Akuleh follows suit and brings his morningstar crashing down toward goblin5.
Wondering if the eidolon is going to be okay, Rak continues to press his attack. He's taking a lot of hits! What happens if he... if he dies? Rak tries to draw some attention away from Algon. "You god-blessed little rascals! What kind of mischief are you up to? This'll be the start of your doom, whatever you've done here! Cayden Cailean, help me send them to their graves!"
HP 15/19
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16 (+5 armor, +1 dex, +1 shield) 13 vs. caltrops
Fort: +4, Ref: +1, Will: +6
Conditions: bless, studied target, zest for battle
Melee (mwk rapier): +7 (+1 BAB, +3 str, +1 mwk, +1 bless, +1 studied target)
Melee Damage (mwk rapier): 1d6+4 (+3 str, +1 zest for battle)
Seeing that the otherworldly energies of the Harrow had availed her guardian little, Izbela switches tactics and tries to even the odds for Algon herself. With a wave of her hand, a few words of Ancient Varisian and a pinch of wool, the conjuress tries to bewitch the feeble mind of one of the goblins.
Algon grits his teeth and gives a low growl while he withstands the continued assault of goblin menaces. His steely determination to end the fight notwithstanding, it is hard not to notice how the wounds and blood loss slow the golden warrior. He brings his blade to bear on one of the many enemies surrounding him, and, while not the most accurate of strikes, his swing is no less mighty for all his injuries.
Kadrian's rapier skewers a goblin right through the cheek and missing it's eye by inches. Akuleh's morningstar caves in the head of a different goblin with the sickening crunch of bone breaking. Rak's rapier scores closer to the bullseye than Kadrian's did and ends the goblin's life.
The lone remaining goblin stands in place and drools on himself.
Izbela breathes a quiet sigh of relief as the last goblin standing falls under her spell. That sigh turns into a gasp as she sees her guardian raise his blade to deliver the killing blow. "Wait!" she shouts, taking a few more steps into the room. "Rak, you speak the goblins' language? Should we keep this one alive? To question him? He may know where we can find Ameiko."
Heaving great, angry breaths, Algon sets his hard gaze on the goblin standing before him. His lips draw back into a sneer, as disgusted by the strand of spittle hanging from the goblin's mouth as he is by the idea of executing something that couldn't defend itself. Still, the vile creatures had shed enough blood—his and the factory workers—and Algon would not let it draw one more breath than it deserved. Hefting his greatsword above his head, Algon prepares to deliver the fatal blow when his summoner's voice draws him up short.
Begrudgingly, Algon does as he's bid, lowering his blade to rest heavily against it while the mortals talk over keeping the goblin alive.
Rak quickly steps up to the goblin, dropping his rapier and shield to grip the creature around its chest tightly.
Feeling like he has a secure hold, he answers Izbela. "Yeah, I kinda picked some of it up since I've been in Sandpoint. It wasn't too hard to just..." he tightens his grip as the goblin's head begins to clear. "Успокой се, приятелче"
"Calm down there, little buddy."
"So, yeah. I just listened and kinda picked up the basics. They only talk about dogs and fire."
Akuleh sighs with relief as Rak secures the final goblin in a vice-like bear hug. He steps toward Bela's glowing guardian and lays a hand on his shoulder. "You fought well, Algon. I wish I were able to mend your wounds, but the ancestors have not gifted me with the knowledge."
Once Rak steps up to restrain the goblin, Algon reaches out and attempts to wrench the primitive, makeshift blade out of its little green hands.
Algon turns at the hand on his shoulder and acknowledges Akuleh's compliment with a nod of his head. "I thank you for the aid you and your ancestors have given me thus far. Perhaps your ancestors will grant you this knowledge one day. For now, however, do not trouble yourself; Lady Izbela can see to these," he assures the Shoanti, gesturing vaguely to the nicks and cuts littering his body.
"I'm sorry, my friend." Bela quickly comes to stand beside her companions once the last surviving goblin is detained, a Harrow card bearing Algon's likeness gripped tightly in the fingers of her right hand. "I didn't think they would give you so much trouble." The summoner gives a brief hiss of pain as she nicks her finger with the edge of the card. After a bead of blood wells at the tip, Izbela traces a small arcane sigil on Algon's chestplate. Once complete, the rune disappears in a flash of golden light, as do most of Algon's wounds.
Rak easily restrains the goblin as Algon rips the weapon from it's little hands. Izbela's magic seeps into the outsider's wounds and almost all of them seal up within seconds. His color returns almost instantly although his stoic nature never waivered.
The goblin eyes begin to grow wide as the current situation dawns on him. He struggles briefly to escape the dwarf's grasp but finds little room to maneuver and less places to go.
Kadrian steps forward. "Goblin, where are the rest of the longshanks prisoners kept! Tell us the truth or we throw you in the ovens!"
"Къде са дългогодишните затворници? Кажи истината или ще те хвърлим във фурната!" Rak translates into Goblin, adding his own touch to the threat. "Харесваш ли огън, нали? Ще получите най-близкия поглед, който някога е имал гоблин!"
Where are the longshanks prisoners kept? Tell the truth or we'll throw you in the oven!
You like fire, do you? You'll get the closest look any goblin has ever had!
Akuleh stands nearby, his spear in hand. He gives the goblin a hard look that he usually reserved for vermin trying to steal his family's food stores and gives his own threat. "Of course, we wouldn't want you to enjoy too much at once, so perhaps we could treat you to the flames...one piece at a time."
It's hard to tell at first what is factual and what is a goblin's chaotic ramblings but It all pours out of the goblin so fast that coherent thought is hard to imagine.
"Whhhhaaagghh! More longshanks for the fires. Longshanks that tricked other longshanks will kill all yous longshanks and eats yous ears with spoons and fires and other hot, sharpy things. He's stuffed you in basement with tricked other longshanks and we'ze gets to pour hot glasses on yous and then yous screams like the rests. Hahaha, screams!" he yells with fervor.
Izbela stays behind Algon as the men threaten torture, not wanting to give away their bluff by letting the goblin see how uneasy such talk makes her. At least, I hope they're bluffing... Of course, initially, she doesn't think that she has the resolve to watch or listen if they carry out their threats, but the more the goblin raves, the more she thinks it might be deserving of such treatment.
"Let's find those stairs then." Peeking around her eidolon, Bela briefly eyes the goblin in Rak's hold. She doesn't need to ask what will happen to it now.
Rak tightens his grip, furious at the goblin's glee at the pain it wants to inflict. "Твърде много дънки, дай ми име! Сигурно сте чули име! Кой копнеж излъчва другите джуджета! he yells, seemingly attempting to squeeze the answer out of the goblin.
"Too many longshanks, give me a name! You must have heard a name!!! What is the longshanks called that tricks the other longshanks!
"Haha! Pointy ear! POINTY EAR! HAHAHA!" the goblin goes on and on laughing and cackling and shouting out nothing more than point ear until Rak's grip forces the air from it's lunges. It's head lolls forward and it's body goes limp as blood begins leaking out of it's nose.
This room is the main glassworking room with numerous furnaces, tables, racks and broken glass everywhere. There are several doors still closed to the north west. In the central alcove, propped up in a chair and covered in thick sheets of hardened glass is the body of Ameiko's father, Lonjiku.
Kadrian rushes over to the body. Sure enough, Lord Lonjiku lay unmoving on the ground. The swashbuckler kneels down to get a better look.
"Damn", sighed Kadrian under his breath.
Standing back up, the nobleman states "We have to find Ameiko, now."
Akuleh lets out a gasp as he spots Lonjiku. He quickly moves over to the man and kneels down before him. "Gods," he growls, "These monsters must truly have no souls. The man was certainly unpleasant, but this...this is beyond what anyone would merit. Rak, put down the beast. It is done. Come help me with Lonjiku's body. We must try to clear away some of the glass if we can so that he can be laid to rest with some decency."
The Shoanti looks around for some kind of protective gloves or cloth to protect himself from the glass, then begins trying to break off as much of the glass as he is able.
While he works, Akuleh turns to the others. "The beast spoke of 'Pointy-Ears' as the one behind their mischief. Do you suppose this could be Ameiko's half-elf brother? Why would he do such a thing?"
Concern darkens Izbela's face as she watches Kadrian and Akuleh move to stand beside the glass enshrouded chair and the dark figure within. It's all the glimpse she gets before Algon suddenly shifts to block her view, giving a grim shake of his head to the summoner. But Akuleh's words tell her all she needs to know of the horror she is spared from seeing. "I can think of no one else the goblin could have been referring to. No, this must be Tsuto's doing," Izbela says as she hears Akuleh working to try and pry the glass from Lonjiku's corpse.
"We should do everything we can to see that these..." Izbela pauses, forced to swallow around a sudden catch in her throat as she spies the various glass encased limbs lying about the room. Shakily, she continues, "That these people are laid to rest with dignity. But Kadrian is right. If Tsuto can do this to his own father, I fear for what he may have in store for Ameiko. We need to find her first."
"I think we will ultimately need to find a way downstairs, but let's make sure there are no surprises when we go down. If we can make a quick search of the facility up here, we can be sure that no more of these goblins will follow us down and surprise us."
"Agreed", confirms Kadrian. The swashbuckler walks over to the nearby southern double doors and attempts to open them, acknowledging the latest battle was loud enough to make further stealth impossible.
Akuleh simply nods in agreement and follows Kadrian after retrieving any gear he dropped throughout the course of the battle.
It doesn't take more than a few minutes to search the main level of the glass works. All of the rooms on this level have been tossed and nothing remains where it was before. Broken glass lies everywhere. Beds are overturned, chairs are smashed, tables are broken, paper litters the floor in a few offices, even the toilets are stuffed with garbage and who knows what else. It's hard to believe that the goblins haven't been living her for years. If there was anything of value before, there isn't now.
A complete circuit around the glass works leads you back a side door off of the loading room. Stairs lead down into the basement with little light. The landing at the bottom leads to a store room used to store sand and other materials. Two wheelbarrows sit against the wall. Just east of the stairs, a brick wall has been dismantled to reveal an older passageway leading south.
Before entering the darkened passageway, Kadrian removes his ioun stone and activates it. The swashbuckler has his rapier out and ready. Kadrian will walk in front if no one objects.
Izbela slips her hand into Kadrian's as he attempts to lead the way deeper into the basement, her hold gentle yet insistent. "We should let Algon lead. He can see perfectly in the dark, you know." That her golden guardian was also effectively immortal and could recover from wounds that might kill any of them goes unsaid.
Algon nods his willingness to take the lead and, if allowed, will carefully maneuver his bulky frame through the narrow hallway to take point. His golden eyes easily pierce the darkness, letting him see as much as hear what might lie ahead of them down each passage. If there are no signs of which path might lead to Ameiko and no suggestions from his fellows, Algon will proceed down the westernmost corridor.
Feeling Izbela's warm hand in his, Kadrian cedes his place in line to walk next ot the summoner.
"After you, Algon."
"I will cover our backs," Akuleh says, his spear held at the ready, "As you said, we do not know if there might be more enemies on the floors we did not check."
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"I can see in the dark too..." Rak grumbles, mostly under his voice. It's easy to recognize that Izbela's strategy is built more out of concern for Kadrian than anything else, but Rak also recognizes that Algon is the best choice to take the lead.
He will, however, stay close, taking a flanking position with Algon or a spot right behind. He peers down the same corridors with Algon, allowing his own dark-accustomed eyes to try to find what they can.
The hallway continues on to the west before turning south and continuing on. Along the west side of the southern passage is a door, slightly ajar. Inside are shelves filled with glassware, intact windows, and numerous other finished glass products.
What was once another storage room has recently been converted to a prison cell. Inside, Ameiko lies on her side gagged and blindfolded with both her wrists and ankles bound with heavy rope and leather.
She startles as the door is opened but can do little else.
The hallway turns again and heads back to the east. Two doors line the wall to the south and both are closed, but not locked. The first door leads to an old office in disarray. A few empty bottles of what must contained alcohol litter the room. An empty cot lies in the corner along with a few discarded clothes.
The second door opens into another hallway. While the rest of the glassworks is heavy stone and brick work, this hallway is natural stone carved out. There are structural braces a few dozen feet in to reinforce the ceiling. This narrow passage seems to run on for eternity...
"If you care to lead, Ser Rak, you are welcome to step forward," Algon says in response to the dwarf's discontent grumblings. A rare smile cracks the eidolon's stoic demeanor, although it's brief and all but lost in the darkness of the basement. "It would be good to challenge these cravens with a smaller target."
Algon tests the first door they come across and, on finding it locked, turns to silently signal that the others prepare themselves. Once they're ready, the golden warrior takes a step back before throwing his considerable weight against it.
To his surprise and frustration, the door holds. Ignoring his body's pleas to slump against the door for a moment, Algon passes off his greatsword to Izbela as he gets ready for his next attempt. After finding what little room there is for a running start in the cramped hallway, Algon rushes the door a second time.
This time, the door yields under his strength, his momentum enough to carry him into the room beyond to face a bound and startled Ameiko. Certain that the woman would be glad to be rescued by a familiar face, he turns and calls out into the hall, "She is here!"
Rak snaps out of his rare dwarven funk--I really thought I'd worked that out of me. I guess some things never really change--and charges into the room behind Algon.
"Ameiko!" He yells before running in and kneeling beside her. Are you hurt?
He removes the gag first, before continuing to the blindfold.
"Yeah, those little whelps took me by surprise. Beat me up pretty good. Last thing I saw was my blasted brother grinning. We have to get out of here. Get out of her and tell everyone. My father will be devastated by the embarrassment but Tsuto and the goblins have to stopped."
Kadrian steps forward with a mournful look on his face. "Ameiko, I'm sorry. But we found your father's body. He's gone."
"Ameiko, thank Gods!" Izbela rejoices at seeing the innkeeper relatively unharmed. After passing Algon his greatsword, she moves into the room and helps Ameiko to her feet. Just as she begins to wonder at the woman's stoic strength, her words show her ignorance of her father's murder. At least Tsuto's was decent enough to spare her that sight. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable with the knowledge of Lonjiku's passing, Izbela decides to leave it up to wiser minds and those that know her best to decide whether or not it's best to tell her now. And when Kadrian does step forward to inform Ameiko, Bela is there to offer what consolation she can.
After allowing the grim news time to sink in, Izbela asks as gently as possible, "Do you know if Tsuto is still here in the Glassworks? If we can stop him now, we should."
"Izbela is right; we're all still strong enough to give chase," he continues untying Ameiko until she can stand. "Let's get Tsuto now and bring him to justice for what he's done."
Kadrian interrupts his dwarven friend. "..unless you need assistance returning to town. You must have gone through an incredible ordeal."
It's easy to see the range of emotions that run across Ameiko's face. Her lip quivers, her eyes water, her teeth grind together before she lets it all out. "That bastard! I'll kill him myself for this."
She struggles to climb to her feet and gets even more frustrated with the remnants of the bindings still clinging to her legs. It's only after a moment that Izbela's question registers to her. "I...I don't know. I don't know where he would go. He couldn't have gotten far though. Why would he do this?" she asks and begins crying again.
The swashbuckler steps forward to put his arm around his devastated friend.
"You heard her", spoke Kadrian to his fellow rescuers. "He can't be far. I'll be right behind you."
"Unless he somehow got behind us to leave from upstairs, the only way he could have gone is that other hallway. We should head that way. Algon, lets you and I take the lead." Rak makes sure that the others are ready to follow, then begins heading down the other hallway.
____________
Akuleh's grave silence is finally broken as he lets out a low growl. "The man who harms his family is cursed beyond even the foulest of beasts. I swear, Ameiko, you and your father will be avenged. I will see to it." The Shoanti turns and follows Rak and Algon down the hallway.
"Ameiko, I must leave to help bring Tsudo to justice. Will you be alright here. I'll come back for you", spoke the swashbuckler to the tramatized barmaiden.
As soon as the door is opened, Algon is struck by an arrow out of the darkness. It buries itself deep into his shoulder.
"Ah the fabled heroes of Sandpoint."