The dwarf looks around. "Where's the tall guy? Bahni! Fetch us something to drink; looks like Gabriel, here, is kinda parched."
Bahni comes out after everyone is gathered with a few plates of vegetables, bread, and salted meat as well as fresh juice. As she carries the trays she moves very slowly her hands slightly trembling. Once she gets over to everyone and sets the trays down she pulls out a small parchment from her pockets. She lays it out on the table and looks around to each of you slowly "I woke earlier this morning to find that Ameiko hadn’t already started breakfast, for the first time since I could remember. Worried, I knocked on her door but didn’t get a response. Against my better judgment, I entered her room to find it empty and the bed unslept in. Worse, I found a crumpled piece of parchment near the bed. This is unlike her to leave and not tell me and the contents of this note are even more troubling. I didn't know what to do, then I remembered you here and pray that you can help..." She pushes the note toward you all and begins to sob.
The message reads
"你好，姐姐！
我希望這封信能找到你，在你的手中，並與一些空閒時間，因為我們已經得到的東西出了問題。這是做的父親。似乎，他可能有桑德波因特近來的動亂與妖精做的東西，我 沒'T希望把此事向有關當局，因為我們都知道，他只是黃鼠狼他的出路。你已經得到了一些在這裡拉鎮，雖然。如果你能滿足我在玻璃製品廠今晚午夜，也許我們可以找 出如何確保他將面臨他應有的懲罰。敲兩次，三次，然後一次在交付門口，我將讓你進來
在任何情況下，我不'噸後，你不得不嘆服這個請求的微妙性。如果消息傳出，你知道這些地方魯貝斯會以為你和我在整個事情太不你嗎？他們有沒有榮譽在所有這些部件 一輪的。我還是不明白，你怎麼能忍受呆在這裡。無論如何，不要告訴任何人透露此事。還有其他並發症，那些人今晚，我寧願和你談談。不要遲到。
津東"
After noticing a few glances of confused looks she wipes her tears and flips the parchment over with a brief smile "Sorry.. this may be easier to read."
"Hello, sis!
I hope this letter finds you well, and with some free time on your hands, because we’ve got something of a problem. It ’s to do with father. Seems that he might have had something to do with Sandpoint ’s recent troubles with the goblins, and I didn’ t want to bring the matter to the authorities because we both know he’d just weasel his way out of it. You’ve got some pull here in town, though. If you can meet me at the Glassworks at midnight tonight, maybe we can figure out how to make sure he faces the punishment he deserves. Knock twice and then three times more and then once more at the delivery entrance and I’ll let you in.
In any case, I don’ t have to impress upon you the delicate nature of this request. If news got out, you know these local rubes would assume that you and I were in on the whole thing too, don’t you? They’ve got no honor at all a round these parts. I still don’t understand how you can stand to stay here. Anyway, don’ t tell anyone about this. There are other complications as well, ones I’d rather talk to you in person about tonight. Don’t be late.
Tsuto"
Gabriel drinks some juice and looks around the inn for a clock, wondering how far away from midnight, and in what direction we are.
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This is unfortunate, to say the least, Ioxeia thinks, running a pensive hand through her tangled locks as she tries to shake off the last of her sleepiness and concentrate.
"If her bed's not been slept in," she offers, "is it likely that the meeting was last night? Something seems amiss, in any case. I think we ought to check the Glassworks as soon as possible, certainly, and, if the meeting is still to come, see if we can find Ameiko and persuade her to let us help."
Ioxeia puts down the note and looks at Bahni, speaking gently, but to the point as the gears start to turn. "I'm a stranger here and don't know your mistress' family, so I could use some help. Why would anyone think this accusation is plausible? Could someone be trying to impersonate her brother? I suppose a brother is better than "a friend," but why all the trouble with "knock three times at midnight?" Why not just come here and draw her off for a private conversation?"
There is far too much skullduggery about this, she adds privately.
Gabriel nods at Ioxeia, still gathering his wits at this early hour.
Thorfinn again finds himself struggling to keep up with the quick-witted elf. "So this Tsuto is her brother, and thinks that their father had something to do with the goblin invasion? Who's Ameiko's father?"
Bahni explains that Tsuto was something of a scandal when he was born back in 4688 (a year before Ameiko), since he’s a half-elf. Bahni sagely notes, with big eyes, that neither of Ameiko’s parents are elves. It was obvious that old Lonjiku wasn’t the boy’s father, and his rage at the discovery of his wife’s indiscretion was the talk of the town for months. Lonjiku’s wife Atsuii never revealed who the father was, and it’s a testament to Lonjiku’s stubbornness that they remained married. Tsuto was handed over to the Turandarok Academy to be raised outside of the Kaijitsu family, ignored by his father and forbidden visits from his mother.
Ameiko started visiting him in secret once she learned about his existence at the age of 10, visiting him a few times a month to keep him company, bring him some food, and promise him that someday things would get all sorted out. That all changed in 4705, when they had a terrible argument in which Tsuto struck Ameiko. Bahni doesn’t know what the argument was about, but whatever it was sent Ameiko away from Sandpoint for a year, during which time she made a living as an adventurer.
She returned to Sandpoint a year later to attend her mother’s funeral. Tsuto was quite public in his opinions that his father had pushed Atsuii off a cliff to her death, and during the funeral there was a confrontation. Lonjiku nearly broke Tsuto’s jaw with his cane, after which Tsuto cursed him and left Sandpoint. Ameiko has tried to reestablish contact with him ever since, but was never able to track him down.
most well-known nobles and has a manor outside of town. He also owns the Sandpoint Glassworks which is perhaps the town’s most prosperous business
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What? It's past midnight, well at least I am at full capacity.
Chimaeryus clears his throat then begins speaking, his voice still a dull baritone drone.
"So Tsuto is a bastard. Most of us bastards have chips on our shoulders."
He turns and asks Bahni
"Has a man such as Lonjiku ever given anyone in Sandpoint an impression of dishonor? Do we know where he is right now?"
He then continues not exactly waiting for a response, but directing his comment to the dwarf.
"If Ameiko was raised by Lonjiku, he probably sees her as his own offspring. Another reason Tsuto could get angry."
Tsuto hates his sister, but not as much as his father it seems.
Gabriel continues to nod, clearly not quite grasping everything.
"Shall we go check out the glassworks, we're only a handful of hours behind, maybe there are still clues."
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Ioxeia shakes her head and tries to answer both Chimaeryus and Gabriel's questions. "So Lonjiku's had a child of bush and brake foisted on him. He seems to have managed the business rather poorly, in terms of maintaining his honour, but you would have to ask a human, I suppose. Bad blood between family members would be a useful thing for someone to exploit, though, if they wanted to plot some mischief. Conjure up an estranged brother seeking some measure of rapprochement, get Ameiko on her own, and then... But why? This Lonjiku sounds like a villain, but not in goblin fashion."
She sighs. "Very well. If it really is Tsuto, who may or may not have come back and seen something suspicious that he thought he could use to pay back his father and make his peace with his sister - which, I might add, seems like a rather long chain of conditions - something may have gone wrong. That said, he seems rather sure that Lonjiku would be tricky to dislodge, so I assume we don't need to worry about finding him.
On the other hand, if it's someone pretending to be Tsuto - the people who raided the cemetery, perhaps? then it's anyone's guess what they're trying to do, unless prey on Sandpoint to break its resolve.
I think trying the Glassworks first makes the most sense. It's the surest thing about this note, whoever wanted to meet Ameiko.'
Ioxeia stops abruptly, and disappears upstairs. She returns in a few minutes armoured and just less than bristling with steel. As she gathers her hair up to get it out of the way, she speaks sternly, "After the surprise in the cemetery, I'd rather not take any chances with whoever's still playing in town."
Gabriel will toss on his leather jerkin and grab his crossbow.
Sorry all computer died posting from my phone sorry for the lack of formatting.
Gallup comes down the stairs late to the party it seems.
Listening to Ioxeia Gallus grunts in agreement. "I agree let us head to the glassworks."
Gallus grabs his glaive ready to head out.
While Ioxeia prepares, Thorfinn will do likewise, arming and armoring up. "Right. Which way to the Glassworks?"
Bahni provides directions to the Glassworks which sits on the south west end of town near the beach.
After waking up a bit, eating something and getting ready to head out you leave, the dawn sun just begining to rise, most of the town still asleep or just waking for the day. When you arrive at the Glassworks, you find the building curiously silent. However, the furnace chimney still plumes with smoke making you think something is still going on inside. A quick investigation of the building perimeter reveals that curtains have been drawn over the windows and all the doors are locked.
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Fabulous, Ioxeia thinks, as the last door rattles against its bolt. She takes a step back and watches the plume of smoke from the chimney. I scarcely imagine they usually work through the night.
She looks at the others questioningly. "Unless anyone has skill with locks, I suppose our options are limited. If we want to be subtle, as far as we can be, we can use the signal Ameiko was sent, or it's choose a door and make our apologies later, I guess."
"While I have been told my wondrous voice can open many doors, this is unfortunately not what they were talking about. I think apologies later may be the way to go in this case."
Gabriel finishes with a bow and slight grin.
Lets find Ameiko first then we can all apologize for a single broken door. I am sure by the time today is over there will be more then just a broken door to deal with. Gallus sets his shoulder against the door and attempts to force it open.
Gallus and Chim attempt to break the door down together, only to find it resistant to their attempt.
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Ioxeia glances up at the brightening sky, before checking the door again, mind racing.
"Gentlemen," Ioxeia says, "two things have occurred to me. Both require the use of a resource I would prefer not to expend so early in the day, but I am worried about Ameiko. Under the circumstances, I am inclined to eschew the more subtle option..."
The dwarf eyes the wooden door speculatively. "Figuring we need to hurry. I'll watch for anyone taking an interest."
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"Very well, then," Ioxeia says, leaning her spear to one side and reaching into one of her belt pouches. She closes her eyes in concentration, and breathes a series of sounds like something rolling in the deep while her fingers flicker over a shard of granite. A brief glimmer reflects from her shield, and her eyes open to see her hands curl into dark grey stone. She takes a moment to line up her blows, and then starts beating with her transmuted fists.
She tears the last splintered plank away and snatches up her spear again. "After you," she offers.
Gallus smiles in appreciation as Ioxeia makes short work of what once was a door is now mere kindling. Who needs a key indeed! If only Aldren was here to see it.
With a chorttle to himself Gallus shoulders his way through the wreckage and steps into the darkness beyond his glaive at the ready.
Thorfinn puts his hand on Gallus' shoulder, holding him back. "You're nightblind--let me look first, if it's dark. The little maggots can see in the dark, too, good as me."
Gabriel will make sure his crossbow is all set and will advance with the party.
Some of the village passerby's hear the sounds and see you all working at the door. They come over to question you on what is going on, a look of confusion as they very well know you are the town heroes but you appear to be breaking into the Glassworks.
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As the group mills around, Ioxeia still ripping at the top band of the door so people won't have to duck to get in, she is not best pleased to perceive an awkward shuffle of an audience forming a nervous half-circle behind them. She wheels and glares, before trying to soften her expression, and thinking of how they might convey that Ameiko's gone missing, possibly from the Glassworks, without laying the seeds of a riot of rumour that would only make it more difficult to get to the bottom of things. A family emergency, perhaps? Someone was working alone late, door locked for safety, of course, but got hurt and couldn't let us in? This is not where my talents lie.
She steals a glance at Gabriel from the corner of her eye, hoping he can charm the locals into leaving the group alone.
Gabriel will step a bit away from the door and address few villagers passing by.
"Thank you kindly for your offers to help, but I had hoped we could overcome this small misunderstanding with littler fanfare than we have so far accomplished."
Gabriel will pull them in close and speak just barely above a whisper. "You see Ameiko slipped off to the Glassworks for a midnight tryst of sorts here. We figured she's just sleeping it off, but Bahni was worried and with the chimney going we're worried she might be in danger, maybe a tipped over candle or some such. Bahni promised us he'd have the door fixed. Well the door's open now, I can trust you not to spoil Ameiko's good name, right?"
Gabriel slips through the battered doorway with the rest of the party rather quickly after finishing his explination.
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Ioxeia's jaw drops as Gabriel brazens his way through the townsfolks' unease with a juicy rumour. Nothing for it, then, she thinks, trying to find a less suggestive point she can announce more loudly. "Good people," she says, raising her voice and trying to imitate the actor's air of confidence, "as Gabriel said, the family sent us to check the Glassworks immediately; after all, no one was expected to already have the kiln burning this early, and we need to make sure that a slow fire hasn't spread by accident from yesterday's work. Please don't worry, we have the situation well in hand." .
She waits for a reaction before joining the others as Gabriel ushers them in.
Gallus turns and watches in astonishment as Gabriel and Ioxeia weave a wild story of Ameiko's tryst. To his amazement they the story seems to mollify the crowd for the moment.
Shaking his head he ducks low as he follows Thorfin into the darkened glassworks.
The small crowd begins to dispurse, but before doing so one of the members speaks up "Ah, hope all is well then, but the building has been locked up and I have noticed a lack of traffic into and from the building, but since the furnace chimney still plumes with smoke, I assume that the building is simply closed to allow Lonjiku and his workers some privacy while they work on a big project." With that the crowd finishes dispersing allowing you to enter the building.
Inside, this room contains a shop where customers can browse the various glassware produced here. Bottles, windowpanes, and glasswork art are the
primary contents. Natural light filters in from a skylight, making all the various goods sparkle in the light. There is a door on the eastern wall and another behind the counter leading to the south east.
Thorfinn moves in with less noise than one might expect from a heavily-armed dwarf, heads for the northern of the two doors, and carefully opens it.