The woman crumpled from your spear strike, so surprised she didnt even have time to cry out. However, despite your perfect strike your eyes were on the stab and not where you stepped. . . and you stepped on nothing falling straight into the river. You almost managed to grasp the edge of their boat but your spear was still in hand.
Gudleifr's time on rivers in his youth and on the seas before he arrived in the city have served him well. He powers through the water back to his companions.
"Catching up will be easier with no mage to interfere!", he says grinning as he steps up onto the boat, dripping with lake water.
The drooling goblin and his toad, actually, represent their normal state....
Kelisa draws back her bow and fires at one of the oar men, hoping to hit him where it hurt. Hard.
Zinar stares blankly out in the river
Kelisa's arrow thwipped by striking the side of the boat. After one moment of looking at Gudleifr clambering back up into the boat they both turned and put their backs into rowing hard.
Zardu continues gathering his senses, unable to properly process the situation after being exposed to that.
Gudleifr, still covered in lakewater, slams himself onto the bench and seizes his oar, while roaring:
"ROW!! ROW!! ROW!!"
Zinar still stars blankly out in the water
Kelisa takes aim again at the same spot, hoping to give the ne'er-do-well a rememberance of her
Kelisa's arrow just misses the men rowing and their boat starts to pull away.
It was clear they were frightened and struggling to get their rowing in sync, but they are pulling away with only one of you at the oars.
PARTY UP 3/4 on the stun
Gudleifr refuses to give up, and continues rowing furiously.
Zinar begins to wiggle his finger
What, whats going on?
As his mind starts to clear.
Again she tries to take the man, this time in the shoulder
Zardu looks around blinking. Wait, what just happened?
One of the men jerks as the arrow skips off the edge of the edge almost clipping his hand but even with that they are starting to pull away, you can see where they are heading on the other side of the river...even more you can see three hooded figures pointing at you all.
PArty up, last round of the stun
Gudleifr bellows:
"ROW!"
Between the wild surge of Gudleifr's attempt to get the boat moving plus the others waking from their stunned effects and Kelisa's attempts to stop the boat by fire the craft you are all on rocks... a little too much, and the goblin in his suddenly lively antics leans forward just enough that suddenly... with a sqauwk he tumbles into the water...
"Rippet!"
The toad cries as they slip beneath the water.
Zinar makes a grab for the party's leader
Zinar see them going down plunges his hand in the icy water while holding on to the side of the boat with his other hand. He spots Tindertwig sinking quickly in the water. But just as he grabs Tindertwig, Tindertwig pushes up Dirtbag into Zinar's hand and gives a smile as he sinks deeper into the dark waters.
Pulling the toad from the water, Zinar looks at him
I tired to get him, but he wanted to make sure you would be safe. I am sorry.
Rippit!; agrees the toad.
Zardu moves his oar for the toad to grab onto.
Gudleifr swears out loud.
"Damnation! Can anyone see Tindertwig!?"
Dropping her attention from the fleeing group, she rushes to see if she could help with her rope, but when she got there, nothing was left but the frog. " Perhaps in his goblin head it was his time... but not Dirtbags?"
The 'clerics' you all were following just managed to make shore as Dirtbag took his tumble into the depths. His trusty frog ribbited again, and down stream at bit from your boats position the goblin splashed up above water... only to be suddenly drug back down again.
Zardu tries to position the boat to help the little goblin.
Gudleifr roars:
"Turn the boat! The goblin is over there!"
He does his best to help position the boat to where Dirtbag is likely to be, and then power it forward.
Seeing dirtbag still floundering, she also tries her best to help assist get their fearless leader from the briney depths
All worries about following the fake clerics are forgotten as you give chase down stream going after Tindertwig. Several times he splashed up above the service only to slip back under it as you rowed for his new position. The last time you spotted him however He cried out something about how it had his leg... and then he once more disapeared under the water for what appeared to be for good.
By the time you returned to where you thought you saw the clerics disembark the dock was empty, leaving you armed only with the knowledge that they mentioned some sort of sickness spreading, and that only they had the cure, and that they would be back.
Gudleifr grimaces.
"He was a daft one, but still one of us. I say we track down the ckwrics and beat this cure out of them."
Zardu says a prayer for the little goblin, he'll be missed.
"We might be able to find tracks on the shore and follow them more discretely."
"But who will lead us now?
Looking at the rest of the party
"Ribbit" replies dirtbag
Turning his head looking at the toad
"Sorry I don't understand but I will try and learn."
"I'll take up the mantle of leadership if no other will bear it.", says Gudleifr, clearly eager to get this sorted quickly and decisively, not seeing a connection with the wizard speaking with the toad.
The next half hour was spent frantically trying to catch up to the flailing goblin in the water. Each time he disapeared under the water... it felt like it felt like it might be the last. But he always endedup popping up further downstream than you thought he should be and always moments after you thought he was gone for good.... until the last time. Finally no more noisy squawks arose no more screeches for help from Dirtbag.
It was with heavy hearts that you returned to the tavern, Only to find a note left for you from Lady Allura handed to you from the young man at the front door, He lead you to a large table in the back.
"Eldrick... Ol' One-eye if you will has news from those Xvarts. It would seem the scuffle with those Iomedaen clerics might have been purposely instigated. Unfortunately Guild business has me away from the Tavern. He has an actually more straightforward mission for you, if you wish to pursue it. Time is of the essence, I will have a quick way home arranged two days hence from now. Be prepared."
The note read. By the time you were done going over the note, a tavern wench, plain to the eye buy moving quickly began setting platters of food in front of you.
"The boss said he will brief you a little later in the evening."
She whispered lowly on her last trip with fresh mugs of ale.
Zandar holding his mug of ale high.
"To Tindertwig, He made the world a more interesting place.
He then takes a long drink
"The best goblin I ever knew." Zardu adds glumly.
"An odd one, but he was alright.", adds Gudleifr as he raises his mug.
"Here's to him, a better fate for us tomorrow."
As the evening grew longer and the majority of the patrons left the tavern and eatery except for a few older menfolk who sat at their tables and a few at the bar nursing drinks talking to one another the proprietor made his way torwards you folk with a large pewter mug. He pulled a chair from an empty table and took a seat, the wood creaking under his bulk. If he was bothered by its protests he didnt seem to notice.
"So one of those little blue fellows slipped by a few hours after you left. Said that they had noticed a bunch of those brown robed priests, the ones who pestered them in different clothing yesterday in the court yard, upstream a bit pouring something into the waters. A few minutes after that they noticed a dark long streak in the waters.
He paused and frowned taking a pull from his mug. He glanced behind him at the tavern goer's who for once were paying him no attention but he leaned forward closer to the party and whispered.
"Seems like a put up. Folk in the slums here been getting sick from diseased fish, foul waters for a few weeks, then those 'earth dragon' Followers arrive and promise to fix the problem. Im thinking they are making the problem to make themselves look like heros. I know they have some big gathering everyday right after lunch but im thinking maybe you follow one of those little blue guys and you see if they are poisoning the water eh? and if they are put a stop to them."
He said taking another pull.
If that's the case, I better get some sleep. See you all in the morning.
Zinar finishes his meal and heads for his room.
"We'll do just that. Follow, and find out. Good night all."
Having sat quiet for the most part of the evening, as she was the last relic of the guild that was not exactly an everyday sight, she wonders if there was more she could have done. But nothing put your mind back to the task at hand than the chance to end the situation.
" I believe we shall track them down, then for poisoning the drinking waters should be made example of. Bad news to let that slide." But it seemed she was in agreement with her fellow companions about continuing
"Their actions are premeditated and vile, we'll have to put a stop to them. Unless they show a genuine willingness to repent and make amends they will likely meet with a final fate when we corner them."
The night passes uneventfully, The young man who took your weapons at the door the day before yesterday rousing you in the morning with your gear and a large basket of food. Downstairs and out behind the tavern where you met the xvarts for the first time yesterday you meet with a fourth ugly blue skinned creature who defitnitely appears nervous.
He places a hand on his chest and begins to speak.
" Me Grikgrig, chief wants me take you to bad . . .bad."
He frowns at the second bad you can almost literally see his mind trying to process the word he is seeking to use. Finally with a scowl at not being able to think of it he makes a motion for you all to follow him and begins to lead the way torwards the sewer entrance you all took yesterday.
"Lead on, blue one." says Gudleifr with confidence.
"Is it the bad water where you are taking us?"
Zinar keeps pace with everyone
Kelisa falls in line to the normal marching order, happy to be moving towards what seems the conclusion of the mystery, or atleast a showdown with the cult