When Snowflake pulls back Alergast’s body, he find him to be quite dead, the flesh of his face and upper torso eaten away.
An instant later, an insane goblin shrieks in rage at its stolen dinner and leaps up out of the hole to attack.
It leaves a nasty gash on Snowflake's arm.
The goblin is half stuck in the hole, and the hole is at the bottom of the closet. It means the goblin has cover from snowflake, and is pretty unreachable for the others at the moment.
Round 1
Init
Rataji
Justin
Goblin
Vitro
Snowflake
Bold may post an action.
Rataji moves into place, springing out at the goblin.
"You stay away from my brother!"
Justin: casts Daze.
The goblins eyes suddenly glaze over, and it stands there, drooling.
Rataji: Slips into the small room, but gets no room to manouver.
Goblin: bloody drool dribbles down its chin. It looks a bit mall nourished, but otherwise its large for its kind and wears sturdy armor.
Round 1
Init
Rataji
Justin
Goblin
Vitro
Snowflake
Bold may post an action.
(Can't move my character on the map while on the phone. I'm assuming Taj is standing next to me)
Making room for others, Snowflake climbs on the bed while he exchanges his morning star for his short spear, with the intention to stab downwards when he gets the chance
(next round that is, since my bab is 0)
Just how bad an idea is this?
"That goblin's well-armored and we can't easily get to him. Could be tricky. I could just gas it with acid mist. Would be a definite closed-casket case for the husband though..."
Vitro will delay for a moment, probably better if Taj handles this...
.
With the goblin dead, you wrap the small body in a blanket so you can take it away without scaring the children more.
Not knowing what to do with the half-eaten body of the father, you put a sheet over him, figuring you probably need the help of father Zanthus for this.
When you go outside, Amele is there with the children, looking hopeful. Several other townspeople have gathered as well.
When you tell her about her husband's death, she has a complete breakdown, clutching her children to her chest.
Nothing you say consoles her. The onlookers mutter among themselves, but offer no aid.
Not too long after, Sheriff Hemlock appears, having been summoned by one of the town guard.
He checks out the scene in the house, before thanking you for your help.
Seeing that Amele is in no condition to walk, he picks her up like she weighs nothing, letting one of the guards carry the kids.
"We'll make sure they can all stay at the temple for a few days while I contact her sister in Magnimar. One of my men will stand guard at the house so we can clean out that goblin, and father Zanthus can come get Alergast his body."
With that, the sheriff is off, taking most of the onlookers with him.
After the sobering encounter, tutoring at the orphanage is an awkward affair. The children were all already inside, so they have not heard the news yet, so they are their energetic and boisterous selves. Asking you questions about adventures and slaying goblins, suddenly feels a lot more serious then it was before.
When the school lets out, you go go back to the Rusty Dragon, where Ameiko serves you a hearty chicken stew.
Sheriff Hemlock is also there, eating. When he sees you at your regular table, he comes over.
"Regrettable business this morning, but there was nothing you could have done. I would ask you to join myself, Mayor Deverin at the town hall after dinner. We’s got some news that might interest you all."
"They Mayor is also eating, as is the guest we want you to meet. She's in the back with Ameiko. When they finish, we can go. Meetings on an empty stomach are not good for the concentration."
Sheriff Hemlock blinks for a second in disbelieve.
"Does... does he do that more often?"
With fast but precise motions the elf partitions his stew into bits to be scooped onto bits of toast.
"I think my colleague has a point about the urgency of the matter however. We should investigate whether there's a goblin tunnel in that house. If there's more secret entrances like that in town it's like a dagger pointed at our backs."
He continues muttering to himself in elven;
"Straszne dla dziecka, ale ci rodzice są cholernie głupi. Jasne, mówisz dzieciom, żeby się nie martwili o gobliny w szafce, a ty zachowujesz się tak, jakbyś nie obchodził się, więc dziecko się nie boi. Ale twoje własne miasto zostało zaatakowane przez gobliny, dlaczego nie byłeś ostrożny?"
Grabbing his bowl and joining you at the table now that there is a vacant chair, the Sheriff takes a good bite of his stew before answering.
"We checked out the bottom of the closet. No secret goblin tunnels. It looks like the goblin had managed to pry loose a board and hid in the small space under the floor."
Rataji sighs as the boys hurry through the food. It was a good meal, worth not rushing through. She grabs a bowl, taking it with her to the meeting.
"That's a relief at least. It would be safer to inform the people that there may be some stragglers of the raid left in nooks and crannies however, so everyone should be alert."
"Is it time for us to go on another extermination run?" She pauses unhappily. "There are more houses around then we can possibly search. Can we teach people how to be aware of the signs of goblin presence? Or is there something else we can do to help ease their fears and ensure their safety?"
Justin opens the back door, into the kitchen.
The first thing that the ratfolk notices is all the different smells. Aimko has an extensive herb and spice collection, and with a sensitive nose, you're nearly assaulted by the different smells.
At the large table in the middle of the kitchen, you see an elf you have not seen before. Ameiko is busy peeling potatoes.
The elf is female, with blond hair and light blue eyes. She wears practical leather armor, that appears to be well used and well taken care off.
I've added a picture of Shalelu here
Noticing Justin, their conversation stalls. The elf glares, while Ameiko pauses her peeling.
"Are you all right Justin? Is the food not to your liking?"
Ameiko quickly glances at the elf at the table.
"Eh, justin, I have no idea what you are saying with your cheeck pouches full. Why dont go you back to your table and finish your meal, I'll be with you shortly."
As you walk out the door, back to the common room, you can see from the corner of your eye Ameiko and the elf shruging at each other, slightly confused.
About 15 minutes later, when you are finishing your meal, Ameiko and the elf come out of the back.
Ameiko starts collecting empty dishes, while the elf welks up to your table.
"Sheriff." She nods at Hemlock, before taking a good look at the party.
"This Sandpoint’s newest crop of goblinslayers?”
Hemlock gives her a wry smile. "Everyone, let me introduce Shalelu, unofficial member of Sandpoint’s town guard”
Shalelu smirks at that introduction.
Taking the last bite of his stew, the sheriff stands up. "If you are all ready, lets go to the town hall to meet with the mayor."
Snowflake looks in awe at Shalelu. He heard about her and her stories as a kid, but never saw her this up close in real life.
Taj looks at Vy and raises an eyebrow. Taking his arm, she asks, "So... Who is this Shalelu that you admire so much? Do you have any stories to share with me?"
With the child still present in his adolescent voice, Snowflake enthusiastically starts whispering the many improbable tales about Shalelu being the scourge of many a Bugbear tribe in the the surrounding woodlands.
"She really hates them, but I can't recall why. Goblins is just a side thing for her, but they do tend to follow those big guys'
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A few dreams about half eaten faces haunt your dreams. You start awake, thinking you hear goblins scrambling inside the walls, but after a few minutes, you realise you were dreaming and go back to bed.
The following morning you rise bright and early, ready for another morning of tutoring.
But instead of breakfast greeting you with its smells, the common room is cold. Bethana looks harried, and the moment she spots you, she takes you aside.
"Oh thank Desna you're awake! I dont know what to do and I hope you could help because I am certainly not able to do this and..."
Bethana takes a few breaths to steady herself. She blinks back tears in her eyes. "Hear me rambling. You dont need me in this state. I'll tell it from the beginning."
Taking one last deep breath, the small halfling woman firmly grasps her apron to steady her hands. "I woke earlier this morning to find that Ameiko hadn’t already started breakfast, for the first time I could remember. Worried, I knocked on Ameiko’s door but didn’t get a response. Against her better judgment, I entered Ameiko’s room to find it empty and the bed unslept in. Worse, I found a crumpled piece of parchment near the bed—a note from Ameiko’s older brother Tsuto!"
She hands you the piece of parchment.
Bethana points at one side of the note, then to the back of it. "See those weird marks at the front? That's Minkaian. Not a lot of people know it here, but Ameiko's been teaching me. I wrote the translation on the back so you could follow along. I think I got most of it right. I hope."
She sighs deeply. "Since none of you know this except for Snowflake, I'll tell you quick about Tsuto. You see, Tsuto was something of a scandal when he was born back in 4688, a year before
Ameiko, since he’s a half-elf."
Bethana 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 starting 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."
Her tale interrupted by the sound of a boiling kettle, Bethana interrupts her tale to poor you all, and herself a cup of tea. The simple act of taking care of you, seems to steady her.
"That all changed in 4705, when they had a terrible argument in which Tsuto struck Ameiko. I don’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."
Bethana firmly grasps her teacup. "I know this is all a lot of ditry laundry and a lot to take in, but I think its important you know all this to understand how dire the situation is. 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.
I am worried that Tsuto’s up to no good. Since Sheriff Hemlock’s out of town, you are the only ones I can turn to."
Vitro's studying the scribbling when he hears talking about mystery elven parents and reflexively starts saying "It wasn't m-- never mind. Oh, " looking at the note "this could be bad. If Ameiko's going there alone...
"I believe the humans are fond of calling it 'walk and talk', although that would probably not be a good idea for you.. just grab some toast and let's go. She's got a head start already and we don't know if either Tsuto or his not-quite-adopted dad is the one we shouldn't trust."
He concentrates for a second, exaggerated emotions playing across his face; fear, rage, joy, fear again, again rage and then a determined set to his features.
Then he gets up, grabs his gear and begins pushing everyone in the direction of the door with a bit more force than his elven frame would suggest.
"Come on!"
"Sorry I dont have anything else at the moment."
Bethana puts bread and some sausage into your hands. "Please bring Ameiko back safely. I dont know what I'd do without her."
Once you step outside the dragon, Sandpoint is peacefull. There are a few people about at this hours, but no one bothers you, as they all have somewhere to be.
Rumor joins you just a street away, looking rather smug with himself. He kinda smells like he was in someones trashcan.
Approaching the glassworks, the street surrounding the building are empty. Not unusual. The glassworks emplys only a few, but highly skilled workers. Most of the workers sleep in the glassworks itself, as its furnaces need to be kept all hours of the day.
The chimeys plume with smoke, and light comes from the windows set high in the walls.
Gossip lands on Vitro's shoulder, bringing with him a... smell... that makes the elf wrinkle his face.
"What's up boss? Oooh, sausages.."
He tries a quick snatch at one of the leftover sausages Vitro's carrying.
Vitro plays with the magpie a bit, dangling the sausage just out of reach.
"Yuck, clean yourself up a bit will you? And see the building over there? go take a look through those high windows. But make sure nobody sees you spying, we don't want to spook them."
With a toss of his shoulder he sends the magpie flying again and holds on to the sausage for when he gets back. Then he starts looking at the building to figure out where the service entrance is, and where you might get a good look at it while staying hidden yourself.
|
"Given what I've seen of what passes for human family relationships I don't think we have that kind of time
"I can make our swashbuckler a more appropriate size for a few minutes, which should help them fight. Honestly i don't know how you don't hit your heads on everything. And I can give any one of you a few seconds of invisibility. "
Gossip flies high over the building. There is not a lot to see trough the windows, as the shutters are drawn. However, there are several skylights in ceiling of the main glassworking room.
Landing on the roof, Gossip first notices that the roof is warm. Not strange, as the furnaces are in this room.
Looking down trough the skylight, the bird sees a large, rectangular room.
The building’s furnace rumbles loudly, something Gossip can feel trough its legs, more then he can hear it.The main furnace burns at the northeast end, a large chamber that burns with a hot blue light.As the furnace’s stone pipes run southwest, they reach smaller and progressively cooler furnaces.
The rest of the room is a gruesome display of goblin boredom. The bodies of eight people lie in various stages of dismemberment; the goblins can be seen been burning legs and arms in the furnace with glee, and pouring melted glass on the remains.
Some of them dance around a body, propped up in a chair in the central alcove and encased in thick, runny sheets of hardened glass.
It is hard to say how many goblins there are in total, as some of them leave the room and come back. Gossip counts at least 8.
Sensing that Rumor's got something ugly, Vitro begins muttering incantations, weaving the invisible but eternal strength of the earth around him for protection. He checks his rapier and bow and the bottle of concentrated acid used for focusing magic. Satisfied he's got everything in case of short range, he holds on to the bow for now.
"Something's very wrong inside, Rumor's got something ugly for us."
Landing on Vitro's shoulder with a heavy thud, Gossip reports;
"Psst, boss! Careful! There's lotsa goblins inside! I saw like at least one bunch of two bunches of two bunches of two bunches of goblins playing with dead people and hot stuff!"
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Justin isn't waiting for the crows report for the longer lasting spell. He nips his finger and writes "geur deireadh " onto Rataji's sword. Even has he pulls his hand away the blood continues to flow from his finger into the sword for a moment, glowing a dull red.
(casts magic weapon on rataji's sword, burning an arcane point to have it cast at second level and heads for the door, confident the long legged freaks will beat him there)
"So, what's the plan? I never visited the Glassworks much when I was a kid, because, well, kids break stuff. But we had a mandatory tour at the place when we went there with the whole orphanage, so I remember that the left door in the tower part goes into the shop, and the right one into the office. If we're looking for Tsuto, I'd say he would be there"
ooc sorry, right door.