The White Deer Inn Refugees

As Guy runs back to the temple outbuildings, where he has been staying, to retrieve his gear, he too sees the carnage in the festival grounds. It doesn't take you long to kit up and head back out, and within 10 minutes you are at the side of Lloyd and Gryffin, helping then calm the few villagers that remain in this area. The cleric see the acolytes, many of whom he knows quite well from his recent stay, are slowly escorting people back to the relative safety of the new cathedral, offering them physical aid where needed.

As they jog back towards the festival grounds, they hear very little in the way of conflict. They see some people peer out of windows and the likes, but there is no sign of any live goblins (although there are some corpses). Any remaining battle sounds are distant now, and intermittent, almost indistinguishable from the steady lull of the waves.

When the party returns to the square, they see that the wounded have been taken care of, and that their other companions appear largely ready to roll.

* * *

Things are dying down around town, and despite taking a quick wander off together to seek out the increasingly rare sounds of distress, the battle always seems to be ahead of the party, or behind them.

Each one catches sight, once or twice, of goblins, raiding food, or chasing dogs, or running across roof-tops, but before any of you can reach them they are gone. There is the odd lilt of goblin song that you guys catch in the air, and the clash of steel, or distant voices of town guards, but the fight seems to be frustratingly drawing to a close just beyond your fingertips.

The White Deer inn (a newly built 3-storey grand inn with an impressive view of the Varisian Gulf to the north) is mobbed with people. It almost seems as if it has become a temporary fort. As Jarek enters a big man holding a stool above his head as if to strike him relaxes. "Not a goblin!" he states to the ranger, as if this should come as welcome news to him. There is tension and fear amongst the people, but each of you also catches the start of some bravado, as people relate tales of their bravery, or the stupidity of the goblins. Amidst the tension, some laughter is starting to rise, and each of you feels that perhaps the worst of things are over.

As Gryffin is walking through the common room in search of Volioker, a man stops him. "I saw you!" he says. "You stood up when everyone else was running. I saw you kill one of those little bastards!" Others around him silence, looking at the eladrin with a mixture of awe and gratitude. "Stay for a drink" an old man offers. "I'm buying!" he follows, as if that is a very rare thing indeed.

Then a young man, barely into his teens, joins in. "You are heading back out there, aren't you?" He asks Arao. "You're a hero from Magnimar, right?"

There is little the party can do but allow a smile to crease your face as they continue to search the Inn for the eladrin’s missing dad. After questioning most of the Inn’s refugees, it becomes evident that Volioker isn’t in the Inn. You all hear the sound of a scream and frantic barking coming from the north, near the White Deer.
Dashing outside, at the edge of an alley to the side of the White Deer Inn, you see a goblin commando mounted on a goblin dog has bravely (?) attacked a noble and his hunting dog. The nobleman cowers behind a rain barrel where he calls for help, while his dog lunges forward against the goblin commando. As you arrive you see the goblin commando slash down with his horsechopper (a large axe), killing the loyal dog.

As the dog crashes to the ground, a cheer goes up from a group of 4 goblins who start to appear from cover. They had obviously been hiding from the frightening dog until their commando came and dispatched it for them. With the dog gone, and their commando astride his goblin dog, they have been rekindled with courage.

The goblins are completely focused on the nobleman, unaware of your approach.