[Gauls]

Brgthng 1, Cycle 1, Month of Kalendryas, in the Season of Winter,
Era I of the Celestine Mandate,
Era XV Post Fractum

A small city, perhaps better described as a village with almost 1,000 citizens including the farmers on the edge town who cultivate hemp and sisal, as well as a few food products to supplement the abuntant seafood. Peda is a coastal community with an extensive waterfront. As expected, there is a well established fishing community and a Fish Processing Plant. The main product is pickled fish. Fish filets are soaked in brine composed of vinegar, salt and spices, then rolled and placed in jars along with the brine. The product is quite tasty, nourishing and keeps quite well for more than two eras.

With the recent climate change warming the waters, a new industry developed, shrimping. The shrimp are enjoyed locally as a regular fresh staple. Additionally, the excess shrimp are salted and exported in that manner.

A local boatyard manufactures fishing boats and provides repairs. Nearby is a rope and string manufacturing facility. Here they take the sisal and hemp that that is grown just outside the city limits and make many products up to heavy mooring lines and ship fenders. Additionally, fishing nets of many sizes are made.

The City is run by a loose council of a few of the most successful fishermen. The oldest of them is designated as The Peda Elder. It is The Peda Elder who rules on local disputes and deals with Outsiders. Peda maintains Volunteer Regulators who are not quite a Militia but more of a police force. The number of Regulators is usually about 50 young men but at any given time most of them are fishing, farming or sleeping. Not much happens in Peda to require their attention. It is a peaceful community.

There is no city wall, nothing resembling a fortification and not even a Gaol.

The seasons change and the people of Peda were finishing up their preparations this late afternoon for a celebration to be held later in the evening. It would be a celebration of the changing of the seasons. It was not cold yet as the heat of the past summer was still waining, keeping the temperatures in a comforatable yet slightly humid range. The fishermen were rigging their boats with the nets and gear that they would need for the nightly trip out to the fishing grounds to set their traps and place their shrimping nets. Children were playing around the central courtyard in eager anticipation of the coming evening festivities.

All seemed pleasant and nothing seemed remiss on this first day of winter until there came a scream from a field far off to the north east of the city. It was a cry that alerted the farmer who was tending his hemp field not far from where the scream had originated. The farmer's first thought was that it was his daugther who had perhaps come across a snake in the field or maybe she cut her finger on one of his old rusted tools that he had left over in that part of the field. The man's heart raced as the thought of his daughter in need caused him to sprint across the field in that direction. When he got to the spot where he heard the scream, he initially did not see anything. He looked around calling his daughter's name.

"Erlya! Erlya!" he cried out but there was no response. Looking around some more, he spotted one of Erly's shoes. Walking a bit more, he froze. He spotted drops of blood. It seemed to confirm his fears. She was hurt but where... he had only to take a few more steps then dropped to his knees. He saw the foot and leg of his daughter sticking out from behind a hemp bush. The farmer crawled upon his knees toward his daughter and as she came into view, he burst into tears and cries of agony. There, Erlya lay face down on the ground with a arrow in her back.

It was a black shaft arrow with gray fletching. What beast would use such a hideous looking weapon upon a small child? The farmer could only see his dead daughter on the ground. He could hear nothing but his heart breaking in his chest. He could only taste the salty tears running down onto his lips. He didn't even notice the 4 foot tall creature that was standing not 30 feet from him with shortbow drawn and anchored, ready to fire.

The farmer slowly looked toward the beast, a goblin with a twisted facial expression looking down the shaft of a black shaft arrow aimed straight at him. Without a sound, not even a whimper, the farmer looked on as tears rolled down his dirt covered face. It was all over with a quick release of the goblin's bowstring. The farmer slumped over in a heap with the arrow protruding from his eye socket.

(OOC)The 5th Ushtar

Soon, cries began to come from all corners of the city. It took a few moments before the people in the main part of town realized what was going on. Terrified citizens ran screaming into the town square.

"Goblins!" they yelled wildly.

They were everywhere. Like locausts they scrurried here and there taking pop shots at anyone they came across. The citizen soldiers of the city were just as paniked as the others. Not knowing where to go or what to do, they went with the crowds that were pushing their way toward the docks where the fishermen were there preparing their boats to head out fishing.

Lights from flames began to appear in the late afternoon light. They were danicng around like sparklers kids would hold and watch burn during the fireworks displays some seasons ago. These flame however were tied to arrows. The flaming projectiles were being launched from the goblins shortbows toward the thatched roofs of some of the houses and toward the boats that were moored out in the waters. Torching the only escape that the towns folk had available to them.

Because of the speed of the attack and the panic that occurred, resistance to the assault attempting to be formed by the 50 or so defenders of the city was problematic. What resistance there was might soon evaporate when the arrival of wave after wave of orc appeared on all sides of the city. There was no way to go but toward the beaches. The citizens massed upon the docks trying to throw themselves upon the boats that the fishermen were desperately trying to get unhitched from the docks to get away. If too many more got aboard these small vessels, they would soon be swamped.