Rissi tries to imagine in her minds eye their position underground and visualize where the tunnel might lead. She sniffs for the salty smell of seabreeze, conjecturing it might lead to shore.
The next door opens to reveal a small desk-sitting behind it is a Tian man that Lucian recognizes as Tsuto. He is fast asleep with his head upon the desk and an empty bottle of whiskey next to his hand.
With that surprising discovery, Lucian whispers quietly the identity of the half-elf in front of them.
"Let's capture him and make him talk. Sealman? Miana?"
"Why capture? Let's just wake him up and nicely ask if he's seen his sister. They could have been playing cards, gotten drunk and passed out. Then Ameiko could have gone to the privy and passed out there. Torag knows that has happened to me . . . a few times."
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"I have to agree; we do not know of any wrong doing, yet. I do believe we should surround him in case he does make for fight or flight instead of cooperating with us about Ameiko's disappearance."
Looking at their equipment, the paladin gives a slight frown. "Although that would mean yourself, Rissi, and Kufi should head in first; Sealman and I will probably make too much noise in our armor."
"I shall surround *chhh* his feet!" Rissi jokes; however, she stays well back of Tsuto.
Lucian will check if he has any weapon about.
"Maybe someone with agile fingers could remove his weapons? I wouldn't like him to strike us as he's in his drunken stupor. Then let's wake him and ask questions."
"Let's check the other rooms first. That way if we find something fishy, we can ask him about it."
Seal gets up on his tippy-toes and walks over to the next door and opens it.
Tsuto does not appear to be armed. His shortbow leans against the wall in the corner of the room.
And behind the other two doors . . .? ;)
Kufieno shuts the door to the room, Tsuto is in and locks it, before moving on to examine the other doors with the dwarf.
Both of the other rooms are storage; the larger simply stores glassware, windows, and other finished goods.
The second is smaller and locked, although Kufieno easily unlocks it. Inside Ameiko lies on her side on the floor, bound at the wrists and ankles with rope and blindfolded and gagged with strips of leather.
Lucian immediately reacts to help Miana untie her barmaid friend, as well as remove her blindfold and gag.
"Are you alright Ameiko? Do you need healing?"
Ameiko is injured and barely conscious. "Ugh. Oh! Oh, thank you." She takes a few deep breaths. "My brother," she shakes her head, ashamed and distraught. "Nualia," she continues to shake the fog from her head.
"What about you brother and Nualia?" Kufieno asks gently.
"Ugh. My brother told me to meet him here. He told me he and several other mercenaries had been led by Nualia-she must still be alive or else someone has taken on her name-and that this Nualia had big plans for Sandpoint's future. He warned me that I didn't want to be in town when those plans came through and offered me the chance to join his group at Thistletop. Pft! I slapped him at that! Could not believe that he would have sunk to such a low! His goblins came in and overwhelmed me. Please, I need to warn my father."
"Someone *chhh* cut her bonds. Let us subdue Tsuto and find Lonjiku with haste! He could be in danger from goblins..." she chitters excitedly.
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Closing her eyes, Miana presses her hand against Ameiko's chest as holy energy fills her body and into that of the Tien woman.
"I apologize, this is my first attempt to control my new blessings. Let me try one more time.", once again pressing her hand on Ameiko.
Sighing, Miana helps lift Ameiko up. "I need more practice it seems."
Upon Rissi's suggestion, Miana nods, but adds, "Save the rope and use it on Tsuto."
Ameiko thanks Miana for her help.
The party returns to find Tsuto still passed out on the desk.
Lucian listens to Ameiko's tale carefully while he heals her wounds.
"Here, let me help too."
Slowly recovering from his initial shock, he asks "Nualia would still be alive? That would account for the desacrated tomb. You spoke of goblins... are they still around, do you think?"
"Tsuto? He's not totally rotten to the core. At least I don't think so, not yet. He's still my brother, even if he is a. . . " some colorful language escapes Ameiko's mouth. "Goblins? Yes, there were goblins upstairs ransacking the place."
At the chance that there maybe goblins upstairs, Seal rushes off towards the stairs. He waddles his way up the steps and into the hallway.
Sniffing the air, Seal heads to the double doors to throw them open.
"Seal wait!" Kufieno hisses. Should we tie up Tsuto or something?" He asks the others.
Lucian helps tie up Tsuto, then will rush to support the reckless dwarf.
Rissi immediately follows Sealman (estimating the others can catch up to both of them fairly quickly)
After the party ties up the drunken Tsuto, they follow Seal back upstairs where the dwarf has thrown open the door to the empty hallway. He runs back around to the other set of double doors to reveal the main glassmaking room. A furnace burns along the southweast wall and marble tables sit in the chamber. The main furnace burns at the northeast end.
In the room is a gruesome display of goblin boredom. The bodies of eight murdered staff lie in various stages of dismemberment; the goblins have been burning legs and arms in the furnace with glee and pouring melted glass on the remains. The central alcove features the body of Longiku, propped up in a chair and encased in thick, runny sheets of hardened glass.
As Seal throws the door open, the goblins stop their mischief and turn to fight off the intruders!
"Eight goblins!" Rissi squeaks as she does the mental calculation with lightning speed. She steps to the side to gain even more cover and then begins a spell of sleep.
Rissi begins casting a spell.
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Two of the goblins nearby grab some broken glassware and hurl it at the party.
The rest of the goblins move toward the party, some pulling out dogslicers, others holding hot tongs, and others picking up broken glass.
Seal takes a 5' step up. He looks the line of goblins up an down. He then points his pole arm at G4.
"Your first, gobo!"
[/sad trombone]
Lucian calls forth the blessing of the Sandpoint pantheon upon his companions.
Seal swings and misses!
Lucian blesses the party!
Kufieno moves deeper into the room and fires a frosty ray at the northeast goblin.
As Rissi summons the sleepy forces of lethargy, she places them upon a large cluster of goblins .
She then tosses a splash of acid at one , although the shot is difficult due to her intervening companions.
Kufieno hits a goblin with a ray of frost!
Miana then finishes off the goblin!
Rissi puts a group of them to sleep as she finishes her spell! She then lobs a glob of acid at another goblin!
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One of the goblins pulls a dogslicer on Seal!
Another one jabs at Miana with hot tongs!
The goblin in the back picks up a piece of broken glass and hurls it at Seal!
With nowhere to go, Seal just winds up and punches the goblin in front of him with his cestus's covered fist.
Listening to his courage alone (or is it foolishness?), Lucian dashes forward, letting his guard down for a moment.
Then, he raises his severely-burnt hands and a cone of flames bursts from them, engulfing three golbins in it.
Seal punches a goblin and watches the large red eyes roll back into the creature's head as it tumbles backwards.
Miana swings but misses her target.
As Lucian runs past the goblin near Miana wildly swings his tongs.
Lucian takes out one of the moving goblins and two of the sleeping ones with a burst of flames!
Rissk tosses a splash of acid at the foul creature engaging Miana but misses, distracted by Lucian's sudden fervor.
Kufieno sends another freeze ray at a goblin
Rissi misses but Kufieno hits the goblin.
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The lone goblin looks frightened and leaps through the window, running for the tree-line!
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Shaking her head at panicking goblin, Miana moves to assess room, including the carnage within. Upon seeing the glass encased body of Lonjiku, the suli woman exhales a deep sigh. "Let us make sure there are no more of these vile greenskins nearby, then gather the bodies into something of a normal form... and inform Ameiko that we've cleared out the goblins here."
Deeply saddened by the sight of the Tien-min's enceased body, Lucian adds to Miana's words. "We should be considering the fact of telling her at a quieter time and place. She and her father weren't on good terms, but he was still her father. I will tell her the news."
Then remembering his duties. "Is anyone hurt?"