Lleidr will take Ameiko's hand and give it a quick peck. "I'll be more than happy to try and repay your haelioni with a story. And to help get things rolling, I'll take one of those beers!"
Once Lleidr has a drink, he'll begin to warm up the room - shake some hands, clink a few cups, ask how this person or that managed the attack. Hopefully by the time he can get himself to a comfortable seat with another beer and a bowl of something warm, he can manage to build an audience for the story of the great goblin battle. A story that should last long enough to get a refill or three from his rapt listeners.
I want to take 20 on my Diplomacy roll for the shmoozing, giving a result of 23. With a little luck, that will help set the stage for this next roll.
"I don't mind staying for the ceremony, but whatever we do we should all stick together." Ned cautions.
"I'd like to stay. That should give me time to try to sell this goblin blade and test the generosity of that dandi, Foxglove, and maybe that will be enough to get the trail supplies I was looking for."
We're not going to help Father Tobyn stay at rest by rushing off and starving because nobody brought any food, Selia. It'd be one thing if we knew where he was going and it was nearby, but running off without adequately preparing is a good way to end up in a ditch somewhere, and if Sheriff Hemlock thinks we'll be helping by showing up tomorrow, I think we out to do that.
[Morning in Sandpoint, First Day After Goblin Raid]
A delicious free breakfast helps ameliorate your collective misery at such an early rise. Last night’s crowd was a demanding one, breathless upon hearing of your exploits and exploding with laughter at the more ridiculous antics of the goblins. They especially loved hearing of goblins accidently setting themselves on fire and drowning in rain barrels.
Today, the common room is far more subdued, and the temptation to return to sleep is near overpowering but Ameiko keeps the coffee coming. “We had a record crowd last night. A few more nights of this, and I can get the Scarnetti’s off my back for good. I think half of Sandpoint was here. Think you’ll be back tonight?” [NOTE – we can continue this conversation if you’d like in a different thread]
Even though it’s early, crowds are building in Sandpoint’s dirt-packed streets. Always an early riser, Alma Avertin runs up to Jubrayl and presses a fresh baked loaf of bread into his arms. “You look so much like Nualia. Have some bread, dearie. You look like you’re starving, poor thing!” She curtsies and scurries away.
Sporadic cheers and applause come from storefronts and alleys as the folks of Sandpoint watch you pass. Several times, an old acquaintance or forgotten family friend will stop you, shake your hands, and thank you for helping save the town.
A few minutes after Alma’s gift, you hear a booming woman’s voice. “I hear one of you has an excellent horsechopper to sell?” Savah Bevaniky approaches you and, after examining Lleidr’s find, she nods. “This is well made, and I want to do business with you, if you can stop by my armory when you’re finished with whatever you’re doing. Tell you what, as a thank you for protecting the town, pick out any one thing and I’ll take twenty percent off the price, and you can have 160 gold as credit for this beauty.”
The cheers, pointing, and clapping continue up to the church door. The crowd inside the chapel is small, but contains the most prominent folks of Sandpoint: Father Zantus and his acolytes, Mayor Deverin, Sheriff Hemlock, Lonjiku Kaijitsu, Titus Scarnetti, Ven Vinder, Belven Valdemar, and a few others.
When you enter, Kendra Deverin introduces herself to each of you individually with a warm smile and handshake, thanking each of you profusely for acting so quickly to the overwhelming danger to the town. Your heroics were an inspiration for all Sandpoint, and helped turn the tide. The raid would have been catastrophic if you were not there.
The ceremony itself is solemn, but short. It ends on a life affirming note, but is still sad, due to the goblins’ raid and Nualia’s absence.
By the time you’re back outside, the day is still young.
Lleidr's glad to hear that he boosted business and helped the populace deal with the effects of the raid. Unfortunately, he knows his story telling last night wasn't his best, and guilt will limit him to only two helpings of breakfast.
In response to Ameiko's question, Lleidr will shrug nonchalantly. "You remember the life of an arwr, Ameiko, constantly dashing after unknown dangers. Who can say where we'll be by tonight? However, I sure do hope it's here, yn wir!"
Making his way through town, Lleidr can't help smiling and waving back to the cheering townsfolk.
Lleidr promises Savah that he'll be by after the ceremony to take care of business.
"Does anyone have a pressing need to take advantage of Savah's generous offer? I don't know what a percent is, but twenty of them off sounds like a bargain! Unfortunately, the supplies I was after are more likely at a general store than an armory. If it's alright with everyone, maybe I can get the 160 gold in coin and get the wagon and other stuff?"
I think that we need to get moving as soon as possible. The grave-robber is already on the road and I doubt that they've slept in. If you have no need for the credit, let's save it for another time and get a move on. The wagon isn't a bad idea but if we can't afford it I don't know if Savah has that much coin lying around to give to us to buy a wagon. Let's get what supplies we can afford and hit the road.
lets save the 20% etc for a big purchase like full plate... If he has it. That's a, he does some mental caculation, 300gp saving.
Can we rent or borrow horses? I know we can't afford to buy them.
lets save the 20% etc for a big purchase like full plate... If he has it. That's a, he does some mental caculation, 300gp saving.
Can we rent or borrow horses? I know we can't afford to buy them.
Savah's Armory has all manner of weapons and armor, including quite a few masterwork items and even some exotic, hard to find, goodies like shurikens. She also has had a magical darkwood and ivory crossbow, engraved with the name 'Vansaya', which has been in her inventory for quite some time.
Daviren Hosk: My friends, 'Goblin Squash Stables' is ready to serve your needs. I'm most happy to offer you 2 days of a mount for free for any 1 day you rent. It's the least I can do to repay your courage.
Yes, she's the local baker, but her twin daughters do most of the work nowadays. Alma has run Sandpoint Savories for as long as you can remember. Arika, who accompanies her mother, appears quite smitten with you.
"How about this? I'm not comfortable high up on a ceffylau, so why don't I run over to Savah's and see what I can work out and swing by the general store for some other supplies? By the time you find a horse that can put up with Hakak, I'll be waiting for you at the town gate."
We'll get you a pony then, but you can't walk while we ride. It's that or you share a horse with one of us.
"Lleidr is not the only one who shall need a pony," Mervyn says as he leans on his switchscythe. At some point during the night he cleaned the weapon of goblin blood and now there is no sign it had been used in a violent altercation.
"We've lost a night on these vile necromancers and we need to make up as much time as we can," Mervyn whispers, keeping talk of necromancers as quiet as possible so as to not duly frighten any bystanders.
Mervyn attempts to recall likely locations of places where these necromancers may be hiding the body of the Father.
"I'm sure that we all agree that no quarter be given when we find them? We do not know what capabilities these fiends have, but they managed to co-ordinate a goblin raid on Sandpoint and must have some arcane power so we must stop them and with authority," Mervyn's eyes grow cold as he lays out the dangers that lie ahead of them. It is obvious that he does not expect to return to Sandpoint with any prisoners.
Ned is ready to go Tapping one foot impatiently, "Grumble"
At the very least we should render them unable to use magic. At any rate, lets get moving, I think Ned may just start running.
I'll have a post up later today w/ the results of what you find via tracking those footprints.
[Mid-Morning in Sandpoint, First Day After Goblin Raid]
[rules note – tracking requires a check every mile, and 5 of you have put ranks in Survival, so I only did skill checks for these 5 PCs. So, as long as at least one of you can beat the DC, you’re still following the tracks. If Mervyn is tracking, he can’t be mounted. Also, while tracking, your movement is halved. So you can cover a mile an hour with Mervyn tracking, or a mile in 36 minutes with Mervyn mounted and not contributing a check.]
The set of prints you’re after continue on the other side of the north wall and join the Lost Coast Road on a straight path. The half-dozen goblin prints are soon joined by many more, indicating that several retreating goblins joined the original party from the Boneyard. They follow the road faithfully, which winds parallel to the sea, and beside Ravenroost and Tickwood. Some of the goblin prints veer left off the road, and appear to plunge into Shank’s Wood. Right before getting to Leb’s Tors, you notice something odd.
The remaining goblin tracks continue on the main road, but the humanoid prints veer south onto a small dirt track, the type of minor trail that links many of the area farms. So far, you’ve travelled about 3 miles.
Which way now? Follow the goblin prints or the prints of this medium-szied humanoid?
Ned rubs his chin in thought. "I doubt this plan is anything a goblin thought up. I vote that we follow the medium humanoid."
I agree. It's also unlikely that if the person wanted a particular body bad enough to raid a town like that that they would trust a bunch of goblins to carry it. I say we follow the man-sized prints.
"Sounds good to me," Lleidr says, obviously distracted with the task of convincing his pony to follow his directions and not wander off after interesting things to eat.
Agreed for my part, says Nicholae.
Mervyn nods. "I doubt goblins have the intellect for wizardry; the humanoid it is!"
The humanoid prints do appear to have a lighter impression after the point of divergence.
I have a hard time buying that there are any goblins who plan long-term enough to be interested in necromancy.
Corrupt and foul creatures - who can say... In any case, let us be diligent in tracking the human.
1d20+6
Mervyn, I apologize. You also did another KNO check about local necromancers. I'll shoot you a PM.
Mervyn furrows his eyebrows for a moment before looking at the rest of the group.
"One thing we overlooked is that a dead body can be used in a ritual to an evil god, rather than being used for necromancy," he says, "I've no knowledge of any necromancers in the local area so it could be that we're looking at a case of an evil cult rather than necromancy."
Mervyn strokes his beard as he ponders this information.
"I'm even more inclined to follow the humanoid now. While goblins do follow evil deities, they are capricious creatures with a relatively short attention span."
Mervyn swings his shield down onto his arm although he leaves his heavy mace hanging from his belt. He stows his switchscythe in Quill's pack saddle.
"I think we should prepare ourselves for an ambush, either by goblins or our quarry."
Ned nods in agreement and starts following the trail, longbow at the ready.
Lleidr will split his focus, half on his uneasy truce with the pony and half on keeping an eye out for the ambush Mervyn warned of.
Jubrayl will keep an eye out as well.
[Mid-Morning east of Devil’s Platter, First Day After Goblin Raid]
[Note – you can see the trail you’re on, if you view the hinterlands map. It’s the brown dashed line that veers south off the main road]
Ned and Nicholae are able to pick out the distinctive prints as the trail hugs the base of Devil’s Platter. The next mile proves more difficult as Ned is the only one able to find them.
The trail turns from the platter and hugs Weasel Creek, before crossing via a crude log bridge, which leads to a small farming thorpe. From here, the trail splits three ways, but the prints lead west, towards the south side of Devil’s Platter. In the distance, you can spy farmers and their families tending to livestock and fields.
The prints continue due west, past the famed Wisher’s Well, a ruined round tower, about thirty feet in height, with an inner shaft said to be a hundred feet deep, full of water. By this time, it’s just past mid-day. There are rumors of all kinds of adventure to be had inside Wisher’s Well, but the prints do continue west past the landmark. From their pattern, their maker had no interest or curiosity about the ruin, or much of anything else.
Following the tacks...
Mervyn has heard of Wisher's Well and although his curiosity is piqued, they must press on in case they lose the tracks.
"Come on, we have to carry on the chase," he says, following Ned.
Can you tell if we are catching up?
"We seem to be circling back towards Sandpoint. I hope this trail isn't a red herring."
[Mid-Day, south of Devil’s Platter, First Day After Goblin Raid]
The crude farmer’s path, little more than twin parallel ruts cutting through the green, stretches on between the Ashen Rise and Devil’s Platter. Once again, you arrive at another small farmer’s community. Running parallel to the gurgling Cougar Creek, the trail branches between the few scattered houses, with one path leading north, the other south.
Although they’re nearly a day old by now, the prints undoubtedly turn to the north road.
[NOTE – I know you’re all intent on following whomever this is, but I don’t want to assume.]
Mervyn watches Ned follow the tracks towards the north road.
"Well, north it is then!" he exclaims, continuing north.
Indeed.
Let's see if the locals have seen anyone doing anything suspicious. If we're following a red herring they might save us the trouble.