Oh. Helmy was here.
And here was Siobhan?
What's going on?!
Viviana is still reeling from being caught off guard by Vyana when Helmy comes in. "Helmy!" she exclaims with a smile, glad to have something break the tension. She bends down and gives the goblin a big hug. Just as releases him, Siobhan enters the room and Viviana draws in a long gasp of air.
She takes two quick strides to her sister and leaps into her arms, squeezing as hard as she can (which is not very much) before releasing her.
Having embraced everyone but Vyana, she covers the ground toward the magus slowly, avoiding eye contact, unable to hide the shame in her eyes. She presses her body against Vyana's and embraces her in a hug, and time stops. She inhales the half-elf's scent, and her breath quickens. She lets out a warm breath against Vyana's neck, not sure if she actually moaned out loud or if it only happened in her head.
Pull yourself together! She lets go of Vyana quickly and sniffs, wiping her nose as if she could wipe away the lingering scene. She turns to move toward Zantus, putting her arm around his shoulder.
"It's so great to uhm. To uhm." She blinks several times as her eyes are drawn back to Vyana while she absently tugs at her cloak. She finally catches her thought again, "...to you see you all again! Shelyn had called me away to heal the lands and I have been gone far too long. I missed you all so much."
She laughs at Helmuts comment about the junkyard and crouches down to his eye level and runs her hand over his cheek while looking at his "treasures" "Oh, I can't wait to hear your stories and you tell me all about these."
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"Hey Viv." Von says, swinging her sister around in a circle just like they always did. It's an almost indescribable relief to her that her sister is just the same as she was.
Then she pretends to absolutely not hear her sister let out a moan as she hugs Vyana, turning to the Father instead.
"You have something to say Father?" She says, trying not to let her eyes slide sideways to Vyana. "What's happened?"
Surprised at Viv's hug, Vyana initially loses herself in the woman's embrace before all the conflicting emotions come rushing back and she stiffens up.
"And you as well," she replies to Viviana's group greeting. She turns to Siobhan. "It's good to see you, Von." Noting that the champion seems to be avoiding looked at her, she frowns but then turns to Father Zantus and awaits his response.
"You have something to say Father?" She says, trying not to let her eyes slide sideways to Vyana. "What's happened?"
Abstalar waves off Siobhan's questions for now. "Let’s eat and enjoy the day for a bit before turning to that," he says as he has a seat and puts food on his own plate. For the next half an hour or so, he asks you about your recent activities, catching up on what's been happening since the last time all four of you were together. The priest does his best to keep things light and pleasant, though the air of tension around your group is hard to ignore.
Finally, once lunch is done, Abstalar gives a heavy sigh and gathers his thoughts for a moment. "You all grew up here in Sandpoint. I know you are painfully aware of our town's shameful history. While the scandal involving Sandpoint’s founding several decades ago certainly didn't start things off on the best foot, what I am more concerned with is how the town and my predecessor, Ezakien Tobyn, treated the foundling aasimar Nualia.
"You were probably too young to remember her horrible treatment. The children played cruel pranks on her. The adults treated her with superstition and awkward reverence. But Ezakien was worst of all. He simultaneously took advantage of the upswell of religious fervor triggered by Nualia’s presence in town, which increased donations to the cathedral, and kept her under a stultifying curfew meant to preserve her 'purity' so she could eventually join a prestigious convent in Andoran—a plan Ezakien hoped would earn him a more comfortable position in a 'much more civilized' part of the world.
"It was perhaps inevitable that Nualia would lose her way and turn to the worship of Lamashtu. After living a life of loneliness and disappointment, Nualia had come to believe that Lamashtu was the only solution. Holy men and celestial ancestry had only brought her despair and pain, after all, and so she fell to the worship of the Mother of Monsters. She burned down the old cathedral, killing Ezakien, then gathered several goblins and a handful of mercenaries to her cause and engineered a devastating attack on Sandpoint with the ultimate goal to offer the town as burned offerings to Lamashtu, only for her plans to be foiled by the original Heroes of Sandpoint. Her death saved Sandpoint from devastation, but what few in Sandpoint truly realized was that they had contributed to the tragedy themselves. Had Nualia been treated well, things might have turned out differently both for her and the town itself.
"And that brings us to today. Over the past seventeen years, I’ve done much thinking on poor Nualia, as she didn’t deserve the fate she got. I’m certainly not justifying her actions, but I wish it never came to that sort of situation in the first place. That I only came to town after the fire that took my predecessor’s life is no excuse—all of those who worship Desna should know better and treat the children of the world more kindly. My predecessor’s failure to be a father figure is in part what caused Nualia’s fall, but the people of Sandpoint were no help in how they treated her as something less than human—something fit only to soften their own fears, or something to jealously covet.
“After her defeat, the least I could do was see to it that she got a proper burial here in town. Some folks blanched at the idea, but I’m glad that most of us were more understanding and forgiving. Only, I feel like it’s not enough. Nualia needs to know we’ve forgiven her... she needs to know that I have forgiven her. She doesn’t deserve an afterlife of torment—her life was torment enough."
Abstalar pauses to gauge your reactions to his concerns and observations.
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"You've done much better than him." Siobhan says immediately, seeing a pulsing vein of insecurity in her adoptive father. "Father Ezakien may have failed Nualia but you've raised at least one well adjusted daughter." She nods to Viv on the other side of the table with a teasing smile. "And one butterfly."
Teasing aside Nualia's story is a sad one - the aasimar had been a cautionary tale in Siobhan's childhood often enough that she didn't need her father's retelling but it struck a chord none-the-less.
"I agree." She says firmly. "Nualia's deeds were heinous, but she was driven to them as surely as any horse before a cart. Sarenrae teaches that we must offer forgiveness where we can and I'd like to do that - for her and for Sandpoint." She looks at her companions, and then to her father. "We can be better than them. Be the example that they should have been."
Father Zantus's words have a profound impact on Viviana. He wasn't just another religious figurehead of the town to her; he was, in fact, her adopted father. He opened her eyes to Shelyn and helped shape this beautiful life she was living. As he lays out his thoughts and the situation before them, she finds herself nodding along with him.
She nods to Viv on the other side of the table with a teasing smile. "And one butterfly."
In true ladylike fashion, Viviana tilts her head towards her sister and sticks her tongue out at her before turning back to Zantus.
She speaks resolutely, "As usual, Siobhan is right. We've been given the power to heal, to forgive, to protect, and to nurture. Nualia's story is a tragedy that unfolded from isolation and bitterness, but it doesn't have to end there. We can extend the forgiveness and understanding that she was denied in life."
"Your actions, giving Nualia a proper burial and recognizing the part we all play in each other's lives, it's a powerful start. But let's not stop there. Let's honor her memory by ensuring no one else feels as isolated and misunderstood as she did. Let's use our voices, our actions, to foster a community where everyone is seen, heard, and valued."
An idea comes to her, and her eyes widen "Perhaps we can organize a day of remembrance, not just for Nualia, but for all who have felt lost. A day where we come together to share stories, offer support, and affirm our commitment to be the guardians of each other's hearts."
Vyana gazes silently at her untouched plate as Father Zantus's speaks. Truthfully, Nualia's story had always resonated with her as both a kindred spirit and as a cautionary tale. While she can't imagine falling to the depths that the aasmimar had, she can certainly identify with the isolation the poor girl must have faced.
"What are you doing here, Knife-ear?!"
Unconsciously, one hand reaches up and tugs one of the small braids in her hair down to cover her ear.
"A day of remembrance won't change peoples' hearts," she says. Finally looking up, she avoids the others' eyes and focuses on Zantus.
"It sounds like you already have something in mind, though," she says in a tone that's almost accusing.
Abstalar nods. “Indeed. I’ve only spoken of this with one other—a friend named Audrahni. Nualia’s been dead for nearly two decades, but time does not pass the same for the dead as it does for the living. Audrahni knows a ritual that can put us in contact with the spirits of the dead and, in her latest letter, she told me she’s willing to perform this ritual here when next she visits, so that I can offer Nualia my apologies and forgive her. I don’t know if that will be enough to help her, or to stave off an afterlife of torment, but I do know that if nothing is done, Sandpoint will have failed her yet again.
“Here’s where the complication comes in. In order for Audrahni’s ritual to succeed, we need a physical link to Nualia’s soul. It’s been years, and any of her belongings are long gone now, which leaves only her mortal remains. As loath as I was to exhume her body, it was necessary to the ritual, to giving her my forgiveness. But when we opened her grave, we made an awful discovery. Her coffin was empty—tunneled into from below, so that when we reached it, the whole grave caved in. Naffer and I were fortunate enough to escape without much harm, but now there’s a hole where her grave used to be—a hole that leads to an underground tunnel below the boneyard.”
"A day of remembrance won't change peoples' hearts," she says. Finally looking up, she avoids the others' eyes and focuses on Zantus.
Viviana blinks. She had proposed the day of remembrance with a heart full of hope and compassion but felt a pang of disappointment at Vyana's skepticism.
"You're right, Vy," Viviana conceded with a gentle nod, her voice laced with unwavering determination. She feels the need to clarify, and Vyana clearly misunderstood her intent. "A day of remembrance alone won't change hearts overnight. But it's a start—a way to open dialogues, reflect on our past, and envision a future where everyone is truly seen and valued. And yes, it sounds like Father Zantus has been giving this much thought."
She turns to listen to the rest of Abstalar's plans, growing concerned. "Missing? Oh. Oh, no. But. Who would take her remains? Whatever it is, it can't be good." Her thoughts naturally gravitate back to the necromancer years ago.
Without asking, she speaks for the group "We will certainly need to look into it straight away, father. ."
Happily seated at the table, the spread of brunch delights present and a counted for, the smiling green Goblin begins expertly selecting those choice bits, pieces and slices of culinary cuisine onto his plate. He seems to skip the vegetables.....
Mouth perpetually filled with tastings and samples of each course presented, Ser Helmut is the most quiet any of his friends have ever seen him....
Politely pausing any purposed policing of platters from the table, the goblin creates a final plate for himself, piling pieces picked possibly for their shapes, the Thaumaturge places each entree.
Fors da snacking during his boring talks.
True to his prediction, Ser Helmut winks at everyone else's empty plates during the priest's presentation.
Stuffing his mouth with chocolate covered chicken wings, the green Goblin nods and shakes his head in the correct response points.
He does seem to be a bit distracted by a wishbone stuck inside his banana float....
His attention does spring back (for a few seconds) at the mentioning of bullies and such. He spits on the floor (looks like a cherry stem expertly twisted into a heart with a dagger through it).
At the mentioning of raising the body, but somebody done stole the body, Ser Helmut hops down from his stool!
Wees bees going on nuther ventures!
The Goblin seems excited....
Abstalar nods. “The subsidence, the claw marks on the underside of the coffin, the missing body, and the tunnel it opens into all suggest ghouls to me. They must have burrowed up from below to rob her grave.
“Ghouls have been a problem in the region for decades, although not so much in recent years. I suppose I grew a bit complacent, but at the same time, they know how to hide and avoid leaving traces. By not tunneling in areas of the graveyard that are in more frequent use, and by backfilling those they defile, ghouls can go unnoticed for ages. Had I waited a few weeks more, no doubt they would have backfilled Nualia’s grave as well, leaving me with a mysterious empty coffin but nowhere obvious to go from there, but that says to me that the theft’s recent enough that her remains might still be recoverable
"I would like you to explore the tunnels and determine how extensive they are. If there are indeed ghouls lurking below, destroy them before they can become a more severe threat to the town. If you can find Nualia’s remains, return them—if not to serve as a focus the ritual, then at least simply to be able to put her back to rest.
"I'm an old man. My dungeon crawling days are far behind me. But I am willing to provide healing and other magical support to you at no cost in return for your service, as well as 75 gp for each of you. In addition, I have prepared some items to help you."
The priest gives you a care package containing four lesser healing potions, four lesser antiplagues, two salves of antiparalysis, and six vials of holy water.
"Father Zantus, your wisdom, and guidance have always been our light in the darkness. You're an old man; you're a wise man. Our beacon, our strength." She reached out, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Do not fret yourself. You have summoned us, and we will take care of this task for you; you have my word. We'll be cautious and make good use of the resources you've provided."
Focus.
Not on the tickle of Viviana's oh-so-familiar perfume that sends a longing ache into her heart.
Focus.
Not on Von's eyes that keep slipping sideways to glance at her. I'm not broken. Stop worrying about me.
Focus.
Focus on the task in front of them. Undead. Ghouls. Something they've faced before and defeated.
Vyana gives a quick nod.
"You can count on us, Father," she says.
After Zantus leaves the group to play, Viviana moves to Helmut and says "Helmy, I'd like to talk to you about what you are doing to prepare for the ghouls. I know you probably have some special materials we should gather for them. Do you mind waiting for me outside? I need to, uhm-" She looks over her should at Vyana while finishing her statement "-say something. I'll be right there."
As Viviana turned her attention to Vyana, emotions surged within her, each one more intense and confusing than the last. Standing before her friend, whom she had journeyed with, fought beside, and not-so-secretly harbored deep feelings for, Viviana found herself at a loss for words—a rarity for someone who had always wielded language with the grace of a skilled bard.
Her hands, usually so steady and confident whether in healing or in combat, now fidgeted nervously, betraying her inner turmoil.
Do not touch her hand. Do not touch her hand. Do not touch her hand.
She whispers "I'm going to talk to Helmy a bit. But. We need to talk. After. Ok?"
Do not touch her hand. Do not touch her hand. Do not touch her hand.
And now Viv is standing right in front of her and Vyana is find her focus being put under tremendous pressure. If she meets the girl's eyes - eyes that can pierce her every defense - Vy knows that she'll be lost so she keeps her vision trained on the scarf in Viv's hair. The gemstone dangling from her ear. The way her top bunches up at her neck. Anything but her eyes.
A curt nod is her only response.
Viviana succeeds at not touching Vyana's hand! In fact, she almost walks away at this point but... something is bothering her.
Without conscious thought, propelled by a mix of affection and habit, Viviana reached out. Gently, almost reverently, she brushed the stray lock of hair behind Vyana's ear, a gesture as instinctive as it was intimate. Breaking the quiet with a gentle, affectionate tone, Viviana murmured, "There we go." her voice soft.
She smiles and then turns away, skipping out the door with her endless enthusiasm. Once clear of the door, she puts her back against the wall and lets out a huge breath she had been holding. She puts her hand over her heart and tries to calm its racing.
After a few moments, she moves down the hall, regrouping with Helmut. "Ok Helmy, what do we know about ghouls? What do you have in your bag of tricks? Anything in your tome about their weakness?
She leaned against the wall, thinking. "I think a trip to the library might be in order." Viviana mused aloud. "Knowledge is as much a weapon as any blade or spell. If we're to venture into the tunnels and face these ghouls, we'll need all the information we can get."
Smiling at the huge hunk of sandwiched chocolate cake (between two bake potatoes halves), the open mouth goblin turns his blue eyes to Father Zantas, as the Priest continues to discuss stuff about fun times.
Mees can bees brings da sandwiches!
Taking a rather big bite of his fine example, Ser Helmut giggles.
At the abrupt dismissals, the chewing goblin quickly gathers enough leftover for everyone. Slinging the sack filled with whatever remained on the table (could be a few cups, saucers and spoons), Ser Helmut gives a smart Salut to the good Father!
Yous no worries. Ghouls gots game, butts goblin eat game!
Nonchalantly stepping toward the door, the grinning goblin winks at Viviana.
Mees bees youses huckleberry!
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"Hey Vy," Siobhan says, finishing up a quiet conversation with Father Zanthus as Viviana heads outside. "It's... good to see you again." Without conscious thought the pair turn right from the cathedral and head for the cliffs, where they walked and played so often in past years.
"I'm sorry about your mother." Siobhan says softly as they're each the base of the Old Light and the wind threatens to whip her words away. "I - no. I'm sorry for not being there. For you. I'm sorry I left you on your own to face... everything. I would have come Vy, you know I would? Right? Id never want to leave you to face something like that alone."
Tears roll down her cheeks as she stares out intot he Gulf, eyes narrowed against the wind. "I know you had Viv and Father Zanthus and everyone but I wish I'd been there. I should have been there. I'm sorry Vy, truly sorry."
Vyana, who had been enjoying the walk up to the cliffs, stiffens and her face hardens.
"Viv left," she says in a clipped voice. "Right after Mama ..." She swallows and her voice breaks for just a moment. She clears her throat and turns away. "She left a letter," she tosses out almost casually as she walks away towards the edge. "So I guess I should be thankful for that." She shrugs and draws her arms closer around herself.
"But that's what happens in life, isn't it? Things happen and we deal with them. Just like we need to deal with the ghouls. I'm glad you're here, Von. We're going to need your skills no doubt." She continues to gaze out over the distant waves.
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"Oh Vy." Siobhan says softly and the half-elf finds herself wrapped in a second set of arms, warm ones which pin her to the spot and prevent any further thoughts of escape.
Von holds on for a minute or so before letting her grip loosen. "I wrote to you too. Although you never got it. I found it when I got home but it said, I said, you need to let others help you Vy. We aren't all Dany and his little band of bigots. We can help. I can help. You just have to tell me how."
Von starts walking again, grabbing one of Vys hands but otherwise letting her taller friend set the pace. Vy always thinks better on the move.
Vyana shrugs again.
"I appreciate the thought, Von, but it's all done and done. Life moves on. We need to move on. We need to focus on what's in front of us. We have ghouls we need to deal with." She takes a steadying breath and turns a forced smile towards her friend. "I'm glad you're back."
She does her best to not think about the conversation that Viv wants to have with her.
Viviana laughs at Helmut and offers him a big smile "Ok, huckleberry it is!" and calls out as he leaves "Go see what you can scrounge up!"
---
Later, Viviana is in the library trying to make sense of old scrolls and tomes on types of undead. She knows the ghouls are in here somewhere. She has a dozen different articles strewn about all around her when Vyana enters. Viviana may have the eloquence of the tongue, but organization and cleanliness are not her forte.
A moment of frustration bubbled to the surface as she tossed aside yet another tome that failed to provide the answers she sought. "Surely, 'Yuh's Magnificent Divergent Collection of Undead Forms and Other Atrocities' should cover ghouls, of all things!" she muttered, her voice a blend of irritation and disbelief.
Looking up she sees Vyana enter and rises to her feet. "Oh, hey Vy. I was uhm--" she starts, looking at the disaster behind her, "-uh, researching ghouls."
Vyana nods and her gaze travels over the various tomes and scrolls scattered around the space. She seems to be avoiding meeting Viv's gaze.
"Good. We've faced them before, but knowing more about them should be helpful." She idly flips through the pages of one of the books. Even though she keeps her attention on the page, the words therein elude her. Something about various forms of ghosts.
"So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about?" she asks.
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Von walks on, trying hard to keep her hurt from showing. Once upon a time she and Vy were inseperable. One girls trouble was the others and they dealt with them together. But now Vy doesn't want that, doesn't want her, anymore.
That's life. We all grow up, and things change. She tells herself, Even if I wish they didn't.
And then there's Viv, waiting with the familiar bouncing awkwardness that always made Siobhan smile.
"Well I'd best be going." Von says, recognising a third wheel when she sees one. "I should check my old armour still fits." of course it does, she hasn't grown an inch since she was fourteen but Vy doesn't want her here and Viv definitely doesn't so Von gets out of the way. It's the right thing to do.
Viviana drops the tome in her hands and hops over the obstacle course to sit next to Vyana. She sits there silently for a minute, trying to find the right way to begin.
"Vy. I, uh, owe you an explanation, but I don't know where to begin." she began, her voice trembling slightly with the weight of her confession. She sought Vyana's gaze, those emerald eyes that had always seemed the right place to look, though now they shied away. "I want to apologize for not being here first. I want you to know that. I expect you were furious and hurt when I left. I deserve that. You deserved better than that."
The words were difficult to say, each one a reminder of the failure she felt, the absence she had left in Vyana's life at a time when she had been needed most. Viviana's voice cracked as she continued, "I f-failed. I tried so hard to save her. I studied every night, looking for answers. It's all my fault."
"I took her pain every day the best I could, just like the books said. So she wouldn't suffer. And. Taking it like that day after day took a toll on me. But it didn't work. I did it wrong. When she passed, I couldn't take it, and. I. I lost my way. Shelyn told me I needed to go find others that needed healing and -" She paused, tears breaking free, a visible manifestation of the guilt and sorrow she carried.
"I'm not making excuses. I just wanted you to know why I left. But I'm back now. And you are still here. I was worried you'd be gone."
She looked into Vyana's eyes once more, her hand reaching out tentatively, an offer of connection, of reconciliation. "I've missed you so much. I have so much to tell you. I've here to take care of you now."
Vyana continues turning pages with a hand that begins to tremble more and more as Viv pours out her feelings and it's quickly obvious that she's not even seeing what's on the pages.
"Viv, I ..."
She chokes back her emotions and wipes at her eyes.
"There's so much I need to tell you as well," she finally says in a tight voice. "But I can't do that right now. We can't do this right now. We have to focus. Father Zantus needs us. Sandpoint needs us." She forces a laugh. "Hells, even Danny Barret needs us. Please ..."
She finally turns to face Viviana, and Viv can see that the half-elf's eyes are filled with tears of her own.
"Please," she repeats. "We need to deal with this first. I can't ..." She shakes her head and her eyes close. "I'm not ready to tell you everything yet. It hurts too much and I can't afford to feel like this right now. I ... We need to focus."
Viviana, ever impulsive when it came to matters of the heart, misread the plea for space and focus as a silent call for reassurance. As the sign she had been waiting for her whole life. Driven by a maelstrom of emotions and the fear of losing another moment to express her true feelings, Viviana closed the distance between them with a decisiveness that left little room for hesitation.
Gently Viviana placed her trembling hands on Vyana's cheeks, drawing her face close enough that their breaths mingled, "Vy, I ... I love you. I've loved you in ways I couldn't even understand until I was away from you. I've always loved you. I will always love you."
Her words flowed freely, "Leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done. And every day since has been a lesson in patience, in waiting for the right moment to come back to you. But I can't wait any longer." Viviana confessed, her eyes searching Vyana's for any sign of reciprocity, of understanding.
"I see us like the stars bound by the sky, an ancient bond that time nor distance can break. You are my heart, Vy. You've always been." she continued, her voice imbued with a passion that refused to be contained. "And I should have never left. Not when you needed me most. For that, I will always seek your forgiveness. I promise I will never leave your side again."
This was the moment. The time was now. It would not slip past her again.
Viviana closes the gap and presses her lips to Vyana's.
A kiss was not the response that Vyana had been expecting. Anger. Tears. An eloquent and colorful tirade. All of them were possibilities that occurred to her as she had attempted to articulate - however poorly - what she was feeling.
And while it was unexpected ... it was nice. More than nice, in fact. Viv's lips were soft and sweet. Not dry and cracked like ...
Realizing what she was doing, Vy pulled her hands back from where they held Viviana close and stumbled back against the table.
"Viv, no. We can't do this. Not now. There are too many things I have to say first," she gasps. Also a surprise, Vy found herself out of breath. It hadn't been like this when ... No. Now wasn't the time to think about ... that.
Focus.
That was the first thing that Mama had insisted that she learn before she would teach her even the most basic and harmless of spells. Without focus magic is a wild, untamed beast capable of destruction on a level unimagined.
"We need to deal with the ghouls first," she says, adjusting her clothing in an attempt to calm her racing heart. "Then ... then we'll figure this out. I promise."
Vyana's response, initially full of warmth that Viviana had long hoped for, had quickly transformed into a retreat that Viviana hadn't anticipated. The shock of Vyana pulling away, coupled with her insistence on prioritizing the looming threat of the ghouls, sent a whirlwind of confusion and disappointment through Viviana.
Her heart, still racing wildly and full of longing and hope moments before, now wrestled with the abrupt shift in their connection. "Vy, please!" Viviana began, the urgency in her voice mirroring the tumult within her. "The ghouls can wait ten more minutes. This—" she gestured to the space between them, "—this is what's important! I've waited my whole life for this moment, for us to finally..."
Her voice trailed off, and she closed her eyes, letting her head sag against her chest. She focused on her rapid breathing, slowing it down and trying to think instead of being impulsive.
Calm down.
She takes a few breaths and centers herself. After a long exhale, she opens her eyes and nods to Vyana "Okay. Okay. Ghouls first. As you wish."
Helmut refreshes his memory on ghouls. Ghouls are ravenous undead who haunt graveyards and eat corpses. They can paralyze those they bite or claw, and they also spread fever that can transform those who succumb into ghouls themselves. Fortunately, they are usually not too tough.
When you are ready to go, Abstalar leads you out into the boneyard behind the cathedral. Nualia was buried near the western end of the boneyard, not far from the cathedral itself, in a spot set apart from the bulk of the other graves (out of respect for the many townsfolk who balked at the idea of burying who they considered to be a supernatural criminal too close to “respectable graves”). He’s had Naffer rig a frame and a tarp over the open grave to prevent visitors from stumbling into it.
"May Desna smile upon your venture," he says. "If you do find yourselves in over your heads, then don't hesitate to beat a hasty retreat back here. I'll be ready to help with healing as necessary."
The open grave leads to a cramped, four-foot-tall tunnel dug through hard-packed earth and clay. The walls are supported by bracing made of wood that appears to have been scavenged from coffins, driftwood, and shipwreck salvage. Faint smudges and scrapes track through the dirt, leading south.
Vyana examines the tracks. "Goblins?" she questions with a frown. "Why would goblins be stealing bodies? "
She moves forward cautiously, drawing her rapier. "Watch for traps," she warns.
Viviana thanks her adoptive father and assures him that they will be fine. "If someone gets injured, I will see to them, rest assured, Father."
Viviana requests Siobhan's assistance, "Von, be a dear and give me a hand down, would you? I don't want to twist my ankle before we even begin to go delving."
Once in the grave, she studies the tracks through the dirt.
While studying the tracks, her mind drifts back to the library. Her thoughts consume her and she loses track of what she is supposed to be doing. When her sister snaps her fingers to get her attention, she says "What? What do you need? Oh. I have no idea."
When Vyana points out the correct path forward, she nods and moves behind her.
Ser Helmut just states in rapture at the dialog, body language, drool he watches coming from both Viviana and Vyana. The grinning g Goblin is seen making kissy face and vomit pantomime.
At the most intimate (interesting) moment, the giggling Goblin yanks down on Vyana's coat sleeve.
Takes dis fer da castings from da distances.
The Thaumaturge hands her one half of a chicken bone (recently cleaned .
Ser Helmut is seen pacing back and forth awaiting the proper moment to...
And the goblin jumps down into the grave!
Watching the others pick8ng and poking at the ground, Ser Helmut learns down to taste some dirt.
Salty.
When Vyana announces goblins not ghouls this Goblin grows a bit indignant at the presumption (although, secretly nods in acceptance).
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Von meanwhile does no tracking beyond making sure that she doesn't teed on any obvious foot prints. Her role in the group is to lead the way and watch for foes. Those smarter than her can deal with the tracking and other details.
So she leads the way with shield ready and softly glowing scimitar throwing odd shadows down the passageway ahead.
Wooden timbers are spaced evenly throughout this six-foot-high room, supporting a network of beams above to give the cave-like chamber support. The walls and floor bear evidence of having been dug out of the clay and soil by clawed hands. Several large, flat boulders have been left in place protruding from the floor to serve as tables—tables strewn with gnawed bones. Additional stacks of soggy, stained lumber lie in alcoves to the northeast. The smell of earth mixed with decay lingers in the air.
Six goblin ghouls are here, sitting near the tables and conversing in low voices. Once they spot you, the goblin ghouls leap to their feet, hissing and capering in excitement. Long tongues protrude from their mouths as they lick their lips, but they hesitate when they see Helmut among your group. One calls out in the Goblin language.
”Oi! What’re you doing with these tasty longshanks? Step aside and let us have some dinner!”
Jaws dropped open like Eminem dropped the mic in 8 Mile, Ser Helmut just stares at the
The normal goblin smiles charmingly at his fifth cousins apparently twice removed.
Tell me, boys, does having a tongue that tastes the in-between of your toes a good thing? That aftershave that I smell is that like 24/7? With claws that bent and blunted from digging how do you even scratch each other's arses?
The Thaumaturge continues to ask seemingly pointless questions....
Vyana looks from her diminutive companion to the undead goblins. Knowing only a smattering of the goblin language picked up from her years with Helmut, she waits nervously for some kind of translation.
The goblin ghouls exchange glances. ”Uh, yeah, you’d better speak to Glorkus. GLORKUS!” one shouts.
A few moments later, another goblin ghoul emerges from an adjoining chamber. This one is slightly taller than most goblins and wears patchwork leather armor adorned with bones and teeth. In one hand, he clutches a wand made from a rib, the tip of which is adorned with a bird’s skull, lashed with sinew. Glorkus regards you curiously before speaking in Common.
”Longshanks, down here? How did you stumble into my warren?”
Viviana is relieved when the goblins appear open to dialogue. She watches the interactions between Helmut and the other anxiously, unable to determine whether things are going well or poorly. By the look on Helmut’s face, they were going well. But the again, it was sometimes difficult to relate to what Helmut considered to be a positive direction.
She leans in and whispers ”What’s going on?” worried that regardless of how negotiations went, they would likely still need to dispatch these ghouls.
When the bigger goblin comes out, she gets the gist he is in charge. It looks like Helmut has everything under control. Which was unusual, so she grows slightly uneasy at not being able to understand what is being said.
Ser Helmut stops talking when the coolest goblin ghouls that he has ever seen enters and speaks.
Ser Helmut then whispers back to Viviana.
The Goblin gives the coolest goblin ghouls that he has ever seen a green thumbs up...
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"We are looking for a body which has disappeared." Siobhan says calmly. The fact that this goblin speaks common is helpful. Helmy is a good friend but he has... odd ideas about the right thing to say sometimes. "A tunnel beneath her grave led us here. Can you help us?"
Her goddess teaches that undead are an abomination, but a chance for redemption must be offered first. So she offers it, and waits in case Sarenrae's cleansing fire is needed instead.
"Oh, no! A body missing?" Glorkus gasps, seemingly shocked. "Well, we didn't take it. The grave was empty when we got here. But we can help you look!"
He nods enthusiastically, but at the same time, you notice he is giving the other ghouls subtle hand signals. The other ghouls are slowly spreading out in an effort to surround you...
The subtle hand signals he exchanged with his minions did not escape her notice, nor did the strategic maneuvering of the ghouls, aiming to encircle them under the guise of helpfulness.“We appreciate your offer to assist, Glorkus.” Viviana interjected, her voice steady, laced with a hint of steel. She stepped slightly forward, positioning herself in a way that allowed her to keep an eye on the slowly encroaching ghouls.
”But I must insist we maintain some... boundaries while we conduct our search. Safety first, as they say.”
She twirls her glaive into a defensive posture and says a quick prayer ”Shelyn guide us through the clash of steel and let us sing a song of peace that echoes louder."
Glorkus sneers at Siobhan's threat. He levels his wand at you. "Take them alive for Chief Ripnugget!" he shrieks, and the other ghouls hiss eagerly as they prepare to attack!
With a swift motion, Viviana flung her metallic holy symbol of Shelyn toward a goblin, her voice a quiet, determined murmur as she invoked the incantation. "By Shelyn's grace, let beauty become my shield and my weapon." As the words left her lips, the symbol split into three gleaming shards of metal.
Focusing her attention on the nearest ghoul between her and Glorkus, Vyana adopts an aggressive stance and stabs at her chosen foe. Flickers of flame race along her blade as words of magic slip from her lips.
The distraught Thaumaturge (tears of anguish on his face) reaches into his pocket, pulls out a Scroll, and Casts it!
Disrupting Weapon
Both Siobhan's and Vyana's weapons begin to glow with Holy light!
Ser Helmut looks at the recently thought of as the coolest of goblin ghouls that he ever saw with pain and disappointment!