"A hidden box? So... it's a truh'treasure map?"
"No map on it near as I can tell. 'less you know where Brinewall Castle is.", says Raith.
"Brinewall Castle? Hmmm...sounds like it will be near the ocean. It obviously is not currently used, otherwise I believe we would know about it. So, historical ruins. They were most likely last occupied when this fellow," Sorin gestures at the skeletal remains, "was last alive."
Sorin shrugs. "I think I remember something that I saw in my research, but I cannot recall it right now. If none of you know of it either, when we get back to town, we can ask around. Sheyln, the elven ranger, she has spent many years in this area and may know of it. I will dig through my scrolls and see what I can find as well."
Sorin hands Izumi the unknown potions. "Izumi, do you mind seeing if you can read these labels? I was unable to ascertain their contents, and I am wondering if reading the script, which I believe is Tien, will illuminate us."
Izumi examines the labels on the potions Sorin hands to him, providing as literal translations as possible.
"This one is labeled 'Strong Healing' and this one is 'To Restore', if that aids you Sorin." Izumi says. He frowns as he examines a hole in the armor where Tsutamu's blade had slid in, nearly missing his heart. He would have to repair that before returning it.
Izumi puts on a brave face as he begins to get up. "There's not much daylight left, and we cannot leave the boys alone on the ridge with the horses. I'm sure Ameiko will want to see this letter as quickly as possible." Pain shoots through his body as he retrives both his shield and his hammer, which were laying on the ground around the room. Izumi tries to keep his face hard-set to not give away that he is in pain.
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Garand carefully wraps the small panel and stows it in his pack, before turning back to the immediate needs of the moment, saying a few words over the dead, "Let your spirits to fly far from this place to rest with your ancestors, and free your bones to return to the earth, to bring new life to the world."
As they journey, bear-spirits complaints taper off to the occasional frustrated growl under his breath, and when not encumbered by his turn at the heavy chest the companions are taking from this place, Garand lays a hand upon his back to comfort him.
Pavel scratches now and then at the rash forming on his arms and hands.
"So... nuh'no more goblins or skeletons. Sandpoint's suh'safe again. Guess I'll see if Sandru st'still needs help, or if Hemlock's got anymore bounties.... or muh'maybe try my luck somewhere else."
Izumi is somber the whole way back to Sandpoint. He has at least rudimentarily bandaged his wounds, but Izumi sees the dressing will need to be changed when they return. When not actively riding, Izumi has his katana out, studying it, preparing himself to make repairs to the weapon.
"There's always something to kill around these parts. We'll find more work. Maybe we can take a trip to this Brinewall place. See if we can find this box.", says Raith, "What do you think about that, Pavel? Sound interesting?"
Pavel shrugs.
"Sure, but I duh'didn't want to just j'jump in and say I'm goin' up there before Am'muh'meiko even sees the paper. Muh'maybe she wants to luh'leave well enough alone or guh'go up there herself."
"Nuh'not exactly my buh'business."
"I am curious from a historical and archeological perspective. Where is this Brinewall? How does it relate to Tien? Why have we not heard anything about it recently?"
There may be something that indicates what the Jade Edge is or where it resides there as well...
"In any event, I have some research to conduct, and I wish to get some scrolls written before we do any further exploring. Besides, I believe that we have enough funds to live quite comfortably for a week or so while we determine our future options. Pavel, for all we know, Sandru might be planning another caravan soon. I still feel like I owe Sandru for taking me under his wing and couldn't turn down the chance at helping Sandru out on the open road."
Izumi smiles at the parents and the townsguard. He is still fairly bloodied. "Apologies for keeping your boys out so late. They have certainly earned these." Izumi gives each of the boys a gold coin. "I am going to retire to the Rusty Dragon for the evening my friends. I'm going to show Ameiko this letter. You are all welcome to join me of course."
Watching the boys run away Sorin groans. "Izumi, you realize that you just gave each of those boys the annual salary of an entire farm family? I will have to show you Moranstern's treatise on the Destructive Economics of Recovered Bullion when we have time. Price inflation can cause significant disruption to the economy of a town...disregard my comment Izumi, we should each spend our money how we think is best."
Sorin turns and looks at the group with a critical eye. "I don't think we should go to the tavern in our present condition, hold a moment."
Snapping a gutteral word and with a peculiar flick of his wrist, he taps Izumi on the shoulder. Blood, sweat stains, dirt, dust and grime fall away from all of his clothes and equipment, landing in a small pile at his feet. There is still blood and grime on Izumi's face, and from the exhaustion on his face he looks like someone hit him with a tree, but his clothes are clean.
Sorin then proceeds to do the same for the remainder of the group, taking barely a minute to complete the process.
"Now I think we are ready, and I am certainly hungry enough."
"But muh'money placed in the hands of the common man has gr'greater likelihood of suh'cycling throughout the community than suh'simply stagnating in a cuh'coffer. Sh'short influxes of cuh'capital can provide dynamic flexibility to luh'local economies."
He blinks.
"At least that's what that pruh'priest of Abadar said. Yuh'you remember him, Garand, he had the hu'huge eyebrows and he always tuh'talked to me like I was real slow? Like. 'GOOD. MORNING. HOW. ARE. YOU. TODAY?'"
"I'm pretty hu'hungry so I'll go eat with you guys. Cuh'couple drinks wouldn't hurt neither."
Raith gives Ameiko a warm hug, "I've always listened to your tales of adventure. Now I have some of my own to tell. Good to see you, Ameiko." He releases her. "Seems we found something that belongs to you with the goblins. All of it might belong to you. We'll see what you have to say once Izumi shows you the letter we found. Now I'm as hungry as I've ever been. I could use a heap of your famous stew."
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Garand seems perplexed by the brief digression into economic theory, and only nods at the mention of the priest of Abadar, which whom he truly had nothing in common, other than a basic humanoid configuration.
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As Sorin offers his services to clean up himself, and then the others, Garand hangs back for a moment to draw out his intended gift for Koya, asking, "Can this magic also remove any dirt or mold from this item? I wish to give to a friend, but was concerned that washing it would wear away the image..."
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At the inn, Garand parks himself and bear-spirit at a table against a wall, and helps bear-spirit clamber up onto the chest they have carried now for so many hours, finding it prudent to have it well-watched, when they are surrounded by so many uncertain villagers with their strange 'economic theories' concerning the coins stored within. It is not a difficult task to convince bear-spirit that sitting atop the chest makes him 'taller,' and the surrounding townsfolk seem less threatening.
Izumi smiles at Ameiko as she approaches. Her presence alone was lifting his spirits. The depression he had felt since his defeat in the cave was lifting. And then she said that she was proud of him he beamed, a massive smile showing clearly on his face. His injuries forgotten, he loudly says: "I'd give you a hug too Ameiko but my armour is a little jagged at the moment"
Izumi will go and change out of his armour quickly, and change his bandages.
"Izumi, maybe give Ameiko the letter before you go to get cleaned up. Give her a chance to read it and think about it some. Maybe she knows who this Tsutama and Rokuro are. Rokuro at least must be a relative."Raith stands next to Ameiko looking at Izumi.
Pavel snickers.
"Th'that's exactly it, ruh'really. Izumi just wuh'wants to run upstairs and cruh'cross out the other guy's name and puh'put his own in."
"I'd have burned the letter if I thought it was a love letter", Raith says without a hint of humor in his voice.
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Garand chuckles to himself as he orders whatever meal is cooking for the day, preferably something meaty, as he knows that the lion's share of it will be eaten by bear-spirit anyway...
While the cally-birds strut and preen before their prospective hen, Garand takes a moment to examine the arrows they have found (and identified as non-magical), to see if they have any unusual markings, perhaps signs of the distant lands they may have travelled from, muttering a quick prayer to the spirits of that faraway place to open his eyes to the possible value of these things.
"Well, I had hoped to wait for a more private moment, but now I've got the chimera by the neck as it were." Izumi moves back over to Ameiko, drawing the letter from his belt pouch as he does. "No love letter though... it seems to be your grandfather Rokuro's last message to your father." Izumi pauses. Lonjiku had been a sore subject with Ameiko for many years. He hands her the letter. "It was hidden in the hilt of a wakazashi carried by one of the undead... he named himself Tsutamu, one of Rokuro's retainers."
"That is not a problem Garand." Sorin rattles off the quick cantrip and the dust and grime of ages fall away from the gift.
Sorin peers over Izumi's shoulder as he hands the letter to Ameiko. "The skeleton was one of Rokuro's retainers? You never said anything about that before Izumi."
The skeleton probably announced it when he was shouting at us...I really need to learn Tien.
Seeing the look on Ameiko's face as she takes the letter, Sorin beats a hasty retreat and goes to sit with Garand as he waits for his food.
Sorin peers around the interior of the inn, looking for the Sheriff, Sandru or Shalelu.
Perhaps one of them will know where this "Brinewall" is...not that I doubt my ability to find it once I have access to my scrolls later tonight.
"What are they serving tonight Garand? It smells good...of course anything smells good after tromping through a swamp all day." he adds with a wry smile.
"I was hoping you knew more", Raith looks at Ameiko. "You don't know Rokuro?"
Raith goes to the food and digs in. "A meal like this is good pay for killing a few goblins and smashing up some walking bones."
"Hey boss! Pavel and I have been slogging through mud in the Brineswamp. It made me nostalgic for slogging through mud with the caravan." Sorin says with a grin as he pours a tumbler of wine from a large rope-wrapped jug the server set on the table.
"Honestly though, it has been a busy couple of days. We found the source of the goblin problem. It appears that the tribe in question had lucked into a cache of fireworks that had been stored away from a shipwreck that had occurred about 20 to 30 years ago. We found the tribe and engaged them. Pavel, Izumi and Raith are quite good warriors, and made short work of the short goblins. Clues from the goblin village led us past several old wrecked ships, probably belonging to Amieko's family and finally to the cave that the fireworks had been removed from. We defeated some undead, including a warrior by the name of Tsutamu...or something like that, I am still not very good with the Tien names." Sorin sips at his wine and then leans forward. "So the most interesting thing is that there was a letter, probably from Amieko's father in the hilt of Tsutamu's sword, and it mentioned a place called Brinewall. Have you heard of it?"
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Comfortable with the others telling of events, Garand sets aside the arrows he was attempting to appraise, and concentrates his attentions on distracting bear-spirit with small bites of whichever pie seems least appealing to the others and roast vegetables.
Not wanting bear-spirit's appetite to deprive his companions of their well-earned feast, he will ask one of the servers, "Can you bring a large chunk of bread and some sort of meat broth? This food is too rich for him." he says gesturing at his companion, whom he is having to restrain with one arm, to keep him from clambering up on the table.
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Garand still has much to learn about etiquette as he stands respectfully at Koya's approach, but does not 'get her chair.'
"I greet you, seer. Please share this exceptional meal."
Noting Shalelu, with none to specifically greet her, he waves to her as well, "You as well, huntress, come, there is bounty for all."
Turning again to Koya, he draws forth the wrapped bit of wood, "We located ships in the mire, that had been brought far inland, it seemed, by some terrible storm. They bore Tian markings, and contained both wonders and horrors." he unwraps the decorated plank and shows it to her, "I found few items that had not succumbed to the swamp's touch, but this seemed to show a Tian appreciation for the beauty that can be found in the natural world, and I thought you might also appreciate it." he finishes, handing it to her.
If Shalelu joins them, he will ask if she can identify the arrows they found, "These are not magical, but they are unfamiliar to my untrained eye. Could these arrows have come from the same distant lands?"
"I was hoping you knew more", Raith looks at Ameiko. "You don't know Rokuro?"
Ameiko's smile reappears, turning Raith's knees to origami: "Why Raith, I'm not that old, am I? No, Lonjiku had mentioned him, but I could tell there were tensions between them. Anyhow, my family's always been filled with tension..." Her smile disappears again at this.
** spoiler omitted **
Raith blushes without realizing he is doing so, "You're not old at all. I wasn't thinking that at all. You're as pretty as any woman I've ever seen. Just figured you would know something." He looks at the ground knowing his words are clumsy.
Raith doesn't know Shalelu too well, "Hi Shalelu."
Pavel waves to Sandru, the Mayor, Shalelu and Koya as they file in, pushing out chairs for them to sit in. He says little while trying to pack as much food into his mouth as possible.
"So thuh'this Brinewall's a dangerous place?",he asks around a mouthful of rice and venison. "Pruh'probably all kinds of stuff washed up there in Brinestump, too. We didn't have tuh'time to check all the wrecks. Suh'Sorry we didn't leave any goblins for you, Shalelu. Bet there's pl'plenty more out there, though."
Sorin smiles and nods at Shalelu as she approaches welcoming her to the table and the conversations, before returning to Sandru.
"Brinewall is a long way north? If some calamity occurred at Brinewall around the time that the ships were travelling, the ships might have been fleeing Brinewall. That of course is a mere supposition. Without an account or evidence that dates when Brinewall became haunted, there is no way of knowing. It is nice that we do have the date for the storm that brought Lonjiku into Sandpoint, because that gives us the date for the shipwrecks as Shalelu pointed out." Sorin raises his tumbler of wine in a toast to her.
"In any regard, Sandru, I do share your interest in further exploration. I believe that a careful examination of the situation at Brinewall may illuminate the remainder of this bit of history. Furthermore, there is a curious mystery that I encountered before I signed on with your caravan Sandru, it is what drove me to spend so much time in the library of Magnimar and other places that we traveled. I am hoping that I am not seeing clues where there are none, but there may be a connection with Brinewall."
"If you are interested in travelling to Brinewall Sandru, and are looking for a few stout individuals, I would be happy to come with you. However, I know that I need a few days to prepare. I have scrolls to write and research to accomplish first."
"Pavel, Shalelu, what say you? Are you interested in going north to Brinewall? I am certain that dealing with any undead that we find there will be of great benefit, regardless if there is anything to be salvaged in the community."
"Sure. I get pr'pretty restless just hangin' around Suh'Sandpoint. Whuh'what's this thing you're researching?"
Sorin leans back in his chair and pauses a moment before answering Pavel.
"I am certain that you are aware of the presence of devil's and the influence that they wield with the people and leadership of Cheliax. I came to realize during my education in the slums and sewers Corentyn that there was something fundamentally wrong with the city. Which was later borne out during my formal education: the corruption of the soul of the country. The influence of the Infernal weighs at the fabric of the people, pulls them from actions that they would normally undertake, such as helping out a person in need. You see good deeds every day here in Sandpoint, you would never see such actions in Cheliax."
He frowns and sips from his tumbler.
"My theory is that it is the presence of the Infernal rather than some actual stain on the soul of the people that is the root cause of Cheliax's misfortune. Removal of the Infernal will, over time, allow for the return of people to a normal sort of life, again, much like what we have here in Sandpoint."
"To be precise, I have been looking for a way to remove the Infernal influence and then prevent it from returning to Cheliax for a time. A century will probably be enough time for people to turn away from the Infernal. I know that this is a large idea, but it is worth doing. So I am looking into something that I came across in my research...the Jade Edge. I have no idea what it is, or what physical form it takes, but it may be able to banish Infernal agents. So I am researching it and keeping my eyes and ears open for any other options as I travel."