Aago grunts as his few bruises heal away. "My thanks," he says with a smile and nod for the cleric.
He kicks the chair the chief had been sitting in and kneels beside the chief. "Now then. Is there anything of value to be found here?"
"Not a problem, Aago." He nods in return.
"Um ... one of them got away," Corinna repeats, still holding her position and spell, keeping an eye out for more goblins trying to sneak up and kill her. "Shouldn't we ... be concerned about that?"
"I'm afraid, love, that one getting away, is the least of our problems. My guess is, there are far more within these confines, that refuse to run from certain death." He says, utterly confident of the ability of this group to deal with such creatures.
Malan would be happy to avail himself of some healing.
"i agree. Let it go. It would be unwise for us to go traipsing through this bog chasing after goblin looking to flee for its life."
Malan will help in searching.
Perception
Melon helps with searching the place.
She laughs at Corinna, "There! That wasn't so bad wassit? How many at your wizard school get to write 'I went goblin hunting!' in their essay of what they did last summer?"
A search of the goblin chief's body finds the following: a masterwork composite longbow, 10 arrows, a spear (well, that's beside his body since he dropped it), a masterwork chain shirt, and two vials of liquid. The weapons and armour are all Small size.
A search of the remainder of the house reveals a bedroom through the door to the east. The bed is little more than a big, nasty pile of ratty blankets, moss, and foul-smelling animal furs. Another door in the bedroom leads to another room that is mostly empty except for a single dirty, red chest and a few scraps (the remains of a couple burnt-out fireworks, a couple broken arrows, etc.). You get the impression this room once held a lot more, but it's been cleared out.
"Well, whatever was in here, no longer is. Unless there is something else we are here to look for, I suggest we continue on. The sun waits for no one when it decides to set."
"But where is this map, unless it's in this chest?"
"You mean the map our very old trustworthy goblin friend mentioned?" He smiles wryly. "Let us see, shall we?" Rajah moves over and opens the chest to check.
Aago looks askance at the Rajah and his friend. "You actually believe what that ol' crone said? Be careful opening that chest; I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was rigged to bite back."
"Aago has a point. Are any of us skilled in dealing with goblin traps or opening locked chests?"
"Are goblins clever enough to set traps? I thought that was kobolds."
With a shrug, Aago says, "Far as I know, goblins aren't smart enough to build chests. If they stole the chest from someone, they might have gotten a trap along with it."
Rajah pauses a moment, gives it a bit of thought, looks around at the others, noticing no one immediately responding to Gilfroy's question. "It does not appear that any of us here have the ability to discern whether or not this chest is trapped. Now locked, we will know in a moment, but as far as trapped, I guess there is only one way to find out. It's probably best you all stand back. Better to have only one of us suffer the consequences rather than us all." Then just as he is about to return to opening the chest, "Oh, and no. I do not believe what the elderly goblin said. I was just giving Master Gilfroy a bit of grief." He pats Gilfroy on the shoulder. "Of course, having said that, there is a chest here, and, it is possible she could have been telling the truth. There is only one way to find out." He says with a smile as he then attempts to open the chest.
The chest opens easily, and no trap is sprung. Inside the chest lies the remaining treasure of the Licktoad tribe: 329 sp and 112 gp in loose coins, a long hairpin with a red pearl at one end worth 150 gp, and a gold-and-ivory fan depicting a gecko walking amid cherry blossoms. The fan is worth 80 gp, but a crude map has been painted on the reverse side. The map is rather messy, but those familiar with the area can decipher it.
"That looks like the marsh, where we are now," Corinna says, leaning over the Rajah's shoulder. "You see, here's the goblin village, and the Warden's house must be over there." She pauses. "It seems much farther when you're walking."
"Hm. It does, doesn't it." He studies it, a look of interest upon his face. "Well done, Lady Corinna." Smiling, he gives her a congratulatory nod. Then turning to the rest, "Well it seems our very old goblin friend was telling the truth. It's obviously not the best of maps, but nevertheless, a map it is. Lady Corinna here seems to be able to decipher it fairly well and on top of that; there is a bit of coin as well. So, let us collect said coin and continue this endeavor of ours, shall we?"
"Sorry; what endeavor is that?" she asks with some alarm. "I thought we came to find out what happened to the dogs, and we have. As a side note, we've managed to kill or chase away what few goblins are left here, and once we've burnt the remains of their town, we hope they'll go somewhere else and Sandpoint will be safer. What else have we to do?"
Rajah thinks on that a moment, then decides she has a point. "You know Lady Valdemar, that is a good question." Turning to the others, "Truly, what else is there that we have to do?"
"Perhaps the undead came to this village after the goblins plundered one of those ships. I agree that we should report what we have discovered, but after that, our way is clear." Malan says indicating the map."[/b]
"Agreed, Malan. Some force able to unleash an undead army is a much bigger threat to Sandpoint than a ragtag band of goblins, should that first ever decide to be aggressive, or need more fodder for its skeleton army."
A quick check through the remaining buildings in the village reveals only more abandoned homes and watch posts. One hut looks to have been occupied very recently (as in, since you entered the village), but whoever was there has clearly now fled. There is no sign of any additional things of value or interest.
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Reta keeps her distance until the longshanks have left and she feels it is safe. She will then go back and see if Chiggo is still alive. If so, she'll drag him out and away from the huts. When she gets him free of the abandon building, She gripes and complains as she drags him by his feet. As she does, she remembers Chuffy. She checks on him to see if he is still alive. If so, she'll grab him by his foot and drag him as well. "Chuffy make Reta laugh. He always try to kill Gutwad." She giggles.
If either of them are dead, she we loot the bodies and head for the nearest tribe. If Chuffy is dead, Reta will just shake her head but her eyes gleam at the fancy dogslicer she has just acquired. "Yous always make Reta laugh, Chuffy." She giggles as she sheathes her "new" weapon. If Chiggo is dead, though, she gives him a swift kick for "really" getting dead this time.
"Hadn't we better go check on your pony?" she asks Gilfroy. "What with all the goblins we let run away and the front gate being the only way out of the village? They must have gone right by him, and he was out there all alone...."
Gilfroy blanches at the thought, and takes off at a run, leaping down from walkways and bolting for the main gate, prepared to blast any goblin attacking his pony with...obscuring mist or something.
Rajah sees Gilfroy take off in a flash towards his pony. "You know, and to think he had me carry him at one point." He shakes his head as he smiles at the thought. "I think Gilfroy owes you one for that one, love. Don't you worry, I'll be sure to remind him of such." He gives her a wink and then follows after Gilfroy to make sure everything's all right.
Gilfroy rushes back to the gate to find his pony safe and unmolested. The goblins must have been in too much of a rush to pay the pony any mind.
A tiny bit of resentment festers in Corinna's mind at the gnome's relief at finding his pony safe when her own pet had not been so fortunate. Buck up, Corinna, she scolds herself. Do you want to be like that half-elf boy in fifth year who turned all cold and stand-offish when you took first on the conjuration test and he barely passed? Besides, if the pony were dead, how would you get poor Lady back home to bury?
She offers the miniature arrows to Walthus. "I don't know if you know how to use a bow," she explains, "but you could probably put these to better use than any of the rest of us. They're only good against animals, but if you ever found yourself in a spot...."
With a sigh, she turns to look back at the squalid little village inside its palisade. "Does someone have equipment to get a good fire going? I have a spell I could use, if we had to, but everything's so damp out here it might not catch."
"Have we even decided what we're doing yet? The news of these walking skeletons trouble me as well. I think they bear investigation. But it seems reasonable to return to town first with news of what we've found and these bits and pieces of coin. And of course, the poor creature, Lady, must be seen to as well."
"Should we put the other dogs, poor things, in one of the huts before we burn it?" she asks Aago quietly. "It seems ... cleaner than burying them here in the mud."
Aago nods sadly. "I think that's the least we can do."
Malan agrees that back to town first, then out to look for undead. He helps in seeing the animals off to the next world.
Gilfroy is all for returning to town first as well.
"All in all, you'd think that would have been harder," he comments as the group starts back towards Sandpoint.
Gilfroy is all for returning to town first as well.
"All in all, you'd think that would have been harder," he comments as the group starts back towards Sandpoint.
Corinna walks beside Umbral and the wrapped body of Lady. While it's nice to feel one has been part of something heroic, the feeling is tempered by the knowledge she is returning home to a solitary funeral.
"Gilfroy my good gnome," he pats him on the back, "you truly are the tempter of fate." Then he remembers what he was gonna tell him. "Oh, and you owe the lovely Lady Valdemar here a debt. Whereas you completely forgot about your trusted steed here and the amount of danger he could've possibly be in, she most caringly reminded you." He says with a wry smile.
"Oh! Um, Mr. ... Rajah," she stumbles over the man's unusual moniker, "I've been meaning to tell you: You're under some sort of misapprehension about me. I am not Lady Valdemar. I can't even think how many untimely deaths there would have to be before I could even come close to that title. Since the death of my grandmother many, many years ago, there has been no Lady Valdemar, and upon my grandfather's death, my ... um, aunt will gain the title. I'm just Miss Valdemar. Or Corinna." She smiles at him nervously.
Rajah's grin goes wide, realizing she doesn't understand he uses such terminology loosely. "Very well, Miss Valdemar. As you wish." He gives her a slight bow. "But only as long as you would be so kind to just call me Rajah."
Before leaving, Aago goes through some trouble to pile as much flammable material as possible throughout the nearest huts and finding a place for the poor town's dogs who had been slayed so cruelly. Once everything is arranged, he creates a makeshift torch with some old cloth, dry grass and a piece of wood and lights it with his flint and steel. He rapidly sets fire to the kindling he has arranged and watches with satisfaction as the goblinoid town goes up in flame.
"That's that. Good riddance to bad rubbish."
He grins and turns to follow the others down the road back to town.
Before leaving, Aago goes through some trouble to pile as much flammable material as possible throughout the nearest huts and finding a place for the poor town's dogs who had been slayed so cruelly. Once everything is arranged, he creates a makeshift torch with some old cloth, dry grass and a piece of wood and lights it with his flint and steel. He rapidly sets fire to the kindling he has arranged and watches with satisfaction as the goblinoid town goes up in flame.
"That's that. Good riddance to bad rubbish."
He grins and turns to follow the others down the road back to town.
"Ah, it wasn't so bad. A few flower gardens, maybe a fountain, a few other homey touches, it it could have been a beautiful town."
Rajah's grin goes wide, realizing she doesn't understand he uses such terminology loosely. "Very well, Miss Valdemar. As you wish." He gives her a slight bow. "But only as long as you would be so kind to just call me Rajah."
She smiles at him a little apologetically. "Thank you. It's just that if Ali... if anyone from my family were to overhear you calling me that..., well, they wouldn't much like it."
She nods to Aago once he has seen to the dogs and the fire and rejoined them. "Thank you, Mr. Belwas, on behalf of my family. I suppose we'll have to let the Scarnettis know what happened to their dogs as well."
"Miss? I thought the practitioners of the arts preferred 'Mistress'?" Melon strokes through Corinna's hair, oblivious to sense of personal space, "how do you get it so soft?"
Walthus gratefully accepts Chief Gutwad's bow, arrows, and armour. "This stuff is worth considerably more than I would normally charge for my services," he says. "I'm in your debt."
With flames to your backs, you set off back through the swamp along the Old Fish Trail until you reach the Lost Coast Road a little over an hour later.
When you reach the New Fish Trail, Walthus stops you. "Well, it's been fun," he says. "Once you lot start working together, you're pretty competent. However, I should be getting back home. I need to check on my snakes. However, any time you need a guide or other assistance in the swamp, feel free to come find me. I'll be happy to help."
"Thank you, Sir Walthus, for all you have done for us. Good day to you." He nods in farewell.
"Miss? I thought the practitioners of the arts preferred 'Mistress'?" Melon strokes through Corinna's hair, oblivious to sense of personal space, "how do you get it so soft?"
"In Korvosa, I'm Mistress Valdemar," she laughs. "No one's ever called me that in Sandpoint. I...." She cringes as the strange young woman starts to touch her hair, looking around wildly for someone to intervene. "Nothing much ... just wash it and comb it really ... it's always been rather fine, a family trait." She inches away until she bumps up against Umbral's flank.
Walthus gratefully accepts Chief Gutwad's bow, arrows, and armour. "This stuff is worth considerably more than I would normally charge for my services," he says. "I'm in your debt."With flames to your backs, you set off back through the swamp along the Old Fish Trail until you reach the Lost Coast Road a little over an hour later.
When you reach the New Fish Trail, Walthus stops you. "Well, it's been fun," he says. "Once you lot start working together, you're pretty competent. However, I should be getting back home. I need to check on my snakes. However, any time you need a guide or other assistance in the swamp, feel free to come find me. I'll be happy to help."
"Not at all, Warden; we would never have found the goblin village without you. If you notice them trying to start another settlement in the marsh anywhere, you'll send word to the Sheriff, won't you? I think Sandpoint ought to be happy to nip any further goblin raids in the bud by keeping them from settling anywhere near town. I do hope you find your ... snakes well," she adds nervously.
"Stars shine upon you, Warden."
Having said goodbye to Walthus, you resume your journey back to town, making it to the outskirts just under an hour later. It's approaching 5 pm now.
Malan goes to the sheriff's to report to him.