|
d'Log skitters under a wagon then catches into a full sprint. Out of the corner of his eye his sees this striking female goblin figure. d'Log turns to see who this gorgeous creature is and smacks right into the wheel of a cart.
From the floor, d'Log is finally able to crane his head to see the splendid creature. Turns out to just be a watermelon resting on a small wooden post.
Ykka finally begins to catch up to the other and then ran into the side of a horse, causing it to reard up and nearly throw it's rider onto a table full of fresh fruit.
Rick weaved through the obstacles in his path, leaping over the fallen gnomes and goblin, snickering to himself. As he turned back towards Dahros he stumbled into a cellar stairwell, tumbling down the stairs loudly.
Dahros shoved people aside and knocked over stacked crates as he followed Phinick through the market. The shorter folk weren't as strong...or as spry. d'Log tripped over a pile of cloth that had spilled from a stall, taking Rick down with him. Ykka got stuck behind a slow-moving elderly couple, and Skittle smacked her head when she tried to slide under a wagon like Phinick had.
Still, Dahros was right behind the goblin and the others managed to pick themselves up in time to see the goblin and the longshanks turn down an alley. Phinick splatted and slipped as he ran, but managed to clear the other end of the alley without falling. The alley floor was slick with mud, and since it hadn't rained in a while, you didn't want to think too hard about what was mixed with the dirt to make the mud so slick and thick. In fact, you didn't want to smell too hard about it, either.
d'Log 0
dahros 2
rick 1
skittles 1
ykka 0
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
d'Log being the unbreakable goblin that he is, slips through the tangle of cloth and sprints down the muddy alley. Seeing the slippy surface, d'Log halts his acceleration once he hits the mud and power slides through the mud, doing one single rotation as he does. When his rotation faces his allies his gives them the double finger pistols.
Rick runs through the muck trying to eye line of sight to the fleeing goblin. "Little bugger is quick, if I were a bit closer I might be able to hit him with some tanglefoot!"
Rick narrowly avoids falling into the mud as he stares openly at d'Log's incredible turd-luging abilities.
Dahros almost avoids falling in the mud, but slows down when he does indeed fall into the muck. Cursing loudly, he shouts "BAH! You bastard!" as he scrambles back to his feet.
Ykka rounds the corner and watches Dahros plunge into the muck. She quickly leaps onto his back and jumps over the worst of it. She looks back apologetically but laughs when she sees his face covered in "mud".
Dahros rounded the corner and, with eyes fixed on his fleeing prey, completely fails to see the muddy ground. He slips only a few steps in, lunging forward and scooping up an entire mouthful of night soil. Gagging and retching, he vomited her lunch all over the ground, adding to the sticky, slimy mess, and only making it more difficult for his companions, who ignore him as they too race for the prize.
Everyone else made it though the alley without much of the muck on them, though Phinick's lead had increased a bit when Dahros fell. The goblin hopped a fence to a large home's backyard. When you got there, you could see him nearly at the far side, moving quickly but quietly. Along the house side of the yard was an array of kennels. A half-dozen wolfhounds were dozing in the afternoon sun. Be quiet. You don't want to wake them up!
d'Log 2
dahros 2
rick 2
skittles 2
ykka 1
Ykka is competently sneaking across the yard when Skittles pisses off all the wolfhounds!
Covered in muck and vomit, Dahrus stumbles through the yard loudly
Rick runs into the yard and stops short seeing the wolfhounds. He cringes and facepalms after watching Skittles poke the wolfhounds with sticks.
While everyone else was fending off the advancing wolfhounds, d'Log saw his chance. Sneakily he ran behind the hounds, shrugging at the others as he went past unscathed. The growling and yelps of the dogs as they attacked the others masked his approach, and by the time everyone else had leaped over the fence to follow, d'Log had Phinick pinned to the ground with one arm yanked up painfully behind his back.
Ykka holds a hand to her bleeding leg and glares at Phinick, "why were you running?"
Dahros picks Phinick up by his collar and slams him into the side of a building. "You little s#+~! That hurt! Do you realize how much trouble you just caused us! ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS TALK!" he barks at the goblin.
|
|
d'Log grabs Phinick and sits him down gently.
d'Log looks back at the wolves and bears his teeth
Ykka tries to look menacing to the goblin as d'Log plays nice.
"Why was Phinick running? Phinick run because you chase. You no chase, Phinick no need run. Phinick knows dwarf got poisoned. Talk of town. You think Phinick do it because Phinick goblin. No think 'that Phinick is nice goblin. He no possible do this thing. He just help out at Feedmill and do all the bad chores and never complain, even when customers throw things at him.' No! Is always 'where is lousy goblin?' and 'customer keel over dead, sneaky goblin did it!' You even have own pet goblin to chase Phinick down!"
"You were running before we even got to your house! You saw US and ran. All we wanted to do was ask a few questions. Now the whole town is going to think you did it! Going to make it harder for us to prove you're innocent!"
|
|
d'Log takes out his writing set and starts to scrawl down something on a piece of parchment. d'Log shows Phinick
In a calm voice d'Log says See this paper, its says "d'Log not a pet goblin. d'Log is his own goblin." This mean I am noone's pet. Do you want to not be a pet?
d'Log scrawls down a similar note but with Phinck's name on it
As a newly non pet goblin, Chef Phinick what would you like to do?
"Phinick is innocent! No want poison dwarf. He always good to Phinick. But people gonna say 'stinky goblin Phinick did it', just because Phinick is goblin. Then, you go round asking for Phinick, tracking through town. Of course Phinick run. Phinick no think you want him innocent. Why should Phinick? Phinick think 'newcomers want Phinick guilty, want to blame him for death of friend, then go away'."
|
Skittles hurries to her feet "Youchies! That sure was an unexpected turn of events"
Turning to Phinick, and in a pleasant tone.
She winks at d'log before proceeding in common.
"Now phinick. Can you please help us understand what happened that night? We need you to think real hard, and tell us everything you saw. You work there regularly - apart from our arrival, was there anything different, or out of place that evening from any other night you were there? Now don't mind me one bit. While we are chatting, I also need to tend to my friends wounds."
While talking, Skittles can treat wounds to anyone who needs it, if time allows.
Rick wonders why Skittles is spitting all over Phinick as she speaks and moves a hand to shield some of the flying saliva. He wipes his hand off discretely on the shoulder of the gnome before smiling affably at the goblin.
"Sorry about the misunderstanding your goblinliness, we just wanted to chat. Could you be so kind as to enlighten us as to who might have harbored ill will towards Bort or might have had an interest in his passing?"
At the kindness and gentle words - not from Dahros - the goblin seemed to relax a little.
"Easy for you say 'no worry we want help'. No one want help Phinick most days. They just want Phinick do work. And Phinick happy to work at Feedmill. Good job, pays wages, and staff nice to Phinick most times. Not drinking men, though. Most no like Phinick because goblin. Fancy-talk gnomes want know who no like Bort? It Hallod. He bully, no like anybody. But, he made me put spices in Bort food. Said would only make Bort s&@* self in pubic. Humiliate him. Also said cut off Phinick's ears if no do this. Phinick not know make Bort die! Phinick no want Bort die! Please, no kill Phinick! Phinick not know!"
The goblins began begging for mercy and blubbering to the point of incomprehension.
|
|
d'Log shuffles away at the sound of having the goblins ears cut off and appears to be enraged by the act.
Hallod was big drunk longshank that d'Log snuck on after brawl. d'Log knows where he sleeps, gonna cut off HIS ears. Make some good longshank ear stew and feed his broodies dis ear soup.
d'Logs fists are balled up and green knuckled.
Dahros eases when Phinick begins to spill the story of how Bort got poisoned. "Son-of-a-b#&**." he says slowly. "So you poisoned and killed Bort and almost killed me, but this other guy Hallod told you it was just spices. Alright. Let's go find Hallod then, it sounds like he's the one that we want."
Ykka watches Phinick closely to make sure he's telling the truth. She also watches d'Log, "Let's not get carried away just yet d'Log! Phinick, is this Hallod well-liked in town? Are we bringing more trouble on ourselves by going after him? Should we talk to Sheriff Garley first?
Ykka wasn't sure of Phinick. The goblin's story sounded right, but still something in the back of her mind said maybe it's all an act.
”Ah hah... I appreciate you getting right to it. I am not so sure we will be cutting off any ears but you can help expose any gaps in his story when we question him. d’Log here will be sure to protect you from him should any issue arise. Shall we be off to confirm then folks?”
[ooc]dont know my mod on my phone[/dice]
|
|
Skittles is taken back by the new information provided by Phinick.
"What? I thought you said you did not do anything, Now the story changes? Well then we are just going to have to talk to Hallod next, but under no terms does this mean you just get to bugger off. You will be coming with us. And in case my fancy gnome talk is too much for you well then... "
Skittles finishes her claim with a stern look towards Phinick and switches back to commmon tongue.
"And you can start your assistance by helping us find Hallod next."
|
|
d'Log bears his teeth
Phinick speaks, phinick no lie. Cutting goblins ears is akin to cutting smart gnome face hair off. Its unforgivable. Goblin don't get treated fairly by others, goblin with no ears... gets treated unfairly by other goblins. Earless goblin, worse than dead goblin. I will tear this brute Hallod's ears off and make necklace and give it to smaller Hallods as present.
d'Log stands between Phinick and the rest of the party
He walk, no chain, no rope. He walk free goblin. Not a pet.
Dahros chimes in, folding his arms "No."
"He poisoned the food that I ate and almost killed me. He did poison the food that killed Bort. Whether he knew what he was doing or not, he was wrong and guilty of that. No one is talking about cutting ears off, but given what we had to go through to get him, I'm not willing to risk him running off again. He can walk free, but it's under a rope. He can tie the rope to you if you want d'Log, but he's not free until this is done."
|
|
d'Log points at Dahros
You talk, but you don't speak. Wolf almost kill you, did wolf get the rope? Bear almost kill you, bear gets no rope either. But goblin, you eat food goblin makes, you get sick, now goblin need rope. Phinick run because he knows....
d'Log moves his hand up and down measure Dahros's size
Phinick knows what you longshanks do when you get angry. Always goblin fault. Always goblin punished. I d'Log followed Hallod after brawl and poisoning, I goblin know where he live. You longshank couldn't keep your food down. I guess goblin pay for that too now . No rope, no chain, Phinick not a pet.
Ykka steps between Dahros and d'Log, holding her hands up. "There's nothing to be gained by dragging Phinick through town by a rope, Dahros. Unless you're ready to execute him right here, let's not tell the whole town he's the one who murdered Bort. And d'Log, we don't know if Hallod had anything to do with Bort's death. You know how goblins are treated, imagine the mob if you go around killing people without proof! We'll find a better way."
She finally turns to Phinick and speaks in goblin,
Dahros growls at d'Log "LOOK LOG, You weren't on the dying end of any of those things you just rattled off, so you don't get to tell me if I'm tying up the damn prisoner, alright? This has NOTHING to do with him being a goblin, so stop making it a racism thing. If it was a human I'd be acting the exact same way."
He reaches out to grab a hold of Phinick when Ykka steps in the way. He listens to her and blows out an exaggerated breath. He looks at her then d'Log. "Fine. FINE. But let me make myself very clear. If he tries to run or make a wrong move, " he taps his chest twice, "then we are doing it my way."
Pointing at Phinick he clarifies "Don't f!*% this up." before turning and walking away.
"Uhh if you girls are done chatting... can we go? Please?"
Rick mockingly prostrates himself before Skittles, raising a haughty tone.
"So the gnome hath spoken! Hear her words! More importantly, follow her and let's get this done with!"
The threat of being beaten unconscious or tied up having passed, Phinick looks a little more hopeful. "Yes, yes, Phinick no run. Phinick be good goblin. But...Phinick no want go see Hallod. Brute man. He kill Phinick for sure. Phinick maybe wait at Feedmill? Or sheriff place? Can clean jail and no run."
Rick looks over at Phinick reassuringly. ”Don’t worry about Hallod. If he was behind the poisoning then I don’t expect he will have a chance to see you behind an angry Dahros.”
Dahros walks at the front of the group, not looking back or participating in further conversation with the creature who had a hand in his near death experience. He walks with a purpose, intending to find Hallod and make him talk.
Phinick explains that Hallod does live at the house where d'Log tracked him to that night, near many homes abandoned after the plague. Named 'Dead Willow' the house is easy to find, earning its name from an enormous dead willow tree in the front yard. It is also in very rough condition. Hallod must not be much of a handyman. It might have had a second story at one time, but that long ago collapsed into ruin, taking parts of the first floor with it. The windows are all boarded over, and the front door hangs open about a foot, kept from swinging wider by a frayed rope.
The yard is a mess of overgrown weeds and small shrubs that have begun taking it over. The building is just in wretched condition, and it is a wonder that anyone in their right mind would live there at all.
Phinick explains that Hallod does live at the house where d'Log tracked him to that night, near many homes abandoned after the plague. Named 'Dead Willow' the house is easy to find, earning its name from an enormous dead willow tree in the front yard. It is also in very rough condition. Hallod must not be much of a handyman. It might have had a second story at one time, but that long ago collapsed into ruin, taking parts of the first floor with it. The windows are all boarded over, and the front door hangs open about a foot, kept from swinging wider by a frayed rope.
The yard is a mess of overgrown weeds and small shrubs that have begun taking it over. The building is just in wretched condition, and it is a wonder that anyone in their right mind would live there at all.