Gryphon Gold's Rise of the Runelords Campaign (Inactive)
Game Master Ludomancer

A penitent Markum (and Vuvo) are over in a corner watching Ameiko be healed.
"Um, now that she's better, there's still a few rooms that need to be looked at to make sure there really are no more goblins. We can do it. And we'll be very careful too."

"Uh, wait a minute everyone. We should talk to Ameiko and see if she's all right.. and maybe she can tell us what's going on here. She might be able to prepare us for whatever else is in here."

He then repeats: "Ameiko, are you all right?"

"Oh, Lym, don't fret about it overly much. That Markum and Vuvo are way too eager to get into the thick of it, if you ask me. I'm just mad this half-elf didn't do anything to put us mixed races in better light. We have a hard enough time fitting in as it is. I really don't need him lousing up a reputation I may have to live up to."

Waving her hand, as if to wave the problem away, she continues. "Let's hide this one somewhere where casual folks won't come across him and rejoin the group. Who knows what rash actions they'll take next without us there to keep them in check. Here, let's drag this body down by where the half-elf was. That may be far enough in to keep the nosy folks from finding him."

With Lym's help (hopefully), they drag the live goblin down to by the half-elf, before rejoining the rest of the group by Ameiko.

Despite wanting nothing more than to escape the scene of his nearly tragic error, Markum does as Varg says and remains there. He stays in the background as much as he is able.

Unfortunately, Markum's attempt is rather spoiled by Lym walking right up to him and giving him a piercing look through her veil. "You forgave me my own mistake," she says in a calm tone of voice, "so I will not give you a sermon. I will ask you, however, to look before you leap. Now. We need to get our prisoner out of here without the townspeople tearing him or her apart like dogs before we can ask some questions. Any ideas?"

Forgetting his error for a moment for his hatred of goblins. "I didn't want it as a prisoner anyway. Let them have it."

"Please don't be childish," Lym says in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "We are not going to be able to find out the reason for this invasion and the unusual actions of the Goblin tribes from anyone else now, are we?"

"Then we ask it here, now, before killing it."

"A proper interrogation takes time, Markum," Lym explains in a patient tone of voice. "Moreover, if we just kill a creature that we have captured and tied up as soon as it is no longer useful, how are we any better than the Goblins that attacked? No, we should interrogate it and then hand it over to the legal authorities. I do not object to killing when it is a matter of life and death, of survival, but I am not and will not become a cold-blooded murderer."

Ameiko speaks, weary and distraught. "Where is Tsuto?"

Lym's admonitions only seem to raise Markum's ire.
"Your prisoner, your trouble."
Ameiko's words bring him up short, Markum takes a short breath and stops speaking.

Lym's admonitions only seem to raise Markum's ire.

"Your prisoner, your trouble."

"As you wish," Lym says. She sighs, then gingerly enters the cell, stepping around the Elf to kneel by Ameiko's side. "Who is Tsuto?" she asks.

"My brother," Ameiko says.

"My brother," Ameiko says.

"What does he look like?" Lym asks.

"He's a tall half-elf. I heard you fighting with him out in the hall, his and your voices. You had to see him."

Feeling a bit awkward, Lona looks to Lym to see if she'll respond, or if Lona will have to step forth and break the bad news to her.

"He... is dead," Lym replies when no one else says anything. "We tried to capture him, but he... he stabbed himself in the throat with an arrow." She pauses to bite her lower lip. "I am so sorry. We honestly tried to... He said that someone named 'Nualia' would bring him back. ... Ameiko... what happened here?"

"Were you aware that your brother was working with the goblins? That he kidnapped you?"

"Please let her tell it in her own way and her own time," Lym says without looking back at the Elf she has not been formally introduced to.

The shiny elf looks up at Varg and Markum in what looks like surprise, before shaking his head and returning his attentions to what Ameiko is saying.

"I see." Ameiko seems expectant of the news, but not crippingly distraught. "I wasn't kidnapped, I came here last night at my brother's request. He sent me a note and asked me to meet him here."

Ameiko begins recounting her experience over last several hours. "When I got here, Tsuto told me of his involvement in the raid...how he and a band of others are being led by Nualia; and how he blackmailed our father - with threats of revealing ties to a group of regional criminals known as the Sczarni - into making sure the northern gate open for the goblin raid, and that there was a ladder left against the wall in the cemetary, and that no one would be at the Glassworks the night before it all happened."

She continues to relate her story, tears streaming down her face. "...and then the next, he sent me the note. I came here to meet him and told me what he had done, and what he was going to do. He tried to get me to join him. When I refused, he sicced his goblins on me and had me thrown in this room." Ameiko wipes her face. "How did you all of you know I was here?"

"Bethana noticed you were missing and found the note," Lym explains to Ameiko. "We followed its directions and here we are." She offers the girl a handkerchief to wipe her face with.

After the journal has been read:
Lym's face turns grave. "So," she says. "The attack was a distraction. It looks as if we have a few names to investigate: Tobyn and Malfeshnekor. And perhaps we should find out whose remains were burned at the Thisletop shrine, so as to find out more about this Nualia. ... And to top it all off, we now need to start worrying about a quasit flitting about."

Lona's face goes through an exercise of contortions as countless different expressions make their appearance and fade while she reads the journal. On finishing, she looks up and exclaims, "What madness is this!"

Bryson braves a few words despite his contrite disposition.
"Where are these tunnels he mentions? We should secure them before taking this information back to the Elders."

Praxim steps out of Ameiko's cell and begins checking any remaining doors to see if they lead into tunnels. If not, he begins searching for false walls. Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

Lona nods and gives Praxim a silent and reluctant approval at his move. There is a need to find the tunnels, or at the least secure this building and free it of any other hostile residents. She motions to Lym to try to send the girl to safety so that they can finish scouring the building as a group.

Of the other rooms in the basement: one of them holds glassware, windows, and other finished goods; another contains a bed and a desk; and the last has a tunnel in the opposite corner of the room.

Map

"We will need you to go over all of this with us again," Lym tells Ameiko as she tries to help her to her feet. "Later. For now, it would be best if you went outside and home. Lock yourself in a safe room once you are there, and let no one in other than us. Will you do that, please?"

"She should not go out without an escort. I'll stay and watch the tunnel while you take her home. The Elders should be told as well."

"Lock myself in a room? No, I won't do that! I need to find my father and let him know what's happening!" Ameiko stands and leaves the room, heading for the stairs.

"If you are sure you can do without me here, I'll go with her," Lym offers. She casts a glance at the Goblin, sighs, and picks it up, wraps it in her own cloak until it resembles a bolt of cloth and throws it over her shoulder. "I'll see this one is locked up tight, while I'm at it," she offers as she sets off. "Ameiko, wait for me, please!"

The goblins in the basement are dead.

"If that crowd upstairs causes any trouble, I don't know if Lym and Ameiko could handle it themselves. Especially with Lym's hands full like that, and while Ameiko is wounded. I'd better accompany them." He runs after Lym and Ameiko.

Lona takes one quick look at the room with the tunnel. "Surely that tunnel can wait a bit longer."

Lona races after the group heading upstairs as she tries to tuck the journal into her backpack. "Varg, Lym, wait for me!"

Are there any unexplored rooms left on the first floor? And, is there a second floor?

"If we're going to be leaving this tunnel for tomorrow, which might be a good idea if some of you need to rest and regain strength and magic, perhaps we could rig some sort of warning system around this tunnel, or at least some way for us to determine if somebody has come through here while we're away."

"I said that I will stay and guard the tunnel." Markum says through gritted teeth.

"Ah yes, that will work fine if they are not to be gone long and we are continuing. With your permission, I shall stand guard with you. My name is Praxim, servant of Erastil. Don't believe I caught your name, or that of your wolf."

There's a lot of unexplored area on the first floor. You haven't found a second floor.

How long will Markum and Praxim guard the tunnel?

"Markum and this is Vuvo."

I don't expect anything to come from the tunnel anytime soon. The guy was trying to escape. And he didn't kill himself because his allies were close. I'll explore the rest of the facility before settling in to watch the tunnel. I'll leave Vuvo here to guard while I search. He has orders (such as it is) to come find me if anything comes from the tunnel.
I expect to be here overnight and that we'll venture into the tunnel in the morning once we are refreshed and equipped.

Lona anticipates they - Varg, Lym and Lona - will see Ameiko to relative safety and head back to join the others.

Lona will suggest they finish scouting out the place, and rest there for the night (makes guarding the tunnel easier) before heading in to explore. Assuming they have time, it shouldn't be too difficult for everyone to have turns restocking equipment in waves (say, always two on guard - doesn't really have to be played out since we're just grabbing gear and returning) after the scouting is done.

Just let us know where you want the story to pick back up - I would suggest Ameika safe and near home and the party back together in the basement. From here, we can continue scouting the place.

Ameiko dismisses your attempts to guide her and begins searching the first floor for her father.

"Ameiko, calm down. We're here, and we can help you find your father. There's no need to rush ahead like that, when we don't know what else may be here in this building." Lona tries to stall her for a moment.

Passing her over to Lym and Varg (figuratively speaking, of course), she races back to the stairs leading down to the basement. "Markum, elf-guy! We need you up here. We're going to try to finish scouting the place NOW before Ameiko goes mad!" She races back to Ameiko and the group and pauses to catch her breath.

Praxim looks down the tunnel and around for a moment, before reaching into his pouch and fishing out a pair of shiny gold coins, which he tosses on the floor just inside the tunnel. "Gobbers love shiny things. If goblins come up this way, they won't be able to resist them, and then we'll at least know that there are more goblins about town." He then moves to answer Lona's summons. "She's very strong-willed, isn't she?"

Ameiko continues, heading into the furnace room. She stops just inside, looking at the gory display of slaughtered goblins and humanoids. Scanning the room, she stops at one body, in particular, sitting in a chair and completely covered in glass. "No...DADDY!" she screams, dropping on her knees. She begins to sob uncontrollably.

"Oh, blast," Lym mutters. She shifts the Goblin's weight on her shoulder and briefly presses a hand to her face. "That's it," she says after the moment has passed. "Lona, I suggest we get her out of here and bring in the priests, have them carry out the dead in the proper fashion."

"Bloody rivers! That woman shouldn't see this." Markum goes to her and puts a hand on her shoulder. With an uncharacteristic gentleness, he says, "In time we all must come to the end of the cycle of life. Remember him for the good times you had and the love you shared." Then he picks her up over his shoulder and carries her outside.

One way or another, Ameiko eventually goes to her father's home, the Lonjiku mansion. Bethana runs the Rusty Dragon the rest of the day, and into the next morning.

The tunnels at the Glassworks reamins quiet throughout the night, as does the rest of the building.

Everyone is level 2 now.

Next morning, everyone meets in basement of the Glassworks, at the entrance of the tunnel.

Praxim will have used that evening to better acquaint and introduce himself to the rest of the group, trying to smooth over the ruffled feathers he made with his initial entrance.

Varg follows Markum to the Lonjiku mansion. After Markum drops off Ameiko, Varg takes him aside and says "Listen, don't feel bad about your accident with Ameiko. These things happen, when you're fighting enemies who might gut you during your split-second of hesitation. Believe me, I understand. I've hurt a few friends myself in learning to fight. I hope I didn't... snap at you, or anything... in that moment of weakness."

"Thank you for your words." Markum does not seem totally convinced, but continues on as if nothing happened. "I must return to the building and look through the rest of it before going to guard the tunnel."