"Well, I'm sorry, but you thought wrong. I left with you because you showed up at my door and I thought we were coming out here to deanimate some skeletons and make Sandpoint safer. No one said, 'Hey, Corinna, we're planning to spend several days camping out in the swamp just to satisfy our own curiosity about what might be there so you might want to bring a sleeping bag.' All I have with me is my spellbook, and that's only because I wasn't sure I'd be welcome back at the house again when I returned. I have no intention of becoming an adventurer; I have a profession. This is just ... vacation."
Aago ponders Corinna's last statement. "It seems that we need to come to a clearer consensus before we leave the village. That makes sense, really. Live and learn, right? We are looking for the skeletons but without a guide I believe it's safer to follow the coast. It's a lot harder to get lost that way. It's not just curiosity that leads me to the ships: as I said earlier, the ships and that cave are simply the only concrete information we have."
He turns to look at the ship and sighs. "Granted, I'd hoped to find more than has been left here for us. You're right, we should have discussed things more before we left but we're here now and I just want to make the most of it."
"Wherever we go on this map, the goblins will have been there before us," she reminds him. "They made the map. And what do goblins do when they go somewhere? They loot it and burn it, leave it in ruins. I very much doubt the other locations on this map will be any different -- well, perhaps the cave; I don't see how they could burn that. We know the skeletons left the goblin village with the treasure, and we have a trail of something heavy being dragged into and back out of a river; that's classic undead behavior. They follow directions -- for example, 'bring me the treasure' -- in as direct a fashion as they can. I really think that if we hope to find the skeletons, the trail we found is our best bet."
"Good point. The cave should still be there. It might also be able to provide us with shelter if we require it. Let us go there next."
Aago sighs. "I don't understand how you can be so certain of things, Corinna. How many times have goblins taken dogs captive? That's what brought us out here in the first place. Now you expect them to behave normally in every other instance too?"
He rubs his hand through his hair again and barks a laugh. "But to hell with it! If no one else wants to know about these ships, let's just go to the cave. The sooner we've done that, the sooner we're back at Ameiko's, drinking beer and telling exciting stories about how we wandered aimlessly into the swamp and left again. I'd much rather do a lot of talking there with a mug in my hand than stand around doing it here."
"I'm not certain of anything," she protests, "just making inferences. All we really know is that the map shows where the goblins found the treasure. It could have been at this ship, and then they burned it. It could have been at the other ship or the cave. Wherever the treasure was, it's likely the skeletons weren't, at least at the time, or the goblins would never have succeeded in carrying it away. Later, the skeletons come back and attack the goblin village until the chief gives them back the treasure. That is literally all we know. Everything else is hopes and assumptions."
"But see, we don't even know about the skeletons," Aago says thoughtfully. "We know that the goblins were attacked by skeletons but we have no idea where they came from. For all we know, some necromancer found that his...whatever...was taken by goblins, found a bunch of dead people there -- at a ship perhaps -- waved his fingers and said a lot of strange words and the dead people sat up and started shambling off to kill the goblins. We also have no idea how big the treasure was; we see that something was dragged along the path and the first thought is that it must be a bag of treasure. But perhaps the thing the goblins stole was only a ring, or something equally small. We just don't know anything except that the same people who stole the treasure and was attacked by the skeletons made that map."
Aago shrugs. "I just want to follow the map because that's the only thing we are certain is connected to the skeletons. If certainty can come from anything that old hag said, anyway. And I don't even entirely trust the map, which is why I want to follow the coast. There's no where else that the ships can be. I'm more reluctant to follow the trail because it could literally be anything that made those marks. I'm sure you've heard the same stories of terrible beasts that live in the swamps that I have."
"And what is the reason we hunt after the skeletons? Because they could become potential trouble for Sandpoint," Melon suggests, "doesn't that imply that we're also investigating any potential trouble? A rogue necromancer qualifies. I'd imagine Sheriff Hemlock will just send us back in here if we tell him oh yea, nothing at the ships, but we did find this massive trail of something that we thought we'd ignore. Afterall, this swamp will ooze away the trail in a day or two - but we can find the ships and the cave anytime with the map."
"Now, that, Melon, is the most pertinent observation to this little quest. The cave and ship aren't going anywhere, this trail is. I suggest we return to the village, fashion a raft from the remains of the buildings that Umbral can pull across the river, camp in the village remains for the night - at least it's mostly dry there - and set out after the trail at first light. Unlike last time, we won't save time by returning to Sandpoint before following this trail. I have enough food for 4 people for one day, and we can fish at the village to supplement that. The point that Melon is making, and I support, is that we haven't considered that wherever this treasure, and the skeletons are now isn't either the second ship or the cave. A smart evil necromancer is probably not going to leave his treasure sitting in the cave where the goblins found it the first time, but instead brought it back to his skeletons had been hanging out in the first place."
"We seriously need to agree on one course of action here, folks, even if it's not everybody's favourite, so that we can continue to make progress."
"That's ... sensible," Corinna concedes. "The goblins could build there, so we shouldn't sink into the mud. Although if I'd suspected we were going to have to spend a night there, we shouldn't have burnt it quite so thoroughly."
Aago laughs. "If you don't agree with anything else I say, Corinna, trust me in this: You don't want to sleep in anything that a goblin has used. The stench alone would ruin your sleep, to say nothing of the filth."
He shrugs and turns back the way they'd come. "Very well, let's return to the burnt ruins then. I still think the so-called trail could be anything and completely worthless to boot but ultimately Gilfroy is right: neither ship nor cave are going anywhere."
"Can't be filthier than actual filth," she murmurs, looking down with distaste at the thick, insect-buzzing mud and rotting plant matter that is her alternative. Turning back toward the goblin village is at least moving her that much closer to civilization, though, so she follows as cheerfully as circumstances allow.
As they're heading back, Gilfroy speaks up.
"You know, it occurs to me that an even better plan might be to return to town to hire somebody more capable of tracking, or perhaps enlist Walthus' aid once again, to follow that trail. Surely a trail that big will last long enough for an experienced tracker to find."
Melon treads from foot to foot, "Just point me in a direction already so we can get going! Back to Ameiko's? I doubt we'll get free booze for our efforts today, but okay..."
"Can't be filthier than actual filth," she murmurs, looking down with distaste at the thick, insect-buzzing mud and rotting plant matter that is her alternative. Turning back toward the goblin village is at least moving her that much closer to civilization, though, so she follows as cheerfully as circumstances allow.
Overhearing Corinna, Rajah laughs. "You are a dear, Lady Corinna."
"Gilfroy makes a good point. Sir Walthus is quite the woodsman. If we decide not to travel back to town, then I would be all for enlisting his aid as well. Of course," he looks down at their feet as they walk, noticing all the muck and grime, "I would not object to returning back to town, either." He says as he also has to keep tugging at his feet with each step.
"Town it is then?" Melon faces Corinna again, "Don't you wizardy folks have - like - the power to make a magic mansion? Well, I know you do, it got a nice lad in Riddleport laid once. Point is, why not make one of those?"
You begin the trek back the way you came, following the river until you once again reach the remains of the goblin village. By this point, you're once again thoroughly covered in mud despite any earlier cleaning spells from Corinna. Once back on the Old Fish Trail, however, the journey becomes a little less muddy.
Eventually, you reach the Lost Coast Road. Free of the mud, you're able to make full speed back to Sandpoint. Sandru's caravan is still parked in the same spot, although no one appears to be there at the moment.
You find the Rusty Dragon brimming with business. Sandru, Bevelek, and Vankor are amongst the numerous other people there. Ameiko nods to your group as you arrive, but is kept busy by other patrons and is unable to make her way over to you immediately.
"Town it is then?" Melon faces Corinna again, "Don't you wizardy folks have - like - the power to make a magic mansion? Well, I know you do, it got a nice lad in Riddleport laid once. Point is, why not make one of those?"
"Good gracious, Melon; if I could do that, I could have just teleported us all back and forth from the swamp instead of tramping through all this mud. That's very advanced conjuration. I hardly think a conjurer of such skill would have to resort to using his abilities to pick up strange women. Was he really that terribly ugly?"
Corinna pauses where the path which leads to her family's home splits off from the main road. She looks for a moment as if she intends to pass it by and go on into town but squares her shoulders and sighs. "In the spirit of not lying to my family anymore, I suppose I ought to go home and face Uncle." She smiles ruefully at the rest of the group. "Don't know that I'll be welcome to stay. I might be along to the Dragon looking for a room tonight too later on." With the spirit of getting something unpleasant over with as quickly as possible, she marches up the lane, past the guard at the gate (assuming one is still there), and in the front door, pausing only to remove the mud from her person with prestidigitation before tracking it in on the clean floors.
"Desna be with you, Corinna."
Mrs Hasmel comes down the hall a few moments later. "Ah there you are, dear. Your uncle was asking after you. Do you intend to join them for dinner?"
Sandru calls your group over and invites you to sit with him and his two men. A serving girl takes your orders.
"So how were today's adventures?" Sandru asks jovially. "Any luck?"
Ameiko passes by your table and nods to everyone. "We'll talk soon," she mouths. As she passes, she gives Aago's shoulder a squeeze and passes a note to him, then continues on to one of the other tables.
Aago lowers his tankard to read the note and sits very still for a moment. His customary smile is gone now, and he runs a hand nervously through his hair.
He takes one long swallow of ale before regretfully putting it down and standing up.
"You'll have to excuse me," he tells his companions. "Something has come up. Sorry...but family must take precedence."
"Good gracious, Melon; if I could do that, I could have just teleported us all back and forth from the swamp instead of tramping through all this mud. That's very advanced conjuration. I hardly think a conjurer of such skill would have to resort to using his abilities to pick up strange women. Was he really that terribly ugly?"
"Magic seems oddly balanced then," Melon ponders to herself, then adds in reply, "Not ugly or handsome, but nice, he let us stay for two weeks; enough time for the problems with the powder to disappear."
"I do hope everything is all right, Aago. Is there anything we can do to help?" He asks with a worried tone.
Aago shakes his head. "I'm afraid it's something I'll have to deal with alone. My sister...well, anyway. Good luck to you all." He gives a curt nod to the group and makes his way out of the tavern and off into the night.
Sandru watches Aago leave. "I hope everything's all right!" he calls after him. He looks back to the others. "Maybe Ameiko knows what's up," he says.
"Well, now that the goblins are dealt with," her uncle says, "and you've confirmed that they are still gone, there's no reason for you to head back out there again, is there?"
"Sandru, does your caravan carry supplies for going out into the wilds? Tarp, canteen, sleeping covers, fire making supplies, and so on? We need to be better prepared the next time we go back out.
Sandru nods. "We sure do. I'd be happy to sell you some as we're not going anywhere for a little while. Planning to spend a night in the swamp?"
"They've already been expecting that," Alil says. "I heard that even before the business with the dogs, they had signs up in the Rusty Dragon asking for adventurers to help with the goblins."
Belven sighs. "It's all the fault of those Sandpoint Heroes, really. Don't get me wrong, they did a great service for Sandpoint. They saved us from a goblin invasion and then an invasion of giants. But then they got themselves a fort or something up north and have never come back. Sheriff Hemlock got too reliant on their services and look where it's got us. Searching for replacement heroes! The next batch will just run off too, you mark my words. If those people you're heading to the marsh with, Corinna, do stop the skeletons and don't just get themselves killed, they'll probably take off, too. In search of bigger things."
"And they'll never be heard from again," Alil says. "It'll be like they went over the Crown of the World." Everyone at the table chuckles.
There is murmured agreement about the table.
"Talking about a freakishly large turnip," Alil says, "I heard..." The conversation quickly turns to idle gossip.
After dinner, Corinna finds her uncle in his study. He's seated in a chair at his desk going over some papers. Alil is lounging in an armchair across the room.
"Yes, what is it, Corinna?" Belven asks without looking up from his papers.
"We may need to go slogging through that muck again and I hate coming back to town each night when we would be better served staying out there overnight."
"Yes Malan, but staying out without a clue what we're doing camping wise, is not wise. It would be better off if we didn't have to keep coming back, but none of us have any experience in living in a swamp." Gilfroy looks about the place. "Let's ask Ameiko if she knows of anybody else who answered the Sheriff's request for those seeking adventure, maybe somebody with wilderness experience."
Melon doesn't worry overly about the proceedings; though she does carry a burden of restless energy and is positively humming with suppressed action. The day, and the prior one, have kindled something of a wildfire in her, "Boom! Fezzi! This feels great! I think I'm going through the human equivalent of your gnome hair changing color!"
"Actually, Sandru says to Gilfroy, "there was a man about earlier asking about employment with my caravan. I had to turn him down for the time being since I don't currently have a commission so I'm not going anywhere. However, I told him I'd be willing to talk again once I had one. He claimed to have wilderness expertise. He might be the kind of person you want."
Sandru stands up and gazes about the tavern, looking at the numerous people gathered there. "He might be still here." His gaze stops on a man at the far side of the room. "There he is. I'll go get him if you want and you can talk to him. If he's not what you're looking for, you could always try the warden again." He waits for confirmation from the others before heading over to the man.
Belven lowers his papers slowly and looks at Corinna. "I don't really approve of this, Corinna, but if you want to run off into the swamp with people you barely know, I can't really stop you. Likewise, if you wish to spend the night in some common inn, I also can't stop you. However, I see no reason why you should have to do so. You belong here and whether you run into the swamp or not, you will have a place here. Was there anything else?"
She exits the room, flushed red with embarrassment, having been reduced to feeling young and awkward in her uncle's presence yet again. To have gone in there certain he was burning with disapproval only to find that he didn't particularly care what she was up to at all! She takes a strange comfort, for some reason, in the knowledge that at least once she did something sufficient to provoke Uncle Belven into opposing action (beyond the initial act of coming to exist in the first place), peeking in the windows of the Dragon at Sandru Vhiski....
There's a surprised expression on Alil's face as Corinna leaves the room. It's clear that Alil wasn't expecting Belven's response, either.
Sandru heads to the man across the room and speaks briefly with him. A few moments later, the man gets up and the two of them return to your table.
Gilfroy looks surprised at this quick turn about, then his eyes narrow suspiciously. "Well this is either divine providence, or..." He trails off as the men approach.
The man approaching the table has long, tousled brown hair and startlingly bright green eyes. He wears a long brown and green mottled cloak and leather armor dyed to match. A long sword is belted at his waist and he's got a bow slung over his shoulder.
He nods a greeting to the group seated at the table and offers a brief smile. "Evening. Sandru tells me you folk are looking for someone who's familiar with the swamp. Might be that I'm that someone you're looking for."
He pauses to examine the people at the table and finally extends his hand to Malan. "The name's Tevyn. I know the swamp as well as anyone around here, I'd guess. I can also track, hunt, and offer a fair shot with my bow."
"How...convenient," Gilfroy says, his eyes narrowing further as he takes in the new arrival.
"There are always people looking for work, friend gnome," Bevelek says and gives Gilfroy a friendly pat on the back. "Especially in a tavern!" He laughs.