Cele's Jade Regent

Game Master Celestine8

The town of Sandpoint comes into view, busy with travelers coming off of the road, stalls and kiosks doing brisk business and the taverns already filling up with people for lunch and people ending early shiftwork.

"It looks so... normal. After what we've just been through, that's a welcome sight. Let's head to the Dragon... we've a tale to tell."

The Rusty Dragon is doing brisk business, with Ameiko laughing behind the bar, chatting up some road worn adventurer-types. She looks over at the group and nods to them, smiling.

"Hello, Ameiko-san! A pleasure to see you again!"

In truth, considering what happened to me, it's a pleasure to see anyone again!

Looking at his companions then back at Ameiko, he walks over to the bar and leans forward, talking softly to her. "I hope our return finds you well. We do bear some news you should hear. Perhaps when you have a few moments, you can meet with us someplace a bit more private?"

Sienna slinks down into a seat and waits until they are moved into another quieter place.

She smiles,"It does, Hijiro-san. Yeah, hold on a second," she turns to the patrons and excuses herself before indicating that Hijiro and the others should follow her into a locked store room. She lights up a lantern, illuminating a dry and clean room filled with barrels of liquor, sacks of grains and other mundane items. "Okay, we're here. What is it?"

Hijiro bows and begins talking.

"Well, Ameiko-san, we found a ship wrecked in the marsh called the Kaijitsu Star and thought maybe it had something to do with you. Then we found a chest in a cave not far away. The chest was of Minkaian design and make, which I recognized. It was guarded by a bunch of walking dead who protected it with their unlives. One of them challenged me with a Minkaian blade and nearly killed me. Irnk, one of our team, the um.. civilized? goblin if you recall him, thought it would be best if rather than carry the chest here, we just informed you of it. Perhaps you might want to come out and see it and its contents yourself. If it is something that should belong to you, you might want to claim it. I thought we should bring it here, but I think Irnk was looking for an excuse not to return to Sandpoint, considering the feelings about goblins here. Anyway... what do you want us to do with this chest and the belongings of the undead?"

Hijiro finishes his long-winded explanation for their visit with a brief sigh and another bow. He looks at Ameiko for her reaction and waits for her reply.

Sienna just nods silently in the corner, she seems to be enjoying being indoors again for some reason. She looks a lot calmer than she was on the road.

"If you will excuse myself, I think I'll seek Koya's assistance. I'm confident you will reach an understanding regarding what is to be done of the chest." With these words, Balthazar bows and takes his leave, trying to ignore the pain from his wounds. He immediately goes after Koya. I'll have to make my own bandages, though.

Is Koya at the temple or at her house?

Koya's at her home!

Ameiko frowns,"Nope, I don't know anything about a boat with my name on it and I don't remember... Longiku having any boats. Maybe it was one belonging to my grandfather, Rokuro. I wouldn't mind seeing what you came up with, just to see what you found and if there's no family heirlooms or anything like that, I'd like to give it to you guys. Thanks for being thoughtful, Irnk, but I'm doing pretty well with the inn here and you guys deserve it for your efforts."

Hijiro's eyes light up when Ameiko says they can keep what was found except for family heirlooms.

"I guess we have to go back and collect the items, bring them here for you to look at and determine which ones might be family heirlooms." He thinks of Irnk and flashes a wry smirk.

"Another trek to the swamp for us."

Hijiro's eyes light up when Ameiko says they can keep what was found except for family heirlooms.

"I guess we have to go back and collect the items, bring them here for you to look at and determine which ones might be family heirlooms." He looks pointedly at Irnk and gives him a wry smirk.

"Another trek to the swamp for us."

Remember, Irnk & Wanwa'lasse stayed at the cave to make certain the dead didn't rise again. You get to smirk at him when you go back out there.

I edited my post, I'd forgotten 2 of you stayed behind... and Hijiro isn't so much caring about what Koya says - he wants the shineys, lol

I edited my post, I'd forgotten 2 of you stayed behind... and Hijiro isn't so much caring about what Koya says - he wants the shineys, lol

.

Sienna sighs then a glimmer of a smile appears.

"Well okay, I'll go talk to my mother after Balthazar says a few things. I'll be back in just a bit." She gets up and leaves quite briskly, waiting outside her mother's until she sees that Balthazar has finished talking to her.

Balthazar spends some time showing his wounds to Koya and asking her to guide him with the bandages. He moves away to stop her every time she reaches out to help him, as if she'd forgotten about his vows. "It's unfortunate your magic cannot help me without touch, but alas, this is part of becoming stronger, I suppose", he smiles gently. He lies down in a bed Koya prepared for him and rests, allowing his body to heal itself. As he sees Sienna approaching Koya, he leans his head to the side and quietly begins falling asleep.

Maybe Koya's aid could grant Balthazar a +2 circumstance bonus in his Heal check? Throw in another +2 if she has a healing kit. :) For now, I'll just go with Balthazar's modifier.
Heal check for long-term care (DC 15): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (12) + 2 = 14

Sienna is about to knock on the door thinking she might be disturbing something. So instead she creaks the door open ajar and sees that Balthazar is resting after Koya tends to his wounds.

Sienna then asks in a whisper.

"uh, mother, do you have a moment? Perhaps outside? Just so we don't wake Balthazar?"

Koya sets down her kit and nods, [n]"It is unfortunate that I can't help you faster,"[/b] she wrings her hands, "But they will get much better with time and care. Certainly, Sienna. Excuse me, Balthazar." Koya steps out of the room, looking to Sienna questioningly.

Ameiko frowns, [b]"Shalelu and Sandru were walking around town last I checked, you can try to catch up with her if you don't want to head out that way again on your own.

"Er, well we found more undead. I don't think they may have been placed to guard something or get something back I'm not sure. Either way we think these undead were guarding a chest with some items in it. We were wondering if you might know if the chest is save to bring back without alerting more undead. Have you known undead to chase objects they were guarding down?" Sienna asks continuing to whisper.

Okay, looks like I didn't miss much. Sorry about going AWOL.

Koya nods, "Yes, some of them do, but they're usually pretty quick to show their displeasure. Try to bring it back and see if you're pursued."

Sienna nods "Okay then, I'll be back shortly hopefully with the chest and not being pursued."

Sienna bids Koya goodbye and goes meets up with Hijiro.

Wait a second.. if... we're going to go get the chest again I'm going to be on my own with Hijiro for at least part of the way. Huh that is .. oh...

She can feel her face growing hotter as the colour begins to change.

Gah stop that, it's just a normal walk. Picking up a chest full of shinies, nothing more nothing less.

Walking back into the Rusty dragon she approaches Hijiro and talks to him while staring at the chair adjacent to him.

"Yea so, mother says it should be okay. If we grab a hold of the chest and start moving it might be pursued but we'll find out very quickly. We should go grab the other two now. Good? Good." She hurriedly walks back over to the door waiting for Hijiro.

Wasn't so bad now was it? Was that to harsh...? I ..

Hijiro blinks a few times at Sienna... he looks at the chair next to him as well, wondering what the fascination is... then back to Sienna. He sighs softly.

"Wha?... um... okay... " He rises and follows along with Sienna, a tiny scowl marring his features.

Why is she being like this? What did I do?

Wanwa'lasse quirks an eyebrow at the goblin laughing himself silly.
"Have you been drinking?"

I'll say we turn up at the cave again in this post just to move things along. If you want to confront her Hijiro we can do it in spoiler tags or something as I don't think it'll have bearing on the plot :P

Sienna is awkwardly humming to herself the tune that she sang to Hijiro earlier. Trying to keep her mind off of the fact that it's just the two of them. Once they reach the cave, Sienna shouts in to make sure the two inside know it's them and not something scarier.

"Pintsize? Leaf? We're back!"

Once in front of the pair she says.

"My mother says it should be alright to move it, well, maybe not alright but if we start to move it and see more undead immediately then we know the box is being pursued. If not it'll be alright to take into town. Think we're ready for it?"

"If Koya says it's alright, I guess we should do so while we've got daylight left."

Wanwa'lasse stands up and stretches out her back and arms.

On the way back to the cave, Hijiro will quietly try to engage Sienna in conversation...

At the cave, Hijiro just shakes his head slightly, rolls his eyes... mutters something softly under his breath.

"Kōiu hito-tachi wa, jibun no ishi kettei o okonai, sebone o sodateru hitsuyō ga arimasu."

Then in common, he agrees with Wanwa. "Let's get these things back to town so Ameiko can figure out if any of them are family heirlooms. The rest she lays no claim to, which means the shineys are probably ours!

Offers some popcorn to Irnk.

OM NOM NOM!!!

"Hmmh! Well, 'Points' says the old woman knows her stuff...
Alright, Let's get to it!"
At that, Irnk tucks the Flail into a loop on his pack & hefts the ornate box. It's mass, nearly the equal of his own, almost overbalances him & it is obvious he won't move as quickly if he carries it by himself. At the same time it is equally obvious the thought of asking one of you to volunteer for the physical labor never even occurred to him.

"I'm not very strong, but let me at least help you carry things... no reason you have to bear all the load when we can share it." Hijiro steps forward to help Irnk carry the chest.

At the cave:

"Well between all of us we should be able to move it. Or we can spread the load of the items between our packs so we don't have to bring the chest? If the shape or the design of the chest is important we can do a quick sketch of it?"

"The chest is of Minkaian design and might be a family heirloom in and of itself, so I think we should bring it too. We'll manage, but I agree, shifting the load around some will make it easier on all of us."

I think Cele said the chest was Minkaian too - though I could be misremembering.

@Hijiro. Weee, that was fun. Hope the other two are enjoying the popcorn

"Yes I suppose you're right, I'll take some of the things into my pack as I'm not carrying a lot. Should make it more manageable."

Sienna moves some of the heavier stuff into her pack though not enough to encumber herself then helps the others to begin lifting the chest.

Unless anyone objects can we say we move the chest back to Sandpoint and see what happens?

No objections here.

Wanwa'lasse rolls her eyes at Irnk's attempt to haul the chest back by himself.

"Here. Let me get the other end of that."

She grabs the other side of the chest and helps Hijiro carry it back.

Anyone seen Balthazar?

Balthazar stayed back at Sandpoint to recuperate.
Silly vow of Chastity...

As the quartet organizes itself appropriately, Irnk, finding himself now at point with his hands free once more, pulls the Flail back out & keeps an eye open for signs of further undead activity one their way back to Sandpoint.

Hijiro makes sure the party has divided up not just the load of the chest and its contents, but the items that had been worn and carried by the skeletons too. He carries the blade that the major one challenged him with himself.

Hey folks, I've been selected for RPG Superstar 2013, so I'll be taking a break for a few days as I work on my submissions for the following rounds. I'll try to post when I can, but I'm afraid I won't have too much time. Since Balthazar is currently away from the group, you might want to let him rest at Koya's. I plan on coming back soon, of course, if you'll have me!

Okay, and Congrats. I thought about trying this year, but other things took my interest. Good luck and hope to see you in the top 16 soon.

Nicely done! Good luck!

The party isn't troubled by goblins or the undead on the way back!!!

I need my computer back to post the loot, will do so tomorrow morning

"I guess we should take this stuff directly to Ameiko, as she wants to claim any family heirlooms, if any, among the loot. After that, I guess it's ours to split among us."

"Isn't that what we agreed to do."

Wanwa'lasse looks back down the road, relief showing on her face that they didn't have much trouble getting back to Sandpoint.

"Yeah, just saying..." And with that, he heads to the Rusty Dragon with his share of the load, and along with the rest of the party.

Sienna shrugs at Leaf. "He likes his shinies. Can't blame him." She walks in after Hijiro and goes to the room in the back where they met Ameiko.

"Actually...
we can, it just isn't going to have much effect until he sees it bite him on the butt..." The smallest participant in their joint folly replies, still shifting from foot to foot as he clearly deliberates whether or not to enter the building.
Finally resolving the internal debate, Irnk follows the rest of them inside. "Barkeep! A cracked mug of your finest swill & a chipped bowl of your most...
fragrant,
offal." Irnk barks out as he hops up to a stool.

"Offal?"

Wanwa'lasse makes a face that leaves little room for doubt about what she thought of Irnk's request.

"I know you haven't been here, but trust me when I say that here there be better things than what just passed through a dragon's bowels."

Turning to whoever was manning the bar, she says, "Some curried salmon for Irnk here and me as well. Along with some mead if you've got it."

Hijiro orders rice balls and soup, this probably being the only place west of Minkai where rice balls are on the menu. He sighs at the lack of sake and orders an ale as well. "Can you let Ameiko know we're here and need to speak with her."