The next day, the group of adventurers met for breakfast at the Rusty Dragon as what was quickly becoming part of their usual routine. Mariel had joined them but Draul wasn't able to find time to make amends for the debate they had last night. The food was excellent as always and Draul wondered what the group would do when they couldn't stay at the Rusty Dragon for free. The paladin contemplated if the band of adventurers could find somewhere else in Sandpoint to serve as a more permanent base. It would be a matter to bring up with the rest of the group
The adventurers were finishing up breakfast when the door to the Rusty Dragon opened. Belor stepped inside, and after looking around the room, spotted the group. Draul nodded when he saw the sheriff approach the group and pointed him out to his companions. This wasn't the first time that Belor came to them while at the Rusty Dragon, and if his last visit was anything to go by, he likely needed the group for something.
"Good morning, Sheriff Hemlock," Draul greeted. "How can we help you?"
"Mayor Deverin has requested for all of you to come to town hall for a meeting," Belor explained. "It could be something important but I don't know all the details yet."
"Sounds serious," Kennick noted.
"Indeed it does," Draul nodded in agreement. "We're done here. We should go to the meeting."
"We're really moving up if we're meeting with the mayor," Corita noted cheerfully and stood up from her seat. "Let's go!"
Razvan and Mariel nodded in agreement with the idea and stood up along with their companions. Sheriff Hemlock led the group out of the Rusty Dragon and toward Sandpoint's town hall. The town hall was a large building in town that was two stories tall. The group entered through the front door with the sheriff leading the way to a set of stairs to head to the second floor. From there, they made their way to the mayor's office to find Mayor Kendra Deverin waiting for them, seated behind her desk which was placed in front of a window overlooking town. Draul had seen her in passing before and recognized her from her dark red hair to her fine noble clothing. She smiled at the adventurers when they stepped inside her office.
Draul was quick to notice that the mayor wasn't the only one waiting for them. Leaning against the wall by a bookshelf was a rugged elven woman. She was similar to Mariel with blonde hair tied back into a ponytail and with her eyes blue without white but that's where the similarities ended. Her skin was more tanned from the sun and her studded leather armor was well-worn. She was ready for a fight if one broke out with a longbow and quiver holstered behind her back and a shortsword sheathed at her belt along with many other tools for wilderness survival. The elf nodded quietly and Draul turned back to the mayor.
"Greetings, heroes. I should have introduced myself sooner but I'm Kendra Deverin, the mayor of Sandpoint. I'm sure you've heard this a lot by now but thank you for helping keep Sandpoint safe."
"It's no problem at all," Draul nodded. "I take it that you wanted to do more than thank us though."
Sheriff Hemlock stepped forward to stand by the mayor's side before gesturing towards the elf. "This is Shalelu Andosana, an unofficial member of Sandpoint's town guard. Shalelu, these are Sandpoint's newest crop of goblin slayers."
Shalelu smirked at the introduction and stepped forward. "Good work with the goblins."
"Thank you!" Corita smiled. "We're glad to have done our part to protect Sandpoint!"
"You look familiar," Razvan noted. "I've seen you around Sandpoint before, haven't I?"
"Probably," Shalelu shrugged. "I visit Sandpoint once in a while but don't stay for too long. I only recognize one member of your group. Kennick, was it?"
Kennick nodded. "I don't recall that we've ever talked."
"Ameiko told me about you after you broke up a fight when I was staying at the Rusty Dragon last month. She's my friend as she is yours."
"Perhaps we should get to business," Mariel suggested.
"Go on, Shalelu," Belor told the elf. "What do you have to report on so soon after your last visit?"
"I'm afraid that the goblins have been causing more problems not just in Sandpoint but across the Lost Coast," Shalelu explained. "It wasn't too long ago when I had to intervene when the goblins set a farm south of Mosswood on fire. The family's safe but the goblins aren't going to stop."
"This is troubling, but to me, this behavior sounds like what I expected when I first heard about the goblins," Draul frowned in a concerned manner. "Is that not the case?"
"I've been fighting against the goblins for years, and while they're tenacious creatures, I've never seen them stirred up like this before," Shalelu shook her head. "There are five goblin tribes in the area, and while they usually keep each other in line, I've found that most of these attacks involve goblins from multiple tribes, including the one on Sandpoint."
Corita gasped. "The goblins are uniting?! I fear for what this means!"
"We have reason to suspect the goblin raid on Sandpoint was coordinated," Mariel told Shalelu. "Do you have any idea on who's leading them?"
"No, but from my experiences, for a plan such as raiding Sandpoint with warriors from all tribes, the goblins would need a strong leader to keep them in line. I'm concerned about what this could mean."
Draul nodded in agreement and was worried over the mysterious enemy that threatened Sandpoint. Although a single goblin wasn't much of a threat, there was strength in numbers. If the goblin tribes were uniting, Draul wasn't sure if he and his companions would be enough to protect Sandpoint from them. There was only one course of action to take.
"We need to find out who's uniting the goblins and put a stop to their plans," Draul declared. "We'll leave Sandpoint immediately and get to work."
"While I appreciate that you want to take the initiative, I need the five of you here in Sandpoint," Kendra told the group.
Belor nodded. "That's right. I'm leaving for Magnimar with some of my men to request reinforcements in case the goblins launch a larger raid on Sandpoint. I've already asked Shalelu to try to learn more about what the goblins are up to and she's agreed to do so."
"A sound idea," Mariel said. "It'd be foolish to act when there's so much we don't know about the goblins."
"Are you sure you want us to stay in Sandpoint?" Corita asked. "I don't like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing while waiting for the next attack."
"You underestimate the power your presence has for the people of Sandpoint," Kendra said. "People like having you around. They'll feel safe if you stay even if Sheriff Hemlock departs for Magnimar."
"Consider yourselves deputies while I'm away," Belor added. "Do what you feel is best to keep Sandpoint safe while I'm gone but now isn't the time to rush into action."
Razvan whistled. "I like the sound of that. There's no harm in waiting for the perfect chance to strike at the goblins."
"I suppose you make a good point," Draul admitted. "Very well. We'll stay in Sandpoint until you return, Sheriff Hemlock."
"Thank you," Kendra smiled earnestly. "That's all. Thank you for coming to this meeting. Whoever is leading the goblins will find that Sandpoint won't fall so easily."
"Of course, Mayor Deverin," Draul nodded in agreement.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk more about the goblins," Shalelu told the adventurers. "I need to get more supplies while I'm in town so I'll be staying the night anyways. You can tell me about how you fought the goblin raid and I can share what I know about the goblins in the area."
"Another good idea," Razvan said with his companions nodding along. "We should leave Mayor Deverin and Sheriff Hemlock to go over the request for reinforcements so we'll need somewhere else to talk."
"How about tonight at the Rusty Dragon? We can talk about it over dinner."
With no objections from the group, Shalelu left for the Sandpoint Market. The adventurers left Kendra and Belor to discuss the details of their request for reinforcements. Draul wasn't too pleased with having to stay behind when there was trouble brewing with the goblin tribes but he had to admit that there was logic behind the plan. With Corita the only one of the group muttering in disappointment of staying away from the action, the rest of the group was more than willing to stay behind. At the very least, they were still making a difference by making the people of Sandpoint feel safe after everything that had happened.
As the day turned into evening, the group met with Shalelu at the Rusty Dragon for dinner. Ameiko was excited to see the ranger, and after a brief reunion, set out to make the best dinner for the group she could. Draul enjoyed the meal that she served: barbecued abalone and spicy cheese curd-stuffed artichoke hearts along with a round of Flaggin' Dragon, the seasonal ale offered by the Two Knight Brewery. Ever since staying at the Rusty Dragon, Draul has yet to find a meal that he didn't enjoy.
Over the course of dinner, the adventurers told Shalelu the story of how they defended Sandpoint from the goblin attack. Although Draul started off, he let the others chime in after noticing the subtle glare the ranger shot at him when he mentioned sparing one of the goblins. He figured that she must hate goblins as a whole for some reason and felt best to leave the more bloody details of the fight to his companions. Corita and Razvan went back and forth over parts of the different fights against the goblins. Shalelu nodded along with the story with one part in particular catching her interest.
"...so we caught the goblins by surprise," Corita continued with the story. "Kennick went after the goblin riding the goblin dog while the rest of us fought the other goblins."
"There was a mounted goblin?" Shalelu asked to which the group nodded. "That must have been a goblin commando. They're a cut above the rest of the goblins and tend to lead big raids like this. And you defeated one by yourself?"
"Draul finished off the goblin dog but I killed the goblin," Kennick answered.
"I wasn't able to get there until after the rider was dealt with," Draul added. "Kennick fought off the commando by himself."
"Impressive work," Shalelu nodded with a smile. "I can leave Sandpoint knowing that you can handle yourself against some of the goblin's best warriors."
Kennick smiled back with Razvan patting his friend on the back to congratulate him on his feat. As they finished the rest of the story, Draul was glad that they had earned Shalelu's respect. If she thought that they could handle any further goblin attacks, it made him feel better staying behind in Sandpoint. They finished telling the story of defending Sandpoint a few minutes later since they were already close to the end of the battle.
Although Draul considered asking Shalelu her thoughts about who could have stole Ezakien's remains, he felt that it would be a mystery even to her. The ranger didn't live in Sandpoint, and although she fought to defend the town, may not know all of the people. She already told the group that whoever was uniting the goblins was unknown to her so the mystery would remain unsolved for now.
After their dishes were taken away by an elderly halfling server, the topic changed with Shalelu sharing what she knew about the goblins. Draul leaned in, believing that her information would prove to be useful during their adventures. He saw that Kennick and Mariel were interested in learning more about the goblins, but over the course of the conversation, it seemed that Razvan and Corita weren't paying close attention with their boredom clear on their expression. Draul wanted them to listen to Shalelu but didn't think it was wise to make a scene out of it. At the very least, most of the group was paying attention to what the ranger had to say.
"There are five goblin tribes around the area as I've said before," Shalelu started to explain. "The closest goblins are the Birdcrunchers, who live out of the caves in the Devil's Platter. They're typically the least aggressive of the tribes even though they are working with the other tribes."
"Which tribe is the most aggressive?" Kennick asked.
"That's a tough question," Shalelu tapped her chin in thought. "The Seven Tooth goblins of Shank's Wood make the occasional raid on Sandpoint's junkyard but that's more to scavenge what's thrown away than to harm anyone. The Licktoad goblins make their home south of Sandpoint in the Brinestump Marsh but they don't really stand out aside from knowing how to swim. The Mosswood goblins are the largest tribe but there's a lot of fighting amongst themselves. I suppose that leaves the Thistletop goblins. They're not much for raiders but I wouldn't try fighting them without a plan."
"Why's that?" Draul questioned.
"Of the tribes, the Thistletop goblins have the best lair," Shaleu explained. "They live along the Nettlewood Coast on a small island connected to the mainland by a rope bridge. I've seen their lair for myself from afar, and although I think they picked the island because it looks like a decapitated head, there's no denying that an outright attack won't work. Their leader, Ripnugget, is considered a hero to the goblins only because of their lair."
"Hero?" Mariel frowned. "I wouldn't consider any kind of goblin a hero."
"Heroes are a loose term for goblins," Shalelu said. "Goblins live short lives, so when they achieve notoriety, it's typically for a reason that they've earned, hence why the goblins consider these individuals to be heroes."
"Could one of these goblin heroes be behind the increase in activity?" Draul asked. "It sounds to me like it could be possible."
"Perhaps but I'm not convinced," Shalelu shook her head. "Aside from Ripnugget, there are five other goblins that the tribes consider to be heroes. Rendwattle Gutwad is an obese goblin that leads the Licktoad goblins but never leaves his throne, Vorka is nothing more than a cannibal, and Big Gogmut is unusually tall and muscular for a goblin. There are two other heroes but I doubt that either of them are leading all of the tribes. I've heard that Koruvus, a goblin from the Seven Tooth tribe that wields a magical longsword, disappeared recently, but I imagine that he met a foul end. Then, there's Bruthazmus, a bugbear that trades with all five of the tribes. He's a despicable monster but he's not a leader."
Draul noted that Shalelu's tone was hateful when the topic turned to Bruthazmus with Kennick speaking up. "It sounds like you have history with Bruthazmus."
"Bruthazmus hates elves as much as I hate goblins," Shalelu said bitterly. "He wears a necklace of ears from elves he killed. We've fought several times before, but so far, I haven't been able to kill him."
"He sounds more like a monster than the rest of the goblin heroes," Kennick grunted.
Draul nodded in agreement. "Do you have any advice for us if we run across Bruthazmus. I'm sure we can handle the other heroes on our own if it comes down to it but this bugbear sounds like the most dangerous of them."
"Don't take this the wrong way, but if you see Bruthazmus, your best bet might be to run," Shalelu warned the group. "He's a dangerous foe and I fear that even with your reputation, you won't be enough. With that said, there are five of you and one of him, so you might stand a chance. Given his hatred of elves, he'll go after Mariel or even Corita first, so you can plan around that."
Corita snapped to attention when her name was mentioned. "Huh?!"
"I agree with Corita that I'd prefer not to be bait," Mariel said, saving the bard from her blunder. "Fortunately, it does sound like he isn't part of any of the tribes. He might not be part of the raids."
"And if he is, we'll be able to stand in his way," Draul said, patting Razvan on his back. "Isn't that right?"
"Uh, right," Razvan quickly nodded. "Goblins aren't a problem for us."
Shalelu looked across the group before her eyes settled on Kennick. "If you didn't have a problem with a goblin commando, you might be able to hold your own against Bruthazmus."
"If it comes down to it, I'll fight him," Kennick said quietly. "I won't be intimidated by a bugbear."
"I can believe that," Shalelu said with a faint smile. "That's all I have to say about the goblins. I should get some rest before I leave tomorrow."
"Of course," Draul said with a nod. "I think we should all get some rest as well. We have to get to work early on if we're going to start patrolling around Sandpoint."
"Good luck keeping Sandpoint safe," Shalelu told the group and stood up from her seat. "You've proven yourself during the raid. I trust that you'll do a good job."
With that, the adventurers started to stand up from their table to make their way to their rooms. The next few days would be important even if the goblins learned not to attack Sandpoint after their last raid. There may not be much to do but the people of Sandpoint were counting on Draul and his companions to do what they could to keep the town safe. He was sure that they wouldn't let Sandpoint down.
A/N: I'll admit that this chapter is more for exposition than anything else but we'll get back into the action, and by extension the plot, starting with the next few chapters. I'm very excited as I'm starting to get back into the mood for writing after the road trip I went on.
I also realized that I missed a review from several months back. BlindmanV2, I'm not sure if you're keeping up with this story, but if you are, thank you for the review. To answer your question, while I have played Rise of the Runelords as a player and DM, I started taking notes for this story before then, so this isn't based on any of my tabletop experiences. Draul, Corita, Kennick, Mariel, and Razvan were all created for this fanfiction.
Until next time.