Joining Kevin so that she has her share from the pearls Elektra later walks to the mentioned store. After a friendly chat Elektra tries to buy a few choice scrolls:Comprehend Languages, Summon Monster 1, Ray of Enfeeblement.
She also checks for wands, especially if they are not full of charges.
Elektra finds the Feathered Serpent. A bell rings as she opens the door. An exotic-looking character with bright blue eyes, long red hair, and almost bronze-colored skin comes out from a back room when he hears the bell. "Call me Vorva. How may I help you," he seems excited by your presence. "We have lots of scrolls. I have a couple of wands too, but they are all fully charged. I have the scrolls you are looking for. They are 25GP each. The wands are a good bit more expensive, starting at 750GP," the gregarious man smiles.
At The Hagfish, favorite drinks are served, but the water must have brushed up against Norah's tank. Anyone taking the water, may settle for a fine Rosé instead.
The party returns to the Rusty Dragon. This crowd is sparse this evening. Ameiko sees the party, ”Did you enjoy The Hagfish? Their Seafood Chowder is really good.” Before anyone could answer Ameiko, a human woman, maybe in her mid to late twenties, rushes in from the back door, clutching a baby to her chest with one arm and clinging to the back of a small boy’s shirt with the other. In a panic the young woman cries out, ”Help. Help. I need the Heroes of Sandpoint.
Through a stream of tears the woman quickly tells her story, ”During the Goblin Raid, my son Aeren saw a Globlin set a cat on fire. He was traumatized. Every night since, my husband Alergast has had to soothe him to sleep. He kept saying there was a Goblin in his closet. We thought it was just night terrors. But look at his arm.” The boys arm is covered in bites.
The woman continues, "We heard a horrible howl from our dog Petal. We ran into Aeren’s room. A Goblin was on Aeren. My husband flew into a rage and chased the Goblin into Aeren’s closet. I grabbed Verah and Aeren and ran. Please help!”
”I know Amele’s house. Follow me,” Ameiko hesitates a moment to cast a spell, then runs out the back door at a very fast speed. The house is two blocks over on Bishop Street, back toward the Cathedral. A fast Garrath cannot keep up with Ameiko. Ameiko reaches the house and hesitates to make sure Garrath sees her and knows the house. When Garrath gets to the house, Kelvin and Elektra have turned the corner and can see him. The same will be true as Kelvin and Elektra reach the house Brandark and Lyr can see them.
When you get into the house, you make your way to the boy’s bedroom. Ameiko is in the room looking over a man’s lifeless body, likely Alergast, lying face down on the floor, half in the room and half partially down a hole in the closet. There is blood all over the closet. There is also a dead dog lying on the floor.
Ameiko looking like she is almost at tears looks at Garrath, ”I will pull Alergast out."
As soon as the body is free of the hole, a crazed Goblin jumps out, sees Garrath and slashes at him with what looks like a make-shift knife.
But misses the Barbarian.
Initiatives to come.
ROUND ONE
Ameiko begins to sing a rousing and stirring rendition of "In the Night of the Goblins."
Garrath follows Ameiko, amazed at her speed, and has a quip on his lips when the goblin jumps out of the closet. Garrath rips the Falchion from his back and hacks at the goblin.
Hearing the woman tale, Kelvin quickly jumps up and follows Garrath and Ameiko. He arrives to see the goblin in Garrath face so he runs up behind it and attacks.
At hagfish
If you catch me in my cups, I might try that water, but as Garrath said, not after this fine of a meal
At the dragon.
Brandark, runs after Ameiko and Garrath Damn these short legs, I will get there don't wait for me.
He arrives just in time to see Garrath swipe at the goblin.
Little green one, we are coming for you.
He then draws his axe, and shield, and starts to move in on the goblin.
"Mellorns, those bites are goblin marks. The boy is in danger, we have to hurry."
Following the others she makes haste to the house and prepares to save a boy.
Lyr stays back for a moment, healing the boy's arm. There, now stay here. We will be back as soon as it's taken care of.
Lyr arrives at the house to find the goblin already dead. But the bloody body of Alergast gives her a shock. Lyr bends down inspecting the man, trying to see if there is anything she can do for him.
During Lyr's wanderings, she is stopped by Cyrdak Drokkus. He approaches and bows, swooping his larger feathered cap in a long graceful arc in front of him, "Dear lady, I am Cyrdak Drokkus, the owner of the Sandpoint Theater. I am currently writing a little play about the Goblin attack on Sandpoint. I am writing it as a comedy, with various pyrotechnics for effects." The man snickers and continues, "I would be honored if you would take the lead in the play. We would fill the house."
Well, I'm not much of an actress, she says, face flushed. I don't know that I'd do much good for your play, though if you insist, I might try my hand at it.
Cyrdak Drokkus literally jumps for joy. "With my Direction, I am sure you will be fantastic. I should begin handling casting in about three days. You are staying at the Rusty Dragon, correct. You really should consider the White Deer," there is almost a hint of disdain in his voice when he mentions the Rusty Dragon. "I will send for you when ready. Should you change where you are staying, just let me know. I can usually be found at the Theater."
Garrath's Falchion slices into the Goblin.
The Goblin slashes wildly and out of control.
Kelvin maneuvers behind the Goblin and skewers the wretched creature. It drops bleeding on to the floor.
When Lyr arrives she checks the body on the floor. She gets a gruesome sight as the face and upper torso had been eaten away. Alergast was dead. And apparently he died in a most grisly fashion.
When Amele arrives and sees her husband's body she becomes hysterical. "Some heroes you all are. What good is your 'heroing'," the woman becomes irrational.
Ameiko wraps her arms around the hysterical woman and takes her out of the young boy's bedroom. She looks at the party apologetically, knowing that you did all that you could do.
A crowd begins to gather outside the house.
Sheriff Hemlock arrives in time to hear Amele's outburst.
When you relay what had happen; and he sees the dead Goblin, he says with a grim expression, "Thank you. I will arrange to have Amele and her children stay the night at the Cathedral. You did all you could do."
The crowd keeps growing. Two from the Sandpoint Watch drag the Goblin's body out of the house.
Deverin Hosk, approaches the Goblin's body, bends down, and with a sharp knife cuts off the Goblin's ears, to a collective 'gasp' from many in the crowd. "Did anyone happen to catch this Gob's name?" He looks around.
What remains of the rest of this evening is far more somber. A realization sets in about Goblins. They can be silly little creatures a lot of the time. But mostly they are a brutal horrible species bent on malice and destruction.
You return to the Rusty Dragon for a more restless night's sleep.
End of Day Four
Deverin Hosk, approaches the Goblin's body, bends down, and with a sharp knife cuts off the Goblin's ears, to a collective 'gasp' from many in the crowd. "Did anyone happen to catch this Gob's name?" He looks around.
"Gresgurt. It said it's name was Gresgurt. Make sure you hang those ears near the front, so any goblin that even thinks about coming into town gets a good look." says Kelvin.
As Ameiko holds unto the hysterical woman, Kelvin nods and throws a knowing look at Ameiko, and mouths "thank you" to her as she and the Sheriff lead the woman and child away.
Ameiko looks back at Kelvin and nods her head appreciatively of what you have done.
Garrath leaves the place with a downcast look and heads to the Cathedral after the Sheriff's announcement. He talks to Father Zantus and hands the priest 75gp. "For the wife, and children, it will at least help them make a new start"
He then makes his way back to the Dragon, and sits with his friends. "I guess heroes can't save the day everytime... We were just...too slow."
With a sombre look, Brandark slowly makes his way over to the cathedral.
Father Zantus, right now, I almost wish I followed Torag's teachings. However, if there is anything that I might be able to help you with in regards to Alergast's Burial please ask.
At the dragon, sitting quietly.
Garrath, you should take some solace in that you did get there as fast as anyone could.
Father Zantus receives Garrath's gift, "They were a poor family. This will go along way to help Amele and her children. Your kindness will surely be rewarded from above." Father Zantus is tall at over 6 feet. But he has to reach up to Garrath to give him a warm pat on the back.
"We will likely have the service tomorrow afternoon. Your help would be most welcome. We are fortunate to have new friends so willing to help," Father Zantus shakes kindly Brandark's hand.
Day Five
Like a bad dream repeating, just as you take your first bite of either Brathana’s grilled ham, or fresh biscuits, or fried eggs, Sargent Zandu enters the Rusty Dragon, ”The Sheriff and the Mayor want to see the Heroes of Sandpoint at the Town Hall.”
The Sandpoint Town Hall’s is a two story structure. The ground floor of this building consists of a meeting hall. The upper floor contains offices and storerooms, including the Mayor’s comfortable office. The Mayor rises from behind her desk as the party enters. The Sheriff rises from a cushy looking chair. An Elf Woman rises from a matching chair to his right.
The Sheriff speaks looking around at the party, ”This is Shalelu Andosana, an unofficial member of Sandpoint’s town guard.” The striking blonde Elf Woman smirks. The Sheriff continues, ”Shalelu has been a thorn in the side of the local goblin tribes for years There are few in the region that know more about Goblin than she does. She says that Sandpoint hasn’t been the only place in the region that’s had Goblin troubles. In short, there’s been an increase in goblin-related raids along the Lost Coast, particularly in the dale between Nettlewood and Mosswood. Shalelu reported that only a day ago, a farm south of Mosswood was burnt to the ground by a group of goblins. She was thankfully nearby, and while the farm couldn’t be saved, she did rescue the family and drive off the goblins; the family is staying at a nearby farm for now, but the goblin problem is obviously not going away.”
Hemlock cedes the floor to Shalelu, ”Tell this party what you told me.”.
Shalelu looks both capable and formidable, but talking before a group is not her strength, “Belor’s told me of your work against the goblins—well done, She gives the party a positive head nod.
The quiet Elf continues, I’ve dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they’re tenacious and fecund little runts. Like weeds that bite. A shiver appears to go up Shalelu's spine.
“There are five major goblin tribes in the region, and, traditionally, they’re pretty good at keeping each other in line with intertribal squabbles and the like. Yet from what I’ve been able to piece together,members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint. A fair number of the Mosswood goblins I dealt with yesterday were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the ‘longshanks’ who killed so many of them. Now that I’ve met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about. Seems like you’ve made an impression, She gives the party almost a devious looking grin.
“In any event, the fact that the five tribes are working together disturbs me. Goblin tribes don’t get along unless they’ve got something big planned, and big plans require big bosses. I’m afraid that someone’s moved in on the goblins and organized them. And judging by these recent raids, what they’re organizing seems like bad news for all of us,” the soft-spoken Elf looks at each party member.
Sheriff Hemlocks speaks, "I will be taking a few of his guards south to Magnimar to see about securing additional soldiers to station at Sandpoint for a few weeks, at least until the extent of the goblin threat can be determined."
The Sheriff looks at Shalelu, "While I am out of town, I've asked Shalelu to sniff around Shank’s Wood, Brinestump, Mosswood, Devil’s Platter, and other places where goblins live to see if she can discover anything else about what’s going on.
He then looks specifically at the party, "I would like for you all to stay here in Sandpoint. To maintain a public presence over the next few days, if you don’t mind. The locals seem to have taken to you. And seeing you around town will do a lot for keeping worries down over the next few days. It would be appreciated,” the usual stern man was far more gentle with his delivery, as though he was pleading to the party.
Shalelu looks back at the party, "Tonight, I am staying at the Rusty Dragon. When in town I like staying their for the baths and warm service they provide." She says that almost matter-of-factly. "I would like to hear more of your successes against the Goblins," she turns away to enter into a private chat with Sheriff Hemlock.
"Well what we found out indicates that there is someone behind it. We assume it is a human, as the leader of the raid was called a longshanks. I would guess with somehow some power over the goblins. What the power is, I have not enough informations, I am afraid."
Shalelu will look at Elektra, "Longshanks to these local Goblin tribes could mean any humanoid taller. It could be Elf, or Human, Half-Elf, even Dwarf. It could be any number of taller species they may be referring to."
"Interesting. I would have assumed with the racial hatred they would have used worse names for elves and dwarves. But I am by no means an expert!"
"The group of Goblins I recently just came across referred to the lot of you as 'longshanks," Shalelu looks at the Humans Garrath and Lyr, the Elves Elektra and Kelvin, and finally to the Dwarf Brandark.
Kelvin bows in a stiff and formal way, as if he is out of practice in the finer elven manners. "Lady Shalelu, the goblins and their longshanks stole the bones of a dead and buried cleric of this town. Do you have any idea why they would do that?"
Shalelu, equally stiff, an unaccustomed to the social graces, returns the bow, "They stole the bones of a dead Cleric. That doesn't sound like Goblin. Whatever Boss is leading them must be behind that. And for what purposes, I couldn't guess."
Brandark looks up at Shalelu I am glad that we could make their lives difficult.
I think however, that we should find the tribe that took the bones, and recover them before they can do something bad with them.
"Let Shalelu scout out to see if she can determine which tribe took the bones. In the meantime, we need you here in Sandpoint while I go to Magnimar for additional soldiers. When we get back, then we will plan the next course of action," the Sheriff reinforces his wishes that you stay in town until he returns.
Understood Sheriff, help keep the people calm and happy until you return. Brandark comments.
Brandark will then use the rest of the morning to amble around town, and listen to concerns of people.
He will then head over to the cathedral in the afternoon to help with the burial.
Sandpoint has been through a lot over the last several years. The population tends to bounce back quickly from tragedy. Most see the raid as Goblins being Goblins. They are unaware of the whole story, otherwise there would be panic.
Kelvin is content to walk around town with the rest of the group, and ensure that the local citizenry see them, as if they were on patrol and guarding them.
In the afternoon there was yet another funeral in Sandpoint, again attended by a large portion of the town.
Amele dressed in black with a veil approaches Lyr, "Thank you for healing Aeren last night." She then looks to the rest of the party, "I now know you did everything you could do. Your gift is appreciated. You truly are the Heroes of Sandpoint."
Later that evening at the Rusty Dragon, Ameiko prepares Spicy Chicken and Noodles. She turns in early for the night. Shalelu accompanies the party for dinner, but also turns in early taking a glass of Elven Wine with her to bed.
End of Day Five
Elektra will write down any informations she has, trying to find a pattern to this problem. She will also ask for her share of the loot so that she can make more scrolls, as she fears she has to be prepared to some major problems in the future.
After helping with the funeral, Brandark returns to the Dragon. He has a quiet supper, an ale. Lady Ameiko would it be possible to draw water for a bath ?
After which, Brandark turns in early.
Yes. 3 the three I said I would buy.
"Of course. Several baths are being prepared this evening," she gives Shalelu a wink.
Yes. 3 the three I said I would buy.
Day Six
Early in the morning, as some of the party begins to stir, the elderly Halfling Brathana, frantically knocks on Elektra and Lyr’s door, then across the hall on Brandark’s, then finally Kelvin and Garrath’s door. ”I need to speak to you in private. In Ameiko’s room, ”Brathana tries to be quiet, but is in too much of a tizzy. As Brathana heads down the hall, Shalelu opens the door to her room to peak out. ”You too. Come,” she motions toward Shalelu. Shalelu follows along dripping wet, wearing a towel too small to really cover everything. It is as though she had been taking a bath all night long, which, by the way, she had been.
When everyone gathers in Ameiko’s room Brathana turns to them, ”When I went down to prepare breakfast, Ameiko was not there. That alone is very unusual. Then I came to her room. She has not slept in her bed. Then I found this note,” she hands the note to the party.