"Could a little demon pretend a sound?", Megekki asks of the scholars.
"Unseen. And no path we know, but back to the town."
"Friends, how convinced are you all that this was actually a victory - would you say that we have managed to clear the Glassworks? I must say I feel uneasy..."
A gentle simple voice comes from Megekki's mask, "Ameiko. It it not my place to point you. But you, and the Mayor, more than we four, more than all of us together. You two need to decide what the town is to know. She has a right to limit what is said. You have a right to tell your own story. Where your rights and needs balance, there we four will stand. It is not my place to say this, if I were deciding it. But I do not decide it, I only know it; these good men will do what they can."
The orc-rough voice returns now, building to a shout.
"Three good men, and MEGEKKI!"
"Friends, how convinced are you all that this was actually a victory - would you say that we have managed to clear the Glassworks? I must say I feel uneasy..."
"More to do. And the little evil hides too well. Megekki has a plan. It is a weak plan. It is only stronger than no plan. Any other plan, better plan than mine."
"To break the pool, right thing, but too soon. Pool left for little evil, maybe we catch her there. Brenton, so many times now, crazy eyes, and bash bash bash! Megekki must remember that, if Brenton will not wait, maybe better not to talk. Sometimes, such people, better not to tell things. It is sad, but not to listen, not to think, is sad, too."
"There is evil all around this town. We will find more."
After Emrys described the horrors down there, I was very worried. I now see just how those concerns were warrented. It does trouble me that the little quasit got away. However, we've cleared that area of beasts, we've smashed the relic well she used to summon her minions, and we've kicked her out of her nest, so to speak. If and when we get a means to see that which is invisible, it may be worth another look through again to insure she has left and not returned. But, without the well, she is but a small threat by herself.
She pauses for a moment, looking at the monk.
Obviously, there's still the Thistletop Goblins, as well as the demon lady in my brother's journal. I believe the Sheriff is attempting to get aid to assist with that. I just hope he comes back before they attack again. She sighs.
Suddenly, a smile comes back to her face as the charismatic Tian woman puts her arms around the shoulders of Zeriax and Megekki. But, to answer your question, Zeriak, I would most certainly qualify this as a victory. Sandpoint is much safer with that evil quieted. So, let's say we go back to my bar, and get something to eat! She laughs.
Looking to Megekki, As far as what to say? Ask the mayor. I may sing songs about heroics, but I don't sing my own praises. That's to say, the others in the town won't hear a word from me.
"Megekki must stay. Until what can be said is decided. Megekki tells Lanalee, he will go there, when she tries to follow. Now, Megekki should do this. So, Megekki waits for Mayor and Ameiko, to decide. Megekki will watch for Little Evil, until then. Veiled Mirror, She grants Megekki the sight."
"Maybe we should look for goblins over the cliff where the citizens throw their trash tomorrow. Or we could get a wand of see invisibility and look for that quasit again." Brenton mentions, out of no where, before going back to his reading.
Brenton will also visit the mayor.
"Friends, I will patrol Sandpoint instead of going to the mayor office - I intend to circle the walls and the outskirts for signs of any impending threat"
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When he gets the opportunity Emrys examines the book in detail.
That evening he accompanies Megekki and Brenton to the mayor's office.
Mayor, good evening. Grim news from the glassworks I'm afraid. he takes a seat without being prompted and continues. It seems the attack a few days ago was only the tip of the iceburg, a much larger threat is gathering power and we only have the merest of clues to its source at the moment.
Megekki pantomimes as he reports, "Demons. And one still, a little evil thing, 'Quazit', the race. Invisible, she fled. From a pool, from the hate, from the hate of the dead goblins that raided before, she made monsters from the hate. We saw this, as we fought her. And she planned more. The pool, destroyed. The way down to more of the enemy, blocked by great stones. Guards and traps would be wise, but there is no threat of army from the glassworks."
"Still threat of army. But not from there. Not while stones remain."
"Safe.", the orcish-rough voice answers. "Ameiko's song, is cooling rain. Zeriax' arrows, hunting hawks. Emrys fools their legs, and down they fall! Brenton breaks the pool, and heals Zeriax, when Three-arms charges. Safe. Now. But almost... Almost not."
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An invisible creature fled? Hmmm.... I can authorize some men to check the place out with magic to see invisible things. Maybe the father can help us out with that. I want to make make sure that area is clear. And I'll have them look into the blocked path you mentioned. Sounds like you've stopped a greater evil from creating a more dangerous threat to the townspeople. Ultimately, it may be a good idea to re-block that whole passage with brick. Good job!
She starts to write on a piece a paper with her quill pen as she asks, What are you plans now?
Brenton recants their adventures; leaving out the part where they were all unconscious at one point in time. He instead explains that they received the ailment of Con drain while scaring off a devil. He describes the encounter with the tiny quasit and how it escapes.
"After I had smashed the evil artifact and we were searching the room, we heard wolves below us. The entrance to the lower levels caved in, but we can not know if there are goblins, or any other creatures, trying to unblock the rubble. We do know that there are beasts below."
"Plans now? To preserve honor, Greg went to Lanalee, and said everything, but nothing to be heard. But Megekki should go, too, now. Nothing is hard to say. What to say? What truth, to be better than rumor that grows from nothing?"
"After that, we have to go see. Eyes for invisible, that is good. Emrys is wisest there.", Meg says, looking to the elf.
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To Brention, she indicates that you all should visit Father Zantias regarding your weakened state.
To Meggeki she says, Maybe I should talk to her. I'm not sure she would get the right message from you. No offense.
She puts her quill pen down and looks at Brenton. So, let me rephrase...outside of Lanalee and her wagging tongue, do you all have any immediate plans for the next few days?
Greg's voice rises from under Megekki's mask. "No offense taken, of course, Madame Mayor. But let us not deny Megekki his ability to pay his debt. To preserve Lanalee's safety and ignorance, he mortgaged his honor. He must say something, even if it is only that you have forbidden him to speak of it. Is that your judgement?"
"A day or two of reflection. And then we will be searching the cliffs, I think."
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The mayor rubs her eyes. Fine. Tell her whatever you wish. The situation is resolved for now. Well, don't tell her there's something MORE evil deeper down or anything. That's just speculation on our part right now, and we don't need people worrying over it. And, of course, don't mention goblins. People are still talking about the last attack.
I would appreciate it if you could stay close to town until the Sheriff returns. If you do need to leave, let me know so I can reorganize the watch accordingly. I'll send a message to you if we find out anything more about the catacombs, but it sounds like you men did a fine job.
She hands a paper to Emrys.
Take that to the clerk downstairs. It should cover some if not all of the expenses you incurred recently. Again, thank you.
The note entitles the bearer to 1000gps.
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Zeriak, the day is pretty quiet, as you walk around. People seem to be in a pleasant mood, except at the church, where it is more somber. The Father held a service for the few that did die in the goblin raids.
As you walk around, you see something interesting at The Pixie's Kitten. As a brothel, it's not a place you frequent, but you do take notice as you spot Shayliss entering the establishment.
Even though he knows the responsibility for the dead cannot be attributed to him, he nonetheless regrets deeply that he was unable to do more, to save more souls - he hesitates, and does not enter the church.
As he notices Shayliss entering The Pixie's Kitten he approaches as discreetly as he can, looking for a way to peer inside - if he finds none, he will look for an opportunity to listen at the door.
Brenton will visit Father Zantias about help with curing the con drain.
Taverns always fall silent, when a juju mask comes in. Which works really well, when you are about to shout your name, anyway.
"MEGEKKI!", he shouted. Hardly rude, when everyone is already staring. "Megekki goes to glassworks.", he began, walking into the room, his long spear a staff, striding ahead, thunking in punctuation. "Lanalee sees." The staff thunked. "Lanalee asks." The staff thunked. "And again." The staff thunked more softly. "And again." The staff thunked faintly, and Megekki leaned on it tiredly. "And again."
Somebody in the room said, "That's her, alright.", and the room laughed.
Under the mask, Megekki smiled.
"Megekki says, Megekki will come and talk, when he can. And now he can."
Megekki told the story. Of the worried halfling and the missing Ameiko and of finding the father, so sadly dead, and the brother, so sadly broken-minded. Of the small demons, and the big demons, and the three-armed thing. Of Brenton's great healing gifts, and of his being swallowed whole, but saved. Of Zeriax' serene sharpshooting, even as the three-armed thing charged, how Zeriax was still, until the very last instant, drawing his bow. Of Emrys' clashing colors and feet-fooling forces. Of holes full of unrested dead, and the monk's leaping kick to knock Three-Arms into one. Of Brenton's gentle healing and sudden berserkering. And of Ameiko, bravely going with for the last fight, the hardest, and of her music, heartening in the face of such evils.
"And you?", someone asked. "What did you do?"
"Megekki? Megekki comes to tell the story."
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A couple of people look at Zeriak as he listens to the door.
He does a good job looking like nothing is going on.
Zeriak can just barely make out the words, and voices are female, but hard to tell apart.
He hasn't made a move?
No! He won't touch me. But he's nice. Polite. There's something about him...
Well, you've only known him what? A few days?
And your point? This is me you're talking about.
Yeah. You're right. That's not natural. Think he's into guys?
Maybe. Maybe like Steve. Steve is also super nice to women.
You know I have a couple of guys on staff that...
Don't even say it. My dad would kill me if I did something like that. Anyway, I've never had a problem getting any man I want.
Except this one?
....yeah. She sighs.
To everyone:Father Zantus informs Brenton that he's happy to perform the service for free, but needs 100gp each to cover the purchase the reagents necessary.
"Lanalee. She brings me here. She is not here. Debt is paid. Other debts to pay. One drink, polite. Then I go."
Brenton will pay the 100gp to cure his Constitution drain. He would also notify the others about doing the same.
Zeriax shakes his head with a smile - he does understand the girl, she parallels the "rushing through life" atitude that he has witnessed so many times after leaving his temple.
He understands, but he disagrees...
Putting the flowers down neatly held tight by two rocks, he scribbles a simple Z in the dirt next to them and walks away.
Zeriax will meet up with the others wherever he can find them - he will first go to the Mayor office, then the church. He will join up with whomever he finds first and tag along.