Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords

Game Master bluedove

Seeing the Wrathspawn crumble to the ground.
"Ha, yer pet is down and it is yer turn ye flying pest."

And uses lay on hands on himself.

Healing: 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9

He then ready's and to attack Quasit

Attack Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 5 - 1 - 2 ⇒ (6) + 5 - 1 - 2 = 8

Dice + base - PA - sickened

Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (5) + 3 + 2 - 2 = 8

Simflay stares at the spot where she last saw the tiny flying demon, trying to catch a glimpse of it. "What is it doing?" she frantically thinks to herself.

Her eyes widen as a thought strikes her.

It'll be trying to summon another one of those things," she says, "Follow me, I might be able to help you reach it" and then she moves up the stairs to stand next to the triangular pool.

That's a double move to get up there, so she's not doing anything more until next round. She'd like to see the nasty before she starts anyway.

Masdok moves closer and readies his longspear to strike the Quasit if she comes within reach.

longspear, furious focus, studied target, magic weapon: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (19) + 6 + 1 + 1 = 27
cold iron, magic, piercing: 1d8 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 6 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 15

Simflay moves up the stairs and tries to locate the invisible flying Quasit. The soft flap of wings is almost silent but she correctly focuses on the area near the triangular pool. Her fellows set themselves up to be ready to attack if the Quasit should reveal herself. Then the creature flashes into view along with a tiny dagger tumbling through the air straight toward her face. It slices a cut across her pale cheek and then whirls in an arc and returns to the demon's outstretched claw. Simflay takes 3 damage.

Round 8
Quasit - draws dagger, heals 2 hp
Simflay - double move
Masdok - readies attack
Acharn - double move to return
Grulyn - Sickened, readies attack

Round 9
Quasit - throws dagger at Simflay Throw Dagger attack: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (20) + 11 = 31 Damage: 1d2 ⇒ 1
Crit Confirm?: 1d20 + 11 ⇒ (6) + 11 = 17 Crit Damage: 1d2 ⇒ 2

Simflay
Masdok
Acharn
Grulyn - (Sickened)

Masdok has successfully penned the creature upstairs where the ceiling is only 10 feet high. She will only be able to make it past him without an attack if she is invisible. Grulyn you can still use move actions from the last two rounds if you want to head upstairs. Acharn appears to have fallen off the boards, so I won't worry about him any more unless one of you wants to bot his actions.
Party up!

yes I will move up the steps

And attack's the demon
Attack Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 5 - 1 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 5 - 1 - 2 = 3

Dice + base - PA - sickened

Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (1) + 3 + 2 - 2 = 4

But the fowl creature's stench causes his sickened body to miss.

one of us should not Acharn, yes

bot

Acharn moves forward and then casts snowball at the quasit.

snowball, CL3 due to traits, touch attack: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (1) + 4 = 5 for cold dmg: 3d6 ⇒ (1, 6, 3) = 10

argh! If this were PFS I would use my GM star reroll on that.

Simflay cries out in pain as the tiny dagger slashes across her face. She holds her hand up to the cut for a moment, then a look of determination appears, replacing the fear and pain.

Holding up both arms pointing in the direction with her hands placed as if holding a large rock, she cries out in strong yet strangely breathy sounding voice... "Iritosha dua Venshio Ashuda-ma!"

A small spiral of wind springs up between her hands, growing in speed and force as it whirls up to where the vile quasit hovers above the group. The wind buffets at the creature and attempts to drag it down towards the ground.

Concentration Check: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (16) + 4 = 20

Gritting her teeth she focusses fiercely, trying to control the magic she only recently discovered she had within her, in ways she had never considered before.

Simflay reaches out to the Spirits of Wind and summons a minor whirlwind. She directs the power using the affinity of her blood. The Quasit, unused to navigating the currents of the air after her long reign as queen of this underground realm, flaps wildly as she fails to resit the pull and slowly is drawn toward the big Shoanti waiting below. Simflay slings the tiny demon toward Masdok who is quick to receive the pitch with the end of his spear. Acharn and Grulyn try to strike the creature as well, but both miss.

The creature shrieks in desperate rage as she extends her hand and sends a coruscating ray at Masdok. It strikes him and he feels his muscles weakening, but only slightly. Masdok takes 1 Strength damage, but may avoid if he kills the Quasit with the AoO she just provoked by casting in his threat range!

Round 9
Quasit - throws dagger at Simflay for 3 damage
Simflay - casts alter winds to move the Quasit
Quasit save: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (3) + 8 = 11 (That's a fail!)
Masdok - readied attack on Quasit for 15 damage
Acharn - fires, misses
Grulyn - attacks Quasit, misses

Round 10
Quasit - casts ray at Masdok Ranged Touch attack vs Masdok: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (9) + 10 = 19 Damage: 1d6 + 1 ⇒ (1) + 1 = 2
Masdok Fort Save+Guidance: 1d20 + 4 + 1 ⇒ (8) + 4 + 1 = 13 (That's a save!)

Simflay
Masdok
Acharn
Grulyn - (Sickened)

Party is up!

"No were for ye to run now, my little flying rat" says Grulyn, as he swing his axe at the creature.

Attack Dwarven Waraxe: 1d20 + 5 - 1 - 2 ⇒ (17) + 5 - 1 - 2 = 19

Dice + base - PA - sickened

Damage: 1d10 + 3 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (2) + 3 + 2 - 2 = 5

attack of opportunity, longspear, furious focus, studied target, magic weapon: 1d20 + 6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (18) + 6 + 1 + 1 = 26
cold iron, magic, piercing: 1d8 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6) + 6 + 3 + 1 + 1 = 17

*does a dance*

The Quasit foolishly opens herself to attack as she desperately tries to
weaken dangerous Shoanti. But Masdok was ready and waiting for his moment to strike with his cold iron spear, enhanced with Simflay's magic. With a deft stroke, Masdok impales the tiny winged demon on the spear's tip. She screams and writhes in pain, tossing her tiny horned head in a final effort to harm these intruders... "Curse you! Forgive me... Mother!" She utters her last plea and falls limp, her long reign over these forgotten catacombs ended at last.

All is silent save for the sounds of your own breath and the ominous burble of the strange well. And Grulyn's muffled attempts not to retch. Upstairs, the triangular pool bubbles slowly, an unnatural chill emanating from it's strange waters. It still casts it's lurid orange glow against the pale stone walls of the Cathedral but it does indeed seem dimmer than before. Grulyn remembers that fact seemed to bother the Quasit. She'd had the chance to summon another sinspawn but chose not to do so again. It didn't make sense.

Searching the Quasit's storage and personal effects, you discover a tiny dagger that detects as magical, a tiara worth 50 gp, a black silk gown worth 25 gp, and an obsidian unholy symbol of Lamashtu worth 10 gp.

Masdok slams the Quasit's body into the wall as he flings it off the end of the spear, "Serves you right " he says and curses her under his breath,

Masdok will want to be sure there are no goblins or other nasties coming to bother Sandpoint from this dungeon; whatever searching and activity that may entail. There are more tunnels to check?

The original purpose of this chamber is unclear, but large mounds of rubble lie strewn on its floor. The wall to the west has been torn down to reveal a tunnel leading to the west, back toward the direction you entered these tunnels.

Looks like there was just the storeroom left. I thought maybe the first small cavern might still have a wrathspawn, but according to this post looks like you all dealt with it on the way in.

I think that was the first room we went into.

Grulyn will try to (help) ID the dagger.
Spell craft: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (16) + 3 = 19

"It looks magical to me."

Can he tell where the wine came from?

With the fall of the tiny demon, Simflay slumps against a wall, suddenly feeling quite exhausted as the adrenaline drains from her.
She fumbles about in her pockets for a while as if searching for something and pulls out a small cloth. Using it to wipe the blood off her cheek. She stares, almost unbelievingly at the blood on the cloth.

"Are we ... are we done down here do you think? Is this over?"

As the heat of battle cools, she becomes ever more aware of the darkness around and the weight of the stone above, and she shivers slightly.

"Dis pool me thinks is a source of evil. The way that flying rat was protecting it, I think it needs to be destroyed to bring peace to the town above. I just don't know what the pool is. Anyone have any ideas aboot it?"

Still shaking, Simflay glances to Grulyn as he speaks and then looks across to the pool.

"Oh, but I so want to leave this awful place... to get out into the fresh air again..." she thinks to herself. "But ... he could be right. If another one of those things comes out of the pool and gets up to the town, think of the harm it could do."

She lifts her hand to her face and touches the wound left by the tiny dagger, before replying to the dwarf.

"You are right Grulyn, we need to be sure of this thing. That it isn't going to spew out another one of those things after we leave." She holds out her hands towards the pool and whispers something.

"Avoss, mostrar-ma"

Although there is no longer any wind blowing in the chamber, her cloak and hair stirs slightly, as if in a slight breeze.

Casts Detect Magic

Grulyn identifies the tiny dagger as a +1 cold iron returning dagger (1d2/19–20) XD

Simflay finds the well does indeed emanate a strong aura of magic. As she focuses on it with her magic, she hears distant cries of pain and rage within it's shallow depths. Roll Knowledge(Arcana) for the school and Spellcraft to identify properties of the well.

Also Grulyn and anyone wishing to bot Acharn should refer back to this post or roll for the sense motive spoiler I posted above it and no one tried, lol.

"Ah, remember that flying rat dropped blood into the pool right before it spat out one of them creatures. Then the rat got real defensive with me standing in the waters.
Maybe we need to put something good and holy in them waters. Perhaps treat the waters like undead and channel positive energy in them. I could try using my lay on hands in the water to see what happens. Or maybe we need to bless them waters with some Holy water? Anyone got a flask of Holy water"

Grulyn tries to remember anything in the texts about pools such as these.
Know Religion: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15

sense motive: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9

Masdok shakes his head regarding holy water.

He has no idea to contribute regarding the destruction of the well, but he does help in any way he can

Simflay's hair flutters about her head as she concentrates her magic on the well. Her expression twists to one of dismay as she hears the sounds coming from the well, but she forces herself to maintain the spell. When she is done she lets her hands drop to her sides. Her hair continues to flutter for a few seconds before falling still.

She considers what she has learned for a moment before speaking."Well, that is horrifying. The well is obviously magical in some way, but I could hear voices, distant voices coming from it while I was holding my magic on it. I couldn't make anything out, they just seemed to be wordlessly crying out in pain. Pain, and rage."

Knowledge(Arcana): 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (20) + 2 = 22
Spellcraft: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12

The full properties of the glowing orange well prove difficult to determine. Simflay detects a strong Necromantic aura, the implications of which makes her blood run cold as she connects it with the strange cries that emanate from within. A thought occurs to her, unbidden. They are trapped! The souls of the slain cry out to the haunted oracle, begging for release. She feels their pain and fear and the unholy taint of wrath that holds them in thrall to their last moments on earth. No peace of the grave, no quiet rest awaiting judgement, just the pain of dying over and over again.

Acharn Spellcraft+Aid from Simflay: 1d20 + 7 + 2 ⇒ (11) + 7 + 2 = 20
Acharn makes an educated guess that the pool acts as a reservoir of power. "The Quasit seemed to use up some of it's stored power when her blood called forth the Wrathspawn. Maybe releasing more Wrathspawn will use it up?" He says, offering a theory.

Masdok will nick himself with a knife if that's what's necessary to help the others destroy the pool. He doesn't care about it himself but he's happy to help.

Masdok drips a few drops of blood into the well and it begins to boil with activity as you saw it do before. But with time to prepare, you take up position to end these Wrathspawn as soon as they take their first steps from the pool of their summoning. Mindless as they are, they recognize no authority and attack the person standing closest. It is a simple matter, with little risk to the group. Before long, you have conjured and destroyed 2 more of these creatures. The wells glow is so diminished as to seem inert at least. Simflay no longer hears the cries of trapped souls within it.

For destroying the thing permanently, Grulyn still likes his idea about filling it with Holy Water. Maybe Father Zantus can assist in the matter.
Let me know where you want to head and I will write it up.

Grulyn says we should see Father Zantusan and inform him of what has been found. Then off to the pub for a large mug of ale and something hot to eat.

Masdok goes to check on Ameiko and then joins Grulyn at the inn.

You think back on Ameiko’s words when you rescued her in the Glassworks as you work your way back through the catacombs and tunnels.

"That idiot brother," she says as the weakened Ameiko starts to look a little healthier, but also angry at the situation she finds herself in, she looks around at first with suspicion but when she sees the group that helped during the goblin raid, she calms down a little. "He was saying about terrible things about to happen to Sandpoint. Being led by someone he called Nualia. He said that I didn't want to be here when our plans come to pass, and to go with him," she explains.

"I mean, spending time with a Goblin Clan, he has stooped so low. I should warn my father of this!" she says, as she begins to make her way upstairs, past you all.

Fortunately, you find Father Zantus in the main area where you discovered Lonjiku’s body encased in solidified glass. The former nobleman is being removed so that his remains may be prepared and laid to rest while the Father supervises the process. The setting sun shines through the windows of the Glassworks, almost too brightly after your extended journey underground.

He greets you as you enter the room, ”More peril befalls our citizens and once again, you come to our rescue. I fear we owe you more than we can ever repay. Have you routed the goblins responsible for this? Should we expect another attack? Tsuto is secured in the jail, but he’s not talking about what happened here. I was hoping you had some idea.”

---

Masdok asks about Ameiko and learns she is resting in her rooms at The Rusty Dragon with Bethana Corwin watching over her. His soft knock is answered with a call to enter. Ameiko is resting in bed and has clearly been healed again since you saw her last, but still bears a nasty black-eye and split lip among other cuts and bruises. But worse than that, her face is pale and wan with a bleak look in her eye and a hundred yard stare focused somewhere beyond this room.

The grandmotherly halfling woman was trying to coax her to take soup, but she puts the bowl down on the nightstand and rises to meet you. ”Thank you so much for going after her. I can’t bear to think what might have happened if I hadn’t gone to you when I did! We just can’t lose our Mis… I mean, the Lady Ameiko.”

Giving her title seems to stir something in Ameiko and in a rough voice, she says, ”Don’t call me that… just… don’t.” She spots Masdok and focuses on him. ”Oh, it’s you. Masdok, right? I’m sorry, I should have thanked you when you let me out of that awful room.” She rubs her hands over her arms as if she had a chill.

Simflay follows the rest of the group out through the tunnels silently. Her head down, her mind is awhirl with thoughts of her time in the tunnels and catacombs. Horrifying as some of the creatures down there have been, now that they are vanquished, she is finding the dark oppression of the tunnels themselves almost as bad. She begins to feel almost as if the stone itself is pressing itself down towards her, avid for the blood of her and her companions.

When the group gets back up to the Glassworks, Simflay barely waits for Father Zantus to finish speaking before she excuses herself and hastens out of the building into the open air and refreshing movement of the evening sea breeze.

Making her way down towards the Old Light, she finds a quiet spot to stand, looking out to see and reveling in the feeling of the wind on her face.

Waliking through the tunnel network. Grulyn looks at the craftsmanship of the diggings and how old the tunnels are that have stood through the passage of time, since it was not dug by dwarfs. Something keeps bothering him, where the gobies working for the flying rat, or was it the other way around.

Apon joining up with Father Zantus, Grulyn goes into detail about the tunnels and the creatures that they fought. He finishes by talking about the fowl pool.
"So the power of that pool is drawn out when ye give it your own blood and one of those spawn creatures spits out. We think we have drained all it's power, but ah don't know what gave it it's power in the first place. We were thinking that holy water, maybe lots of holy water, needs to be poured in to truly shut it down for good."

Seeing the elfling head out side Grulyn chuckles to himself Them elfs are sure not conferrable with out the sky above them.

Standing on the clifftop near the south side of the Old Light, Simflay throws back her hood and removes her gloves. For some time she just stands there, breathing in the fresh air and taking quiet delight in the sensation of the wind moving on her hands and face. As she stands there she thinks to herself "Ohh, by the gods that is so much better. I cannot understand how people can cope with places like that. No light and fresh air! How do they put up with it?"

After a while though, becoming aware of strange sensations within herself, she holds her hands up before her and stares at them. The natural breeze blowing in off the sea seems to curl in around her, swirling in closer and closer around her hands as these sensations swell within her. A strange blur passes across her hand for a moment, almost as if the wind had bent the light falling on it. Then another such blur appears, and another. Until suddenly, with no sound at all but a sensation like a pop in her ears, the change sweeps over both her hands and forearms and suddenly she can no longer see them. For a moment a burst of fear blossoms within her before she realises that she can still feel her hands. The sudden feeling of relief that comes with that realisation pushes back the fear and also seems to end the effect, and suddenly, she can see her hands again.

Turning her hands back and forth as if to check that they are unchanged, Simflay whispers to herself... "What in the name of the Gods is happening to me? Where did this all come from? Is this some curse? It does not feel like a curse, but it is so sudden... so unexpected..."

Satisfied that her hands are unaffected by the strange, if brief, change, Simflay slips her gloves back on. She stands quietly looking out to sea for another ten minutes or so, lost in her thoughts. Then she stirs, and turns and walks back to the inn.

In the interests of not making this post any longer I will just say that once back in her room she will spend a bit of time drawing a map of the area they have just returned from (Take 20 on Mapmaking for a 25) to get it down on paper while still fresh in her mind. And once this is done will go downstairs in search of food.

Father Zantus seems increasingly concerned at Grulyn's descriptions. "Desna protect us! What blasphemy has been occurring beneath out feet?" He shakes his head as his gaze falls sadly on Lonjiku's glass coated corpse. "It may take some time to bless enough water, but I will see it done. And thank you again."

____________________________________________________________________

Simflay escapes the earthen tomb and revels in the sunlight, the open air and the wind. As her hands fade from view, she hears the clamor of spirits grow louder on the wind. They howl their disquiet and as Simflay tries to put her second glove back on, it is snatched away, as if blown by a breeze she does not feel.

She chases the glove trying to retrieve it as it tumbles and slides away east up Junker's Way, always nearly within reach until it leaps away from her grasp again. Finally it catches on something in the shadow of the beautiful new Cathedral that holds it until she can catch up. She takes up her glove at last and a name on the nearby plaque leaps out at her. It's the dedication plaque, in memory of those who died in the terrible fire that claimed the previous Cathedral. Just beneath the name of Father Tobyn is a name she has heard before. Nualia.

Cutting to the chase, Tsuto will only speak if compelled through magical means like Charm Person. Without that or some equivalent, he will not talk. That leaves you with his journal as your primary source of information. Secondary is Ameiko, for what he said to her while trying to convince her to leave Sandpoint.

should have posted sooner but I wanted to have enough time to do a post justice

Masdok answers the father's questions. "We killed the goblins that were with Tsuto. I don't know about another attack though. Seems they got in through some smuggler's tunnels beneath the Glassworks. "

I don't think he read the journal by this point

out of time. I'll come back soon for his chat with Ameiko

As the three men finish talking, Simflay comes into view racing down Glass Street at a dead run... Spotting the hulking form of Masdok through a window, she abruptly changes direction and rushes up to the Glassworks.

Hurrying in to the room where the three are talking, she starts trying to talk but is held up at first, trying to catch her breath.

"Nu ... ah ... oh ... I ... I was..." she trails off, giving herself a moment to breathe before she continues... "I saw, I just saw the plaque," she gestures vaguely in the direction of the Cathedral, "the one with the names of all the people who died in the fire. Father Tobyn is on there. And there's another name under his. Nualia. That's the same name that Ameiko said when she was telling us about Tsuto. He said that someone called Nualia was leading the goblins. So, if this Nualia is Tobyn's daughter, then Tsuto's journal makes sense. It says something about his love burning her father's remains. So unless there are two people with the same name, she must have survived that fire."

At that, she stops, still breathing a bit heavily...

Masdok doesn't add much to Simflay's outburst. "Yeah, Nualia is the name."

Masdok asks about Ameiko and learns she is resting in her rooms at The Rusty Dragon with Bethana Corwin watching over her. His soft knock is answered with a call to enter. Ameiko is resting in bed and has clearly been healed again since you saw her last, but still bears a nasty black-eye and split lip among other cuts and bruises. But worse than that, her face is pale and wan with a bleak look in her eye and a hundred yard stare focused somewhere beyond this room.

The grandmotherly halfling woman was trying to coax her to take soup, but she puts the bowl down on the nightstand and rises to meet you. ”Thank you so much for going after her. I can’t bear to think what might have happened if I hadn’t gone to you when I did! We just can’t lose our Mis… I mean, the Lady Ameiko.”

Giving her title seems to stir something in Ameiko and in a rough voice, she says, ”Don’t call me that… just… don’t.” She spots Masdok and focuses on him. ”Oh, it’s you. Masdok, right? I’m sorry, I should have thanked you when you let me out of that awful room.” She rubs her hands over her arms as if she had a chill.

The sight of Ameiko's beaten face and deep sadness brings a scowl to Masdok's face, what kind of brother beats his own sister? he wonders angrily.

Bethana shakes him from his reverie. "Don't thank me." he says tersely, uncomfortable with the attention. Couldn't let this beauty stay kidnapped.

Finally, he nods to Ameiko as she says his name. "You don't have to thank me. Mind if I sit?"

He finds he doesn't have much to say. Emotions rage inside him as he is torn by admiration for the woman and rage at her captor and his compatriots. "Are you okay?" he finally asks after a silence

Finally, he nods to Ameiko as she says his name. "You don't have to thank me. Mind if I sit?"

He finds he doesn't have much to say. Emotions rage inside him as he is torn by admiration for the woman and rage at her captor and his compatriots. "Are you okay?" he finally asks after a silence.

"Alright then. I won't." Ameiko replies, giving only the slightest hint of a smile and gestures to the chair the halfling woman had set beside the bed. Bethana nods and quietly excuses herself, leaving Masdok and Ameiko alone to talk.

She takes a deep breath and exhales with a great shuddering sigh at his second question. "No... I'm not okay. I'm a fool. And now all of Sandpoint will suffer for it. Has suffered for it." She corrects herself, huddling with her arms crossed as if she felt a chill. "I trusted him. I thought my father was cruel for sending my brother away. It wasn't his fault he was... not my father's true son. Father said he was tainted, ruined by the sin that conceived him. I should have listened... Oh Father, I'm so sorry!" She covers her face and sobs for a few moments but her tears seem to be all spent. After a moment, she looks back at Masdok with that bleak look on her face again.

_____________________________________________________________

Father Zantus looks up as Simflay flings open the door to the Glassworks like a blast of wind. "Nualia? Why yes, she was Father Tobyn's daughter. Adopted, anyway. She was a foundling, blessed with a touch of the Celestial. Beautiful girl, she had the most lovely silver hair. But we were sure she must have perished in the fire with Father Tobyn. Are you sure about this, Simflay?"

Link above is for Grulyn, referencing the spoiler in that post.
_________

Grulyn scratches his chin.

"Silver hair ye say? I had an image of a beautiful lass with silver hair that seemed very angry that I saw in a vision when ah smash that carved basin with me ax. Could be one and the same. If so, she maybe pretty on the outside, but she has some ugly demons on the inside."

Most of my other PCs would be much wiser and have much better things to say here... Let's see what Masdok can come up with.

Masdok seems uncomfortable and uncertain in this situation. He had never dealt much with emotions, always stuffing his own down.

Finally he gets up and brings Ameiko a blanket. "I don't understand how any of this is your fault. Tsuto is his own man." he says quietly after gently draping the blanket over Ameiko, somehow willing himself to overcome his baser instincts and not add any pressure where his hands brush the woman, or make any other advances.

Grulyn scratches his chin.

"Silver hair ye say? I had an image of a beautiful lass with silver hair that seemed very angry that I saw in a vision when ah smash that carved basin with me ax. Could be one and the same. If so, she maybe pretty on the outside, but she has some ugly demons on the inside."

Father Zantus seemed perplexed. "That does not really sound like Nualia... She was prone to bouts of melancholy and toward the end, she had become very withdrawn. I hardly remember seeing her outside her rooms in those last few months. Father Tobyn would only ever say that she had much to pray on."

____________________________________________________________________

Most of my other PCs would be much wiser and have much better things to say here... Let's see what Masdok can come up with.

Masdok seems uncomfortable and uncertain in this situation. He had never dealt much with emotions, always stuffing his own down.

Finally he gets up and brings Ameiko a blanket. "I don't understand how any of this is your fault. Tsuto is his own man." he says quietly after gently draping the blanket over Ameiko, somehow willing himself to overcome his baser instincts and not add any pressure where his hands brush the woman, or make any other advances.

Ameiko shakes her head sadly, "No, you don't understand. I helped him. I've been helping him since he came back to Sandpoint. He told me he'd met someone, I thought he needed money because he wanted to marry her and go somewhere they could be happy. I told him things about this town. About the Glassworks. He used me to hurt all those people. How can I ever face my neighbors again?"

"So if another attack was to come do ye have an idea where the gobies might be coming from? Or perhaps a hunter of thearea might know?"
Grulyn asks.

Father Zantus ponders Grulyn's question. "Shalelu Andosana might be able to help or know someone who could. She keeps tabs on the Goblin tribes and their movement." That seems to be the extent of Father Zantus' knowledge on the matter.

*cough*

That leaves you with his journal as your primary source of information. Secondary is Ameiko, for what he said to her while trying to convince her to leave Sandpoint.

Still glancing through Tsuto's journal, Simflay replies to Grulyn.

"Well, Tsuto specifically mentions 'Thistletop Goblins' here, perhaps they are more important than the other tribes in all of this. We should try to find out where they are located. Perhaps Shalelu can help us with that."

Looking slightly puzzled she thinks to herself... "Did I just suggest that we start looking for a clan of goblins to hunt down? Am I going mad? But then, isn't everything about this a little bit mad?"

Then she continues "By the way Father Zantus, if you are going down to pour holy water in that awful well, I will draw a map for you, so whoever goes down doesn't need to hunt about for it in that ghastly place."

Taking 10 will give Simflay a 15 on Mapmaking which should be enough to make a serviceable, if basic map.

shakes her head sadly, "No, you don't understand. I helped him. I've been helping him since he came back to Sandpoint. He told me he'd met someone, I thought he needed money because he wanted to marry her and go somewhere they could be happy. I told him things about this town. About the Glassworks. He used me to hurt all those people. How can I ever face my neighbors again?"

Masdok scratches his chin in perplexity. "Doesn't change what I said. The man betrayed you just as much as he did Sandpoint. I don't see how the tri--er, town can hold that against you."

Father Zantus happily accepts Simflay's map. "Thank you, Simflay. Thistletop does indeed sound like one of the tribes Shalelu patrols. I will send a message to her, but it generally takes a day or so for her to respond. It's nearly dark now, so I don't expect we'll hear back from her until tomorrow at the earliest."

This gives the party a chance to rest and purchase new equipment.
_______________________________________________________________________

Masdok scratches his chin in perplexity. "Doesn't change what I said. The man betrayed you just as much as he did Sandpoint. I don't see how the tri--er, town can hold that against you."

"Maybe they won't, but I will. I always thought I was a good judge of character, that I should be able to look someone in the eyes and know a monster when it's looking back at me. I guess I was wrong. Maybe we never really know what someone is capable of. Well, I'm tired of feeling helpless. I'm going to get some answers out of that bastard brother of mine if it's the last thing I do!" She gets out of bed, wobbling in disorientation and starts to ready herself to go to the jail.

Grulyn nods to the priest. "Yes some rest, food and drink would be good. But first ah will need to speak to yer blacksmith. Do ye think he will be up? Ah want to commission some new armor and weapon. If the gobies are coming, ah would like to get them sooner than later.

And do ye know who might have coin to spend to buy some of the items we found in the catacombs?"

After speaking with the priest, Grulyn heads for the blacksmith, thinking of the coin he will be spending and wondering if the blacksmith can pull off such a large order in such a short time.

He thinks of his list. If he is skilled, master work Banded mail, a master work heavy shield with spikes, and a silvered war hammer, for any more demons that might come our way.

Those three items will come to 682 gp, hope I will have enough ;o)

The good father points Grulyn to various shops for selling goods and finally to RED DOG SMITHY. Named for its owner’s affection for large red mastiffs, two to three of which can always be seen lounging about nearby,

The smith, Das Korvut, is bald, heavily muscled and surly as a shaved dwarf. He grumbles over the hastily made order, but he comes through with the gear you need. As you exit the Smithy, and turn down the path back to The Rusty Dragon, you hear a group of children singing a rhyme as they play a hopping game with squares scratched out in the sand.

“Here comes crazy-man Das Korvut,
Mad as a cut snake in a wagon rut.
See how his chops go bouncity-bounce?
How many people has he trounced?
One! Two! Three! Four...”

Will move the scene forward soon, last chance if Masdok wanted to say anything else to Ameiko.

After handing over the map to Father Zantus, Simflay wanders about town for a while. Although she intends to go shopping, at first she doesn't really know where to start. After a while though she thinks of a tale she heard once about poisonous beasts in the wilds and so she heads off to the alchemist's shop to look for something to help with that. Some time later she emerges, having bought several things, some of which she had not even known about before going into the shop.

She then passes by the smithy and goes in there as well. Having found the crossbow frustratingly awkward and heavy to carry about, she sell that and replaces it with a simple sling. Remembering the discussions between Grulyn and Masdok about the tiny demon, she also buys a cold iron dagger and some sling bullets.

Thus passes her evening, with a fair bit of aimless wandering, punctuated by occasional bursts of spur of the moment shopping. Once this is all done she will return to the Rusty Dragon.

Masdok wrote:

Masdok scratches his chin in perplexity. "Doesn't change what I said. The man betrayed you just as much as he did Sandpoint. I don't see how the tri--er, town can hold that against you."

"Maybe they won't, but I will. I always thought I was a good judge of character, that I should be able to look someone in the eyes and know a monster when it's looking back at me. I guess I was wrong. Maybe we never really know what someone is capable of. Well, I'm tired of feeling helpless. I'm going to get some answers out of that bastard brother of mine if it's the last thing I do!" She gets out of bed, wobbling in disorientation and starts to ready herself to go to the jail.

"Ameiko!" Masdok stands up and puts his arms out to try to stop her; he puts a hand on each of her shoulders. "He'll be there tomorrow. You need to rest." he says, looking earnestly into her eyes.

In the back of his mind, he wonders what's gotten into himself.

Grulyn walk out of the smith happy as can be. He twists a little to get a better feel of his new armor. And takes a few swings with his new weapon(s).

Hearing the strange melody from the children. Grulyn walks over to talk with the kids.
"Hello wee ones, what is dis song ye sing aboot?"