"I...I do not know how I came to be this...creature. Perhaps it was my desire...thirst for vengeance. Perhaps it was part of the magics that Marcon employed. Perhaps Pharasma herself toys with me. Who is to say? All I know is that I hunger and thirst. Not for blood or meat, but for justice!"
"My tale is not yours to know. It may be that comes to be required, but handing it over freely is not the way to my just reward. But escort me to the surface, perhaps to tell my tale to those in power, and mayhaps my soul will be freed of this torment!"
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"Pardon us for a moment." Rolo pulls the group aside to discuss away from the prying undead... ears?
"I think we should let him out. If he were aligned with these other undead, those brutes could have smashed the walls apart on their own. That fact reinforces his story that he was unjustly imprisoned by the nefarious deeds of the Candren family. Justice must be served."
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Dahros looks unsure. "Let him out? This is a good idea? What happens if he bites you and your dick falls off because you contracted undead rot." He leans in to Ava and whispers "That's a thing, right?"
Shrugging, he won't stop the group from letting him out, but stays on his guard while he helps Thellira with the wall.
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d'Log tugs on his clothes and brushes some undeath off of him
So, Marcon. I dealt with this ghost or apparition or something a whiles back. We had to do something so he could rest.[b]
d'Log looks over to see the water levels ebb and flow
[b] I am a proud goblin, my name is d'Log. Those are truths. The truth I am looking for, from you is not if we should release you, but what happens if we do? Are you looking to rest, what is binding you to the living? The ghost had us find a deed or something. One truth from you, fair trade me thinks
Taking the time to look around, d'Log noticed something the others had not yet. The water level was rising quickly. The tide had lifted your boat, and the craft was threatening to drift away. You had no idea what high tide looked like down here, but you probably didn't want to hang around to find out.
At the questioning, the creature once known as Marcon said "Tis true that…I hunger. I control that…hunger…for now. Discipline I have learned…yes, discipline. Hunger is as nothing unto me now. Its claws have lost their grip…This I swear: no harm to the bodies of the living will I bring…So long as I see justice done. Then…peace. Forever. This is my pledge!"
Marcon did indeed mind his manners. As Rolo and d'Log made the boat ready and kept watch on Marcon, the others quickly went to check out the last unexplored bit of this underground facility. They found what must have been some sort of records room.
Bits of saturated parchment, fragments of wood, and other detritus float on the surface of the two-foot-deep water in the room. Small niches are carved up and down the walls, each space only a few inches square but nearly a foot deep. The niches to the north are mostly destroyed by the partial collapse of the surrounding wall, and a deep crack runs at an angle across it.
To the east, a statue of a hippocampus rears up and its eyes roll back as if in pain. A trident made of a corroded metal protrudes from a wound in its side. Behind the statue on the wall are carved the words “Ex Prothex.
The hippocampus is one of the mascots of Absalom, and "Ex Prothex" is the city's motto, meaning 'First among equals'.
In the pool, a sealed scroll tube bobs gently.
Thellira spent a frustrating 5 minutes trying to fish a small scroll tube out of the water with her hammer before wading into the 1-foot deep pool and grabbing it. Inside was a remarkable document: the deed to the playhouse and some of the surrounding neighborhood. This document doesn't grant rights ot the property to the holder, but could be used as a good case for the ownership for the goblins, given that no one living seems to officially have ownership.
At the boat area, you notice that the tide is rising faster. Given how long it took you to get down here, you should still have plenty of time to get back to the playhouse basement before it flooded...but only if you leave quickly. Macron said he had no knowledge of the place he was entombed. He woke up in the cell where you found him.
You all make it into the boat, pulling hard for the opening where you had entered the large underground lake. The ceiling was now a mere 6 feet over your heads, instead of the 12-15 feet from before. By the time you found where you had entered, it was closer to 4. You slogged through the now high waters of the sewers back to the hole in the wall of the theater's basement, and made your way inside. The general condition of the room showed you that the water would flood the basement up to 3-4 feet, but you still had some time to plan your re-emergence into the goblin playhouse.
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Thellira assumes talk of hiding Macron inside the crocs is a joke so she grabs the animal carcass and prepares to make a show of wrestling it to the ground once the doors open and everyone can see them. She ensures d'Log has the deed, "you'll know what to do with this when the time is right." And She tells Rolo to keep Macron near the back until they can properly announce he's there, "I have a feeling we want to play that close to the vest but not lie."
Once they open the door, Thellira falls to the ground wrapped around the dead croc. She wrestles for a moment before pinning it and looking up at the crowd, "King Zusgut! There you are! This crocodile waylaid us in your sewers so we brought him to you as a gift! Your sewers? Yes! YOUR sewers!" She tells the tall tale of how they defeated the croc before she nods surreptitiously at d'Log, "it was a battle for the ages, one that can best be told by friends Dahros nd Ava!" She steps to the side and waves them ahead.
As soon as the doors to teh basement open, a great cheer went up from all the goblins. As Thellira tried to drag a 500-pound croc through the door - without having a lot of success - the cheers grew louder. She got it stuck in the door and gave up before trying to rouse the crowd, with a little help from Ava.
from the king's dais, Zusgut shouted, "You have slain the beast! I knew that the Pathfinders would not let us down. And you say there was more danger int eh sewers, and a prison, and something else? "
Meanwhile, in the middle of your formation, Macron shuddered. "So many living...so long, so long. Small delici...No! Gave my word. Wll not go back. No time...the court. The court!"
Bucket in hand, the elder goblin shaman - for that was what she must be - thumps over to you. "Who's that?"
"Some kind of undead creep, as far as I can tell. Why do you bring this abomination here?"
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Rolo steps up with an arm around Macron's shoulder, subtly but firmly grasping him in case he has any sudden urge to eat juicy goblins.
"He is a prisoner of the political sort that was unjustly imprisoned beneath puddles by one of the more prominent families of Absalom. He's here to share his story and shed light on an ugly mark in our collective history. If you wish to hear his story, please join us in our journey to the courts. He has waited long enough down in the darkness, we cannot delay him any further."
"If you like a good show we certainly could re-enact our slaying of the beasts beneath, but this trip will be much more exciting." Pausing to look at the goblin 'king', he adds "And you may gain more than just an entertaining story too."
He whispers to d'Log, "Bargain, get something for that deed."
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d'Log steps in front of the party
Fair King Zusgut, what we saw down there, what we encountered, what we had to do.
d'Log shutters, then sees some of the younger goblins watching
When we first got down there, not one, but two of these behemoths were barring the way.
d'Log bears his teeth and proceeds to clamp down on Rolo's leg and starts spinning. Spitting out a bit of cloth d'Log continues
But Rolo's fortitude was too much, and the crocs skull was too weak for the combine might of Thellira and her hammer Daybreaker, and Dahros and his warhammer Cuddles !
d'Log sprints towards Thellira and Dahros and prompts them to show off their moves.
d'Log leans on to his tip toes and starts to pretend he is skulking over to Ava
Through the flooded court we continued, but we were ambushed by the group of terrible actors from before. But with the cunning and silver tongue of our dear Ava, we were able to find a stake those dammed sell swords could part with.
d'Log take out an empty coin purse, flips it inside out and carefully lays it to the ground, as if it was a fallen comrade.
Then, we found these true abominations set to guard an enclosed part of the ruins. Horrific monstrous things that makes this croc look like a longshank's baby. One ripped its arm off and started to beat the mighty Dahros down, while others started to gnaw at his legs.
d'Log mimes biting Dahros' leg, then moves to Nali
But Nali here was able to summon her black tentacles and sway the tide of battle for us. Leading to our new friend Marcon here. He has been wrongfully held, and we freed him. He will not harm us. Nor us him
d'Log shuffles his things around
King Zusgut, I know us goblins don't like the word when written on paper. But I tell you this, this paper here tells the long shanks that you own this place. Not that you just live here, but you have a claim on this land that they cannot take away. They believe in writing. This is a receipt of sorts, they call it a deed of the land.
d'Log hold the deed up and moves closer to King Zusgut and further from his party
I know the hardships of goblins, this deed I give you. With it you should be able to continue your work here and set up a place safe for all goblins.
d'Log points back to the crocodile
The deed is yours, free of charge but only if you purchase this 500 pound crocodile from us and hold the biggest feast goblin kind has every seen. Roasted crocodile is delicious. You know how much meat is on a thing that size. You know the amount of leather can be harvested from that monster? Each of its teeth is a weapon in its own right. Use the head at decoration your highness. Seal the eye in tree resin for the top of your scepter. King Zusgut, The Crocodile's Eye has a good ring to it your majesty.
d'Log bows
We ask, for a catch like this, 150 silver pieces. A steal I must say.
"A mighty fine story indeed! Well worth the time and effort it took to get you Pathfinders down here. A lost chamber? And a pair of crocodiles? The best of stories! I agree to the party and feast, and shell send your superiors the coin as soon as my tribe here has found some. Most excellent indeed! I shall even make use of the hides. New crocodile skin hats for everyone...until we run out! Thank you for the fine gift!"
The elderly goblin shaman scuttled over to d'Log and held out her hand for the deed. As the goblin passed it over, she winked at him and whispered, "No one likes crocodile meat. Too tough" She shoved the deed into her bucket and moved off again.
You return to the Grand Lodge, where Venture Captain Drandle Dreng, still doing paperwork, says, "Ah, returned from your mission already! Did you find the -- AAAAGH!" But the old Venture Captain quickly recovers, and hobbles over to Marcon. He squints. "If I'm not mistaken..." He peered anxiously at Marcon. "..That is a ghoul! Why did you bring me back a ghoul?"
He then sits down. "This better be a good story..."
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Nali sits down with the VC and repeats the story told time and time again of Marcon. After explaining about his never ending imprisonment, she looks to the VC. "So what should we do next? Surely we can't just leave it like this. There much be more that we are missing somewhere. Anything come to your minds?"
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It's the best of stories my dear vc. VC, this guy, Marcon has been imprisoned for like 5 centuries. That's not the worst of it. He lived underneath Goblins, frocking a full band of playwrite goblins. Underneath them all. The mass waste and stench must have driven him mad, then the squealing of their bloddy plays. Can you imagine the torment. I wouldn't wish this on horse loving dog pony. He wanted free and we felts bad is all, oh and some extra loots or something.
Dreng considers your story and the open questions about Marcon's future, steepling his fingers. "The wheels of justice grind slow. The Candren family will certainly try everything they can to get this trial thrown out: statute of limitations, the undead nature of the witness... This will take time." Dreng considers.
"While you're waiting for your trial, Marcon, can you talk with the Society's historians? We'd love any details you can remember."
The ghoul responds, "So long. So long ago... but time hath not dimmed my memory, milord. I will tell thee what I can."
After a bit, Dreng turns to you. "I have no idea what will happen to Marcon after the trial. That is one stubborn ghoul. Maybe he'll finally find rest once his purpose is completed. You never know how these things will work."
Dreng awaits any further questions before dismissing you so he can escort Marcon to safety. It seems that Chulyin, Martin, Mal, and Erevan have a promised duty to help with the CrookedToes playhouse.