[Game Thread] Scene 1: The Legends Converge...

[JayRob]

Adam is clearly dejected by the news that he would be missing an evening of fried, spicy, cheesy goodness smothered in ranch dressing. "Bummer," he says simply, looking down at the table. He turns to the magician sitting near him. "Well, guess there's nothin' a dude can do about it...." Adam lightly scuffs at the floor with the sole of a leather boot. "Sure, man. Talkin' to whoever's in charge sounds like a gnarly place to start."

Maybe there'll still be some leftovers when we're done here... Adam thinks. This idea brightens his mood a little. Popper-time might yet not pass him by.

[Amy]

D'Artagnan chuckles in spite of himself. That is: he is surprised into chuckling due to something that surprises him. Therefore he chuckled.

"I dare say, we should follow the recommendation of this strange, bearded fellow. What did you say your name was? Rather, what do people call you? Some people, that is?"

The duelist reaches for his miniature rapier and grasps it, hauling it across the tabletop and tucking it into his belt.

[Aosaw]

Joshua blinked his eyes and wiped away a bit of drool. "What happened? Sorry - I guess I got used to the idea I was dreaming for a second there." He considered what the apparition had said. In fact, his people had been enjoying a bit more freedom lately, and the ambassador from Rome hadn't been seen in...Gosh, months, wasn't it? Nobody really thought about it; one less Pontius Pilate was one less meddler.

Then again, Judas was still running low on funds. He often joked about selling Joshua to the Romans for a bit of silver. Oh, how they laughed...

"Uh, yes. We should...do that. I have things to do. Lepers to cure, that kind of thing."

[Zhefonyll]

As the group reaches a conclusion as to what their course of action will be, they also notice that there are many concerned glances coming their way. The locals seem to be somewhat disturbed by the conversation which just took place.

The child, Kev, sneaks back to the table while nobody's watching him. "If you want to talk to the town elder, I could show you to his house. He's probably not going to help you much, but it would be fun to see you talk to him. He's a bit crazy, you see."

"Hey, guys, why did you just spend like ten minutes talking to the middle of your table? I mean, people are already a bit creeped out that you got past the walls and in here without help, but now you're just plain acting crazy. Of course, that means you should like the town elder pretty well, I suppose - lots of crazies in one place tends to make them all happy."

The child's voice doesn't carry an accusation, only the curiousity and enthusiasm - and possibly-ignorant disregard for good manners - of youth. Still, it seems that the others in the bar are a little put off by the appearance of these strangers and the boy has volunteered to be your guide. The foolishness of children is not always a detriment to an adventurer's progress.

[JayRob]

Adam looks down at the young boy. "Maybe you didn't see him, but there was a little man there a minute ago, little man." He sits back in his chair and drapes an arm over the back of it, petting the big green tiger behind him. "Glad it's not just me, all these people really are staring at me. Thought I was tweakin' for a second there...maybe we should get out of here." Adam looks around at his companions. "Whaddya say guys, wanna let this kid take us to the Elder?"

[Embrodak]

Tim nods. "Yes, please guide us to this elder of yours. We see what we can do about these goblins of yours."

[Aosaw]

Joshua was sitting with his eyes closed tightly, hands balled into fists that could turn coal into diamonds. There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home... He opened one eye, then snapped it shut. Damn it!

Okay, so I'm stuck here. Great. What did Dad say about being in unexpected situations? Let's see if I can recreate his big stupid voice. Oh yeah. 'Go ye unto the people, and bear their burdens unto thee,' or some crap like that. Damn it. Okay. Okay, we can figure this out. Bear their burdens, that means...damn it.

He opened his eyes. "Yes, take us to your elder. Let's get this over with."

[Amy]

D'Artagnan squints one eye in thought. "A local elder? Yes. That sounds like quite the idea. Perhaps we will get the answers we seek in his wisdom." He scoots his chair back from the table, gathering his minimal gear together. With what appears to be his second thought in a row he re-addresses the child.

"Is he also knowledgeable of these... Gobe-lins? We may need to consult with someone who can advise us on tactical advantages..."

[JayRob]

Adam is starting to get a little antsy. "A'ight! Let's go!" he says energetically as he gets up from the table, stretches, and waits for Zhef to update.

"Rowr." Cringer nods his head in agreement.

[Zhefonyll]

Kev listens to the group as they decide to leave and waits impatiently for them to finish at the table and rise while he responds to the question. "Sure, the town elder could tell you about goblins, but why would you want to know about them? They're green and mean and ugly. And there was not a little man on that table - I would have seen him. This way."

At a few of the tables in the tavern, whispered conversations have begun. While the locals are polite enough not to make their choice of topic a public display, it takes little deductive reasoning to know that the newcomers are likely being discussed in an uncharitable manner. Judging by Kev's reaction, it's likely that half the town thinks them to be crazed drunkards.

Emerging from the tavern on the trail of the enthusiastic boy, the party sees the stables and smithy which were visible through the windows, the former exceptionally quiet (likely a sign that there's not much in them), and the latter apparently closed until its owner finishes breakfast. Business must be slow.

To the right as the group emerges, a general store sits with its doors open to allow the wind threw, and those with keen hearing might note sounds of sweeping from inside. To the left is an empty, well-trod area which likely serves as the town square and an open-air market when such business is done. Around this area are a handful of likely store-houses and a community well.

Surrounding these central buildings, on either side, is a row of small, respectable houses, and beyond those can be seen a substantial wall with shoddy lean-to -like structures visible through the gaps between other buildings. The town has been fortified with one circular barrier, which seems to be constructed from whole trees, crudely denuded of branches and then simply driven into the ground in a tight ring that was later used as the support for temporary buildings.

Kev takes no notice of this, nor of the few people to be seen tending to the structures against the wall. He doesn't even think to comment on his 'normal' surroundings as he leads the way past the town square and between two of the storehouses, down an alleyway and across a small clearing to an isolated home. It seems that the elder didn't live in town so much as near it.

To either side of the simple cottage, the grass gives way in regular batches to bits of flat-lying stone. Kev takes a path straight up the middle, not straying too close to those regular markers. He remains quiet now as well.

In front of the cottage, an old man in a bathrobe sways forward and back in a rocking chair. His eyes are cloudy and unfocused, but his features are composed and aware, his peppered-grey hair well-styled and his bathrobe, despite the completely inappropriate nature of wearing it on one's front porch, is smoothed into a proper position. When he speaks, he turns his head vaguely in the group's direction, but isn't actually looking quite at them. His voice carries the tired amusement of a grandparent who can't quite go to bed because the little ones are up to no good. "Why hello there, Kev. I heard that there were newcomers and those sorts usually come to see me, but I didn't realize you'd be with them." Gesturing vacantly to a plate on a nearby windowsill, the old man smiles. "I baked some sweetbread. Have a piece before you leave."

Kev dutifully nods and goes to the plate, taking a chunk of fried bread from those present and quickly backing off to a safe distance where he can see and hear without being too close to the cottage.

The old man continues to look vaguely in the group's direction. "I hear that you didn't come through the gate or over the wall - that you were simply found in the tavern this morning, with no sign as to how you bypassed the locked door. This leaves me to assume that if you meant my people harm it would already be done. I sense that you are powerful beings and, though that soul-bound dagger is somewhat unnerving, you don't seem to be causing trouble. I assume, then that you've come to me to ask questions?"

"Ask away, travellers. Sightless Jim has nothing better to do than talk to people until the next wave of goblins comes crashing down on us."

[Embrodak]

Tim looks sightless Jim up and down. "Tell us good Jim... Do you know why a invisible little man would spirit us away from our lives to come here an help you with this goblin infestation?"

Tim turns and a gout of flame erupts from his hand and flies towards the outstretch limbs of a nearby maple. The leaves are instantly vaporized and the branch is a bit blackened. You see a crow that was previously resting at the tip of the limb flying away hastily. Tim look perplexed at the birds ability to take flight before his flame arrived but that is quickly replaced my a look of confusion as he looks back at sightless Jim.

"We are all strangers to each other, having never met before we awoke at breakfast this morn. Have you heard or witnessed such marvels before?" Tim asks as his eyes flutter about, making sure the crow doesn't circle back.

"And if there is a being that can perform such miracles on such powerful folks as us, you must be aware of him, and you must know why he would summon us instead of taking care of the problem himself."

[Amy]

As they pass through the town, the feathery-hatted dandy makes his eyes shiny at each passing female form - young as well as old. He notes the defenses as they walk by, but they are no surprise to him. His own town of Gascony was similarly protected. D'Artagnan took minor interest in the movements of his fellow travelers. They each seemed comfortable in their own capabilities.

Good.

When the group reaches the timber wall he leans close to the one carrying the longbow like an extension of his arm. "I believe our young Adam may have spent some time with the Spices that the traders bring back from the far-off Asian lands. He seems quite excitable."

.

The bathrobe-adorned elder is quite comforting to the rapier-witted rapier-wielder. "An excellent question, 'Tim'. Let us deal with the most pressed strangeness first, shall we?" He looks to the old man expectantly.

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[Zhefonyll]

"An invisisible Halfling brought you all here from different lands to fight goblins, you say?" The old man strokes his cleanly-shaved chin for a moment, looking off at nothing in particular. "Well, it's a good time for that, I suppose."

"These are strange times. Not only do I know nothing of an event such as yours, but the goblins you say you were sent to battle are an unusual incident as well. Sure, we all know that the goblins likely breed in the mountains, but they've not come forth in such numbers for as long as anybody here can remember - longer still if you ask the right questions."

"Some of the other elders and I have been talking, and we're pretty much agreed that there's something foul going on where the goblins breed, something that's forcing them to leave their home and try to secure another. Considering their numbers, it would have to be something fairly impressive, too."

"If somebody was rounding up heroes, your mysterious Halfling could have been the opposite number to whatever stirred up the goblins. That would imply that fiends or even the lords of the Hells or Abyss are involved here, and that they've placed their own champions in the mountains. Since the bad guys moved monsters around, the good guys get to do the same thing - and you're their pick."

"Of course, we're just guessing here, but it seems a sound theory."

The old man pauses and sniffs the air. "Wait, is that scorched maple?" He looks vaguely towards the tree which was Tim's latest victim for a moment before returning his gaze to the party's general direction. "Tim...it was Tim, right? Why did you just try to burn down my favorite syrup tree?"

[Amy]

D'Artagnan ducks his shoulders at the noisy explosion, stares at Tim for a moment, then shrugs. He looks back to the elder and listens closely as he speaks his piece. Once finished, he responds quickly. "Tim enjoys the occasional display of fiery potential."

He draws his Maine Gauche and uses it to clean the minimal grime from under his fingernails. "As to this concept of Hells and Abyss or Teams of Champions... Is this what you local Bishop preaches? What about your Cardinal?"

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[Embrodak]

"ohhh.. We were first picl... That's outstanding." Tim says as a small gout of flame shoots from his finger straight into the sky as he celebrates that news..

He looks at the tree a bit sheepishly and then say matter of factly. "No I did not try to burn down your favorite maple tree, I just singed one of the end branches where a confound it crow was roosting watching our proceeding.... Can trust 'dem blasted crows."

He looks at the group. "Well if the goblins have been forced from their homes, why don't we go and give them a reason to keep on moving and leaving this little burg alone. That is until we can find the source of their forced migration."