Kyrian states his experiences and how Tsuto nearly managed to kill him a few times.
"Gwynethiel!" Helena scolds, rapping her knuckles quickly on the back of Gwyn's skull, sounding for all the world like an elderly schoolmarm instead of a young herbalist. "Cease your encouragement! This is just like that night with the guardsmen; do you not remember how much that salve stung afterwards?" She shakes her head sadly, her expression softening. "Good job I'm here to keep you out of trouble," she chuckles, giving the elf's shoulder a squeeze.
When Shalelu offers to lead the pair to the Rusty Dragon, she nods gratefully. "That would be wonderful. And yes, I'm happy to share a room again, Gwyn - if only to stop you jumping into those of every random man we meet!" she adds jokingly, with a small smile.
"I still say you did that on purpose! Besides, I know better than to bet someone can juggle their sword now," Gwyn says as she rubs the back of her head with one hand while holding her hat with another.
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Gwyn rolls her eyes at Helena's comment.
"You know, as much as I've teased and flirted, I've never slept with anyone," she tells the herbalist.
"I know, Gwyn," Helena says quietly, smiling distantly at her friend. "It's hard to remember that sometimes, considering you're so open and carefree. I'm too used to peace." She stares into what passes for the distance to her. "How can you be such a tease, anyway? Aren't you worried one of your jokes will go too far?"
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"I dunno," Gwyn admits, "You humans live such short lives. I've barely come of age, and already I've seen my friends grow old and bitter, then die, twice now. Maybe that makes me scared to commit to anything serious. Maybe I don't want to think that far ahead and just want to live in the now."
Gwyn chuckles ruefully, "You do have a knack for making me be introspective, don't you."
"'You humans have such short lives'?" Helena echoes, raising a grey eyebrow, an amused smile tugging at her facial muscles. "From my perspective, you're long-lived. When I'm old and grey-" She pauses, before conceding, "grey -er, you'll still be young and vibrant. Truth be told, it makes me wonder why you bother making friends with 'short-lived' folk, rather than seeking out your own kind, knowing that our paths will separate so soon."
Attempting to lighten the mood, she winks, adding, "See? You're not the only one who can get introspective. Now, how about we shelve that talk, fetch some drinks, and you can remind me of how lighting tindertwigs near that apothecary was 'harmless'?"
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"Maybe because I grew up among humans instead of elves," Gwyn offers before turning to Shalelu, "or am I just odd in general? Anyway, I don't think of you as grey, you're more like silver. Elegant and subtle. But if it bothers you I could always give you some color."
At the mention of drinks, the Caydenite wraps her arms around both Helena and Shalelu's shoulders.
"What are we waiting for? I'm sure we can impress everyone with tales of our shenanigans over a few rounds," she says with a grin.
Fluff, meanwhile, flits to Shalelu's shoulder and shakes her head.
"So you see what I have to put up with? First she nearly burns down the forest, and now she's planning on adding alcohol to the equation. It's a wonder that I haven't died of exhausting yet."
In the Garrison meeting room...
As each of you give your testimony, the judge stares intently at each of your faces with his whiteless Elven eyes. His gaze is stern, and it's hard to tell if his eyes are truly black or a deep, deep indigo. Regardless, he interrupts little, only to ask a probing question or two.
After all of you have given your testimony, the judge seems pleased. He turns to the Sheriff, and says, "A prisoner transport wagon should be arriving in town later today. I intend to leave with it after we have transferred the prisoner to my custody." He stands, as if to dismiss you, but then cocks his head as if he'd just thought of something, then motions for you to sit back down.
"I'm on the lookout for a fugitive witch. She had been associated with a now-disbanded band of brigands that preyed upon travelers on the Lost Coast Road. We have a few reports that she had been ensorcelling men in taverns in Garrett's Landing and other wayside villages and compelling them to give her their money before running off. We believe she may now be working with Sczarni criminals."
From a pocket in his robes, the judge retrieves a scroll, which he unrolls. It is a poster. Across the top in big letters reads, Wanted Alive: The Lost Coast Witch. Reward: 200 ducats. Below is a line drawing of a buxom, raven-haired young woman whose lip is curled in a cruel smile. She holds a wand in one hand, and her cloak is decorated with stars and moons. At her feet stands an evil-looking black cat arching its back. Below the poster reads the caption, Charged with: Involuntary ensorcellment, banditry, and robbery.
The judge continues, "This sketch is based on the reports of her victims. Thankfully, there are no reports of her having killed anyone... yet... and we hope to get her locked up before she comes to that. You haven't happened to have seen anyone that meets her description, have you?"
Outside...
The elven ranger leads Gwyn and Helena along winding cobblestone streets. Many people pass with a wave, a friendly nod, or a "Hi, Shalelu!". You pass many shops and cottages on your way down Main Street, across the currently-deserted open-air marketplace, and then down Market Street. A large tavern with a metal sculpture of a dragon on its roof dominates the block. Shalelu glances over her shoulder at the two newcomers and opens the front door. "Come on in!" she invites, as she steps through the door.
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"We will let you know if we see anyone matching that description! If you will excuse us, there are a couple of lovely ladies waiting to have drinks with us." Cerin says with a sly smile and a wink. "Good day, sir."
After leaving the Sheriff's office, he gestures towards the Dragon. "Well, I could use a bit of lunch before we head off to Thistletop. How about you?"
Halvor remains silent throughout the Judge's questioning, knowing that his inability to lie well would only land them in a pickle if he denied knowing anything about the 'Lost Coast Witch'. Instead he nods grimly, following Cerin out the door.
Once they get outside, he blows out a sigh of relief, then grins mischievously to the gnome. "Aye, a bit of lunch would be great before we permanently solve the goblin problem this town seems to have."
Kyrian puts a hand to his chin as he rests it there for a moment before wiping it off. "Well judge, we'll let you know, but as my friend here said, there's a few ladies in which we need to share some drinks with. And I for one am never a man to turn down a ladie's company when she thirsts." he says with a sly grin and light chuckle.
Kyrian nods at the comment about lunch. "Food is an excellent idea I must agree. I would imagine that Thistletop isn't going to be a fun place. Besides the point however, does that poster now state that we're aiding a criminal?"
Gwyn grins was she and Helena are invited inside. Her belly rumbled and she could use a few good drinks.
"Well, my silvered friend, shall we see what hides in this dragon's lair," she asks Helena before following Shalelu inside.
Helena squints up at the dragon sculpture, fascinated by the play of light on its surface. Gwyn's voice snaps her out of her distraction, and she casts it one more glance before following her friend inside.
She clutches her spear like a walking staff, leaning against it nervously. "Shalelu, was it? What do you recommend here?" she asks.
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Besides the point however, does that poster now state that we're aiding a criminal?"[/b]
"Well, It's... complicated. I don't know that I would call her a criminal, personally; more just a person in a bad position. She left to protect us as well as herself, and if she ever needs our help I for one will be there in a heartbeat."
Halvor didn't know much of anything about what Lynnda had done before they met up with her...but in the brief time they had traveled together, she had seemed a stalwart companion, brave, a pleasant companion. If these posters were truly her, then she was a changed person since that time.
The warrior ponderously shrugs, "She helped out when it was needed. And then helped some more when it was only asked for. If that is her, then perhaps she performed enough rights to cover up her wrongs. Anyways, I shall not help them find her. Let us go to the Dragon!"
Halvor, Cerin, Kyrian, and Krissina head over to the Dragon. It's a little after noon, and there's a decent lunchtime crowd. You find Shalelu sitting with your new friends Gwyn and Helena. Krissina excuses herself to give Ameiko and Bethana a hand with the crowd, and the rest of you join your friends.
Shalelu says that she intends to head into the Brinestump Marsh to see what the Licktoad Goblins are up to. "Honestly, it would be best if I went alone. The marsh is treacherous, but I know my way around, and I'm very good at eluding detection."
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"I'm sure you are. Be careful, though. I, uh, we would be very unhappy if anything were to happen to you!" Cerin tells Shalelu with a dazzling smile.
"We were thinking about heading over to sell some of the armaments we acquired before heading off to assault the goblin stronghold." he states, turning to face Gwyn and still bearing the broad smile. "Would you care to accompany us and collect your share? You did your fair share of the fighting, after all!"
Halvor's face brightens at the prospect of the two ladies accompanying them, nodding, "Yes, they certainly did their part. Fair is fair."
Gwyn covers a smile with her drink, It wouldn't do to laugh at Cerinnibert and Halvor's obvious enthusiasm, after all. After a moment and a sip of her ale, she turns to Helena.
"So, what do you think we should do? You're the wise one here."
Fluff, meanwhile. is blissfully unaware of the conversation around her. She has a pastry in front of her occupying her attention and she nibbles at it, savoring each bite.
"The wise one?" Helena echoes, running a finger nervously around the lip of her mug, mostly untouched. "Well, if you think it's a good idea. We'll need more coin if we're to stay here awhile."
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"Fine, it's settled then! We can head over to Savah's and I'm sure we can get her to give us a good price for these. She also had some pretty nice items for sale the last time we were there that were a bit out of our price range; mayhap some of us could find something better before we head out?" He stands and offers each of the two ladies an arm with a cheery grin.
"Indeed. I might need an upgrade before we head into a complex full of the little creeps!"
Kyrian nods at the suggestion of Savah's. "Sounds like a solid idea to me, so let's go hit her up and see what we can get."
"Okay, sounds like a plan," Gwyn says enthusiastically as she stands up, "I take it we'll be getting some lunch before we head to the goblin den, right? I'll leave Fluff here then. She left scars the last time I tried to take a pastry away from her."
"You'll have to watch her; she'll be too round to fly, soon!" Helena teases, nudging Gwyn as the group prepares to move. She can't help smiling at Cerin, offering the gnome a clumsy curtsy before taking the offered arm awkwardly. She leaves her barely-drunk drink on the table, with no intention of finishing it later.
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Escorting the women past the guards, Cerin gives cheery hello to the young man behind the counter. "Good day! Is Savah around? No, don't bother her if she's busy, I wouldn't want to disturb her. These are a few new friends we have made, Gwyn and Helena. They just helped fend off another goblin attack on the road into town, so treat them well!"
Moving about the room glancing at the items for sale, he quickly gravitates towards the more high-end items and his eyes flash with lightning as he sees the enchanted scimitar. "Ah, if only... I shall have to save my pence, I would love to have that magnificent weapon!"
"I wasn't joking about the scars," Gwyn says as she rolls up a sleeve, revealing the bruise she had received on the way to Sandpoint. She points to several white scars in small neat lines.
"The little buzzard drew blood and I haven't touched her food since."
The elf sweeps up the mug Helena leaves behind and downs it in a few gulps before following the others.
"Alright! Let's see what wares this lady of blades has for us, eh?"
Gwyn's eyes light up as she spies the collection of daggers, knives, and the longbow.
"Where's a corrupt nobleman when you need him? I swear what's the world coming to when you can't find an evil, fat noble to rob so you can give to the poor, and buy something shiny," she jokes. Seeing Helena's glare she holds her hands up and quickly adds, "'twas only a joke! I'm not going to rob anyone, promise!"
"Ah, well, I guess there's next time."
Halvor stays behind the others with Kyrian, trying to keep his thoughts on the potential wares he might find at Savah's. Though such things truly did interest him, the two ladies in front of him were much more interesting and new, at the moment. He listened to their banter, a small smile on his lips.
As they reach Savah's, he takes a look around at the collection, his eyes lingering on the finely made breastplate. Not being good with figures, he turns to Cerin. "Hey Cerin, do you reckon I might have enough for that?"
The warrior nods eagerly. "It is a very powerful weapon. Too bad it is too small for any of us to use."
Helena sighs and rolls her eyes at Gwyn's comments, though the smile on her lips confirms her understanding of the joke. "This is a fine selection," she says quietly, keeping close to her friend. "I never learned to use many of these weapons, though. I might just keep my spear for now, and save us the coin."
She looks curiously at the tiny dagger Cerin produces. "Are you certain? It looks more like a toothpick from where I stand!"
"Aye, the most expensive and finely crafted toothpick in all of Golarion," Gwyn chimes in with a chuckle before her eyes glow as she mutters an arcane phrase. An eyebrow arches in Helena's direction.
"And quiet possibly the most heavily enchanted as well. Cerin and Halvor are right. It's a shame that it's so small."
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"You should have seen the monster using it against us! A quasit, nasty little thing, and tough as nails! We finally ended up having to drown it!" Cerin shakes his head.
"But that seems to be expected in this mess we have been caught up in. We meet all the most interesting people and creatures..." he says with a wry grin and a wink.
For the briefest fo moments, sheer panic flashes in Gwyns eyes. Her skin turns even paler, and the faint sheen of a cold sweat can be seen on her forehead.
"Y-you, don't say. A quasit? I can't say I've ever run across one in my travels or in Magnimar," she says in a ever so slightly strained voice.
Savah comes out of the back room, and seems delighted to see you again.
"I've had some turnover of the more special items since the last time you were here, but mostly it's the same selection. Oh, except for this!" She takes a small-looking scimitar from behind the glass case. It is decorated with Qadiran script, and the crossguard and hilt have been forged in the image of the holy symbol of Sarenrae.
"The story of this weapon is that it was made for the commander of a platoon of halfling desert-commandoes in service to the Dawnflower. How it came into the possession of a Varisian trader wasn't part of the story. Regardless, look at this. Lahib lo!" The blade bursts into flames, illuminating the room with orange light. "Honestly, I don't know what that phrase means, if anything."
She seems impressed by the returning cold iron dagger, especially given its origin. "Not really an effective weapon given its size, but it certainly is a curiosity! I'm sure I'd be able to sell that to some aristocrat with more money than sense down in Magnimar!"
Halvor's eyes light up at the flaming scimitar, but ultimately he looks disappointed. He already had the finally crafted ranseur for reach, and the magical longsword, which was a weapon he was well-trained in. The scimitar seemed awesome, but not enough to purchase it.
As the woman collects their coin, the warrior looks at the growing pile of gold with a sigh. "I've never seen so much gold at one time. It would take my parents a trio of lifetimes to earn this. He shakes his head, pocketing his portion, trusting Cerin to give him the correct amount.
[b]"Perhaps we can all go in on a stick of curing or something?"
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Cerin moves next to Halvor and whispers conspiratorily "Perhaps if we can convince our new friends to join us, we won't need to worry about getting another wand. They seem to be able to handle themselves in a fight and the fact that both of them are very lovely doesn't hurt!"
Turning back, he holds up the wand he just figured out how to use that morning and gives Savah his devil-may-care grin. "How about I throw this in as well? I can change the size of the dagger, either making it gnome- or human-sized. Would that be worth more to you? Maybe it might convince you to put that lovely scimitar on layaway until I can rustle up the rest of the coin to purchase it from you? The way my friends are oggling some of your more impressive wares, I think we will be taking at least some of the value of the dagger in trade as well!"
When they settle on the final price, he strolls over to where Gwyn and Helena are looking over the weaponry and hands them their share.
"You know, I was just thinking that you acquitted yourselves very well out there against those goblins. Would you be at all interested in helping this town in its time of need and stopping the depredations of these horrid monsters? The townsfolk, not to mention the Sheriff, would be very grateful!"
Halvor finds himself nodding along with Cerin's words, both about finding items that he'd like to purchase in the shop, and about the two ladies joining them. He smiles shyly at the two women, letting the gnome speak for him, not trusting himself not to stammer over his words.
"I don't know," Helena admits, glancing worriedly at Gwyn. "I'm just an apothecary, and I was really hoping to keep my friend out of trouble!"
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"Oh, come on Helena. How often do you get asked to be a hero," Gwyn says with a laugh, the unease from the mention of the quasit disappearing in a wave of mirth and excitement.
"Besides, you really should know that the only way to keep me out of trouble is to stick me in a stockade anchored in bedrock, and event that's not guaranteed to work," she adds with a chuckle. Turning to Savah she asks, "Do you have any longbows and arrows? I'm not very strong, but I think I can handle a bow well enough."
Fluff, having finished off one pastry flits over to where Ameiko is at the bar.
"Oh miss," the thrush says pitifully, a few crumbs clinging to her beak, "please show a poor familiar some mercy. My master has left without feeding me properly, and my stomach is still empty! All I ask is some small morsel, or a few crumbs."
Imperious Rex lives up to his name, his mane flowing gracefully in an unfelt breeze as he poses to inspire the other horses and the stablehands tending to them. Beams of light, seemingly from nowhere fall down on the horse as he sparkles.
"What the-" One of the newly arrived hands begins before his friend grabs his shoulder and shakes his head.
"Don't ask," he says, "I don't think even a wizard could explain that."
"Once, and I still maintain that his Taldane was almost as broken as his nose," Helena sighs. "Well, if you're already stocking up on weapons, I suppose that means you're going to take part in all this, and I'll therefore have no choice, will I?" She pushes her friend lightly and playfully in the shoulder.
The elf grins at her friend's decision, and the memory of the man who didn't want to take no for an answer only a half-dozen years before. Gwyn was slender and small, frail, even by the standards of the elves. Helena, however, had some muscle hidden beneath those long baggy sleeves.
"Oh, you always have a choice," Gwyn says with an ever widening grin, "It's just you don't want to admit that you are just as much of a troublemaker as I am." One of the elf's arms squeezes Helena's shoulders in a brief, friendly hug. Truth be told, Gwyn was glad the young woman was with her. She'd had enough of loneliness from her years on the streets, in servitude to an evil wizard, and in the Acadamae.
"Well, at least this time, you won't have to worry about patching me up. I'll just hide behind tall, dark, and quiet over here," Gwyn waves at Halvor, giving the man a wink.
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Cerin's grin erupts into a broad smile. "Wonderful! You won't regret it, we will have plenty of fun. And don't worry, I will help keep your young friend out of trouble! I've had plenty of practice, most of my relatives have a habit of getting into things they shouldn't." he tells Helena in a not-very-subtle aside.
Pointing up to a high shelf, he tells Gwyn, "I believe Savah has a couple of very nice bows up there. That one! With the leaves carved around the grip, it would be perfect."
At Cerin's assertion that he had magic that could make the dagger larger, permanently, she blurts, "If you could enlarge that returning dagger so that it's sized for a human, I'll trade you even for the flaming scimitar!" She then makes a face as if she realizes that she just cut much profit out of the proposed transaction, but then shrugs her shoulders. "You are the Heroes of Goblin Day, after all!"
Looking at the dagger more closely, Savah remarks, "Wait... this blade isn't fire-blackened steel... it's cold iron!" She looks at you with a curious expression. "Cold iron is notoriously difficult to enchant with magic... and I have a buyer in Magnimar who would give me cold cash for something like this in a heartbeat. Here, let me sweeten the deal..." She points over her shoulder at the mannequin wearing the mithril shirt Kyrian had his eye on. "If you can enlarge the dagger so it's sized for an elf, I'll throw in that mithril shirt with the scimitar for the dagger. That armor been on my rack for months... very few people here in Sandpoint can afford it, and I was afraid I'd have to sell it at a loss!"
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Cerin glances around with a raised eyebrow and sees nods from most of the group. With a sincere smile he bows, "I Thank you all for your generosity! It seems we have a deal. Gwyn, you should take this wand, at least. If you will use it on the dagger, after Kyrian changes we can head off!"
Cerin hands Gwyn the wand of size change and picks up the scimitar reverently, getting a feel for its weight and balance before sheathing it.
Kyrian nods to Cerin after the comment of changing. "Sounds like a good plan to me. Here's to fewer battle scars across the chest!" he says with a chuckle.
Halvor nods his agreement, smiling at the thought of the wily gnome waving about a flaming scimitar. "More armor would have been nice...but the best defense is a good offense."
The warrior grins at Kyrian, "Indeed! Though we are likely going to give those little brutes plenty of opportunities."