1.2 Local Heroes

As Sandpoint recovers from the goblin attack and buries its (thankfully few) dead, the citizens do their best to get on with their lives. The Cathedral is consecrated the next dat during a much more subdued and indoor ceremony, but by the end of the week, the goblin attack is remembered mostly with chuckles. Now that the terror of the raid is over, images of accidentally lighting themselves on fire, getting stepped on by horses, or drowning in half-full rain barrels colour memories of the raid in an almost comical light. But one thing the locals haven't forgotten is their new Heroes.
Everywhere the Heroes find themselves in town, locals welcome them. A simple walk down Main Street might result in excited greetings and praise for their protection. A visit to the Hagfish brings an immediate round of cheers, applause, and a round of drinks on the house and a challenge to drink from Norah's tank - a challenge eagerly accepted and completed by these tough individuals. Sandpoint Theater is trying to talk the more outgoing Heroes into auditioning for Cyrdak Drokkus' new play. A stop at Savah's Armory is greeted with an instantaneous offer of 20% off anything in stock. Certainly not everyone in Sandpoint wants to be the new Heroes' friends, but the small town works to make them feel welcome.
Father Zantus and Belor Hemlock take the presence of the adventuring party as utility and quickly seek them out to investigate a disturbance at the Sandpoint Boneyard. Deepening the mystery of the attack, that now appears to be a distraction, is evidence of a tomb raiding of the former leader of the cathedral, Ezakien Tobyn.
Nightmares become reality for a Sandpoint residence, as a stowaway goblin - ravenous from hunger - attacks the family. Alergast and Amele Barett are a typical Sandpoint family, with two children (little Aeren and baby Verah) and a loyal family dog named Petal. They were present at the Swallowtail Festival, where Aeren saw a goblin light a cat on fire and then caper around the burning remains-the poor boy really hasn't been the same since. Every night, his howls ofterror send Petal into a barking fit, and when his parents investigate, Aeren claims a goblin came out of his closet. Alergast checked the closet dutifully but found nothing, and ever since, the kid's complaints about the "closet goblin" have grown more and more tiresome to his parents. Yesterday, Alergast threatened to make Aeren sleep in the woodshed if he couldn't learn to "be a man" and sleep through an entire night without crying and telling stories.
Last night Alergast didn't go to soothe Aeren when he had his night terrors. But then, a few moments later, they heard poor Petal cry out in pain and Aeren's screams turn shrill. This time Aeren wasn't just having nightmares. When Alergast burst into the room, he found a goblin crouched on his son's chest. Petal was dead, a knife deep in his ear, and the goblin was frantically trying to chew off Aeren's arm. Alergast attacked the goblin and chased it back into the closet, where it clambered into a hole ithad cleverly hidden under an old fur. Alergast flew into a rage, and as he started tearing apart the closet in an attempt to get at the goblin, Amele panicked and fled the house with her children to seek out the Heroes for aid - Aeren's arms covered with fresh goblin bites.
The local ranger's visit to Sandpoint is unexpected - Shalelu Andosana last passed through town only a month ago and wasn't expected until the last week of autumn. She dispenses with her visit to the Sandpoint Market and the Rusty Dragon, instead requesting an immediate meeting with Belor Hemlock and Kendra Deverin at the Sandpoint Garrison. The unusual meeting and Shalelu's ragged look combine to make an already jumpy populace suspect that the woman brings news of a new goblin threat.

"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 intertribal 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' who 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."

After Shalelu's speech, Sheriff Hemlock announces that he's taking a few of his guards south to Magnimar to see about securing additional soldiers to station at Sandpoint for a few weeks, at least until the extent of the goblin threat can be determined. While he's out of town, he's asked Shalelu to sniff around Shank's Wood, Brine stump, Mosswood, Devil's Platter, and other places where goblins live to see if she can discover anything else about what's going on. He would also like the Heroes to maintain a public presence in Sandpoint over the next few days, if they don't mind. 

"The locals seem to have taken to you," he says, "And seeing you around town will do a lot for keeping worries down over the next few days."

It's a good thing too, as news of a missing tavern owner is the ail to befall this small coastal town.