Not to question your keen eye, Ned, but Lleidr will give the two villains a second going over, using Detect Magic and Detect Poison along with Spellcraft to locate anything else they might be trying to keep hidden. Although he'll sheath the FoE, his hand doesn't stray to far away from its handle.
"Hmmm. Well, you search them from the waist down and I'll search from the waist up. Or do you want a boost?"
"Hmmm. Well, you search them from the waist down and I'll search from the waist up. Or do you want a boost?"
Guys, I'm gonna be busy the next few days. It's going to be Sunday before I can update the game. sorry for the delay.
Okies
Before you begin the search and taking away equipment, Orik protests. "Hey, if you take my gear, I can't help you beat the boss. Weren't you lot the heroes of Sandpoint or are you simply thieves?"
"Of course they're thieves, Orik. More capable than common rabble, perhaps, but thieves nonetheless." Lyrie says, and then points to Ned, "If you want information about what lies ahead, Elder, tell your friends to parlay with us as civilized men. Harlots from Magnimar suffer better treatment than this."
Lleidr can see a number of faint auras radiating from both figures. Orik's mail has a glow to it. Lyrie carries several scrolls and a wand, all of which display auras of various hues. However, you do not see the presence of any poison.
The harlots of magnimar aren't armed and dangerous, Nickolas says sternly and clearly displaying his ignorance. Nor in a position to turn coat yet again mid combat. We are not stealing anything. Removal of arms is a common practice for those surrendering and well you know it. An officer MAY be granted parole and retain arms but I do not see you as officers and your willingness to change allegiance under these circumstances speaks of necessity, not genuine contrition.
Simply put we just want you unarmed and out of harms way. We do not trust you to help us
"Ay, I'd treat Harlots from Magnimar much the same if I met them armed and armored in a dungeon in league with goblins and deamon worshipers. Don't worry, we'll treat you fair."
Jubrayl scoffs at them
Of course we wouldn't leave you your armor and weapons.
After giving them the eye
We cannot trust you with us and armed if we ran into... into your leader and she had a few allies you would turn on us in a moment to take the advantage for your selves.
Orik scoffs. "Nah, I'm afraid my loyalties don't run that deep, Your Lordship. This place has always gnawed at me, if you follow. Besides, you don't need a diviner to see which way the wind blows. You've made it this far, and I daresay, you've dealt with the goblin-folk upstairs. Like I said, I ain't dying to defend this place. But, if you feel any better, here."
Orik flips his sword around, handing Ned the hilt. "Take it and my oath of friendship, and help me out of this ironmongery." His shield clatters to the ground.
Lyrie glares at Orik as he drops his weapons and gear, and then at all of you. "Where's Tsuto? If he's hurt ... what have you done with him?" She's close to tears.
Nicholae frowns at that. He knows he wants the bastard dead but he didn't know he was so close.
He must be here too
Orik sighs. "Don't think they've come across that ripe bastard, miss. You'd better drop your stuff. These folks mean business."
Lyrie relents, relaxes her arms, and spills the scrolls across the floor in front of her feet. Her wand falls atop the mound of velum. "Please don't hurt him, mister, OK?"
We won't - Head upstairs. The Bridge is out so there's no getting off here as it stands but if you want to make yourselves useful you can see if you can do something about the bridge. We left nothing alive that will hinder you up top.
Orik nods and bows. "Will do. Don't worry about that bridge ... I watched those green wretches rig that trap many times." Orik and Lyrie walk past and head towards the stairs.
Raising his voice, "Let them pass guys. We've reached an understanding."
Lleidr's egomaniacal fantasies aside, he'll watch the mercenary and mage depart with a glare of his own, then gather up the scrolls and the wand.
"The armor's a bit heavy for me, if one of you bigger guys'll grab it? There's a room further north of where we saw the hounds that has a table and some maps. I can spread out and see what these scrolls are, and there may be some information that'll help us make our next move."
These aren't tribute Lleidr or the spoils of war - these will need to be returned so don't get too attached.
Well, I'm not sure where you guys are headed next. There's several visible exits from this hallway. Plus, there are the northern rooms that Ned & Lleidr ran through, one of which contained a map of Sandpoint.
So you've got quite a few options as far as further exploration.
It's not obvious from the map image, but this hallway has 5 doors, including the one that Orik walked through. There's 2 doors in the north, 2 in the south, and 1 in the western wall.
Lets head west.
Lleidr will call Arg to him and have him turn back into a tattoo.
West is as good a direction as any to him, but are we just going to leave those guys' stuff here in the hall? If Lleidr can't use the items, he doesn't want to haul them around.
"As good a direction as any. Let's take a quick look at that map before we move on though. It might have some intel."
I am NOT keeping this... But I can't leave it here in the corridor either. It will be returned.
He rolls up his own mail and straps it to his pack
Jubrayl picks up what items are left and puts them in his bag following Ned north into the Map room. To see if there is anything important.
Selia moves to 5 feet from the western most door and scans the way out for traps.
Lleidr will accompany Ned and Jubrayl to the map room.
[Late Morning, Thistletop, 8th Day After Goblin Raid, Thistletop Level One]
NOTE – given the absence of traps and other inhabitants (remember that you fought quite a few additional goblins in the chieftan’s final fight), I thought it best to expedite matters by assuming you’re going to check all the doors in the passage. I’ve taken into account perception checks for dangers and noteworthy items below:
D4 a - This room is clean and well organized. A low dresser to the southwest has a stack of papers sitting atop it, weighted down by a large chunk of obsidian, while to the northwest sits a well-made bed.
The notes are various drafts of a plan to blackmail Lonjiku (Tsuto and Ameiko’s father), along with notes for using the Sandpoint Glassworks as a staging ground for a future expedition into an area named ‘The Catacombs of Wrath’, which matches up to the area you’ve already explored beneath the town.
D4 b - This one-person bedroom shows many signs of having been lived in. The bed itself is rumpled and unmade, and a half-eaten meal of bread and smoked salmon sits on the nightstand. A few articles of dirty clothing sit at the foot of the bed.
This is the room from which Orik emerged.
D4 c - While this bedroom is clean and brightly lit by an everburning torch lying on the nightstand, its spartan decor makes it unclear whether it’s actually lived in.
Very little is of interest here – a few extra women’s clothes, in the same size and style as what Lyrie wore.
D4 d - This bedroom has a faint musty odor. The bed is covered with matted gray and black hair, and bloodstains mar the stone floor, while a morbid stack of birds’ feet lies heaped on the floor by the side of the bed.
Bruthazmus’s hide was a mottled gray and black. Ned can tell it’s been several days since this room was used.
D5 - This large chamber seems to serve a dual purpose. To the north is a fine bed with silk sheets, while to the south, a desk and chair under a hanging lantern make a comfortable-looking study.
Ned can also tell this room has seen very little use lately. The desk is empty.
By this point, the morning has worn away. It's nearly time for the mid-day meal.
You can find no obvious exits, hidden or otherwise, from these bedrooms.
I hope I didn't goof by revealing so many areas in addition to the western room. KNowing that this area is relatively safe & empty, my goal was to move things forward faster than having you guys tell me 'now this room', 'now that room', etc.
So, just let me know which area is next for you. You didn't fully explore that dark chapel, the eastern cave area or the northern rooms.
Let's explore the chapel. Thought we had already
Ned, you and Lleidr didn't get a good look at that map. The first pass, you were both running in fright. When you returned, you were both running to rejoin the party.
You guys did fight in the chapel, but I believe Lyrie's appearance cut short any exploration there.
There's also a door on the west wall of D1and another on the south wall of the same room to check out.
Lets just nail the temple first.
[Late Morning, Thistletop, 8th Day After Goblin Raid, Thistletop Level One]
NOTE – I believe you’ve already gotten a description of the chapel, but I’ll repost. Now that you’ve stepped further inside, you see a door in the south wall, behind a corner which was obscured during your prior visit.
Chapel: Stone fonts containing frothy dark water sit to the north and south of the eastern entrance to the room, and twin banks of stone pillars run the length of the long chamber. At the western end, shallow stairs rise to a platform about two feet off the ground. The walls surrounding this platform are lit by hanging braziers that emit glowing red smoke, giving the place an unnerving crimson lighting that throws the bas-relief carvings of countless monsters feasting on fleeing humans into lurid display. A black marble altar stone, its surface heaped with ashes and bone fragments, squats before a ten-foot-tall statue. The sculpture depicts a very pregnant but otherwise shapely naked woman who wields a kukri in each taloned hand and has a long reptilian tail, birdlike taloned feet, and the snarling head of a three-eyed jackal with a forked tongue. The left kukri flickers with fiery orange light while the right one glows with a cold blue radiance.
And, since Ned scoped out the map room (D14), here’s a description of it as well:
A large table surrounded by chairs fills much of this room. A slate board to the north is covered with scribblings in chalk, but the map of Sandpoint that has been carefully inscribed on it leaves no doubt as to the purpose of this room—this is doubtless where the recent raid was planned.
The writing indicates that after “the whispering beast is tamed” that a 2nd raid will be launched upon Sandpoint. This second attempt will not only utilize more goblin tribes, even as far away as the Fogscar Mountains in the distant north, but also ‘sinspawn’ creatures will invade the town from below.
Lleidr will move to the door in the south wall and give it the business.
Nicholae runs his soldiers eye over the map and the he takes it and stores it carefully.
We can settle scores and adapt a counter stategy later... Look for other documents, concealed drawers, doors, what have you
Nich, the map's in the room to the north, but you guys aren't there right now. You're in the chapel. I was just giving a late description to Ned's investigation. And the map is actually just a chalk drawing.
Argh.
Okay Nicholae starts cautiously searching the chapel.
There's a definite magical effect emanating from the kukris on the statue. The only other significant find is remnants of bone mixed with ash on the alter, which you've already determined was the burnt remains of Nualia's adopted father, Sandpoint's previous priest.
And, Lleidr's inspection of the southern door area finds nothing unusual or noteworthy.
Just checking in ... what's next, guys?
Don't have access to a map but looking to the next unopened room/door
Selia takes a look at the kukris on the table examining them both trying to divine their magic.
Should we take the late father now or wait and take him with us for a later burial after we deal with the impostor down below.