Book 1: Burnt Offerings: Festival and Fire

[elgatocello]

Darvil leans over to the bard as the crowd lulls between speeches.

"Master Bard, are...are you writing down the speeches?"

[irishmagician]

The gnome turns to Darvil, his eyes and smile growing large even as his quill continues to dart across the page. He almost vibrates off his chair in excitement.

"Of course Sir Darvil! This is history in the making, and isn't history another form of story? Its best to get it in its most pure form, before other people affect it with their personal opinions. I have to add only the best to my collection, after all..."

Garan manages to catch himself before his hand almost continues to write off the page. Deftly dipping it into an inkwell, he begins to record again with a flourish.

[Juniper]

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 converations quickly hushes as all heads turn toward 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 rises, then another. Beyond them, a sudden surge of strange new voices rises - high-pitched, tittering shrieks that sound no tquite 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 then collapses with a gurgle, its throat cut open from ear to ear. As blood pools around its head, the raucous sound of a strange song begins, chanted fom shrill, scratchy voices.

I need perception checks from everyone. Also, initiative rolls would not be amiss. You can bet they're coming up soon. Use the previously posted map (but let me know if you thought you were somewhere completely different or aren't sure who you are at all.) Please limit actions to what you can accomplish in maybe half a round.

[elgatocello]

Darvil grits his teeth as the goblin chant reaches a climax and he ducks under the table and pulls out his dagger.

Stealth Check
[dice=20] + 8

Perception:
[dice=20] + 6

Initiative:
[dice=20] + 4[rand=6310693080030009003635007670311996761682926971655323970983673740964]

[irishmagician]

(Perception = [dice=20]+2)

Like the rest of the crowd, Garan glances sharply in the direction of the "newcomers" to the Festival.

(Initiative = [dice=20]+2)

However, he is caught completely unprepared for the elf across the table abruptly disappearing from view, then feels his legs bump into something under the table. What in the....?!? Garan thinks to himself, as he falls backwards into a ungraceful lump with his book still in his hands. At this vantage, he sees the elf hiding under the table.

While he has the cover of the table, he flips through his book to see if he has any stories about goblins.

(Knowledge, Local = [dice=20]+7) (OOC: Garan spends all of his time until the end of his first turn doing this. Just "prepping" an action, as it were Juniper )[rand=71692236613087670991762105945449670235677525013176327622162669251]

[Ferahgo]

Edrik grabs his shield from under the table, and begins looking for what is causing the commotion

Perception = [dice=20]+1=20

Initiative= [dice=20]+2 =9

[rand=93372673578435545931754736846846112762204747350995994572011006076]

[lordpiccolo]

(perception 14+4=18)(initiative 18+3=21)

As soon as he hears the singing start Trei quietly casts Mage Armor. He then looks around for any potential threats and allies.

[joviality]

Perception:
[dice=20] +3

Initiative:
[dice=20]+1

Camlo's blood is pumping after seeing the interruption to this ceremony. How dare they do this on today, of all days?[rand=3634133981540799717676436994224862248632265254869529830596875399]

[starkiller]

Perception [dice=20]+6

Initiative [dice=20]+6

Murchadh looks around the the square trying to see everything all at once. Strange it seems that there are four people here not panicing like the rest. Hopefully, they know how to handle situations like this.[rand=413874520053875630470705119406182499507334510599940377242602955]

[Juniper]

People scream and mill around, raising dust from the dry, late summer dirt of the square. When it settles somewhat, you become aware of three goblins blocking almost every exit. Beside the poor dead dog can be seen the goblin that killed it, gleefully licking its bloodspattered blade, which seems to have been made of part of a wooden broom handle and a bit of castiron fencing wickedly sharpened and lashed together...a goblin dogslicer. Too bad that's not all it's good for: the goblin is cheerfully eying the crowd for its next victim, and so are its friends.

Each of you is aware that there are others who don't seem to have panicked (although one had been distracted by an especially fine selection of handcarved wooden butterflies and was late to turn around). Moreover, the elf who had been eating at one of the tables seems to have disappeared. You can only help that those people know what they're doing: the square is full of the elderly, of women and children, and even a few distracted drunks. The sheriff is shouting loudly for everyone to stay calm, but that doesn't seem likely.

This begins a surprise round. All but Camlo may act in this round, and he is fine next go-round.

INITIATIVE ORDER:
Trei
Goblins
Camlo
Murchadh
Edrik
Darvil
Garan

I added labels to your tokens; starkiller was complaining they were too hard to read. If I get a chance, I'll modify them before next combat. Maybe solid colors.

[Juniper]

Forgot to actually attach the map!

Attachments:

[lordpiccolo]

Trei notices the goblin in the top right corner of the map and aims a force Missile at it.

[Force Missile, Evoker power, Standard Action, 1d4+1(intense spells), Automatic hit, no save]

He claps his hands together and manifests his willpower as a glowing blue ball. Trei launches this ball at the Goblin. (2+1=3 force damage)

[Juniper]

One goblin staggers under a force missile. Unfortunately, its sudden appearance doesn't seem to have confused it. It leers toothily at Trei before moving deliberately toward the wizard. Almost at the last minute, however, it seems to sniff the air before speeding up and sprinting idiotically past the wizard to land with a flying leap in a nearby market stall. "Apples!" it shouts excitedly to its friends. "The meat-people have apples!" (You get an attack of opportunity)

The goblin who killed the dog rolls its eyes. "Idjit goes for apples. Anybeast can smell meat here." The man running the White Deer's stall is unarmed, and surrounded by venison. He is horrified to suddenly be confronted by fifty pounds of hungry goblin, and tries to flee. That is just the signal the goblin is looking for. It sweeps its dogslicer toward the man's knees, cutting deeply - too deeply. The man is definitely dead, or will be as soon as he bleeds out, but the goblin's sword seems stuck in the corpse, and it tugs ineffectually at it even while it grabs at the plates of venison.

The third goblin chatters irritably, sounding like nothing so much as some sort of deranged squirrel. His words seem to indicate profane fury at being so short, and it sprints for the platform, presumably to get a better view of the area. It completely misses an opportunity to take a swing at a couple of frightened children. Unfortunately for it, it also misses the platform, taking an uncomfortable blow to its teeth against the wood. It turns around, pretending it had no intention of getting up there anyway.

Several of the villagers climb on the tables as though to protect their ankles from the little menaces, but most scatter. A woman's voice screams for her children, whom she can't seem to find. The sheriff and Father Zantus stay on the platform, and their voices calling for calm only add to the din.

[Juniper]

New Map

Attachments:

[lordpiccolo]

Trei watches the goblin run by, fumbling to take out his dagger from its sheath. Lesson three, always have a backup. How can I have forgotten that one.