"Is he going to be able to deliver Ameiko from a jail cell?" Illes burns another charge from the wand to heal Larken's wounds and retrieves his whip. "If she's here now, she can be saved now! She doesn't have time to wait for us to interrogate her turncoat brother. See what you can find out, but I'm going with the elf and the priest." So saying the bard hustles down the stairs to catch up.
A quick search finds the following: a potion, a composite shortbow, a nice ring, masterwork thieves' tools, silver earings , a leatherbound journal, 6 pouches of gold dust, eight pouches of silver dust and 10pp.
"Let's see if the guard ever got summoned by the crowd. Maybe we can turn our prisoners over to them." Looks out side quick..."
How about this:
-Larken hog-ties the half-elf, before taking a look outside to see if the real lawmen have shown up. If they have, he drags our priosoner outside, before leading them into the glassworks factory floor to collect the unconscious goblin and dispose of the rest.
-Alwyn and Illes check out the storage area. If there's nothing there, we hustle back and rejoin the group going down the newly breached corridor.
-Everyone else follows the goblin trail down the secret corridor.
Toss the half-elf into one of those wheel barrows. He'll be with us when he wakes up, and if needs be, he may stop an arrow meant for a good soul.
Gurney and I will check the store room for more goblins while the rest of you get the prodigal child tied up. Two of you, go outside and check the crowd, and make sure they summon the rest of the watch, then get back here.
If any of you can track, go ahead and start down the goblin's trail, but don't get to far ahead. And be loud about it, we don't want them stopping to prepare any surprises.
"Sounds like a good plan. Who goes outside - and where is the wheelbarrow?"
Elisile nods at Loj’s plan, standing aside as the marshal and his dog move past her into the storage area to check it for dangers and retrieve a wheel-barrow.
As Larken and Vethran secure and loot the unconscious half elf, Elisile speaks to the rest of the group who are clustered around the hole in the wall at the base of the stairs. “Dravite Schorl and I will follow the trail a short way. If any of you can walk quietly,” she eyes the armoured Alwyn and Hudak uncertainly, “follow closely. Otherwise, go and summon the law-keepers then catch up.”
With that, she whispers some arcane words to herself, nocks an arrow to her bow, nods to Dravite, and the pair start forward warily.
"Haul him along in a wheelbarrow?" Larken nearly chokes at the idea, "in a wheelbarrow??"
He goes over to the door and peeks out, hoping to find some members of the town guard.
He beckons them over.
"Would you fellows watch this guy?" Larken gestures at the unconscious half-elf, surrounded by his dead goblin buddies, "He shouldn't wake up for a while, but if he does, feel free to hit him with a stick until he goes back to sleep. We've got," he lowers his voice ominously, "goblins in the basement, and we need to get down there and ferret them out."
Then, with the assumption that all is well with the half-elf, he gestures to Vethran and heads down the stairs to catch up with the rest of his incredibly impatient group.
A young guardsman, carrying a spear and with an ill-fitting helmet, stands gawping with the rest of the crowd. As Larken approaches, he straightens up and salutes, knocking the helmet over his eyes in the process. He fumbles with his spear, dropping it, while trying to adjust his helmet so he can see. With one hand pressing his helmet in place, he bends over and picks up his spear again.
"Guardsman Gint, at your service, sir. An honour to serve with you, if I might say, sir."
He marches purposefully after Larken but hesitates as he enters the scenes of battle. He swallows hard, sets his jaw and says, "I will guard the miscreant, sir. You go and deal with the devils that did this." He then stands over the unconscious half-elf, menacing him with his spear.
With the half-elf under guard, the town's heroes set off to explore the basement. The storage area turns a corner. The area contains raw materials for glass-making in sacks and jars. There are two doors leading off, one locked and one unlocked. The unlocked room has a bedroll in the middle, and a few empty bottles of wine and harder grog. A couple of sketches are scattered on the floor. Each has the name "Nualia" on them.
The locked door can be forced or easily picked. Inside, blindfolded, gagged and hog-tied, lies Ameiko. She is still alive, but badly hurt after a savage beating.
Beyond the demolished wall a roughly hewn tunnel stretches off into the darkness. It is clear that this is the path taken by the goblins in and out, and the way the last few managed to flee.
"Ameiko!" Illes rushes to her side, lays his rapier down, and removes her blindfold and gag then starts working on the ropes. "The watch has your brother upstairs. His goblins are on the run. You're safe now." As soon as he gets her free from the ropes, Illes draws his wand and does his best to undo the marks left by Tsuto and his friends.
Hudak takes the sketches of Nualia.
"These might be important."
Looks like Illes is getting all the play, so...
Vethran helps carry the prone figure outside and remains with the half-elf and the guardsman. He stands silently only a few feet away from the hostage, eying him carefully for any signs of movement and hardly noticing the gawking strangers all around him.
"Larken, attend the rest of them inside. I shall see to it that our guest here doesn't go anywhere." Vethran tries, somewhat unsuccessfully, to conceal his injuries whilst standing watch.
After following the goblin trail for a short distance through the demolished wall, Elisile hears the voices of their companions from back within the Glassworks. It appears that they have found Ameiko she surmises, realizing that this makes tracking the escaped goblins somewhat less urgent – and that it may be wise to await the others.
Gesturing to Dravite, she returns to the storage area in time to see Lo’j and Illes carrying the tightly bound woman out of the doorway that Hudak has just removed from its hinges. As Larken and Illes work at her bonds, Elisile kneels and begins rubbing sensation back into her feet, before the bard begins curing her wounds.
“Ameiko,” Elisile says quietly, “please tell us what happened.”
The elf notices Hudak stuffing some pieces of paper inside his jerkin. “Let me see those,” she demands, standing and holding out her hand. After examining the sketches closely for a few moments, she comments. “It would appear that people declined to mention that the priest’s daughter had wings and a claw when they described her as ‘strange looking’. Although from these images, it may be that those features are not always evident.”
"Still sore from our little skirmish? There'll be more, so we should get you all up to speed again, I guess." With that, Alwyn casts a healing spell upon the battered wizard. "Anyone else hurt?"
Ameiko gazes up groggily at Elisile. "My brother.... He.... I received at letted from Tsuto, saying to meet him here. When I got here, I was ambushed by goblins. The workers, father..." She buries her face in her hands. After a minute she composes herself.
"He wanted me to join him . He's involved in some plan, I don't what. But he hates Sandpoint, father. He's with someone, his "love", and they are going to destroy us all." She shakes her head slowly. "I said no. He went mad. And... I don't really remember much else."
She looks up. "Where is he? Is he alright?"
“He is alive,” responds Elisile, as she stands to look at Hudak’s artwork. “His fate is up to you.”
So, Tsuto’s love she thinks, looking at the drawings. Drawn from life I suppose.
“What do you make of these Alwyn?” she asks, showing the pictures to the cleric (to Hudak’s protests no doubt!) as he approaches to ask her of her wounds. “With these features I suppose the priest’s daughter to be some manner of fiend, but my studies did not delve deeply into such matters.”
"Thank you for rescuing me. I, er, appreciate it a lot," says Ameiko, shyly looking over at the group, her gaze lingering on Illes and Hudak. Then she frowns. "Why is Hudak wearing my brother's trousers?"
Meanwhile....
Guardsman Gint notices Tsuto's journal on the floor, where it lies after the half-elf was frisked. He points it out to Larken and Vethran. "Sir, do you think this is important? Maybe he documented his nefarious scheme in there, sir," he adds with a smile and a wink.
"Wings and claws, eh? That's a little unusual, don't you think, and yet nobody remembered her having them when she lived in Sandpoint. It seems that she has changed a little over the years. Gifts and blessings of a sort from powerful patrons to favoured minions are quite common. My best guess is that she has given her allegiance to some fiend, who has then reshaped her flesh to make her into a creature more pleasing to her master. That could be why she stole her father's bones - she rejected one father in favour of the new one."
Guardsman Gint notices Tsuto's journal on the floor, where it lies after the half-elf was frisked. He points it out to Larken and Vethran. "Sir, do you think this is important? Maybe he documented his nefarious scheme in there, sir," he adds with a smile and a wink.
Vethran's eyes fall upon the book and he smirks. "Yes.... perhaps this will reveal something useful..."
Vethran picks up the book and opens it, reading through the entries swiftly and scanning for relevant information.
"Your brother is alive, ma'am. Whether he will be 'OK' is up to the sheriff." Alwyn turns to the rest of the party. "She'll be all right, especially as the Watch has arrived. Let's hunt down and kill those last goblins before they escape."
Me hook be hungry and ready fer action!
Let's be goin'.
In the book, Vethran finds a series of maps and charts depicting Sandpoint. One seems to depict the plan for the initial attack on the town, with 30 goblins, as a distraction to steal Father Tobyn's body. Others depict another attack on Sandpoint, with a force of 200 goblins. While many of these plans are crossed out or have amendments, it is clear that a final assault on Sandpoint appears to be planned for the near future.
The book also contains more drawings, similar to those found in the basement, of an attractive young woman. Most seem fairly ordinary, as erotic doodlings go, but a few depict her with claws, horns and so on.
There are also a few passages which stand out:
After the battle maps:
The raid went about as planned. Few Thistletop goblins perished, and we were able to secure Tobyn’s casket with ease while the rubes were distracted by the rest. I can’t wait until the real raid. This town deserves a burning, that’s for sure.
Ripnugget seems to favor the overwhelming land approach, but I don’t think it’s the best plan. We should get the quasit’s aid. Send her freaks up from below via the smuggling tunnel in my father’s Glassworks, and then invade from the river and from the Glassworks in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree, and I’m pretty sure the bugbear’s just being contrary to annoy me. My love’s too distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision. Says that once Malfeshnekor’s released and under her command, we won’t need to worry about being subtle. I hope she’s right.
Before the last illustration:
My love seems bent on going through with it—nothing I can say convinces her of her beauty. She remains obsessed with removing what she calls her ‘celestial taint’ and replacing it with her "Mother’s grace". Burning her father’s remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the transformation, but I can’t say her new hand is pleasing to me. Hopefully when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtu’s fires, her new body won’t be as hideous. Maybe I’ll luck out. Succubi are demons too, aren’t they?
"Go in? Have a look around? I'm game."
Hudak wipes Tsuto's blood off of his bastard sword with Tsuto's pantleg.
Vethran's visage turns more grim with each passing entry. Once finished with the book, he turns to Larken and mutters in Thassilonian (to hopefully prevent any locals from understanding):
"Etro ulgo oldamres il-gorthos mu'aran ersh."*
The adventurers accompany Ameiko back upstairs to where Vethran (and perhaps some of the others) keep a watchful eye on Tsuto – or at least it would be a watchful eye were he not poring over a small book.
“It seems that we will soon be earning our pay in defence of this town. Of course, it may be preferable to strike the goblins before any invasion plans can be enacted. Perhaps of more pressing concern is the mention of the quasit and this Mal- this thing that the priest’s daughter seeks to free. I believe we have found the entrance to the smuggler’s tunnels – can these ‘lower chambers’ be part of the same complex? I would hazard so.”
The elf stares off into the distance for a moment. “We should venture into these tunnels, but the question; do we take time to rest and prepare, or do we proceed with haste. The need may be dire, but we achieve little in defeat. A quasit is, I believe, a type of fiend. The thing that the priest’s daughter seeks to control may be too, and it seems that the daughter wishes to become one. These are deadly foes. We do best to know what we face, and know how to defeat it.”
“Does the book make reference to a proposed date of attack, Vethran Tallowmane?” she asks, thumbing through the sketches again.
“This is interesting…” she says. “Tsuto has given quite an attention to detail and accuracy in these sketches, even as far as areas he clearly does not find attractive, such as the clawed arm. Look here, at the daughter’s stomach in this drawing where she is standing, and here again in this one. Is that some sort of wound or scar there?”
"Hmmm... At this point, the goblins have probably escaped. We might as well let them go, as they will bring tales of death and terror to their compatriots. Thus there is no real immediacy; I say we regroup, prepare anew and then approach the tunnels tomorrow morning."
Alwyn leans over the rest of the party to look at Tsuto's journal . "Hey, look, there's a reference to Bruthazmus! It also seems like our true foe now camps with the goblins at Thistletop, wherever that is. Also, I was thinking that Nualia is now a cultist of Lamashtu - her monstrous disfigurement would please this vile goddess. Ah, and here Tsuto mentions the Mother of Monsters as well. We'll need to chat a bit with Tsuto once he wakes up, but that can wait until we check out the tunnels. Now, how do we stop the goblins, and possibly worse thngs, from coming out of the breach in the basement?"
"No timeframe is given for this attack, but given the fact that Tsuto is still here, I should think that the attack will not come for at least another day or so. I don't imagine he would be keen on sticking around a place that is going to be completely put to the torch, no? If we are unable to round up the escaped goblins, then they may advance their invasion plans by raising the alarm, but I strongly doubt that they are about to bring an army to bear in the very near future. Surely Shalelu might know if there has been any goblin activity in the immediate area. Perhaps we should ask her if she knows the status of the goblin war machine?"
The night passes uneventfully. The guards, under supervision, keep a close watch on the tunnel entrance, but nothing emerges.
With the situation in hand, Illes parted with the others and escorted Ameiko back to the Rusty Dragon. Though he offered what little consolation he could, the situation was pretty grim and he wasn't about to bring up her father's grisly fate. The bard looked around the tavern and sighed to himself. Things had been so different just the night before when they were all drinking and laughing in the taproom. Illes wouldn't have been able to think of goblins as much more than a nuisance, but now... Did he really hear Vethran say two-hundred goblins? These people didn't stand a chance! They should be preparing, barricading... evacuating maybe. Shaking his head he privately fills Bethana in with minimal details (Tsuto working with goblins and responsible for their father's death, but captured now) and consigns Ameiko to her care. A quick shot of whiskey to calm his nerves and the bard rejoins the others to think about how to handle recent developments.
All we can be doin', Illes, is ta be tellin' de watch an' seein' if'n de town has a militia. If dey do den we be needin' to make sure dey be on alert wit-oot tellin' de rest o' de town. De rest o' de townfolf would be panickin' an' dat be only helpin' de gobbos.
Maybe some stockpiles o' arms in certain strategic locations twould be a fair idear also.
Illes doesn't raise his gaze from his mug when he replies, "Two hundred is a lot of goblins. If we aren't able to stop them- say we can't find Thistletop, say they are already on the move when we leave the town looking for them... should we deny the people of Sandpoint the opportunity to flee when they had a chance?"
There be a fair number o' townsfolk 'ere, over 10 hundred I should be tinkin'. Wit a small militia up an' lookin' fer trouble, and de gates in workin' order, the militia shoul' be holdin' off the gobbos fer a bit while de town can be mobilizin' ta either get all de able bodied ta be defendin' her or ta be gettin' de non-fightin' fit ta safety. Panickin' de masses now will just be puttin' dem on de road in smaller numbers wit-oot a wall fer protection an' at the mercy o' de gobbos. De gobbos will be ta likin' raidin' small caravans of de weak.
Den after dey be slaughterin' de caravans and stealin' the easy-got supplies, dey will be turnin' a eager eye to de town, now wit less humans ta defend her.
I say we need ta be keepin' this info in de watch's hands fer now.
"I agree. With a functional city defense, I fail to see how the town would fall to a force of goblins - this time, the gates are locked and guarded. Having said that, the widespread panic that would ensue if this information got out would cause great damage and also hurt citizen morale. The sheriff and mayor need to know, though."
Illes agrees with a nod, "You're right about the stragglers. Occasionally with the caravan we would come across the remains of those foolish enough to travel on their own. Another thing that's bothering me though. The part where Tsuto mentions sending "her freaks" through the tunnels during the invasion. If you are in love with someone who is trying to turn herself into a demon, you hang out with goblins, and you don't mind killing your father with molten glass- exactly who do you refer to as freaks?"
Vethran sits with the others, carefully analyzing the map sketches and re-reading the entries. "While you may be correct in the fact that a mobilized and active citizen guard could hold off a goblin invasion of several hundred for some time, my concern is not the goblins themselves but these other creatures that are mentioned. What is this 'Malfeshnekor?' It sounds like it could be a demonic creature of some kind. And if this quasit commands other fiends as well, who knows how many hellspawned abominations will come skittering out of the dark? There is no mention of their numbers and no indication of their power."
Vethran sighs to himself, looking up from the book. "We should journey into that tunnel below the glassworks. If the 'quasit and her freaks' are supposed to come up that way, then it makes sense that we would find them by following it to its source. I believe they are far more of a threat than the goblins at this juncture."
“It may be better not to speak that name,” murmurs Elisile, as Vethran voices the word “Malfeshnekor”.
“I believe that whatever lurks below the glassworks is the greater – and more immediate danger. That is our priority. However, the mayor should certainly be warned, the militia raised, and the town prepared for attack. As well as improving the defences of the northern gates, I would demolish the bridge at the east bank, and barricade and guard the other; once our task below is complete, we must find a way to collapse these ‘smugglers tunnels’, cutting down another avenue of attack.”
Elisile stands, polishing her re-acquired daggers and preparing for her turn at watch. “We should set off early in the morning, but not so early that we do not have a chance to shop for supplies, and question Tsuto – we have ensured that he is secured and well guarded in the town’s holding place? I hope that they are not unwise enough to untie him.”
"If we're going up against fiends," Larken shoots a troubled gaze around the table, "maybe we should talk to the priest? I don't know much about demons and such. save that they're tough and full of magic. I do agree, that whatever is below town is probably the bigger danger."
He pauses a moment, then continues, "One more thing. I'm good at a few things, and, evidence to the contrary, fighting isn't one of them. I'm a tolerable forward scout, but I'm really good and finding and removing traps and similar nastiness. I can't do that for you all if you get way ahead of me... wandering down passages and opening doors where goblins or who knows what might have left you a nasty surprise."
He shrugs self-consciously, and goes back to sipping his ale.
Definitely down the hole, then.
As soon as a new dawn fills you each with your power.
I don't know how to count to this....twohunder number, but I doubt all of us together could tally it with knives in blood.
Still, when I put Tsuto under my knife, and tallied "one" I saw the rest of the goblins run.
And so we must go down in that hole and put Nualia, and that bugbear, and the quaznut and his nutters, and who or whatever else is down there under each of our knives.
We must feed them to the scurrying rats in the hole.
When these twohunders or fourhunders, or elevendytwelvhunders see their masters' heads tallied, they will all run away, and scatter to the wind.
"If we're going up against fiends," Larken shoots a troubled gaze around the table, "maybe we should talk to the priest? I don't know much about demons and such. save that they're tough and full of magic. I do agree, that whatever is below town is probably the bigger danger."
He pauses a moment, then continues, "One more thing. I'm good at a few things, and, evidence to the contrary, fighting isn't one of them. I'm a tolerable forward scout, but I'm really good and finding and removing traps and similar nastiness. I can't do that for you all if you get way ahead of me... wandering down passages and opening doors where goblins or who knows what might have left you a nasty surprise."
He shrugs self-consciously, and goes back to sipping his ale.
Elisile nods. “Yes, that makes sense. We should be swift but not incautious. As for fighting fiends, are any here versed in those arts, or should we speak to the town’s priest?”
"Larken, can you make trapthings? Maybe it'd help those poor wretches guarding the hole."
Illes looks to Vethran, "Vethako? Fiends sound like your kind of thing. You reading up on them during all that time you spend holed up in your room?"
“I know a spell that will, for a short time, increase a warrior’s size, strength and reach. Were I to prepare that this night, would any here gain benefit from it?” She looks specifically to Hudak and Dravite.
“Also, I have heard tell that many fiends are somewhat resistant to the bite of steel. There are spells that infuse a blade with magic for a time, but such are beyond my ken. Do any know of a place in town that we might purchase arcane scrolls come daylight?”