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Izzy steps aside to make sure folks can get around her if they need to, and begins to sing!
"My allies, you collection of heroes profound
If inspiration is needed, I'm often around.
Those weapons you wielded no longer at rest
Need bardic encouragement; I'll do my best!" Her voice soars.
"So, stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Howwww? She stretches that question out and her eyes light up as she makes a suggestion.. in song!
"Nab 'em
Jab 'em
Tab 'em
Grab 'em
Stop that goblin now.
"As long as we're seeking in this odd gob hunting dance
We'll soon have that goblin by the seat of its pants
By weapons ranged or in the face of the gob
I know that eventually we'll do this job!" She bounces on her heels and starts again!
"
So, stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Howwww?
Nab em'
Jab em'
Tab em'
Grab em'
Stop that goblin now!!!"
Izzy steps aside to make sure folks can get around her if they need to, and begins to sing!
"My allies, you collection of heroes profound
If inspiration is needed, I'm often around.
Those weapons you wielded no longer at rest
Need bardic encouragement; I'll do my best!" Her voice soars."So, stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Howwww? She stretches that question out and her eyes light up as she makes a suggestion.. in song!"Nab 'em
Jab 'em
Tab 'em
Grab 'em
Stop that goblin now."As long as we're seeking in this odd gob hunting dance
We'll soon have that goblin by the seat of its pants
By weapons ranged or in the face of the gob
I know that eventually we'll do this job!" She bounces on her heels and starts again!"
So, stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Stop that Goblin!
Howwww?Nab em'
Jab em'
Tab em'
Grab em'
Stop that goblin now!!!"
Monster in the Closet - Round 2 - continued
21 Tot
18 Grod
17 Isidiana
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action to attack if the goblin leaves the closet)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg)
Isidiana breaks into song, inspiring her allies to greater feats of combat prowess, and if they dance a little, all the better.
Garen has his eyes trained on the doorway and his weapon at hand, ready to pounce on the goblin if it leaves the shelter of the closet.
Intoning a quick prayer, and surging with divine luck, Grod steps forward and brings his two-handed axe crashing down.
Monster in the Closet - Round 2 - concluded
21 Tot
18 Grod
17 Isidiana
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action to attack if the goblin leaves the closet)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg)
Grod leaps into the open space in front of the door, casting a divine spell to pour Gorum's energy over him. With enhanced prowess, he confidently swings his axe at the sole goblin, but the head of his large weapon gets stuck in the narrow wooden frame of the closet, and his attack misses.
Counter-attacking with maddened fury, the lone goblin leaps at Grod, trying to put down one of the multitude of attackers. The wicked knife sinks in the neck of the half-orc warpriest, but the gorget of his armor saves Grod from a much more serious wound.
End of Round 2
crit threat
confirm
just 2 dmg...
Monster in the Closet - Round 3
21 Tot
18 Grod (8/10 hp remain)
17 Isidiana (bardic performance started)
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action to attack if the goblin leaves the closet)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg)
Tot grimaces as Grod takes a minor hit. She steps to the side to give the huge orcish man a place to pull back into.
"Grod! Step back! We'll take it together," she shouts as she readies her dagger for the first opening she can get.
Tot looks at the goblin and taunts it in its language.
"Your father was a gnome and your mother whores with dogs," she calls out, hoping to enrage the goblin and get it to come at her and into Garren's and Grod's blades.
Monster in the Closet - Round 3 - continued
21 Tot
18 Grod (8/10 hp remain)
17 Isidiana (bardic performance started)
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action to attack if the goblin leaves the closet)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg)
Tot shouts at Grod to move back, clearing a space for him to do so, trying to get the tactical advantage if the goblin follows out of the closet. She is ready to dive in with her dagger if that happens.
Changing tactics, Grod drops his axe and attempts to wrestle the goblin out of its hole and turn so the others can hit it.
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"Apád gnóm volt, anyád pedig kutyás kurvák"
The look of betrayal crosses the gnome's face as Tot insults gnomes by suggesting this goblin's father was one. It's all she can do to keep singing rather than sputter!
OH we are going to have a TALK, Tot! YES we will!
She reaches into her pack and gets out a flint and steel. If that thing doesn't come out, well, fine.. smoking them out will have to do
Monster in the Closet - Round 3 - continued
21 Tot (readied action)
18 Grod (8/10 hp remain)
17 Isidiana (bardic performance started)
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg)
Surprisingly, Grod throws down his weapon and goes to grab the sneaky goblin. Quickly the goblin gets a thrust with its wicked blade inside the reach of the powerful half-orc. The blade sinks into the ribs of Grod, a well of blood pouring from it, but nothing vital is damaged. Grunting with exertion, Grod grabs up the small goblin holding it fast.
Monster in the Closet - Round 3 - concluded
Grappled by the over-sized half-orc, the sole goblin dangles from Grod's large hands, but immediately begins squirming and shaking, trying to slip free from the grip while it's crazed eyes loll about in its head. But Grod's hands are massive, and his grip like iron, and the sneaky goblin just can't wriggle free.
End of Round 3
fail
Monster in the Closet - Round 4
21 Tot (readied action)
18 Grod (6/10 hp remain; grappled)
17 Isidiana (bardic performance continued; readied action)
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg; grappled)
Isidiana on the bed, now sees if she can get a line of sight view to cast hideious laughter on the wriggling gob
Grod does his best to wrestle the squirming wretch around so that the rest of the party can reach it.
Monster in the Closet - Round 4 - concluded
Bardic Performance active: +1 on attacks and damage
21 Tot (readied action)
18 Grod (6/10 hp remain; grappled)
17 Isidiana (bardic performance continued; readied action)
12 Erridan
9 Garen (readied action)
7 Goblin Sneak (9hp dmg; grappled)
Grod keeps a vise-like grip on the slippery goblin, pulling it out of the closet the hard way, while backing to a space that lets his allies get a stab at the murderous creature.
Isidiana casts a spell on the goblin, hoping to enchant into gales of laughter, but somehow the goblin overcomes the fey spell, and only emits a rather morbid little chuckle.
Garen then releases the attack he had been holding for some time, and skewers the evil goblin -- his blade eviscerating the miserable creature, and ending its brutish life.
End of Combat
success
Erridon watches as the creature breathes it's last breath. The foul thing had done so much damage to the family, but was it with evil intent? It had hidden in the space behind the closet and gotten trapped. It was scared and hungry.... It had turned itself into a rabid thing that had to be killed, and it had killed.
He shakes his head sadly. "We should clean up the blood as best as we can. This is still the home of a very hurt family. And how far does that hole go? There could still be something dangerous in it."
He goes to the kitchen and looks for rags, a bucket and water. After cleaning up he also looks for a blanket to wrap up the man. The family shouldn't have to see the father's destroyed face.
Tot breathes a sigh of relief as Garren kills the goblin. She has faced many goblins before, but none quite as crazed as this one, and the ruined face of Alergast brings back other, much more unpleasant memories.
"We should check the rest of the house and make sure there aren't more lurking under the floor," Tot says before Ari goes off to the kitchen. "After that, we should let the priests and the sheriff know what happened."
She does her best to ignore the bloody ruin that had once been the father of two young children. She steels her nerves and slips past Grod to look into the closet the goblin had come from and down into the hole hacked into the floor.
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"Huzzah for Grod! Kneel before Grod" She tells the goblin's corpse and goes "You know, in some tales she would have lived to spill secrets we used to solve a mystery. But I like this better." She really does not like goblins.
She looks up at the others suggestions "That hole might lead to more goblins that we can handle if we're not careful but we will have to check it out." She agrees with others.
"That's a lovely thought," Tot mumbles as Izzy warns about the possibility of running into more goblins down the hole in the closet.
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Garen looks at the hole sizing it up. If he thinks he can fit, he sheaths his sword, which had already been wiped off, and draws his dagger. "I'll go have a look down there. Someone needs to get a sheet to cover the husband and we'll need to move his body outside. We'll need to take him where you store your dead before burial." Garen says and then squeezes into the hole to see what he can see.
It is still early morning, and the daylight streams in through the windows of the small cottage belying the carnage that is strewn about the place. Ari takes a blanket from the bed and wraps up the corpse of Alergast Barrett as best he can. Then he proceeds to clean up as much of the bloody mess as possible.
Meanwhile, Garen looks down into the hole below the closet, but its a very tight squeeze for the buff and armored paladin. He eventually pulls back, and Tot, who is much smaller in stature, slips inside. Tot can see that there is a very narrow crawlspace under the Barrett house. On the north side, near the edge of the house, light seeps in around a small opening which seems to be mostly, but not completely, closed off by a large wooden barrel. The inside of the crawlspace and the outer edge of the barrel are literally covered with hundreds of bite and scratch marks, including smears of what is likely goblin blood.
It appears that someone this lone goblin hid inside this crawlspace, and then could not get out. Perhaps the barrel was rested in front of the loose boards unknowingly. Either way, the goblin hacked and chewed its way out of the crawlspace and into Aeren's bedroom, which Petal and eventually Alergast stumbled across it...
A few moments after Tot disappears down the hole in the closet floor, she climbs back out and levels a hateful glare at the goblin before looking to the others as her expression softens and sorrow replaces the hate in her eyes.
"It hid under the house to escape when the raid turned against the goblins, and when it couldn't get back out, it hacked its way up into that closet," she tells the others. "That's what the little boy h-heard."
She looks down at her blood and dirt smeared clothes and sighs.
"C-could s-s-someone f-fetch th-the sh-sheriff? I-I-I th-think I-I sh-should st-stay here," she says, not adding that she doesn't want anyone in town to see her looking more like a vagabond than she already does.
Whether or not anyone does go get Sheriff Hemlock, Tot takes the time to quickly search the rest of the house to make sure that there weren't two of the vile wretches about.
Once she's satisfied that there aren't any more threats to deal with, the caravaneer turned cook curls up in a corner and shivers as memories she'd pushed away come back. Alergast was not the first person she'd seen in that state. The terrors of a night several years ago in the Uskwood still haunt her, and she shudders as the memories of devils and her fellow Unseen Hands torturing and tearing Sarenrites apart as they screamed in terror and grief filled her mind.
How could she face the mother that has just become a widow and the two children that have lost their father? She hopes that they won't see what has become of Alergast. No one should have to live with that nightmare.
Ari works at cleaning up what can be done, using rags and water, glad that cold water does better than hot for cleaning up blood. He really wouldn't want to be using the kitchen to heat water....
"And somebody wrap up the remains of the dog. The kids really shouldn't see that either. Just wish Zorlen was here. His cantrip is really useful for cleaning. Garen? Maybe you could go and get Father Zantus? He could take the body and prepare a funeral."
"I'll fetch the sheriff," Izzy volunteers and races off to do so, feeling very sorry for the family. Somethings are beyond even her ability to joke about.
Isidiana finds Sheriff Hemlock making his way towards the Barrett House along with a still distraught Amalie. The sheriff is carrying both the youngsters -- one riding on his shoulders, holding on to his long braids. "It doesn't sound good, does it," he says to Izzy as she get close.
Grod and Garen carry the corpse of Alergast out the door of the small cottage and on to the Cathedral at the north end of town. They get more than a few quizzical looks from townsfolk as they work their way up towards the new church. Once there, one of the acolytes shows them to a waiting room with a table that is used for just such occasions and begins performing rites for the departed. Grod and Garen are able to slip out, where Father Zantus awaits. "Tell me children, what has happened?"
At the house, Ari succeeds in getting most of the blood cleaned up, though the blanket he was using is likely ruined. Tot rocks herself trying to soothe in the corner as unwanted memories flood back in. Tot did not find anything else amiss in the Barrett Cottage, only the horrific scene in the child's bedroom. No other goblins were found.
"Sheriff, a moment?" She motions him over away from the kid's hearing. Izzy fills him the Sheriff in, there might be a lot of metaphors and poetical licensee but he definitely gets all the important facts, even the gruesome one.
The sheriff impatient waits for Izzy to tell the enhanced version of events, but when its done he sighs sadly. "Didn't expect stowaway's this long after the attack. Nothing to be done for it now at least. Will tell the guard to redouble patrols and look in hidey holes ofr anymore blasted gobbos." He looks back the now-widowed Amalie. "Guess I'll have to tell her the hard truth. One of the downsides of this job...Tell your team to clear out of there before we arrive unless they want to witness the scene." He hefts back up the 4 year old, and moves the bereft Amalie forward once again, moving quite slowly.
As they prepare to move the body, Grod lays a hand on Tot's shoulder momentarily, and nods knowingly. Then he departs with Garen.
"There was a goblin still lurking in town." Grod says to Father Zantus.
Father Zantus asks a few questions about the unfortunate situation with the Barrett's. Once he understands the facts, he says, "The acolytes will prepare the body. I will go tend to the family. I am afraid its going to be very difficult for them for a while." But before he leaves he notices the wounds on Grod from the recent struggle and heals them with a simple cure spell, restoring the warpriest to full health.
Tot stiffens when Grod places a hand on her shoulder, but relaxes a little as he nods. She returns the nod, though she isn't quite sure of Grod's meaning.
Once they get the place cleaned up as much as possible Ari gets Tot's attention. "Do you think they'd mind if we took the bloody rags and cloth to the Dragon and work to clean them? If the blood is allowed to dry it will stain. But cold water and soap should get them clean and we can hang them to dry and return them tomorrow. We don't want to be here when they get the family back."
Tot's head snaps up as Ari calls out to her. For a moment, there's a look of horror on her face before she realizes where she is and who is speaking to her. After taking in a deep, shuddering breath, she stands up and joins Ari.
"I--I d-don't know," she tells him. "I-If w-we l-let th-th-them know, I--I don't think th-there would be an issue."
She looks down at her own dirt and blood smeared clothing and sighs.
"Hopefully, we can get the blood out of my clothes, too."
The sheriff arrives at the door of the small cottage. "Thank you for dealing with this problem. Who would've expected a goblin to be around days later? Either way, I'll take it from here."
As you move to leave, you see the widow Barrett and her two small children standing not far form the door. "Heroes of Sandpoint?," Amalie calls in a shrill voice just below hysteria. "Maybe you could've hero-ed better, and my babies would still have a father!" She breaks down into wracking sobs once again, and anything else she says is unintelligible.
Izzy gets to the Rusty Dragon, and will buy a drink to the fallen. It occurs to her she might have ought to returned to the house where the murder happened, but she REALLY needs a drink for herself.
Tot flinches as if Amalie had struck her. She's never called herself a hero, never thought of herself as one. It wasn't bravery nor glory that had sent her into the fray, it was knowing how much of a threat goblins could be and knowing she had the skill to help. Amalie's words may have been garbled by her grief, but Tot can all too readily guess what they were as she hides from the widow behind Ari. He can feel her shaking and see the tears in her eyes as they hurry away.
On the way back to the Rusty Dragon, Tot tugs on Ari's sleeve to get his attention.
"I-I-I'm sorry! I--I sh-sh-should have--I should have--" she starts to say, but her voice trails off as she realizes she doesn't know what she should have done, or even could have done. She feels so small and useless. Amalie's indictment is joined by other voices, those of her siblings and her parents, of her comrades while she was training to be one of the Unseen Hands, and of just about everyone she had known before coming to Varisia. Maybe she should leave. Maybe she should go north to one of the settlements there. Maybe she should find some place out in the wilderness where she wouldn't be a bother to anyone.
"N-n-never mind," she says in a small, fragile voice as she looks away.
Erridon hangs his head and leaves with Tot. He knew this family and felt the pain of this death more than the others. Children shouldn't have to grow up without a father, but the world isn't fair....
When Tot struggles with words Ari reaches out to hold her hand. "There's nothing that we could have done. We're not gods. That goblin was hiding, and then got trapped. Nobody could have known." When she adds the 'never mind' he wants to respond. He imagines how he would have felt if his father had been killed, now or when he was as young as those children. It was impossible to know. He can't think of a proper response and just walks quietly with her.
Tot meekly lets Ari grab her hand. He's right, she knows. He's right that there was absolutely nothing they could have done to prevent this, or to save Alergast when he apparently decided to go after the goblin. Still, that wasn't why she had started to apologize to Ari. It was what happened after, how she'd gotten lost in memories that seeing Alergast's corpse had brought back, that she wanted and wants to apologize for, but how can she tell him that without telling him some of the things that she worries could put him in danger. He's her friend, and she likes him.
After a while of quietly walking hand in hand, Tot breaks the silence.
"A-ari, w-would you m-mind h-h-helping me wash the dirt and blood out of my clothes," she asks.