A small form runs along the ledges of the cathedral, almost too dark to even be real,but instead shadow itself, sneaking past the guards to reach its prize.
Two guards are standing in front of the only door to the artifact chamber, the chamber itself has no windows or any means of ventalation. The shadow unsheeths a dagger, ready to strike the guards down...only to trip on a rat munching on a potato skin. Causing the being to fall right in front of the pair of guards.
The guards are startled for a moment, before one just says:
"That's a goblin with a knife."
The other leans down runs a finger against the still stunned small creatures' skin.
"And its covered in black paint."
The pair shrug, and prepare to skewer the creature, but before they land the hits, the goblin rolls out of the way of the spears. ... And proceeds to run away.
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"Aaaarggue, Twiggie no like, Twiggie no liiiiike!"
The screaming attracts even more guards to where it is, and Twiggie flailing their arms in the air is not helping.
As the guards reach an almost critical mass of huddling in their chaise of the creature down the hall, Twiggie turns a corner, and seems to vanish. The guards, thinking it just ran farther continue to run down the hall, not noticing the little fingers over the lip of the laundry chute.
"...twiggie am so smort."
This is Twiggie, the goblin thief. Believe it or not, Twiggie is actually fairly intelligent...especially for a goblin. Grammer is just not big on their list of priorities. They know how to lead prey and predators where they want, even if its last minute improvisation, Twiggie also knows how to make bombs and other chemical based things. An Alchemist thought it would be funny to try to teach a goblin, only to be surprised when Twiggie was actually retaining information. That also where Twiggie learned to pick a lock, after said Alchemist wanted started keeping them in a cage as some sort of teaching trophy. Now, Twiggie trades favors for coin. They need to steal the artifact housed here.
Twiggie sneaks back to the door, and goes through it, a smile on their face. In the center of the room, on a pedestal, sits a large pearl, simply tittled, "the time dragons pearl", after picking it up, Twiggie hears a voice directed at them go"hey!", almost on instinct:Twiggie shoves it in their mouth swallows the pearl.