Fine, let's go then." Izbahn says ungraciously. "We are going to have a chat with a prisoner in the town, before heading to the tunnel."
Stepping out of the man's way, Kortus fell in behind the group and followed them out of the inn.
Once the posturing ends and the group starts to exit the mess hall, Venmirl finally lets go of Darst's squirming body. "You keep that kind of talk up and next time I'll just let you go and get torn to shreds by that cat there, or whatever it may be that you're foolishly puffing your chest at." he says to the short goblin with a serious stare.
Intimidate:
Amrunelara kicks back watching the mornings entertainment with a smile on her face.
Seems like I wont have to kill the goblin after all. He's suicidal enough on his own, either that or the dwarf will beat me to it
Standing up and maneuvering the chair back to its position in one graceful movement Amrunelara skirts past the group, giving a nod and smile to the dwarf as she floats by.
She heads outside, makes sure all her weapons are firmly secured, then proceeds to lean against the stone wall of the rusty dragon, watching the towns morning activity with interest and curiosity.
Once the posturing ends and the group starts to exit the mess hall, Venmirl finally lets go of Darst's squirming body. "You keep that kind of talk up and next time I'll just let you go and get torn to shreds by that cat there, or whatever it may be that you're foolishly puffing your chest at." he says to the short goblin with a serious stare.
Intimidate: 1d20+5
"What's I says? What's I says?" Darst asks in fear and confusion. He seems soundly cowed. Moonlance's smirk, however, brings upon his face a murderous snarl. "She be's smiling! She be's smiling! Wipe that filthy smile off you's filthy face, or I's cut it off! Elfy scum! You's think you's better than I, just becauses you gots a swordy in your fat hand and makes humans blush?! News for yous, idiot! The looks and the swords not worth much when you's back has a stabby in it! Lamashtu take you!"
Izbahn is the last to leave, and before he leaves, he asks Syeira for a bottle of wine, to go. Syeira nods sympathically, and hands over a bottle, which he quietly stashes in his pack.
Once you arrive at the garrison and share with the guards your plan to interrogate Tsuto, they go fetch their gaoler Vacheri to guide you. Venmirl recognizes the huge pale-skinned and heavily scarred shoanti man from the last time he was here. The man says little as he's guiding you. He easily removes a heavy bar that held shut a trapdoor and you then go down a dark flight of stairs. You eventually reach a dank corridor cut directly into the bedrock under Sandpoint. The only light here is emitted by Vacheri's torch. There's only 6 cells and the only one occupied holds Tsuto's unconscious body. The shoanti goaler speaks in an heavily accented common as he grabs his keys. "Him not in shape to do much talking. Want me to open up, yes?"
Once you arrive at the garrison and share with the guards your plan to interrogate Tsuto, they go fetch their gaoler Vacheri to guide you. Venmirl recognizes the huge pale-skinned and heavily scarred shoanti man from the last time he was here. The man says little as he's guiding you. He easily removes a heavy bar that held shut a trapdoor and you then go down a dark flight of stairs. You eventually reach a dank corridor cut directly into the bedrock under Sandpoint. The only light here is emitted by Vacheri's torch. There's only 6 cells and the only one occupied holds Tsuto's unconscious body. The shoanti goaler speaks in an heavily accented common as he grabs his keys. "Him not in shape to do much talking. Want me to open up, yes?"
Izbahn nods at the jailer, indicating to open the cell. Once inside, he stares at the unconscious form of Tsuto, noting his elvish features. He looks over at Amrunelara, and notes the similarities in their features, but says nothing. His eyes are devoid of emotion, as he turns to Venmirl, and says, "Wake him up. Now."
While Izbahn is no great healer, he has been around enough wounded people lately to see that Tsuto looks in bad shape now that he's up close. Sickly looking pus oozes out from some of his wounds and he seems feverish. Of course, some healing magic could probably help him a lot.
Venmirl pulls on Tsuto's body and recognizes his condition. He points to the infected wounds and says to Izbahn "He doesn't look good. He may require some healing for us to get anything out of him."
He looks at Izbahn with a raised eyebrow.
"Do what you have to do for him, Venmirl, we need answers." Izbahn says in a cold voice.
Heal:
Using what little equipment he has, Venmirl cleans up Tsuto's wounds and changes most of his bandages. This will probably help the prisoner fight off infection but it does little to make him conscious enough for a discussion.
Izbahn looks to Venmirl, and also glances at Naomi, and Kortus. He seems to be waiting for something.
Venmirl grumbles in a language none save Vacheri would understand before holding his totem up high and speaking forcefully.
Cure light wounds:
Izbahn smirks as he overhears the Shoanti healer's murmered words, and makes note of the colorful idioms.
As the shoanti works his magic, Tsuto's condition gets better and he begins to stir and speak weakly. "Oh ... what the? Oow ... Where am I?" Opening his eyes, he looks at you, then at the gaoler and then looks back at you, his eyes full of despise. "I see now. I've got nothing to say to you rubes. Don't waste your time. How about you go back to my sister and leave me alone?"
Izbahn leans in close and says quietly to Tsuto. "Look, Tsuto, your only chance for clemency at this point is to cooperate with us. If you think your lover is going to swoop down from the sky and carry you away from your consequences of your actions, you are sadly mistaken. She will most likely execute you for your failures. Your sister still loves you, which is why you are still alive now. So, if you want any hope of freedom, you can start by telling us what you found in the smuggling tunnel under the Glassworks building."
"Don't presume to know anything about me and my love! Wait, I would you even know ... You read my journal, you snoopy piece of crap! What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't it be Sheriff Hemlock coming down here to try to weasel information out of me?"
"You're lucky we need information only you have, Tsuto, because I have seen people get killed over lesser insults and I'm not in a forgiving mood at the moment. You and your lover can rot in the Abyss for all I care, but we will get the information we seek. The way I see, you have two options, three if Ameiko decides you should live. You can give us the information willingly, or we let you the townspeople know you had a part in this raid, and let them in one at a time to express their gratitude."
She pauses.
"But if Ameiko doesn't care if you live, when can force you to tell us what you know from beyond the grave. I'm sure their is a priest close by who could cast the spell we need."
"But if Ameiko doesn't care if you live, when can force you to tell us what you know from beyond the grave. I'm sure their is a priest close by who could cast the spell we need."
"Hey, that's a damn good idea Naomi! Let's just go ahead and go that route. After what he did to Naomi, I doubt she wants him around anymore anyhow!" Venmirl says with a crazed grin on his face while staring menacingly into Tsuto's eyes.
Intimidate:
The half-elf prisoner doesn't seem impressed by what is being told to him. "Bah, spare me your empty threats and do your worse. You think I'm a fool? You think I don't know where I am? If your big friend is here, that means I'm in the cell under the garrison. I'm guessing you told the guardsmen what you saw in the Glassworks and if they know, everybody knows. They'll want me hang ... I know. This town hates me, they've always hated me."
Izbahn leans in close again, "Well, not everybody here is a local to Sandpoint. So, tell us, what did the people in this town do to you to wrong you so?"
The half-elf prisoner doesn't seem impressed by what is being told to him. "Bah, spare me your empty threats and do your worse. You think I'm a fool? You think I don't know where I am? If your big friend is here, that means I'm in the cell under the garrison. I'm guessing you told the guardsmen what you saw in the Glassworks and if they know, everybody knows. They'll want me hang ... I know. This town hates me, they've always hated me."
Darst narrows his eyes. "You's making bigs mistakes here, elfy. I isn't likes elfies. I isn't likes elfies who's get me sent to jails. And I isn't like blood traitors." He pulls out his razor and tosses it deftly from hand to hand. "I's a goblin, and you's knows what goblins does. They may not wants to kills you...they may bluffs. But I isn't bluffs. I isn't dirsing care about the laws. So talkies or I's find out how many stabbies with this thing it takes to kill you. Trust me, it takes lots."
Frustrated at his inability to get Tsuto to open up, and annoyed at Darst's threats to what seems to Venmirl to be a very nice (and by the looks of it, somewhat more of a capable battle partner) elf, Venmirl grabs Darst again and takes him away from the prison cell to have a little man-to-goblin talk.
Frustrated at his inability to get Tsuto to open up, and annoyed at Darst's threats to what seems to Venmirl to be a very nice (and by the looks of it, somewhat more of a capable battle partner) elf, Venmirl grabs Darst again and takes him away from the prison cell to have a little man-to-goblin talk.
Frustrated at his inability to get through to Tsuto, and confused by the goblin's ability to intimidate better than he is able to himself, Venmirl walks out to the hallway and just listens to the banter in solitude.
Izbahn leans in close again, "Well, not everybody here is a local to Sandpoint. So, tell us, what did the people in this town do to you to wrong you so?"
"They never treated me like a person is what they did. They did the same* ... They always treated me like the 'Bastard'. The 'Kaijitsu bastard' or the 'Elven bastard', it made no difference. They didn't care when my father..." There's tons of irony and hatred in the way Tsuto says the word. "... abandoned me, made an orphan out of me when I was just a babe. Later, nobody listened to me when I told them Lonjiku was the one that killed my mother. No, they prefer to believed she killed herself. They're all stupid, without honor and follow their precious 'nobles' blindly. They refused to give me justice, so I had to make my own."
Izbahn leans in close again, "Well, not everybody here is a local to Sandpoint. So, tell us, what did the people in this town do to you to wrong you so?""They never treated me like a person is what they did. They did the same* ... They always treated me like the 'Bastard'. The 'Kaijitsu bastard' or the 'Elven bastard', it made no difference. They didn't care when my father..." There's tons of irony and hatred in the way Tsuto says the word. "... abandoned me, made an orphan out of me when I was just a babe. Later, nobody listened to me when I told them Lonjiku was the one that killed my mother. No, they prefer to believed she killed herself. They're all stupid, without honor and follow their precious 'nobles' blindly. They refused to give me justice, so I had to make my own."
** spoiler omitted **
Darst narrows his eyes. "You's making bigs mistakes here, elfy. I isn't likes elfies. I isn't likes elfies who's get me sent to jails. And I isn't like blood traitors." He pulls out his razor and tosses it deftly from hand to hand. "I's a goblin, and you's knows what goblins does. They may not wants to kills you...they may bluffs. But I isn't bluffs. I isn't dirsing care about the laws. So talkies or I's find out how many stabbies with this thing it takes to kill you. Trust me, it takes lots."
"Here we go with threats again ... from a goblin. I would laugh at the irony but I'm not really in the mood."
Frustrated at his inability to get through to Tsuto, and confused by the goblin's ability to intimidate better than he is able to himself, Venmirl walks out to the hallway and just listens to the banter in solitude.
"Tsuto, who else did they treat the same way, was it Nualia, is that why you and her share the same goals?"
Frustrated at his inability to get through to Tsuto, and confused by the goblin's ability to intimidate better than he is able to himself, Venmirl walks out to the hallway and just listens to the banter in solitude.
Sense Motive
After following the others down, Kortus and Whisper stay at the edge of the prison cell and allow the others to do the talking. While he knows that the prisoner must be someone of importance, due to the heavy interrogation they were giving him, thus far it did not seem to be working very well.
~I say leave him t' the rope and let the gods deal with his treachery...~
After the large plainsman stood walked to the edge and stood beside him, Kortus shrugged his shoulders and offered a brief word of encouragement.
"Erastil teaches that the rains fall on the saints and sinners the same. If he won't speak to us t' save his hide, then let him go t' the grave for his deeds."
Sense Motive:
"Tsuto, who else did they treat the same way, was it Nualia, is that why you and her share the same goals?"
"What? Ah, you caught that, right? Well, yes, people here were only interested in her because of her celestial heritage, not who she was. The morons thought she could somehow cure all their ills and never left her alone." He shakes his head. "But I don't know why I'm telling you this. You won't get more information on her from me. Leave now."
"Tsuto, who else did they treat the same way, was it Nualia, is that why you and her share the same goals?""What? Ah, you caught that, right? Well, yes, people here were only interested in her because of her celestial heritage, not who she was. The morons thought she could somehow cure all their ills and never left her alone." He shakes his head. "But I don't know why I'm telling you this. You won't get more information on her from me. Leave now."
Darst tosses the knife to his right hand and prepares to advance. Then he pauses, and glances at Izbahn uncertainly.
Izbahn starts to raise his hand to allow Darst to 'entertain' himself, but then pauses. Something which Tsuto said troubled him, something about how others have judged him.
He waves everybody else out of the cell, and turns to leave. Just before he steps out, he says quietly to Tsuto, "Your childhood must have been a painful one. Rest assured, you are not the only one who has lived under the cloud of judgement from others. I don't hold your parentage against you Tsuto, only your actions. Your actions have found you wanting. But, when the time comes, I will ask for clemency for you, because there are still those who love you. May the gods have mercy on you."
He then waves the gaoler over to lock the cell behind him.
Naomi let's Izbahn pass by, acting like she was just waiting for him. But she makes no move to leave when he or the others do, and instead looks at Tsuto through the bars.
"What he just said is true, he will ask you for clemency again. I'm still here to echo not those words or that sentiment, but to tell you that what else he said is also true, though what I went through was surely different then whatever he did. It may have been easier or far worse, I don't know. I do know that when I was lonely, I looked for anyone for company, and was lucky to find the Family. When you were angry, you looked for company too, but not as a cure. No, you chose to look for someone who shared your anger. It's amazing, don't you think, that it is the company we keep and not ourselves which determines are fate?"
Amrunelara has been quiet throughout the whole interrogation, just staring at tsuto and taking in the dank horrible prison. She listens intently to everyones attempts at persuasion and intimidation, not sure whether to laugh or snarl as darst attempts to frighten the man.
So is this what human blood does to an elf? she wonders, casting her eyes on the first half-elf she has ever seen. he is practically human, only his blood keeps the elven about him.
As the interrogation winds up Amrunelara is the first to leave, eager to be out of the dank hellhole. She follows the others in silence, contemplating her thoughts and wondering if tsuto had been raised in forest whether he still would have turned to evil.
Venmirl follow the others as they begin to leave Tsuto. He starts to begin to angle his way so they he walks near Amrunelara, but decides better of it when he remembers his un-suave actions so far this morning. I must be saving my best moments for today's battle he thinks to himself.
Leaving Tsuto behind, you head back to the Glassworks with the intention of exploring the underground tunnel you found on the previous day. At the Glassworks, some of the town's watchmen are still on site. Most of them are guarding it from the overly curious. The rest of them are in the process of piling up the goblin corpses on a pyre built at the beach below the building. Unless you tarry outside for some reason, you soon find themselves in the dark tunnel of the basement. The tunnel is cut directly into the bedrock under Sandpoint and heads in a northeasterly direction. Edit: The tunnel is slightly under 10 feet in width, so two of you can fit side by side.
Izbahn, looking down the tunnel, feels the same sense of nameless dread that Darst felt earlier. He turns to the group, and says, "Darst, I want you to scout ahead in front of the group, as far as you can in front of us, as you feel comfortable with. Amrunelara, you take lead. Naomi and I will walk together in the middle, followed by Venmirl. Kortus, you will guard the rear, and I hope Whisper will not be bothered by the underground setting."
He looks each one of you in the eyes, and says quietly, "According to Tsuto, there is a quasit who lairs down here. Quasits are demons, and demons are not know for being chivalrous. We need to work as a team" he lays emphasis on the last word, "if we are to stop it. If anyone has any issues about being here, then now is the time to voice them."
Naomi calls light into her amulet, letting it shine brightly and illuminating the area around her. She looks between her dager and her mace, but ultimately the image of head removal wins out and she sheaths her dagger.
"Can you tell us anything else about quasits? Demons are know for trickery, and we need to know what it might do."
Izbahn gives Naomi a smile, and says, Unfortunately, I know little of the demon's powers, but you are right, they are tricky. I can tell you this though. certain powerful wizards, who dedicate themselves to the cause of evil are gifted by the Abyssal lords with the service of a demon, called a quasit. Now, should the wizard be slain, his familiar would be freed from servitude. So, that is what I think happened here, this wizard was slain by whatever he or she found in the tunnel, and the quasit then was stranded there. The journal mentions the quasit has 'freaks' working for it, and that it is a female demon, for what its worth."