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[highmax28]

Steven casually walked back to the Rusty Dragon, unnoticed by the guards. As he reached for the handle to open the door and slip inside, a stubby-fingered hand grabbed his wrist, incidentally preventing him from reaching for his gun. "Thieeeeeeef!" A dimunitive voice tried to roar from somewhere around his waist. At the same time, the odor of stale mead, turnips and vomit assailed his nose. Turning and looking down, Steven was treated to the sight of a gnome in rumpled, travel-stained clothing, and he was most definitely the source of the reek assaulting the human's nose. "Where is my golem, what did you do with it? Tell me you thieeeeef!" the gnome screeched again.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Break the grapple

[Hanzoku]

((*roll*1d20 + 4 vs DC 11 : 7))

Despite twisting his wrist sharply and lifting his arm until the gnome is dangling, the determined little man is like a limpet, too caught up in his own outrage to even notice Steven's attempts to break his grip. "I wake up upside down in a barrel of turnips, turnips I tell you! I hate turnips! To make it worse, that grubby dirtfarmer had taken the barrel I was in and driven back home after the festival! And then that... that... great dirt-covered buffoon Sandhurst did not even have the simple courtesy to drive me back to Sandpoint! No, he kicked me, literally kicked me off his land and forced me to walk all the way back home! Me! Bastargre Widdershins, the famed explorer of ruins!"

His unhinged ranting is drawing a crowd, more amused and curious then anything else, not that the gnome notices as he glares furiously at Steven. "And now, I finally get home, and I find that there is no golem waiting for me! No, no, I have to ask around, 'where is my golem'? and I am told that you have my precious golem. My golem! You were making it labor in the smithy of all things!"

[highmax28]

"I was WITH Rusty, but I did not take him. He's probably still there; I didn't see him come back to the inn last night. Now, if you won't let go of me, let's take this somewhere else."

Steven enters his room using his left hand and attempts to lock the door

[Hanzoku]

Bastargre doesn't take much notice and lets go when they're in the room, frowning up at the human. "Don't be silly! Everyone knows constructs have no free will, they must obey the orders of their master. Now, I must have done something wrong with this one, since he also obeys your orders... hm... tell me, does he obey everything anyone says to him? Perhaps you resemble a former master? I must not have wiped that portion of its memory thoroughly enough..." Lost in attempting to solve this conundrum, he barely seems to notice that he's now locked into the room with the human he was threatening.

Meanwhile, at the town hall, Sheriff Hemlock ushers the rest of the party into a meeting room. the Mayor is there, as well as a beautiful, weathered elven woman, dressed in studded leather and with a tattered, sun-bleached cloak thrown over the back of the chair she's sitting in. A tankard of ale sits on the table in front of her, and a composite longbow leans against the wall behind her.

"Thank you all for coming. Have any of you seen Mr... Steven, was it? I would have preferred to discuss this with all of you at once." Mayor Deverin says.

[highmax28]

Its gone

[Hanzoku]

((He let go already. You can still threaten him if you want. ))

[highmax28]

"Rusty set us around town to find some ancient book the other day. Maybe he's looking for his old master. He's probably still at the forge; I didn't hear him come back last night."

[Sirus]

"The last place I saw that one was last night, when he left the forge. Which is where I should be right now."

[Hanzoku]

The gnome shakes his head "No, no. That's the first place I looked, but he was already gone. I thought maybe you were storing it in your room." He glares around suspiciously, but has to acknowledge that there would be no way to hide the massive construct under the bed, in the wardrobe or behind a curtain. "Oh no, that means the construct is wandering around the town all alone, unsupervised! Who knows what trouble it will get into to without me, Bastargne, to look after it!"

-----

Mayor Deverin smiles apologetically at the construct in question. "Yes, I'm aware that you all have been very busy these past few days. I'm afraid that I will ask to impose further. Shalelu here is an 'unoffical member' of Sandpoint's town guard, as Belor likes to put it."

The elf snorts in amusement at the description, and Sheriff Hemlock cracks a small smile. "Shalelu, these are Sandpoint's newest crop of goblinslayers. The construct is named Aloisturm, the kobold is Zeratuu, the young man there is Kal and... oh dear, I'm afraid I forgot your name." Deverin says apologetically to Etoile.

Sheriff Hemlock leans forward to join the discussion. "Our message to Shalelu caught her on her way here already. She's an expert ranger, and quite a thorn in the sides of the local goblin tribes. I doubt there's anyone else with her level of knowledge and experience with them. To summarize what she's told us, Sandpoint is not the only part of the coast experiencing trouble with the little menaces. There have been raids up and down the Lost Coast, particularly in the dale between Nettlewood and Mosswood, to our northeast. A day ago, they burned a farm to the south of Mosswood. Shalelu was there to save the family, and escorted them to their neighbors. Shalelu, do you mind telling them a bit about the goblins?"

Shalelu nods brusquely and stands up. "Belor's told me of your work against the goblins - well done. I've dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they're tenacious and fecund little runts. Like weeds that bite.

There are five major goblin tribes in the region, and, traditionally, they're pretty good at keeping each other in line with inter-tribal squabbles and the like. Yet from what I've been able to piece together, members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint. A fair number of the Mosswood goblins I dealt with yesterday were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the 'longshanks' that killed so many of them. Now that I've met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about. Seems like you've made an impression.

In any event, the fact that the five tribes are working together disturbs me. Goblin tribes don't get along unless they've got something big planned, and big plans require big bosses. I'm afraid that someone's moved in on the goblins and organized them. And judging by these recent raids, what they're organizing seems like bad news for all of us."

[TD1]

Kal nods gravely.

Any idea of who - or what - is organising them?

[Hanzoku]

Sheriff Hemlock answers this one. "No, and that is what has us worried. Sandpoint can handle the occasional troubles the goblins cause. Even an organized raid by one tribe could be seen off by the walls, the guards, the retired adventurers and the militia. but if someone or something can organize and motivate all of the tribes together, we'll be overwhelmed. That's why we asked you here. Mayor Deverin has asked me to take a few of the city guard with me down south to Magnimar. I should be able to convince the lords there of the need to reinforce Sandpoint with a company or two of troops until these goblin troubles die down again. However, in that time, Sandpoint will be vulnerable, and the people will be ill at ease."

Mayor Deverin takes over here, her voice warm and soothing, despite the obvious worry on her face. "We'd like you to help keep the town safe while Belor is away. Having our recent heros obviously out and around the town will do much to keep the people at ease. You would be deputies - temporary, of course, unless guarding our town suits you - until Belor returns. This offer is also extended to your companion, Steven, when you find him."

Shalelu smirks at the offer. "Meanwhile, I'll check out the local goblin haunts - Shank's Wood, Brinestump, Mosswood, the Devil's Platter. You already found goblins gathering at Thistletop, one of the goblin lairs, but maybe the others are easier to slip in and out of."

[highmax28]

Steven, unable to take more of this, pulls out his flask and takes a drink of it before lighting a cigarette. He goes to offer the flask but realizes the gnome has clearly had enough to drink already. He talks as he starts to gather his belongings.

"Even though that thing is known to be quite the violent fighter in the heat of things, I don't think you have to worry about Rusty causing too much trouble. I think because he cares so little about us 'fleshbags' is why he isn't causing any trouble."

[Sirus]

Aloisturm pondered the request. It had no particular objections to the idea, except...

"Question: when will the Sheriff be leaving? Do we have some time before our response is required?"

[Hanzoku]

Major Deverin looks inquiringly at the Sheriff, he frowns in thought. "I was planning to head out at first light. If you could give me a response by the end of the day, I can make plans either way.[/b]

Shalelu speaks up as well "I have plenty of meetings ahead still, but what do you all say about grabbing dinner together? I'd love to hear more about your adventures, and I can probably answer any questions you have about the goblin tribes in this area."

-----

Meanwhile, Bastargre notices Steven packing and shakes a finger at him. "Uh uh uh! Where do you think you're going in such a hurry? You have to help retrieve the golem that you inadvertently stole from me!"

[highmax28]

Steven sighs after shaking his head.

"Have you tried asking people where he is now? It's pretty easy to find someone who sticks out like a sore thumb."

Steven realizes the irony of his words and looks a bit disgruntled before throwing his duster into his bag