Sometimes, when your parents would take you to the old cathedral of Desna to sit through yet another dull mass (really, it's almost as if they didn't take your claims of being blessed by Desna seriously), you'd catch a glimpse of a young girl near the altar. That young girl had brilliant white hair and tended to dress in common peasant's garb, but otherwise she radiated an otherworldly beauty & grace. On one occasion, you were even lucky enough to speak with her for a bit, and learn her name.
Nualia Tobyn was a shy, but seemingly friendly girl, and Father Tobyn's adoptive daughter. But... she died in the fire that burnt the old cathedral down, didn't she?
Nicat’s eyes take on a distant look as he recalls his childhood, and he responds to Eostre’s question, ”Yes, he had a daughter – Nualia She was something else! My parents used to take me to the old cathedral of Desna, make me sit through the service – even though I was blessed by Desna! It’s like they didn’t get that she smiles upon me! Even after I changed my name to Brightluck, they still seemed to think I was deluded or something when I said the Song of the Spheres sings for me! You’d think that…” He realizes Eostre is looking at him with even more than her usual impatience and he struggles to recollect what he was talking about. ”Oh, right, Nualia! So, when I’d come to services with my folks, I’d see her sometimes, near the altar. She had brilliant white hair and, even though she dressed very simply, she just had this…glow about her. Such beauty and grace! One time I was lucky enough to talk to her for a while, that’s how I know her name.”
He goes quiet, almost thoughtful, for a moment, then continues, ”She was shy, but seemed friendly enough. She was adopted, maybe that’s why she was shy? Anyway…she died in the fire that burnt down the old cathedral, poor girl…unless she didn’t, somehow.”
Eostre scratches her chin.
"Hmmm...Nicat, do these drawings resemble her?"
Eostre holds the succubus drawings out to Nicat.
Ekan glances at the succubus drawings while they're shown, blushes and looks away
"What'sa matter? Never seen a naked woman before?" Eostre replies, rolling her eyes.
The monk's response is to put his face in his palm, and try to get the subject back to something besides his level of experience with the gentler sex "Does that look like her or not, Nicat?"
"Oh, for crying out loud! This coming from the man who wanders around with his oiled abs glistening for all to see?!"
"Now that you mention it, Eostre, that does look like Nualia!" Nicat replies. "She just looks a lot more, er, grown up," he continues, his hands unwittingly tracing curves in the air, "...and kind of demonified, you know, with the tail and all? Wow, I hadn't noticed it before, but there is definitely a resemblance."
Ekan's only answer to the she-dwarf is to tug at the tunic he's wearing now.
"Now that you mention it, Eostre, that does look like Nualia!" Nicat replies. "She just looks a lot more, er, grown up," he continues, his hands unwittingly tracing curves in the air, "...and kind of demonified, you know, with the tail and all? Wow, I hadn't noticed it before, but there is definitely a resemblance."
"Then we have another lead, should we go to the sheriff?"
"Abso-sodding-lutely!"
"What drawings are you talking-Whoa! This is who we're looking for? I'm in."
"I doubt this is what she ACTUALLY looks like Conner. This is just Tsuto's fantasizing."
Eostre turns to Ameiko.
"Would you object to us bringing this to Sheriff Hemlock? I know Tsuto put you through Hell today but...well...he's your brother."
Ameiko blinks as she looks up from the journal. "Huh? Oh..."
She looks down at the journal, her face darkening into a scowl. "...go ahead."
Her eyes linger on the drawing of the woman in the dress, her eyes widening slightly.
"Ekan puts oil on his abs?" Nicat asks in surprise, pulling up his own shirt and examining the rather soft midriff underneath it. "Hmmm, I wonder what Shayliss would think of...hmm, Shayliss and oil...glistening..." he shakes his head and says abruptly, "Right, yeah, we should take this to the sheriff!"
"Let's go right away then," Ekan says, hoping a change of location will stop all this glistening abs chatter.
Ameiko blinks as she looks up from the journal. "Huh? Oh..."
She looks down at the journal, her face darkening into a scowl. "...go ahead."
Her eyes linger on the drawing of the woman in the dress, her eyes widening slightly.
"What is it, Ameiko? I accidentally strike a nerve? If so, I'm sorry," Eostre replies, concern apparent in her voice.
"How common is it for people to have white hair?" Evelyn asks somewhat hesitantly, her hand going to her own hair.
"My hair was blond, but... it changed due to certain events I can't remember..."
Evelyn shakes her head. "Sorry, it's nothing important. It just made me... wonder."
"What is it, Ameiko? I accidentally strike a nerve? If so, I'm sorry," Eostre replies, concern apparent in her voice.Ameiko blinks as she looks up from the journal. "Huh? Oh..."
She looks down at the journal, her face darkening into a scowl. "...go ahead."
Her eyes linger on the drawing of the woman in the dress, her eyes widening slightly.
"No, you didn't." Ameiko sighs, her eyes still on the journal. "I'm just... having a hard time believing that Nualia could be behind all this."
"What makes you say that? Out-of-towner here, remember?"
Ameiko sighs. "I've known Nualia since I was little... she always seemed like such a pleasant girl."
"Might not be her, maybe the person who drew this had a thing for Nualia and just wanted to see her, um...dirtied up a bit. She's well-known, attractive, and as part of the temple, not very attainable. People want what they can't have."
"Good point, Conner, but if what Nicat says is true, why would he draw an adult version a dead girl?"
Eostre suddenly stops as she realizes what she just implied about Tsuto.
"Yeeeeeesh...well, um, Ameiko, any objections to us showing this journal to the mayor and sheriff? No, excellent, thank you, we'll finish this conversationNEVERLET'SGO!"
Ekan rises to go when the others are ready
Nicat gives Eostre a puzzled look as she hurriedly turns to go, and is about to ask what her problem is when he thinks for a moment on what she just said to Ameiko. The kind-hearted - though occasionally absent-minded - halfling lays a hand on Ameiko's shoulder and says, "We'll do our best to sort this out, Ameiko, don't you worry."
He moves off after Eostre, muttering, "As if Ameiko didn't have enough to worry about, Eostre has to say that her brother likes little girls...well, big little girls...er, little girls when they're bigger..." In a familiar gesture, he gives his head a quick shake to clear the cobwebs and catches up to the dwarven wizard.
Evelyn hurries after the others, wildly shaking her head. "Gross, gross, gross!"
While running Evelyn taps Nicat on his shoulder. "You mentioned Nualia died in a fire? Where is she buried? We could visit her grave later and check if she's still in there, with permission of the sheriff."
Once everyone has left the Rusty Dragon (and a confused Ameiko) behind, the aftereffects of the burning of the Glassworks become more evident. The scorched husk of the building looms on the horizon like a shroud, and looks of confusion and fright can be seen on the citizens around it. The party gets looks of disappointment and pain as they walk through the streets to the mayor's office.
Walking through the oak double doors to the town hall, the party is greeted by the sight of Sheriff Hemlock and Mayor Deverin at the far end of the great meeting room that takes up most of the building's first floor. The mayor and the sheriff are in a heated discussion while several of the new guardsmen stand off to the side--some looking bored, but most others looking uncomfortable and out of place.
Curious, Ekan tries to determine what they're talking about, if he can do so without being rude or obvious.
"...I understand that you want to hunt down Tsuto now, Sheriff, but we need to focus on rebuilding and fortifying our town. I'm more concerned with fixing whatever holes in security we had that allowed the goblins to sneak into town not once, but twice already--if we can't do that, then--"
"Yes, Mayor, I understand. But if you would let me send out a patrol to see where his ship is going--"
"--and risk losing more men? Sheriff, please--we don't know where he's headed off to."
"That's why I need to find Shalelu. She'll be able to keep them safe, and track Tsuto back to his hole while she's at it..."
The conversation continues in this vein.
Eostre clears her throat.
"Tsuto's not the ringleader to this goblin circus."
She tosses the journal onto the table before them.
"His journal. Ameiko managed to pilfer it off him before he bloodied her. It details his involvement in the initial attack. It WAS just a cover for his real motive, stealing the remains of your late Father Tobyn. He did it at the behest of the REAL mastermind behind this, one Nualia Tobyn."
The sheriff & mayor look up as Eostre steps forward and tosses the journal on the table before them.
Mayor Deverin wordlessly picks up the journal and starts to read through it.
"Even if Tsuto wasn't the man who planned the attack, he's--" Sheriff Hemlock starts, then cuts himself off. "--wait a minute. What did he want with Father Tobyn's bones? And what's this about Nualia being behind this? Nualia Tobyn's been dead for nine years."
Mayor Deverin keeps flipping through the journal pages as Hemlock continues.
"Look at the last entry. Nualia Tobyn's alive, and Tsuto's besotted with her. She wanted the bones of her father so she could burn them as an offering to Lamashtu, part of a magical ritual to destroy her celestial blood and transform into a demon. She had Tsuto do it because she couldn't, or wouldn't return here herself. Probably to make it easier to shift the blame to Tsuto if he was caught, since you all thought she's dead.
Eostre crosses her arms.
"I don't know her history, but Tsuto said Sandpoint would burn for what it did to her. I'm no priest, but I'm guessing she plans on making the entire town a sacrifice for her demon goddess to speed her transformation. She's gathered the local goblin tribes at a place called Thistletop to prepare for the final attack. That's where Tsuto's headed, I'd wager, to report to her that he's been found out, and I'd bet my glaive and spellbook they're going to move up the timetable because of it. Unless we act now, and turn the tables on them. We assault Thistletop, and the attack never comes."
"It seems incredible, but it's true," Ekan says, "It sounds like you might need folks to track her, and Tsuto down, I cannot speak for the others, but if that's where you need me I'll go. Eostre is...very smart, her idea maybe the best way to go."
As they hurry off to find the sheriff, Nicat considers Evelyn’s question a moment, then says, ”I’d guess she’s buried in the cemetery. I have to confess, I’ve never gone to see her grave or anything, cemeteries have never really been my thing.”
After Eostre explains the situation and suggests an approach, Nicat joins Ekan in volunteering, ”Yeah! I’ve had enough of these goblins messing with Sandpoint! I’m in! Let’s go take care of them where they live, and we’ll sort out Tsuto while we’re at it!”
Mayor Deverin stops when she reaches the last few entries of the journal. Her eyebrow arches as she sees what is presumably the pictures of Nualia.
Sheriff Hemlock is silent for a bit as Eostre explains things. When the topic of Nualia comes up, he blinks. "That can't be--"
"Sheriff, I don't like what I'm hearing and seeing either." Mayor Deverin looks up from the journal. "But denying the evidence when it's right in front of our faces isn't the way to go. We need to set out for Thistletop as soon as possible."
The mayor turns to the rest of the party. "I think that's where you folks come in. How soon can you set out for Thistletop?"
"At dawn tomorrow. I used up most of my hard-hitting spells in the Glassworks this morning. I presume my colleagues agree?" Eostre replies, looking to the others for confirmation.
"Yes," Evelyn nods. "We need some rest, but I reckon we'll all be fine to head out in the morning."
Evelyn shuffles a bit uncomfortably before she hesitantly addresses the sheriff. "Uhm... Earlier, when we were about to enter the Glassworks and investigate, we attracted some curious people from around town. They wondered why we were trying to kick in the Glassworks's door. In order to make these people leave us, so we could do what needed to be done, I told them the sheriff's deputies and I will make an official announcement on our business at the Glassworks and Ameiko's disappearance. Tonight, in front of Desna's cathedral. Given the turn of events it's probably best you make the announcement, and we stand by your side?"
"I'd have preferred not everyone knew about Ameiko's disappearance, but while we were trying to enter the Glassworks someone said things the general public didn't have to know... At least not at the time..."
Evelyn gives her allies an apologetic look. "No offense meant, I know you were also just trying to help out."
She clears her throat before she finishes what she wanted to say. "Anyway... I resolved the situation quickly, but if there's no official statement this evening... Well, our credibility will likely plummet."
"Dawn tomorrow sounds good," Ekan said. At Evelyn's comments, he sighs, "The people could use some reassurances after this."
Sheriff Hemlock listens to Evelyn's explanation, his face returning to its normal stoic expression. "A practical suggestion."
"Now, do you all plan to assault Thistletop equipped like that?" He looks at the party's gear and arches an eyebrow.
"Ah," Ekan looks down then back up, "What do you suggest, sir."
"I'm going to suggest you stop by the garrison before you set out--I'll open the armoury up to you and let you have your pick of our gear." Sheriff Hemlock starts to leave the town hall, but stops at the door. "Don't take too long--we have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Wow, the armoury!" Nicat exclaims, paying no heed to why the sheriff wants them better armed than they are. "That sounds great! Let's go, gang!"
Conner arches an eyebrow at the implied slight to his gear, but says nothing.
"Thank you, sir," Evelyn says to the sheriff when he reacts to what she says.
When he offers the party new equipment Evelyn adds a slight curtsy while saying "Once more, I'll have have to thank you."
"I have to ask, though... What's the limit to what we can take? Any particularly valuable items we shouldn't take?"
Sheriff Hemlock shakes his head. "No need to thank me--I can't send my deputies after a goblin stronghold underequipped."
"I have to ask, though... What's the limit to what we can take? Any particularly valuable items we shouldn't take?"
"As much as it takes to be kitted out like him." He hitches a thumb at Conner. "He looks well enough equipped."
"If there's something you're looking for and it isn't in the garrison, let me know and I'll see what I can do."