Thursday 5 July 1280, Late Afternoon (Discussions at the Northstar)

Oloc asks the rest of the party: "Do you think we should try and organize the folks here in case the gobs are advancing? I guess we don't know how long it will take for the cavalry to arrive."

Duran turns to his companions and quietly begins to discuss their options. "I agree we should try and calm the folks down and try and set up some defenses. I could go to the roof of the inn to act as a look out for the goblins and the captain."

Varros adds: "I agree with calming down the locals and perhaps try to hold out at the inn. I will accompany Duran to the roof as a lookout. About how long would a fast march for Belloc take?"

A quick discussion of the various factors involved leads you to estimate Belloc should arrive somewhere between six and eight that evening (it's currently five in the afternoon). The goblins, you estimate, if they came toward the Northstar straight from Timm's farm, could make that march in about two to three hours, though you have no idea when they would have left Timm's farm, or if they even intend to turn south toward the Northstar at all.

If the goblins had left Timm's farm in the direction of the Northstar at the same time you sent Karnak to Belloc, the goblins would already have arrived. If the goblins were to leave Timm's farm only now, they would arrive at roughly the same time as Belloc.

From off to the side, you hear a moan of pain, and your attention is drawn to the halflings once more.

"Light!" exclaims Gaven. "Is it possible the goblins are in league with the highwaymen?"

Hazel is still cleaning Filbert's wound which, while ugly and painful, at least does not appear life-threatening.

Gaven hopes the men they met earlier at the inn had nothing to do with this. Gaven goes to Filbert and Hazel and starts to tend to Filbert, "How did you come to such a nasty wound?"

As soon as Filbert begins to tell his tale, Gaven's hope is quickly dissipated.

"Those quiet gray men who were in here earlier. They must have known I was a gem merchant, and followed us from Woodfield yesterday. We left shortly after they did this morning." Filbert seems to have gotten over the surprise you gave him that morning, and he talks quite freely. "We had only gone a short way down the road toward Fairbrook when they ambushed us."

"Filbert bravely tried to resist them," says Hazel, "but they were too strong. One of them struck Filbert with the pommel of a sword. That's how he got that gash. They pushed me to the ground and told me I'd hand over our gems if I knew what was good for me." Hazel looks down at the floor. "I knew we couldn't overcome those men, so I gave up our gems."

Meanwhile, Harlon tells Duran and Varros that the easiest way to get to the roof is the ladder that leads up to the attic. Once in the attic, there's a trap door in the ceiling that the innkeeper uses to go up and out to repair leaks and broken shingles.

While all this happens, the local farmers continue their agitated conversation, and you sense the tension rising in the room.

One of the farmers, a short but sturdy looking man, stands on one of Harlon's tables and bangs the handle of his pitchfork on it. "I say we head out now and put an end to this menace once and for all! We've seen this before, and we know how it goes if we take no action! Are we going to let goblins – or ogres or anyone else – come onto our lands and plunder and burn as they please? I say no, by the Light! No!"

A stout cheer goes up from a fair portion of the farmers in the room. Others seem less than roused by the sturdy man's speech.

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OOC: Actions?