Shalelu nods at the words of her fellow elf. "Honestly, Orik, we could really use your insight into the upcomming fight. You've actually met Nualia. Aside from what we'ver read in her diary, you know what she'd capable of more than any of us."
She pauses, perhaps remembering that Orik's role in Nualia's party was hired muscle.
"And... I would imagine that she has a fair amount of treasure that she's collected... You'd get a fair share of that!"
"Treasure doesn't sell a whole lot if you're dead," Orik replies to Shalelu with a shrug. "She paid way too well for what she advertised as simple guard work. I'm lucky to have gotten out of there with my head on my shoulders. Going back in there? That's a sucker's bet."
He looks to Gwyn, narrowing his eyes at her new pet name for him. "And just because we slept in the same bed doesn't mean you can try out your emotional blackmail on me. Trust me, far better have manipulated me than you. If there's one thing you learn in Riddleport, it's this - always look out for yourself, because nobody else will. I'm not a hero like you four. I'm not a good man. Nobody who grows up in Riddleport is. My hands are dirty, and all I know how to do is hurt people and have a high pain tolerance. Wouldn't be the first time I beat feet when things got too hot in town, and things are not looking good here. So, yeah...why the Hell would I go back in there, when I can just literally go anywhere else and be safer?"
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Cerin fixes Orik with a steady gaze, lighting flashing from his eyes. With a laugh, he replies "And don't you try to fool me, young man! I've been wandering these lands, watching folks since before your grandfather was born, and I know people. You protest, but you are a hero and you love the adoration and the feeling you get when good people are around you and care about you. I saw it last night and I saw the satisfaction you got when Buz.. Bruce.. that bugbear got taken down. From the glint in your eye when you came down, I daresay that you had already half-decided to come with us and now you are just looking for an excuse.
Why do you think the sheriff accepted you so quickly? Just on our word alone? He's no fool, he can judge a person's character as well. I think someone told you a long time ago that you were no good, nothing but a thug, and you believed them. Well, they were wrong! Everyone here knows it, and deep down you do too. Be who you want to be, not who your family tells you to be." He pops the last bit of biscuit in his mouth, so satisfied with himself he doesn't realize that he just gave away the fact that he knows at least some things about Orik's family...
"While we may have shared a bed, as drunk as I was last night, I know nothing happened since it seems that you can still walk and see. And I was only teasing you, though if you really want me to get serious, I certainly can. You aren't the only one that's done things you aren't proud of. I grow up in Korvosa and for the first eighty years of my life where I had steal and even kill on occasion. I didn't learn where to stick people jsut by studying books. I ran from the Acadamae to save my own skin since even after I became a student rather than a slave in all but name, I was despised and made the subject of every cruel and dangerous prank you can imagine involving magic. Sure you can run, and I can't stop you," Gwyn says, her eyes as hard and dangerous as shards of obsidian, "but can you live with yourself? Do you want to find yourself drifting and looking for coin again, only to work for another Nualia and find yourself in the company of another Bruthazmus and another Tsuto? Can you live with yourself, knowing that you could have made the difference if we failed and Sandpoint is burnt to cinders, or are you going to spit in the eye of every jackass that said you weren't anything more than hired muscle? That you couldn't do it? Cayden doesn't suffer cowards, but fools who put their lives on the line to save the lives of others he accepts as his own."
Gwyn, having stood up as she spoke, now looms over Orik, her face barely a foot from his.
"So, Orik Vancaskerkin, are ye gonna let the fact that all you're good at is swinging that sword o' yers scare ye inta runnin', an' lettin' a scared little elf get hurt, or ye gonna spit in that b~$%$'s eye as ye smack her in the arse with it?!"
Orik's silent for a time, listening to both Cerin and Gwyn's fountains of words. Cerin's words don't seem to have an immediate impact, but Gwyn's do. "Guess I should have known you were a street rat before you learned magic - most of the mages I've known couldn't put half of the booze you drank last night away. Maybe I've misjudged you, Gwyn. Alright, f**k it. Let's head back to Thistletop and give Nualia, Tsuto and Bruthazmus a curb-stomping, Korvosan style. I think that's with jackboots. You all have way too many Hellknights for my taste in that town."
Shalelu takes a sip of ale from her stein, and the slightest hint of a smile crosses her face.
"You had me questioning myself for a moment. I guess I hadn't misjudged you after all, human."
"That's the spirit! And I agree about too many hellknights, but what can you do when their stuffinesses cling so much to Cheliax's apron strings," she asks with a shrug, "and I'll have you know that I was a street mouse. I'm much too cute and adorable to be a rat."
As he stands to leave, Kyrian unbuckles one of the swords on his belt. He draws the blade... and you see that it's the human-sized silvery shortsword that you took from the corpse of Chief Ripnugget. He then approaches Gwyn. "Y'know, I can't in good conscience walk away from you guys and keep this sword. It had been Ripnugget's... I liberated it from the throne room, but I think you guys are going to need it more than I will. It is easily the sharpest and lightest blade I've ever used. Gwyn, I think you can retire that gladiator's sword and use this one instead!" He hands the sword to her.
He then nods, and walks walks away.
"I... Kyrian, I don't know what to say," Gwyn says, dumbfounded, as she takes the sword.
"I think 'thank you' is customary response," Fluff pipes up, just as a mischievous twinkle appears in her eyes, "that or a kiss."
Gwyn gives the bird a glare before wrapping Kyrian in a hug and whispering "Thank you" in his ear.
...8
...wondrous item
...hand of the mage
...potion
...1st
...potion of shield of faith
...wand
...1st
...wand of bless weapon
...wondrous item
...circlet of persuasion
...wand
...1st
...wand of burning hands
...wans
...2nd
...wand of levitate
...weapon
martial
...greataxe
...+1
...potion
...0th
...oil of purify food and drink
...2
...wondrous item
bracers of archery
...weapon
...martial
...kukri
...special material
...normal
...special ability & roll again
...+2
...throwing
The Sandpoint Heroes take an hour or so to to some buying and selling.
Buying stuff in Sandpoint: All mundane items from the Core Rulebook are available in Sandpoint, up to the town base value of 1,300 gp. Additional items from Varisia: Birthplace of Legends are also available (which are PF versions of items from the original 3.5 RotRL Players Guide). There is also a 50% chance of finding for sale a particular mundane item from Ultimate Equipment that isn't listed in the CRB. Masterwork weapons and armor or items made of special material aren't generally available.
The following business have the listed special items available for sale, all at standard prices...
Sandpoint Cathedral
CL1 potions based on non-evil cleric spells from the Core Rulebook. (Up to 2 of any particular spell)
Spell scrolls of 1st or 2nd level of any nonevil cleric spell from the Core Rulebook
a wand of cure light wounds
a wand of bless weapon
Kesk's Fine Jewelry
a circet of persuasion
Savah's Armory
20 masterwork shruiken
20 silver-tipped arrows
a masterwork silver dagger
a masterwork heavy mace
a masterwork spiked chain
a mithril chain shirt
a +1 greataxe
a +2 throwing kukri
a +1 repeating crossbow made of darkwood and ivory, inlaid with the name "Vansaya"
a set of lesser bracers of archery
The Pillbug's Pantry
All alchemical remedies from Ultimate Equipment
Bottled Solutions
All alchemical tools and alchemical weapons from Ultimate Equipment
Any potion from the Core Rulebook up up to CL3 whose spell appears on the alchemist spell list. (Up to 2 potions of any given kind.)
Sandpoint Boutique
A flask of bottled yeti fur
The Feathered Serpent
50% chance of a given sorcerer/wizard level 1 spell scroll from the Core Rulebook; 20% chance of a given L2 spell.
a wand of burning hands
a wand of levitate
a hand of the mage
Hannah the Healer (Hannah gives you all a 10% discount)
alchemical remedies from Ultimate Equipment
alchemical healing salve
potions of cure light wounds (4)
potions of lesser restoration (2)
potion of cure moderate wounds
oil of purify food and drink
Gwyn comes out of the Feathered Serpent with a manic grin on her face and a worried Fluff on her shoulder, staring at the wand the elven mage was now twirling in one of her hands.
"Shame, really, that I didn't have this last time," she says to her friends as her grin grows wider.
Fluff shakes her head and says, "You know you're going to burn off your own eyebrows with that thing. Again."
"That," Gwyn says flatly as she shakes a finger under Fluff's beak, "was not my fault. You heard what Master Zrel said when he looked at it. He was surprised it didn't explode."
"Burn whatever you want, just don't light me on fire," Orik says with a shrug. "I have a health condition against that."
"Oh, no," Helena says in a small voice. "Gwyn, are you sure this is a good idea? Why can't you buy something sensible, like potions?" she adds with a teasing grin.
"Mainly because I got more than I know what to do with already," Gwyn answers as she opens her vest to reveal that she does indeed have several potions already. "Besides I can use this without having burn through my spells. We can cook anything that's in a room before we enter it, and we can cook the zomblins if they made more of them."
...more ghouls? No, let's try something else...
After about an hour of trading for new supplies, the Sandpoint Heroes head out through North Gate along the Lost Coast Road. The road quickly turns toard the east.
About three miles down the road, as you round a bend near Shank's Woods, you smell the smoke of a campfire. Ahead, you see someone sitting on a fallen log on the side of the road before a rather large campfire. The person seems rather short of stature, and is wearing an odd hodge-podge of clothing, including a wide-brimmed hat, several Varisian scarves, and a purple cape trimmed with white fur. The strange-looking figure is roasting a sausage on a spit with his right hand, while his left hand is holding a crude-looking puppet of a knight. As you approach, the person stands on the log and waves its puppet-hand at you.
"Come! Come! I tell you stories, and you give me food! Good stories! For good food! Come, sit! Sit by my pretty, pretty fire!"
Now that you see him standing, he's shorter than you first thought... he's probably a gnome or a halfling.
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Cerin looks at the figure as they approach, his brow furrowed in thought. "Tup, isn't it? I haven't seen you in a while! I would love to sit a spell, and I think that Gwyn would love to hear the tale about the 'gator, the banana tree and the three young ladies, but we have a rather urgent mission we need to finish. Maybe we might catch you on the way back?" he calls out with a friendly grin.
You can't see his facial expression through the scarves and hat, but his eyes widen a bit. "Ooh! You have heard of Tup!" He raises the puppet of the knight and turns it toward himself. Wiggling the puppet he says, in a broad imitation (or possibly parody) of a Chelish accent, "Ooh! Pip pip! Cheerio! But these travelers are too good for the likes of you, Tup! They must be off to slay a dragon! No time for fun, these people have! Tally-ho!"
He then looks at you again. "Well, you go then. And watch out for goblins. They stinky dum-dums but they eat you if they get a chance!"
Thoroughly puzzled by Tup's odd appearance and mannerisms, Orik has remained silent during the the exchange. "He seems to know goblins well enough," he remarks with a shrug.
Gwyn had always had an expressive face, though she could school it into whatever expression she wanted, but as she listens to Tup, and her quick mind brought every rumor, every encounter, and every story she'd ever heard about or had with Tup, something clicks into place and her eyes widen in surprise.
This explains soooooo much!
"Because he's probably one himself," Gwyn blurts out in response to Orik's remark before she can stop herself. Her hands clap over her mouth, but it's too late, the words are out and she's certain that this time she'd be lucky if this encounter with Tup only ended with her hanging half-naked by her ankles from a tree above a pack of mangy curs.
[i]Nice going Loudmouth! Didn't you always get told to think before you speak?[/ooc]
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Cerin gives Gwyn a disapproving frown. "Now, let's not judge someone based solely on their race. I've heard Tup perform before and he is a true entertainer! I think you would quite enjoy his rather bawdy humor and you might even bond over your shared love of fire."
Turning back to the bard, he offers him a kind smile. "I would like to apologize for my friend, we have been having some trouble with a tribe of goblins and we are a bit on edge. We would love to hear you perform, and we would stay if it wasn't a matter of life and death for a whole town, at the very least!" He offers him part of his rations as a gesture of good faith. "I hope we will meet you on our way back!"
"I... uh... Sorry," Gwyn mutters in apology to Tup.
"Wait, you think he's-" Helena's eyes widen, and she grips her spear just a little tighter. "And we're just going to... go?" she asks worriedly. "How do we know he won't attack us as soon as we pass?" she asks Gwyn in a hushed whisper.
"Not now," Gwyn whispers to Helena. The look on her face was not one that was normally there, a nervous, almost scared expression.
Tup cocks his head at the accusation, then turns his puppet toward him and wiggles it as he speaks in his exaggerated fake-Chelish accent. "Oh, I say old bean, these blokes just said that you're a goblin! The nerve!"
He then stands up straight and nods at Cerin's words. "Yes, the goblins are nasty, nasty, nasty..." His eyes then go wide. "Oh! You those longsan... um... people who knocked over Thistletop?! I hear you killed Ripnugget, and sent Gogmurt running scared like the big dumb coward he is! Let me shake your hands!!" He gets down off the log, and then seems to realize that both his hands are full.
"Um...just...minute..." He greedily gobbles the sausage he'd been roasting, then drops the stick, licks his fingers, then extends his hand.
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Cerin, who has touched far worse creatures in his time, reaches out to give Tup's hand a firm shake, then steps aside to let the others join in if they care to.
He does surreptitiously check his rings, hands and pockets after while Tup is busy with the rest of the group. He trusts to a point, but he's not a fool...
Gwyn, nervously, takes Tup's proffered hand and gives it a firm shake. Unlike Cerin, she wears no rings, so isn't as concerned about missing something as he is.
Orik gives Tup an incredulous glance for a long moment, before replying, "Yeah, I'll pass. They deserve the glory more than I do."
"Okay. Bye-bye. Just...don't spread nasty, nasty rumor that Tup be goblin. Tup never get shows if people belive that story!"
As you all start to head back to your journey on the Lost Coast Road, you look back at him. He wiggles the knight puppet towrd himself, and you hear "it" say to Tup, "I say, old man, they were rude! I would meet them on the field of honor!"
Tup shakes his head, takes the knight puppet off his hand, and fishes out another sausage from his pack, which he starts roasting over the large campfire.
The rest of your journey is uneventful. After about two hours, you find yourselves again before the thistle maze in front of Thistletop.
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"Let me see if they have set up any traps or zombies." Cerin says quietly before vanishing into the thistles. He quietly travels through the brambles, peeking out occasionally, along the route they will take to get to the bridge. Once he reaches the end or if he spots anything dangerous, he returns and opens the entrance from the inside.
Gwyn walks along with the others, but her customary cheer is gone and she keeps looking over her shoulder every few steps. It's clear that the encounter is bothering her, but it seems to go a lot deeper than learning he's a goblin.
"Helena, remember that time we didn't hang out for a week or so about five years ago," Gwyn asks about fifteen minutes after leaving Tup behind.
I figured that it would be rare for Gwyn and Helena to be apart, and the time she was talking about was the only time she would have not hung out with Helena for longer than a day, and even the other times she didn't, it was more out of necessity than anything else, such as recovering from a cold or going with her master to visit with an old acquaintance or something like that.
"I keep forgetting you can do that," Gwyn says as Cerin melds into the thorny bushes and nettles.
Cerin steps into the thorny thicket that make up the maze in front of Thistletop. While he's inside, the rest of you remember the pit trap that's before the only entrance to the maze, and you all see that it's been reset.
Cerin uses his Gozreh-given power to move through the thick brambles with supernatural ease. The stink of death pervades the maze, as the corpses of several goblin zombies still lie where you'd left them the previous day. The only life Cerin sees are rats and other vermin feasting on the bloated corpses. Moving to the end of the maze, he sees that the the bridge you'd repaired still spans the chasm between the cliff tops and the huge boulder that comprises Thistletop. The only think he sees that has changed since you were last there is the door to the stockade: You had left it open, but it is now closed.
"Uh, should I go after him," Gwyn asks after several minutes.
Fluff, meanwhile, is asleep on Shalelu's shoulder, mumbling about being the "Queen of birdseed."
The rest of the party stands warily before the entrance to the Thistle Maze after Cerin uses his mystical Druidic abilities to step into the hedge. After about three minutes, Cerin still hasn't returned.
"So, um, how long does it usually take him to do his thing?", Orik asks the group.
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Cerin opens up the secret door into the maze and waves everyone inside. "Everything looks fine, mind the pit! You might want to cover your nose, it's a bit ripe in here." After leading them through the maze, he ties a rope to his waist and steps out on the bridge to make sure it hasn't been rigged to fall. "The door's closed," he starts, nodding towards the stockade "so I imagine there will be some more surprises inside."
"Undoubtedly," Orik says grimly, checking the straps on his shield. "Let's get this over with."
The thistle maze is still full of the rotting corpses of the zombie goblins you slew yesterday. All that stirs are rats and a few crows picking at the carrion.
You assess the rope bridge and deem it unchanged from yesterday, and you cross it without incident.
You now all stand before the closed doors to the Thistletop stockade.
"Ugh! You weren't kidding about the smell," Gwyn says as she gets a noseful. She steps back and turns to Fluff.
"Might want to fly around this, Fluff. I don't know if you want to go in there. It might kill you," Gwyn says, "If you do, can you fly up and see what's on the other side of the wall?"
"I might better. See ya at the bridge," The thrush answers before flitting away.
Gwyn covers her mouth and nose with a scarf in a vain hope of dulling the smell, and follows Cerin to the bridge, once there, she looks to see if there's goblins or worse lying in wait for Cerin before hurrying across the bridge.
Helena nods, looking worriedly at Gwyn. "Of course. I thought you'd packed up and left town," she replies in a soft tone. "Why do you bring it up? Did that... creature have something to do with it?"
Helena covers her mouth with one hand at the stench of the corpses, before adjusting her mantle to cover the lower half of her face. She's glad to get across the bridge (moving carefully and keeping one hand firmly on the ropes as she goes), and as the group stands at the doors, she takes a deep breath, readying herself for the horrors that must surely lie beyond.
While in the central chamber of the thistle maze (which has an open ceiling), Gwyn asks Fluff to fly around and take a look. Fluff looks her master in the eye and says, "If you say so... but if I'm eaten by a falcon, that's on you!" She then flies up and out of the room.
While crossing the bridge, Gwyn doesn't notice anything moving in or around Thistletop
Fluff returns to Gwynn when the party has gathered before the doors, and alights on Gwyn's head.
"Thankfully, no falcons. I also didn't see any goblins in the towers, or any movement in the courtyard. I don't think there's anyone hiding in the bushes, either. Oh, and there's no smoke coming from any of the chimneys."
Cerin tries to push open the doors, but finds that they are locked from within.