Where in the Hells did they come from!?" she shouts, lining up another arrow as she watches the miscreants set fire to the town. "F&+~ it, doesn't matter! Kill the bastards first!"
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The arrow pierces one of the goblin's eyes and comes out at the back of its head, the green creature falls to the ground with a creepy smile still frozen on its face.
"Squeeze get the one by the wagon" Ansgar yells as he draws his blade and shield and takes a position between the group and two of the goblins.
As Ansgar moves to his new position, one of the goblins advances against him, attacking with his dogslicer. While that happens, the other takes an apple from inside a barrel and throws at the cleric.
"Longshanks big target!", they cackle.
[dice=Goblin3"Attack"]1d20+3-4[/dice]
The goblin's unnatural agression catches the cleric by surprise as the dogslicer just barely goes through his guard. The green apple crashes against Angar's shield and splatters in every direction.
Garbund moves out at a bit of an angle and aims a fire ray at one of the goblins (5):
« Spali! »
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The ray of fire hits the goblin on the side and his clothes catch on fire for a second, he screams.
"H-hot! Hot!"
Viridi gasps in shock as the goblins storm the festival and start wreaking havoc, her heart racing in fright.
"Irori, laminae nostrum!" She intones, and a soft blue glow begins to envelop the party's weapons. They feel lighter in their hands, and they feel inspired to fight!
Sable draws her longsword and delivers a two-handed horizontal slash.
But the goblin jumps back, avoiding the attack.
"Longshanks slow!"
The other goblin hidden behind the wagon climbs it and squeaks, dangerously waving his dogslicer above his head.
"Goblins cut the longshanks! Come die, haha!", he doesn't join the battle just yet.
Squeeze moves to the goblin towards the wagon. Squeeze was particularly confused and internally praying that people can differ who's ally and who's not, but follows Ansgar suggestion.
When he gets adjacent to the enemy, he bites. He uses Combat Expertise to be a little more defensive.
The goblin jumps back, surprised at Squeeze's offense.
"What! Don't cut goblin, cut longshanks!"
#Round 2
The chanting continues on the background as the squeeks of unseens goblins rise above the panic of the townsfolk.
"Goblins race and goblins jump
Goblins slash and goblins bump.
Burn the skin and mash the head,
Goblins here and you be dead!"
The goblin fighting Sable steps in-between Sable, Ansgar and Viridi, in a completely bold and suicide move.
"Goblin fights all longshanks! HAHAHA!"
He then attacks Viridi.
He manages to hit her with a superficial cut.
Wishing someone would turn off that infernal racket, Kalais snatches another arrow and draws up a second shot to the blessed glow of her bow, this time aiming for the apple-tossing greenskin, intending to remove it from the equation.
They seem more aggressive than usual
Ansgar swings his sword at the goblin outside his little group.
He then follows with his shield.
Kalais shoots another arrow and scores another kill, the goblin falls head first on the ground after the arrow pierces his neck.
Ansgar swings with his bastard sword and the goblin barely dodges by ducking, as he stands up he meets the cleric's steel shield coming towards his face. The shield shatters the goblin's nose and sends him unconscious to the ground.
Viridi cries out in surprise and pain as the goblin's dogslicer cuts her open. She brings her spear up to bear and starts trying to poke the goblin while keeping her spear between her and its dogslicer!
Garbund moves behind the goblin Squeeze is fighting and hacks at it with his longsword:
« padec mrtev, ti malo sranje! »
Viridi takes a defensive stance and pokes the goblin near her, the spear misses its target but the swing is enough to make the goblin think twice about attackin her.
Garbund walks up to goblin that Squeeze fights and slashes him on the back while the creature is mad at Squeeze's seeming betrayal, the slash takes him by surprise and he falls to the ground unconscious.
Sable attacks the remaining goblin with her longsword.
Despite being surrounded the goblin manages to dodge the attack! He swings at Viridi once again.
With a pointy stick on his way, the goblin's attack is unable to connect.
#Round 3
The disturbing chant continues on the background.
"Chase the baby, catch the pup.
Bonk the head to shut it up.
Bones be cracked, flesh be stewed,
We be goblins! You be food!"
Kalais snaps up another arrow from her gear, sliding back on her foot with a look of increasing fury as the goblins continue their song.
Even half-hidden in the mass of swinging limbs and drawn blood, the ranger shows no shame in lining a shot for the second-to-last goblin in their midst, and promptly lets the arrow fly.
Kalais finishes the last goblin with a well aimed arrow that manages to fly between her allies and find its target in the goblin's heart.
For now at least, no more goblins advance against the six, but Sandpoint is in chaos. The group can see thin columns of black smoke rising from the south, screams still fill the air, alongside battle sounds as the town militia starts trying to fight back.
"I guess we might as well lend a hand elsewhere."
As good a plan as any.
Kalais concurs with a sharp nod, looking to the rising plumes before beating a trail to the source, eyes and ears keened for further targets amid the havoc.
Squeeze tries to hide the best he can, sticking around the middle of the party. The little goblin starts searching for something - some sort of cloth, maybe, even tablecloth - to throw and see if he can at least pretend to be simply an ugly Halfling or gnome. Oh, what a day to be a goblin!
The little one is looking for something??
Reaching into his pack, Ansgar takes out his bedroll.
"Squeeze, take this and use it as a cloak, no need more anyone to panic when they see you."
Moving after Kalais, Ansgar looks to Squeeze again,
"And maybe keep near me so I can explain if necessary"
Squeeze puts the bedroll over himself as fast as he can, pretending to be a cloak, then hugs Ansgar's left leg.
Longshanks protects Squeeze! Squeeze is friendly. Squeeze tried to fight the other goblins! - he says, trembling a little in fear - Other goblins were crazy. Maybe hungry. Certainly dumb. Squeeze is guide to longshanks! Useful!
Viridi takes a shuddering breath and leans against her table. "...does anyone need healing?" She asks, holding her injured arm.
Hearing Viridi mention the need for healing, Ansgar realizes he is in need himself.
"I am realizing that I do, but it appears none of the others were hurt. Allow me to help us" Ansgar says to Viridi.
Ansgar will grab the holy symbol he keeps as a necklace and mutter a few words. Healing energy washes over him, Viridi, and all others within thirty feet.
Viridi breathes a sigh of relief as she feels her wound heal. "Thank you."
"Let's see where else we can help, since we're in good nick."
While Ansgar channels the power of Ragathiel to heal the wounded around him, Kalais primes her senses in search of more goblins. While scaning the environment, she catches quick glimpses of combat happening, and then notices a group of goblins aproaching a wagon with torches in hand. Their skin tone seems more purple-ish than green, and Kalais recognizes that they're probably from a different tribe than the goblins she just fought.
The other members of group soon notice the goblins as well, as one of them chants.
"Goblins burn!"
They also notice something else...The cart the goblins are aproaching is full of fuel for the evening's bonfire!
#Round 1
Kalais gets one standard or move action a surprise round since she noticed the goblins earlier.
Map updated.
Spotting the off-colour hostiles ahead, Kalais blinks once in mild surprise–Goblins are hardly the most cooperative lot, even when united under whatever tatty scrap one might otherwise call a banner–but the thought is quickly thrown aside as she snaps another arrow at the first clear shot she gets.
Another shot, another kill, the goblin's oversized head is pierced by an arrow one second before he is able to ignite the cart, and he falls to the side.
Another goblin, however, aproaches the cart and pokes it with his torch, a bloom of fire erupts from the cart as the fuel on it starts burning. Fortunately the fire seems to be restricted only to the cart, and is not spreading just yet.
Viridi sees the wagon go up in flames and moves to go and put it out, only to pause when she sees the goblins around it.
She twirls her spear and braces herself for trouble.
While Viridi takes a defensive stance, Sable drops her sword and gets her bow, ready to fire if the goblins aproach the group.
The chanting goblin has a shortbow in hands, and circles around the tents and carts to get a shot at the party. As soon as he leaves cover, Sable releases one arrow.
But the goblin quickly dives to the side and gets away from where she aimed. He then shoots at Kalais.
Who is also fast enough to get out of the way.
Two other goblins also get away from the flaming cart, one walks towards Viridi, torch in one hand and blade on the other, and stops a few feet from her, wildly swinging his two weapons around.
"Come Longshanks! Goblin will kill you! Hhahaha!"
The other goblin walks up to the wood podium and extends his torch to the wood, it should take a while before it catches fire.