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

You wake, not particularly early, the next day - some of you probably feeling a little worse for wear from the celebration the night before. Marla has kept a sumptuous breakfast ready for you downstairs and a table reserved for 'The Heroes of Merivale.' Your entrance into the main room is greeted with cheers and pats on the back, but the townsfolk give you respectful space once you sit down to eat and tuck into a large plate of scrambled eggs, a very generous serving of perfectly smoked bacon, bread and fresh butter, and mugs of a dark steaming tea with honey that strikes just the perfect notes of bitter and sweet to start the day.

What would you like to do today?

GM Note: You still have the map you looted from the Goblins in the Elderwild.

Thorne accepts the cheers with a shy, almost embarrassed smile, nodding politely to those who clap him on the shoulder as he makes his way to the table. Praise has never sat comfortably with him, and he keeps his eyes mostly on the food as he takes his seat, letting the others enjoy the attention. He eats quietly.

Once his plate is half-cleared, habit reasserts itself. Thorne reaches down and brings up the two goblin short swords he claimed, laying them carefully across his knees. He runs a thumb along each edge, testing the bite, checking for nicks or warping, then inspects the hilts and tangs for hidden cracks.

Kessa makes an exaggerated show of being humble. "No, please. You're too kind. All in a day's work for heroes." She sits down at the table and digs into the food when it arrives. "This is good," she says to whoever the closest tavern worker is. She says it whether it's actually good or not, because a) any food tastes great when you survive a day of combat, and b) because she knows when to make useful acquaintances.

"So what's the plan, gang?" she says once everyone is assembled at the table. "We sticking around figure out what else is going on? Or hit the trail and let them sort it out?" Kessa knows that Thorne and Caldra will almost certainly pick "Plan A", but she likes to make these things explicit.

Caldra is gracious in her acceptance of the villagers thanks but diverts the praise to the team vs any single individual. She enjoys the food and rest but is concerned about the goblin issues. As she joins the others she expresses this but with reservations

It is concerning what happened here but I wonder what we can do. Surely there is a local lord or civil administration that should be informed of these matter. But how long will that take and do these people have time. I am uncertain how to proceed

@htech: The swords are serviceable - the designs are crude, the but quality of the steel and the edges are good. Goblins may not be much for aesthetics (from human standpoint), but they take decent care of the wargear from a functional perspective.

GM Recap: When last we left our intrepid heroes, they had trekked to the mysterious Elderwild, encountered some of the unique and not very friendly fauna, and then defeated the kidnappers and freed Moonblossom. You collected some rough looking but very functional weapons from the Gobbos, as well as what looks to be map - although the symbols and writing on it are foreign to you and incomprehensible. The note scrawled on the back of the map, however, was written in the common tongue, and it says:

"Tell Pinky he better not come back without my ingredients! WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, KROGG! —Greenthumb."

Perhaps some of the villagers will be able to make sense of the map, or might know something of the persons mentioned in the note.

After looking over the map Caldra suggests making a copy and getting some locals, hunter or other woodsmen, to look it over to add in details they might know of as well as to gain a better understanding of what may lay ahead. Getting the writings would also be a good idea and Moonblosom might be the best person to talk to about this.

The message suggests that the goblins were working with, or more likely for, someone else. Doubtless just eliminating that one band will not stop the villains. I suggest we keep this to ourselves untill we have talked with the local leaders about these suspicions and gain more information. It might be necessary to follow up on the map to track down any other trouble makers.

"Yes, let’s talk to Mayor Tills again and see what he thinks about this map."

Caldra nods agreement and finishes breakfast

You'd think almost dying, not once, but twice, in a short span of time would negatively effect someone, but remarkably Vilde seemed unscathed by it. Of course, last night's festivities might have something to do with that, the elderberry wine being sneakily subtle in its alcohol content. And also the first time she even imbibed anything of the sort. A lot of firsts for Vilde, just like a real adventurer! If only Lord Hast could see her now!

Her brow furrowed at the thought of her mentor, she missed him, and really should reach out, if anything to at least let him know of her well-being. That thought was plucked away as another plate of eggs and bacon were set on the table, along with a pot of fresh, steaming hot coffee. More firsts!

As she ate and her companions conversed over what to do, her mind kept going back to a specific word in the goblin's note, ingredients ... Vilde had read and dabbled in potions, brews, and concoctions before and knew that a pinch of that and a smidge of this was enough to create wonderful, or dangerous, outcomes. But, and at this her stomach curdled a bit, could fairies be an ingredient for something?

@ctme2000: There are those elements of the arcane arts that polite society and most of the academy would rather pretend don't exist or dismiss with an air of disgust as so morally reprehensible that no decent practitioner would waste their mental time and energy discussing. Of course, these are the same elements that others find utterly fascinating - the forbidden fruit of magic, the so-called 'dark arts.' Discussions of these things tend to happen behind closed doors, among those that can be trusted - whether they be close friends or fellow travelers along the black path. Vilde's mentor, taken by the combination of her enthusiasm and her naivete about the world at large, had welcomed her into his inner circle, providing more than academic guidance, but trying to prepare her to face the realities of what she might encounter once she stepped outside the safety of the academy's walls. You recall one conversation after a potions class where you were enthusing over the infinite possibilities of tinctures and elixirs when your mentor's face grew dark.

"Intellectual curiosity is a wonderful thing, Vilde, but must be tempered by a strong moral compass," he said as his hands absently replaced a number of vials and phylacteries in their cases. "There are those who pursue the path of power to such a point that they lose sight of what is right and wrong. Speak not of this outside these walls but know - there are those who would use the life forces of living creatures, especially magical ones, as components in the darkest and most powerful of rituals. The kind that offer tremendous power in exchange for the corruption of their souls. I tell you this because I have seen others of equally bright and curious mind, follow that curiousity to places from which there is no return, and I do not wish to see you stumble accidentally down this dark well of damnation. Do you understand what I am saying?"

At the time, you merely nodded, somewhat taken aback by the abrupt change of tone in your mentor's voice. Not sure you understood, but a little afraid to continue the direction of the conversation. Now, however, his words come back to you with renewed significance....

As you are finishing the last of your morning meals and debating what to do next, the door to the Valley's Rest bursts open and a dishevelled villager stumbles in, breathing heavily. "The Ritter's farm.. it's burning!" He points to the north with one hand as he rests the other on his knee, clearly having run some distance to get here.

The rest of the patrons quickly stand and rush outside. You follow, and there to north of the village, you see a thick plume of black smoke rising into the morning sky.

"What are you waiting for? Buckets, weapons, grab whatever you have and go!" Marla the innkeeper shouts, and then begins directing her daughters as she grabs a heavy pail and a cleaver from the kitchen and begins racing toward the Ritter's farm.

Caldra grabs her pack, shield, and mace as she rushes to follow the people outside. Calling to the others she warns Be wary. This might be more than an accident. It could be retaliation from the goblin's allies or just a diversion to draw people away from town. as she scans the surroundings while still moving after the townsforld

Caldra, you don't see anything in particular, but you have a feeling that either your instincts or some divine messenger is telling you something you ought not ignore.

"Vilde, Kessa, I don't think it is wise to split the party, so let's go with Caldra." - says Thorne

Caldra abruptly stops, knees and offers a heartfelt prayer for guidance and listens to any prompting she receives.
....
Getting back up she looks around again and hesitates as she mutters "Something, I know not what, is off.."

"Oh no!" Vilde blurts out, at the realization of what the goblins, or some darker force, had meant to do to Moonblossom, as the villager bursts in.

"Oh no!" she exclaims again a moment later, at mention of the fire.

Quickly grabbing her things, she hurries along with the others toward the farm.

The townsfolk hurry past you, giving quizzical looks. Marla is more direct as she casts a glance over her shoulder and shouts, "Are you coming heroes? We could use your help!"

Soon the only people left in the town square are the four of you and what appears to be monk, deep in meditation at the foot of the giant oak in the center of the plaza. After the hullabaloo earlier, the quiet in the square is eerie, almost deathlike.

What do you do?

Thorne waits for the group's reaction. His main goal is to keep the party together.

Caldra hesitates again, not wanting to let the townsfolk suffer unduly but uncertain what to do, so moves to help them but again cautions her fellows Keep alert

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. :)