"That dog'll hunt."
I could be restin', healer. I be needin' some time ta be gettin' me thoughts in line....
"Deal. We'll feed coins into that column tomorrow. Until then, let's get rid of the goblin bodies, get a campfire going and set up a watch schedule."
“We will go back up the top to rest, correct? I would sleep under the stars, not in these tunnels.”
"Yeah; up top would be nice. I think we've hit them hard enough to where there won't be any enemies to set up a resistance to our return.
I'd take first watch. I'm too antsy to sleep right now, and maybe somebody with better eyes in the night could be on watch later?"
We can be cuttin' de bridge so they cannae be comin' back at all if'n we be wantin' to. Might'n be a good idear anyhow so de will nae be comin' back at all. We 'ave ways of gittin' across if needed. We can be sendin' o'er the wizo wit a rope an grappling hook.
I be fer de second watch.
"Don't forget your mule. Getting him here or back would be difficult without a bridge."
"Too bad that mule don't have wings."
“We should leave the bridge in place. If by chance something should come up from below that we are not ready to face, we cut off our quickest escape if the bridge is down. Conversely, it is an easy enough point for us to watch.”
"Too bad that mule don't have wings."
I heared once o' a crimson cow wit' horns what could give ya wings but ne'er in dese parts.....
The prisoners remain below in the cells after we are careful to search them for any tricky bits of equipment, including confiscating all the mage's spell components and - after Veth and Elisile have had a quick scan of her spellbook - anything in the cell that can be used as a component.
The warrior is still unconscious so not so worried about him.
We'll give them food ... and I assume we have keys to those cells, Elisile wasn't with the group who went in there initially...
Injured NPC I forgot about ... we left her in the cell didn't we? We'll retrieve her when we lock the prisoners, she'll camp with the group.
"We can't leave the prisoners down there. It's not right."
"I tried," says Larken,after seeing the horribly injured woman, "I really tried. But... I can't bite my tongue. I won't. We have this woman, who is obviously in need of greater care than we can offer. Some of you saw this, and didn't immediately recommend that we start back, enemy hunting be damned!?! Now we have her and two prisoners, one of whom is also injured, and we're still even talking about going back in. I... The right thing to do is head back, now. We've wiped out the goblins, except for the non-combatants who likely haven't had time to go get fighters to come back. We've killed Nualia and stopped her evil plans, defeated all her minions. In short, we've done what we came to do."
He looks around, trying to figure out what could possibly be going on inside the rest of the group's heads.
"Yeah, let's go back."
"The kid's right. But that woman needs more help than all the priests of Sandpoint combined are going to be able to deliver." Illes eyes flick uneasily to Davos, "Sorry friend, but it's the truth of things. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm with you in whatever it takes to get that help. Maybe a shaman in the outlying areas?" He looks to Elisile for any kind of agreement. "I 'll find out if any Varisian caravans nearby travel with one of Desna's disciples- if not that, then Magnimar may be our best chance."
"OK. Let's make some stretchers to transport the wounded and the swag. Just a couple of things I want to take care of first..."
"Forgive the cruelty of what I am about to say, but wounded or no, she lives. If that painting depicts what is beyond the coins, and a goblin as big as a mountain is brewing down there, well then I for one would argue against turning our backs on it. Frightful little will it to to save her back in Magnimar when a mountain of fangs and claws comes singing a frighful ditty and grabbing people by the score and making snacks of them."
"If you want to shivvy back to Sandpoint, or Magnimar, or further if you wish, then go. I will remain here, and make sure with my last breath that no one comes along to open that door."
Hudak is impressed.
"You talk good. Good battle chief.
HUDAK stands with LO'J."
"You make a good point, Lo'j. However, nobody's going to let the goblin-demon out over the next two days. The thing has been in there since time immemorial. Let's just bring our prisoners back to Sandpoint and get them out of our hair, before talking to the cathedral's high priest. Maybe he knows something useful about demons? After that, we can return better prepared for whatever might be behind that door."
"That thing down there had demon claws, and dug up her own father to use for some fell purpose, and in a world where such things can happen and wonders and wizards wander through every door, and you dare risk one of her followers having not the foresight to quaff a draught of invisibility, nor the presence of mind to do so. Or some other minor hellion bound to her service, some cowardly imp with barely the presence to slot a coin."
"Go if you feel the need,, and go with Godspeed for your sword may be sorely missed. I shall stay here."
"Yeah; me too. We can take this byoch."
"Yeah, let's go back."
"Yeah; me too. We can take this byoch."
"Yeah, let's go back.""Yeah; me too. We can take this byoch."
Let's do it!
What are we gonna do?
"I will remain with Lo'j," the Varisian mage speaks. "If nothing else, it will give me a great deal of time with which to study the ruins and these pillars, perhaps allowing me to discover something more useful about what lies beneath."
Vethran nodded to Lo'j. "It would be folly to have one man stay here alone."
"Me and the kid'll get the prisoners and Davos' friend back to town with whoever else wants to come along for security. Davos? Elisile? If we can rig it up maybe the mule can drag the stretcher." He nods to Lo'j, "You guys can sit tight and guard the pillar if you want. You want to wait I'll come back and join you. I've already healed all of her minor wounds. It's going to take time to find someone who can do more than that." Under his breath he mutters, "And more coin than I can imagine," running his fingers through his hair in frustration. "You don't want to wait, I'll start asking around. Davos, I don't know- I can imagine you want to stay with your friend for now till she realizes this nightmare is over? I've got an idea Larken is going to end up standing watch over Tsuto and these two's cells..."
"What do you think? Go on, or wait for me to make the trip back? It might only be me coming back depending on who's going with."
"That thing down there had demon claws, and dug up her own father to use for some fell purpose, and in a world where such things can happen and wonders and wizards wander through every door, and you dare risk one of her followers having not the foresight to quaff a draught of invisibility, nor the presence of mind to do so. Or some other minor hellion bound to her service, some cowardly imp with barely the presence to slot a coin."
"Go if you feel the need,, and go with Godspeed for your sword may be sorely missed. I shall stay here."
Ye have my Hook! I be with ye!
Be feelin' free ta be takin' Crag the mule wit' ye ta help carry the wounded but beware. She has mean gas if'n ye be givin' 'er too much oots. Dinnae be lettin' any harm come ta her if ye will. She be a good mule.
"How about this - Illes, Larken, Davos and myself will escort the prisoners to Sandpoint and at the same time bring Aylmora to the temple to see if they can alleviate her suffering. I want to pick up a few things in town after that - and then we return here to clean up."
Alwyn wanders over to Hudak. "One ting I will be getting is a silver knife. Put those hellhound carcasses aside for a bit."
"I will remain with Lo'j," the Varisian mage speaks. "If nothing else, it will give me a great deal of time with which to study the ruins and these pillars, perhaps allowing me to discover something more useful about what lies beneath."
Vethran nodded to Lo'j. "It would be folly to have one man stay here alone."
"Not just a man....a man....and a SHOANTI!!!"
Let's watch the doors.
"I have no urge to be opening this pit of demon spittle without every sword we can muster, only to be making sure some lingering foe hasn't a mind to be doin' that very thing."
Turning to those who intnd to stay, "thank you for remaining. Perhaps the army has made me paranoid, but I'd rather bivuac in the unpleasantness of here for a week than let something foul slip from the deep."
"Speaking of foul, I suggest those headed for town take all the coin with them. If the Thasalonians marked this place with runes of greed, I'd be afraid they may have a spell left lingering to make us slip in a coin, and I dare not see the prize we winf from that turn at the slots."
Elisile lets the humans argue it out. Like Lo’j, she has no intention of leaving this place until though know how securely the fiend below is bound, whatever the group decides … her people have learnt the hard way not to underestimate demons. Ille’s compromise is a good one though, and the elf silently indicates that she will remain behind to watch.
While she would rather keep that watch in the courtyard under the stars, Lo’j is quite right that vigil is better kept in the room with the door. She mentally steels herself for a night beneath the stone.
I will take a piece of bread from my rations, wet it, and press it over the slot. Even if something is invisible and wants to slide in a coin, the should have to pick at it for a minute or two.
"We'll take turns in the down below, but I think it would be best if we slept outside."
"I'll keep first watch with Gurney, and whoever cares to join us."
The Vigilant Who Made Their Stand:
oh. nevermind.
Goers:
|
goers
While Alwyn (and whoever) gives the mayor a run-down, I take Davos and the injured woman over to the cathedral. I doubt the priest can do much for her, but he's the best they have here in town, and he'll know who to contact to get her better help.
"Probably going to have to be on credit though, Father," Larken tells him, "Goblins aren't known for their wealth. I'll make it good, though. You have my word, which has started to mean something to me. I don't know what the rest of the group will do or say about helping to pay for her healing, so I'm not speaking for anyone but me, but I'm guessing that there'll be plenty of opportunity to get the gold together. She needs help now, though, and shouldn't be made to wait because she's poor. Hopefully the Desnans will look at it that way too."
Once he's seen her taken care of, and left Davos at her side, he asks, "Father, do you have any... ummmm.... books about religion? Good and evil, that sort of thing? I'm starting to wonder about that kind of thing a lot, and I don't know who to ask."
** spoiler omitted **
Ye be forgettin' me!
Dravite will take the darkest watch.