Ravi chases after Gron, Phythas, and Penn. When the human acolyte finally catches up the shorter-legged gnome and the quartet has a chance to stop, Ravi nods at Phythas' wounds "W-w-w-we should probably take c-c-care of this," the acolyte says, and puts a hand on Phythas' bloodied torso, "before the goblins come." Mutting a quietly intoned prayer, Ravi lays a gentle hand over Phythas's wound. The flesh becomes itchy as slashed open muscle knits together anew. When Ravi removes his hand a moment later, he has healed Phythas for 9 points and the grievous injury done by the goblin's dogslicer looks much better.
Spying Rainier trekking stalwartly down the byway after the group, Ravi pauses and waits for the younger Scarnetti to approach. When Rainier arrives, Ravi lays his hand on the man's arm and, with another few mumbled words of prayer and a small scrap of paper inscribed with runes in one hand, channels his holy power into Rainier, mystically enhancing the man's defenses.
[sblock=Rainier]Rainier lacks the ranks in spellcraft to recognize Ravi's spellcasting, but out-of-context, Ravi just cast shield of faith on Rainier.[/sblock]
Brandishing his pint-sized rapier with a flick in the air, Penn grins and nods at Phythas. "Have I got your back? Have I ever!"
The briny smell of the sea draws thicker about the group as they trek south and down, now five in number. Sandpoint's upper tier soon enough cants sharply down, giving way to the town's dock area. While the area surrounding the North Gate and the cathedral atop the cliffs on Sandpoint's higher ground has wide streets that overlook the open sea, the lower wards are set closer together and the byways become labrynthine. Passing by the Sandpoint Playhouse on Festival Street, Rainier barks at a knot of five half-drunk porters standing outside the theater. The men, most of them young and all of them local, seem eager to join the action and readily follow after Rainier. One of the porters proves invaluable and helps lead the group quickly south toward the docks by way of an alley that proves to be a handy shortcut, and a tactical boon to boot.
The alley dumps out onto Sandpoint Market. Just ahead, in the open space normally occupied by comestibles merchant stalls on market days, a grandstand has been erected in honor of the Swallowtail Festival. A yellow dog and a teenage boy lie dead in the street and a pair of goblins stand over their trophies, cackling feverishly with grim delight. One of the goblins paws at the dog's hide, its claws raking the dog's stomach and leaving scratched indentations. With the porter's astute help, Gron finds a stack of lettuce crates to hide on top of. The height affords Gron a better view of the market and some cover.
+1 to attack for Gron. Please add that in to any attack rolls that you call for.
Another group of three goblins has found the cart full of fuel for tonight's bonfire in the middle of the grandstand arena and have lit the stack of wood on fire. The three goblins shriek and howl, two of them capering madly in a circle 'round the inferno with torches and dogslicers in hand whilst the third, a whip in its hand, stands off to the side and incites the pair with song to even wilder heights. At the group's approach, one of the two goblins ringing the dead dog leaves off pawing at its prize and looks up to sniff the air.
[sblock=Gron, Phythas]The goblin by the dead dog looks to the fifth goblin over by the bonfire. "Company." [/sblock]
[sblock=Gron]That third goblin, the one who is singing, is a warchanter. That's no idle song the warchanter is singing. It's a pseudo-bardic ability whose purpose is to drive the goblin fighters to barbaric fury during battle.[/sblock]
The grandstand area is 75 feet wide and 120 feet long. The bonfire has a 10 foot radius at its base and tapers to a height of 15 feet. The bonfire is lit and is at the center of the grandstand area. Gron is on top of a stack of lettuce crates in an alley that dumps out directly in the middle of the square's 120-foot-long side. The alley is 5 feet wide--singlefile standing room only. The bonfire is roughly 40 feet from the lettuce crates in the alley. Goblins 3 and 4 caper around the bonfire and are 40 feet from the lettuce crates. Goblin 5 (the singing goblin with the whip) is 10 feet from Goblins 3 and 4, or 50 feet from Gron. The dead dog is 20 feet to the right of the bonfire. Goblins 1 and 2 are therefore 20 feet from Gron.
Initiative:
Phythas 20
Goblins 1-4, 17
Penn 15
Ravi 10
Goblin 5, 6
Rainier 3
Gron 2
Porters 1
[sblock=Die Rolls]Ravi, cure light wounds, 1d8+3 (die roll = 6)
Rainier, Diplomacy 22 (die roll = 18)
Gron, Sense Motive 22 (die roll = 19)[/sblock]
[/sblock]
