"Priyya, bet yer a fine cache both on the battlefield, as a comrade, and in the hearth!"
With amusement, Priyya marks how Gilbere's compliment (which she appreciates) is about her utilitarian skills. She waits until his mouth is stuffed with rice and meat before responding sweetly, "Oh, yes. I'm quite handy: good on the battlefield, good at the hearth... and we haven't even touched my skills in the bedchamber."
|
"Priyya, bet yer a fine cache both on the battlefield, as a comrade, and in the hearth!"With amusement, Priyya marks how Gilbere's compliment (which she appreciates) is about her utilitarian skills. She waits until his mouth is stuffed with rice and meat before responding sweetly, "Oh, yes. I'm quite handy: good on the battlefield, good at the hearth... and we haven't even touched my skills in the bedchamber."
Gilbere cheeks bursting with food, turns bright red, at the candor of the warrior priestess. Nearly choking on his dinner he sputters and guffaws. Eventually drinking some ale to compose himself.
Gilbere... turns bright red, at the candor of the warrior priestess. Nearly choking on his dinner he sputters and guffaws. Eventually drinking some ale to compose himself.
Priyya chuckles, delighted her comment had the intended effect. She rubs the dwarf on the back to ease his coughing. "You're good sport, Gilbere."
Playful banter is tossed about your private dining room, a warm melody to the jovial harmony of merriment that is the boisterous noise from outside. Your eyes are drawn to the door by a pair of solid raps. A giggling Bethana disengages from the antics of the room to get the door, and a surprised smile greets the newcomer. She sweeps aside to let in the towering form of the Sheriff, his dark features masked in fatigue but still driven by an inborn determination.
His dark eyes sweep over the amusement, and his features soften, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important here," he says as a weak smile warms his face, and he nods warmly to Ameiko. His dark eyes fall upon Paehz and Anneke, and a bit of the weariness returns, and the Sheriff's official tone is back, "I hear there are important things you two have to tell me."
"Ah, Sheriff! Ya Gill Beer can you tell what dead gobo friend say about Thistletop and working for Longshanks? I think maybe you remember better."
|
|
Putting down a skewer and gulping some ale, he gingerly wipes his mouth.
Gilbere then regales and recounts his brilliant plan, (if he does say, oh so humbly) in epic story form, to charm on of the lil green bugger. How he used his considerable knowledge of the arcane fire powers to save all the other members of the group single handedly (sweeping his hand about, using prestidigitation for effect).
With a playful wink to his comrades, he continues on, with the good fortune of creature survived fighting against his fellows, how he blabbed on about a 'long-shanks' character which is a humanoid, possibly a human like us who ordered the attack on the town. Finally Gilbere caught in his own words, begins to digress on how dirty and smelly the little creatures are and their horrible eating habits, (shivering to himself), how uncivilized the little green blighters where...etc
Priyya approaches Hemlock, "Would you care to join us for a meal, Sheriff? As you can see there is plenty of food... provided you like it spicy." She does her best disarming smile.
The sheriff bows his head at Priyya's offer, "I'd be honored to share some of your fine meal. It's not every day one gets to eat with the celebrated Sandpoint Six." His slow grin appears briefly again, taking the teeth out of his joke.
As he sits down his eyes swing over to Paehz. "I'm thankful for your help, young master Paehz. The tracks in the cemetery is not something we knew about before." He takes a few minutes to fill a plate and try a few bites. A slight widening of his eyes indicate he has tried something warm-ish, but not much more response is forthcoming other than a long gulp of tea. "This food is wonderful… if a little on the hot side. You've a fine hand, Mistress Priyya."
"This news of your goblin friend, Master Gilbere, is most fortunate. My men were able to ascertain that the goblins were out of Thistletop, but there was no mention of a non-goblin." He takes a second - and equally large bite - of the hot food again, sweat beading on his forehead. "And the tracks in the cemetery support this theory of human help. I have a hard time believing former guardsman Pavo masterminded the assault, but then again, his actions reveal that there might be much we don't know about him. There sure aren't any ties that I know of between Pavo and our former Shepherd. I'd send some men after him, but my men are stretched thin already, his destination is unknown, and we have no trackers."
At Kord's mention of Master Kaijitsu he stops chewing and regards the young man, "It is troubling that he has not been seen in a while, but then again, I hear he's been sick at his manor, has he not?"
Ameiko steps in before Kord can answer, however, "They looked in on my father on my behalf earlier today," she cuts her eyes over to Kord for a heart-beat, "and he was not home. Kord tried to deliver him a shipment at his shop, and it was still closed up as well."
The lie seems to go un-noticed and the sheriff's brow furrows briefly, his utensils still. "Well, that is troubling. Then again, your father is not the most sociable man these past few years. We will ask around and keep an eye out for your father. I'll send a man to check along the cliffs as well, hopefully he has not taken a fall or been attacked in the wilds." He turns to regard Kord, "Thank you for the information."
He addresses everyone in the room, "Thank you all, actually. This town owes you much since yesterday evening, and there is not much we can do to repay. We will do our humble best, though." He pauses to collect his thoughts, "You have been very helpful to me today, even without me asking. Is there any information I can give in return?"
"Why would anyone want to steal Tobyn's corpse?"
The sheriff shakes his head, "I have no clue."
Priyya prepares a smaller plate with the milder dishes for the sheriff. She smiles as she presents it to him, "These may be more to your liking, Sheriff - flavorful but not spicy. Can you think of any recent events - say within the last 6 months - that may have seemed innocent at the time, but now maybe seem a bit odd? Gates unguarded, houses broken into, vandalism, anything like that? It seems this attack was well-coordinated which makes me think our longshanks must have spent some time planning it and doing reconnaissance."
The Sheriff graciously accepts the plate of milder food, nodding his thanks as he listens to the dwarf's words.
"Further is anyone else missing and if so what kind of people where they?" he finishes sitting back full tummy and happy he pulls out his pipe and tobacco. "The guilty tend to disappear after a crime." he muses and lights his pipe.
"Unfortunately, yes, there have been a few turn up missing, but that's tricky because of the goblin assault. Some children, some adults. The problem with that line of logic is that we have no informed way of separating assault victim from potential perpetrator."
"Can you think of any recent events - say within the last 6 months - that may have seemed innocent at the time, but now maybe seem a bit odd? Gates unguarded, houses broken into, vandalism, anything like that? It seems this attack was well-coordinated which makes me think our longshanks must have spent some time planning it and doing reconnaissance."
"This was something I am looking into as well. There has not been any reported odd behavior. I mean, Sandpoint has it's known trouble-makers and miscreants, but they're all just as scared and confused by this mess as the rest of us. And I guess you mean other than the north gate, which we presume was left unguarded by former guardsman Pavo."
The table shakes as Paehz pounds his fist down.
"Aagh! Even a snake in the grass leaves a trail! When I find that coward..."
"We do know where Longshanks went, however - at least, a general direction."
|
|
Gilbere grabs his cup protectively, to ensure it does not spill it's precious liquid inside. He eyes the half-elf like a Orc barbarian for a second, then happy nothing is spilt drinks his ale forgeting the whole matter. Popping another grilled skewer into his mouth he closes his eyes and dreams whatever prissy dwarf wizards dream of while listening to what the others have to say.
Priyya purses her lips on hearing the sheriff's thoughts. "The townsfolk that have gone missing... was there any evidence that they were walked out of town? I don't know if Goblins are slavers, but I can't imagine they would carry prisoners twice their size instead of forcing them to walk. Paehz did you find any human footprints in addition to evidence of goblins... something more than our single longshanks?"
Priyya purses her lips on hearing the sheriff's thoughts. "The townsfolk that have gone missing... was there any evidence that they were walked out of town? I don't know if Goblins are slavers, but I can't imagine they would carry prisoners twice their size instead of forcing them to walk. Paehz did you find any human footprints in addition to evidence of goblins... something more than our single longshanks?"
"No, I just found one larger set of tracks "
"There is no evidence that the missing people went willing..." his tone drops somewhat "or even alive." He turns to regard Paehz once more, "Yes, one capable of tracking might be willing to attempt to follow either the grave-robber or Pavo, assuming they're different individuals. Like I said before, however, we have no Sandpoint natives available with that skill-set." He considers for a second, "I'll be blunt, young Master Paehz, I've heard you possess just these skills. If you are willing and able to see where the trail leads, the town of Sandpoint will do whatever we can do aid.... though that may not be much. For the time being, unless you good folks have any other ideas, there are far more questions than answers, and my men are already stretched far too thin. We're still reeling from the assault, and defenses must be rebuilt before we can begin thinking about anything else."
He shakes his head, "It gets late, and much is to be done and decided before the morning. I must return to the Town hall. Again, thank you for your generosity tonight as well as your actions yesterday. If you decide you are willing to give us some help tracking, come by the Town Hall; I expect I'll end up there all night."
He waits to make sure there are no more questions before he excuses himself.
"I, fer one, am eager t' get on the trail o' Pavo... but we were invited t' the dedication of the cathedral t'morrow. My thinkin' is that if there is someone local - Pavo or someone else - involved in what's goin' on around here, someone's bound t' know about it. I'm thinkin' it'd be worth tryin' t' gather some more information.
I'm game either way - gittin' on the trail's prob'ly a good idea too... I'm as eager as the next guy t' sheathe a dagger in the guts of a bad guy - assumin' we can figure out who it is..."
“I'd like to take another look around the North Gate – see if I can find Pavo's trail. Would anyone care to join me?”
"I, fer one, am eager t' get on the trail o' Pavo... but we were invited t' the dedication of the cathedral t'morrow. My thinkin' is that if there is someone local - Pavo or someone else - involved in what's goin' on around here, someone's bound t' know about it. I'm thinkin' it'd be worth tryin' t' gather some more information."
"Think Kord do better job talking 'round than me." she frowns somewhat remembering what happened at Pavo's house. "Sword and halberd be more useful if trail lead to something."
With that, Anneke follows Paehz as he heads back to the north gate. On the way, she'll see if she can get someone to lend her a torch with which to root out more trouble-makers.
Priyya follows along as well, amused at the search for torches. She pulls a coin from her pouch. As they get close to the gate, she casts...
"You only have 10 minutes. When the coin begins to wane, find me and I will empower it again."
She then approaches Paehz and touches the jewel in her headdress, casting a spell which lights up the night.
She looks ryely at the somewhat startled Paehz and says "Well I am called 'the Lightbringer' for a reason." She gives him a quirky smile and a wink. "I can only do this once a day, you've only got 10 minutes. After that, I can cast a less impressive spell on a coin, as I did for Anneke."
Since Paehz is the tracker and needs the most light to do his job, she will follow him, moving as he directs.
If Paehz looks like he finds some clue but needs a little extra help with his tracking or other roll, Priyya casts:
And, if possible, lends Aid.
Anneke cups the coin in the palm of her hand and then shines it about. "Good trick!"
Gilbere sad that everyone wants to move now, sighs and gets up knowing he is prolly the only party member who can see in the dark, regardless of lighting.
Dusting himself off and hefting his amber-topped staff he follows the group into the night.
Priyya sees Gilbere's reluctance to leave the table and takes it as a compliment on her cooking. She sidles up to him warmly, "Cheer up, Gilbere. I promise we can make a late night snack of the rest of it."
Anneke cups the coin in the palm of her hand and then shines it about. "Good trick!"
Priyya watches her with amusement, liking the Ulfen warrior-woman very much. There are depths to her I'm not seeing. I may have to study the Ulfen language to learn her measure.
After the boisterous noise of the Dragon, the general quiet of the night is shocking, and only occasional sounds interrupt the solitude. The walk to the gate reveals a gloriously crisp and clean night, the big full moon and a host of bright stars casting a surprising amount of light. As you near the gates, you note that there is an equal amount of frivolity pouring out of the White Stag, another of Sandpoint's taverns. It seems that the townfolk are happy to celebrate their survival with or without their heroes.
There are 3 guardsmen at the gate, who begin to challenge your travel, but seeing who you are, simply wave respectfully.
Near where the guards tend to congregate, you see a half-revealed footprint which seems to be heading off into the night in a southern direction, towards a copse of trees about 100 feet from the wall, but away from the Lost Coast Road - which runs north-east away from Sandpoint.
Paehz follows the nearly imperceptible trail into some trees about 40 steps from the Sandpoint wall.
Paehz shares his findings with the party.
Your sharp eyes pick out a pair of divots in the ground where a horse's hoof cut the ground, as well as a rub on a tree branch where the horse was apparently tied. The tracks do not follow the road, though, but instead cut a southern path back around Sandpoint.
As you follow the horse tracks south around the wall, they cross what appear to be the tracks left by a small wagon being pulled by some kind of huge rat-thing. Scattered around these tracks are random footprints… some goblin sized and one human-sized. They appear to originate from somewhere along the wall (near the cemetery), and head off towards the Lost Coast Road. There is no indication as to whether they actually met here or this is a circumstantial crossroads. There is no telling if the timing is right for a meeting, either.
Priyya purses her lips while considering the evidence, "It seems to me that the most likely possibility is that Tobyn's body was exhumed and placed in the cart pulled by the giant rat-thing. The leader of that band was presumably our Longshanks accompanied by some goblins. Given how cold the trails are growing, I think we need to make a choice about which set to follow and whether we follow it now or after the ceremony tomorrow. I have an opinion but I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks. Thoughts?"
"North go away, no can tell how far. But south near town, could still be threat. At least that we can do something about maybe."