Still holding my axe ready I glare at the man, "Why haven't the Goblins come for you?" I still hold my axe at the ready as everyone else interrogates him, but also hold my tongue.
As Volkar winks at me and asks what we do with family traitors and I think carefully, "Back home traitors are sent to work for 3 weeks straight, with minimum food, drink or sleep. However family traitors are either executed or sent away from the family and shaved ... therefore no longer being counted as a Dwarf. I'm unsure what the penalty here should be."
The maps each depict different attack plans. The first set shows the attack plans for a group of thirty goblins— one of these battle maps is circled, and you recognize it as the attack the goblins made on Sandpoint. Of more pressing concern are the next several pages, which illustrate an assault on Sandpoint by a force of what appears to be two hundred goblins. None of these are circled, and while many are scratched out as if they’ve been rejected, the implications are dire and very concerning.
Most of the drawings of Nualia are almost pornographic in nature, although one on the last pages of the book depicts her with
demonic hands, bat wings, horns, a forked tail, and fangs.
Three short passages in the notebook contain pertinent information:
After the circled battle map:
The raid went about as planned. Few Thistletop goblins perished, and we were able to secure Tobyn’s casket with ease while the rubes were distracted by the rest. I can’t wait until the real raid. This town deserves a burning, that’s for sure.
After the last of the second batch of maps:
Ripnugget seems to favor the overwhelming land approach, but I don’t think it’s the best plan. We should get the quasit’s aid. Send her freaks up from below via the smuggling tunnel in my father’s Glassworks, and then invade from the river and from the Glassworks in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree, and I’m pretty sure the bugbear’s just being contrary to annoy me. My love’s too distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision. Says that once Malfeshnekor’s released and under her command, we won’t need to worry about being subtle. I hope she’s right.
Before the last illustration depicting Nualia as a succubus:
My love seems bent on going through with it—nothing I can say convinces her of her beauty. She remains obsessed with removing what she calls her ‘celestial taint’ and replacing it with her Mother’s grace. Burning her father’s remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the transformation, but I can’t say her new hand is pleasing to me. Hopefully when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtu’s fires, her new body won’t be as hideous. Maybe I’ll luck out. Succubi are demons too, aren’t they?
The half-elf spits blood on the floor at the mention of the Sheriff. "Those rubes have no power over me, and neither do you. My sister is.. about." he finishes with a wave of his hand. "Keep looking if you have not found her." With these words, he stands up from the cot. "You will not kill me here. Lets finish this charade elsewhere.. but you will have to help me if you wish to drag me into town."
"I truly grow tired of this, and at this rate, you could just bleed out." Volkar adjusted his ax in such a manner that if he did strike the half-elf he would catch him on the flat of the blade. "Where exactly is your sister in this place. She wasn't upstairs, so?
Kiera makes a face of disgust. "Ew! It's a bunch of pornography." She pauses, then adds, "It looks like he helped plan the goblin attack, or at least he knew about the attack plans. I'd say, tie him up. And search him for hidden weapons, too."
Andrezi shrugs. "The evidence seems fairly damning to me and we know of at one confirmed death that has resulted from these acts. Are we sure it's worth tieing him up?" the priest asks, really as more of a devil's advocate than really expecting an answer.
Turning his focus to the half-elf, "Tsuto is it? I assume you are at least partially responsible for the unfortunate soul encased in glass upstairs as well?"
In reply to Volkars threat, Tsuto just stares at him, challenging the dwarf to action. As Andrezi mentions the glass "sculpture", a small grin turns up the corners of Tsuto's mouth. "Well, My father did love his glass, after all... I thought what better way to preserve his memory??"
I grind my teeth at the smile and vile comment about his father, "I would have liked to bring him to town so that everyone can see who it is that caused such pain to them. But he is definitely twisting my beard in on itself, what do you all say we do?"
"Between the documents and what sounds like a confession, I don't believe he should be given the attention that he so obviously wants by taking him in. The evidence is there...end it so we can find Ameiko." the priest says in an uncharacteristically cold fashion.
With Andrezi's words, the nimble half elf dashes past the unprepared Volkar and down the hall to his left, quickly turning the corner.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Volkar watched in stunned disbelief as the half-elf tumbled around and past him bolting into a full run around the corner. "What in blazes," he stared to speak then realizing that running was a better option, he ran after the half-elf with his ax at the ready.
Volkar rushes after the wily half elf, turning a corner into another corridor and passing several doors in hot pursuit.
Bold May Post
Party
~Volkar chasing already
Tsuto
The priest darts down the hallway with surprising speed in pursuit of the fleeing Tsuto. Murmuring a few words to his goddess as he moves .
Catching up with the half-elf, Andrezi takes a swing at Tsuto with his staff but misses miserably, perhaps unbalanced by the sudden burst of speed.
Knowing that I will not be able to catch up to the fleeing man, I do not worry about running after him, I do move as far as I can casually though. Seeing Andrezi speed off makes me grin though.
Kiera sputters, then starts shoving the books and papers into her satchel (move action). She steps out into the hall and does her best to give chase (standard action).
Andrezzi gives out a mad cackle as he pulls away from the group again. Rounding the corner, he heads back for the stairs and pulls something from a pouch.
"Party is Up"
"He's heading for the stairs!" Andrezi yells out as he continues his pursuit of Tsuto. Catching up with the half-elf, the priest takes another swing with his staff.
Tsutos cackles die midway through his lips as Andrezi cracks the half elf in the back of the head with his staff. He tumbles to the ground in a senseless heap, and quietly expires.
Volkar tried to follow the racing cleric and the half-elf, but they moved faster than he could move. When he got to the larger hallway, he saw Andrezi off to his right, but he turned his gaze to the left to try to determine what exactly these hallways and corridors were being used for beneath the glassworks.
I hurry a little when I hear that he is heading for the stairs, hoping to make it before he flees and gathers more friends. Once I catch up with Tsuto and Andrezi I look down at the body on the floor, "He deserved nothing less, no-one should turn a blade on their own family."
"Agreed." Andrezi says, walking back to toward the unopened doors.
"Hopefully we will find Ameiko near by."
Kiera finishes stuffing the papers into her satchel, and takes a moment to glance at Tsuto's corpse. Then, with a bit of hesitation, she makes one last search of the body, in case he had anything concealed on his person that might've been missed before. Finally she says, "I guess we'll return to put you in the graveyard. A more fitting end than you gave that poor man above. UGH." Then she wipes her hands off and scurries after Volkar.
Volkar and Daelric move up, and seeing the body, return to their search for Ameiko. Volkar opens one the the doors they passed only to find yet more storage for glassworks and the supplies to create them. Kiera goes to the corpse, and hesitantly begins to search the body.
"Hopefully Ameiko isn't be too far from here. We didn't find her upstairs, maybe we'll get lucky with this last door." Andrezi says, trying to open the last of the doors.
Volkar followed behind Andrezi and Daelric in the corridor after he turned away from the store room for the factory. "Where would he hide his sister?"
"Let's just hope that she is unharmed, the last thing we want to find is another situation like her father."
Andrezi opens the door to reveal Ameiko lying on a rough pallet on the floor. Beaten and bloody, bound hand and foot with rough strips of leather forming a gag and blindfold, she does not stir when you enter the room, but her chest rises and falls with slow breaths.
"Forge and fire be praised," Volkar exclaimed as he looked over the shoulders of both Andrezi and Daelric. He turned his around behind him and realized that Kiera was not with them in the corridor.
"Mistress Kiera, we found her," he shouted over his shoulder back down the corridor.
Andrezi quickly reaches down, casting a curative spell on the bound woman. After his spell is cast, he begins undoing the restraints, starting with the gag.
(trait)
"Easy now, Ameiko, you're safe now. We'll get you out of here." Andrezi says, trying to ease any shock the woman may have coming back to consciousness.
As soon as the door opens and we see Ameiko I rush into the room, oblivious to all else. I bend down to check that she is still alive.
I start to panic slightly until Andrezi casts his spell and I hear Ameiko breathing. I let out a sigh of relief and look around the room for the first time. I stand up and go to look for Kiera if she hasn't appeared already, as I stand I place my hand on Andrezi's shoulder, nod and smile at him before leaving.
Lagging a bit as she struggles to get her satchel in alignment again, Kiera shouts from the back, "Great news! Let's get her out of here to somewhere safe before we go any further! Maybe if she wakes up she can tell us more about what happened."
Under the ministrations of the talented cleric, Ameiko slowly comes around. She is still bruised and broken, but the healing spell was enough to at least wake her. She struggles against her bonds, still delirious for a moment. He eyes widen as they fix upon the cleric and his kindly face looming over her. Her mouth works against her gag, muffled sounds issuing from within. Andrezi's careful hands remove the gag and begin to work on her bindings as Ameiko exclaims in surprise. "Thank the gods! My brother.. I MUST find my father.. the town.." her words jumble together as many different needs war with each other on their way to the companions ears.
"... Ah ... I'm afraid I've some bad news. Your brother has gone to meet his Ancestors, he arranged the attack on the town and also ... you're father ..." I take a deep breath and with sorrowful eyes I look into Ameiko's eyes, "He has also gone to meet his Ancestors. I am truly sorry." I go down to one knee and remain there whilst Ameiko struggles with this loss.
Ameiko stops mid babble, her fair features rushing through a number of emotions as the dwarfs words roll over her head like tons of boulders. "My father?! Wha.. how.. by the gods...." she ends in a whispered grunt, curling over and hugging herself as if she had just received a spear to the gut. Shortly, her heaving shoulders give rise to soul rending sobs.
Kiera steps up and sadly puts a hand on Ameiko's shoulder. She gently pats the poor woman's back and says, "I'm sorry... it looks like your brother had plans for this. We're fortunate that we were able to get to you in time. It's probably not safe here, we need to get you out before any more of your brother's plans come to fruition."
"My Brother.. He is dead too?" she hiccups out between sobs. "The bastard.. He caused all this.. we have to warn the town.. He is planning to attack again."
"We will certainly warn the town. Kiera has your brothers notes detailing the whole sorid affair. Now let's get you somewhere safe."
"Wait, wait, what did you say about a second attack?" Volkar interjected into the conversation with the grieving woman. "Did he say where the attack would come from?"
"He had not said.. I cannot believe this treachery!" she sais, finally getting a hold of herself. "He told me that he and several other mercenaries are being led by this b~!!! he kept professing all of his love for. I have no idea who she is or where she came from, but he said they brought goblins up from some secret tunnel below.. they came in the tunnel and camped on the beach. He told me that I don't want to be here when the next attack came, but I refused his offer to join him at his headquarters at Thistletop. I just cant believe he would ally with such creatures! I slapped him, telling him how far he had fallen, and he set his damn goblins on me." she turns away, trying to get to her feet. Wounded, beaten, and lost in grief, her demeanor still begins to return as she hides her pain beneath a mask of determination. "You are correct. We must leave, and leave now. I will return later to claim my inheritance and my fathers body. With my father gone, I am now a member of the Council, and have many things to see to." She rises from the pallet of her imprisonment and although weak, she stand on her own and prepares to follow the party back out.
Kiera clears her throat and says, "Uh, 'she' would be this... semi-demonic figure of which he has made sketches in his notebook. Come on, let's get you to the council, then we can decide how we are going to deal with Thistletop."
"I am not sure that Thistletop is the first priority, though I think it should be one of them," Volkar's right forefinger and thumb found the silver forebeard and twisted it. He shifted on his feet as his countenance took on a serious, contemplative mood. "Miss Amieko, what did he say about tunnels and camping on the beach again?"
Kiera helps Ameiko up and starts bustling her out of the room. "We'll talk as we go," she says.
Ameiko leans on Kiera as the party heads back to town. In answer to Volkars question, she looks away for a moment in recollection. "He said something about having a tunnel out of here.. a secret area where he was getting supplies and help from, but all I know is that it is part of a tunnel system under the factory."
The party escorts Ameiko out of the Glass works, and back into town. Arriving at the Rusty Dragon, she disappears into her quarters to get cleaned up and presentable before meeting with the mayor and the other small nobles around Sandpoint to give evidence against Tsuto and his deeds, and claim her place on the Council. In the mean time, the party reports to the mayor to give their own report of the mornings events.
You are escorted into Mayor Deverins office where she anxiously awaits you. "We are certainly getting off to an exciting start.. the gates were hardly closed behind the Sheriff when things are kicking off again. What happened?"
"To put it shortly, Ameiko's brother was at least partially responsible for the goblin raid...along with the murder of his father and kidnapping of his sister. Kiera has found documents that may shed more light on the situation." Andrezi says before stepping back to make way for his companions.
"Ameiko says she overheard something about another attack, maybe using tunnels that go under the glassworks. We needed to get Ameiko to safety, but we have to get back in there and stop any more goblins from getting into the town!" says Kiera, gesticulating excitedly. "I have all these papers -- here, actually, we should leave them with the council so if I get killed or something down there they won't be lost -- these are from Tsuto's journal. Um, Ameiko's brother. Half-brother. He had this elaborate plan for revenge and sex. Revenge against his father, I mean. The sex part was some kind of sex-demon-thing in his journal. ANYWAY. He's dead now, but... here, keep the papers so at least they're someplace safe!" she says breathlessly as she pulls the journal and sheaf of documents from her satchel.
"If there are tunnels and a beach access that she mentioned, then I think we need to go back and take a closer look at it all." Volkar added. He twirled the silver bead in his beard and then paused. "Mayor, we need to get back there to track the access the green skins were using, and may use again. The sooner the better, I would argue, assuming we can acquire some torches and such."
The mayors visage remains stony throughout the tales from the companions. "May the gods punishment be horrific indeed for the blood on his hands.." she says regarding Tsuto. "I agree with your assessments. We need to find out more about this tunnel business and find out who else was in charge. He is working with someone else? Find them. Bring them before the council that they may be publically hanged for their crimes, and all may see their punishment!"
She takes the papers from Kiera, with a trepidatious look when sex is mentioned. "That boy was ever just on the edge of normal.. this does not really surprise me." She flips through the pages, she comes upon the pictures mentioned. "What the.. Nualia!! How.. The scoundrel.. what does Nualia have to do with any of this?! Poor girls been dead for years! Get to the bottom of this, find his little hideout and any who are still hiding there! If you need torches, master dwarf, see to the guard supply, They should have some there."