|
...and most definitely not staring at the pictures, especially of the naked woman.
Hakak lumbers in through the hole in the wall looking completely wiped out, he takes one look at map and papers and decides it's to much effort to decode that information right now. Hakak looks to the group and says "Tell me what you guys decide to do in the morning, I'm going into town to see if I can find someone to patch me up, getting a little food, and going to bed."
"Hakak, if you're headed over to the temple, would you mind taking the quasit's religious symbol with you? Father Zantus is probably the most qualified for dealing with its evil influence.
"For tonight, though, food and drink and rest all sound good. If you all agree that I'm keeping the dagger, I'll make the sacrifice of having only a quick breakfast tomorrow morning before hitting my contacts to sell these items.
"Sheriff Hemlock, I reckon you'll be advising the Mayor of these developments and new information? If she has any questions or whatever, I think we're still staying at the Dragon.
"If Ameiko's feeling up to it, I'd like to check in with her and just make sure everything's being taken care of for her right now. Plus maybe she can provide some more info about her brother before we starting hunting him and his demony girlfriend."
I am agreed, he then sets off with a sigh to search for signs of goblins and question such that are up at the hour before retiring for sleep.
Wait, Hakak, let me see what I can do. I'll be able to do it again tomorrow anyway.
Jubrayl walks over to Hakak, places his hands on his friend, mutters in Celestial and suddenly his hands glow faintly as Hakak's wounds begin to heal.
|
|
Hakak looks to Jubrayl "Thank you my friend, but I will still head to the temple. I'm going to need a bit more then that to be any use tomorrow and I wouldn't want to use up all of your spells when they might be of some use in our search." He then daintily picks up the unholy relic as if at any moment it could explode in his hand. "And I guess it only makes sense since I;m heading to the temple anyways to take this god forsaken thing." Hakak will then head out of the Glassworks towards the temple with the unholy relic held between dainty fingers as far from his body as possible.
"What are we planning to do anyway? Are we going to finish exploring the caverns?"
OK, so I think you guys are starting in 4 different groups, but I've got you consolidated down to 3 groups. Pay attention to where you are:
Hakak you're in the first group, but it made sense to me, you'd join up with the 2nd.
Ned, Jub, and Selia are in the 2nd group, since you were left w/ the Sheriff.
Lleidr, you're the 3rd group.
Nicolae, you're the 4th group.
[Dusk, Sandpoint, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
“I’m afraid Father Zantus isn’t here, Sir Hakak. The mayor summoned him for an emergency meeting with the Sheriff a few minutes ago to the town hall. If you hurry, you can catch them.” The shy acolyte halfway holding open the cathedral’s side door is no more than a trembling child. You’re pretty sure her urging is to get you on your way, frightened as she is by your appearance.
After a harried guardsman announced an emergency meeting with Mayor Deverin, Hemlock firmly suggested your presence would be required. And, so Jubrayl, Selia and Ned are soon seated with the Mayor, Father Zantus, and Sheriff Hemlock once again.
*****************************************************
The mood is grim inside the Mayor’s office, despite a roaring fire and several bright lanterns hanging from rafters, chasing away the darkness. Kendra Deverin studies the journal with a frown and shakes her head.
“This journal creates nearly as many questions as it answers. We now know why the old priest’s remains were stolen. They were burned as an offering to some dark god, but who is this woman that refers to him as ‘her father’? Tobyn only had one child that we know of, and she died with him in the fire 5 years ago.”
Hemlock: “Ah, yes, Nualia. I hear she was a beautiful child.”
Mayor: “Yes, she was that. If it weren’t for Jubrayl here, I would have had the impression that all aasimars were sad. She tired of the townsfolks’ curiosity about her heritage.”
Zantus: “True enough. She was an emotionally brittle person, due in part I think to the old priest’s strict regimens. (Pointing at Selia, Ned and Jub) When you all left town upon coming of age, she was never really the same. But, I knew old Tobyn very well. He had no other children.”
Mayor: “So, why would some strange demonic zealot refer to Tobyn as her father? And how would Tsuto have met this person? He’s spent most of his life in Sandpoint, after all.”
At that point, Hakak enters. Zantus immediately comes over to the half-orc’s side, leading him to a chair, and begins a series of liturgical chants. Soon, the weariness and wounds vanish from your body, and you’re left with a wholesome spirit once more. “You carry a dreadful token with you, child. Lamashtu’s tokens will deliver no benefit to you.”
*************************************************
As usual, the Rusty Dragon is a busy place. The sounds and smells of a crowd assault your senses from the street, much to Lleidr’s delight. But, delight turns to disappointment. Ameiko’s not there. Bethany, the Halfling maid has to half shout to be heard over the crowd’s din.
“She’s gonna be out for a few days, holed up in the family home, other side of the harbor there. She’s the new master of the Glassworks and Manor, now. I expect this place’ll be small concern to my lady, now. Wouldn’t be surprised if she up and sells the place, if you want my opinion. By the way, your rooms are all ready. I had all the linens fresh washed and floors swept, so make yourself home.”
******************************************************
Clutching her small child, Amele Barett’s face is wet with tears. “For the past two nights, Aeren here has had the worst night terrors. The festival really upset him fierce, you see, and he’s dreamt of goblins and cats on fire and worse ever since. His howls wake up our poor pooch, Petal, who has been going into the worst barking fit.
“Well, my poor husband would go into Aeren’s room and Aeren kept saying a goblin came out of his closet. Alergast checked the closet each time, but nothing was ever there. Finally, earlier today, Aler had had enough and told Aeren he’d be sleeping in the woodshed if he couldn’t stop crying and telling stories.
“Dark came, we were all in bed, and like clockwork, Aeren’s nightmares began. But we didn’t rush to comfort him as we had been doing. Then, a few minutes later, Petal cried out in pain and Aeren’s cries turned shrill. That’s when we knew he wasn’t making up no stories.
“Aler rushed into the boy’s room, and sure as I am standing before you, a goblin was sitting on Aeren’s chest. Petal was dead, with a knife deep in the poor dog’s ear. The goblin was starting to chew on my baby’s arm.”
She holds out the child as evidence and Nicholae sees goblin bite marks covering the small boy’s arms.
“Poor Aler flew into a rage, knocked the goblin in the head and chased it back into the closet. Turns out, there was a hole in the floor the goblin had cleverly hidden with an old fur. When I ran out of there, he was tearing into the closet floor, trying to get at that horrible creature.
“Please, you must go help him. The house is just at the end of the street there, on the right.” She wipes away a path of tears streaking her cheeks.
Up till now, your search for missing dogs and goblin-haunted houses has turned up empty. But, a local with an odd story overheard your interest, and pointed you to Amele Barett. She’s been staying at a friend’s house the past hour, while the master of that house was searching for a town watchman to help the poor woman's husband.
Send word, now, that I've gone to the house to investigate that hole... Then tell them to see if we can't get some watchmen over, he then hurries to investigate.
"Bethany, eich meddylgarwch yn cyfateb yn unig gan eich swyn! Chi wneud hyn lle anrhydedd gweithio arno."
She looks busy with this crowd, so Lleidr will let her go with an offer to lend a hand if they need it. But first, since he's here ahead of the rest of the group with nothing much else to do, he'd like to arrange a bath to get the catacomby/ichory stank off him. His mind keeps going back to Bethany's statement that Ameiko would likely sell the Dragon.
After getting cleaned up, he'll head back down to get some food and a lot of drink while he waits for the rest of the group to get back. As usual, he can't help chatting and moving around the room and hopefully enjoying more than a couple peoples' generosity while always interested in hearing any local gossip. He'll also keep an eye out for his friends as well as on the room, in case someone thinks they can get out of hand now that Ameiko's not around.
Jubrayl waves his fingers near his ear, as if pulling on a marionette.
Being tied to the planes gives you.. Certain perspectives on things, and those can make even the most innocent of questions have weight the asker doesn't know. I certainly understand how one could grow weary of it... But this isn't the time for this discussion. Lamashtu isn't known for her human worshippers, is she?
Lamashtu isn't known for her human worshippers, is she?
Father Zantus: No, not really. It's very rare to find human cults worshipping Lamashtu.
Mayor Deverin: Well, what are we to do about this imminent goblin horde? If this journal is accurate, this demon woman leader is in Thistletop, and she's the glue binding these goblin tribes together.
Sheriff, you could request more men from Magnimar, but I doubt you'd have much success, given that you just returned from there. And even if you did, a handful of men won't be of much help against 200 goblins. Any word from Shalelu?
Hemlock: Afraid not, ma'am. It's likely no one will see her for another 3 weeks, if she keeps to her usual routine.
Father Zantus: We could evacuate the town.
Mayor Deverin: No. If we run now, we'll never get our town back. What do you folks, say? Selia, Ned, Jubrayl? We need your counsel.
"If we can identify their leader, this woman, and take her out of the equation the goblin alliance would likely fall apart. Preferably before she becomes a demon, if that's whats actually happening to her."
[Dusk, Sandpoint, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
Hemlock: I was about to suggest that I lead my town guard on a raid on Thistletop, but the realm of my men is one of cobblestone streets and city gates. A goblin tribal home is alien territory for them. You lot survived a battle with a demon in catacombs under the city. A mess of goblins should be easy pickings for you. Best of luck to you all. All our lives are in your hands.
Mayor: Well, it’s settled then. If the journal is accurate, time is our ally. They haven’t finalized a plan just yet, which means they probably won’t have marshalled all the goblins from adjoining tribes. When will you leave for Thistletop?
**********************************************
Nicholae enters a quiet cottage, still as a tomb. A small, cramped front room doubled as the boy’s bedroom, and you see a man lying on his belly, his front half protruding into a closet. It appears his head, neck, and shoulders are poking below the floor, into a small opening in the floorboards.
The man isn’t moving.
***********************************************
Lleidr is amused by an old-timer’s tale from his youth when he saw the legendary Black Magga long ago when visiting relations in Turtleback Ferry.
Several skeptics give the old man a ribbing, asking how much he’d been drinking that day when fishing, but he insists he was quite sober. “I hadn’t had a drop that day.”
“What about you, young fella? Buy me a drink, and I’ll tell you the tale.”
Nicholae runs over to check him, pulling him out of the hole in the floor.
Took the words from my mouth. I'd prefer not to give them more time to call the horde together, so we ought to leave as soon as possible. That being said, we still haven't finished investigating the catacombs yet, and we ought to do that first.
Ned nods his agreement with Jubrayl, "If the catacombs were one of the routes they were thinking of using then maybe if we follow them it will lead us to the enemy. Two birds with one stone as it were."
[Dusk, Sandpoint, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
Lleidr is amused by an old-timer’s tale from his youth when he saw the legendary Black Magga long ago when visiting relations in Turtleback Ferry.Several skeptics give the old man a ribbing, asking how much he’d been drinking that day when fishing, but he insists he was quite sober. “I hadn’t had a drop that day.”
“What about you, young fella? Buy me a drink, and I’ll tell you the tale.”
Well, Lleidr thinks to himself, sometimes generosity runs the other way.
He'll get a drink for the old man and another one for himself before he settles in for the tale.
[Dusk, Rusty Dragon, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
'What's Black Magga?' you say. You mean you've never heard of Black Magga? Well, have a seat and you can have the gods' honest truth right from one of the few people still alive who's ever seen Black Magga ... me!
Way up in the arms of Hook Mountain, where the Storval Deep lies, when old man Triggins was young, he used to fish those deep waters from dawn to dusk most everyday. He kept a long sturdy log raft hidden in the woods, which had just enough room for his handmade chair, a sail for a bit of shade, and his bait & tackle. The folks in Turtleback Ferry warned him to keep away from that place, or at least to fish from the lakeshore, but he just scoffed at their tales, taking his little boat far, where the cold black waters were their deepest. He knew that's where the best catch swam.
Even nowadays, the elders of Turtleback can tell you all sorts of strange sites and happenings concerning the deep Storval waters, but back in the day, Triggins was brash. He just laughed and didn't heed talk from folks he regarded as toothless old fools. For weeks at a time every summer, he'd come trundling back to Turtleback each day, with armloads of the fattest fish, still glistening from those cold lake waters.
This went on for a number of years, until one day, Triggins came back with no fish at all. It was getting on near dark, a much later hour than usual for him. In fact, several in the town had taken to the road with their lanterns, thinking perhaps Triggins had been waylaid by some Graul hunter or worse. When he finally stumbled back into town, folks were shocked. Well, I say, 'most' folks but not all. Those ‘toothless old fools’, the elders, they weren't surprised in the least, cause they knew just by taking a quick glance at Triggins what had happened to him.
But, Triggins didn't say a word. His clothes were torn and wet, there were weeds in his hair, he was missing a boot, and he had a pale, haggard look about him, like someone that had nearly fallen off a cliff or had been really sick for weeks. The folks in town implored him to say what was wrong, but he just shook his sopping head and shuffled on back to his cottage. And, he continued not saying anything the rest of the night, and then the next day, and the whole durned week, Triggins didn't so much as grunt.
Well, this got a lot of folks riled up real bad, as you can imagine, and they wanted to go see what Triggins saw up on that lake. Several of the old folks just shook their heads, smacking open palms on their legs. "Hain't no need for you to go trampin' into the mountains up yonder to Storval. I can tell you right now what Triggins ran into. And you'll wish you hadn't run into his trouble, too, if you go up there!"
But, no one wanted to listen. A bunch of young folk (yep, I was young once, if you can picture it) packed themselves some food and other travelin' supplies and decided to make a day of it. Even though Triggins would hide his raft on the shore up there, they had a pretty good notion where it lay. So, they spent all morning hiking up the foothills of Hook (this was back before the Grauls were so numerous and travelling that way wasn't so dangerous as it is now, you see), and by lunch they got to the Storval Deep. It took awhile, but they then finally found Triggin's hiding place.
There was no raft on that lakeshore. Instead, what they found barely even looked like it could have once been a raft. That raft was made out of logs big 'round as a horse is tall, and those logs were bit clean through. Not like a beaver, which slowly gnaws the wood down. No sir, these were big clean bite marks. You could see where some kind of beak or teeth just chomped those logs into pieces. And that wasn't all they found either.
All over those log pieces were little sharp bones, like bones from fish. In some places, the ground was white with 'em. This group of young folks spent some time sifting through all this wreckage, looking for footprints or some other sign of whatever could have eaten so many fish and could have eaten that raft up like it did. 'Bout that time, old Jurny Bregg (oh, so you've heard about him, have you?) gets the bright idea to wade out into the water, to see if he can "find" anything. As if you can find footprints in the water on a lakeshore! Sometimes I think my milk cow has more sense than Jurny.
Just as soon as that durned Jurny gets about waist deep, that lake water just exploded. I mean it erupted like a volcano (if you ever heard of one of those things you'll know what I'm talking about). Brother, the sky was filled with the awfulest mess of I-don't-know what. It looked like we had stirred up a real nest of snakes, if you can picture snakes that are oily black and thick as the thickest tree trunk you ever saw. They were just churning in the air, whipping every which way under the sun. And, then the worst part ... a noise like the devil's trumpets. I've heard lions, and panthers, and a Kreeg's yell, and once even a ghostly scream, but this noise had them all beat. It was like that thing's roar just grabbed hold and shook the sense out of me.
I grabbed Jurney by his collar and buddy, we hauled it out of that lake in a hurry. I've never run so fast in my life. We all did, and nobody dared to take a split second to get a better look at that thing. We ran like rabbits, I'm not ashamed to say, cause we knew if we didn't, it was the end. Jurney swears to this day a beaked mouth, bigger than any kind of sea bird you may have heard tell of, tore half his hair out and it would've had his head, if I hadn't pulled him out of the water.
Well, we were in for a royal round of told-you-so's back in town for the next month. We liked to never heard the end of it. "You should know that Black Magga haunts that Storval Deep ... " the old men offered, chuckling underneath their wagging beards. "Few see her and live to tell of it."
And, a funny thing happened cause of that trip. It wasn't long before folks there in Turtleback Ferry started looking up to us right much. You know, we were at that age when most of your elders think you're still a child, and while hunting down Black Magga was surely foolish, it also showed our folks we were brave, too, and that we had sense enough to know when to back off. After that, things changed, and the kids i grew up with gradually started taking over all the work and making all the decisions. And, now I keep telling this story to my son's children, wondering if they're going to venture out for a peep of that Storval Deep someday.
[Dusk, Barett’s House, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
The horror Nicholae finds upon pulling Mr Barett doesn’t have enough time to register in your mind. You see the corpse’s half-eaten face and his neck with ragged flaps of skin for just an instant before a jabbering goblin bursts out of the hole. You can’t understand most of what he says, but one word sounds like ‘dinner’.
(NOTE – I’m not going to do a map for this, unless things get complicated real fast. Just tell me what you want to do for your combat actions).
**************************************
[Dusk, Town Hall – Mayor’s Office, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
Hemlock: Good point about those catacombs. Once you can finish mapping them out, we’ll brick that tunnel back up when you’re done, so that we don’t have to worry about goblins sneaking into town that way.
Mayor Deverin: But, please don’t tarry down there. You’ll have to tackle Thistletop as soon as you finish the catacombs. The site is not far outside town, maybe a few miles.
(NOTE – tell me which part of the catacombs you want to tackle tomorrow – the northernmost hallway , the one that had the torture chamber, or the middle passage that had descending stairs? In the interest of time, let’s assume you checked out the 2 side doors in the cathedral. They were empty.)
Move Action Draw sword as I step backwards, then try to decapitate the little bastard.
The middle passage is closest to the entrance, which is on the southern edge of the catacombs.
Lleidr will make sure to be an appreciative audience to the old man's story, and will try to draw in other listeners so, hopefully, at the end when he buys him another drink, others will do the same.
|
|
Selia looks dismayed at the thought that Tobyn's body was the one that was burnt. She also thinks back to her friendship with Nualia, but can't believe she somehow survived and is part of this.
"We will need to stop these goblins before they get a chance to come here. That means we will need to travel to, and infiltrate, Thistletop. I don't know how far diplomacy will get us with a horde of goblins, so it looks like we will be in for a fight. Hopefully, in the process of doing so, we find out what else is going on here."
"If we return, I think we should check the Southernmost passage we haven't gone through off of the main tunnel."
she somehow survived and is part of this.
[Morning, Catacombs, Fourth Day After Goblin Raid]
You’re back in the Catacombs, standing in the middle passage. Hakak and Jubrayl can see a closed door at the top of the stairs. Hopefully with this zoomed out view, you can make more sense of the whole catacombs.
Selia, I think you might be a little confused about the arrangement of places within the tunnel. These catacombs are at the westernmost end of the tunnel under Sandpoint. The southern end is the Glassworks Basement. The eastern end is caved in. The northern end is a cave used by goblins, and overlooks a beach. This is how so many goblins got into the city, and is the reason why Hemlock wants to brick the tunnel back up, after you’ve finished down here.
*********
[Dusk, Barett’s House, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
The little goblin swings with his dogslicer, but also misses his target. He’s a snarling ball of rage, and from the way his ribs protrude from his skin, he must be famished.
(NOTE – we’ll wrap up Nicholae’s encounter at the same time we continue with the explorations in the Catacombs)
Zilt - before we get back into the catacombs, there was a couple of things I wanted Lleidr to take care of first thing the next morning.
Breakfast, of course, since it's the most important meal of the day.
After that, he wants to get by Savah's shop and see if he can finally wrap up business with her regarding the masterwork horsecutter we got off the goblin leader.
Next, he wants to try and sell the quasit's tiara and dress.
Last, he will seek out a letter writer and send a message to Ameiko basically expressing his and the group's condolences about the death of her father and the role her brother is playing in all this, as well as wishing her a speedy recovery and an offer to help if there is anything we can do.
Hopefully he can get all this taken care of and be back at the Dragon before the party is too impatient to get rolling.
Nicholae swings again.
Next round...
Nicholae swings again.
Post combat Nicholae does his best to check there are no other goblins.
If not he reports in, the sees given the crisis, if its possible, can Sandpoints Armoury supply anything as a loan. Better armour is needed - Full chain mail, bandeded, splint or dare I ask, any plate armour that may fit.
Next day pick up an alchem fire and acid. (30gp)
given the crisis, if its possible, can Sandpoints Armoury supply anything as a loan.
Down in the catacombs...
If no other light source is provided, Lleidr will light one of his candles and move up the stairs to the door. He'll take a moment to listen for anything suspicious then look the door over for traps.
[Dusk, Barett’s House, Third Day After Goblin Raid]
Nicholae's next blow fails to hit the nimble monster, which then throws down his blade and lunges for the cleric (let's us that 2nd roll above for your AoO). You neatly decapitate the starving creature. After a thorough search, there’s no more sign of further goblins.
[Morning, Sandpoint, 4th Day After Goblin Raid]
No problem on the shopping & selling. You can sell the tiara & gown for 37 gp, 5 sp. The horsechopper is masterwork and will sell for 155 gp. You even get an offer from an unsavory chap, who heard of the Lamashtu holy symbol you carried. He offers 10 gp.
So, feel free to divvy up the spoils and equip yourselves with stuff before we proceed with the catacombs.
Unfortunately, the armory's supplies are tight right now, since the extra men from Magnimar have arrived. But, feel free to purchase whatever you can afford from the merchants in town.
You even get an offer from an unsavory chap, who heard of the Lamashtu holy symbol you carried. He offers 10 gp.
Lleidr's more than happy to move the tiara and dress. Hopefully he can convince Savah to reserve the offered 20% discount until the group can slow down and do some real shopping.
However, he doesn't have the symbol on him and isn't interested in doing business with someone who would want it. In fact, he'll make sure the Sheriff and the Father know about the guy.
"Oh, don't forget this," Lleidr says as he produces the bag with the 50 gp reward from Lord Fancypants. "Some old, drunk adventurers forgot this on their table one night at the Dragon."
You even get an offer from an unsavory chap, who heard of the Lamashtu holy symbol you carried. He offers 10 gp.Lleidr's more than happy to move the tiara and dress. Hopefully he can convince Savah to reserve the offered 20% discount until the group can slow down and do some real shopping.
However, he doesn't have the symbol on him and isn't interested in doing business with someone who would want it. In fact, he'll make sure the Sheriff and the Father know about the guy.
He'll take a moment to listen for anything suspicious then look the door over for traps.
You notice nothing dangerous or unusual about the door, nor do you hear anything coming from the other side of the door.
Lleidr will give the thumbs up to the group and make room for someone with armor to go through first.
Jubrayl waits or Hakak to get on the other side of the doorway from him, counts down on his fingers 3, 2, 1, then opens the door and lets Hakak through.
Detecting Magic
|
|
Selia asks Lleidr if she can join him on their trip to the letter writer so she can wish her childhood friend well.
In the catacombs with the others, Selia looks uncomfortable again at being underground, but she appears to be handling it better than the first time. Seeing Nicholae covering the divine aspect of things, she hitches her crossbow up to her shoulder as Lleidr opens the door.