A few moments after Blake calls out into the home Ethan comes out dragging a dead goblin behind him.
Ethan slings the goblin corpse into the street.
"This," he says, gesturing to the dead goblin, "was living under the floorboards of the house. The man who lived here gave his life protecting his family from it." Ethan gives the woman and child a look of sympathy. "His body is upstairs. I shrouded his remains and said a prayer for his soul."
"I am sorry for your loss," he says to the woman and child.
"Huh." the halfling says, sheathing his blades. Walking over to the goblin he searches the corpse.
Afterwards he wanders into the house while Ethan consoles the woman and looks for the creatures lair to search as well.
Painful memories wash over Blake as he recalls the exact moment he learned of his own fathers violent death. He looks at the bewildered, confused boy and kneels down close to him. "I know your pain, nothing can bring your Da back. Nothing will ever make if feel right. Just know that he was a brave, brave man and that you can grow up to do great things because of his sacrifice today. By Abadar, I Blake Deverin, swear to you this day. These goblins are a plague and under my will they shall come to justice. What is your name, son?"
The woman begins crying and kneels down clutching onto her baby. The small boy still obviously in shock of the whole ordeal listens to Blake's words and simply says "Aeren"
Ethan gently lifts the woman to her feet and supports her as she weeps.
"Weep as long as you need. I will hold you up, so you do not have to lie in the street."
"That is a strong name Aeren, can you be strong for you Ma?"
The woman nods a thanks to Ethan and wipes her tears away. "Thank you for the aid. I... I should see to my husband and speak with Father Zantus." After a moment she gathers herself and motions for her son to follow.
The boy nods to Blakes question and, once again, simply says "8"
Meanwhile, Zizou's night is no less exciting (okay, maybe a bit less exciting) at the card tables. Of course, you wouldn't know by looking at him, his face as still as granite.
Ethan watches the woman go.
"May Dead-Eye watch over you and your offspring," he says softly, touching the wooden symbol at his neck.
"There is not much else we can do here," he says, turning to Blake. "Have there been any other incidents?"
Kesten sees the scene, and decides this might not be the best time and place for him to disturb. He walks back, after nodding at the halfling and pointing with his spear towards the inn.
Blake pulls five gold coins from his pouch and hands them to the boy before he leaves, "Use this to help your mother, if you need anything come find me." He watches the family leave and turns to Ethan, "No other incidents that I know of, but we should check with the guard. We were going to interrogate Tsuto, we can check on that and see what all he knows.
Ethan nods. "Perhaps it is time to confront Tsuto again. We cannot allow this to continue," he says, gesturing to the dead goblin.
Once it is decided you gather up and head off to the garrison. Upon requesting access to the prisoner, Tsuto you are shown back to the cell where you had left him previously.
"Has he said anything?" Ethan asks the constable.
The guard shrugs "Just babbling about how this town doesn't deserve to exist and how it is going to be wiped off the maps. The ramblings of a desperate, mad man it sounds to me."
Ethan nods and approaches Tsuto's cell.
"How are you feeling today, Tsuto?" he asks in a gentle voice.
Tsuto simply glares at you and doesn't respond.
"Ahh, brooding silence. What I find interesting about that tactic is that, to be effective, one has to be more patient and resolute than the other person. What's also interesting is that it is the preferred method of spoiled children. Can I expect that you will commence holding your breath until I leave? No matter, from the evidence we uncovered below, you were more than likely just a gullible rube, easily manipulated. You were never truly part of her plans."
"Ha, you know nothing! I am the one who devised the plans to attack this pitiful town. I am the one who destroyed my father and brought to him the retribution he so fittingly deserved. I am the one that she loves and your futile attempts to stop us won't mean much once the next stages of the plan unfold! You know nothing, you nobody. You got lucky with your friends to even capture me, but once I am free of this place you will regret your taunting!"
He glares as you all with hatred in his eyes.
"You? Really, Tsuto? From what I have heard, you could not even help your sister manage the Rusty Dragon. The consensus of the people of Sandpoint is that you are a shiftless layabout, with neither talent nor work ethic. How am I to belive your boasting? There is no way you could have come up with such a plan. You simply aren't smart enough. Nothing you have yet said proves otherwise."
Ethan fixes Tsuto with a condescending expression.
Runk pulls a stool to where he can sit and lean back against a wall without impinging on Ethans presence. When Tsuto mentions the parties luck in capturing him the halfling brushes the imps wings, still dangling from his belt, with his elbow. "Aye just luck." he mutters disinterestedly to himself but loud enough to be overheard.
The half elf huffs "Ha. You know nothing. You or the guards or someone no doubt has my journal. Those were my plans! I'm sure you've snooped through it. Everything would have worked too if hadn't been for you and your meddling friends."
He shrugs "It makes no difference. They will come for me soon and then you will see how smart I can be..."
"If they come for you, how do you know that it will be a rescue? They could very well come to punish you for your failure."
He shakes his head and starts to laugh "You know nothing. This waste of space town will be gone one day soon and then you'll see how foolish you have been to doubt me."
"What will you inherit from its destruction? The tiny demon, the goblins, the twisted beings that stalked below the glassworks; all of them were capable only of destruction and corruption. When you have wiped Sandpoint from the face of Golarion, what will take its place? These fiends had no interest in creating anything of worth. Whatever you have been promised, the only reward you will receive in this world is ash. In the world beyond you will receive even less. Your once-precious soul will be left a twisted, putrid, tortured mockery of its former purity. You will suffer unimaginable agony."
Ethan pauses a moment, hoping his words will get through to the man.
"Tsuto, repent of your deeds. Renounce whatever allegiance you have declared with these abominations. If you know as much as you claim, then you can put a stop to the violence and death. It is not too late to turn from this path."
Blake eyes his old tormentor sitting in the cell arguing back with Ethan. He recalls Tsuto and his brother teasing, taunting, and hurting him all those years ago. Blake thinks it is no coincidence that behind bars is where Tsuto ends up, but Adler had always been the master mind to of the duos torments at Blakes expense. Swallowing past hurts, to summon up some courage Blake steps forward and speaks, "It has been a long time Tsuto, but you have not changed a bit. Still trying to assert your power over those you perceive as weak, but Alder is not here to tell you how to do it is he? You always had the attitude, but laced the brains. Tell us who you are following around these days, the girl? Is it Nualia? If so how can that be....how did she survive the fire?"
"In your journal, you admit to stealing the remains of the priest from the cemetary to be used as part of a 'cleansing' ritual for this Nualia. You imply that the deaths of the people of Sandpoint will complete her transformation into a succubus. You seem to believe, once she has transformed, that she will be yours. You obviously spend a great deal of time fantasizing about her on a carnal level. Has it not occurred to you that demons are incapable of love? Will she grant you the access to her physical charms? Certainly. She will pull you around by the lust in your heart like a marionnette. She will have you dance to whatever tune she plays. She will not love you, because it will not be in her nature to do so. She will use you up, drain the very life from you, and discard the husk that remains. In the meantime, you will be a means to her end. She will gain the power she craves, the relesae of this....Melfeshakor, was it?...and the destruction and death that her kind revel in."
Ethan shakes his head sadly.
"I pity you, Tsuto. You must know by now that she has played you for a fool, and yet you are too prideful, too full of anger and rage toward those you believe have wronged you to admit it. It is not too late to step away from the precipice."
Tsuto shakes his head and huffs "You're all fools and soon to be dead men. I have nothing more to say to dead men."
With that he turns his back to you all.
Runk hops up with a bit of disgust. Saying, "Bah, flunky knows nothing. Waste of time." before exiting the building.
Once outside he looks to the group and half states, half asks, "Time ta gut some Cutters?"
When everyone gathers up at the inn, Kesten is just coming back down from his room. Giving Runk a look of understanding, he goes to get a cup of whatever the innkeeper had prepared for breakfast servings.
"What's the plan, friends? Got anything out of tha bastard Tsuto?"
"He has set his course with fanatical certitude. He offered nothing more but dire predictions of our deaths, and the destruction of all Sandpoint. We know the goblins of Thistle top are involved, and the 'long shanks'. Perhaps it is time to confront them."
"Agreed, we should get some rest and then leave overnight. Approach them before dawn and take them by surprise."
As the dusk begins to settle, Zizouket collects his winnings and stands from the card tables. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I need to see about finding some food."
He heads over to the Rusty Dragon to have a meal and an ale, and look for his companions to find out what the plan is. He's shocked to hear how much transpired while he was at the card tables.
"I'd offer to try to question Tsuto myself, but elves never fall for charm spells."
Runk kicks around the town a bit keeping his eyes open both for threats and to gain a sense of the towns ebb and flow. After a time he makes his way back to the Dragon and settles for the night.
In the morning he rises and fetches the groups mounts as well as once again hiring a hand to mind them while party travels to the goblins hold.
Kesten's head is filled with cobwebs as he walks down the stairs. His eyes are closed most of the time, and you can tell he's not had much sleep. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, you can hear him mumbling against himself, before stubbing his toe on one of the tables.
"Mhmmm" is all he manages to grumble before taking some stew from above the fireplace, and sitting down. He eats it all, but doesn't seem to wake much.
The ride to the woods was uneventful but for some reason seemed to take much longer than it truly did. Perhaps it was the familiarity of the path or the anxious tension floating about the group. Whatever the cause the journey of a few hours seemed to drag on for weeks and Runk was well pleased when they finally arrived at their destination.
Blake awakes refreshed and ready. Once he breaks his fast, and meditates, he heads out to join the others. Like Runk he is pleased the northward trek is over.
"Runk, can you lead us back through the woods to the goblin lair?"
Runk hops down from his pony and stretches a bit to loosen up saddle sore muscles. He hands the reigns to Tomas and quietly says, "Stay safe, head back `fore dark."
With that he nods to Blake, takes out his daggers and sets out.
Zizouket follows Runk's lead toward the clearing, only once chiming in with some advice at a fork in the path. "I think you scouted that direction a bit last time, but you took us this way instead."