"Thassilon in particular. Recently I've been studying the language and trying to master those difficult tongue movements. Such a dead language is hard to pick up with actually being able to listen to it spoken." She flicks her tongue and twirls it a couple of times, trying to demonstrate the motions.
"Honey, I'd be more than happy to show you how to use your tongue properly," says Amethyst with a glint in her purple eyes.
Once outside the Rusty Dragon, she shrugs at Morgana. "The Run seems a bit too physical for my tastes, but perhaps one of these other ladies would like to form a couple with you? In the meantime, I must excuse myself temporarily. This dress is lovely but far too restricting at the moment."
The magus disappears for a few minutes, returning clad once more in her skimpy dancer's silks. "Ah! Much better!"
Melody is watching, listening, alternating between grinning and looking away quickly, staring it bad, she's heard somewhere. "she gets out of her clothes really fast, must take practice?" she eyes the wheel barrel wondering being run while in it would feel like going down a hill with the wind tearing through your hair.
"Go on! Have some real fun!"
"I'll, uh ... I'll join you, Morgana," Vasia says nervously.
"Yes! I'm telling you, you won't be sleeping alone tonight."
The woman rolls her eyes.
"Honey, I'd be more than happy to show you how to use your tongue properly," says Amethyst with a glint in her purple eyes.
"Oh! You speak Thassilonian?" Sabriyya asks, not quite catching Amethyst's meaning properly.
After they depart the Inn, the shaman thanks Morgana for the meal and beverage. "Thank you Morgana, that was very kind of you."
Remarking how fast Ms. Swan changed, she mentions to her friend "Maybe she was just staying upstairs in the inn?"
Walking alongside the group, she asks Melody "So! What do you have planned for the day? More games? Are you going to try this run? You know I'm not much for strenuous activities."
"I have a new story to tell!!!!" the little one says with excitement bubbling out of every pore. "The bad Izard Itzi has lured the heroes to a dark den of devilish devices, traps I mean, See!" she pulls out a Tessa full of crossbow bolts, a Tessa skewered with saw blades, another half-eaten by acid. Each presentation is accompanied by sound effects (Thwack, slush, sizzle) and moans of pain and whimpering, followed by a boisterous but melodious "NO, do not worry about me, dear Fluffybottom, Onward, to save the princess Polli!" she grins from ear to ear and gives each doll a hugging squeeze before putting it back in her pack. "I should go find a place to set up.... Oh unless there is something you want to do and I can come with, if that is okay?"
"Well come along then!" Morgana says with a grin, "It'll be fun. You and I can have a go later if you like Melody?"
Vasia nods and follows along.
When they reach the beginning of the race, the dark-haired woman looks askance at the wheelbarrow. "I thought it was just symbolic. I'm really supposed to climb in to that ... thing?" She proceeds to do so very carefully. "Just don't go too fast, ok?" she asks, gripping the edges of the container with white knuckles.
"What would be the fun in that?" Morgana asks, before setting off down the course with a whoop!
It goes wrong, horribly wrong, repeatedly.
The fact that the wind is picking up and Morgana keeps letting go of the barrow to hold het hat is place absolutely does not help matters, but she laughs throughout and they finish...
Vasia gasps at Morgana's conception of 'not too fast' and grips the contraption tighter.
Reaching the crowded street, she risks letting go with one hand to point. "That way," she say. "No! That way!"
"Here let me show you," Vasia says as she shoves a barrel up against the wall to give something easier to climb.
"Sorry, I forget Mister Bamish's porch awning isn't strong enough to support someone's weight. We should go this way."
In spite of everything going wrong, Vasia is surprised to find that she's enjoying Morgana's company enough to offset the fumbles, bumbles, and bruises she receives along the way.
"That was really fun," she says with a shy smile when they finally reach the end. She seems to be unsure as to what to do from there.
Sabriyya giggles at Melody's retelling of her tales of Tessa and Polli under Izard Itzi, clapping at the end of it all.
When the race begins, she is full of optimism. After the group repeatedly ends on their bottoms nd upside down, she is too embarrassed to watch and turns away until it's over, hiding behind her hands.
Gorvi, the half-orc, stands cheering with his booming voice at the end of the race and gives out tokens to the pair that came in first to take part in his fishing extravaganza. Second and third place contestants (for there were only 6 competitors in total) all receive a named goblin cardboard cutout in condolences.
"Well not our finest hour." Morgana says between gasps, looking back up the hill at the trail of devastation she and Vasia have left in their wake. "That was good though wasn't it?"
She offers Vasia a hand out of the wheelbarrow and then a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being my partner, I didn't want to miss out on that."
Looking up at the sky she squints for a few moments. "I think the consecration should be starting soon, shall we all head up?" She walks alongside her race partner and takes Vasia's hand in her own, raising them both every time someone applauds their race performance.
"I haven't seen a disaster like that in years!"
"You're paying to fix my porch Miss Deverin!"
"Seriously? My grand-da could have done better than you two!"
Morgana takes it all with a smile and theatrical bows. She had fun, and that really is the most important thing!
There's a short intake of breath when Morgana kisses her on the cheek, but otherwise, Vasia simple nods and smiles. Her cheeks blushing furiously.
"A screamer, I tell ya!"
"Y-yes, I enjoyed that very much. Thank you," she says finally and grins like an idiot when the woman takes her hand back to the main square.
"Ask her back to your room. Go on, ask!"
Don't be silly. She doesn't like me like that. She's planning on racing with Melody as well. I'm sure she'll hold her hand, too.
She can't resist giving the warm hand a tentative squeeze, though, as tingles travel up and down her skin.
Finally, as the sun begins to set in the reddening sky, the crowd is beginning to gather in front of the towering new cathedral. The lights from inside shine brightly through the large stained glass window of Desna which creates a cascade of colours shining over the crowd.
The main square is already crowded so the group stands off to the left hand side of the square ready for the last part of the festival. Nearby Melody has climbed atop a nearby wagon to try and get a better view.
Father Zantus takes to the central podium and clears his throat as he prepares to recite the Prayer of First Dreaming, but no-one hears him through the general hum of merriment and chatter. He fumbles around in his pocket and pulls out a small stone which he throws to the floor.
A sharp noise, like the crack of distant thunder slices through the crowd as the sun's setting rays paint the western sky. A stray dog that has crawled under the wagon that Melody is standing on to sleep starts awake and tilts its head as the buzz of conversation dies down whilst Father Zantus nods.
He clears his throat again in the quiet, and suddenly a woman's terrified scream slices through the air.
A short moment later amid the crowd’s confusion, another scream rises, then another. Beyond them, a sudden surge of strange new voices rises - high pitched tittering shrieks that do not sound quite right. The crowd parts in a panic and something low to the ground races by Vasia and Morgana, another racing past Sabriyya and Amethyst. The small green creatures are giggling with disturbed glee and the stray dog under Melody’s wagon gives a pained yelp and collapses to the floor, it throat cut open from ear to ear.
The raucous sound of a high-pitched song begins, chanted from chill scratchy voices from the fruit cart at the side of the square.
"Goblins chew and Goblins Bite.
Goblins Cut and Goblins Fight.
Stab the Dog and Cut the Horse,
Goblins eat and take by force!"
The crowd is fleeing in a panic, parents are grabbing their children and scattering in all directions.
Vasia squeezes Morgana's hand tighter and points at the goblin hiding at the edge of the wagon. "There!"
"Oh goblins, Sweets there are goblins, singing in common too which is odd, they have their own language you know. I spoke it to you earlier" Melody is babbling a bit as she is worried all the way to her toes, they don't sound like the typical run away when someone comes near goblins she is used to at the trash heap. "um... should we run?" she asks the bigger woman from her wagon, but it is way too late for that! There is a maw of yellow teeth right there.
The little one stumbles back a bit, pulling her new grime-covered and slightly smelly dagger, yay luck, and throws it at the nearest one, something she's practiced before because it looks so neat when other people do it.
Vasia squeezes Morgana's hand tighter and points at the goblin hiding at the edge of the wagon. "There!"
"Ah yes, I see it." Morgana says. "If you don't mind sweetheart I'll need my hand back to deal with this. We can hold hands again later."
Her other hand is already reaching for her belt, where a metal gauntlet hangs just behind her sword.
Melody's dagger strikes the Goblin between its eyes and it thuds backwards still on the ground dropping its dog-slicer onto the floor.
The chaos around you is deafening, squealing, screaming and people yelling for their loved ones. The market square is beginning to empty.
A goblin, squeals with joy and comes dashing towards Amethyst, swinging wildly as it goes tripping on an apple that had fallen from the cart.
Another goblin, Clambers out from under the wagon with a pear clutched between its teeth. As it sees Amethyst, it squeals and starts towards her.
Morgana strides forwards, drawing her longsword as she goes. Settling herself between Amethyst and one of the goblins she strikes at the goblin that is already threatening the dancer.
The sudden chaos breaks Amethyst out of her contemplative reverie. As the goblin trips in front of her, she grabs a hold of her long scarf—her kapenia. It begins to glow a faint purple.
”You shall not disrupt this sacred event,” she declares. Stepping to flank the goblin, she flicks the scarf at it, but the blades set in it don’t get through the goblin’s armor.
"I... I killed it Sabriyya. I didn't mean to, not really, I was just scared!" Melody whimpers a little, this being the first thing other than rats and bugs (horrible nasty bitty bugs). There are other goblins attacking the hat and scarf ladies... "what should I do?"
well she knew what Lady BunBun would do, fling herself without fear into hordes of yellow teeth and rusty blades, could she be like that???
She could try! Gulping Loudly, she grabs the dented hilt of her scavenged sword, draws it with a ZING and leaps from the wagon at the back of the goblin.
Vasia eyes one of the apples lying forgotten on the ground and focuses her attention upon it. With a touch of her mind, the apple flies through the air towards one of the goblins .
"It's okay, Melody! Do it again! Please!" Sabriyya says to her friend as she pulls out her crossbow.
I can't believe I'm shooting a goblin! she tells herself with something between excitement and fear, unsure how to feel about this turn of events.
"Don't move right!" she shouts with a warning as she fires the bolt off.
The goblin takes its chance to swing at Morgana, but gets distracted by a small child running behind her legs and makes a terrifying face to scare the child further, missing with its swing.
Melody manages to slice the back of the goblin deeply and Sabriyya's bolt strikes another in the shoulder.
Red -4
blue -5
The goblins don't seem to notice that they are surrounded and attack their foes back. You can still hear the goblin song's in the distance, seemingly boosting the goblin's resolve.
Both Amethyst and Morgana manage to dodge their crude weapons.
Morgana pulls her gauntlet on properly and then attacks the goblin in return, adopting what appears to be a well trained stance. Unfortunately goblins have yet to form part of her training and she misses by a hair as the creature capers.
Amethyst tries again to slice the goblin with her scarf, but once more she comes up short.
Pulling another bolt out, she uses all of her strength to reload the weapon before raising it and firing it again at the goblin.
"lung, stab, riposte, parry" Melody repeats even though the goblin is ignoring her completely, so no riposte, no parry, she's never done the either before since posts don't strike back.
Her sword enters into its back. "These goblins are not normal, not at all, at least like ones in the heap, skittering and scattering. Sorry goblin."
Melody is the only one to manage to strike the Goblin but she does so with great success and it falls to the ground in unexpected anguish.
Vasia concentrates and another apple goes flying, missing the goblin.
"I've told you that you need to practice that more."
"I'm doing the best I can."
Taking her time to steady the crossbow on her knee, she fires once more at the goblin.
The goblin, now without his two companions, seems to not care or not realise.
He continues to slice away, this time at Morgana.
The market place is very nearly empty now apart from you, the goblin and a few people dashing across from one part of town to another.
The third time definitely proves the charm for Amethyst, as her bladed scarf slices open the throat of the goblin!
Chaos has engulfed Sandpoint, all around you, you hear screams and yells. It would appear everyone is trying to stay out of the main square. Down the streets, goblins race everywhere, running amok and singing and slashing indiscriminately.
Amethyst gracefully spins away, flicking her scarf to remove the goblin's blood. She looks around in concern. "Where did they all come from? We must help whoever we can!"
"One came from under the wagon! but no hole so he, she... it? must have snuck in..." she scampers over to the first dead goblin, pulling the dagger out of its head, with a wet slurpy sound in a state somewhere between grossed out and fascinated. "Sabriyya, are you okay? I kept seeing crossbow bolts and apples fly by, which one was you? Oh you have a crossbow, so not Apples, then, probably." looking at the other lady, the one the wolves were circling and asked "Apples?"
Vasia nods nervously, her eyes searching out other threats and needs.
"Sorry, I'm not very good at this ... stuff," she says. "Is there anything else we can do?"
"Yes. You need to let me out."
"We don't have the time."
"Discussions later." Morgana says firmly, "For now we should stay together and make sure that there are no more of these little troublemakers around. Quickly now!"
Vasia looks relieved as Morgana takes command of the situation.
Just as Morgana starts to usher you all to the streets to begin helping, a large explosion erupts behind you from the other side of the square, as flames engulf a cart that was previously full of fuel for the sunset bonfire.
Four goblins armed with burning torches circle around the flaming wagon and start chanting around the fire with glee.
"Humies have a little town!
We will burn it, burn it down!
Burn it down! Burn it down!
Burn it down into the ground!
Kill the people!
Slay their beasts!
Take their things!
Eat their meats!"
"Anyone with a ranged weapon, use it now!" Morgana commands. "Anyone who can fight at close range, follow me!"
The paladin leads by example, charging across the square to destroy their foes!
"Oh I have one!" Melody gets her crossbow out, a lovely pieced together mess.
Then she KEEPS it, tucks her treasure under her arm, running in the direction the big lady is headed.
Amethyst strides up to the biggest goblin and cuts it down!
Vasia focuses on the scattered ammunition and more apples join the fray.
Melody's crossbow bolt embeds itself into the back of one goblin and Vasia's apple flies out of nowhere, knocking it unconscious. Amethyst rushes forwards to join Morgana in challenging the goblins.
The goblins, having had one of their team knocked out by an apple, turn to face you all and charge, dropping their torches and drawing their dog slicers.
Another Goblin, holding back with a whip in its hand continues to chant the same song.
Only one of the goblins manage to hit in their hasty charge.
Sabriya is all but standing on her crossbow in an attempt to pull it back and reload it, nearing comedy gold.She looks up just in time to see Melody get charged and all but allows the bolt to fly out of the crossbow into her face as she loses focus and concentration. So far it had been relatively easy and they had done well, but seeing the halfling get injured so badly changes things.
no!"
Mumbling a few words, she channels some divine energy into her hand and dashes forward to the halfling. Sliding in behind her, she grabs onto her back and says "I'm here! I'm here! Hold on, hold on." and discharges her spell.
A pear sails through the air towards one of the unengaged goblins.
Morgana strides in to help!
"" the halfing yells as her flesh is cut into. "bleeding not fun, no, all fun and games until you take a knife to the face OH that's better, thanks Sweets"
Goblins being cut down here and there it is hard to know where to shoot/stab, so if she can manage she'll reload and shoot at the singing one.
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