Walthus opens his eyes slowly. "Restoratives? You might find a few things in the garden that can help. Be careful of the snakes though." His eyes flutter closed again.
"Thanks for the offer, Malan, but we can't go have unquiet time right now." She bends over the nearly dead halfling, "Walthus here is suffering from extreme blood loss. Frankly," she tells Walthus, "I'm amazed that you manage to stand at all. You're tough alright! Doing your kind credit. Let me see if I can help at all."
As he waits for the others to finish questioning the halfling about the goblins and getting directions, Aago whistles a little tune he heard once in a Korvosan brothel, tapping his forearm with an index finger to carry the beat.
"It wasn't my town that was raided by goblins. It wasn't my dogs that were stolen. It wasn't my workers and friends whose lives were put in danger. If all of you wish to put off finding the goblins, then we wait." Malan makes himself comfortable all the while giving Aago a disapproving look.
Aago looks curiously at Malan. "Where is everyone else? Do they know where we're supposed to go next?"
Ignoring the pompous elf's rambling, Rajah looks at Walthus with a puzzled look. "Could you please explain a bit more clearly. When you say, 'in the garden', what exactly do you mean? Do you speak of certain herbs that may help, or is it a location that you've hidden such things?"
"Snakes?" Corinna asks faintly.
Ignoring the pompous elf's rambling, Rajah looks at Walthus with a puzzled look. "Could you please explain a bit more clearly. When you say, 'in the garden', what exactly do you mean? Do you speak of certain herbs that may help, or is it a location that you've hidden such things?"
"Sorry, yes, I mean herbs," Walthus says. "I don't keep a specific supply of restoratives and medicines. I haven't really needed to previously. But some of the plants in the garden might help. I'm not really sure."
"Thank you, Walthus. I will see what we can find. Get some rest my good halfling. You have suffered a great deal and if we cannot find what it is you speak of, only time will heal your wounds." He lightly pats him on the shoulder as he turns to the others. "Well, it looks as if we need to see what his garden holds. If any of you have an in-depth knowledge of herbs, it would be quite useful. I fear I do not know a great deal on the subject."
Corinna gets up and follows Rajah to the bedroom door. "I'm sorry, but are we really going to stay here?" she asks the others in a hoarse whisper. "I know he's hurt and all, but, well ... we can't just stay here, can we? Wouldn't he be better off if we sent back to town for a healer? Someone who actually knows what they're doing? I didn't expect we'd be gone overnight in the swamp."
Aago sighs heavily and turns to the door. "I'm going to go see what the hold up is," he tells Malan and enters the cottage, following the sounds of voices to the halfling's bedroom.
Entering the room, he sees the others dilly dallying over the halfing's health and shakes his head.
Striding up to the bed he puts a large hand on Walthus's shoulder. "We're glad to be of help, Warden, but we're here on urgent business." He glances pointedly at the others. "The goblins have attacked Sandpoint and we are seeking them on Shalelu's behalf. We need to know what you know about them and were told you could direct us to them. I know you're not feeling well but this is quite an urgent issue and we don't have time to nursemaid. Can you direct us from here?"
Rajah walks back toward Walthus, brushing Aago's hand away, quite irritated at the large man. "Forgive me if I appear rude, but, this 'business' you speak of, NEVER comes before helping those who are in need of it presently. And I would kindly ask you to speak for yourself next time, thereby leaving my voice, my own." He returns Aago's look with a determined look of his own.
Walthus sits up, grimacing a bit as he does so. "Of course," he says. "The goblins have been acting oddly of late. Much braver since they got their new stash of fireworks. I'm not sure where they got them from, but those fireworks have made them bold. I haven't seen much activity from them in the last few days though."
He pauses for a moment to take a few heavy breaths. "Their village is to the southeast. However, you have to cover tough marshland if you go straight that way. Your best bet is to go back up the New Fish Trail to the Lost Coast Road. Then follow that southeast until you reach the Old Fish Trail. It'll take a few hours, but trying to cut across the marsh could take you twice as long, assuming you don't get lost, which is very easy to do if you don't know where you're going.
"If you'd like, you're welcome to stay here tonight. Maybe in the morning, I'll be strong enough to accompany you. If you want to set out right away, there should still be enough time to make it there before nightfall, but you probably won't be able to make it back out of the swamp again before nightfall and definitely not back here or to Sandpoint. You'll have to camp in the marsh, which can be quite dangerous at night."
Corinna seems to deflate at the news that this won't be a simple day trip. "Warden ... Mr. Proudstump," she asks, "do you have any idea why the goblins would raid our homes to steal dogs? Why would they take them?"
Walthus's eyes widen. "Steal dogs?" he says disbelievingly. "No, goblins don't steal dogs. Goblins hate dogs. They kill dogs if they can, and if they can't, they run away from them. Are you sure it was goblins who took your dogs?"
Corinna looks around at the others with wide eyes. "They said it was goblins. Didn't they? But who actually saw them? Anyone but the stableboy? It couldn't have been ... one of those things?" she questions, referring to the faceless stalker downstairs.
Walthus frowns. "I suppose it could have been faceless stalkers disguised as goblins. I still have no idea what they would want with your dogs, though."
"Oh," Corinna moans in confusion and distress, sitting down heavily. "I wish I'd stayed in Korvosa."
Aago glances at the Rajah and smiles pleasantly. "There is one person here. There are hundreds in Sandpoint. As we do not wish to risk another unpleasantness, it is important, nay, vital, that we keep in mind our priorities."
At Walthus's words, however, the large man is forced to reconsider. "It is true that we do not want to encounter the goblins at night and with a guide we will make far better time. Perhaps we'll have to hope that such a delay will work in our favor."
At Corinna's words, Aago pulls furiously at his beard. "You know, milady, you might be right. If it is actually these faceless stalkers mimicking goblins it would explain a great deal. But why would they steal dogs? That remains a great mystery."
"Ooo! OOO!!" Melon is clearly excited, "Didn't Shalelu mention skeletons in the swamp? Maybe the goblins saw them too and want to throw the dogs a bone. Wait, that made more sense in my head. But maybe, right?"
Corinna looks at Melon with the same kind of perplexed fascination the revelation of the faceless stalker had evoked. "I don't think that makes the slightest bit of sense," she replies; then, fully out of her depth in the experiences she has already been through today, she turns to others and asks, "Does it?"
Aago glances at the Rajah and smiles pleasantly. "There is one person here. There are hundreds in Sandpoint. As we do not wish to risk another unpleasantness, it is important, nay, vital, that we keep in mind our priorities."
Rajah's eyes bore holes through the oaf before him, "As far as I am concerned, one person is as equally important as hundreds. DO NOT begin to tell me what MY priorities are. Maybe you have no problem sacrificing one, BUT I DO NOT! So, I shall ask you again; DO NOT tell me what my priorities are. Keep your foolish talk for yourself. I shall have no part of it."
Turning to Corinna, "No. It doesn't."
"Please," Corinna intercedes, "no one wants to sacrifice anyone, I'm sure. But the Sheriff and Shalelu sent us out here to, er, find the goblins. Although I'm not sure what exactly we're supposed to do once we find them. And it is a little disheartening, after all that long slog through the swamp, to find we've taken the wrong road and have go back the way we came, as fortunate it may be for Mr. Proudstump that we did so." She sighs. "I don't know why I'm out here in the first place, really. Perhaps some of us should stay to take care of Mr. Proudstump and others should go back to Sandpoint for more help?" she suggests. "As accomodating as our host is, I can't imagine that he'll be in any shape for traveling in the morning without someone skilled in healing looking after him. We could bring back a healer, and then the rest of the party" (she unconsciously excludes herself from this intrepid group) "could go on with their mission without feeling they'd left behind someone in need of help."
Rajah smiles. "Thank you, Corinna. I believe that is a fine idea. It's nice to know there are others in this group, as few as that may be, have the ability to think of others than just themselves." He nods in appreciation.
Aago's smile remains unchanged on his lips but the good humor is no longer in his eyes. "The Warden is no longer in any danger. The threat from the goblins or the face shifters is the immediate concern. We don't have time to go back to Sandpoint and seek for others to help; we are the help."
He meshes his fingers together and flexes them, making the knuckles crack noisily. "As for going the wrong way, we didn't do that. We were sent to this place specifically to get the Warden's help. If we have to go back the way we came somewhat, that's unfortunate but with Walthus as our guide we can do it more efficiently than before."
"Alright, you two, that's enough." A quick spell later, and he waggles his fingers at Aago's face, making an overly ridiculous amount of knuckle cracking sounds. If either of them try to talk before Gil is done, another quick spell super-imposes the sound of clucking hens over their voices.
"This back and forth is getting us nowhere. Rajah, I doubt very much that Aago meant to imply that he had to think for you, so stop being so damned sensitive about it all. Aago, we both know that saying our priorities are Sandpoint and it's citizens is noble and honorable, but we do need to admit that part of those priorities at least are impressing Shalelu with our manly heroics, no? Now, Mr. Proudstump is badly injured, but, barring a new attack on his home, is out of mortal danger, and he's been taking care of himself quite well for many years. I don't think it really serves anybody's interests for us to divide ourselves to fetch healers. Our main question should be, leave now and have to camp within the marshes, or camp here and head back to the road with first light? I vote for the latter."
Rajah nods to the fact that Gilfroy is probably right, and coming to the conclusion that his words are wasted on the oversized fool anyway, he responds to Gil. "I do not see a problem with Corrina's plan. But, I would agree that remaining here overnight would be best." He says with a smile.
"If we left right now, we could be home by dark," Corinna suggests brightly. "Then we could come back with a healer first thing in the morning and be here by lunchtime."
"Orrrr, if Walthus will have us, we can sleep here, and by lunchtime tomorrow we've already found the goblins and are heading home as heroes." Melon is behind Corinna and has wrapped her arms around the wizard's waist and rests her head on Corinna's shoulder, quite out of the blue.
Corinna's eyes open wide as the odd young woman grabs her from behind, and she awkwardly squirms to get away while trying to look like that's not what she's doing. "Yes, but there's only one extra bedroom. That's hardly room for a houseful of guests ... strangers, really. And there's nothing for dinner, and nothing again for breakfast. And he said something about snakes."
Melon doesn't mind Corinna slipping out, so the awkward wizard doesn't have much trouble freeing herself. "But roughing it will put some meat on your bones. Well... okay... lack of dinner and breakfast will not put meat on your bones; but think of the stories he can tell! He lives out here! Just imagine what that must be like. Why I bet if he were fit he could forage food for us in no time."
"Yes, probably some yummy snakes," Gilfroy quips.
"Okay, we need to decide. We should probably settle on two choices: leave for the goblin village now or tomorrow morning. No offense to Mr. Proudstump, but we should take going back to Sandpoint off the table. My vote is to spend the night here and leave first thing at dawn. What say the rest of you?"
Corinna stares at the gnome blankly. "You want us to sit here and do nothing for the next three hours, sleep on the floor in a house surrounded by snakes, and then slog through a trackless swamp to try to find the goblins? When we could go home, get a good meal and sleep in a real bed, and then take the actual road that we've been told leads directly to the goblins' lair, no doubt the one they themselves took?"
Rajah looks to Gil, then to Corinna, then back to Gil, "Sorry, my good gnome. I still don't see a problem with the Lady Valdemar's plan. It makes a great deal of sense to me." Smiling, he shrugs as he lays a hand on the gnome's shoulder and gives it a pat.
"Why, there's nothing wrong with it at all, assuming you enjoy giving the goblins those extra hours to butcher the dogs in some grotesque, profane sacrifice to Zargonel."
Aago listens to the comments and then turns back to the halfling.
"So the goblins found a stash of fireworks somewhere, but we don't know where. You haven't seen much of them lately but you did get attacked by this face stealer thing. And to the best of our knowledge, goblins snuck into Sandpoint and stole a bunch of dogs which they never do."
He shakes his head. "Nothing makes sense. I'm not sure it's even goblins we are truly after. Particularly since the goblins we fought had fireworks but no dogs. Did you see or hear anything of significance while you were hiding from the creature that stole your face?"
Walthus shakes his head. "The creature didn't seem to do much once it had fought me off, but I confess I slept a good portion of the time."
Aago nods thoughtfully. "So here's a question: Why did the creature go through the trouble of attacking our friend here and posing as him? And isn't it curious that it seems that he was giving us the correct directions to the goblin village? As though he really wanted us to go there?"
Aago nods thoughtfully. "So here's a question: Why did the creature go through the trouble of attacking our friend here and posing as him? And isn't it curious that it seems that he was giving us the correct directions to the goblin village? As though he really wanted us to go there?"
"As to that, I would suppose that it couldn't take the risk of giving us wrong directions, lest we see through its deception and return to investigate. If this creature had nothing to do with the goblins, it would probably have been content to let us go in and slaughter them all. After all, it makes the marsh safer for it, just as it does us. Just because something's an evil, blood-sucking killer doesn't mean it is automatically going to look out for other evil, blood-sucking, well, blood-letting killers."
"Why, there's nothing wrong with it at all, assuming you enjoy giving the goblins those extra hours to butcher the dogs in some grotesque, profane sacrifice to Zargonel."
"They could do that while we're sitting around here this afternoon, staring at the walls," Corinna protests at the attempted emotional manipulation. "Mr. Proudstump told us the only safe way to find the goblin is by the road, unless we have a guide through the swamp, fact the first. Mr. Proudstump is going to be in no condition to guide us through the swamp by morning, fact the second. Therefore, unless we want to die, lost and muddy, in the swamp, we will be going back by the trail to the other road, fact the third. We might as well do the backtracking today as tomorrow morning, as long as we have the daylight. Then we can sleep in Sandpoint, report the existence of the faceless stalkers to the sheriff, which is really a danger the town should know about, and procure a healer to assist Mr. Proudstump's recovery, not to mention bringing back some supplies like food and clean water. Really, the only reason I can see to spend the night here is that it would make such a ripping good yarn to tell in a tavern, about the time you went on a unnecessary, foolhardy adventure!"
"As to that, I would suppose that it couldn't take the risk of giving us wrong directions, lest we see through its deception and return to investigate. If this creature had nothing to do with the goblins, it would probably have been content to let us go in and slaughter them all. After all, it makes the marsh safer for it, just as it does us. Just because something's an evil, blood-sucking killer doesn't mean it is automatically going to look out for other evil, blood-sucking, well, blood-letting killers."
Aago considers Gilfroy's response. "Perhaps that's so. But these creatures, if they can take the forms of other people, rely on deception. What we know is that goblins kill dogs, they don't capture them. We also know that there was a creature that can assume the form of someone else where there wasn't supposed to be."
He pauses as he thinks it through before speaking again. "So just for the sake of argument, suppose these creatures decided to attack Sandpoint and disguised themselves as goblins. They steal a bunch of dogs and return to the swamps. Why disguise themselves as goblins when they could look like something or someone less suspicious? Unless they want us to go after the goblins. And just in case we were to come out into the swamp for a guide, they leave one of their members at the one place where a guide can be waiting to direct us to the goblins. When all along, they're trying to distract us from what's really going on?"
Scratching his head, Aago shrugs. "Even if that's the case, though, I don't know where we'd go from here."
He turns to Corinna. "I didn't know you were skilled in evaluating injuries. Perhaps you're right; we shouldn't be wasting time here. But if that's the case, we'd be better moving on to the goblin village rather than wasting a night in Sandpoint."
He turns to Corinna. "I didn't know you were skilled in evaluating injuries. Perhaps you're right; we shouldn't be wasting time here. But if that's the case, we'd be better moving on to the goblin village rather than wasting a night in Sandpoint."
"I'm not at all," she replies. "I'm only taking the word of the others who have said he lost a great deal of blood to the creature. Do you think a single good night's sleep will make that all better? And I didn't know you were a more skilled guide than Mr. Proudstump here, who told us that trying to go directly though the marsh would take us twice as long as going back to the road, even if we didn't get lost along the way. Unless taking twice as long and probably getting lost is your definition of 'not wasting time.'"
"Well what about the third option then? Going along the path towards the goblin place." Melon's no head for figuring out the fine details, but some big picture things are obvious enough to her. "That way we may even catch-up with the goblins today still; or otherwise don't lose unnecessary time and energy by going as far along the path as possible by the remaining daylight."
Aago sighs with exasperation. "I didn't say that! I'm not saying we should go straight through the swamp. I'm saying we have to decide what's important. Do we do as the sheriff and Shalelu requested and see to the goblins as soon as possible? If so, we either stay here tonight with the hopes of the warden here escorting us tomorrow, arguably the most efficient way to be about our business, or we follow the road back to the other road and then make our way to the village tonight and risk whatever happens when we make camp."
"If, however, none of you are concerned with any sense of urgency then we can go back to Sandpoint, get a nice sweet rest in a nice comfortable bed while the goblins or the face stealers do whatever they're going to do and hope we're not too late when we start over again tomorrow."
He walks heavily over to the door. "I, for one, want to find out what's going on. I know I can't do it alone, however. So let's stop bickering and come to a gods-damned decision, already! Show of hands! Who wants to stay here and take the warden with us tomorrow?"
He raises his hand and looks expectantly at the others. After allowing enough time for votes, he poses the next option.
"Who is in favor of returning to Sandpoint?" His arm drops back down again.