As soon as Erodel frees her hands, Ameiko tears off her blindfold and gag. When she does, you can see that one of her eyes is bruised and swollen shut and there is still blood on her lower lip where it was split open. She's a bit unsteady when she stands up and she asks: "Where's Tsuto?"
The ranger looks at Ameiko and suddenly the energy of battle bleeds away as he remembers the grotesque piece of art that Lonjiku Kaijitsu's body was turned into.
"Do you know what happened to your father, Ameiko?"
The ranger waits to see if the news needs to be broken gently or if that knowledge is part of the reason she wants to see Tsuto.
Ameiko places a hand upon Erodel's shoulder to steady herself. "Thank you, but I can walk. My legs are just rather cramped right now from being tied up in the same postion all night."
She looks over to Elransil and shakes her head. "My father? Did Tsuto kidnap him too? I haven't seen anyone other than Tsuto and his little band of revolting goblins."
The ranger stares at Ameiko a second too long, but quickly tries to cover up his surprise. He puts away his weapons and stands in such as way as to prevent anyone from being able to quickly take them from him or rush out the door.
"Your father is upstairs, Ameiko, and he's dead. We don't know how it happened yet; we were busy fighting the goblins and looking for you."
He'll try to stay in front of Ameiko and make sure she does not kill Tsuto.
Ameiko's legs seem to give out at the news and if not for Erodel's support she would have fallen to the floor. Her eyes flash with anger as she asks: "Where is he? Where's Tsuto?"
"He's tied up in the office across the hall. We need to make sure he reaches the law to answer for all this."
Elransil will look Ameiko right in the eye as he says that second sentence.
Radoslav will join the others with Ameiko.
It seems we stopped leader of goblins. I do not care what happens to your brother after he is questioned, he says with a shrug.
"Leader of the goblins? Not if what he told me is true. Tsuto didn't plan to kidnap me, he wanted to recruit me. Tsuto told me that he and several other mercenaries were led by Nualia, who is somehow still alive, and hinted that she’s got big plans for Sandpoint’s future. Tsuto warned me that I didn’t want to be in town when those plans came through, and offered me a chance to join his group at Thistletop. I can't hardly believe it. I mean, Nualia? She's been alive this whole time and hasn't told anyone? I don't understand why she would want to cause harm to the town. It just doesn't make any sense." Ameiko shakes her head, clearly confused and angered by this whole situation.
After relieving Tsuto of his possessions, Manx just sits back and quietly watches him and the area, crossbow held ready across his knees.
The ranger tells everyone he wants to search the rest of the building in case there are secret passages somewhere that the goblins used to get into town. But he wants to make sure Tsuto and Ameiko are safe with the authorities.
Pik follows Elransil. I doubt that we will find more goblins, but better to be ready for them. Do you think there are more passageways than what we've found already? I suppose we could follow the trail of broken walls to see where they came in from.
He pauses, To get so many goblins into the city, they might have more than one place like this. Or perhaps only some came in here and helped the others enter?
The ranger nods.
"That's what I was thinking. They said some came in through the gates and others just appeared in the city. There might be a whole network of tunnels or old sea caves around here that only someone who grew up here would know about. For all we know, Nualia liked to hide from gawkers in old tunnels around the church and other places."
Elransil thinks for a moment, trying to imagine where he'd hide if wanted to get away from other people. Then a thought crosses his mind and he wonders if there might have been more than one reason Nualia reached out to Tsuto.
In a slightly lower voice, he tells Pik, "Of course, she might also have hidden from the world in the arms of another."
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Running his hands underneath one another, Erodel asks: "Like some sort of underground network of tunnels?" Tapping his chin and making some more hand motions as he replays yesterday's discussion in his mind. "But I thought the goblins came over the walls and through the gate..." Before striking his palm with a mailed fist! " unless this was part of their 'big plan'!"
Before Elransil/Pik leave: Erodel will try and get Elransil's attention;"Can you tell what tribe they were from, the goblins?"
If asked to help explore, Erodel replies : "Give a shout if you run into any, I'm staying with Ameiko to make sure she stays safe." With a nod towards his new charge. ALWAYS stick with the client. He recites to himself.
When asked by Erodel, the ranger will study the goblins to see which tribe or tribes they belong to.
There is one other door in the formerly bricked-up section of the basement that you hadn't looked into yet. Open that door reveals a long tunnel heading off into darkness.
Ameiko is still leaning heavily on Erodel and Tsuto is still unconscious, though it's hard to tell when he'll wake up. Will you be doing something with them before searching the tunnel? Ameiko also asks, "Are you sure my father is dead? I want to see him for myself."
The ranger looks up at everyone after he finishes examining the goblins.
"These goblins are from the Thisletop tribe."
As Ameiko makes her way upstairs, Elransil will point at the last door.
"There's also a long tunnel that goes off farther than I can see. There's every chance more goblins are down there. But we've got people here to consider too. We could alert the guards to make sure they keep these the two siblings safe while we explore the tunnel. We could also leave them here while we explore. It could be a deadfall that ends 100 feet in."
"So what does everyone want to do?"
When Pik realizes that Ameiko can barely walk, he approaches with his hands widespread. Perhaps I can help you. He gives a reassuring smile and touches her arm lightly.
At Pik's touch, Ameiko's bruises begin to fade and the swelling of her eye goes down. Touching her face with her free hand to check the swelling, she thanks Pik for his healing and requests that he not be so helpful to her brother. Though her physical wounds have healed, Ameiko's eyes still appear rather glassy, like she may still be in shock.
Radoslav looks to Erodel.
It is simple combination of right substances. And development of personal tolerance to poison. Can also make other substances as needed...potions and things such as that.
Assuming the group seems to want to go along with barring the door, Radoslav will help lift the objects.
After we speak to the Sheriff we can come up with a more permanent solution. Or perhaps use it to catch some goblins.
Once the door is barred/blocked, you can carry/drag Tsuto upstairs and then toss him a wheelbarrow to cart to the town jail/sheriff's office. Ameiko asks Erodel to take her to her father before leaving the Glassworks. She tries to be stoic as she looks upon stained glass creation her father has become, but can't stop tears from streaming down her face. She quietly follows your group to the jail.
Once you get there, the deputy left in charge comes out and asks what is going on.
The ranger helps move the furniture in place and then retrieves his arrows as we all prepare to leave. Once at the jail, he'll speak to the deputy quietly to avoid a panic.
"Ameiko here was held against her will for hours at the glassworks. She can tell you more, but it seems her brother is working with those behind the goblin attacks. We found goblins in the building, and some fled to him during the fight."
"Also, we find the body of her father, who has been brutally murdered in the glassworks. We blocked off a tunnel downstairs that might have been an escape route for the goblins, or perhaps how they got in. We plan to go back to explore it"
"We'll take care of Ameiko and put Tsuto in a cell for now. Come back and let us know when it's safe to send a group into the Glassworks to gather the bodies of those who died for a proper funeral service. As for the tunnel, there have been a couple others that have been found and filled in over the years. This town used to have quite a problem with smugglers and they would use underground lairs to hide from the authorities."
After you head back to the Glassworks, you find the door still blocked just as you left it. You remove your improvised blockade and enter the tunnel. You follow a long passage leading north from this room, winding through the bedrock below Sandpoint on a lazy northeasterly route for just over 1,750 feet before reaching a dead end. A quick look around by Elransil reveals a secret door that opens into a 30-foot-diameter cave on the side of the cliff overlooking the Varisian Bay. The cave mouth slopes down to a narrow beach. Once in the cave, you all note the crude collection of goblin beds and remnants of their meals and trash strewn about the cave.
A thorough search of the room doesn't turn up any items of interest, though Elransil finds yet another hidden door that opens to another tunnel.
As Pik looks over the cliff he whispers to the raven on his shoulder, Have a look while we search the cave. The raven takes to flight.
Look, look.
Pik follows the other into the cave and searches with Detect Magic. With a frown, looking down the other tunnel, he says, Do you think it goes back into the town? Or out?
Radoslav will search the cave.
The ranger helps Radoslav search.
"Perhaps it leads in. They could have climbed here."
Your search doesn't turn up anything else in the cave. Pik's raven flys back cawing "Boat, boat." When he flys back out and circles over the area, you do see a small rowboat hidden among the rocks of the beach.
The door you found is barred on your side and you see no other locks to it. It should be easy enough to just lift the bar and open the door if you want to see where it goes. Otherwise you could further block it and just go back the way you came or climb the cliff up.
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Turning towards the bird, "Well I'll be...." Erodel murmurs.
"Now that I think about it, didn't Shaeleu mention that the Thistletop tribe lived on an island? Would make sense for them to sail into here. He adds.
Drawing his long sword and shield, Erodel nods towards the barred door. "What say we finish exploring these tunnels before we start taking a boat into the bay!"
The ranger readies his bow, aiming it at the door.
"Ready when you are Erodel."
Unbarring and opening the door, you see yet another tunnel. This one winds first west and then north for a total of 150 feet before you come to what was once a very thick brick wall. It appears that it was fairly recently broken open. Peering through the hole in the wall, you can see that the tunnel opens up into a natural cave ahead.
Pik whispers to the raven to stay outside the cave and continues in with the others.
If you'd prefer to keep your hands free, I know a trick that will allow your shield or sword to cast enough light to see by for a time.
Pik nods, touching the shield and casting Light.
The ranger peers forward as far as he can with his low-light vision. He'll call out if he sees any enemies or something that might hurt Erodel.
Manx takes close a look at the door after it has been opened. "Why did the goblins bar the door on this side? If this is the cave that let them into the glassworks, who barred the door after they went into the cave?"
After Pik touches Erodel's shield, "Mind doing that again?" Manx pulls the bolts from his quiver and holds a bunch of them in one hand, and nods at the pointy end.
Pik blinks slowly at Manx. You're not familiar with this trick? That...surprises me. Without waiting for a response, and ignoring the bolts, he turns to go into the tunnel.