"Ano knocked Tsuto, the half-elf, out. And I'm interrogating this one to find out where Ameiko is being held. He pointed to the south-wall, so we should check whatever room is on the other side of it first. I'll hold you," Juriya says as she holds a rapier up to the warchanter, "accountable if we can't find her."
Persephone winks at no one in particular...
Arrian lumbers down the hall back to the room to make sure all is well with the rest of the group.
Moving south, the group finds an open door that leads to a small storage room, and a locked door.
Moving south, the group finds an open door that leads to a small storage room, and a locked door.
Casting a spell upon himself, Arrian checks the lock for traps.
Juriya hesitates, non-characteristically of her when Ameiko's life is on the line, and actually grabs some of the glassware from around the Glassworks, along with a few ingredients. She starts cackling madly in her vulpine form, "Haha! I think I've finally got it! And should I fail, I can still hit them with shards of glass!"
Once her makeshift, ramshackle bomb materials are ready, she sets her pack down and begins picking the lock with the materials she uses to do so for fun. "Again, Ano, tell your mother about this, and we're both dead," she says as she begins unlocking the door once it's been cleared of traps.
Juriya hesitates, non-characteristically of her when Ameiko's life is on the line, and actually grabs some of the glassware from around the Glassworks, along with a few ingredients. She starts cackling madly in her vulpine form, "Haha! I think I've finally got it! And should I fail, I can still hit them with shards of glass!"
Once her makeshift, ramshackle bomb materials are ready, she sets her pack down and begins picking the lock with the materials she uses to do so for fun. "Again, Ano, tell your mother about this, and we're both dead," she says as she begins unlocking the door once it's been cleared of traps.
[dice=Disable Device] d20 + 8
Even though he wasn't included in the warning Arrian has had years to perfect his 'I didn't see anything' face.
Ano walked back, about ready to skewer the goblin on sight, when she sees Cherry alive in Persephone's arm.
"Cherry!" she cried out, the light from her bloodrage instantly extinguished. Cherry fluttered clumsily to Ano, to which the amurrun said, "Please don't do anything like that again!"
"Duly noted," the bird sighed, falling asleep in her hands.
Once her makeshift, ramshackle bomb materials are ready, she sets her pack down and begins picking the lock with the materials she uses to do so for fun. "Again, Ano, tell your mother about this, and we're both dead," she says as she begins unlocking the door once it's been cleared of traps.
"You know I won't say anything about what we did here." Ano assured her friend, "As long as no one here tells her what I have been doing here."
The catfolk looked to the others and said, "Tsuto's gone. I made sure of that. He won't be bothering us anymore." She's not sure if Tsuto is the kind of person to work for goblins...
She gave a glare at the cowering goblin in the corner. "Why were you taking orders from a half-elf?"
Unfortunately she's too tired to come off as menacing.
Persephone smiles warmly at both Cherry and Ano, as the Amurun takes back her familiar.
Isabel absolutely deplores violence, so she stays quite away from it.
The Varisian stands, gently brushes down her skirts, before smiling at the others.
Walking to catch up with Arrian, the Shaman peers over his shoulder.
Seems Dimly lit to you too?
On one end, Juriya and Arrian go for the locked door. It is actually easy with Juriya's expert skills, and she manages to open it without too much effort, even though the mechanism is a bit rusty.
Inside, they find Ameiko on the floor, bloody and not moving. She is bound and gagged.
Meanwhile, Ano is met with indifference by the goblin.
Persephone immediately gasps at the prone form of Ameiko! The Varisian rushes to her side and places a gloved hand on the Minkian.
Ameiko dear. Rise and shine!
Donimah sighs a bit as the battle ends, but then looks over at Tsuto's dead body. Her gaze shifts to Ano as she's reuniting with Cherry, and she grimaces.
"I...don't want to...be the wet blanket here...or diminish your victory...but now that Tsuto's dead we can't exactly interrogate him," she says, trying to make her words as gentle as she can muster. It's difficult for her, to say the least.
Noticing Juriya and Arrian on the move, she follows after them and breathes a sigh of relief as they find Ameiko.
"At least we didn't need Tsuto's knowledge to find her," she says quietly.
Juriya switches forms back into the Minkaian human everyone is most familiar with, and rushes to Ameiko, nudging her lightly as she's healed. "Ameiko? Ameiko? Are you okay, we're here to get you out of here."
Persephone feels for a pulse....
Zeldrith looks with concern on Ameiko's injured and unconscious form, but he prudently decides to leave the storage area's limited space to the trained healers, rather than barging in himself. He paces back and forth in the hallway for a moment, stopping short as the destroyed walls catch his eye. "...Friends? This area was bricked up, but all the rooms we've found so far have been standard for a large business. There's probably something around here someone thought was important enough to brick up this whole area." He begins moving to the other doors in the sealed area, checking each one before beginning to explore the storerooms for any reason the area might have been sealed.
Arrian determines that she is badly wounded after being beaten and cut, probably by those goblin blades. She is still alive, though. He is able to wake her up by tapping her gently on the cheek and shoulder. She wakes up clearly disoriented. She sits herself up and touches the places that hurt, evidenced by the cuts and bruises.
Looking at the group, she says "What's happening?" and fishes for someone to help her get up. Before anyone can muster an answer, she starts singing a nonsense song about water and potatoes. Despite the song, it's clear she's casting a spell. When she's done, her wounds start closing and some life comes to her face. She looks again at all around her while thinking strongly. As her eyes land on Juriya, she lunges forward into a hug and says "Thank you! Thank you!" She realizes that you have saved her life.
"What happened, Ameiko?" Donimah asks, an uncharacteristically concerned look forming on her face.
Ano huffs at the goblin, then begins to look around to see if there’s anything they might miss.
Looking at the group, she says "What's happening?" and fishes for someone to help her get up. Before anyone can muster an answer, she starts singing a nonsense song about water and potatoes. Despite the song, it's clear she's casting a spell. When she's done, her wounds start closing and some life comes to her face. She looks again at all around her while thinking strongly. As her eyes land on Juriya, she lunges forward into a hug and says "Thank you! Thank you!" She realizes that you have saved her life.
"We went to the Rusty Dragon where Bethana approached us and let us know you were missing and that she found this note near your made and not slept in bed."
"Which Juriya translated for us. We hurried here and found goblins and...a rather disturbing scene. We've fought our way down here and found you."
Arrian looks uncomfortable and unsure of himself, clearly worrying about how much to reveal about what HAS happened.
Juriya, still hugging Ameiko, chimes in, "Thank all yte Gods you're okay. Arrian's right... we saw the letter from Tsuto and came rushing here as fast as possible. Are you sure you're okay, Ameiko?"
Now's not a good time to mention bombs or Goblin flesh, Juriya thinks to herself all while hugging Ameiko. Would be incredibly awkward.
Ameiko looks troubled by the mention of a "disturbing scene", although she doesn't ask about it specifically, at least not yet. She answers while shaking a little "I... I can't believe what Tsuto's done. I imagine you met with him and he wasn't very talkative." She seems to be looking at something without focusing, gathering her thoughts.
"I never thought he'd be capable of... something like this. He told me... Wait, let's start from the beginning." She seems thirsty, but continues talking "Apparently, Nualia Tobyn is alive." She lets that sink in, looking worried especially at Juriya.
Ameiko continues "She's responsible for the goblin raid on Sandpoint and hired several mercenaries and Tsuto followed her because... well, he talked of love, but I can't begin to imagine how that would work. How could he love someone who goes about doing so many terrible things? I... Well, he did participate, so maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought I did."
She shakes herself back into the subject and continues "Tsuto said that there's another raid in the works and that... I wouldn't want to be in town when that happened. Something about plans for Sandpoint's future... whatever that means. He, then..." Ameiko has trouble continuing at this point, as if saying the words was making her cringe too hard. "... offered me to come with him to Thistletop to participate in this... horrible plan." She has to breathe in a few gasps before saying "When I turned him down, a little emphatically, is when he had his goblins attack me..." She is doing a great job holding in her tears.
Ano does find something interesting in the small office where Tsuto was. The first thing she notices is that there are quite a few empty bottles of booze scattered around the room. She also finds a notebook, a small leather-bound booklet. Upon opening it, it seems to be Tsuto's diary.
Upon opening the diary, there are two dozen pages, most of which are Sandpoint maps and erotic drawings of a woman. Considering what Ameiko is saying in the next room which Ano totally hears, this is surely Nualia. The maps each depict different attack plans. The first set shows the attack plans for a group of 30 goblins. One of the maps is circled and, studying it shortly will clearly reveal that it matches the attack during the festival. It shows three entry points: The northern gate, over the wall in the Boneyard, and the Glassworks.
Much more troubling are the next several pages. It illustrates what appears to be an attack by over 200 goblins. None are circled and some are scratched out as if rejected.
In the last page there is another depiction of Nualia. But this time, she features a demonic hand, bat wings, horns, a forked tail and fangs. It is clearly different from what people remember of her, the beautiful violet eyed Aasimar.
Arrian will offer Ameiko water.
"We're just glad you're okay. Another raid? We need to let the authorities know."
Zeldrith's sweep through the basement's rooms brings him into Tsuto's filthy office, and when he notices Ano reading Tsuto's diary, he moves over to look, peering over the catfolk's shoulder. The drawings of Nualia give him pause, and he grimaces. "Sheesh. Are you sure this lady was angelkith? I think one of my cousins has wings like that."
As Ano flips through the slim volume, one page catches his eye, and he furrows his brow. "Hold on... could you go back a page?" He points at one of the rejected attack plans. "An attack at the north gate - that's a no-brainer; it's the only way to get a real force into Sandpoint without using ships. An attack through the Boneyard could work, too - it's close enough to the north gate that the same principles apply. But how the hell were they going to attack from the Glassworks? It's pretty close to the center of the town, not really someplace accessible for an attack from outside, and there weren't that many goblins in here - certainly not enough to make a real difference. I mean, we managed to take them out, and look at us!" Realizing himself, he glances apologetically at Ano. "...Sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way." He clears his throat before continuing. "Anyway, there has to be something down here that's important enough to merit special consideration in these plans."
Zeldrith finds another storage room full of finished glassware, and a door that leads to a long tunnel that winds beyond view.
The tunnel goes north.
Still sitting right next to Ameiko in case she cries, "I... didn't know Nualia all that well. Tsuto, he's... dealt with now, to put it lightly. Do you have any idea why Nualia would go for an entire raid on Sandpoint? Did he tell you where the Aasimar is?"
Juriya looks like she wants to say more, but holds her tongue. Ameiko has clearly had enough "excitement" for one day, clearly.
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When Ano reads that name in the journal, and sees those drawings, the amurrun's entire world shatters. Her eyes go to pinprick, and her breathing becomes more rapid as everything seems to be falling apart.
"Ano?" Cherry asked, sensing the anxiety from her.
"That's...no...that can't be...it's not...it's not her, that's not Nualia! She died in the fire, I saw that fire with my own eyes!" She shrieked, her cries of anguished confusion echoing in the tunnels. "I was going to go into the fire to save her! I...She...Was she...what happened to her?!"
Persephone watches the weariness warm between all the disturbing news that the group has just uncovered. The Varisian only shakes her head while administering medical attention to Ameiko.
Ameiko thanks Juriya and Persephone for their help and says "He said she's organizing the goblins from Thistletop. I don't know much about it, you should maybe ask Shalelu."
Upon thinking some more, she says "He did mention one more thing in particular. There was more than one reason to use the Glassworks. Nualia has some story here of some sort. I think it's in the tunnel they used smuggling for." She seems upset to admit her family was once involved with smuggling.
This reminds her of something and she says "Friends, I can never repay the debt of saving my life. The least I can do is offer you free accomodation at the Rusty Dragon for the rest of your lives. But I now have to face the music and talk to my father about Tsuto's treachery." She gets up, intending to leave.
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"Ameiko," Juriya says as she sits her back down, preparing for yet another hug. "You uh... might not want to see your father right now. I uh...," Juriya takes a big gulp, wanting to curl into a ball and hide away so she doesn't have to bring up that oh yeah, your father's dead!. "The Goblins got to him. I," she then just goes in for a pre-emptive hug, hoping to soften the inevitable blow, "he's dead, Ameiko. one of the rooms of the Glassworks."
Normally, Juriya has a certain way with words, but breaking news of one of her best friends' father's passing, no matter how much of a stringent ass he may have been, was certainly not something that you practice and hone both your wits and personality on. This is something you only do once, no practice. The look on her face is as somber as she can manage as she delivers the news.
Zeldrith finds another storage room full of finished glassware, and a door that leads to a long tunnel that winds beyond view.
** spoiler omitted **
Initially trying to think of something to say to Ameiko to help Juriya, Arrian is jolted by Ano's shriek, readies his weapons, and heads to where the sound came from expecting the worst.
Zeldrith moves back into the room where Ameiko was imprisoned, his step faltering as he enters just in time to hear Juriya break the news of Lonjiku's death to his daughter. He stands for a moment, undecided, before tapping Arrian on the shoulder and motioning to follow. "There's a tunnel here, beneath the Glassworks. I don't know where it leads, but whatever it is, it was worth barricading most of the basement to keep hidden away. You've been in this town longer than me - maybe you can tell where it leads."
Ameiko hears Juriya's words and she freezes for a moment. The only indication that she is awake is that her jaw is clenched hard. After a moment she turns to Juriya and says "Thank you for telling me. I suppose I have much to deal with right now, especially in terms of hereditary issues."
Although she doesn't say it, Ameiko would love for someone to accompany her back to the Rusty Dragon.
Before Arrian can answer Zeldrith, Ameiko herself says "These tunnels are probably the ones that were used for smuggling many years ago. It was bricked up once my grandfather found out about it. But no doubt it was used to smuggle goblins in. I suppose I... own these now" She doesn't seem very excited with this turn of events.
"Ameiko, do you want someone to take you back to the Rusty Dragon?"
Ameiko smiles affably and says "Thank you, Juriya, I know I can count on you." She starts walking, expecting the girl to be beside her.
Ameiko hears Juriya's words and she freezes for a moment. The only indication that she is awake is that her jaw is clenched hard. After a moment she turns to Juriya and says "Thank you for telling me. I suppose I have much to deal with right now, especially in terms of hereditary issues."
** spoiler omitted **
Before Arrian can answer Zeldrith, Ameiko herself says "These tunnels are probably the ones that were used for smuggling many years ago. It was bricked up once my grandfather found out about it. But no doubt it was used to smuggle goblins in. I suppose I... own these now" She doesn't seem very excited with this turn of events.
Following Zel's request, and Ameiko's information, Arrian checks the area and confirms there is a tunnel heading north.
"Since it was used for smuggling I assume the tunnel goes under the town walls? Do you know how far or where it exits?"
Not happy with asking questions of someone in the middle of devastating news Arrian realizes the situation for not just the group, but all of Sandpoint, is more precarious than previously realized.
"Maybe we should all go upstairs - you included."
Arrian points at the captured chanter.
Ano doesn’t seem to respond to anyone, muttering to herself in clear distress. Once Arrian refers to the warchanter, though, she finally breaks from that…and glares hard at the goblin.
Ano shrieked her lungs out, lunging to grab the goblin’s throat, though in her tired state she doesn’t get the best hold of the chanter.
“Oh not again! Ano, stop!” Cherry squawked, fluttering awkwardly and pulling the amurrun’s ear to get her to stop.
Juriya does indeed follow Ameiko, taking her back to the Rusty Dragon, making sure not to take her out the same door they entered in: that would lead to seeing her glassed and pierced father on display. Bad idea to go the way we came in, one of the other exits will work, she thinks to herself.
What should I bring up, bomb production, she thinks to herself. It's more logical a decision than the potential future of my family's business with them. Her father just died.
The walk back to the Rusty Dragon is uneventful. Ameiko is thankful with Juriya and on the way she says "I guess I own the Glassworks now. I'll be happy to sell you the stuff you need for your production at cost, as a thank you for your help." She tries to smile at Juriya.
The goblin answers Ano saying "I just do what longshanks tells me to. We beat her up and put her in room. Then we have fun with glasses"
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Ameiko looks troubled by the mention of a "disturbing scene", although she doesn't ask about it specifically, at least not yet. She answers while shaking a little "I... I can't believe what Tsuto's done. I imagine you met with him and he wasn't very talkative." She seems to be looking at something without focusing, gathering her thoughts.
Donimah grimly nods.
"You're right, he wasn't. Which surprised me, if I'm being honest. I expected him to grandstand and rant, but he just tried to run for it. But Ano didn't let him get away."
"I never thought he'd be capable of... something like this. He told me... Wait, let's start from the beginning." She seems thirsty, but continues talking "Apparently, Nualia Tobyn is alive." She lets that sink in, looking worried especially at Juriya.
At this, Donimah raises an eyebrow.
"So...she stole her own father's bones?" she asks, remembering the discussion in the Cathedral. "Or had Tsuto steal them. Sounds like the kind of thing you'd only want if you had a ritual in mind."
Ameiko continues "She's responsible for the goblin raid on Sandpoint and hired several mercenaries and Tsuto followed her because... well, he talked of love, but I can't begin to imagine how that would work. How could he love someone who goes about doing so many terrible things? I... Well, he did participate, so maybe I didn't know him as well as I thought I did."
"Well, Bethana did tell us a bit about your childhood...you snuck out to see him after your father sent him to that academy, and that something happened that made him wanna argue with you to the point of hitting you. And he had the venom to accuse your father of murdering your mom at her own funeral...I get it...no one wants to think of the people they love as capable of evil, especially people with good hearts like you and Ano..."
A thought forms in her mind.
"Given Tsuto seemed to have every reason to hate Lonjiku's guts...maybe this Nualia promised a kind of mutual revenge: he gets to take down his living father and she gets to desecrate the remains of her dead one. The bond between two people formed by shared bitterness can...resemble love in the minds of twisted-up people."
She shakes herself back into the subject and continues "Tsuto said that there's another raid in the works and that... I wouldn't want to be in town when that happened. Something about plans for Sandpoint's future... whatever that means. He, then..." Ameiko has trouble continuing at this point, as if saying the words was making her cringe too hard. "... offered me to come with him to Thistletop to participate in this... horrible plan." She has to breathe in a few gasps before saying "When I turned him down, a little emphatically, is when he had his goblins attack me..." She is doing a great job holding in her tears.
At that, Donimah nods.
"See, I think it was Tsuto who didn't really know you, Ameiko. I'd bet gold he thought you hated your dad as much as he did so you'd be open to the idea...and it didn't occur to him you had things like friends to keep you from wallowing in bitterness and resentment like it sounds like both him AND your dad had been doing since almost from the beginning."
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Ameiko thanks Juriya and Persephone for their help and says "He said she's organizing the goblins from Thistletop. I don't know much about it, you should maybe ask Shalelu."
Donimah folds her arms and nods.
"First thing we'll do once we've got you safe and sound. I may not be a diviner, but I forsee a visit to this Thistletop in our future."
Upon thinking some more, she says "He did mention one more thing in particular. There was more than one reason to use the Glassworks. Nualia has some story here of some sort. I think it's in the tunnel they used smuggling for." She seems upset to admit her family was once involved with smuggling.
"Story, huh?" Donimah asks. "He let slip any other specifics?"
This reminds her of something and she says "Friends, I can never repay the debt of saving my life. The least I can do is offer you free accomodation at the Rusty Dragon for the rest of your lives. But I now have to face the music and talk to my father about Tsuto's treachery." She gets up, intending to leave.
"Well that solves my budgeting problems," Donimah mutters, before wincing a bit at her own callousness. "Um...thank you, Ameiko. If you ever have need of a mage's power or wisdom, I will...gladly provide it, no charge."
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When Ano reads that name in the journal, and sees those drawings, the amurrun's entire world shatters. Her eyes go to pinprick, and her breathing becomes more rapid as everything seems to be falling apart.
"Ano?" Cherry asked, sensing the anxiety from her.
"That's...no...that can't be...it's not...it's not her, that's not Nualia! She died in the fire, I saw that fire with my own eyes!" She shrieked, her cries of anguished confusion echoing in the tunnels. "I was going to go into the fire to save her! I...She...Was she...what happened to her?!"
Hearing the shriek, Donimah hisses out a "S$$~!" and dashes to Ano's side. "Ano! Ano, what's happening?!"
Ano doesn’t seem to respond to anyone, muttering to herself in clear distress. Once Arrian refers to the warchanter, though, she finally breaks from that…and glares hard at the goblin.
Ano shrieked her lungs out, lunging to grab the goblin’s throat, though in her tired state she doesn’t get the best hold of the chanter.
“Oh not again! Ano, stop!” Cherry squawked, fluttering awkwardly and pulling the amurrun’s ear to get her to stop.
Donimah joins Cherry in trying to calm Ano.
"THAT'S ENOUGH, ANO! He's...he's not gonna know anything. Tsuto was the brains of this pack and you took care of him! Come...come on...let's get Ameiko back to the Dragon and get a drink or something so we can calm things down and figure out our next move."
With Donimah intervening and events threatening to spiral out of control in a hurry Arrian, while hesitant and uncomfortable, takes action and braces for damage - both physical and verbal.
He grabs Ano's face in both hands and looks directly into her eyes, "This isn't helping. There's a time and a place for grieving, venting, and lashing out - but not now. We must hearing Jargie's voice in his head use our brains! What happened to Ameiko's family could happen to all of our families; if we don't stay calm and think it ! Let's get out of here, inform the authorities, and regroup."
Once that message settles in he turns to the goblin, "What's your name? I assume you know my people, the orcs? And what we do when we're mad and hungry?"
Ameiko looks at Donimah with kind eyes and only says "Thank you for your words." Perhaps she would have more to say at another time.
The goblin looks at Arrian a bit defiantly and says proudly "My name is Puk, and goblins is bigger than orcs. Goblins eat and chew and fight." He clearly likes the lyrics of the goblin warchant.
Ameiko looks at Donimah with kind eyes and only says "Thank you for your words." Perhaps she would have more to say at another time.
The goblin looks at Arrian a bit defiantly and says proudly "My name is Puk, and goblins is bigger than orcs. Goblins eat and chew and fight." He clearly likes the lyrics of the goblin warchant.
Arrian draws himself up to his full height, likely towering over the goblin.
"Not even close. And don't forget, Puk, orcs like to chew and fight too. Stay on my good side."
"Thanks for that. I'll have to reimburse you for... I think about four bottles I took when I had a eureka moment; I finally got bombs working" Juriya says with a smile. She then cranes her head around, making sure no-one in specific (Fosyo) is listening as she walks Ameiko back to the Rusty Dragon: "That group uh... also figured out I'm a kitsune; I got a bit too angry when I figured out Tsuto was in on it," then she just shudders, trying not to bog her long-time friend down with the plan the Arima family has.
Persephone only aids where she is able, granting a hug to Ano.
Once Donimah and Arrian snapped Ano out of her rage, they can see the tears welding in her eyes as her face immediately melts from wrath to hurt. She only silently nods at the suggestion to go back to the Rusty Dragon, accepting the hug from Persephone whenever the changeling gives it to her.
Unfortunately for the party, Fosyo managed to see them return to the Rusty Dragon. Her fur begins to bristle as she follows them.
Ano wipes the tears, having had a brief but good crying, which does clear her mind a bit. "I can't believe she's alive...all this time...?" she mutters.
With Ameiko back at the inn, she starts to make sense of what happened. She figures she needs to take care of a lot of bureaucracy, but Bessana, after hugging her incessantly, insists she takes the day to recover. This turns out to be a good idea, as people start streaming into the inn to congratulate the newest noble of town. Luckily, Ameiko took a bath and is resting in her room.
[ooc]Apart from Arrian's interrogation, what else are you all doing? I know Ano will have some colorful interractions soon, and I'm eager to read them, but what about the rest of you?