He then continues to speak to no one in particular, "The rings... I have protection, I can float down with my magic and I like to eat good food so I don't want them. The boots could be nice for performing but not for everyday use. My black boots have a certain well-worn feel to them. The potion I could use. The leather armor I could do without and the rapier...is...a...fine...blade."He pulls out his lucky coin at looks at Garridan, "Heads or tails?"
"Wouldn't you rather dice for it?" He offers with a sly smile. Garridan continues with a laugh as he playfully punches Dimitrio in the shoulder , "I've seen you fight you need it more then I. Perhaps having such a fine weapon will keep you from borrowing my blade."
The Rapier is +1
Three people are after the armor Kaylayne, Dimitrio, and Garridan. Good luck!
"Why go up and back down? We're here and this place can't be *that* big, can it?" Kaylayne replies to Garridan, noting the wound on her arm. "Why don't you bring your lights and that wand over here and we'll check out this room."
Because I have no desire to run around in these caverns, I want to get out of these wet cloths, and have nice drink, he thinks. I thought we would be more likely to find evidence in his office, but your right since we're already here we might as well take a peak.
Ederin eyes the boots that nearly allowed the drow to escape into the Riddleport streets. He picks up one boot and turns it over in his hands.
"These could be good for linin' up a shot without dealin' with all the heads in the way." He looks over Depora's crumpled body and gets a smug look on his face. "Not that I have much trouble with that."
He places the boot back down among the hoarded goods and shrugs, "Shines are nice but I still want to know what the hell happened around here. What do you say we get to the diggin, and figure out what we're takin' from the dead later?"
Ederin grabs the diary and looks through it, unable to make heads or tales of the thing he hands it to Lief.
"Can you read this kid?"
"Wouldn't you rather dice for it?" He offers with a sly smile. Garridan continues with a laugh as he playfully punches Dimitrio in the shoulder , "I've seen you fight you need it more then I. Perhaps having such a fine weapon will keep you from borrowing my blade."
He then continues to speak to no one in particular, "The rings... I have protection, I can float down with my magic and I like to eat good food so I don't want them. The boots could be nice for performing but not for everyday use. My black boots have a certain well-worn feel to them. The potion I could use. The leather armor I could do without and the rapier...is...a...fine...blade."He pulls out his lucky coin at looks at Garridan, "Heads or tails?"
Dimitrio smiles, "You sure?" But quickly takes the blade and starts admiring it once more. He then adds, "You're right; it does work well with my style. By the way, I think that light chainmail will suit you nicely and maybe you'll be able to keep up with the more... nimbler of the group."
It's clear that after all the adrenaline spent, the bard is happy with the outcome.
"Can you read this, kid?"
Lief tucks Saul's key-strap under his arm, to accept the diary, and start to suss out what might be contained therein. "Shouldn't be too much problem, just give me some time here..."
Ederin picks up the thin book seen earlier as you ran through the room. It's written in Elvish...
Her second mission was to set up a small base of operations where the drow could test fire a weapon of some kind. Depora chose a small island several miles south of Riddleport for this site - a place called Devil’s Elbow.
She doesn't refer to the weapon, but focuses instead on her discovery of the secret door in the shack, the underground lair, and eventually the Gold Goblin. She fronted Saul, a pliable puppet and excellent face man, a wad of cash to buy it.
She talks of her work on the Cyphergate, and her success chipping the thing, slightly, with adamantine.
Most of the balance talks about shipping the piece to her people (but where they are is not clear) and the handling of Saul. There's a ledger outlining early payments to Saul to prop him up, and then return payments as the place started doing well.
She expresses concern at the party’s hiring, and is upset with Saul over that particular. There are a few passages where she has concern about you meddling in her plans, and eventually, at the end, she notes her instructions to Saul to have you killed.
It's a combination of self defense and business negotiation.
It's ironic really. If Saul hadn't made such a big deal, publicly, about how you were all partners, you'd be in more trouble. But he did, so it's just an 'in house' dispute that Saul instigated and lost.
So there is some risk, and you will have to appear before 'the man' to defend yourselves, but it should be a hand-wave unless you really screw it up.
Ederin also finds an adamantine chisel next to the book.
Ederin picks up theseen earlier as you ran through the room.
Kaylayne leafs through the book when Lief is done, explaining what she reads from the smattering of elvish she knows. The time spent with the elves passing through her old workplace proving useful. She nearly drops the book when she gets to the last lines.
"Depora wanted us killed?! WHY?" Kaylayne hands the book back to Lief and goes to kick Depora's body. "You jealous b!@%~!! You piddlespotting jealous b!~$#!! You didn't have to ask that..."
Kaylayne kicks her and kicks again.
Remind me not to get that one mad, Garridan thinks as he watches Layne. When she is done kicking he tentatively asks, "What exactly did the journal say?"
When she recovers herself, Kaylayne reads what she can to Garridan.
"And that piddlespotting b%$@~ ordered it!"
When she calms down, Kaylayne does a careful search of the immediate area. She also puts on the slippers.
Dimitrio scratches his chin on all of this drow conspiracy and looks at Kwava for answers, "Well, care to explain what you know about this?"
The bard shakes his head, "So poor Saul was just a puppet? Hey, do you guys want to stay in the Gold Goblin? I think we can make a pretty good argument that it's ours now and we were making some decent money... And Ederin, I think you should bring in the lady mud-wrestling events. And I could be a judge or a referee or something."
"It is ours now," Garridan insits. I just wish Dary was still alive to share it with.
"What could the drow want with a piece of the Cyphergate?" he asks aloud.
Kaylayne is ready to move on and explore more of the underground.
Ederin smirks as Dimitrio talks about taking over the Goblin.
"We stopped one raid only to finish the job ourselves. Do we really want it? I could organize fights I guess." He looks toward Lief, "When did you get him in on your mud wrestlin' fantasy?"
Happy for a bit of lighter conversation, he reluctantly turns back to the matter at hand. "People been studyin' this gate forever, don't think they ever chipped it. Maybe we should take this to the mages eh? Maybe Sammy can get us a discrete meetin', o' course I guess we should wait 'till Kwava gives the go ahead?"
He shrugs and runs a hand through his hair. "I mean, if we're ever gonna see you again anyway. You think there's more here to be handled? Should we be checkin' out this weapon they got? Am I the only one feelin' in over my head?"
Garridan nods his head in agreement, "I like Kwava and all but I'm not going to wait for his say so to talk to the mages about this. This our city not his and if half the rumors about these demon elves are true we are in over our heads. "
Kwava has nothing much to add to the journal. ”I was only told that Depora, a drow (though I didn’t believe it) was stationed here and that I should try to track her down, as I mentioned before. I had no idea…”
”Look, I know you guys are in a jam here, having just killed your boss and all, but I have a few issues as well. This,” he gestures to Depora, ”is an actual drow. A drow! I need to report that to my boss, and get some further instructions. There seems to be something larger going on here, and I need to figure it out. There’s something about this journal that’s not right. The elven is… strangely written. But I can’t put my finger on it.”
”I’d like to take the journal, the chisel, her body and your silence about Depora and myself for my share of this work tonight. I’m sure my people will want to examine all of them more closely, and until I know what’s going on, I’d rather not be involved in any local legal squabbles.”
”As for the rest, including talking to the Cyphermages, you’re right. I have no sway here, but I would simply suggest caution. Who knows what this means, and who will benefit from the knowledge. Deal with people you trust.”
They also refer to the strange effects seen around town the last few weeks, and lots of discussion of the Blot:
“…strange and eldritch side- effects from the charging of the glyphs on Devil’s Elbow seem to have created the Blot, and other effects….”
“…It would do to further refine the glyphs to minimize such blatant displays lest the enemy receive further warning of the impending apocalypse than we wish to reveal…”
“…when the glyphs are activated and the star is plucked, these effects should fade, perhaps instantly”
The journal ends by talking about a timeline which should come to fulfillment tomorrow - the first of Arodus.
You carefully and thoroughly search the sub-basement areas. You find nothing else of real value, some odds and ends possessions of Depora's and a few bits and pieces of gear from the Trogs.
Nothing of particular note however. It seems Depora travelled light. You suspect it would have taken her just a few minutes to gather her possessions, so her earlier offer of an hour head start was likely so she could disappear.
Keep in mind there are still guards above. One caged, but others with orders from Saul to have you killed. Bearing Saul's body back upstairs and showing them should be enough to stop their killing desires... but let me know how you want to handle it. Happy to enter another combat if the desire to kill is strong. :)
"I’d like to take the journal, the chisel, her body and your silence about Depora and myself for my share of this work tonight. I’m sure my people will want to examine all of them more closely, and until I know what’s going on, I’d rather not be involved in any local legal squabbles.”
Dimitrio was disappointed, even after trying out his new rapier and buckler, [b]"So that's it then. You go back to your people and just disappear from here?"
He looks at Lief and Garridan, "So if the Goblin is ours then we should stay here. Let's go back upstairs and search this place, in places we haven't been to before. I'm sure Saul won;t mind if take over his room either."
Before heading off Garridan changes into the Mithral chain and places the ring of protection on his finger while he thinks, these trinkets aren't worth Larur's life but at least I'm a little dryer. As the party sloshes around the lower level searching Garridan looks sullenly at Layne, I knew this was a waste of time.
As the party makes their way up stairs he is fed up with the thought of having to fight his way through the guards to get a drink and he cuts the head off Saul's body. He opens the door from the kitchens and throws the head into the main room as he shouts, "Anyone who wants to live has two minutes to get out."
Kaylayne nearly stumbles all over herself in her haste to countermand Garridan's orders.
"No wait, we're not here to kill you. Saul is dead and the Goblin is under new management. If you know us and want to work, go peacefully and come back tomorrow."
Diplomacy
"So that's it then. You go back to your people and just disappear from here?"
Kwava responds, "Oh, no. I'm stationed here in Riddleport until further notice. I make my reports remotely, but it does take a day or two to get reasoned responses."
Larur's body is lying in state in the main hall. The party dropped Bojask near the pit and he bled out.
- - -
As the party makes their way up stairs he is fed up with the thought of having to fight his way through the guards to get a drink and he cuts the head off Saul's body. He opens the door from the kitchens and throws the head into the main room as he shouts, "Anyone who wants to live has two minutes to get out."
Kaylayne nearly stumbles all over herself in her haste to countermand Garridan's orders.
"No wait, we're not here to kill you. Saul is dead and the Goblin is under new management. If you know us and want to work, go peacefully and come back tomorrow."
The party waits a moment and hears the various guards get out while the getting's good. How many will return tomorrow is hard to guess. A few moments later, it's quiet upstairs and you can investigate further. I should have mentioned, and failed to do so, that one of the key rings has a few extra keys. They're not both identical.
You search the lower area and find that the 'extra' keys do indeed work on the vault. The vault has 10 separate lock to slow thieves, though only 3 keys are needed (in the right order) to open them all. It takes some time to sort out keys and the right process, but eventually you get it opened.
The vault is largely barren of 'real' currency though it is filled with chips for the floor. It's certainly not empty though as you do find 1,542gp worth of assorted coins. You also find a ledger for the Gold Goblin and the deed to the building and all it contains, in Saul's name.
Searching Larur's office, you find the 'official' books of the Gold Goblin, along with a few notes from Larur. Seems he was going to meet with Saul to discuss some discrepancies... It is easy to compare the two (they are very similar) and see that Saul was skimming profits from the Goblin in order to pay Depora back.
Looks like Larur figured it out, and must have paid for the knowledge with his life.
You head upstairs into Sauls' personal suite but don't find much of note there. He kept his valuables in the vault or on his person. Though it is very plush.
Lief slips into the reading of the drow's diary, fascinated by a growing sense of otherworldly plotting.
"What I can read so far, it starts with Depora's arrival here in Riddleport. Her task, to find a way to chunk off stone from the Cyphergate without being detected." His finger runs ahead.
"Here, she documents her success, using adamantine." His eyes lift from the page, and identifies the chisel in Ederin's possession. "She shipped it off... somewhere. Doesn't say where."
"She initially found the shack's secret door, and traced it to the Gold Goblin. Doesn't say how she met Saul, but it does document her initial payments to him, and his return payments, once things got going."
Lief watches Kaylayne kick the dead drow. "Kaylayne speaks truthfully. Depora ordered Saul to have us killed. Didn't like the our interference. Don't have a clue how we could have, seeing as we never knew of her existence."
"Now here... this part is kinda alarming. She writes about Devil's... Elbow. A small island several miles south of Riddleport. The drow need a place to test a weapon of some sort, though she doesn't mention its nature."
"So poor Saul was just a puppet?"
Lief snaps the book closed in anger. "You pity the man, Dimitrio? The man who murdered his own man, would murder more for the drow whore? Check your senses, friend. 'Poor Saul'..."
" I think we can make a pretty good argument that it's ours now..."
"Oh? I'm interested in what your argument is."
"When did you get him in on your mud wrestlin' fantasy?"
Lief shakes his head, still focused on the bard for his responses. "You're already planning how we'll own the Gold Goblin, while we face the legal challenge to ownership. First things first."
"Look, I know you guys are in a jam here, having just killed your boss and all, but I have a few issues as well. This is an actual drow. A drow! I need to report that to my boss, and get some further instructions. There seems to be something larger going on here, and I need to figure it out. There’s something about this journal that’s not right. The elven is… strangely written. But I can’t put my finger on it."
"I don't see what you see, Kwava. Perhaps with more time, I might be able to parse out the trouble you have. If you think your elders will understand it better, I have no argument."
Ederin stares blankly at Lief as the young man talks of legal proceedings.
"Kid I don't know how you've lived here this long an' still don't get it. The Law in Riddleport is the strong take what they want, I figure so long as Saul wasn't bein' backed by another crime boss, we just need an easy to believe story and the Goblin's ours. The people running this city are as crooked as Saul, more so because they ain't been strung up in a dark tunnel...yet. The Gendarme are just a bunch of street rats like me who happened to back the right guy when he took over."
Lief watches as Garridan beheads Saul post-mortem, and finds himself unable to act in time for his psychopathic behavior. Kaylayne and Garridan are a match made in several hells. Lief looks down at the bloodless key-arm of Saul, and shakes his head in disappointment.
He wordlessly watches Kaylayne try and fail to stop Garridan toss the head across the main floor.
When they finally encounter the deed and the books, Lief sits down to study them thoroughly. After some time, Lief decides that he likely understands as much as he can.
"From what I've gleaned from Riddleport law, what we have here is a hostile takeover. We were rightful partners. When Saul moved against us, we acted in self-defense. We'll need corroboration, of course. Witnesses are necessary here. We were lucky he was so vocal about our new partnership. Saul lost the upper hand when he decided to strong-arm us in 'negotiations'." Lief rubs his eyes.
"This will go to court, likely, but I think we'll win the deed." Lief looks at Ederin. "This must be taken seriously. A story won't do."
As Lief demonstrates that he clearly does understand Riddleport law Ederin quiets and shrugs his shoulders, defeated and too tired to try and save face.
"Alright, I guess we'll do it your way."
Lief puts his hand on the books. "This isn't my way, Ederin. This is what Riddleport does. It looks for a reason to take what is yours, and justify it through its 'law'. We ignore the courts at our peril. I'm pretty sure we can weather all familial challenges, if Saul had any bastards, since he relinquished his claim when he tried to have us killed."
Kaylayne snorts at the conversation between Lief and Ederin, her attention even more focused on the long line of blood that Garridan painted into the main room.
Finally snapping out of her stupor, she goes to the closet to retrieve the mop and bucket, pressing both into Garridan's hands.
"If this is going to be our place, we're going to need to act like it...and we can start by cleaning up our messes." She smiles at Garridan and pats his chest, giving him free access to the beheaded.
Kaylayne walks over to her bars to make check on things there and see how much damage might have been done in the hours she's been gone.
While polishing a glass, she considers the situation that they are all in now.
"We should set watch tonight. Nothing is safe...in fact, things got much more dangerous."
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Garridan stares blankly as Layne presses the mop into his hands and lets it fall to the ground saying, "I'll get to it." He marches over to the bar and pours himself a large drink draining it in one swallow. He pours himself another drink and takes a seat at the bar. As he enjoys his second drink he looks at the head on the ground and remarks, "I think it adds to the ambiance of the place." As he begins laughing.
The bard is suddenly tired. All the excitement drains from him. All the chasing, killing, and looting just seems to have lost its color.
He's now in an empty gambling hall and probably marked by other thugs and worse.
It is going to be an interesting next couple of days here in the Goblin.
Dimitrio makes sure all the doors are locked and/or secured before turning in for the night. tomorrow will be whatever, tonight I rest
Unless the party summons the Gendarme themselves, nothing happens during the night to break their sleep and watch cycle.
Dawn rises very early the next day, and you are weary from your nights activities. Something crackles in the air though - something uneasy. There's more noise on the streets than is usual at this time of day, and it's growing louder. A loud rattling and clatter that proves to be tiny falling objects clattering on the roofs and streets of the city from a clear warm dawn sky.
At first assumed to be hail, examination reveals it to be tiny pieces of porous black rock - looking almost volcanic in nature but defying all identification. After a few minutes, the rocks increase in size and begin cracking shingles, ripping awnings, and pelting anyone who remains outside (image).
The bronze dome of the Gold Goblin rings like a bell during the onslaught. This larger hail of stones lasts for only a minute or so.
When all is said and done, there are several dozen casualties and hundreds of gold pieces of damage to property and ships. The stones themselves remain for a few more minutes, covering the ground before they suddenly evaporate into nothingness. Attempts to classify the material before it fades meet with failure - the stones feel like granite, but float in water and are strangely cold to the touch.
When you look up into the sky - the Blot is gone.
Good Morning, it is 1 Arodus, 4709 AR.
Kaylayne rolls off the bar upon which she slept last night, listening to the 'hail', then unlocking the front door to what from the stoop.
"That's odd. I don't think that's hail..." Kaylayne says, trying to pick up one of the bouncing stones. Kaylayne recoils oddly when the stone dematerializes before her. "Ain't that the gnome's uncle..."
Kaylayne closes the front door again, but not without a hopeful look for any of her former co-workers who might be back to resume work.
She walks back in, still pointedly stepping around Saul's dead head.
"Now what?" She asks of Garridan, Lief, Dimitrio, and Ederin.
Still weary from last night, the bard opens the window to see what the commotion was all about.
The black hail is certainly weird and becomes even stranger when it disappears into smoke. But what catches Dimitiro's attention the most is the lack of 'blot' up in the sky.
"Now what?" She asks of Garridan, Lief, Dimitrio, and Ederin.
"Did you see? there's no more 'blot' up in the sky. I wonder if the blot turned into this black hail."
Hastily signaling Desna's butterfly wings over his heart, the young man shrugs, "Weird things have been happening since we got here. Tidal waves, blots, and now this. I don't see how that is any different. Why, do you think the drow has something to do with this? If anyone has any answers it would Kwava or rather Kwava's bosses because that elf was sort of clueless. How did we leave it with him? Is he coming over and can we go seek him out?"
Another question popped to his mind, "Excuse but everything is a little fuzzy in my mind but did we ever determine who our original benefactor was?"
Ahhh, yes, my bad. Kwava leaves you the night before so he can begin the process of reporting in.
For now, he leaves the journal with Lief so he can study it at least another day or two. Kwava plans to return later today at some point to chat further. If you need to reach out to him, you know where he camps out of town in the Boneyard/swamp - though he won't be there all the time of course.
You do not know anything about your original benefactor other than what you learned at the first meeting (link). He has not reached out since that time, and it's been a month since then...
Fed up seeing the dead remains of their old employer Ederin will clear it out of sight for now until everyone decides what they're going to do about the situation. He then surveys the damage from the hail storm.
Half the houses in Rogut must have holes in the roof, possible a few people got a couple holes too. Hope my mates are alright.
Turning from the window he's been looking through he tries to answer a few of Dimitrio's questions.
"I don't know if the drow have anything to do with it, but ever since that blot showed up Riddleport has been a strange place to live. If this is the last of it, I'm not sorry to see it go." Remembering how close the blot felt from the top of the Cyphergate, he wonders just how closely related it was to whatever Depora was up to.
"I figure we'll see Kwava again. If not, an ugly elf won't be too hard to find, he did tell us where he's been livin' after all, plus Lief still has that book we found. How much nosin' into this business do we really want to do though? Hell I ain't totally sure I want to keep runnin' this place even, let alone get into more trouble with these elf sorts. We got forced into this mess, why not force our way out, wash our hands of it?"
Kaylayne catches the edges of what Ederin is saying as she restocks the bars and checks on things.
"We could also just leave. Skip town. Together, the 5 of us, we could make it anywhere else safely. Then we could part ways," Kaylayne mentions offhandedly. "I'm not tied to this place the way others might be, however. I'm just saying. We could pack up and go right now if what's here isn't worth our lives."
Kaylayne's mind flashes to the fights they've had, the drow, Garridan taken so easily down...and weighs it against the coin in her purse and the memories she's gained.
Lief comes out of his room, looking beat to hells. He rubs on the ring, and looks at Kaylayne. "I thought you said this ring helped one to avoid the need for sleep. My head's pounding from lack of it. Are you sure that's the ring's purpose, and not something else?"
The journal is under his arm, and one hand pats it every so often as he waits for the others to rouse.
"So... Kwava seemed to sense something about the writings, and it was good of him to have caught it. I would have missed it without more time. I'm starting to understand the differences between the Elven and Drow languages, so bear with me on this. Do we have any kahve?" Lief sets the book down, and trudges off to the kitchen for sustenance. Real sustenance.
Returning with a hot cup, he opens the journal, and starts pointing out things, almost to remind himself of what he began to see in the early morning.
"Last night's event was predicted in this journal. They foresaw it. First of Arodus... right... here. This passage, and this one here, and... here... they are fragmented into the diary entries, not meant to be understood for anything other than starts and stops, but if you link them, they give off their own meanings. Hidden passages. I've only come across things like these in the form of love letters from authors to forbidden lovers. This is entirely different subject matter, of course, but it accomplishes the same thing. Those who know how to look for them will see them plainly enough." Lief sips more coffee, letting the stimulant settle in as his words settle in on his companions.
"First, we have references for shipments to Devil's Elbow, for food and materials. Next, we have references to the several oddities we've witnessed, attributable to the Blot- we had it wrong. The Blot is a side effect, as well. Where was it... oh, here it is... glyphs, on Devil's Elbow, have been charged by something. When they charged the glyphs, we started to see strange things, including the Blot, and they're not happy about it, since it may warn others of what they intend to do."
Lief sips some more, sets down his cup, and stretches. Once his neck cracks, he steadies himself with one hand on the book. "It speaks of apocalypse. It speaks of activating the glyphs, and plucking a star. Once the activation and plucking occurs, the effects disappear. With the Blot disappearing, I'd say something's happened. Like they predicted it would." Lief picks up his cup, and fetches another serving of kahve.
"I'd say we need to notify someone of Devil's Elbow, and we need to report Saul's death to the gendarme. Where do we start?"
"We could also just leave. Skip town. Together, the 5 of us, we could make it anywhere else safely. Then we could part ways," Kaylayne mentions offhandedly. "I'm not tied to this place the way others might be, however. I'm just saying. We could pack up and go right now if what's here isn't worth our lives."
Dimitrio added, "Well, I'm not tied to this place either. We've only been here a couple of weeks, but life is good here, right? I mean we do what we like and get paid, right? I say we see how things develop, and there may be a time to pack up and leave but not yet, right?"
Garridan listens to his companions conversation and heads over to the bar to forget his humiliation at the hands of the drow. He pours himself a drink and considers, I can't believe that demon elf took me out so easily. If I run into another one I will be sure to skewer it quickly and not waste time on its minions. As he drinks and listens he concludes, My companions are right Riddleport is changing and I have nothing and no one to hold me here. Perhaps I could do more good wandering the countryside spreading the tenants of my faith.
He sits there drinking and considers the possibilities when he abruptly announces "I only know two things for certain we open soon and I'm going to have another drink." He pours himself another dirnk and hopes, "perhaps we'll draw a big crowd today out to celebrate the vanishing blight."
"Kay, skippin' town might be fine for you, but I'm Riddleport made. I don't see much place for me anywhere else."
He starts considering places he can lay low if everyone decides to leave when Lief starts explaining what he was able to decipher from the journal Ederin groans, realizing there seems to be more at stake here than just the deed to the Goblin.
"The blot and all that crap was a side effect? Then what the hell is the damned thing supposed to do? Maybe we should go track Kwava down first eh? If we give him this information maybe he can speak for us when we reveal what happened to Saul. I don't know much about his outfit but maybe they've got some pull 'round here, might be worth a shot. Either way, I'm sure they'll want the information sooner rather than later."
"Where do we start?"
"We also need to sell some stuff," Kaylayne sniffs and thinks. "But can wait. Also, I worry about all of us leaving here and having no one around to answer questions if someone, like our former co-workers stop by."
Kaylayne looks at all the things she wants to do.
"I can stay here. If we're going to be successful in our ownership challenge, then there is a lot of work to do here." Kaylayne is definitely dealing with her anxiety and nervousness over what happened by putting her heart and mind into her work.
You all hear the sound of rolling thunder in the distance... It is near dawn on a very clear day.
Still unsure if he really wants to take over the Goblin, Ederin's response to Kaylayne is cutoff as he hears the thunder in the distance and he turns back to the window he'd been looking through.
"If that's more hail on the way, we should probably just stay inside until it passes."
What the hell is going on?
"I suggest we start with the cypher mages and seek their counsel." He turns to Lief, "I don't really care what the gendarme has to say about Sauls death. If they care they will come and call on us."
Lief continues to smell his kahve, walking over to the front doors, eyes mostly closed. He looks out on Riddleport, but leaves his eyes closed, and listens for the direction and approach.
"I don't really care what the gendarme has to say about Saul's death. If they care they will come and call on us."
"Then you won't be coming with me to retrieve them. I only ask that you find an empassioned way to answer them when they question you. Just remember that you were attacked first, alright?"
If Lief thinks the thunder is far enough away, he proceeds to locate a gendarme, and kick the proverbial hornet's nest, this day.
As he hears the thunder, "Crap, that's all we need is bad weather to keep customers away."
The thunder rolls in from the north, but doesn’t stop.
Eventually a streak of light arcs down from the northern sky, a falling star traveling a southward course. Yet the star does not burn out - indeed, the streak lengthens and soon seems almost as if it were hurtling directly at Riddleport! As the streaming light draws near, panic grips the streets even in this early hour with many awake due to the hail, but a moment later the falling star arcs over the city and out to sea, trailing behind it a smoky scar and the sound of thunder.
The star streaks out to the south, reflected by the sea below. Then a moment later it strikes out at sea. A strange second dawn seems to rise to the south as a brilliant blast of light fills the horizon. Several moments later, a tremendous explosion rolls through Riddleport as a powerful earth tremor strikes.
The quake isn’t enough to destroy buildings, but it is enough to knock some shingles from roofs, shake objects off of shelves, or crack the Sandpoint glass windows in several of the city’s more affluent structures - including the Gold Goblin. Some folks also find themselves knocked over. As the tremor continues, an angry orange ball of fire rises into the sky on the horizon over Devil’s Elbow, spreading in an ominous mushroom-shaped cloud.
"S$~&!" Ederin stumbles back as the window in front of him shatters, using his arm to shield his face as he turns away.
He heads toward the door and out into the street hoping for a better view of whatever it is they're seeing. He's struck speechless by the cloud on the horizon having never seen anything like it before. His mouth hangs open and his hands drop to his sides as his widening eyes stay focused on it.
"What is going on?" He whispers one more time knowing that of all the people in Riddleport, he probably had a better idea than most.
As the quake subsides he yells to his companions, "We should have went straight to the Cypher Mages last night."
"What the piddlespot!!!" Kaylayne yells as she dives under a bar, keeping her head down. She debates running outside, but instead hides behind the bar, trying not to whimper.
The caves below! We'll be safe there!