Erridon notices the spell cast by his friend and grins. "Thanks Zorlen. Just what I...." Then he watches as Tot rushes and chops the head off of the goblin that he had just spelled.... "I just dazed that one! I...."
He raises his rapier and moves across the distance to be closer to Tot. "Stay together. Goblins are weak but if several attack at once they might accidentally hurt."
Why they're attacking the town they depend on for their livelihood at all, let alone in such a coordinated manner, is a mystery - any goblins stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds them would presumably also be stupid enough to be incapable of infiltrating the town and launching a concerted attack.
Erridon's spell takes hold of the lead goblin's mind, causing him to stumble - Tot's longsword removing his head, however, makes this fact largely academic in nature. One of the other goblins snarls and lunges at Garen, only to meet his demise on the end of his blade. The remaining goblin holds back, intimidated by the deaths of his two comrades, but after a moment's indecision, he steps forward, scowling as he slashes at Tot's armored form. "Longshanks not kill Nork! Nork is invincible!"
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At first happy to tag along with Garen and let him pick, happy to sample foods with him, and play a few games, eventually Izzy D becomes overwhelmed by the options in the festival. She really wasn’t expecting this little town to have such variety and she basks in it! And when Garen beats Savah, she cheers him on…
”Garen is mighty, holy and tidy, a redheaded hero so fair! Undefeatable, he’s simply not beatable, he’s swell! Well, he might sunburn he is a bit pale! Garen!” then to be fair, she adds, ”And GROOOOODDD!”
When that’s over… well, so much to choose so...too much!
. Both Izzy and Tot struggle for a bit with the Festival's challenges, Tot because of her insecurities and Izzy because of indecision from the sheer number of fun-looking events
”Okay, that, no.. that! Wait, how about that then THAT?” But then the word of the talent show goes on she stops doing circles and grabs Tot’s hand, ”Talent show! We got this!” She calls out ”She’s up next! Then me, please!”
For her own part, she sings
“Alas, my dryad, you did me wrong, banishing me from your tree.
For I have loved you, I don’t know how long,
while you stayed covered in green leaves!”
She hits the chorus, one the audience will soon learn and sing along she hopes,
“Green Leaves was all she wore
I’d never wanted to hurry up to Autumn before!
From green to red and finally fallen gold
but still I’m looking at green leaves!”
“You drew me into your tender charms
Oh why did you so enrapture me?
Now impatient and am I for the foliage to part
but you’re still covered in green leaves!”
“Green Leaves was all she wore
I’d never wanted to hurry up to Autumn before!
From green to red and please, fallen gold
but still I’m looking at green leaves!!”
“I’ve been ready, my heart in your grasp
eager to grant you what I hope we both crave
and I think you should notice the lay of the land
It’s autumn won’t those damned leaves fall off at last?”
“Green Leaves was all she wore
I’d never wanted to hurry up to Autumn before!
From green to red and, please, fallen gold
but still I’m looking at green leaves!”
“Well, you cast me out when handsy I became
With magic you had enraptured me,
I still say your charms to blame
sorry for plucking at your greenery!”
“Green Leaves was all she wore
I’d never wanted to hurry up to Autumn before!
From green to red and, please, fallen gold
but still I’m looking at green leaves!”
And she finishes “Such a tease, those green leaves!”
When she won her share of the show for the comical take on a dryad’s use of a charm backfiring ,she bows happily and grinned at Tot as well ”They loved us!”
This is a grand day indeed, and she takes in the praise like a lush taking in fine wine!
Alas, such joy does not last…
Goblins chew and goblins bite.
Goblins cut and goblins fight.
Stab the dog and cut the horse,
Goblins eat and take by force!
Goblins race and goblins jump
Goblins slash and goblins bump.
Burn the skin and mash the head,
Goblins here and you be dead!
Chase the baby, catch the pup.
Bonk the head to shut it up.
Bones be cracked, flesh be stewed,
We be goblins! You be food!
The goblins sing too soon, as Tot shows she knows a lot more about weapons than twirling them for a talent show!
”YES!” Izzy calls out, ”That’s how we do it in...” Wait, was the name of this town again? Sand Pound? Stan’s Point? Oh right! ”...Sandpoint!”
Isidiana Gimblewave is still armed with violin and voice, and a sneer of disdain for the invaders and their so called music curls her lip, before she launches into her own Song of response even as she tries to spread the power of music to her allies!
“Goblins Spew and Goblins Stink!
Goblins fight but they don’t think!
Afraid of puppy, scared of pony
Goblin might is just bologna!
Defend your loved ones back to back
Let Sandpoint Heroes stop this attack!
Goblins love fire, cowards they
so don’t hide in dry wood or under hay!
We’ll drive back these pumpkinheaded freaks
Their breath smells bad and their songs are weak!
You gobbos should never’ve started this fight
Because we’ll kill every one of you still in sight!”
And she sings it again in Goblin so the invaders understand it too!
Unlike most of the townsfolk, as the goblins invade, he smiles. He grins like a madman, in fact. It's probably a little bit disturbing, even for his new friends. Then, as Tot slices the head from a goblin and Izzy sings, he bursts into laughter. "HAHAHA! NOW THIS IS MY KIND OF PARTY!" He pulls his greataxe, and launches himself at Nork with a smile from ear to ear.
Grod's axe splits Nork diagonally from shoulder to hip, and the two halves of goblin fall in opposite directions.
Tot dances out of the way of Nork's clumsy swing, but her dodge puts her too far from the goblin to retaliate before Grod comes in and bisects the green-skinned runt. With the immediate threat dealt with, Tot turns her attention to the surrounding area. She wishes she had her bow, but she's been in worse situations before.
"I've fought goblins before," she tells Erridon absently. "Kill their leaders and the rest scatter."
The tiny tiefling's frustration grows as she fails to sort out anything from the noise around them.
"Three goblins shouldn't have caused that much of a panic. Where are the rest?"
The goblin crumples to the now-bloodstained ground in two halves, its look of utter terror at Grod's bellowed challenge still frozen on its face.
As the band of heroes takes a moment to catch their breath, they see that the Cathedral square has fallen into chaos. Large bands of the goblins, perhaps thirty in all, run amok, some ravaging the storefronts that open onto the square while others make a spirited effort to set the main stage ablaze, dark plumes of smoke wafting up to form ominous clouds against the gathering sunset. The people of Sandpoint are not entirely defenseless, however - for every two goblins ransacking the town, the broken form of a third lies on the hard-packed dirt of the Cathedral square, with only one or two human corpses speaking to the fierce fighting in the ruins of the Festival.
By the time the group has dispatched another host of manic goblins and rescued a pair of trapped townsfolk, most of the citizens of Sandpoint have fled, with the better part of the raid following them, but from some ways to the north, the party can hear a voice raised in a scream, followed by frantic barking that cuts off with a pained yelp.
Tot looks to others who'd been fighting beside her and nods towards the sounds of distress.
"Are you with me," she asks before taking off towards the sounds of trouble at a run.
Isidiana looks into the cathedral square, eyes narrow "Pumpkinheaded butchers are hurting MY audience. Heck yes, I'm in, let's kill every goblin we find! Spleen for the Spleen God!" She moves north with the others as fast as her little legs will carry her.
”Lets go!” Grod says, taking off after Tot. He’s clearly having a great time.
Erridon picks up the head of the goblin he had tried to daze. "I dazed you to get you to shut up. I guess that worked...."
Noticing the party heading off he also hears other sounds. "Guys!?! Something's wrong here. These goblins shouldn't be attacking. They actually work, or trade at least with some of the towns' folk. Somebody must be forcing them. Find the leaders.... Oh, crap, let's go then!"
Not wanting to be completely out of any battle he drops the head and races after the others.
"That one didn't seem too reluctant in what he was doing, Ari... Don't think we have much time to try and talk them out of it, either - the town's safety must come first! Let's go!" Zorlen replies as he sprints after the others.
Noble words, and yet I didn't see you do much besides protect your best buddy there. Isn't something like this exactly why you wanted to learn magic? Well then, get to it. Show them your power! Make them fear you!
Zorlen shakes his head as the familiar voice rings out in his mind, but does not answer, as he's on finding find the source of the screams. His companion had been an invaluable help during this last five years, but could get just a little bit too eager when it came time to show off his magic.
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Izzy D keeps moving forward, and listens to Erridon's comments and concerns, "AH HA, so, they played nice to learn about the town's layout before the sudden BUT inevitable betrayal! Oh they've earned extra double doom death, the miserable baby eaters!"
One day, Isidiana may come to see not all goblins are bad, but it it not THIS day. She may come to realize that goblin culture, despite its focus on chaos in so many ways, often bullies others to adopt cruelty as a virtue or else be bullied themselves, forcing some goblins who MIGHT be good to comply, but it is not this day! One day, Izzy D may access her goblinphobia and consider that she needs to move past it, but it IS NOT THIS DAY!
Death to the Pumpkinheads!!
Forging on, the party moves out of the ruined Cathedral square and towards the north gate, the streets that just hours ago were bustling with excitement and activity now lit by the fires of the pyromaniacal goblins. From neighboring streets, they hear the occasional echo of screams or Sandpoint's guards fighting back the goblin attack, as though the squat buildings lining the street are relaying the chaos of the goblin invasion.
One cry stands out as more than an echo, though - in a cramped alleyway near the north gate, a goblin wearing a fox's skull as a helmet and riding a mangy-looking canine with the features of a rat menaces a nobleman cowering against the wall at the other end of the dead-end alleyway. A fierce-looking guard dog lies in a pool of its own blood at the feet of the goblin's ratlike mount, and a trio of goblins follows at their mounted leader's heels, snarling at the trapped nobleman.
As the party nears the group, the leader's head snaps around to glare at you, and he grins, pointing at the group with one hand as he draws a flimsy-looking bow with the other. "Kill the longshanks! Varch Runtboss commands it!"
Erridon moves closer, rapier ready, studying the goblins, particularly the leader. He tries his Daze spell again, on the mounted one.
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Izzy sees the noble in danger, and places her spell if she can so it does not engulf him but does catch the goblins. It should, even if she's lucky, take out the weaker members but at least it should reduce numbers. She flings rose petals and sings out a most odd lullaby.
“Say your prayers, raider scum
You’re weak willed and dumb
Your death has come.
Put you to sleep, nasty creep
Don’t want to hear a peep
Till the death rattle comes!”
“Sleep, eyes no longer open
Just give up the fight!”
“Exit Light
Enter Night
By our hands
You’re going to the boneyard lands!”