"We'll have to ask Paehz for that determination. I would think that our single horseman will be harder to track, over time, than a group of goblins with a cartful of corpse."
"True. You ever try to keep up with horse? Not easy. But if enemy still here do we not pursue sure thing in favor of a maybe? Enemy here maybe know where horseman go."
Priyya says mildly "I wasn't saying we should chase the horseman. I was just answering Gilbere's question. Personally, I think we should go after the wagon. It will be easier to track and can't blend in to a main road with travelers like the horseman could. Also, I think that the architect of this attack wanted Tobyn's body or something on him... so I think if we follow the Goblins, we are heading towards the source of the problem."
Paehz leads the party along his quarry's trail which continues south, skirting the eastern walls of the town. A thought occurs to you that, depending on when he left, he might have actually heard the screams of the Sandpoint people as they were attacked…
As the party continues south for about an hour, the southern Lost Coast Road comes into view ahead (that's the road you came in on). Paehz suddenly stops and begins looking around the ground; it seems there might be a change in the trail.
“The tracks parallel the road in the direction of Magnimar. He didn't circle back to the South Gate, so it appears he isn't an immediate threat to Sandpoint (assuming these tracks are his.)”
“The question now, is do we follow the lone rider, or the goblin band? Perhaps we should return to the Rusty Dragon, and speak with the others.”
Suiting actions to words, Paehz heads back toward Sandpoint.
The walk back in through the southern gate is as uneventful as the walk out the northern one was, and the guardsmen - two green young men and an older fellow - try to hide their startlement as you walk in out of the clear night. The town itself has begun to quiet, but as you approach the Rusty Dragon, you can hear that a few stout revelers are still partying.
Ameiko is glad to see you've returned safely. She was just beginning the task of trying to shut down the flow of ale. Tomorrow would be another day of work and rebuilding for much of the town, not to mention the cathedral dedication happening around noon.
The next morning begins much the same as the day before. It is a beautiful morning, and only one or two straggling partyers from the night before have to be ushered back to their homes. As the group finds their way to breakfast, a simple but delicious affair prepared by the chatty Bethana, Ameiko approaches you, a smile on her lips (as usual).
"I pray the Sandpoint Six slept well?" She turns to regard the halfling waitress, all business for a moment, "Bethana, we need to add two more casks of ale to our order from the Two Knights. This town seems to want to drown it's memories of the attack." She turns as if to leave, but stops, remembering something, and pulls two notes from a pocket in her apron. One - a simple slip of white paper with the Sandpoint Seal - she hands to Kord, being the closest to her, "This is from the Sherriff." The second she hands to the Anneke, "… and this one was delivered from Master Aldern Foxglove." She gives the expensive stock envelope a questioning look before relinquishing it.
The paper within is as soft (and expensive) as the envelope, and the hand-written letter reads:
My Lady Anneke and friends,
I was hoping to be graced with your presence by now, but you seem to be keeping busy. I just wanted to thank you again for your brave deeds the other night. Without your timely intervention, I would have surely been killed by those little monsters. I will be forever in your debt.
I'd like to begin to repay that debt. If it would please my Lady, would you join me for a dinner tonight in the Rusty Dragon's Private Dining Room? I have a venture I'd love to share with you. Your friends are welcome, too.
Please do come.
Sincerely yours,
Aldern Foxglove
Priyya reads the note and nods, "Seems like staying for the Dedication was the right call. I wonder what has happened?"
I agree, I'm glad we stayed.
Why Anneke, I do believe you're blushing! What was in your note?!
When you look to Anneke, you find her standing there looking at a fancy letter with her lip curled and her left eyebrow twitching. The only sound to escape her lips is, "Whaaaaaaa?!"
Turning to look at Nadya like some mad animal, she thrusts the letter towards her and growls, "Rrrreeeaaad!"
She then sits down heavily and subconsciously begins sharpening her swords, eyes crazed and distant.
Priyya reads Anneke's note with veiled amusement and sits down by the Ulfen warrior. She watches Anneke exactingly sharpen her blades. "I hope you aren't preparing that blade for anyone in town, maybe for someone who sends fancy letters?" She slides a little closer to Anneke and bumps shoulders with her, "What's got you so mad? Was it all the 'My Lady' talk?"
Snapping out of it, Anneke calls out to Nadya and Priyya, "Do I look like lady?"
Throwing her hands in the air, she walks up to the bar heedless of the fact that it's well before noon and begins ordering something that sounds like it would take the color off a dragon's scales.
"Lady...." she scoffs as she unflinchingly downs the smoking liquor that Ameiko pushes her way with a fire poker. "Show him what for not kona þegar ég högg hann svo hart gonads hörfa til baka í líkamann..."
Undeterred, Priyya joins her at the bar and for a drink. She leans with her back to the bar, as a man might, regarding her overly tall Ulfen friend. "I wish I understood Ulfen because I'm sure that last bit would have scared the sh!t from a Linnorm Dragon." She smiles. "So, he called you a Lady. What of it? You ARE a woman, right? So am I."
Kord shakes his head slowly and pays VERY close attention to his ale.
"Warriors!" she hisses thru clenched teeth. "We warrior-sisters, not ladies. Lady sit around, look pretty, need warrior to save her. We not ladies!"
Priyya looks seriously at Anneke, knowing she's pushing her. "Yes, we are warriors. And Aldern knows that too. READ his letter again." She snatches the letter from the table and puts it Anneke's hands, "Ignore the 'Lady' stuff. He thanks you for your brave deeds and admits that you saved his life. He KNOWS you are a great warrior and he is indebted for it. The 'Lady' stuff is his way of being polite and also acknowledging you are a woman as well as a warrior."
After draining another shot of something labeled Dragon Bile, Anneke looks at Priyya and asks, "Poe-light? What is that? Sound like fancy word for backwards talk."
After Priyya explains the rather non-Ulfen concept of politeness as a form of respect (well, that and dosing her with another 3 shots), Anneke eventually settles down. "Still not like that word, but if you say so..."
Priyya tries a full shot of the Dragon Bile and coughs til tears come out of her eyes. She hopes to lighten Anneke's mood. "Gods! You can drink that but can't eat curry?!" She tries to breath and speak, doing neither one particularly well. "I don't know if I can explain 'polite'. It is fancy talk but it is not lying. Aldern is trying to give you a compliment. He is trying, in his fancy flatland way, to show his respect for your skill as a warrior and for being a woman. He isn't saying you are soft or useless."
The cathedral dedication is a simple ceremony with a majority of the Sandpointians in attendance. Father Zantus leads a prayer and expresses his gratitude to everyone who has helped in the construction, whether that help be labor, support, or financial. He cuts the ribbon, and the town is invited for an initial walk-through.
As you enter through the tall double doors, you are greeted by a large open dome, capped by a ceiling of reinforced stained glass, the light flowing down from above creating a brilliant and warm experience. Across the stained glass plays a scene containing not one, but six deities, marching along a cliff-side, with waves spraying about them. The likenesses of Desna, Abadar, Sarenrae, Shelyn, Gozreh, and Erastil walking along the rocky cliffs of the Lost Coast seem to smile down on you in greeting as you pass through the room. A plaque on one wall is a testament to all who have labored to bring the cathedral to life, and also serves as a memorial to the Late Father Tobyn who perished in the fire of the old cathedral along with his daughter Nualia.
Acolytes greet the visitors personally, and usher them through the rear doors to an open air courtyard surrounding a set of seven standing stones - themselves surrounding a circular stone altar. Along the outer walkway of the courtyard are three alcoves, each aligned with a cardinal direction. In each alcove rests a shrine to one or more deities. To the south, facing Sandpoint's heart, are the shrines of civilization: Erastil and Abadar. To the west, offering a view of the Old Light and the sea beyond, are the shrines of Shelyn and Gozreh. And to the east, offering a view of the Sandpoint Boneyard and the rising sun, are the shrines of Sarenrae and Desna. Father Zantus stands in the center of the courtyard, welcoming all who enter and thanking them for their support.
You spend an hour at the cathedral, watching and listening for any suspicious activity or conversation, but for all your time, nothing really stands out. The people of Sandpoint spend a tranquil hour or so visiting with the cathedral workers and getting to know their new worship center.
After a while, you are retrieved by Guardsman Pellius, one of the few seasoned-looking guards at Sandpont. He takes you to the Town Hall, and leaves you outside a door on the second floor. Sheriff Hemlock and his meeting wait within.
After a knock, the door opens, and inside the Old Man is not alone. Inside the cozy office, with the title "Mayor" painted across the door, are three figures. The familiar face of the Sheriff gazes stoically at you from a corner. Mayor Kendra Deverin, hand still on the door-knob, greets you warmly, her dark brown eyes - carrying a look of great competence and intelligence - weigh each of you as you enter. She closes the door behind you, offering some water to anyone who is thirsty, before sitting down behind her desk. In the chair across from her is a tall elven woman, her long limbs folded reservedly in the chair at odds with the ravaged and dust-covered leather armor. Her inky black eyes regard you, giving no hint as to what is going on behind them. Leaning against her chair is a bow and half-empty quiver, and she wears a beautifully wrought longsword at her waist.
"This," the Hemlock begins, "is Shalelu Andosana, an unofficial member of Sandpoint's town guard." a comment which brings a smirk to her face. He continues, "And this is Kord, Anneke, Priyya, Paehz, Gilbere, and Nadya… Sandpoint's newest crop of heroes." Hemlock explains that Shalelu has been a thorn in the side of the local goblin tribes for years, and that few in the region know more about them than her. He goes on to recap her report that Sandpoint hasn’t been the only place in the region that’s had goblin troubles. In short, there’s been an increase in goblin-related raids along the Lost Coast Road, particularly in the dale between Nettlewood and Mosswood. Only a day ago, a farm south of Mosswood was burnt to the ground by a group of goblins. Shalelu was thankfully nearby, and while the farm couldn’t be saved, she did rescue the family and drive off the goblins; the family is staying at a nearby farm for now, but the goblin problem is obviously not going away. "Shalelu, tell them what you were saying earlier."
The elf woman nods at the Old Man, “Belor’s told me of your work against the goblins—well done. I’ve dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they’re tenacious and fecund little runts. Like weeds that bite." A smirk punctuates this thought.
“Anyway, there’s five major goblin tribes in the region, and, traditionally, they’re pretty good at keeping each other in line with intertribal squabbles and the like. Yet from what I’ve been able to piece together, members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint. A fair amount of the Mosswood tribe goblins I dealt with yesterday were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the ‘longshanks’ who killed so many of them. Now that I’ve met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about. Seems like you’ve made an impression." Her black eyes regard you, reconciling what she must have heard with what she now sees.
“In any event, the fact that the five tribes are working together disturbs me. Goblin tribes don’t get along unless they’ve got something big planned, and big plans require big bosses. I’m afraid that someone’s moved in on the goblins and organized them. And judging by these recent raids, what they’re organizing seems like bad news for all of us.”
As she lapses into silence, the Sheriff steps into the center of the room. "As my note indicated, this changes things. We are no longer simply concerned about what happened the other night, but with the defense of the town against a unified goblin assault. I'm sure you've noticed, but my boys here in town can do a fair bit of fighting when it's necessary but there's only a couple dozen of us. Even if we pull together the town's militia, we'd only total 70 men or so all together." He lets those words sink in for a bit.
"I'm taking a few men south to Magnimar to see about securing additional soldiers to station at Sandpoint for a few weeks, at least until the extent of the goblin threat can be determined. While I'm out of town, I've asked Shalelu to sniff around Shank's Wood, Devil's Platter, and other places where these creatures dwell to see if she can discover anything else about what's going on." His eyes turn to regard you, "I'd like you all to maintain a public presence inside Sandpoint over the next few days, if you don't mind. The locals seem to have taken to you. And seeing you around town will do a lot for keeping worries down over the next few days."
"I think we'd all be very pleased to help protect the people of Sandpoint from any attack. Your folk have opened their hearths and hearts to us, and we appreciate it greatly. But we were also thinking of taking more assertive steps to expose the calculated evil that seems to be happening. We had been planning on following the wagon, used by the possible 'Longshanks' leader of the Goblins, to steal the body of Shepherd Toblyn. While we wouldn't dream of leaving Sandpoint defenseless, there may be some merit to discussing our previous plan and seeing if, as a group, we can figure out a way to pursue this lead while still protecting the town."
"I'm taking a few men south to Magnimar to see about securing additional soldiers to station at Sandpoint for a few weeks, at least until the extent of the goblin threat can be determined."
"If you march for Magnimar, you should keep a wary eye out for Pavo. I found tracks that lead me to believe he journeyed south along the Lost Coast Road."
"Your efforts thus far in helping to solve our mystery is greatly appreciated," the Sheriff says, "but I have to admit my primary concern right now is that of defense and safety. I leave for Magnimar for reinforcements this evening, and it would ease my conscience to know capable people such as yourselves defended it's walls until I can return with more men. The choice, of course, is yours, though."
The elf sits forward in her chair, "Were you hoping to apprehend the driver of the wagon? Or simply follow the trail for information. If the latter, I am not without skill in tracking."
"If you march for Magnimar, you should keep a wary eye out for Pavo. I found tracks that lead me to believe he journeyed south along the Lost Coast Road."
"We will keep an eye out for him on the road as well in Magnimar. If he hurries, he might be to Magnimar already. I appreciate the warning, though."
"Your efforts thus far in helping to solve our mystery is greatly appreciated," the Sheriff says, "but I have to admit my primary concern right now is that of defense and safety. I leave for Magnimar for reinforcements this evening, and it would ease my conscience to know capable people such as yourselves defended it's walls until I can return with more men. The choice, of course, is yours, though."
Priyya inclines her head, "I was hoping we could figure out an arrangement where both goals - defending the town and tracking down the instigators - could be met. Naturally, the safety of the town comes first."
The elf sits forward in her chair, "Were you hoping to apprehend the driver of the wagon? Or simply follow the trail for information. If the latter, I am not without skill in tracking."
"We really didn't have any clear-cut expectations. My feeling was, at a minimum, any information we could gather in terms of where they were going or what they were doing could prove useful.
Assuming the Longshanks was still with the wagon, and the odds seemed favorable, we would have tried to capture and interrogate him and some of his crew. It seems unlikely he is the final author of all these strange happenings - particularly given your report. But perhaps he could put us on the trail of the architect of this Goblin alliance."She concludes, "But those are just my thoughts on the matter. My compatriots may be of differing opinions."
"Your efforts thus far in helping to solve our mystery is greatly appreciated, but I have to admit my primary concern right now is that of defense and safety. I leave for Magnimar for reinforcements this evening, and it would ease my conscience to know capable people such as yourselves defended it's walls until I can return with more men. The choice, of course, is yours, though."
Anneke nods at the Sheriff's words. "Ya I think so too. Make sure home safe first before strike out."
"We'll surely do what we can to help out around here. And I think we can do quite a bit...can ya introduce us t' whoever yer leavin' in charge here? We don' wanna step on any toes."
"Good! I was hoping I could count on you. I'll be leaving guardsman Pellius in charge here. He's a competent soldier, if a little direct in his approach. I'll leave instruction with him that you are staying on in an official capacity and with my authority to act in the defense of Sandpoint." His usually stern eyes soften slightly, "It really does unburden my mind to know you will be here with the townsfolk." He turns to Shalelu, "I appreciate your efforts as well, and I ask that you follow their lead on the wagon. It sounds like it might at the very least it might shed some light on where we should focus upon my return." With all that said, he shifts his gaze to the Mayor behind her desk, deferring to her to finish the meeting.
"Well," she says as she rises from her seat, "once again it looks like you have things well in hand, Sheriff. With the help of our own local heroes, of course." She looks out the office window, "The afternoon is fading, and I have much to accomplish today. Was there anything else we should attend to before adjourning?"
"Thankee for yer time, yer Mayorship. If we think o' something, we can always come find ye."
As you all exit the mayor's office you hear Hemlock begin to speak about his preparation for leaving with the mayor. Before you get to the stairs, howver, the elf stops you, "Not to be intrusive, but I find I am interested to hear your version of the attack on Sandpoint. Would you all be willing to perhaps share a meal some time as we share experiences? Maybe there is some information I can share with you as well to help you in your endeavors in the weeks to come?"
Priyya smiles at her, "Have you had lunch yet?"