A beacon of civilization along the Lost Coast, the town of Sandpoint has had its share of troubles in recent times, but today, these all seem things of the past. An event that has drawn in locals from miles around, and even a few visitors from as far away as Magnimar, the Swallowtail Festival this year marks the dedication of the new Sandpoint Cathedral, a house of worship for many faiths, that of Desna chief among them.
Mayor Deverin opens the proceedings, and though sheriff Hemlock mars the mood somewhat by calling for a moment's silence in memory of those who died when the old chapel the catherdral is replacing burned down, the remaining speakers soon lift the crowd's spirits once more. The festival is a great success, highlights including the release of a thousand swallowtail butterflies by Father Zantus and his acolytes at noon, numerous performances by minstrels and the annual competition between the town's inns for the best meal, the lure of free food even drawing out the town's mostly-tolerated goblin resident. Ameiko Kaijitsu of the Rusty Dragon handily wins this contest.
As the sun begins to set, our various heroes find themselves gathered near the cathedral. The assembled people are still going strong, the sound of a dozen conversations filling the air. These conversations are abruptly interrupted by a sharp crack, as of muted thunder, which wakes a stray dog which has crawled under a nearby wagon to sleep, stills tongues and draws attention to the central podium, where a beaming Father Zantus has taken the stage.
He clears his throat, takes a breath to speak, and suddenly a woman's scream slices through the air. A few moments later, another scream arises, then another. Beyond them, a sudden surge of new voices rises - high-pitched, tittering shrieks that sound not quite human. The crowd parts and something low to the ground races by, giggling with disturbing glee as the stray dog gives a pained yelp and collapses with a gurgle, its throat cut from ear to ear. As blood pools around its head, the raucous sound of a strange song begins, chanted from shrill, scratchy voices.
Intrigued by the up and coming Swallowtail Festival, Devrin finds himself back in Sandpoint. It had been some months since he had been around civilization, but he looked forward to it. Especially given the dedication of the new cathedral and its connection to his patron, Desna. He wandered the town greeting those he knew and shaking hands with new acquaintences.
At the sound of the disturbances he looked about to find the source. If danger has reared its ugly head, he'd do his best to protect the people of Sandpoint, many of whom were friends.
Korpiklanni sits in the mouth of an alley, staying away from everyone else and greedily devouring a meat pie. At the sound of screaming he perks up, listening to the shrill singing. That's a familiar song.
Arriving in sandpoint the day of a religious festival must be fate. After spending the day shareing the good words of Torag, he enjoys the hospitality of the Inns agreeing, that the fare from the Rusty Dragon was the best. When the choas erupts his adrenaline surges and he leaps to his feat with his war hammer in hand.
Kyran, Umlo, Devrin and Korpi are able to track the swiftly moving shape to its final destination - behind the wheel of the wagon. It is, as some of them may have suspected, a goblin. Presently licking blood from the chunk of rusty metal that passes for a weapon, it swiftly decides to go after a new target, joined by another three goblins in an impromptu rush.
Meanwhile, the song continues.
"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!"
Kyran pulls the handaxe out of his belt with his off hand and his dagger with his primary (left & right, respectively) and moves to intercept one of the goblins. He'll lead off with a dagger throw once the goblin's in range ("in range" in this case means within 30 feet so he can use Point Blank Shot) and then move to engage with the handaxe, which he'll pass to his primary hand as he moves.
Edit: I suppose some rolls would be good, eh?
Ranged attack: 15
Ranged Damage: 5
Umlo, countercharges the lead goblin.
Arggg, Filthy Green Skin go back to the hole where you came from. Swinging his axe with a mighty grunt!
Attack Roll.
15+2 for the charge=17 (forgot to add the charge in)
Damage Roll.
Damage=6
Meanwhile, the song continues."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!"
Grond hears the horrific song takes a deep breath and smelling the foul stench of goblins bellows, "Come out of the darkness and face the wrath of Torag!"
If he can get close enough, Devrin charges the goblin behind the wheel with his starknife. He hopes the little monster hasn't attacked any of the townsfolk yet. Though that dog's yelp doesn't bode well for.
attack, dmg (1d20+2=17, 1d4+2=6)
Kyran observes the actions of the other PCs with an appreciative eye, but doesn't say anything.
Ever thinking of herself, Fern almost unconsciously conjures up a protective force around her body.
Spying the four goblins (one even looks like a hated Thistletop!), he stuffs the remainder of his pie into his pocket and grabs his sickle with greasy hands. He charges into the crowded square right towards the goblins, screaming with rage "I kills you! You back-stab double-cross Korpiklanni Horsekiller! I KILLS YOU!!!"
Umlo and the lead goblin crash into each other, the goblin's feeble blow bouncing off the enraged dwarf, who buries his axe in the unfortunate creature's chest. This goblin, at least, will terrorise no more of the townsfolk.
Another goblin leaps up onto a tabletop, scurrying past the others to engage Grond. The little creature is giggling with glee at being taller than somebody for once, though it doesn't seem to do anything to help it hurt the dwarf.
Devrin's target is a bit slower off the mark, having paused to gloat in triumph over the dog for a few seconds too long. It finds its own throat opened by an expertly wielded starknife, and falls, gurgling and twitching feebly.
Korpiklanni's arrival on the scene startles the heck out of the Thisletop goblin, who starts backpedalling frantically, "You're s'posed to be deaded!" it cries, barely evading a wild swing. The attempted counter is well off the mark.
Kyran pivots as the table-hopping goblin rushes past, burying his dagger in its side as it readies a second blow at Grond. It's not quite down, but it's certainly close to it.
Fern, meanwhile, has been ignored thus far, and takes the opportunity to encase herself in mage armour.
It doesn't sound like the ferocious counterattack here has been replicated elsewhere, and those not directly engaged have a choice between helping finish off their remaining two attackers and going after other goblins, now mixed in with scattering townsfolk.
Umlo wipes the guts from his brow after splattering the filthy greenskin. Huffing and puffing he looks around eyes narrowed for any obvious signs of a Goblin spellcaster (Wizard, sorcerer, or bard). If he fails to see any arcane caster he looks for a leader type. If they are within 20 ft he will make a move and attack if they are farther he will charge. If no leader type within charge Umlo will charge the nearest Goblin threatening a townsfolk. "ARRRRGGGHHH back to your makers filth!"
Attack and Damage roll.
Attack roll: 24 (+2 if I need to charge for a 26)
Damage roll: 5 (+2 if a arcane spell caster (Wiz/Sor/Bard) for 7 damage)
"You'll be deaded!" Korpiklanni shrieks with fury, hacking savagely into the other goblin.
Leaving the two amply covered by the other heroes who have stepped forth, Devrin turns to root out the ones troubling the other townsfolk. If he can get near one, he'll charge it with his starknife.
Kyran takes a swing at the freshly-stabbed goblin with his handaxe.
Attack: 7
Fern moves to the closest goblin, preferably one that is harassing other villagers.
"You monstrous brutes! How dare you attack these innocents! Despair, foul creatures. Know that today you will taste oblivion, as I have!"
Fern rolls her eyes back in her head, recalling the terror of being crushed and suffocated, pulling that suffering to the surface, manifesting it as a force to strike into the goblins.
Grond grins wildly at the Goblin on the table and swings his warhammer trying to smash its legs out from underneath it.
The result of things is best described as mayhem. The initial attackers are thoroughly dealt with by Korpi and Grond, despite protests by one that he 'doesn't want to be deaded'.
Devrin charges two goblins menacing a terrified child with a wooden sword. They seem to be toying with the poor kid. A starknife to the back puts an end to the game for one of them. Unfortunately, the other, howling about how the longshanks 'isn't playing fair' gets a cut in on his arm . Thankfully, Umlo barrels in to help at this point, delivering a nasty blow that sends the goblin sprawling.
Fern, meanwhile, has a rather distinct effect on one of the other goblins, "Skellingtons!" it shrieks, fleeing off to the north, "Hungry skellingtons!" Between this and the several dead goblins racked up by the party, several others go with him. Others are too caught up in the mayhem to retreat just yet, but the odds have shifted, and some of the townsfolk look like they're taking heart.
Father Zantus, bleeding from a cut on his head, is urging non-combatants into the cathedral. A couple of others have formed up beside him, ready to hold off any attackers.
To the south, flame blooms abruptly. It seems the goblins have found a source of fire. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the little horrors will realise that this is a Bad Thing.
"That fire is a bad sign. We need to help out over there too. Who's with me?" says Devrin as he starts moving in the direction of the fire. Once a core group of heroes is gathered in an area he'll cast bless on everyone.
Umlo, looks to the child with the wooden sword and gruffly exclaims, "you best get inside child, this is no place for you!" Then looking to the Human male who just took a wound from the Goblin He states, "the names Umlo, shall we extingish those flames pointing with his axe to the south." With a wild look in his eyes and a gap-toothed grin, he mutters under his breath, "I hope those are magical flames". He matches pace with the man moving towards the fires.
"AIIEEEEEE!" Korpiklanni rushes towards the fire, vioence on his mind.
Devrin nods to Ulmo, "And I'm Devrin. Lets go." He notices Korpi the odd goblin he'd traveled with in the past. Good to have him on our side. thought Devrin seeing the little menace take off towards the flames too.
Fern moves closer to the bleeding Human, an unexpected sense of bravery drumming up within her. She scans the crowd, waiting for a chance to see any goblins wielding flames. She promises to let the goblin's taste for themselves just a measure of the anguish they are causing.
Kyran takes another swipe at the injured goblin.
Attack: 22
Damage: 7
Assuming this drops the little beast, he pulls his dagger out and moves towards the nearest injured townsperson he sees, hoping to at least stanch any bleeding before going after another goblin.
Grond joins Umlo and Devrin, "The name is Grond and if ye is huntin' goblin's then I be with ye. He thrusts the head if his warhammer to the south. "There be one goin' to join his pesky friends. After him!"
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Grond joins Umlo and Devrin, "The name is Grond and if ye is huntin' goblin's then I be with ye. He thrusts the head if his warhammer to the south. "There be one goin' to join his pesky friends. After him!"
Kyran perks up. "I'll vouch for that one. He's been in the area for a while and hates the rest of them."
"Thats Korpi, he's a friend." adds Devrin panting as they run towards the fire as a group. With everyone roughly together, he'll prepare to cast bless as they all slow up near the fires.
That's funny a Goblin who hates other Goblins, so now they act like Elves, with their forest elves and "dark" elves. I'll never understand the other races. Umlo grunts out a belly laugh, make em all stout and hairy like us dwarves and we'd all get along.
Unconsciously, Fern imagines what she would look like, bloated and hairy, her belly obscuring her feet. She pushes the image out of her head as quickly as it developed. With a shudder she says: "Let's hope not, dear Dwarf. Though, it could be worse. We could all look like these terrible creatures."
The kid runs off in the direction of the cathedral without a glance back. One good deed accomplished there. Kyran moves to help the injured townsfolk. A couple are clearly dead, but most are just wounded, the goblins lacking the attention span to finish people off. Kyran helps bandage one up, then sends him off towards safety, watching for any opportunistic goblins.
The others, meanwhile, race towards the fire, passing a few goblins along the way. One seems to have gotten his head stuck in a rain barrel, and his legs are thrashing in an almost comical fashion.
Up ahead, the source of the flames is apparent. A couple of carts held wood for the bonfire, and the goblins have gleefully set them ablaze. They are now helping themselves to makeshift torches, and scattering to light nearby houses on fire. A group of six seem to be forming up to carry their arson to the north, possibly to the cathedral itself. At the rear, leading them in that unsettling song, is a goblin with a whip.
Fern moves as close as she can to try and affect any of the screeching goblins with her spell.
Kyran finishes bandaging the worst of the injured survivors, snatches up a couple of dogslicers from fallen goblins to use as improvised throwing weapons and runs towards the goblins with torches.
Edit: if there are people who will clearly die without medical assistance (or, for that matter, who are badly wounded enough that it's unlikely they can get off the street without help), Kyran will hang back and bandage while everybody else kicks goblin tail. They certainly seem to have it well-in-hand, and he's sans armor & weapons anyway. His farmstead is far enough out of the city limits (about 5 miles or so) that he doubts the goblins will bother it. If it's economical to do so, he'll even fish the goblin out of the rain barrel before he drowns and coldcock him so he can be interrogated later.
Grond grumbles, "Goblin and friend ain't words that be goin' together." In Dwarvish he mutters to Umlo, "The only goblins I be callin' good are dead ones." He charges off to the south with the others but stops at the rain barrel. Toppling it over he gives it a good, hard push and aiming it towards the singing goblin hoping to take out goblins that might be between them.
Regardless of the fate of the goblin in the rain barrel, Kyran's primary concern at this point is the safety of the people in Sandpoint, not kicking goblin ass. He'll enter the fight only as necessary, but will kick in doors to burning homes to get families out, or even break windows with his axe (and clear the glass with the haft) to go in after them. His entire goal at this point is minimum Sandpoint casualties, not maximum goblin ones.
At some opportune point he'll shout to Grond "If 'friend' is too much of a stretch, try 'ally' on for size! His sharp implements are pointed the same way your blunt ones are."
I imagine Umlo is out of range at this point, but Kyran's response to Umlo's crack would have been. "Stout and hairy has nothing to do with it. Steadfast and honorable, on the other hand..."
Umlo replies in Dwarven to Grond, "even when they are dead their aint no good to em, Torag's blessing to you brother, nice to see a fellow longbeard in this town".
Umlo's eyes narrow at the Goblin leader urging the others on, if there is a clear path he will charge towards the Goblin with the whip if he does not have a clear path he will charge a goblin in the direct path between the whip wielder and himself.
Attack and damage.
Attack: 23 (+2 for charge)
Damage: 10 (+2 if arcane spell caster)
Korpi runs towards the fire, taking a casual swipe at the goblin in the rainbarrel as he goes. Cackling gleefully, he runs towards the goblin nearest the flaming cart and angles his shoulder towards it, slamming into it and trying to drive it back into the flaming wagon.
Devrin blesses the group of heroes that have moved to stop the fire cart. He'll continue to move forward ready to engage with his starknife when he can.
This time, it's the goblins who get in the first strike, three gleefully moving to attack the leaders of the charge - Korpi, Umlo and Devrin. Burning torches are thrust at the characters, though the unwieldy weapons are even less accurate than the typical dogslicers. As it is, only Umlo is struck, smacked full in the face by a wild swing .
Grond easily beats Kyran to the rain barrel, having gotten a head start, and sets it rolling, resulting in even more frantic thrashing from the goblin inside. He manages to get two goblins lined up, the silly creatures being far too distracted to notice the makeshift engine of destruction bearing down on them until the last minute. One is merely knocked aside, winded, while the other goes down with a broken leg, effectively out of the fight. The impact from this second goblin brings the barrel to a halt and pops the caught goblin loose, leaving it choking and spluttering on the ground.
Devrin unsuccessfully swipes at the madly capering creature before him, effectively at a stalemate for the moment. Korpi, however, just puts his head down and keeps going, accepting a frantic blow from a torch in exchange for almost lifting his target off his feet and propelling him directly into the burning cart. The goblin's shrieks as he's set alight are most gratifying. To his left, the singer backs up and waves a hand at him, clearly trying to slow him by nefarious means .
Despite the goblin in front of him being knocked aside by a hurtling barrel, Umlo doesn't quite have a clear run at the singer. Instead, he hacks down the lone goblin standing between them. Another, to his right, drops his torch in favour of his trusty dogslicer and attacks. Not that it does him any good.
Kyran finds that the goblins have yet to really set any buildings aflame. He's probably better off trying to stop them from lighting their fires in the first place. The clash of weapons from somewhere in the distance indicates that others are also battling the goblin threat. With luck, any fires that do get started will be small and easily contained.
Fern winds up targeting the goblin fighting Devrin, sending the little creature fleeing in terror. The others hold their ground for now, but are beginning to waver after all that's happened, but hold for now, clutching their dogslicers tightly.
Any more badly-wounded townspeople?
If yes: Kyran stays with them.
If no: Kyran looks for the leader of the goblins (that chanter/singer/rapper/whatever you call goblin "music"-maker would work) . Charging smite.
Attack roll: 24
Damage: 7
Umlo ignores the goblin to his right and charges the Warchanter, attempting to recognize the spell as arcane or divine.
Spellcraft.
"Die Goblin Scum back to your vile maker!" Umlo screetches as a torrent of spittle escapes his pursed lips.
Attack and Damage roll.
Spellcraft: 5 (no idea LOL)
Attack:22 +2 for charge
Damage:12 +2 if arcane spell caster
Fern hunches low to the ground, her eyes flittering with the growing madness she is channeling. In a gravelly, monstrous voice, she begins screaming at the goblins in Gnomish.
She does not actively seek a target, but rather, will attempt to scare off any goblin that engages a townsperson or other non-combatant. If there is no such target, it will be the closest goblin.
Grond shouts with glee as the barrel knocks the goblins aside.
"For Torag and Sandpoint!"
He rushes forward to join the others and unleashes a Bolt of Acid towards the warchanter, "Take that ya filthy curr!"
Acid Bolt (ranged touch attack) (1d20+4=23)
Acid Damage (1d6=1)
Devrin attacks again, but misses horribly, nearly cutting off his own finger.
Korpi yelps from the pain of the other goblins torch, but at the same time starts cackling gleefully as the goblin falls into the fire. He turns to goblin with a whip and starts to shout "You nex..." before a glazed look comes across eyes and he falls to the ground, wher he props himself up on his elbows and mutters "Ooh, I feels funny." and shaking his head.
Shrieking in pain, the burning goblin emerges from the wagon, stepping on Korpi in the process, and runs through the middle of the melee. The terrified creature latches onto Fern through sheer random chance, begging her to "Put it out! Put it out!"
The fallen goblin rises up and strikes at Grond, though his blow rebounds off the tough dwarf. Ignoring this distraction, Grond pitches a bolt of acid at the warchanter. She doesn't seem too badly hurt, and launches into another casting of her spell at the rapidly approaching Umlo. Umlo, it seems, is less readily dazed than Korpi, and resists the spell before hacking clear into her spine, dropping her.
With the death of their leader, the remaining goblins decide the cause is lost and flee southwards. All except the one latched on to Fern, who has seemingly completely lost it. Fern is unable to extract herself from its clutches, and may require help.