Arao: Initial Assault, Round 01

Arao bounded purposely beside the heavily wounded woodsman. "Steady human. The Sun shall renew your vigor." He laid his hand on the ranger's shoulder, and a bright warm flickering aura engulfed Jarek for a moment, closing some of his wounds. Done with the healing, Arao turned and faced the leering goblin. "You have disturbed the peace and caused harm and suffering," he said evenly. Letting the goblin read his action, Arao swung his battleaxe in a slow and deliberate vertical slash that the monster dodge with ease. Splinters from the cracked cobblestones flew as the battleaxe solidly came in contact with the ground. "I will be your opponent now."

Gryffin: Initial Assault, Round 01

Gryffin pressed his hand on the gaping wound left by the Goblins' slashes. He knew he would be overtaken by weakness soon. He had to do something, but he felt helpless against the two twisted creatures.

Then, from the corner of his eye he saw a flicker of movement on his right.

He saw a fellow Eladrin brandishing the symbol of Corellon.

"Thank the Gods!" He thought.

He next felt the warmth of the cleric's healing prayer as his wounds began to stop bleeding.

Barely a moment passed and the cleric intoned another prayer, this time a glowing figure with Corellon's symbol emblazoned on it's large shield appeared between him and the cleric.

"I have to get away..."

No sooner had the thought entered his mind then he suddenly found himself a few steps away from his attackers.

"...not far enough..."

Remembering something from one of his books, Gryffin clutched his staff and focused.

A whiplike crack followed by a shimmering wave of energy flew from his outstretched arms towards the goblins.

"...did I...I did it!"

The Goblins paused in fear as the wave of light flew toward them. The little monsters shut their eyes to brace for the impact.

The wave passed over the fruit stand and over the Goblins' diminutive forms...harmlessly.

"What? ...that was supposed to push them back!"

This made the Goblins cackle in glee.

Fear welled up in Gryffin as the goblins leered at him. They reminded him of mishappen hungry children with faces utterly twisted by evil and malice.

"No!"

"I don't want to die here!" Gryffin thought, as a chill began to weaken his knees.

The Goblin's shrill voices giggled and hissed and they seemed to start singing a rhyme. They began to climb Ameiko's fruitstand. They clambered over apples and oranges, stuffing fruit into their jaws all the while trying to sing as they moved toward Gryffin.

Goblins race and goblins jump.
Goblins slash and goblins bump.
Burn the skin and mash the head,
Goblins here and you be dead!


"They're...they're mocking me?!?" With that thought fear gave way to determination as Gryffin's head reeled in anger.

A crack like the sound of a whip snapped from his open palm this time. Again a shimmering wave of energy flew towards the goblins.

The Goblins only leered as they met the wave head on - only to be blown back as they are hit with the force of a great tide.

* * *

Guy senses the determination flow from his fellow eladrin as the latter once more casts the thunder spell. He holds his holy symbol tightly and utters a short prayer to Corellon while at the same time focusing on the feeling and channeling it unto himself. His eyes glow for a second and in at the same time it takes him to blink he appears somewhere else in the battlefield.



(refresh the photo to view the animation again)

Guillaume: Initial Assault, Round 01

Guy was startled at the deluge of goblins. These infernal creatures have but one thing in mind. The temple treasures. His thoughts are on those people who will get hurt or possibly die. He sees several of the festival guests been pinned to death with javelins.

He immediately notices and responds to a fellow eladrin who is being overrun with spears and javelins.



(refresh the photo to view the animation again)

Goblins: Initial Assault, Round 01

Upon seeing their companion falls lifeless on the ground with an arrow sticking out of its chest, two of the goblins give out a cry of anger. They haven’t even looked around yet for the source of the attack before another one of them finds itself likewise attacked. Shouting in anger, the closest one charges the human with the bow with his spear. The goblin jumps onto the candy stall and manages to jump at and stab Jarek at his shoulder.

The other goblin, races across the grounds and over its fallen companion. It crouches low and pulls out one of its javelin. It waits until the ranger is distracted by its cohort before throwing the weapon at the human. It manages to score another hit at Jarek’s leg causing the human to be heavily wounded.

Meanwhile, the goblins at Ameiko’s stall gleefully attack their seemingly unarmed victim. The lead goblin gives a shout as he attacks the pretty pale skin. Caught by surprise, Gryffin tries to fend off the vicious attack fend the attack by raising his staff but even thru it, the goblins still manage to score a hit or two.



(refresh the photo to view the animation again)

Jarek: Initial Assault, Round 01

It's been six months since I finished my apprenticeship with Ranger Shalelu Andosana (who is now retired and runs ‘The Goblin Squash Stables’) and I've grown used to living in the forest. The old woodsman has assigned me a portion of the forest to guard and patrol. The whole town has been on the edge ever since the things that happened five years ago. Belor Hemlock hired Andosana to train some of the local warriors to help patrol the woods, and protect the town against any invaders or inhuman monsters prowling the forest.

Andosana is a respected forester and a strict teacher. Only three of the twelve recruits survived his grueling training sessions. I was one of the three fortunate to be initiated to the ways of the ranger.

As soon as we finished our training, Andosana quickly assigned us our posts. He told us that there monsters have been prowling the woods more frequently, and he was afraid that these creatures might slip through town. He gave each of us vast tracks of forested land to watch over, and a horn to signal him and the townsfolk if there were any invaders who would breach the town's borders.

I have been patrolling the forest for over a week when I got a message from Andosana, saying that there was a troupe of creatures travelling through the woods, and probably headed towards the town. I was tasked to follow these creatures' trail and try to figure out what they wanted.

I followed the monsters' trails and to my surprise, they were headed towards town. In my excitement, I forgot to signal Andosana and the others with my horn. I wasn't sure what these creatures were, and I didn't want to alert my comrades without finding out whom they were.

Now things have gotten worse.

These creatures turned out to be goblins, out to attack the town during the Shadowtail Festival. They passed thru from the forest and into town by the Northern Gates. I didn't have time to ponder why the gates would have been left open as I quickly raced after them.

I arrived in the makeshift festival grounds as one of the goblins beheaded a stray dog and threw its head onto the crowd, startling the people.

"Goblins!" I shouted at the crowd.

I quickly drew out my bow, knocked a couple of arrows, and aimed at one of the creatures.

* * *

Jarek manages to catch one of the goblins in mid jump with his first arrow. The goblin falls down dead on the ground causing its companions to stop with their antics and look for the source of their companion's demise. Even before they can act, Jarek manages to fire another arrow at the goblin closes to him. This time he only manages to wound it.

Goblins: Initial Assault, Round 00

There is chaos all around. Goblin yells, insane snatches of lyrics, shrieking people fleeing, and the scream of a child.

From behind carts and vendor stalls four more goblins come out of hiding. These four looks a bit different from the previous four which were spotted earlier. Instead of crude short swords, the new arrivals wield spears and carry javelins.

They seem to be distracted (and happy) by the chaos happening around them. Two of the initial four goblins, the ones near the sacks and barrels, are jumping up and down, shouting obscenities at the fleeing people. The two goblins with them pull out their javelins and pepper the crowd with them. One of them, however, spots the tall human shouting at the crowd and manages to hit Jarek with a thrown javelin.

The goblins just south of them are rolling on the ground laughing at the antics of their companions.

The pair near Ameiko’s stall is stealthily making their way thru the crowd and almost bumps into Gryffin. The nearest goblin winks at him, grins and moves to attack.

The Swallowtail Festival

The Swallowtail Festival


A stage has been set up in front of the cathedral and a woman with short auburn hair stands in the center. Behind her sit four wooden chairs, three of them occupied. As the crowd notices her, a hush descends and all eyes turn to the stage. She smiles and begins to speak:

"Welcome! As many of you know, my name is Kendra Deverin and I am proud to serve as mayor of this fine town. It's wonderful to see so many of you here to join us on this proud day. I'd like to extend my welcome to the many new faces I see in the crowd. I hope you all are enjoying your stay here in Sandpoint and especially if it is your first visit here I sincerely hope that you're having a wonderful time. And to all of the old faces I see today, thank you for coming and thank you for everything that each of you has done to keep this town strong in recent years. I see that even Larz Rovanky has torn himself away from work to join us today! It is truly a miracle from Avandra herself! [There is quite a bit of laughter and many eyes are turned to a serious looking man dressed in all leather and wearing a sour expression on his face. Kendra waves to him and continues.] Without further ado, let me introduce your Sheriff, Belor Hemlock!"

A dour looking Shoanti wearing a worn breastplate and a longsword belted at his waist stands and walks to the center of the stage. His head is shaved and he his eyes are constantly moving about the crowd. He shakes the Mayor's hand and begins to speak.

"Thank you Mayor. Even in the heat of celebration, let us not forget the sad events that brought us to this day. And also let us not forget the souls that were lost five years ago. I would like you to all join me in a moment of silence to remember the lives that were lost in the fire that claimed our previous chapel on that fateful night. [The Sheriff lowers his head and the crowd joins him, many of them quite awkwardly as the silence persists. After the moment is over, the Sheriff raises his head and begins to speak again.] In remembering let us also not allow these events to repeat themselves. I am of the understanding that a bonfire is planned for tonight. I urge you all to observe caution during this event. [he clears his throat and smiles awkwardly] And ummm... Enjoy yourselves. Let me introduce the next speaker; give your attention to Cyrdak Drokkus, proprietor of the local theatre."

He nods to the crowd and walks back to his chair, passing the next speaker who is already on his way up to the center-stage. This man is quite a contrast to the Sheriff; he is brightly dressed, sports a well-groomed goatee, and seems to be thoroughly enjoying the day. As he reaches the center stage he loosens his collar a bit, winks into the crowd and starts to talk:

"Well, thank you Sheriff for that uplifting oratory. Now I know this town has been through some hard times, but look at what we've accomplished [He motions towards the church.] And I'm telling you, they spared no expense with this place. Father Zantus' chamber pot? Solid gold. I kid you not; our generous nobles put a pretty copper into the construction of this joint. I think the Churches even chipped in silver or two! I even heard a rumor that all of the Gods got together and scrounged up four gold pieces to help get this thing built! But don't take it from me, the Padre over here is the one with the direct line, he's the one you want to hear from! But before I let him get things going I'd like to take this opportunity to extend my personal invitation to each and every one of you to the new production of "The Harpy's Curse" starring the world-famous Magnimarian diva Allishanda as Avisera the harpy queen! It's all premiering tomorrow evening at the Sandpoint Theatre and it is going to be fab-u-lous! And now join me in a bit of applause for his holiness himself, Father Zantus!"

The crowd cheers as Cyrdak motions Zantus to the center stage. The young priest looks noticedly abashed at the reception set up for him. He wears the traditional ceremonial robes of a priest of Avandra and a shiny silver holy symbol about his neck. He smiles and tries to calm the crowd down, eventually speaking when the applause has subsided:

"Ahem, thank you. Thank you ,Cyrdak. And thank all of you for coming to join us on this most Holy day. Today is a day of new beginnings so without boring you with long speeches, I declare the Swallowtail Festival officially underway!"

And so the festivities begin. People give out cheers that seem to be half joy and perhaps half release. This is a new dawn for Sandpoint after The Late Unpleasantness (the term locals use to refer to the brutal serial killings of Chopper, and then the later fire that destroyed the old temple and much of the north eastern section of town). Drinks start flowing, food barrels get cracked open, and people mill around, looking to share their joy.

Swallowtail Release

At noon, as the new cathedral bell strikes for the first time, Father Zantus leads a small procession of his acolytes out into the square. A large Shoanti follows the procession, pulling a large covered wagon (with some help from the more junior acolytes.

Everyone quietens down again, as Father Zantus mounts the small stage once again to recount a short parable of how Avandra first fell to earth and was nursed back to health by a blind child who she transformed into an immortal butterfly as a reward for her aid. As he finishes his speech, his acolytes pull back the wagon's cover, letting loose what appears to be a thousand children of Avandra, a whirling, fluttering, swarming wave of Swallowtail butterflies.

An almighty cheer rises up amongst the crowd, as young children immediately dart and scurry off after the butterflies. As you watch the joyful scene, you notice that no matter how close the children come to catching the butterflies, they never quite manage.

Lunch

Despite the entire morning having already seemingly been spent in lazy consumption, the best was yet to come. As the butterfly wagon is rolled out of the square, a small flurry of activity takes place, as all of the town's taverns set out their massive spreads of food, ALL FREE!

Roast chickens, lobster chowder, an entire roasted venison (hot, hot, hot peppery skin), and the most amazing curry-spiced salmon (from Ameiko Kaijitsu).

Consecration

As the sun begins to set, Fathur Zantus, looking tired, but with a massive grin spread across his face, steps once again onto the stage. Quite a portion of the crowd is getting tipsy by now, and Zantus, having realised that this might be the case, reaches into his robes to retrieve a thunderstone to get everyone's attention and get them to cease talking for a few moments. Children are still running around the stalls, getting tangled up in adults’ legs, high to the eyeballs on sugared apples and dried cherries. A few early-bloomers lie slumped already in blissful states of inebriation (blissful until the morning, at least).

Father Zantus raises his hand, holding the thunderstone aloft, and then throws it at his feet.

A sharp retort, like the crack of distant thunder, slices through the excited crowd as the sun's setting rays paint the western sky. A stray dog that has crawled under a nearby wagon to sleep starts awake, and the buzz of two dozen conversations quickly hushes as all heads turn toward the central stage.

He clears his throat, takes a breath to speak the prayer of consecration, and suddenly a woman's scream slices through the air.

A few moments later another scream rises, and then another. Beyond them a sudden surge of strange voices rises - high pitched, tittering shrieks and sounds not quite human.

The crowd parts and something low to the ground races by, giggling with disturbed glee as the stray dog gives a pained yelp and then collapses to the ground. The little thing is upon it, seeming to hack and slash with abandon, and then a few seconds later it is up, holding the dog's head in its tiny hands like a trophy. A goblin!

The little monster takes the dog's head by one ear, spins it round and round, before losing it at Father Zantus. It hits the stage with a dull crunch, spraying tendrils of blood up the fine robes of the shocked priest.

As blood drips from the stage, and the little goblin darts from view amidst the confusion of running people, the raucous sound of a strange song begins, chanted from shrill, scratchy voices.

* * *

It is a few seconds since the goblin disappeared.

Guil, you were standing near the edge of the stage, hanging back and minding your own business.

Gryffin, you were near the food stalls, trying to persuade Ameiko to give you the last piece of salmon. You stepped forward during the commotion and are now 15 foot from the stage.

Arao, you were right in front of the stage, ready to observe the prayer.

Lloyd, was standing just behind two kids when the goblin ran past after the dog. His instinct was to give chase, but you were delayed a little as the kids started to turn and flee. He is now are just 5 foot behind Gryffin.

Jarek, you got caught up in the melee of fleeing bodies, and are in the middle of a rapidly emptying square.

Please all roll perception checks! Also roll initiative. The game has started...