Ch.2 Goblins, why did it have to be Goblins?

Vilde pauses, looking at the man by the oak tree with a curious look on her face. "How strange. The whole town in a panic and he's just lolly-gaging about that tree."

She waits to see how her companions react.

The square remains eerily quiet, the only sounds being the rustling of the leaves of the great oak in the breeze and the rhythmic squeaking of a proprietor's sign as is gently swings back and forth.

Can Everyone please make a Perception or Insight check at DC12. Perception if you're just keeping an eye and ear our for signs of trouble; Insight if there's something particular about this situation that you're thinking about.

Thorne looks around for signs of trouble

The sudden quiet hits Vilde, loud in its emptiness. Her companion's mention of this being a diversion seeming more than plausible all of a sudden, in fact, almost absolute.

If I were a goblin dabbling in the dark arts and the town was empty, where would I go? she thinks to herself.

Thorne's ears prick up as the wind briefly carries sounds that don't seem a part of the sonic tapestry of the town's settling buildings and vegetation. It's faint and indistinct, and disappears almost the moment you try to apprehend it, but nevertheless sets your nerves slightly on edge.

Vilde scans the town square, a series of rough but homey structures arranged about. The main road cuts through it, leading both southeast and northwest. The townsfolk left along that northwest section of road before cutting across a footpath towards the Ritter's farm. Other smaller pathways lead out from the center like spokes on a wheel, connecting the rest of the settlement to its core. If the fire were a diversion, attackers would likely come from a different direction than the farm. Ideally (for them) along a route that has some cover, but still direct enough to make every moment count. Your eyes land on one of the spokes of pathway that leads to northeast where the land dips down to meet the flowing river and copses of trees cluster along its banks.

Still following the towns folk Caldra calls back to her companions Com on! They may need our help

Thorne, after a few moments you begin to make out voices speaking with guttural accents. The word 'faerie' immediately jumps out at you as you triangulate the general location of the sounds coming from somewhere to the east....

"Stop! I'm hearing voices coming from over there and the word 'fairy'" Thorne says to the group, pointing somewhere to the east.

Caldra turns, torn and indecisive. While she had been prompted to seek for more it was vague while the needs of the people, the fire, . . . .

With a shake of her head she prays the villagers will suffice and moves back towards the east but slide to the side and skirts the buildings, avoiding the open of the middle of the road. Listening and looking for anything amiss she presses her senses out.

Vilde walks over to Thorne, grabs his pointing arm, and readjusts it to the pathway spoke leading northeast.

"That's where they'll be coming from, I'm sure of it."

From just beyond your field of vision, behind one of the buildings just beyond the square, you hear a harsh voice hiss, "Quiet as we go boyz. Get the fayree, and we gets out. Don't bollocks it up!"

A moment later, a troop of skulking Goblins, three grunts, led by larger one flanked by two even larger Bugbears rounds the corner. They give a start and their eyes widen at the sight of you.

"Crikey, that's them what whacked Pinky! Looks like sneakin's off the menu!" the leader exclaims. He points a gnarled finger at you, and shouts, "Take 'em out fast!"

Everyone, please roll intitative!

GM Note: The horde is a little farther than you can move in one action. They have just rounded the corner of a cottage along one of the smaller paths leading off the square, but the structures are setback from it, so the area between them isn't constrained enough to create a tactical chokepoint. I'll give more details if you need them. :)