Cai’nan gives Kallie an awkward smile as she heads off again. When Jaya joins him, he replies ”Not grumpy, or hungover. Just...just a lot on my mind...”
Jaya cocks an eyebrow, "Anything we need to take care of before we set off?"
"Just whatever big secret he's being so emo about."
Thought I was the emo one.
She looks at Galatea and Silvie. "You're bringing a baby on an adventure? That seems rather...risky."
"Okay, well, I was close." She turns to the bartender, "What's the spiciest thing you have back there?"
"I'd say our specialty rum. People call it Roderic's Revenge," answers the bartender with a chuckle.
She looks at Galatea and Silvie. "You're bringing a baby on an adventure? That seems rather...risky."
Yulia Rockne gives Galatea a look.
"...An adventure to City Hall to see the Sir Roderic Museum!" Galatea explains saccharinely.
"I see no reason little Silvie can't go to a museum, Lady Kailani," says the Silver Sentinel.
"Well, I suppose I could, but..." begins Gali before she turns to "talk" to her daughter, "Aunt Ariel wanted to spend some time with her 'dear niece'!"
The infant gives her mother a gummy smile.
"I'll-"
Yulia Rockne gives Galatea a look.
"We'll catch up with you all later," Gali grumbles, clearly plotting ways to once again ditch her escort.
Aurealia shrugs after Galatea leaves. "Hopefully she'll escape and catch up with us later. Like I mentioned yesterday, I think I know the ruins Sir Roderick was referring to as his vault. We might as well stop by City Hall and check his maps to make sure though."
"A scale from the dragon who burned her is hardly what she needs. Do you have a pepper or something she can bite? Or a shot's worth of pickle juice? It really doesn't count as a hangover cure unless it has a goodly amount of regrets included."
"A scale from the dragon who burned her is hardly what she needs. Do you have a pepper or something she can bite? Or a shot's worth of pickle juice? It really doesn't count as a hangover cure unless it has a goodly amount of regrets included."
The bartender pauses for a moment before chuckling once more.
"Ah! I misheard ya there! I thought you wanted to know what the spiciest drink we had," the innkeeper explains. "Still, point taken. Aye, I've got some Chelish peppers that should do the job. I'll also see if I can find some pickle juice; never heard of the second trick before."
About a moment later, the bartender returns with the items Jaya suggested.
"Whatever you pick is on the house, Ms. Andosana; your sister brings in a month's worth of profit every time she performs, so it's the least I can do."
Aurealia looks aghast at Jaya. I thought she was asking for herself.
"Eh? Why would I compound my misery by making my mouth burn and taste of vinegar? Let's just go to city hall before I puke again. Maybe by the time we get there, the dwarves mining in my forehead will put down their pickaxes."
Croq reaches over to ruffle Aurelia's hair, and then hands her a waterskin.
"Just drink plenty of water sis...and maybe a little music, if you're up for it. Either way, let's go to City Hall...and then on to GLORY!"
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Aurealia takes the skin gratefully, chugging some water. "Yes, to GL..!" Aurealia starts gagging in the middle of her word, and runs outside to fill the gutter with another round of bile. "GLORY!" she cries belatedly from outside.
You all enter City Hall to discover an... interesting scene.
"Goblins?!" says Port-Governor Larenza Thort. Dressing in mostly royal blue sailing gear and sporting a black tricorn hat, she is tall, dark-skinned woman with obsidian black hair and sharp green eyes. "With your sister running the Black Arrows, how are there goblins within a thousand miles of Roderic's Cove, Deputy Commander?"
"They've somehow teamed up with the Roadkeepers," answers Elandra Andosana. "With the Sihedron Heroes and their associates so distracted, it seems that this collective group has amassed quite a bit of strength. Unfortunately, with Shalelu and our best gone, they're growing bold."
"Bold? Those monsters killed three of my men, Elandra! And those poor blacksmiths they kidnapped..." replies Port-Governor Thort with a sigh. "Why aren't they six feet under? This is exactly why we let your organization garrison our town!"
"I'm not sending a bunch of green rookies to fight a small army of goblins and bandit in their home territory. Meanwhile, Bruce and I can't fight them all ourselves. As such, I'm considering hiring Captain Farwynd and her crew to deal with them," says Elandra. Noticing the Port-Governor's questioning look, the Deputy Commander clarifies, "She volunteered and then proved her skill by sparring with Bruce and beating him like Croq's drum. Bruce is our best man, a seasoned veteran who has killed ogres and giants. Captain Farwynd destroyed him, Larenza. As for the rest of them, I've heard stories of her crew slaughtering hardened pirates in the Shackles."
"...While skilled, they are also unknown to us. What about the Silver Sentinels?" asks Port-Governor Thort.
"The only ones left in town are supposed to guard Princess Elthariel and the Kailani girls," answers Elandra. "I could probably convince Yulia Rockne to help us, but evidently, Lady Galatea also has a bad habit of sneaking off and getting into trouble if Yuyu isn't watching her like a hawk. As for the others? Queen Edasseril would hang them for treason if they left the princess' side."
Both go silent as they consider their options. Neither woman has noticed you yet. Their minds must really be distracted by these matters.
”Hmpf,” Cai’nan grunts. He turns to Jaya and adds ”Naw. Just personal shit and not sleeping well. Thanks for the concern though,” he adds with a weak smile to her.
Cai’nan stops short when he hears the debate between town officials. He turns and gets a grip on Krodha’s armor behind his neck to help keep the saurian under control and looks to the others for an idea of how they wished to proceed.
"Sounds like something we should be dealing with once we put Sir Roderick to rest," Aurealia says to her friends, after they overhear the discussion. "For now, let's stay focused on what we came for."
"Pickle juice is water, salt, and regrets. Everything you need for a hangover cure. The pepper's just to wake you up." Jaya says to Aurealia with a merciless tone of voice only slightly softened by a quiver at the corner of her mouth.
Not sleeping well... Well I hope for him it's only been for a night... "Very well, do let me know if it's something I can help with." She turns aside as she says this, giving Krodha's neck-scales a good scritching rather than lock eyes with his master.
Outside she can't help but grimace at the open discussion of Captain 'Farwynd.' Well, it's not as though we're near any of grandfather's lands anyways, so she's not exactly trading on our name out here.
Jaya's grimace only deepened as she considered the situation with the goblins and bandits. "If they've taken prisoners, every day we delay in dealing with them could easily cost lives. Roderick's pain, while very real, may be less pressing."
She walks up to the governor, "Pardon me, but, how small an army of bandits and goblins is this?"
Croq bites her lip. Hostages...someone should free them as soon as possible, for sure...but that sword in the wrong hands could bring back another runelord...
After Jaya's question, she steps up and adds "And where are they?"
Maybe we could pick up Baraket in the Churlwood on the way?
Kallie listens intently, but says nothing. She doesn't volunteer, though she secretly wonders about the possibility of fighting goblins. They ought to be susceptible to my enchantments, she thinks.
Port-Governor Thort studies Jaya for a moment before noticing that she is with the Commander Andosana's daughters and quickly begins answering questions.
"Their exactly numbers are difficult to determine. My men have reports hundreds, but Deputy Commander Elandra's likely more accurate sources say probably two dozen goblins and two dozen Roadkeepers," she answers. "Their main base of operations appears to be the Stonehouse in the Churlwood, but given how active they've been, they almost certainly aren't all there at once."
Elandra adds her two copper pieces, "That's the main reason why Bruce and I just can't fight them ourselves; they're all over the place, and it's a big forest. Meanwhile, we need our more experienced Arrows in town to deal with the Horned Fangs."
"...Maybe if we neutralized their leaders?" wonders Larenza.
"Could work, especially for the goblins," agrees Elandra. "Goblin tribes tend to fragment quickly without strong leadership."
"I'll bet these goblins and the sihedron gangs have some connection with Sir Roderick's problem as well. We'll keep an eye out for any goblins or gangsters on our way to the Vault."
"Let's go get the maps then?" she asks her companions.
"Yeah, sure," Kallie says, nodding her head.
Jaya nods, "A sudden stirring of goblins could be linked to darker forces. It's far from unprecedented after all."
"...Didn't your sister want them to stay away from the ruins?" you hear the Port-Governor ask.
"...She did, but my nieces and their deputies are clearly just investigating Sir Roderic's restlessness," replies Elandra.
"...But Aurealia just said-" points out Larenza.
"That they plan to investigate a vault," finishes the Deputy Commander. "I heard nothing about Thassilonian ruins."
That is the last of the conversation you hear as Aurealia leads everyone to the map room, which is more than big enough to comfortably hold everyone. Sir Roderic's entire collection has been collected and masterfully framed here. Upon studying his work, his skill in cartography becomes very evident.
There is only one other person in the room. Sitting at a large oak desk and carefully drawing what appears to be a new map is an elven gentleman; he definitely dresses like one. He has dark black hair like Audrahni, though his monochrome eyes are silver instead of blue. He also appears to be significantly older than her and the Treeslayer; you get the impression that this guy is well into his second century of life.
"You want the map in the very middle, Ms. Andosana," says the gentleman without looking up. He must have overheard your conversation via his large, pointy ears. "That's the one Aurek and I created after we explored the Churlwood and its sights. Not our best work. I suppose the gods intended for us to map coastlines instead of forests."
...The map appears to be of the same high quality as the others.
"As you can see, you'll have to cross the Chavali River to get into the Churlwood proper," the mysterious cartographer adds. "I advise against swimming across; around these parts, the river averages a thousand feet in width, and it can be quite deep. To say nothing of the current."
"Thank you Master Seascribe. We will keep your advice in mind, and take good care of your map." Aurealia goes over to the middle map, gently taking it up to examine. "Any other tips from your time in Churlwood?"
Master Seascribe pauses in his work and takes a moment to recall his old expedition into the Churlwood...
"I know of two good ways to cross the river. The first would be hiring a ferry to take you to Roderic's Landing. The main benefit would be that the route to the Stonehouse is much more direct. The cons are that the voyage would probably be one way and 'relatively' costly: two gold pieces or so.
"The second option would be to venture where they're building the new bridge about five miles upriver. It isn't finished, but from what I've heard, 'old' Hallen Rosker ferries people across for mere copper pieces. Moreover, you could almost certainly hail her from both sides of the river. The big drawback is that you'll most likely run into those bandits."
"Speaking of which, about a century ago, Aurek and I discovered the main den of the Bramblemouth goblins. It's that cave near the Stonehouse. Your mother chased them away many years ago, but by the sounds of it, they recently decided to return to the area for whatever reason. Knowing goblins, that means that they've likely setup shop in their 'ancestral' home. If they've teamed up with the Roadkeepers, then it might be best to quickly neutralize whatever Bramblemouths lurk in that cave; it could stop the groups from rallying together if you cause them too much trouble."
If there are no more questions, the old elf quickly gets back to his work. His silver eyes hide a subtle pain. Thinking back to his old master and their adventures must be emotionally tiring for him, especially given how Sir Roderic has never really known peace...
"Thank you, sir." Aureali offers the senior a shallow bow.
Turning to her companions she suggests, "Rodrick's Landing on the way there, then Stonehouse, then cave, then new bridge and Ms. Rosker on the way back?"
Jaya nods, "No sense in beginning the day by being ambushed by bandits."
Since everyone either agrees or lacks any objections with the plan, the group sets out for the docks to hire a ferry for Roderic's Landing.
Along the way, the only significant event is Cheshire trotting up to join your ranks without anyone being concerned about a lone tigress wandering around town. Oh, and Galatea decloaking a few seconds later. She seems rather proud about whatever she did to escape.
The docks of Roderic's Cove are bustling. In fact, given all the new construction, they appear to be outright and rapidly expanding. The presence of the Black Arrows and the resulting investments from Archmage Eugeni's gold have certainly done wonders for the formerly small town. Without them, Roderic's Cove would most likely be far smaller.
"The Forgiven Queen?" Galatea murmurs aloud as she moves to perform some recon, her dark, gold-tinted eyes focusing on one of the larger ships in the harbor. "Did the captain poach the name from Sabby?"
The Kailani scion returns a moment later.
"Looks like Mr. Seascribe was correct; the going rate for a trip to Roderic's Landing will be 2 gp. Luckily, that's for everyone, exotic animal pals included. Granted," she says looking toward the Andosana Sisters, "our ranks consist of Commander Andosana's daughters and their deputies, so I suspect that price isn't set in stone... We also gotta sort out who's paying."
"I'll pay for it, let's go!"
Not wanting to waste another second, Aurealia eagerly pays for the group's passage!
After an uneventful trip up the river, the group arrives safely at Roderic's Landing. Going by the position of the sun, it is now around noon. With the first part of your adventure complete, it is now time to navigate to the Stonehouse...
"Let's see, I've read about it's location a few times. I think it's...that way?"
"No, 'Lia, let's start by making sure we're facing north. Ummm... I think it's this way."
Croq gives her sister a thumbs up. "Works for me."
Croq scratches her head. "You know how mom used to go on and on about how we should 'pay attention when she's taking us places', and to 'remember where the sun rises and sets', and all o' that? I kinda feel like maybe she was onto something."
Using the map, Cai'nan and Kallie are able to get a general idea of where to go. After about thirty minutes of travel, you all find yourselves in a large clearing. Surrounded by a gravel road, a lone dead oak tree rests in the middle of it. You notice something shiny and silver hanging from an easily reachable branch.
You see three heavily mutilated bodies laying near the base of the dead tree's trunk. The remains appear to be humanoid. More tellingly, they wear the armor of the Roderic's Cove town militia...
"...A thought occurs to me. I heard that three guards were killed in the woods very early this morning. Why hasn't anyone tried retrieving their remains?" wonders Galatea.
"Wait, it might be some kind of trap."
"Hmmm, I dunno, Sis. It looks pretty straightforward to me."
"Looks like that's a holy symbol of Desna, or something like that," she says, pointing to the silver thing. She goes over for a closer look. If everything appears okay, she takes the necklace, and looks over the corpses.
Croq stays protectively close to her sister, Drumstick in hand.
As Aurealia and Croq draw close to the tree, an undead monstrosity bursts out from beneath the tree's decaying roots and begins lumbering toward the Andosana Sisters!
The creature manages to reach Aurealia and attempts to bite her!
Luckily, thanks to her strong instincts, she easily dodges the attack!
Cai’nan gasps at the unexpected undead creature, but lunges forward to try and cut the abomination down quick. Krodha joins his master, snapping his jaws at the thing as well with a loud chomp.
We've got a long road ahead of us, if this is something that Cai'nan and Croq can deal with alone, no need to fling any fire.
Aurealia steps back and levels her spear at the thing. She thrusts, but misses badly.
"You think you can just attack us like this? Well, WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT!", As she sings and drums, everyone who lets the song flow through them not only finds their strength surging, they find themselves joined by angry echoes of the spirits of the Roderick's family.
Perhaps more worryingly, any humanoid creature killed by a Trailgaunt resurrects as one at the next sunset. Those deceased guards? They are mere hours away from joining their murderer in undeath...
Additionally, given how it easily killed three skilled warriors, this particular specimen strike you as more powerful than usual...
Hells. It would have been so nice if this were just a zombie.
"It's a trailgaunt. Use blades or teeth if you can muster them, since it's a bloodless undead; spears and Drumstick won't be of as much use. The path may prove to be a barrier for it if you need to withdraw. Not that you would, but try not to let it tear your skin, it will hurt even more than you'd think"
As she spoke, she moved off to the side, carefully keeping the path between her and it, then with a gesture sent a pair of force bolts flying into the creature's flesh.
Kallie takes aim with her cantrip, glad that she didn't switch it out for something else.
With a whistle command from Galatea (who - lacking a quality slashing weapon - opts to instead move forward and guard her niece), Cheshire carefully moves into combat and ultimately provides a flanking partner with her buddy Krodha.
Despite taking some very solid hits, the Trailgaunt still has plenty of fight left in it. It decides to focus all its fury on...
...Cheshire!
Thankfully, the feline is far too nimble to be hit by such sloppy attacks!
Not wanting to take the time to shift her teeth, Aurealia just tries to stab the trailgaunt with her spear again.