"A door has a lock, a lock has a key. Breathing is not dying. Be calm, but swift. A key?" Megekki paws through the plunder from the tiefling. If no key there, he says, "If a father locks a daughter, a key would be with him...", and he heads for Longiku's entombed corpse.
Brenton tries to help Zeriax break down the door while Megekki tries to locate the key. He pulls out his trusty crowbar and some chalk powder. He spits in his hands and rubs in some chalk to get a good grip. He claps his hands loudly together and then gets a good hold on his crowbar.
The crowbar slips out of his hands and Brenton flies falling over backwards.
Brenton stands up and decides to use his morningstar instead.
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Running out of patience fast, Brenton starts waiting on the door with his morning star. At first, he doesn't make any progress, but he eventually wears down the wood with multiple hits until it splints apart enough for someone to fit through. He sees Ameiko's body lying helpless on the ground as he desperately clears some of the boards out of his way.
Brenton checks to see what is wrong with her and channels if she is in need.
Zeriax stands dumbfounded as Brenton literally decomposes the wooden door into myriad pieces.
"Brenton has a key.", Megekki reflects.
Ameiko was unconscious and badly wounded... after the channel, she starts to move a little as the party enters the storage room that was just her prison. Shes bound by the wrists and ankles, blindfolded and gagged.
"You are safe.", Megekki said softly. "But sadness waits."
Yeah...I... Her eyes widen, as her voice drops to a near whisper. Tsuto. He betrayed.... She chokes as she can barely get the words out. ...Sandpoint. Goblins. Where... is he?
"Tsuto is tied, carried to gaol. More sadness, no words to make gentle... Longiku is dead."
What? Father? FATHER?? What...where is he???
"Maybe you should not see this..." - Zeriax bows his head down as he ponders the suffering that is to come for the girl.
"Stand, and lean, if need to lean. And Megekki takes you there." Megekki's cloak flutters ahead, to shroud the worst, and show enough for proof, but not for horror. "Dead before we came here. We do not know, in brother's heart, but in brother's eyes, no tears."
Meg will help Ameiko if she needs it, or cede that duty to Brenton if he's poised for it. Meg will be sure, either way, that her father's face and upper body are shrouded before she comes into range to see him. It is impoverished, as mercies go. But it is what Megekki can do.
You take her back up. One of the watchman is working with two others, and they are working to remove the two goblins. Tsuto is still tied up on the ground. He does not even look up as you walk in with Ameiko. She sees him, however....
What have you done to him? What have you done to...
Her question hangs in mid sentence as she sees her father covered in glass. A cold silence hangs in the air, as her eyes widen.
No....
She runs up to him.
No...he can't be. No, not like this! No....
Her voice cracks under the weight of sadness and anger mixed together. She looks towards him. You. You did this!?
Finally, he speaks. Not I. The goblins.
The goblins YOU allowed in here! The ones YOU were working with!! I... He was mean! He was even cruel at times. But he DID NOT DESERVE THIS!, she screams.
Tears flood down her cheeks as she her face turns red hot. She continues to yell.
I ... I cared for you! And you think this is a way to repay that love? By attacking the town and killing papa??!?
She looks around. She finds a long, sharp piece of glass, and picks it up tightly, ignoring the blood beginning to flow around her improvised blade due to her grip. I won't wait for Magnimar to hang you!! I will kill you myself!! She begins to rush towards him, glass shard hanging over her head!
Zeriax interposes himself between Ameiko and their captive - "Ameiko, I understand your rage, but you must not do this. You are different from this wretched soul - he should be brought before justice, tasting the shame for his actions and assuming them in front of all. In the end he will receive his punishment nonetheless, as he deserves"
With a serious look at the desperate young girl he adds - "Do not do this, it will bring you no respite from the pain..."
"Ameiko, no. One pain at a time.", Megekki says. "Magic twists his mind. The glass dagger may not be justice. And it burns a book, book we need to read. The mind-twister, she deserves the glass dagger."
Her body collides into Zeriak and the tears continue to flow.
First, my mother...now my father. And its his fault....and he'll be hanged. He betrayed the family. I'm ... I'm all alone...
She drops the improvised dagger, blood dripping off her hand onto the floor. Her body collapses into Zeriak's as she continues to sob.
Eventually she pulls herself together. Despite everything she's been through recently, there's still a strength about her.
Looking at Tsuto she says, You will stand trial, brother. And I will testify against you. You will face justice. May Pharasma have mercy on you for betraying your people and your blood.
As she walks out, she stops near Megekki. Without looking up, she whispers, I wish he was under some sort of mind control. He's not. And good luck trying to get any further information out of him short of magic. I know my brother. Threats of death won't dent his stubborness.
A little louder she says, Thank you. You truly are... heroes. Give me a little time to clean myself up. I would like to talk with you.
Zeriax helps Ameiko on her feet and watches her she leaves.
Looking back to her brother and then to the assembled group, he comments - "I am not knowledgeable enough in the arcane to know this friends, but it frustrates me that we can do nothing else regarding this crazed murder - are there any way we can compel the information out of him before we meet with Ameiko? I would like to bring her good news..."
"This town, very sad.", Megekki reflects.
"Megekki no magic for twist mind. Maybe scary, Megekki. Good at scary. Goblins scared. Easy scare goblin."
Turning to the more vocal of the goblins, Megekki asks, "You. What happened here?"
"Before you play, old longshank dead?"
"Where young longshank, when you play hot screamy?"
Zeriax's eyes flare up as he witnesses the nonchalant way in which the goblin describes the torture imposed upon their victim.
"I will step outside for some fresh air before I do something that I may regret in the future... I do believe however we should search the remaining of the premises to make sure the place is safe. Call me when we are to go about that business, will you?"
The monk moves to the exterior of the Glassworks, taking some comfort in the morning sun, and in the more common sounds of everyday life outside.
"Remember. You play screamy old longshank. All goblin play screamy? That one -", Megekki indicates Tsuto, "- play screamy?"
Megekki asks the watchman on hand to fetch an elder, a priest, and the mayor. And "Strong men, to work. Probably not fight. Fight-man, cannot work, do not want. Work-man, cannot fight, that is good.".
Then Megekki revisits the points of his questions with the goblins, thankful for his mask and practiced monotone. When he's confirmed again, he begins to question about where the goblins are from. What tribe, leaders, etc, running down the list of names and places provided by Shalelu. Several names evade him, until he confers with his spear.
Brenton tends to Ameiko's wounds on her hands.
"We need to figure out a way to close that tunnel before more goblins arrive. If we could make a trap so the place collapses on any forces trying to come through, that would be strategic."
"Work and skills to make a trap. We only have work. When workers come, Megekki sends for stones from burned houses. Makes a good wall, and stops goblins. Guards, too." Megekki shrugs. "Not soldier. Need soldier." Aware of the listening goblins, Megekki adds, "Maybe find dead soldier, make him teach us."
"Maybe dirt is close, and wheelbarrows make easy. But more to work and fight, before go into the dark."
Ameiko steps to let Brenton tend to her hand. While she still looks roughed up, and somewhat drained, she has an air of confidence and self control completely at odds with what she has just been through. My brother spoke of working with some Quasit down there. They tend to both evil, and intelligent. And he mentioned something about her raising dark demons. I doubt she will stand by while the good people of Sandpoint raise another wall to trap her back down there again.
"Let us go see if we can find these lower chambers Tsuto speaks of. Anyone know who is Malfeshnekor is or where is this Thistletop Shrine?"
"Thistletop, elf girl speaks of that. Too far, today, to go there. Down the tunnel, much closer. Malfesh- is bad sounding word. Demon word. Or not. Megekki is not smart. Better to wait for more here. But go now, if others go. Elf-wizard, magic good? Megekki, only small magic now. And spear is tired. But still, can go." Megekki hefts his cocked crossbow, as punctuation.
"Come on guys, let's go find the mayor to let her know about the impending attack on Sandpoint first."
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A typical quasit stands a foot and a half tall, and weighs only 8 pounds. Alone among the demonic horde, quasits do not form from the dead souls of evil mortals. Instead, they form from living souls—when a spellcaster seeks out a quasit to serve him as a familiar, his soul brushes against the Abyss and it reacts, carving from itself a quasit linked to that spellcaster's soul and forming a powerful bond between the two. Newly created quasits are birthed directly into the Material Plane, where they become familiars, and while bonded to their masters' wills, all quasits hate and loathe their lieges, as they can feel the pulse of their lords' souls and know that they could have been more. A quasit serves, yet it watches and waits for mistakes that might cost its master's life, or even better, an error that might let the quasit turn against its master.
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You head over to the mayor. Some of you may be surprised that it's still very early in the morning, as it felt you were in the Glassworks for longer.
Despite the early morning, Mayor Deverin is chipper, at least until you explain to her what happened. The blood drains from her face.
Poor Ameiko... For a moment, she's lost in thought. Then her face looks a bit more stern.
With the Sheriff gone, and some of the watch with him, I can't spare more men from normal patrol routes. Especially since we need to keep an eye open from more goblins. It seems, however, you may have found something that could be a larger problems than the goblins.
She eyes you all carefully for a moment. You all have helped to save the town once. You've saved Ameiko this morning. I need to ask for your help yet again. While its obvious by what you've told me that we need to look into Thistletop, there's a much more immediate threat, it would seem, right below out very feet. Please, look into this problem at your earliest convenience. I know this is dangerous work, so I will authorize our treasurer to forward you a payment of 1,000 gold to help compensate you for your time, the danger you might face, and most importantly, to purchase any supplies you need to prepare. Furthermore, I will speak to Father Zantus. I'm sure that in the face of this crisis, he can arrange to offer you any healing services or items you need at a discount.
Can you do this for us?
Megekki laughs, "Can do? Can do better, now. Was to do before we talk. We do!"