The Past Returns (Inactive)

Game Master sunshadow21

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 6 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 1 = 13 (What's this guy on about? Is he giving me the "creeper" vibe? or is it just a harmless crush on Mags?)

Morstralla gets the same vibe as everyone else. He seems like your typical vapid city noble trying to enjoy what he views to be the perks of country life to the fullest.

Once you get the boars prepped and head back to town, the questions keep coming, though the exhaustion of the preparation seems to have tired Aldern enough that there are at least some moments of silence. You get back in late afternoon, and find a message waiting for you at the gate to report to the town hall as soon is convenient for you. After dropping off the slain boars and the boar of a noble, you head to the garrison where you are directed to one of the nicer meeting rooms on the second floor. You find three folks there, already talking. Sheriff Hemlock you all recognize and he greets you as you enter; there is an older woman that you all can recognize as Mayor Kendra Deverin, and she thanks you all for your efforts to date; the third is an elf female that looks to be a ranger type.

She looks all of you over carefully as she introduces herself as Shelelu Andosana; Morstralla and Krojun recognize the name, if not the face, as a ranger that has spent many of the last several years in the area dogging the goblins, keeping tabs on them, and generally giving them reasons to remain tolerably decent neighbors. With a nod to the sheriff, she has been tracking some disturbing trends, and has the following to say,
“Belor’s told me of your work against the goblins—well done. I’ve dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they’re tenacious and fecund little runts. Like weeds that bite.
There are five major goblin tribes in the region, and, traditionally, they’re pretty good at keeping each other in line with intertribal squabbles and the like. Yet from what I’ve been able to piece together, members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint. A fair number of the Mosswood goblins I dealt with yesterday were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the ‘longshanks’ who killed so many of them. Now that I’ve met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about. Seems like you’ve made an impression.
In any event, the fact that the five tribes are working together disturbs me. Goblin tribes don’t get along unless they’ve got something big planned, and big plans require big bosses. I’m afraid that someone’s moved in on the goblins and organized them. And judging by these recent raids, what they’re organizing seems like bad news for all of us.”

When she is done speaking, Sheriff Hemlock takes over, [b]"I have decided that we need to seek temporary reinforcements from Magnimar, and plan on going there myself, with several of my men, to explain the situation as we understand it to our allies. I would like you to stay around town and maintain a level of visibility to reassure the townsfolk that they are still protected. I have also asked Shalelu to keep looking for any details of what is behind the goblin gathering of strength. Oh, and before I forget, I have authorized you to have access to the garrison armory to help boost your fighting strength." There is some more small talk, Kendra Deverin gives each of you a small monetary reward, and the meeting breaks up. As you leave, Shalelu stops you and asks if she could join you at dinner, as she would like to hear your stories, and would be willing to impart some of her own knowledge of the region and it's inhabitants in return.

This is as good a time as any to handle paperwork before things really get interesting. You are now level 2; you can all get one masterwork weapon (simple or martial) from town garrison, you all have a mount and saddle from Aldern if you did not already have a mount; on top of that, you also all have a number of gifts, presents, and treasure sufficient to bring your total assets is 1k each.

Yay, level 2!

"Of course, we love sharing stories over a good meal. More company is always welcome." Rohan replies rather genuinely.

Rohan will pick up a longspear from the garrison, much like his own. However the craftmanship is much better, the tip is not as worn down as his current weapon's is.

Talon, I forgot to mention that at least some of yours arrived with a piece of paper that simply had the seal of the Valdemar on it.

Asking for other's benefit.. Does the weapon get included into the 1k total gifts or is it separate? The only thing I can benefit from in the armory is a bow I suppose lol.

The weapon is part of the 1k; in your case, they would be willing to get something from Sabyl Sorn for you.

Wyran will invite the party to join him at the House of Blue Stones after they are done shopping, where he will take his next step into becoming one of the elite members of the Irori Faith: a Champion of Irori. He of course asks permission from Sabyl Sorn first, and asks her to witness his vows and send word back to his home monastery in Magnimar.

...

When all have gathered, he asks them to remain silent until he has finished taking his vows. He sits on the floor with his legs crossed, and meditates a moment before beginning.

"Over a century and a half ago I took my vows as a monk in the faith of Irori: that every step I take must further my quest for knowledge and perfection of self. Today I am finally ready to take the next step in my personal journey, and take the vows of a Paladin. Few are those followers who walk the path of good, but I stand ready to uphold the tenants of law and goodness. I take these vows in front of Sabyl Sorn, who shall carry word to my home in magnimar, my friends, and Irori himself.

I vow to always carry myself with honor: to dishonor myself would be to dishonor my god and the path that I follow. I vow to always protect the innocent, for they do not always possess the strength or knowledge to protect themselves. I vow to avoid any entanglement that would interfere with my pursuit of perfection in all forms: mind, body, and soul. I vow to never incur monetary debt or loan to those who need, for I will obtain what I need through my own means and will give freely to those who need it. I vow that I will never be the master to any person or creature, as I view all men and beast alike equal in all regards."

Wyran closes his eyes for a few silent moments, then opens them with a smile. "My quest for perfection means upholding to the seven virtues: Charity, Chastity, Temperance, Dilligence, Kindness, Humility, and Patience. My friends, if you see me straying from my path do not be afraid to share your thoughts. Thank you for witnessing my vows.

Sabyl is glad to aid in whatever way she can, and there are some local acolytes present to observe the brief ceremony as well.

Rohan and Copper accept Wyran's offer to join him. Neither one had witnessed a ceremony at a monastery before. Rohan finds it easy to be silent during the gathering, it came naturally for him. He looked over to see his little friend struggling to not say anything. He had forgotten that the opposite was true for Copper. He just gives a smile and gives a pat on the head to the surprisingly well behaved wyrmling. "I will do be my best. And your welcome."

Krojun stoically accepts the charge placed on him and the others by the sheriff. He and these other strangers had worked well together, there was no reason they shouldn't continue to work together. No doubt the growing goblin threat was at least a part of what had upset the spirits so.

When he's showed to the armory, Krojun quickly locates a fine battleaxe. He weighs the hefty weapon in hand. Satisfied with his selection, he thanks the quartermaster and sees himself out.

Masterwork Battleaxe

***

With his coin and other assorted rewards Krojun finds a leatherworker to repair and update his worn bullwhip with a new handle.

Masterwork Scorpion Whip

***

Upon being invited to witness Wyren's ceremony, Krojun happily agrees. He finds the process wrong in so many ways. So much silence. So much meditation. In his experience, ceremony like this would be punctuated with drumming, chants, and songs. Where was the wild dancing? where was the celebration? Nonetheless, he labored to follow the example set forth by the monk and remain respectfully quiet.

"Congratulations Wyren."

Rohan will take his assorted rewards and take a visit to the Red Dog Smithy. At first the dogs laying about start growling at Copper, but after they see that the little golden one is no threat, they calm down. They even start playing around with him while Rohan conducts his business.
His old hide shirt was starting to tear, so he commissions a finely crafted shirt made of chain from Korvut.

Masterwork Chain Shirt.

After that, he makes his way to Savah's Armory. He needed something more than a just a well made longspear. A well made crossbow catches his eye, but then Rohan looks into his coin purse and settles on a mundane version, along with enough bolts to last him a while. He was starting to like this place. Maybe he should give his resignation to the Orca? He had friends here now, and with the goblin threat looming still, a purpose as well... Well he still had a few days leave to figure it out at least.

Light Crossbow.

With the ill news, Morstralla figures that it would be prudent to get her weapons and armour out of storage. She dusts off a suit of scale mail, finds her warhammer and the finely made crossbow that her uncle had given her a few years back.

decided that because the equipment hasn't been used or even relevant thus far that there's no harm in saying that the crossbow always was masterwork and a gift from her uncle instead of from the garrison

I'll have to update Mag's sheet tonight. I don't have Hero Lab on the OS I'm using right now.

---After returning to town---
Magnhildr, who had been trying to be civil all day, vents once Aldern was well out of earshot.

"Thank Desna that little prick is gone! I've never had someone badger me so much to hear every little detail of my life! If I ever see his smug face again, I'm might knock his teeth in!"

---At the Garrison---
The ranger's brought a look of embarrassment to Magnhildr's features. The blush and the grin making the young woman look even younger than she normally did.

The offer by Sheriff Hemlock changed that expression to one of surprise.

"Thank you. This is a great amount of trust you have given us, and I promise to earn every bit of it."

---The Ceremony---
Unknown to either of them, Mag's thoughts mirrored Krojun's. Back home, such an event was met with music from drums and flutes, lots of singing and tall tales, and mead, lots and lots of mead and dancing. She kept quiet though, her mind already spinning the event into a tale she could, and would, tell later. After it was done, she approached Wyran.

"Not many have the courage to follow such an oath. I'm glad you decided to include us in this event, despite not knowing us very well." The warrioress breaks into a big grin and wraps her arm around the monk's shoulders, "Otherwise, you would have said, 'I vow to keep Magnhildr Whitescale from getting too drunk, losing her temper too much, and spending all her time telling stories.'"

---Shopping---
From the armory, Mag found a well-made, but plain greatsword. She followed Rohan to the Red Dog Smithy, and commissioned a better-made chainshirt, seeing how hers was beginning to wear far too much, and a hand-and-a-half sword to replace the one that she had. She also asked the smith about engraving her clan's sigil onto both of her new blades.

With the ill news, Morstralla figures that it would be prudent to get her weapons and armour out of storage. She dusts off a suit of scale mail, finds her warhammer and the finely made crossbow that her uncle had given her a few years back.

decided that because the equipment hasn't been used or even relevant thus far that there's no harm in saying that the crossbow always was masterwork and a gift from her uncle instead of from the garrison

Perfectly acceptable on my end. I deliberately left room for individual details to be filled in by the player. Just waiting on Talon and Magnhlidr to level before we proceed farther.

The rest of the day is busy as you shop and get settled into your new role, and the feast at the Rusty Dragon that night is spectacular, as Ameiko outdoes her usual high level of quality even in her masterful preparations of the boars you brought back. You all wake up and are talking about your plans for the following day around the table in a corner of the common room when one of the older halfling maids comes up tentatively and very distraught, "Excuse me, good lords and ladies, but might I be able to talk to you in the kitchen about an urgent matter that has come up." It is at this point, you realize you haven't yet seen Ameiko, which is unusual.

"Well that does seem prudent, doesn't it."
looking at Mags with a look of "let's go"

"Of course. Is something wrong?"

Krojun laughed and enjoyed the company of his companions. It was strange, but he was starting to feel as at home with them as he did among his Quah.

"I am no lord. I'm just a warrior", Krojun says.

"What is wrong? It's too early for drunks to be stirring up trouble already", the Shoanti says.

Talon smiles, and shakes his head. "This being in demand will take some getting used too, I've made it a habit to stay out of the limelight thus far in life, looks like as far as Sandpoint is concerned that is at an end for us all."

"I'm about as far from a lady as you can get, but I'm willing to help. What's wrong?"

Mags stands up and follows the halfling into the kitchen.

When you get back to the kitchen, "Don't tell Ameiko where you heard this from, but she got this letter last night, and she isn't anywhere to be found this morning. I fear she may be in grave danger."

Letter in Minkai
Letter in Common

Linguistice: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14

Rohan tries to make sense of the letter. Part of Hermean education was learning how to read foreign languages. It was the only form of communication Rohan was any good at.

Is the letter written in Minkai or has someone already translated it?

The letter is written in Menkai, but you can get the maid to translate it.

After the maid (or Rohan) has translated it:

Krojun reads the letter a second time and then a third in hopes that he missed some critical detail.

"And you say she never returned after last night?" the big Shoanti asks. "Something must have happened at the Glassworks. Perhaps her father caught wind of what his children were planning and intervened..."

The Shoanti picks up his things and starts for the door.

"We have to find her. If her father was involved in bringing goblins in to attack the city there's no telling what he might have done."

Krojun leaves for the glassworks.

The maid snorts, "I'd trust her father before I even thought about trusting that lout of a brother. Worthless cad that one was, and probably still is. I'd be willing to bet that he's the one working against Sandpoint and trying to blame it on his father."

"In either case, Ameiko could be in danger. There's no time to waste!"

Silently grateful that someone else read the note, Magnhildr frowns as something strikes her.

"I've heard of things like that happening, but Ameiko going missing does not bode well. I'm grabbing my armor and swords."

Magnhildr runs up to her room and returns a few minutes later, both her swords across her back, and her spear in hand.

"Anyone need this?" she asks hefting the spear up.

Talon makes sure he has all his equipment and responds to Mags, "Ready, I am worried about Ameiko. She has confided with me about her relationship with her brother. He has not always been good to her and she seems blinded to his faults. This does not bode well."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" Rohan leaves for the glassworks.

Krojun frowns at Talon's revelation.

"Really? Tell us more", he says along the way to the glassworks.

"He's really her half-brother, I'm not sure about the whole story there, but he's always been a brother in her eyes. When his family cast him out because of his father's indiscretion, she kept in touch. She's had an odd fascination with him. The trouble is, when they see each other there is usualy conflict. He even hit her once. The conflict between her brother and the rest of the family is really a large part of the reason she is estranged from them. Its a very sad tale, one that she has confided in me but that I think is important to know ... to underscore the potential threat that she may face."

"She is the only one that is kind to him and yet he abuses her? It takes a gentle heart to forgive such offenses."

"Which is why I cannot bear the thought of anything bad happening to her ... she has bestowed the same kindness on me in my time of need, she is like a sister to me, at least I see it that way ... we must hurry."

As you are leaving the Rusty Dragon, it occurs to Morstalla, but no one else, that you don't actually have a way to get into the Glassworks without breaking in, but fortunately you are able to track down Lonjiku's foreman who agrees to let you in, after gathering, and arming, the other workers and himself; he likes the situation no better than you do, especially when he hears Tsuto is back. You enter the Glassworks through the door to the living quarters, and two things strike you right away. The first is the absolute silence in the building; not even the furnaces are running. The second is an stench of death that fills the air. The living quarters seem untouched, which relieves the workers greatly, but the rest of the building is an unknown.

Instead of a map, I am going to break down the building into sections and let you choose which section you want to explore. There is the living quarters, where you are currently at. The front shop is where the finished pieces are displayed and sold. The furnaces/workshop is a single large room where the work is done. The back offices and storage has a private showing and meeting room, and has stairs down to the basement, where there is more storage.

Did we enter through the delivery entrance? If not, Krojun will suggest we head that direction.

That would be the back offices and storage area.

Back offices and storage area it is!

"Hurry", Krojun says as he points in that direction.

Mags shares the other's concern and loans her longspear to whoever wants it. If no one wants it, she leaves it at the Rusty Dragon.

She draws the greatsword from the armory and moves up to the door Krojun points to before nodding to the others and ramming it open.

"Already way ahead of you. Though we could just try opening the door, Magnhlidr." Rohan tries to open it before the Ulfen woman rams it down.

The stench grows as you enter this area, and the sight you see makes several of the workers back off in horror. The corridor between the workshop and the basement stairs is littered with bodies and a lot of blood. The bodies are mostly goblin, but near the top of the stairs there is the body of what appears to be a human mercenary.

Does it look like the mercenary was fighting the goblins?

Damned school not giving me a chance to post and slow this down a touch.

"I'm not sure running down the stairs will do us any good in the long run - we need to do a clean sweep of the main floor to make sure that we do not face a two-pronged attack. Is there any way to investigate parts of the building from outside? If we have to go through inside we should send Talon ahead to scout - as he is the most quiet of us all."

Wyran has little reaction to all the bloodshed besides obvious sadness for those who have fallen.

The mercenary is surrounded by goblin bodies suggesting that they were fighting each other. Also, you note that none of the bodies have been looted or scavenged.

We've searched the whole 'back offices and storage area' already'?

"Goblins? Here?" Krojun growls in growing alarm.

"Ameiko came this way. She's got to be close by. Search the other areas if you like. I am going downstairs."

Krojun storms down the stairs.

Rohan and Copper follow Krojun down the stairs. "No, I'm going with you."

"Why would there be goblins here?"

"Let me lead, my eyes are better."

Magnhildr moves to the front of the line and heads down the stairs. As it gets darker, Mags' eyes glow brighter.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (4) + 6 = 10
Looking or listening for anything that would tell us if there's more goblins down here or if Ameiko is nearby.

Krojun shrugs as the headstrong woman pushes to the front.

He taps his whip and mutters a spell causing it to glow brightly.

Light

Heading downstairs, your senses are almost overloaded as you enter what must have been one nasty battle. The narrow hallways and adjoining storerooms are filled with death. Goblin bodies, and a few more mercenary bodies greet you as you proceed down the hall to an opening in a brick wall that is clearly not part of the original construction, and it is around this wall that the concentration of the dead is highest. Here, you also get a shock that is likely going to shape the whole town going forward; the body of Lonjiku Kaijitsu lies just beyond the opening in the brick wall, and strangely, there are no goblin bodies immediately around him, just a single trail of blood leading further down the hall. Even the most the most uneducated heal check tells you that whatever happened here can be no more than a couple of hours past.

"This is bad. He may have been a stupid jerk, but he didn't deserve this." Copper looks up to his friend who just silently nods. The pair follow the blood trail.