Rise of the Runelords Table 1 (Closed)

Game Master ElegantlyWasted

Stealth: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (8) + 11 = 19

Stealthfully, the leopard familiar inspects the camp.

Anyone who is exploring the Goblin camp stealthily;

Selaros finds the tracks of the larger humanoid boots going away from the goblin camp. He waves to Mary and point back toward the spot where Calin and Sizma are watching them.

Once they are all joined up again, he shares his findings with the rest of the group: "I have found some tracks that look to be bigger then a goblins foot, they look booted. The tracks leads northeast from the camp and might be the one carrying the late father's corpse. It's probably our best bet to find him and figure why they have taken his body. We have to consider before we leave that there is a bunch of goblins still sleeping in the camp, should we ignore them or maybe tie them up and let the guards in Sandpoint deal with them?"

He is still a little troubled about he lost control and killed the sleeping goblin, he shares it with the other two not wanting to keep something like this from them, if they are to fight together they should know it. "In the camp couldn't control myself and killed a sleeping goblin, it's not something I have done before or would normally do, I just let the hate in me take control and it troubles me that I could do that. I want you to know this to ease my own heart a little, and ask you to help me avoid things like this happening again."

"Lets head that way then, no use dealing with these goblins. Quicker we finish this the better." Sizma says somewhat quietly, recalling Blake to her body.

If finding the tracks were not so important Mary would have watched Blake turn back into ink and slide into Sizma's skin. Magical tattoos looked so handy and ingenious, she'd like a couple herself. However, The Knight found some tracks and finding the dead priest was important right now, not gawking at the sorceress' skin like a dirty perv. Muttering a prayer to Desna, thanking her for the mask for hiding her hot cheeks, she made her way over.
”In and out,” she whispered. ”That's the best way.”

"I guess we should head to the northeast then, but I think we should check up on this camp on the way back to Sandpoint. Just to make sure they are leaving this area and not camping this close to town, if they move closer to town, I say we put them all down in order to keep the citizens of Sandpoint safe." He says a little worried about leaving the goblins to thier own device so close to town.

"Is anyone decent at following tracks so we don't get lost?"

Well as long as they drag them through mud... I should have brought Stepper with me... we could have caught that corpse theif before he got too far then.

He half whispered half growled quietly still looking over the goblin camp. Little Blighters were lucky they had more important things to worry about.

So what are you guys doing about the Goblins?

We go around them

Angrily stare at them from a distance, while going around them

Killing goblins in their sleep seems unnecessary, and mean. If she can avoid a confrontation, she will. Maybe disarm them.

Personally Selaros wants to fight them, not kill them in thier sleep, though tempting he will not go and wake them unless the others want to fight them.
Also it may be more present to find that corpse so we it looks like we avoid them for now.

...picking things up....

The group continues around the goblin camp. Unfortunately, you cannot follow the trail much further; it leads to a stream, and there you lose it.

You head back into Sandpoint, a little tired from your trek out into the woods. You reflect on what has happened. It's hard to belive that it was only yesterday that you were instrumental in helping the town guard repel the goblin attack at the Swallowtail festival. You were given free room and board at the Rusty Dragon Inn (a place recommended by a man named Aldern Foxglove, whom you rescued), and there you not only met Ameiko Kaijitsu, the proprietor of the place, but you were also declared the new "Heroes of Sandpoint".

This morning, you were approached by Sheriff Belor Hemlock (who, by the way, I'm going to retcon into a man, as that's what he is in the module), who asked you to look into something for him, and also told you that Sandpoint could use a local group of adventurers. (They already had a fledgling masked hero, of course, the Desna Knight.) He led you to the vault of Ezakien Tobyn, a priest who died together with his daughter Nualia when his house burned five years ago, a time that Sandpoint experienced some other troubles. The current priest, Father Zantus, met you there. You learned that the vault had been broken into, and that the remains of Ezakien Tobyn had been taken. You were also attacked by a couple of skeletons left behind by whoever it was who broke into the vault. You identified tracks of several goblins, plus a heavier humanoid (perhaps a human, perhaps a hobgoblin), and tried to follow them, but were not able to track them all the way back to their source.

You are now coming back into town. It is afternoon. "For now, keep what happened to the bones of Ezakien Tobyn to yourself," Sheriff Hemlock warns you. "What with the attack last night, and the spectre of the Late Unpleasantness from five years ago, we don't want to alarm people until we know more."

As you come in, the villagers who are about see you, and react to you. Some of them cheer you, and a group of children start following you. You are, after all, the heroes of Sandpoint!

You make your way back to the Rusty Dragon Inn, where you have been promised room and board. Ameiko greets you when you come in, and a couple of other patrons again volunteer to buy drinks for you -- again saving Ameiko from admitting that she'll give you drinks on the house!

You're enjoying resting at the Rusty Dragon, perhaps discussing the events of the day and what you might do next, perhaps with Selaros (a local who even works at the Rusty Dragon) telling the rest of you about Sandpoint.

Suddenly, the door to the Inn slams open, and the room falls silent. An elderly Tien man stalks into the door, and shouts out a sharp command in a foreign tongue.

Selaros (and anybody else who is a local to Sandpoint) recognizes this man as Lonjiku Kaijitsu, one of Sandpoint's most well-known nobles. He is the owner of the Sandpoint Glassworks, his family having brought over techniques from distant Minkai that it now employs. He is also the father of Ameiko, the propietor of the Rusty Dragon....

...and he notices the group of you sitting at a table. Not seeing Ameiko immediately in evidence, he stalks over to your table and begins reading you the riot act, now speaking in common Taldan.

"What were you thinking yesterday? Are you so eager for glory? Your ridiculous antics further endangered the residents of Sandpoint! You should have left the defense of the town to trained professionals, and a lot of that chaos would have been avoided!"

Let me know how you proceed.

(I should probably also make a GM alias so that you don't confuse my posts for that of a familiar....)

I am a part of the sandpoint militia my lord and in fact was on duty during the goblin raid. The aid of these fine fellows allowed us to quickly disrupt the goblin raid and in fact saved lives. Had you been there you would have seen that.

He answered brusquely. It felt weird to not be at work at the stables next door, but ol' Davren Hosk refused to let him muck stables ...at least while there was fame in the air for him.. that and it made the ol fellow happy to see his employee busting goblin heads like he used to back in his youth.

Lonjiku snorts. "If you were on duty, then why are you hanging out with these glory-seekers? Just what we need; another band of filthy vagrants attracting more trouble to town!"

"How could we not defend the town, when we were under attack. It's better then hiding somewhere." the vigilante says rather brisk to the old man, not really caring who he is.

Having had a chance to change back to Selaros he looks around for an opening to get out of sight to change back into his more social persona.

If you want to retcon a change back, there would have been time when you returned from the wilderness and before you all gathered at the Rusty Dragon.

If you want to retcon a change back, there would have been time when you returned from the wilderness and before you all gathered at the Rusty Dragon.

ok I didn't think of that, but I like to do that but my responds to the old man doesn't change

As they returned to town the knight excused himself "I think I'll retire for the day, so I see you around suddenly." and with that he runs into an ally finding one of his useal spots to change and heads once again as Selaros towards the Rusty Dragon, where he knows the rest will be.

Sizma leans over to Mary, saying in a hushed tone, "Who the Hell is this guy?"

Blake, her totally wasn't a leopard but a cat and always was a cat familiar eats from the small bowl below the table.

Ameiko evidently heard something of yelling, as she emerges from the kitchen, in her hand a ladle dripping soup.

"What is.... FATHER!" says, then shouts in anger.

The two argue briefly in a foreign tongue...

After the exchange, Lonjiku grabs Ameiko by the hair and tries to drag her out of the Inn! However, not one to accept such treatment, she turns and brains him with her ladle. Soup splattered all over his elegant clothing, he lets go of her, sputters for a few moments, and then stands up straight. Brushing himself off as if to maintain some dignity, he walks stiffly to the door. Just before leaving, he turns to her, and says, loudly in Common for all to hear, "You're as dead to me as your mother!"

He then leaves.

(Residents of Sandpoint would know that Lonjiku and Ameiko's mother had a trouble relationship after Ameiko's brother was born... has a half-elf. What with Lonjiku not being an elf himself, the conclusion is rather obvious. Amieko's mother died five years ago at around the same time as the other events of the Late Unpleasantness.)

Ameiko, bright red, turns and looks at you, looking both angry and embarassed.

Let me know how you proceed.

With the spoon still stuck in her mouth, she watched the ongoings of the bar. Both eyebrows were raised high with surprise and uncertainty. Normally she never got involved with family matters because, well, she had no family. Being an orphan left her inexperienced in how they squabble, but this looked mean. He actually pulled her hair, a big no-no in Mary. Originally, she got up with the intent to put the toe of her foot in his pelvic region but when he let go she had the opportunity to change her mind. So, instead of kicking some jerk in his crotch, she raced over and gave her a hug. Yes, it's a little strange, very sudden, and certainly awkward but everyone could use a little support now and then. At least, she saw it that way.

Like this?

Selaros was just standing their a few steps away from them, he couldn't understand a word they were saying but by the tone he was quite sure they were fighting. When Ameiko's father grapped her by the hair he was however struck out of his stunned state and was about to step in and help, when Ameiko suddenly swung ladle to his surprise with great proficiency.

As the old man leaves he takes a step closer to ask Ameiko "Ameiko are you alright? Do you need me to help with anythin to...." His sentence ends abruptly as he is surprised by Mary's sudden action, and can't think on anything but wait for Ameiko to answer his question.

You can see that Ameiko is on the verge of tears -- though whether from hurt or anger, it's hard to tell -- when Mary hugs her. Ameiko stiffens at first, but then relaxes into it.

As they separate, she smiles at Mary.

In response to Selaros' question, she picks up the ladle she bashed her father in the head with, and says, "Well, it does look like I'm going to need a new ladle. Jackass stew isn't on the menu!"

As she says this, a number of other folks in the room laugh, and shortly the whole tavern bursts out in applause. Clearly bolstered by their support, Ameiko thanks the group of you again. "You all get free rooms for another week," she says. "And dinner's on the house."

She heads back into the kitchen.

Selaros makes a gesture at Mary towards the bar "Shall we take her up on the free dinner?

"Ameiko since dinner is on the house, I like to try that specialty I always help preparing the greens for. It always smells so good." While he sit and wait for the dinner to be prepared he looks around the Inn, trying to see if perhaps Agustianna is here tonight.

Mary punched the sky and leaped, cheering. "Yes! Another week to sleep in a bed, whoo!" she giggled but straightened quickly. "Oh! Right, you want a new ladle. I am so taking up that quest! Who is with me?" Mary turned to her comrades and friends. With her hands on her hips like that and great big smile, she looked actually somewhat heroic as if she could jump the tavern in a single leap. She can't, but in her mind, the sky's the limit.

Mary realizes that while this is a noble quest, it's late enough in the day that it would be much easier to accomplish tomorrow once stores and such are open.

Of course, it may be that the additional challenge is part of the relish of such a quest....

(After any residual conversation, I will fast-forward to the next day.)

"I'll show you to the general store tomorrow Mary, but tonight don't worry she has more then a few of those, and I feel abit sleepy so I'll just have the dinner and head up to one of the rooms we have gotten." Selaros responds to Mary's request and then he kind of gets lost in his own thoughts "It's so nice to have a proper bed to sleep in again, I'll make sure to let Agustianna borrow it while I'm up and about."

"I am, we'll go together, right Blake!?" Sizma explains pointing her familiar. Blake only looks at her for a moment before continuing to eat from his bowl.

For a short minute she had considered robbing a shop of a possible masterwork ladle, but that's not heroic. Maybe if Ameiko was in dire straights and needed that ladle desperately and this very moment, then that's a different story altogether.
"Yeah," she agreed with Selaros and sighed. It sounded like a fun adventure, if a small one, to go on. But with all the stores closed it just was not a possibility."I guess I'll get something to drink, mingle and learn some gossip before hitting the bed. Want to stay up with me Sizma? You can too Selaros."

So, that's something to do until the morning.

"I thank you, but have to decline. It's been a long day and I could use a good nights sleep for a change. But the rest of you can enjoy yourself if you so choose." He responds smiling finishing his plate of food.

Then, if there is no good gossip to be had she'll have a night of food, drink, and listening to stories before she makes her way to that comfy bed and fall onto it face first.

Listening around for gossip, Mary finds mostly that people are talking about Lonjiku's outburst. It seems that this man has had numerous problems with his children. The Kaijitsu family is one of the four founding families of Sandpoint, having been based in Magnimar before that. Lonjiku is the current patriarch of the family, and has had quarrels with both of his children. His son, Tsuto is a half-elf, and living proof that Lonjiku's wife had an affair with an unknown elf. Tsuto left the area several years ago after an argument that ended with Lonjiku striking his son with a cane. Ameiko shamed her father first by becoming an adventurer, and later by opening the Rusty Dragon -- he's been heard by many talking about how it's "hardly women's work", and neither of these things are things a noble daughter should be doing.

Lonjiku's wife died a few years ago, at the same time as the Late Unpleasantness; she fell over a cliff that borders the Kaijitsu's manor at nighttime.

Such is the gossip that Mary picks up....

(New day coming momentarily!)

The next morning, the four of you again meet in the Rusty Dragon's common room, and after a hearty (gratis) breakfast, you head out in quest of a new ladle!

The best place to look for such a thing is the General Store, run by a man named Ven Vinder, found on the corner of Water Street and Main Street (see the map in the Players' Guide).

As you walk through the streets, citizens of Sandpoint are still noticing you and waving to you-- your reputations as Heroes of Sandpoint are still fresh.

You get there, and there's no problem finding a ladle.

Of course, there's some local gossip. The rumor is that Ven's older daughter Katrine is "shaking up" with one of the workers at the lumber mill, and her father doesn't entirely approve.

As you shop, at some point Ven's younger daughter, a pretty redhead, approaches Selaros out of the earshot of the others-- perhaps he is standing out front of the shop waiting for the others to emerge, ladle-laden. Selaros might be surprised; before he was a hero of sandpoint, this young woman had never seemed really to notice him before, even though she's getting a reputation as a bit of a flirt.

She looks at him, shyly, and bats her eyebrows as she says. "Hi Selaros. Can you help me? I'd be very grateful...."

With a brief smile, she continues. "I think the store has rats. Father doesn't believe me, but I think he's too distracted thinking what my sister is doing. Last night I saw a big one, the size of a goblin, lurking next to a barrel at the far end of the basement! If you're really a hero of Sandpoint, maybe you can be my hero and come back this evening to help me kill some rats. They're filthy creatures."

Something a buzz caught her attention and her pretty, pointed ear twitched and she turned around. Clasped in both hands she held a shiny new ladle. It was not masterwork as she had wanted since coins were a little short, and she wasn't quite in the spirit to steal one, not right now at least.
"Hey Sizma, didn't Selaros come with us?" She looked around briefly and shrugged. "Guess not. Think Ameiko will like this one?" She said as she held up her find and pointed at it.

Since we're out of earshot. :D

"I think so too. You're right, seemed like he is always is missing out. Very weird. Probably has the restroom or something."

Strange he does seem to disapear often...still I dont suppose you need to test it out? It's a ladle Im sure it will work just fine.

He added scratching behind his half-pointed ear.
Did i mention it feels weird not working at the stable right now... I feel like i should be doing something.

Selaros is a bit stunned by being approached by her, she hardly wants to help him when he has visited the store previus, he looks a bit unconfortable by her appearance, but listening to her request he can't refuse to help. "My that sounds like a rather big rat miss, it might be a real goblin if it's that big. I'll gladly give you a hand dealing with the pests, but perhaps I should have a look around the basement while we have some daylight to determine how big the problem is, maybe I can catch the creatures sleeping and deal with them that much faster?"

He is not used to this kind of attention, normally he settles for listening to the praise the Desna Knight gets around town. "I only battle a single goblin before I change at the raid, and the rest of the time I was masked and people still consider me a hero on par with the Knight."

Shayliss (that's the younger daughter -- I forgot to tell you her name before) smiles, and says, "My father might get annoyed if I take you down to the basement right now. I've looked, and haven't seen anything during the day... but we could try to sneak down if you want! I think there must be a hole or something they're coming in through. I know they come in at night, though, so if you could meet me back here...."

She again bats her eyelashes at Selaros.

Sense Motives: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 Clearly Selaros doesn't think anything is amiss here

Selaros ponders about it for a moment "Sneaking around isn't really my thing." He says with a smile, thinking on all the times he snuck away from his new friends to change persona. "I'm sure your father doesn't want the other costumers to know about any possible rat problem, so if you are certain they only show after sunset, I will have to come back later and deal with them. Hmm... Perhaps... Hmm... Yes then I can also get my glaive to catch the rats with, should be able to pin them on the polearm, besides sometimes a long weapon is better to deal with that kind of problems.

With a tiny laugh, she pressed the ladle into Calin's sternum."Then make yourself useful and buy this, please."

With a wink, Shayliss says, "I will see you tonight, then. I'm sure that you can handle this, since you're one of the heroes of Sandpoint."

She saunters back into the store.

The rest of you see the redheaded younger daughter of Ven Vinder, the shop owner, saunter into the store as you're heading out, newly purchased ladle in hand. You make your way back to the Rusty Dragon in order to present the new ladle to Ameiko.

As you enter the Inn, eating in the common room is Aldern Foxglove, the noble that you rescued at the end of the goblin attack a couple of days ago. (Image of Aldern Foxglove.)

"My friends!" he says. He waves you over. "I promised you a reward for saving my life, and here it is."

He tosses a pouch with 50gp in it on the table. He smiles and looks at each of you, his gaze lingering on Mary's face a bit longer than the rest.

"In another day, I am going to head back to my manor down the Lost Cost Road. But, if you ever come back to town here again, please visit me! But, before I head back, I am going to head out into the Tickwood forest for a Boar Hunt. It's great sport! I would be delighted if you would join me."

This little rogue was not slow in picking up that pouch of gold and was already shamelessly counting it by fives.
"Thank you for this," she said with a smile. "And a boar hunt sounds like a lot of fun, and I know the guys will want in on a little sport." She said and turned to give Calin a nudge to his ribs with her elbow. "Right? You were saying that you were getting fidgety and in need of something to do." She then spun to look at Sizma. "And I bet Blake will be a big help. So, sure! We'll come. Pork's tasty!."

Selaros remembers the nobleman, but to keep up appereance he pretends to not know him as he steps up behind Mary to ask her "Who is your admirer? I don't remember seeing him around Sandpoint before." He ignored the gold not being one of the persons who helped save him, it would look odd if he had asked for a share of it.

Mary pushed the pouch out of sight into her neckline and shrugged as if what she had done was no big thing and that awesomeness like that came to her frequently. "That's Mr. Foxglove and I saved his life during the attack. More importantly, he invited us on a boar hunt."

How did I get a smurf pic?

Indeed, you remember Aldon Foxglove from the tail end of the goblin raid a couple of days ago. You may well have seen him in Sandpoint before. He lives down the Lost Cost road where he has a mansion. He probably comes to Sandpoint every so often, as it's closer to his house than Magnimar is.

Mary turned back to Aldon, her smile was huge and it showed little sign of waning. It made her teal eyes twinkle. This was so exciting! Nobody ever invited her to something like this before and she was fighting the urge to bounce as she didn't want to look foolish hopping in place like some silly little kid awaiting her favorite dessert.
"When are we going, now?"

"Ahh Mr. Foxglove, I am sorry I didn't recognize you, it's been some years since I last had the opportunity to meet you at the Festival." He says bowing slightly

I can honestly say I've never been on a boar hunt.. I know they can be dangerous but no more than the goblins I suppose. How do you hunt boar?

He asked only partially eyeing Mary. Her exuberance for life was. . . amusing in a good way.

"How do you hunt boar? Oh, that's easy! You just chase it down, catch it, and then put a stick through its butt and hover it over a fire till it's nice and crispy, not burnt. And if you're lucky there's barbecue sauce."

"I actually think you shoot the boars dead before you start cooking it Mary, you might also use a spear to kill it with quickly."