Since he is already down there, Alistair takes a couple thrusts at the beast.
figured in the -4 for squeezing
Diego watches Alistair's handy swordsmanship.
"You think you got him?" He asks after watching the swashbuckler's thin blade be thrusted into the crawl space.
Alistair gets bit on the neck as he forces himself into the crawlspace. He responds by stabbing the goblin solidly, but its crude chain armor stops the blade enough to avoid having one of its veins opened up. It retaliates with another desperate bite.
Alistair shakes his head at Diego's action and follows, rapier out and ready to stick the thing if the situation presents itself.
Alistair jabs again and prepares to swipe the thing should it try to bite again.
Nico watches with concern. "Maybe I should try taking a shot or two at it?"
Diego watches as Alistair receives a bite similar to the one he experienced earlier.
After observing Alistair struggle with the cramped conditions that caused him to withdraw, Diego draws his large blade and begins distracting and harassing the small goblin below.
"I'm thinking Nico's correct. Less chance to get bit that way."
After a quick look around the base of the house reveals no avenue of escape from underneath, Orin heads back in.
When the new tactic is suggested, he agrees. Once both men have exited the crawlspace, Orin casts light on the end of an arrow and when Nico is ready, he drops it in just before her.
Nico loads her crossbow and lays down prone. She waits for a light to drop into the hole. When she has the light, she aims for the goblin and takes her shot.
Nico sticks a bolt into the goblin and it hisses at her angrily. Deciding that waiting in the enclosed space to be finished of that way isn't the way to go, it scampers towards her emerges from the hole to chomp at her.
Jaymin is surprised by the goblin’s sudden appearance, and his delayed reactions means his swing goes too high.
Alistair stabs at the thing as it runs past him but misses. "Drat! Nico, watch out."
Nico narrowly avoids the goblin's bite. As he comes up through the hole, she rolls over and re-spans her crossbow. After sliding a bolt in, she quickly snaps off a shot at him.
Seeing the goblin move up and attempt to bite Nico brings Diego's large blade down into a powerful retaliatory blow.
The goblin snaps at Nico as she tries to fire another bolt at it; it misses her but throws her off balance just enough that her shot skitters across its chain armor without finding purchase.
Diego, however, has no such trouble and avenges himself of the bites he received by cleaving open a deep wound that sends the goblin crashing limply to the floor.
Diego wipes his blade clean and then slides it back into its sheath. "Is everyone ok?" He asks as he collects the goblin's corps, searches it, and then prepares it to be carried out of the building.
Alistair crawls past the gore as best he can and then pulls himself up out of the hole. "If only you had done that a little sooner. Nico, how's the man of the house?" He asks before heading out of the bedroom to find the family.
Diego finds that the goblin is wearing a crude suit of chainmail that looks like it was assembled from the pieces of at least two different ruined sets of chain armor. It's also carrying a quiver full of arrows. There's a pouch hidden inside its clothes but once the large man fishes it out he discovers that it contains only a colorful rock and a few shiny bits of metal, none of which seem to be of any value, or purpose.
Diego sets out everything for the group to look through. "Unfortunately nothing here looks like it will be useful or help to determine where this little guy came from."
After setting everything aside, Diego attempts to replace what he can of the floorboards.
Alistair, finding the family, reports the little beast has been dispatched. "I recommend you follow up with Hannah or Father Zantus and have one of them take a look at your wounds. Wouldn't want infection setting in. We'll get the goblin and any of its belongings removed from the room. I am dreadfully sorry this happened to your family."
With that, Alistair returns to the bed room. "Let's go throw this thing off junker's edge along with his garbage and then report back to the sheriff." Alistair suggests.
As soon as the goblin is dead, Nico picks herself up off the floor.
"Damn, that one was nasty, tough too! Thanks Diego."
Diego glances over at Nico and nods in response to her gratitude. "Perhaps we should wrap this goblin up in a blanket or something. I'm thinking the locals have seen enough goblins and it wouldn't look good for us to be walking down the road with another one." He states as he gathers the the goblin's things.
"I wonder how many more of these things are lingering around. I'm starting to think that the hunting expedition might be a mistake."
"That's just what I was thinking, Diego." Orin replies. Taking off his cloak, Orin wraps the little body with the, already weathered, outside of it. He tucks the little bundle under his arm, looks over Nico and the others for wounds that need tending now, and then moves for the door.
"We'll take this thing to the cliff and toss it." Orin says, seconding Alistair.
After doing his best to leave the room the way he found it, Diego falls inline with shift commander and then follows him out the door.
Jaymin examines the goblin’s possessions but shakes his head. ”Yeah, there’s nothing here that suggests which tribe this goblin came from. Shalelu might be able to tell us, if she were in town.”
"I realize its probably a long shot, but it might be prudent to have these items checked for magical properties."Diego states as he walks out the door.
"I suppose, it certainly wouldn't be the strangest thing the past few days has had to offer." Orin says, casting detect magic and looking over the trinkets.
Orin discovers that two of the small arrows are enchanted to burn their targets .
The grateful family is too preoccupied with tending to each other to make much ado about the watchmen leaving. Its still quite early as they leave the residence and the streets are mostly empty as they walk to Junker's Edge. Once there, the corpse is quickly disposed of.
Diego stands ready to begin the patrol once the shift commander gives the order.
”I hate to suggest this, but given that we just encountered one goblin attempting to hide in a crawl space, it’s not impossible that another may have tried something similar. We should make our way to the Vinders’ and ask permission to search their cellar in case a goblin has hidden there, too.”
"Thats a great idea, Jaymin. That goblin said he slept through the planned attack, it's not likely another did the same, but an overabundance of caution seems in order. We'll make our way to the Vinders." Orin replies, once the body is disposed of.
Although she braces herself for what might be coming, Nico says nothing. Jaymin does have a good point. She goes to the Vinders' place along with the others.
We begin with the residence, so as not to have an uncomfortable conversation in the public eye.
The members of the watch arrive at the Vinders’ house and shop, and knock on the door to the residence. A moment passes quietly before Ven, Shayliss’ father, swings the door open with some annoyance. He looks like he’s about to scold someone but when he sees who it is he softens his scowl as much as possible and asks, “what can I do for the watch this morning?” in his best customer service voice.
"We are terribly sorry to bother you, sir. But we were forced to dispatch a goblin this morning. The creature was hiding under the floor of a residence not far from here and this has prompted the need for a quick search of similar hiding places for any more. If you could allow us access to the house, I assure you that we would be both expeditious and thorough." Orin replies, with a nod of deference.
"Under the floor?" Ven scoffs. "I've got a cellar, and I'm down there just about everyday day... but, if you need to take a look, follow me." He leads the watchmen around the side and opens a heavy cellar door, then gestures for the guards to go ahead.
They find it to be fairly standard, though unusually full, cellar with dried and canned foodstuffs and items that are presumably in storage for the shop. There is no sign of any goblins (or giant rats).
Jaymin glances behind a crate, smothers a chuckle, and points out the stashed bedding and pillows to Nico.
”Seems that Shayliss was well prepared. Want to bet the rat she saw was back there?” he whispers once daddy Vinders can’t hear.
Overhearing the conversation, Diego butts in. "Better to let dead dogs lie," he states in a somewhat soft voice.
"Agreed." Orin says quietly. "Best to be about our business and done."
The group makes a quick search and reports that there are no threats to Ven.
"As I am sure you were aware, there are no lingering goblins in your cellar. Thank you for cooperating. We won't be of any further bother."
If there are no objections, or other suggestions, the squad makes its way to the barracks to report the days activities so far.
Nico holds any replies until they are clear of the Vinder's property, then she doesn't.
"Maybe so, maybe not. Either way it doesn't matter; you don't treat people like s@~@. If you can't figure out my point, go f%#+ yourself Jaymin. We have nothing more to say to each other about it."
"I have something to say about it. Its more of a question than a comment. Should we share our concerns with her father? I know its a sensitive subject. Especially when we are talking about a father and his daughter. I'm concerned that she is heading for big trouble if she continues. A murder looking for his next kill, someone who is looking to settle a grudge, or the most obvious. Someone looking to gain easy access to a storeroom full of merchandise. All of which ends poorly for her and her family. I would feel somewhat responsible if any of this happened and could have been avoided with a simple uncomfortable conversation."
"'We' shouldn't, no. There's nothing to tell her father about. I intend to talk to her when I get some time when I'm not tethered to you all or sleeping."
Jaymin smiles back politely then sighs. ”You're right, Nico I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be reopening old disagreements. I was going to point out to you that you had unjustly accused Allistair of lewdly accosting a teenage girl who had done nothing when clearly she had a fully hatched plan to lure a city watchman into a compromising position, complete with blankets and pillows, maybe just for some immoral encounter, maybe for blackmail and extortion, but there probably isn’t a point.”
"We have no real misconduct to report, and no good can come of the accusation. The girl has the difficult task of making her way into adulthood, A trying experience if I remember correctly. She will learn from her mistakes and from the counsel of her loved ones, and we should avoid being in either of those categories." Orin comments to neither or both of them.
"No sense chasing rumors when we have very real goblins to chase."
When he is able to speak with Nico alone, he adds, "I think speaking with her is a good idea. Counsel from a strong, confident woman may indeed be what she needs. But think first about what you will say. Good luck."
"It's pathetic you can't let this go Jaymin. I pity your future wife, at least my shift with you ends."
Jaymin laughs merrily. ”That’s definitely it.”
Diego nods in agreement with the shift commander. "Well, at least with Nico speaking with her, hopefully she will change course."
"Hopefully it will be so. Come let us finish our patrolling and then report on the goblin near the end of shift." Alistair says shifting the subject.