The sun has barely broken the horizon and already the streets of Sandpoint are abuzz with activity. The Swallowtail Festival always attracts a crowd but with the town’s newly finished cathedral being dedicated as well, this promises to be a festival to remember…
At the morning briefing, the typically grim Sheriff Hemlock looms at the front of a small, poorly-lit, and unusually crowded room near the door from the Garrison out to the streets of Sandpoint.
The sheriff is a tall man with a dusky complexion, even by Shoanti standards. His uniform and haircut, on the other hand, are so thoroughly Chelaxian in appearance that many have whispered that he's hoping nobody will notice his tribal heritage. Sadly, this is more than mere rumor and taunts: even his last name had been changed in an effort to fit in with the city's residents, a decision which has caused a great deal of tension with his brother.
In a normal briefing, the sheriff would have quickly passed out assignments to the four or five watchpeople present and been done with it, but this is no normal morning. There are ten people present, not all of whom are regular members of the watch, and the Sheriff is reads over some notes before finally speaking. "As you all know, the festival is today and the streets are going to be crowded. That's why I'm sending you out in groups of two today instead of by yourselves. We've also called up some volunteers from the militia to work the north and south gates, so those of you who are regulars will all be on patrol."
Turning his head to look at the four people who are clearly not regulars he instructs, "Vascilescues--Vascilesci?--whatever you call yourselves, split up, one of you at Northgate and one at Sandpoint Bridge. Smythe, you head north to the gate; Krupt, south to the bridge. Relieve the men who are there and someone'll be there to relieve you at the end of you shift." Turning back to the actual town guards, he continues, "I'm splitting the city along the festival's main thoroughfare: Market Street, from the square up to High, High Street up to the church square, and Church Street from the square to Northgate. Telmar and Davino, you two take the northwest half. Grimblade and Fox, you've got the southeast. Thrushberry... sorry you couldn't get the day off but I called you in for morning shift so you can be done in time to get ready for your wedding; you and Solter are floaters, I want you looking down all the side-roads and back-alleys where people hope things will go unnoticed."
Belor pauses for a second, almost as if allowing an opportunity for questions, but then glances at his notes and quickly adds, "members of the watch, there'll be opening remarks in the church square around noon, right before the end of your shifts. That's gonna be real crowded, so make sure you're checking in there regularly. Dismissed."
Jaymin Thrushberry stands attentively during the briefing, nodding in recognition when mentioned, and spends the whole time subconsciously fidgeting with the festive ribbons he's added to his uniform for the day. He walks over to Nico, all big smiles.
"Sorry you're stuck with me. I'm guessing boss put me into the back alleys cause he saw how prettied up I got for today. I'll try not to block the narrow alleys in case you have to shoot something, though I can't imagine it would be more than rats on a glorious day like today."
”Well Grim, it looks like you are stuck with me all day this time. No getting out of it.” Alistair says ribbing the paladin. ”Maybe they’ll have some more of those meat pies down at Market Square.” for a small thin man, Alistair tended to eat a lot.
Orin smiles upon hearing the assignments. It is always nice to be paired with an intimidating warrior, but it's a bonus when that warrior has a good head on his shoulders.
They have worked together before, and Orin knows Diego is a man of few words. He smiles silently at the tall soldier and heads out.
Lifting his small backpack, Orin heads out to a quieter space.
"It's going to be busy out there today, but the way we did it last time should still be functional. I'll take point, you hang back in the crowd. If I need to address an issue, you just stroll up beside me and give them that look." Orin says, more asking than telling.
"Yeah, that's the one." he laughs, looking at his stoic friend. "Remind them why they should listen!" he laughs.
Nico frowns sympathetically for Jaymin and reaches up to pat him on the shoulder.
"I'm sorry you're having to work for most of your big day."
But, you sort of should have known when you were setting dates...
"It won't be so bad, looking for things people want to not be noticed doing could turn out to be lots of fun."
Jaymin wouldn't have trouble understanding what Nico means. It's no secret Nico gossips and that her mind tends to run toward the salacious.
Her frown transforms into an encouraging smile.
"Come on, I'll buy you some breakfast at one of the stalls to start. One of them does these incredible super thin pancakes with lemon sugar."
"I really don't think there's going to be any shooting today. Everyone is out to have fun. Well, I did bring some fireworks for later if that counts."
Diego quickens his pace to keep stride with Orin as the young man breaks down the plan for the day. After arriving at the assigned post, Diego casually makes his way into the crowd while observing the locals.
(This is going to be more trouble then its worth.)
At the mentions of food stalls, Belor glances up from his notes and remarks, "try to remember you're on duty... there'll be time for merry-making after your shifts."
Things thin a little once you hit the church square--which has been kept mostly free of stalls and booths in order to accommodate the crowds for the speeches and other festivities--but High and Festival Streets are even more crowded than church. The various stands that line the streets include: vendors selling all manner of foods and drinks, religious trinkets and commemorative nick-knacks, and a variety of other festive wares; fortune-tellers, artists, storytellers, and musicians offering their services; and, a wide array of games to test one's strength, skill, or luck.
Despite the palpable energy, and flowing alcohol, everything seems to be going well so far.
The various booths and stalls that line the streets include: vendors selling all manner of foods and drinks, religious trinkets and commemorative nick-knacks, and a variety of other festive wares; fortune-tellers, artists, storytellers, and musicians offering their services; and, a wide array of games to test one's strength, skill, or luck. Despite the palpable energy, and flowing alcohol, everything seems to be going well so far.
Taking Main Street south to The Curious Goblin, you turn left down Rusty Nail Alley. After having a look down the twisting little roads behind the Sandpoint Theater, you turn onto Raven Street to head across Festival to the other half of the city, but you're stopped in your tracks, by two sights. First, the crowd that you've heard but had not yet seen is now clearly visible and both sides of Festival Street are packed with stalls offering food and games and who knows what else. Second, halfway between you and the crowd Gorvi (Sandpoint's half-orcish dungsweeper) is leaning against the Theater's wall, emptying his bladder.
”Mr. Gorvi!! Really, friend? There are children and those of fair sensibilities wandering around today. You want them to turn a corner and see that! There’s a public latrine a block and a half way!”
Nico sighs.
"C'mon Gorvi. Put it away and find a proper place to do that."
Alistair seems to interact with everyone they meet. "How do you do?" to another, "Good morning!" and yet others, "Enjoy the day.". As he recognizes people he tries to greet them by name, "Joe, how's the wife?", "How's the laundry business, Susie?", "Ms. Dunnely, I hope you are feeling better." All the while he keeps a lookout for trouble brewing so he can try to nip it in the bud.
When Nico gives the command more clearly he calls back, "you're th'proper place to do that," apparently unaware of just how inappropriate that come back is in this situation.
”Gorvi!! Gorvi, Gorvi, Gorvi, Gorvi, Gorvi!” he mutters, reaching back to tap his axe haft, making sure it’s still there. ”Now I would hate to shorten an already challenged member…of Sandpoint society, but if you don’t put that thing away right now before you strain somebody’s eyesight, we might have to see how close of a shave I can manage.”
Diego keeps an eye open for local shenanigans' once the crowd starts to gather. Aside from observing Orion as he skillfully deals with the traffic with a more diplomatic venue, Diego watches for the comings and goings of anyone he might recognize as being involved in any past skullduggery.
Nico rolls her eyes, trying to keep her patience. She really wants to be moving on to getting some of those pancakes. She totally misses Gorvi's implied meaning, intentional on his part or not.
"You can't piss on me either Gorvi. Look, I get that you weren't trying to bother anyone, and didn't expect anyone to happen by. It's fine. Everyone wants to have a good time today with no hassles. I'm sure you do too. Just use an outhouse from now on. Now, let's all be on our ways alright?
When Nico suggests everyone be on their way, the half-orc pulls up his britches, gives a sloppy salute, and heads back towards the festivities mumbling, "on our way... on our way... time t'go 'n drink all day..."
Jaymin shakes his head. ”How can he be that drunk already? It’s not even 10 in the morning!”
Nico shrugs at Jaymin's puzzlement.
"No reason to think he started this morning. Just as likely he's carried on through from last night."
”Good point. Guess the alleyways are interesting after all. We’ve had a show, now how about dinner, or well, breakfast?”
Despite his foul mood, and the smell of the stables lingering in the air, his thin pancakes are light and tender, and absolutely delicious with the sweet and sour lemon sugar.
As the rises in the sky, the city's watch travels through the crowds keeping the peace without any major incidences. By noon the narrow streets are uncomfortably busy and the whole town smells of lunch. As ordered, the patrolling guards make their way towards the church square as the crowd concentrates there for the opening speeches and the release of the swallowtails.
Diego and Orin arrive for the tail end of Mayor Kendra Deverin's speech thanking all those who have worked so hard to rebuild the cathedral and organize the festival. They are joined by Jaymin and Nico a few minutes later, early in to a highly theatrical oration from the flamboyant Cyrdak Drokkus in which he recounts the heroic efforts of many townsfolk to stop the fire that claimed the former church, and to raise funds and build the new cathedral. Alistair and Vaeldon arrive just as Sheriff Hemlock is being introduced.
There's a stage at the end of the square closest to the cathedral with a podium in the center from which the leaders have been presenting their speeches. The tall Shoanti steps up to and looks at his notes before addressing the crowd. "There are far too many people in the city right now, so think about what you're doing. Try not to drink too much, and keep an eye on your coinpurse. There's bound to be some criminals in a crowd this size." It's clear that all the energy Cyrdak had built up in the crowd has been beat back down and the mayor looks as those she's actively trying not to shoot daggers at the man with her eyes. Flipping over his small scrap of parchment, he concludes by saying, "now, I'd like to ask that we observe a moment of silence for all the people who died in fire, and in the other events of the Late Unpleasantness."
There's a bit of a murmuring in the crowd that never quite settles as the sheriff returns to his seat. Mayor Deverin looks pleadingly at Father Zantus--the local priest of Desna who oversees the whole cathedral--and he nods then walks to podium before the awkward silence stretches on too long. "Thank you, sheriff, for that moment of sacred reflection," he begins diplomatically. "Desna is a goddess of travel and the journey that she has been leading Sandpoint's faithful on began with the sadness of the fire but has lead us now to an equally sacred celebration. We have been brought to a new day in which we can worship anew in this beautiful new building. So we gather for our annual tradition of observing the Swallowtail, but we do so with a new joy as we rejoice over the fruit of our journey." His words bring life back to the crowd and as he concludes he looks over his shoulder and nods to several attendants waiting by a pair of wagons. They jerk a set of ropes that pull back the canvas covering the wagons and the crowd bursts into applause as swarms of butterflies take flight.
At the height of the cheering, the whole mood of the crowd suddenly changes. A trio of small explosions set fire to two different stands on the edges of the square. People begin screaming and stampeding towards the nearest streets as goblins emerge from behind crates and under wagons.
At the sight of goblins, Jaymin’s training kicks in, both his Watch training and Shalelu’s. He moves 30 feet towards the closer group, unlimbering his axe as he moves. He then sets into 1 of them, lining up his axe to take two in one slice.
But he swings way too high.
AC is 15 this round.
Nico chatters with the Jean-Paul as much as the vendor is able to.
She shrugs off his location, partially to make him feel better and partially because it's true.
"Oh it doesn't matter to me. I'd come find you wherever they made you set up. Pay no mind to the others and their spots, yours are the best, no contest."
She buys Jaymin's order and asks for four pancakes, twice her usual, to help him out just in case others at the festival don't feel the same way about his location.
While they wait and she chats with him, Nico brings up her intention to take a trip to Magnimar to see the sights as soon as she can manage it. She mentions not once, but twice, how nice it would be if she knew someone in the city who could show her around. Since she's been in town Nico has seen and heard subtlety performed, but she hasn't quite nailed it down herself.
The pancakes are pretty good. They're probably the lesser of the reasons she frequents the stand when it's in town. Jaymin doesn't have to work hard to figure this out. After they're on their way with their pancakes, Nico tells him, with a shocking amount of colorful details, what she would be getting up to with the vendor if she could only figure out how to get her message across so he would cooperate.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
During Hemlock's painful turn on the stage, Nico keeps a straight face. It's probably not a good idea to chortle at the discomfort of it all. Instead she pokes Jaymin in the ribs with her elbow to make sure he's paying attention during the most delicious parts.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
When the goblins suddenly ambush the festival it's not Nico's training that kicks in, but her upbringing in the countryside. There isn't much that brings the Watch out the way where she previously lived. If there are problems with a neighbor of something of the sort, it's most always less trouble to talk it out and negotiate than it is to go all the way to town and try to get someone sent. This is why Nico tends to give warnings, or "friendly advice", or work things out on the spot (e.g. Gorgi) rather than haul people back to the garrison. Goblins are different though. Out in the hinterlands everybody knows goblins are shot on sight, so she does.
"Holy nymph's nipples!" is the last thing out of her mouth before she crams the remainder of her last pancake into it. She slips sideways through the crowd of people moving away from them until she's in the clear. Once she has an unobstructed shot she takes it.
Orin is startled out of the trance the Sherriff had lulled him into and glances quickly at Diego, to make sure he has seen the threat.
Calling out loudly in Goblin, he tries to get the attention of the nearest foursome.
"Hey! I know you four slugs! Didn't I shoot some of your parents?!"
Drawing his bow and taking careful aim, he lets an arrow fly at the closest one.
for
"Vaeldon, they've got those at the stage covered. Let's keep those others from getting off into mischief!" Alistair calls out as he rushes to close the distance with the goblins to the north. (double move)
After acknowledging Orin’s concerned look, Diego moves in and engages the closest group.
Vaeldon moves up with Alistair to engage the more distant group. The swashbuckler doesn't send the goblins cowering, but his menacing run seems to get their attention. This quickly proves to be a mixed blessing in that it protects the townsfolk but places himself at greater risk. The four goblins in the group swarm around the two watchman and stab at them with their small knives.
Meanwhile at the other end of the square, Diego arrives next to Jaymin and hacks one the remaining goblins in half. The two that survive step in and each attack one of the men.
Nico shifts her position slightly to take into account Diego's arrival downrange as she quickly reloads. As soon as a new bolt is in place she brings her crossbow up and fires again, targeting the nearer of the two remaining goblins.
Alistair shifts his position to attack one of his assailants while moving closer to Vaeldon (assume Vaeldon in medium armor only moved 40' to my 60', 5' step to get closer to him while still attacking). "Your first mistake was showing up here. Your second was not surrendering." Alistair says as he attempts to skewer the nearest goblin.
Jaymin shifts his grip and attempts another cleave.
After weathering the goblins attack, Diego turns his attention to his attacker and then attempts to return the favor.
Hoping the goblins ducking axes ad swords are a it off balance, Orin takes a careful shot.
For
After just barely deflecting the more accurate goblin's attack with his shield, Vaeldon raises his warhammer and attempts to end that creature.
His blow strikes true and the goblin crumples to the ground. Meanwhile, things go less well for his fellow watchmen: only Nico hits her target and the bolt is not enough to kill it. Despite that, their bravery has not gone unnoticed and a number of bolder townsfolk and visitors are inspired to take up arms against the green menace; in several places, groups of two or three people armed with daggers and clubs move to surround individual goblins.
The goblins continue their assault as well though, continuing to attack the same targets.
On the far side of the square, Sheriff Hemlock has gathered the speakers together and is leading them towards the safety of the Cathedral.
Nico quickly works the lever to span her crossbow and shoot again. This time though luck isn't on her side.
Leveling his bow at the injured goblin, Orin fires again.
For
Jaymin slices through one goblin but the second little bugger has enough warning to duck under the blade.
After a clean miss on the small creature, Diego bring his blade into an arc and then back down into a forward slice.
"Go back from whence you came ya little monsters!" Alistair says as he lunges.
The tide of battle begins to turn as Jaymin and Alistair both cut down the goblins that cut them and Diego, just barely, takes out the goblin next to him. Hoping continue the surge, Vaeldon swings his hammer at the remaining goblin within his reach.
Unfortunately, his aim this time isn't as good and the little green menace ducks beneath it. Across the square, a goblin scurries out of hiding to take a swipe at the priest, but Sheriff Hemlock runs it through on his longsword before it even gets close.
Seemingly undaunted by their comrades' demise, the remaining goblins continue to fight the guardsmen attacking them.
With the immediate pressure off of him, Jaymin looks for a wagon or some other higher vantage point from which to see what’s going on. He also looks for his almost-wife and his friend Rodric and his family.
”Carissa!” he calls out.
Alistair continues his assault on the remaining goblins, ”You fellas damaged my best baldric and for that you will pay. Look at how you’re dressed. You don’t even appreciate the costs of your mischief.”
Orin moves to within 25 feet of the nearest goblin and lines up another shot.
for
As the shot sails wide, Orin can't help but wonder if the sheriff wasn't just trying to motivate him when he called Orin the 'least combat effective recruit he had ever seen'.....
Diego considers saying something, then decides to let his blade do the talking.
Nico likes Jaymin's idea and seeks higher ground as well. She runs for the stage and jumps up on it to survey the situation. She knows there are two groups of goblins, both engaged, but who's to say there aren't more?
She lets Jaymin know her intention with a terse call of "Heading north for a view from the stage."
Vaeldon grits his teeth and swings his hammer at the stubborn goblin still attacking him.
His blow finds its mark and he drops the little danger just as Diego arrives. Alistair’s blade catches the goblin he’s been fighting as well and it falls too. From the back of a merchant’s cart, Jaymin is relieved to see the his fiancée seems to have gotten safely out of the square. He also sees that a group of 3 civilians has taken down a lone goblin in the center of the square, and another group is working hard to extinguish a stall the goblins set on fire.
On the stage, Nico can see a handsome nobleman out on Church Street stab one goblin and parry the blade of another. He appears to be handling himself quite well, but he doesn’t seem to have noticed a pair of goblins mounted on mangy goblin-dogs charging up the road behind him.
Jaymin will move to look down either High Street or Junker Way, whichever is closer to the direction his fiancée went.