[Game Thread] Chapter 1: Festival and Fire

[Elfman6]

The mind The path before him was cold, to either side blackness. He stood upon a small patch of dirt interspersed with paving stone. Voices came to his ears, faintly and without meaning. The half-orc shook his head. This was not a place he had wanted to see for some time. With a grimace he reached for his pipe only to discover it was not there. A scowl crossed his face. What good was dying if he couldn't even have a smoke? Or a shirt, or my pack, or holy symbol, my boots? Pants? All you have is the wound... The half-orc fingered the hole in his stomach where the goblin's weapon had begun his walk towards the Boneyard. There was no pain, which he supposed was a blessing. At least I don't have to feel the hole while I walk. Who knows how long that could take and... He cocked his head to one side. Able knew that he had heard voices again. Something about a 'back light'. His forehead creased in confusion. "Whats a backlight?" Feeling exploded along his nerves. The inquisitor's eyes bulged in shock at the sudden sensation; a warmness that promised salvation, a fiery passion that screamed life. The half-orc was moving backwards with incredible speed as nothingness rushed by him. It was over quickly.

His eyes fluttered awake, staring at the patterns in the dirt that were quickly turning to a rusty colored mud from the blood that was soaking into the soil. Pushing himself up on his elbow he saw his pipe laying on the ground not far from where he lay. A thin trail of smoke still flowed from it. He smiled and picked it up, sitting up as he did so and took a look around. His eyes immediately landed upon the blindfolded visage of the woman, her hands still held lightly upon his chest.

"Ah, thank you" he murmured. Able's gaze continued to take in the quieter scene slowly. A drunken halfling was attempting to fit arrow to bow against a goblin that was spouting off in broken trade tongue, while the halfling from earlier collapsed against one of the table's, itself strewn with a mess of violated foodstuff and goblin bodies. Able blinked.

Goblin?!

The inquisitor snatched the nearly forgotten morningstar at this right, leaping to his feet with an energy and vigor that defied his previous state. Desna's spell and his own righteous wrath still filled his body, the head of the weapon glowing in a liquid pattern of blue and white.

"Blasphemer." The word came out almost as a growl, brown eyes narrowing at the sight of the goblin as he raised the weapon high.

[Darkshard]

Though Kala was mildly disconcerted by the halfling's collapse, it did not seem to disconcert her. She cast a gaze over the woman for a fraction of a second before deciding her to be well enough not to need to tend for the time being. As Able came to, she smiled at his words, but then started to look about herself for other injured parties. It was during this moment of distraction that the half-orc lunged to his feet.

"Hold!" Kala called sharply over the chaos, moving to try to catch the half-orc before the blow fell. "It has surrendered!" She looked at the goblin, a little curiously, but also warily. "Besides," she added, more quietly, "It is just possible that it saved your life."

[copatt]

Mikki pushed herself to hands and knees. Eyes still closed, she vomited up the last of the mushroom hooch and spicy, Chelaxian sausages she been enjoying since well before the festival's start. I think the gob'ins poisoned me. I think I'm gonna' be sick again. And she was.

[Elfman6]

Able looked hard at the woman who caught his arm. She could by no means hold him back physically, but he detected no hints of falsehood in her words. Suspicion mixed with confusion as he slowly lowered the weapon, the blue glow slowly evanescing into the air. The half-orc pointed to the goblin using his pipe. "You have much to answer for."

[Pilgrim]

Father Zantus walks over to Findal, laying his hands on the halfling and casting a healing spell. "Thank you, thank you so much for coming to the aid of this town. That goes for all of you," he says, turning to address all of you.

The nobleman walks towards Able. "From me as well! You saved my life, sir!"

[copatt]

Confident-- or at least hopeful-- that some of all of this praise is intended for her, Mikki does her best to stagger to her feet. She wipes the acidic bile from her lips with the back of a hand, and, in turn, wipes that on her pants. Mikki tries to smile, but it hurts her head.

[Darkshard]

Kala addressed the goblin directly. "It might be best if you were to leave now. I cannot say that all the citizens of this town will accept your surrender, after this attack by your kind. Straightening, she asked the approaching Father Zantus, "Is anyone else seriously injured and needing healing? Her head and blindfold were directed at him, apparently oblivious to anything not near to her.

[rilibast]

The goblin has dropped its weapon and thus asks for a quick and painless death without the need for struggle. I shall honor its request with the mercy of my blade. Andrezi begins pacing towards the last goblin. Hold still. I can only promise it be a quick exit from your cursed existence. I am not a murderer. Goblins don't count...

[Jondera]

Dugmink shakes his head vehemently and moves quickly to avoid the human's blade. "Nonono! Me can be helping you! Telling things! Knowings about raid and goblins and stuff!"

[Elfman6]

Able nods to the nobleman, his attention clearly on the goblin. His brow furrows and he taps the pipe to his lips as if considering what exactly they were going to do it. The right path was always so much more delicate when a foe surrendered. Pursing his lips together, the half-orc breathed out through his nose heavily. They were in a civilized town; best to let local law enforcement handle the goblin. They certainly had better facilities for detaining the creature than he did. The approach of the Varisian man, his intentions clear as day, drew Able from his musings.

"Goblin for 'Stay put'Drruk" he mutters to diminutive creature.

Brown eyes level themselves at the man. "That is an unfortunate and frankly stupid attitude. Now put that blade away or I will put it away for you." Able's voice is full of disapproval, and it is quite clear the half-orc is not speaking in jest.

[rilibast]

Stupid? I know goblins well. Ask the people of Sandpoint about goblins. We all know better than anyone. My family knows first hand for they lie dead in their graves by goblin hands. So don't tell me what's stupid friend. Andrezi said with old memories rising to the surface. No emotion shows on his face, but a single tear can be seen by those with keen enough senses. He turns to the goblin.

Go on! Why don't you sing your song? It's the same one we heard tonight. The same one I heard the night my family died. Goblins like songs don't they? They love to sing. They sing when they hunt. They sing when they eat you, and kill your dog. Right? If he's so different then ask him to write down his name. Then you'll see a goblin flinch.

[Jondera]

Dugmink half-ignores the half-orc's order, unwilling to stand still if there's a human trying to stab him. He does make a point to not make any sudden or threatening moves, however. "And so that mean all goblins be same then? We be all identical? Goblins always be fighting because fighting be all goblins do - goblins grow up fighting, goblins live fighting, goblins die fighting, but maybe me think there be other ways to live. Maybe me see longshanks village and says 'thems not always fighting.' Maybe me wonders how you does that. Other goblins not care, they not so smart as Dugmink, but me thinking me can live longer if me not always fighting. So me thinking you knows how to be not fighting, and me be wanting to know, so me be helping you if you can show me."

[Darkshard]

"Please!" Kala said sharply, raising her hands and trying to sue for some peace in the proceedings. She directed her blindfold gaze at Andrezi. "If a foe surrenders, then honour it. For your own sake, if nothing else."

She turned her head back towards the goblin, but seemed to still be addressing Andrezi. "I know little enough about goblins. From all do know, I have always thought of them as the living epitome of amusement in cruelty. However, this one appears to oppose that as much as I. If it speaks truly, then I find myself of a mind with it. As perhaps might you."

Addressing the goblin, she stressed levelly, "I do not think there will be sanctuary for you here. More will come, and like him they will call for your blood. Reasoned words will mean little by then. Is there nowhere else you can go?"

[copatt]

Finally awakening to the realization that her arrow had not killed-- or even struck-- the goblin, Mikki frowns. My pa always says, "only good gob'n's a dead gob'n." Sure as we let this'n go 'e'll be down in the Mushfens, stealin' from my fam'ly. I say we at least lock 'im up in the stocks an' see what happens.

[Saidande]

Findal crawls off the table and shakily stands up.

"It was nothing. Just doing what the gods require of us" He says, walking to a clear spot several yards away.

"Return to me friend" He says, stamping a foot on the ground. Another summoning circle springs into existence and Findal begins to chant softly, intoning the true name of his companion over and over.

[ooc]Summoning Narm. Going to take 1 minute[/ooc]