Wounded as she is, Lyraesel prepares 2 curative spells, casting one on herself and studying the others to see the effects of the potions before acting.
"Thanks, Jinda," Hiro says weakly, accepting the potion from the dwarf and tossing it back.
"Wow! That packs quite a kick!" Hiro exclaims as his various wounds begin to mend. Within moments the Tian man is restored to almost full health.
"And thank you, Walthus, for this delicious breakfast. Your timing could not have been better."
"Kenji, how are you doing this morning?" Hiro asks his young friend. "Do you think we should go back to town and let Ameiko know that we're still alive and collect the goblin bounty from Sheriff Hemlock, or press on into the marsh and check out those strange footprints heading south?"
"In another couple days the prints will be too faded to find. If we want to follow them it would have to be now." Lyraesel chimes in.
"No time like the present! Walthus will you be joining us in tracking down these mysterious footprints? The enemy of our enemy might be our friend, or could just be another enemy." muses Jinda, feeling a little rough around the edges but ready to continue on this merry little adventure.
"I'm still under the weather," says Walthus, "and I only risked coming here because, well, the smoke from that funeral pyre was extensive and I figured it must mean that this place got hit hard. And it looks like you folks did the job, all right."
"But," he adds around a mouthful of bread and jam, "I would be happy to take a look at the tracks, maybe see if we can figure out where they go before you decide on your next step. Maybe you could set up some trail signs or something so you can come back later."
"Ahh, that reminds me. We seem to have found something of a map. What could you tell us about this map and where it leads?" asks Jinda as he hands the fan over to Walthus to examine.
Kenji is quiet the while, and he spends his time thinking about what happened. He will look over the chest and fan, if given an opportunity before or after Walthus looks at it.
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Walthus looks over the fan. "This is an interesting piece of work. I wonder who the goblins stole it from? Anyway, this map looks like . . . hmm. I think it corresponds to part of the marsh here. See, this faded line is the waterline, and I think this is part of the cliff face over here. So, someone used this fan to get their bearings, maybe in case they needed to come back here sometime. Maybe worth a look at some point -- when you are all doing a little better, of course."
Earlier that morning Kenji responded to Hiro, his expression a heartless smile with eyes swimming in uncertainty.
"I'm fine. Totally fine. I didn't even get a scratch..."
Kenji sighs. "Personally, I think this is a sign that we're a little worse for wear. Maybe we should return to Ameiko to... uh, regroup?"
He looks down at his hands. [b]"I was expecting the actual deeds to be a struggle... but the stories can't explain how... intense it all felt."
A flicker of embers roll off his fingertips in whorls as he clenches his fists.
"I... I killed goblins. At the time, the rush, it just didn't hit me until last night. But... it."
He looks up to Hiro. "What am I going to do if I can't do it next time?"
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Magnauk looks at Kenji and smiles his scarred face.
It is good that killing does not come easy to you. Even killing evil should not be enjoyable but necessary. We can track the prints to get an idea of where they are headed and then go back. Our main objective was the goblins and that has been dealt with, but these attackers could be even a greater threat and should be investigated, but we need supplies.
With Walthus' help, the group follows the meandering path to the southwest. It crosses over another rickety old bridge (who even built these things in the middle of this swamp?) and leads to the southwestern edge of the cliff face that surrounds the swamp. There at the base of the cliff, the trail reaches a cave opening that is partially obscured by vines.
Walthus looks up and takes the measure of the surrounding cliff-faces, then says, "Well, this cave is pretty obvious if you know what to look for, so there's no point in leaving a trail sign here. Probably just need a couple markers along the most overgrown parts of the path between here and that rickety old bridge."
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Earlier that morning Kenji responded to Hiro, his expression a heartless smile with eyes swimming in uncertainty.
"I'm fine. Totally fine. I didn't even get a scratch..."
Kenji sighs. "Personally, I think this is a sign that we're a little worse for wear. Maybe we should return to Ameiko to... uh, regroup?"He looks down at his hands. "I was expecting the actual deeds to be a struggle... but the stories can't explain how... intense it all felt."
A flicker of embers roll off his fingertips in whorls as he clenches his fists."I... I killed goblins. At the time, the rush, it just didn't hit me until last night. But... it."
He looks up to Hiro. "What am I going to do if I can't do it next time?"
Magnauk looks at Kenji and smiles his scarred face.
It is good that killing does not come easy to you. Even killing evil should not be enjoyable but necessary.
Hiro nods in agreement with Magnauk as he responds to Kenji. "It is good that killing bothers you. If it ever becomes easy and comfortable, then you will have become just as much of a monster as the creatures we fought," Hiro says, clasping Kenji's shoulder. "As to whether you can do it again? The next time something evil threatens someone you care about - a friend, a family member, or a loved one - I have no doubt that you will do whatever it takes to protect them."
"And I'm glad you didn't even get a scratch. Remember, I promised Ameiko I'd bring you home safely. I hate to think what she would do to me if I brought you home wounded. I think I'd rather face ten of those goblin chiefs instead!" Hiro grins and tousles Kenji's hair.
**********************************************
"Well, this cave is pretty obvious if you know what to look for, so there's no point in leaving a trail sign here. Probably just need a couple markers along the most overgrown parts of the path between here and that rickety old bridge."
Hiro nods at Walthus' assessment. "Let's go place those markers, and then head back to Sandpoint. We have a goblin ear bounty to collect, as well as a reward for the goblin chief's head. And I think we all could use a decent night's rest at the Rusty Dragon after last night. Walthus, will you join us? I'm sure Ameiko would be happy to put you up for the night after all the help you've given us, and we could get Father Zantus to check on your wounds," he suggests.
Magnauk stares at the cave and mutters a prayer as his eyes glass over he looks into the cave.
What evil awaits us?
Magnauk concentrates and does not feel the sting of evil thoughts or forces in the cave beyond.
Walthus replies to Hiro's question, saying, "Oh, that's not necessary. I live in a house in the swamp because I value my privacy. Honestly, I make it up to town about once a week -- I still have to get flour and a few other necessities -- and that's more than enough for me." The halfling gives a rueful chuckle. "Mostly I'm just tired out. Whatever that thing was, it was poisonous, I guess. I seem to be getting better, though."
When the group offers Walthus the mail shirt, he seems genuinely surprised. "That's quite a gift!" he finally stutters, adding, "I don't run into too much trouble out here, but I guess recent events have shown me that maybe having a little more protection would be useful. I am grateful to accept this gift." He examines the shirt, wrinkles his nose, and says, "Even if it does smell of goblin."
"I know you're planning to head back to Sandpoint," he finishes, "but you're always welcome to stay at my home if you are back in the swamps, doing . . . well, whatever adventure comes your way."
Kenji thanks Walthus too, giving him a smile.
He looks at the cave with a bit of trepidation.
The team wends its way through the damp, animal-filled swamp back to Walthus' house. The halfling waves a farewell before he heads back inside, and the party returns to Sandpoint.
As you approach the Rusty Dragon, you hear a mournful tune plucked out on a lute or samisen -- probably Ameiko's work. Your arrival at the inn is accompanied with some fanfare -- you make it back in the early evening, as people are starting to head home and the Rusty Dragon is bringing up its evening lanterns for patrons who choose to stay into the twilight hours for dice or drink. Some of the locals recognize you, and their reactions range from a wry smile -- "Ah, it looks like our home-grown adventurers are proving too tough for the dangers of the wild yet again" (probably in reference to the fact that only a few years ago, a different band traveled out and became embroiled in the battle against the Runelords) to "Look at those wounds! The goblins must've been fierce indeed - or maybe they met the Sandpoint Devil or something equally terrible!"
Ameiko sets aside her string instrument and practically flies to meet you as you come inside. She grabs up Kenji in the kind of awkward, bear-hug like embrace that only a worried sibling can manage, then gives a winning smile to the team. "You made it! I must admit, I was worried, but I also knew in my heart that you could do it." She practically pushes the party to sit at a large, circular table, and busies herself with calling for refreshments: hot soup, cool wine and water, warm black bread and soft cheese, as well as rice with spices, cabbage, broccoli, and soybeans.
As the group tucks into the repast, Ameiko makes her way around the table, giving each person a keen eye. You get the sense that she's evaluating where you've been nicked, dinged, and bloodied. She starts with her hand on Kenji's shoulder, the proud elder sister, then passes Lyraesel with a somber nod, gives Magnauk a charming smile of approval, and then pauses at Hiro. She notes the blood streaks down the side of his armor and clothing with some obvious unhappiness, and she chants a singsong melody in the Tien language and rests her hand on the back of his head, then brings it down his neck and to the center of his back.
She moves on to Jinda and notes that the dwarf seems badly battered and burned. She takes the empty chair to his right and sits down, places her hand on his right arm, and again makes a singsong chant in a half-forgotten language.
"Jinda, it looks like you and Hiro were both sorely wounded in your travails, but it seems your injuries were treated to some degree. Lyraesel, I have to thank you for keeping these would-be knights-errant intact, and no doubt you men are owed thanks for keeping my foolhardy younger brother safe." She gives Kenji a wry smile to show that she's just teasing. With a still teasing mien she adds, "Magnauk, it looks like the only blood on your raiment is that of the goblins. Given your skill, I think it's a good thing that you decided to join this expedition, as everyone else needs a little more practice in when to duck, eh?" With that she takes on a more serious countenance and helps herself to a piece of the black bread and some of the soft cheese.
"You're successful now and have a bit of coin -- at least in the morning, when the sheriff can pay out from the coffers of the town council. I'd say you've done what you set out to do, though if my brother is anything like me, this is just enough to whet the appetite for more adventure!"
As the meal carries on, topics turn to the items you discovered. Ameiko, being a business owner herself, notes that the art objects are doubtless valuable, but the group will get a better price for anything they choose to sell if they can establish the value of the items first. Sadly, she doesn't deal in antiquities; she simply runs day-to-day business.
Jinda, being a dwarf, is somewhat keen on the value of various stones, and even though dwarfs generally aren't fond of pearls, this general knowledge gives him some chance at estimating the value of the hairpin with the pearl at one end.
Ameiko also points out that the fan, the chest, and the hairpin are almost certainly of Minkai make -- something you'd already surmised. She seems rather excited by this development.
"Think of it!" she says. "These could be some remnants of our family heritage -- from a time when our family first came to Sandpoint. How they wound up in the goblins' hoard, there's no telling, but this is a grand bit of history."
Ameiko even offers to buy the three pieces from you at a fair price, because of their presumed connection to her family.
Though not extremely comfortable in larger groups, Lyraesel finds herself at ease as the group eats, somewhat accustomed to Ameiko's banter and the general sense of adventure at the table.
Ameiko sets aside her string instrument and practically flies to meet you as you come inside. She grabs up Kenji in the kind of awkward, bear-hug like embrace that only a worried sibling can manage, then gives a winning smile to the team. "You made it! I must admit, I was worried, but I also knew in my heart that you could do it."
Kenji will grunt and wheeze until his sister lets him go. He smiles at her as she praises them, but when she turns to lead them into the Rusty Dragon his smile falters. During the dinner, Kenji scowls to himself when Ameiko comments on his companion's job 'protecting him', though he doesn't seem mad at his companions at all. He does enjoy the food and the prospect of enjoying a night in a bed.
When she points out the Minkaian items, Kenji nods "Yeah, I thought they would be important, but..." he scratches his head. "You know, history was boring, and I know I could have paid more attention... but maybe you can pick something out about them?"
He looks apologetically at his sister. However he seems excited to learn more about the items. "Maybe they were coming with the shipment of fireworks this year? Could there have been some Minkaian travelers with them when they got ambushed?"
Later on, when the initial excitement fades, Kenji takes a deep breath and addresses his friends, his sister included.
"Thank you for trusting me, everyone." he says, his eyes closed as he puts his words together. "I know I'm inexperienced and impulsive and I probably made things harder out there, but I want you to know that this meant a lot to me. I've been thinking a lot about what happened during our trek back..."
He opens his eyes and gives an honest smile. "So please, if we go out there again, I promise to be less of a hindrance and more of a help. I wish to be stronger. Wiser. Less hesitant. And maybe a little rich." He gestures to the assembled with a wink. "I can think of no better people to do that with than you all. Thank you."
He sits down again and takes a drink to hide his face from his embarrassment from speaking his heart to the people in front of him.
"Ah lad, you were far from a hindrance! If anything my abilities at dodging goblin launched fireworks needs a workout... too much time spent with my books and spells I think." admits Jinda in response to Kenji's statement. Taking a huge gulp of the Rusty Dragon's fabulous ale, he gestures to the fan.
"Ms. Kaijitsu, on the back of this fan is a map. Does the map make any sense to you?" questions Jinda.
...pauses at Hiro. She notes the blood streaks down the side of his armor and clothing with some obvious unhappiness, and she chants a singsong melody in the Tien language and rests her hand on the back of his head, then brings it down his neck and to the center of his back.
Hiro's tense shoulders finally relax at Ameiko's healing touch. He smiles apologetically to his friend as she studies the state of his armor and clothing and says simply, "I promised that I would bring your brother back to you unharmed."
Ameiko also points out that the fan, the chest, and the hairpin are almost certainly of Minkai make -- something you'd already surmised. She seems rather excited by this development.
"Think of it!" she says. "These could be some remnants of our family heritage -- from a time when our family first came to Sandpoint. How they wound up in the goblins' hoard, there's no telling, but this is a grand bit of history."
"An interesting thought, Ameiko," Hiro nods slowly as he considers the possibility. "I wonder if the goblin's map on the fan may lead to even more Minkaian treasures in that cave in the cliffs," he muses.
"Thank you for trusting me, everyone." he says, his eyes closed as he puts his words together. "I know I'm inexperienced and impulsive and I probably made things harder out there, but I want you to know that this meant a lot to me. I've been thinking a lot about what happened during our trek back..."
He opens his eyes and gives an honest smile. "So please, if we go out there again, I promise to be less of a hindrance and more of a help. I wish to be stronger. Wiser. Less hesitant. And maybe a little rich." He gestures to the assembled with a wink. "I can think of no better people to do that with than you all. Thank you."
"Indeed, Kenji, you were no hindrance at all," Hiro adds in agreement with Jinda. "Your 'flying flash fire kick' was most effective against the goblins, and we would not have defeated the goblin chieftain without contributions from each of us. I would be honored to adventure with you - with each of you - again." Hiro addresses this last to each of his companions.
Lyraesel smiles, which those at the table know is a relatively rare expression for the usually taciturn elf.
Ameiko settles in with the group and as Jinda and Hiro mention the map on the fan, she takes the object with some curiosity. She turns it over delicately in her hands, then opens it carefully. With a grin she explains, "I could just snap it open, I suppose, but I wouldn't want to break it if it has any water damage. What a beautiful piece of work this is!"
Her eyes trace over the geckos on the front; even aged and faded they have a vibrant sense of life to their green coloration and the hints at scales that the artist traced in. She turns the fan over and frowns at the scrawl on the back.
"I'm not really sure what this means. It . . . could be a map of part of the swamps? If this fan, and the chest, and all these things were from when my family first came here, maybe . . . they made this map but lost it while they were trying to get out of the swamp?" Her gaze turns to Kenji. "I've never really heard the whole story of how our family came to be here. Since it's just Kenji and I now, this is . . . I suppose this is a message from our past. A hint at our roots. But I don't know what it means."
Kenji looks interested.
"I want to go check it out." he says. "I think there might be more stuff there."
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Knowing our past, is one of the great strengths of the dwarven people, it lends itself to our great works and guides our decisions through the ages. Learning of your own past could help you to be stronger as well, Kenji. With Ms. Kaijitsu's permission, we should investigate the cave further and attempt to locate more artifacts of your family's history." rambles the dwarf.
Finding more of her history or building a solid connection to these artifacts, should help Ameiko feel favorable to me... muses Jinda to himself, with a thoughtful glance at Ameiko.
He finishes up his current plate, stands and gives a somewhat formal bow. "The dinner and company have been excellent! I'm off to bed, for if we plan to adventure in the morning, I need my beauty sleep." jokes Jinda, as he heads off to his bedchamber.
"Thanks to Ameiko's ministrations, I am ready to accompany you back into the swamp whenever you wish to go," Hiro says, clapping Kenji on the shoulder as he flashes Ameiko a smile of thanks.
"Let's collect the bounties from the Sheriff in the morning, and see about selling the goblin chieftain's bow as well. With the money from the bounties and the money Ameiko is paying us for the chest, fan, and hairpin, we should each be able to purchase some additional gear to help us. I for one would like to purchase a healing potion or two... just in case," he adds with a wry grin.
"I would be happy to join you and help with finding anything. I was probably going to head out wandering soon anyway, and I've learned it is better to travel with friends sometimes." the elf says in what for her is practically a speech.
Everyone has a restful night's sleep after dinner and some late-night conversations, and the early morning sun and the sounds of the bustling town are much more welcome and familiar than the squalor of the goblin settlement.
While the group is having breakfast , the sheriff stops by.
"I heard through the grapevine that our goblin problem's been eliminated and that the nasty fellah leading that troupe is no more. The town council's authorized me to pay for his head, but uh . . . I'll wait 'til you're done eating. No sense getting goblin blood all over everything in the middle of your meal."
Ameiko winks as the sheriff says that he heard it through the grapevine -- reminding you that she's more than just a pretty-faced tavern owner, she's also one of the town's local civic leaders. Doubtless she took it upon herself to alert the town leadership in the early morning.
"If you feel up to it," the sheriff continues in his gravelly voice, "the town council thinks that now is a good time to deal with our local swamp problems in a more final way. Nobody's ever made a comprehensive map of the swamps. Also the local rumors about some kind of river monster or swamp beast have still got tongues waggin' and people are more scared of what they don't know than what they do -- goblins with fireworks are a known quantity, but mysterious beasts in the swamps, well, that's enough to set every farmer's head alight with fear and suspicion."
"If you're up for this commission, we would like a map of the major points of interest in the swamp, routes and paths, and any threats you might find. The council's authorized pay totaling 1,000 gold in hard coin for a job well done."
"Sherrif Hemlock," says Jinda around a mouthful of delicious Rusty Dragon food,"We encountered a creature able to mimic the form of others,... in fact it had taken the form of Walthus our new halfling friend. Any advice on what that might have been? This other swamp creature... is it a Sandpoint Devil chase?"
Jinda not waiting for a response, digs into breakfast even more heartily. Mapping seems like a much safer task than taking on an entire goblin tribe. Will also show Kenji the dull side of adventuring too.
Hiro glances toward Kenji. "I'm willing to go if you are," he says to his young friend.
"That is, if it is okay with Ameiko," he adds, glancing toward Kenji's sister for confirmation.
Having spent time communing with nature, meditating in the forest, Lyraesel forages herself a beakfast of wild fruit and nuts before wandering back towards town to head to the Rusty Dragon.
"Sherrif Hemlock," says Jinda around a mouthful of delicious Rusty Dragon food,"We encountered a creature able to mimic the form of others,... in fact it had taken the form of Walthus our new halfling friend. Any advice on what that might have been? This other swamp creature... is it a Sandpoint Devil chase?" Jinda not waiting for a response, digs into breakfast even more heartily. Mapping seems like a much safer task than taking on an entire goblin tribe. Will also show Kenji the dull side of adventuring too.
"That thing nearly scared the crap out of me!" kenji contributes. "At least we killed it!"
Kenji hears about the offer and grins broadly. "Wow, that's a lot of coin! And mapping is going to be a change from fighting for our lives!"
He pauses, considering. "I'd like to do it. It would be very important to make accurate maps, wouldn't it? Don't wanna run into a monster den because I had a shi-er... cruddy map."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Sheriff Hemlock scratches the back of his head when Jinda asks about the creature in the swamp. After thinking for a moment he says, "Welllll . . . we saw some strange things back in the days when all that Runelord business started. Weird creatures with pale skin, stretchy, clawed, nasty poisonous things. Maybe something left over from then, could be. Hard to say -- these days I mostly deal with people-problems, not monsters. But if you find something like that, kill it an' I'm sure the town's leaders will be happy enough 'bout it."
Ameiko interjects, "Yet another reason we should get a map of the swamps. Where did it come from? Are there more out there? Why, what if one snuck into town and became me?" She feigns affront at the very idea, then goes back to her easygoing self. "You've done a fine job of making your way through the swamps so far. I have confidence that you can finish this job and get to the bottom of whatever is on that map on the fan."
The sheriff pipes up again, adding, "If you're planning to be out more than a few days you may want to stock up on some camping supplies. Of course it's only a few hours from most anywhere in the bog back to safer ground, but y'know, if someone's seriously injured or you get lost or stuck somewhere, might be best to be safe. On the other hand, that can weigh you down, make it harder for you to explore the area, maybe be a problem if you get caught in a bog or fall in some deep water. Your choice." He shrugs.
Magnauk takes in all the conversations and speaks up.
We definitely need healing potions and probably quite a few of them at that. And I agree with the Sheriff we need to take supplies that can sustain us, but I believe the entire group should have a say in what we get for our return trip.
Having walaked in to hear the last exchange, Lyraesel sits down. "Well I am unlikely to get lost so that is less of a concern. Anything we do not carry I can probably find in the wild." she says quietly looking at her companions....friends actually.
"Hello!" kenji greets her. "we were talking about mapping the swamp."
Kenji thinks. He scratches his head. "The stories never really say what gear the heroes use in their travels unless it's magic, so... I really dont know what to buy."
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Sheriff Hemlock responds to Kenji, saying, "Welp, first things first, someone should get mapping supplies. Quills, ink, paper -- I mean, it may be obvious, but you'd feel kinda silly going out into the swamps and then discovering you don't have it. Um . . . since you may be out at night, lanterns and lamp oil. Extra food and blankets. You may want an oilskin bag -- something waterproofed, to put all your mapping supplies in; if you fall down, or you get knocked over in a fight, you don't want the maps all destroyed."
After a moment's rumination the sheriff adds, "Also, someone who knows how to draw would be a good thing, but you may be out of luck on that count." Ameiko gives him a good-natured backhanded smack on the arm for that one.
"Knows how to draw!?!"splutters Jinda. I'll show that hairy lumox "how to draw...
"It'll be best to get a small book for writing and drawing in. Then we can transfer it to a larger parchment when we get back to town. I am quite skilled in the use of an ink pen."
Kenji nods, taking the sheriff's words to heart.
"okay, I will go find the mapping supplies and waterproof bag. Lanterns for us too."
I wonder if I can get a set of gauntlets.he thinks. I need a way to hit enemies harder.
He grins. "I'll be right back!"
-Posted with Wayfinder
Kenji's journey to Sandpoint's mercantile lane is rather more amusing than he's used to -- probably a side effect of actually having a pocket full of coins to spend. Of course, the Kaijitsu family is quite wealthy by any townsperson's standards, but there's a significant difference when the money is really yours because you worked for it.
The local bookbinder is all too happy to offer a book for use in mapping, or even an entire kit of supplies for that purpose.
Huffing and puffing, Jinda arrives at the bookbindery a moment or two after Kenji, "Dang lad, you are a quick one... I've got all the mapping supplies we'll need except for the measuring cord and solid book to scribe in. We'll just need to pick those up."
Jinda looks around the shop, clearly distracted by all the paper goods. As a skilled scribe, this is one of his favorite shops in town. Ooo! They've got the new paper from Kyonin in... I'll have to pick some up after this mapping project.
Sandpoint has a notable bookshop called The Curious Goblin, with a sign showing a caricature of a goblin reading a book much larger than itself. Jinda, being of a scholarly nature, is a sometime visitor.
The shop is really more of a book collection than anything else, but the owner, Chask Haladan, is also the main supplier of books of all kinds, including blank journals and bound but empty tomes. Many come from Magnimar, or are volumes that he purchases from travelers; some are books that he binds himself.
Chask seems idly curious as Kenji enters his shop, a small wooden edifice with lots of natural light and several shelves of books neatly organized. It's quite an outsize collection for a town of Sandpoint's middling size. Chask doesn't move to interact with Kenji -- instead he sits in a stuffed chair near the back of the room with an already-open book in his lap. After a second glance, though, he seems to become quite nervous and agitated. When Jinda comes in to the building his expression becomes one of relief. He eases himself up from the chair and bustles to meet the dwarf, while giving a passing strained smile to Kenji along the way.
"Jinda, my great good friend and fellow patron of literacy! It's a pleasure to see you again. I have almost completed that six-volume collection of books about the history of Taldor. I'm still missing volume five, but a nearly-perfect copy of volume four showed up in a shop in Magnimar and as soon as I received word I had it shipped here, and it finally arrived last week. The goblins actually scared the guards of the caravan it was on -- can you imagine if those fireworks had hit the wagon? The precious tome would've been lost to the flames."
"So, what brings you to my shop today? Just looking for more obscure books of arcana? Sadly I don't have anything new, Ilsoari over at the academy keeps swiping the interesting ones as soon as an opportunity arises."
The shopkeeper sidles up beside Jinda and leans slightly to the side to speak to the dwarf sotto voce. "So uh, you know the young fellow, yes? From one of our town's leading families. Rumor has it that he sets things on fire."
"Ah! Chask. Don't worry about the lad, his powers are firmly under his control, they are quite impressive in battle. Though this might not be the venue for a display, eh!?" says Jinda. He moves about viewing the books on exhibit looking wistfully at a particularly fine tome on the history of dwarves in Varisia. Ah if this mapping job works out well, I could probably afford that book...
"Well, my friend I don't expect firework wielding goblins will be much of a problem anymore. Since, as you can see by my poor scorched beard, they used them all on my face before Kenji and his new friends finished them off. I can say for sure, that it wasn't my most glorious moment, lying in the muck slowly bleeding out... I think I prefer to read about adventures rather than experience them, but when there is a job to do, you gotta get it done."
After a few moments of contemplation, "What I need today is a good stout blank journal, for sketching maps of the Brinestump. A measuring cord, and as a long time local of the region, any advice or rumors about the swamp to help us prepare for a thorough mapping expedition." requests Jinda.
Chask listens attentively to Jinda's story, and then says, "Certainly! Certainly! You've done us a good service by driving away those poxy goblins. The last thing we need is for them to be setting the town ablaze with their ill-considered use of fireworks for nefarious purposes!" As the scholar speaks he shuffles through a stack of bound journals and blank books. He places a stack of them on the board where he does business and splays them out for a good look; they range from a chapbook with a soft suede cover bound with a leather thong and a brass clasp, to a hefty book of about fifty blank pages with covers made of some kind of sweet-smelling wood wrapped in cloth and sealed with a sort of varnish, to an odd assemblage that is longer than it is wide, with metal rings holding it together so that it can be flipped open or closed with ease, and bound by a red ribbon.
While Jinda regards the wares, Chask says (with the occasional glance in Kenji's direction), "Well, if you're heading back to the Brinestump, I hear that the local fishermen are all wagging their tongues about some horrible creature in the mire out there. Apparently Old Ned even lost a great catch -- a five-foot golden perch, he says! Something raced out of the brush, snapped it up, growled at him and ran off. Then again, I don't know that I believe even half of Old Ned's fishing stories, so there's that. Still, between the late unpleasantness, the Chopper, the Sandpoint Devil, I've no doubt that these stores about a 'Soggy River Monster' may very well be about something all too real."
"Old Ned says that it was taller than he was, with white skin and a mouth that opened up all the way down its neck. He says that it gazed at him balefully and if it hadn't had its fill of the fish, that he's sure it would've chased him down and eaten him in one . . . great . . . gulp."
Chask's voice drops and slows slightly as his story wends on, and by the conclusion he is leaning over the board toward Jinda in a nearly comical fashion, but with a large-eyed, riveting gaze. It takes a moment of thought to remember that Chask is, aside from being a book collector, also a scholar and an accomplished storyteller -- and more than capable of putting a little polish on a good tale.
After a moment Chask gives a wide grin and draws himself back. "Anyway, that's what I hear is scuttlebutt among the fishermen, but they're not the sorts to come in here all too often. Book learning and stories aren't really for them, yeh? Too much of a day's hard work just to keep ribs from meeting spine."
Chask snaps his fingers and adds, "Oh! But that does remind me. There was an old woman who lived deep in the swamps, used to come in once in a blue moon. Voracious reader about anything having to do with alchemy, herbs, reagents, that sort of thing. Any book I had about that, she'd snap it right up. I don't know where she got the coin and I never asked. Strange ol' bird, muttered to herself a lot, but she knew what she wanted and was pretty sharp. Anyway, haven't seen her in over a year. Maybe worth keeping one eye open."
Chask leans forward again slightly. "Maybe she turned into the Soggy River Monster." Then he leans back with another chuckle.
Kenji will wander around the book store and look at the books with wonder. He'll hesitate a moment before picking up a book, failing to notice the owner's nervous twitch when he does.
"Wow... this is awesome!" he exclaims. He sees Jinda enter and waves. "These books are great! Sis never let me touch books when I was growing up. Too flammable."
"This should be all we need, right Jinda?" Kenji asks. "oh and how much do you think I need to give for the wand?"
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"They kit is probably more than we need, as I already carry a full set of pens, inks and other writing supplies, I think this book will do." gestures Jinda at the suede covered volume.
Turning back to Chask, "Well, your fishermen might not be too off the mark. We found the tracks of a strange humanoid out in the swamp that could just be your creature. I suppose we'll find more evidence while we go traipsing about in the muck. If we find it, we'll bring it back for the town's intellectuals to examine."
Digging around in his coin purse, Jinda counts out 11 gold pieces on the counter. "The book is exquisite my friend, and your information may prove to be quite helpful. Did this swamp lady have a name?"
"Oh, yes, she called herself Megus. Silly of me not to mention it before." Chask glances back over in Kenji's direction somewhat nervously. With a raised voice he says, "If you see anything you like just, uh, bring it on over and I'll give you a good price for it. Carefully." He turns his attention back to Jinda. "Anyway, now that you've solved the goblin problem, I can probably get in a few more now and then from Magnimar, and of course you'll have the chance to pick anything to your liking!"
Seeing that the others have everything in hand Magnauk will spend the rest of the morning cleaning his weapons and armor and then going to visit Koya before we set out.
Hiro takes up a collection of coinage from his friends and heads to the Sandpoint Cathedral to talk to Father Zantus about purchasing a wand of curative magics.
On his way back to the Rusty Dragon Hiro stops at Savah's Armory to purchase a longbow, a quiver of common arrows, and a quiver of blunt arrows. The samurai thanks Savah for his purchases and steps out onto Tower Street. Remembering some of his mother's lessons, he turns onto High Street and then down Frog Alley to Tanglefoot Alley. At the end of Tanglefoot Alley he enters The Pillbug's Pantry, an alchemist's shop located within a nondescript house bearing a painting of a pillbug perched on a mushroom. Inside the shop Hiro purchases a flask of acid, an alkali flask, a flask of alchemist's fire, and another jar of harpy musk - just in case he and his companions encounter any goblin stragglers on their return trip to the Brinestump Marsh.
With the coins in his pocket quickly dwindling, Hiro makes his way across town to Ven Vinder's general store to purchase a few days' worth of trail rations before returning to the Rusty Dragon.