Zieke Halveran's page

After gathering as much information and preparing supplies for the road ahead, Zieke finds himself hovering around the Sandpoint garrison still. It feels a little odd to imagine himself anywhere else after so many months of service to the town. He spends some time conversing with the other guardsman, advising on various things involving weapons or the town's defenses, and then wishes the new recruits well before heading back to the Rusty Dragon.

Once he arrives at Ameiko's establishment, he looks around for any sign of the 'Sandpoint heroes.' Finding them mostly gone or retired to their rooms, he eventually approaches Bethana asking if there's someplace he can get a shave and perhaps a haircut. As it turns out, the Rusty Dragon has much better amenities than the garrison. With Bethana and Ameiko's assistance, he soon emerges with a more proper Korvosan cut about him.

OOC: Yeah, I decided to switch avatars for the rest of the game. This is a reasonable explanation for why he looks a little less rough around the edges now.

You're close. :)

Spoiler:

So did Salome count wrong? Does Zieke leave his own way or does he stay with her? Or is that "mystery man" someone else from her past? (I don't even know; I can think of 5 or 6 possibilities.)

Ah! Cool!

Ooo. Coolness. Now who relates to what image? Sli is obvious with the palace of tomes, and Mal with the ship, but the others are more ambiguous, which is fun. Any thoughts, peeps?

My guesses:

"You act like it is either one or the other--Why can we not do right by both? Besides," she adds in a near-whisper, "Vesh did more for me than Sandpoint ever did," her eyes welling with tears again.

"Because there isn't enough time to do both," Zieke answers calmly, "Lamashtu has seen fit to make us choose." He considers his next words for a moment, but in typical Zieke fashion can't seem to leave well enough alone and continues. "You know, I'm no expert on the doctrine of Sarenrae. I feel out of place defending the notion that the well-being of the many innocent lives here in Sandpoint might mean more than that of a single friend. Hell, I'm not even a local. I don't owe these people much of anything, but I do feel a sense of responsibility for them. I just assumed you would, too, because of your faith."

He notices the priestess' demeanor again. "Don't look at me that way," he tells her, "I'd count Vesh as a friend, too. And I'd happily help you track him and save him if we could. But by his letter, it sounds as though he's headed into the Uplands. That's east of here. The route to Thistletop will take us north and along the coast. It's two different directions and terrain. I can't be in two places at once. And I can't stop Nualia alone."

"Besides, Vesh is a big boy," he finishes, "He comes from the school of hard knocks like anyone else out here. If his mind is sharp enough to write that letter...in such specific terms about his wishes...then he's sane enough to look out for himself while we have this job to do."

"Vesh is not the only one who has had a hard life. Healers come by their knowledge of pain and suffering through experience. But no one considers whether or why they may be in pain."

Zieke mulls this response, but doesn't have the insight to completely see behind Salome's words. "If you're carrying such a burden," he says, "You hide it well. I suppose that's what a healer has to do. Set aside their own suffering to see to everyone else. But if you don't talk about it...and if you hide it as well as you do...then how will anyone else ever know what you're dealing with? Open up sometime. There's not a soul among these friends you've made that wouldn't give you a shoulder to lean on if they only knew you needed it. And that includes me."

"But hell...you've known me all of a couple days, I guess," he realizes, "If you want a more experienced ear, talk with Father Zantus. But talk with someone, sister."

"I think we have said enough on this. I see that I am fighting a losing battle. I will follow you to Thistletop and whatever fate lies there, but I believe that this path is leading us to our end."

Zieke frowns at the notion of that ill omen.

"Let's hope not," he answers, "Because if we fail, it won't just be our end. A whole lot of people...in Sandpoint...and this entire region, really...will die if Nualia's army succeeds. They could even expand their threat to include wherever Vesh may have gone if given the chance. In that regard, if we save Sandpoint, we save Vesh, too. At least long enough for us to survive and find him after we're done."

By now, Salome is all business, her emotions once again locked deep in her heart. "Thank you for being the one to let me know," she says evenly. "It looks like we have work to do." She turns her back on him and walks deliberately back upstairs to her room, leaving her unfinished breakfast on the table behind her.

"I didn't want anyone else to break the news to you," he offers to her retreating back, "I wanted it to be me...I wanted it to be me."

That's not quite how I expected this to go. I think these guys are in serious trouble as they prepare for the final battle. How many will we be? Three? Four?

Yeah. Not quite how I envisioned it either. Zieke's words probably came across too strongly initially in the conversation. But given where Salome's thoughts have gone lately (i.e., suicidal, depressed, etc.), I was kind of hoping Zieke could help her turn a corner in her thinking. Of course, given that she's just lost her "brother" Vesh, that's kind of hard to pull off in a single in-game conversation. :-)

As for our numbers, we are a bit thinner than we started. On the other hand, that could mean easier GMing for JSL. There won't be a major need to tweak the power-level of the encounters from here out if we're down to four.

Salome sets her jaw before pushing herself away from the big man. "I take it that the others agree with you?"...She scoffs and adds bitterly, "You will all just let him go. No questions. No good-byes. No attempt to find him. If I had drowned that day you found me on the riverbank, would any of you have raised a finger to find my body? Because, "liability" to us or not, I honestly believe Vesh is going to get killed out there."

Zieke steps back in order to give Salome room. But his expression hardens a bit at her line of reasoning.

"The others agree. Even Ehlissa and Mal," Zieke nods, "It's a hard life out here, sister. It's hard everywhere. It doesn't seem your friend Vesh came out of a noble's household. That means he's lived no life of ease. So I reckon he'll make his way just fine."

"He didn't come to this choice on a whim. And I can't say I wouldn't do the same if what happened to him had happened to me. You keep his letter. Read it again sometime when you're at peace," he suggests, "This was Vesh's own choice. And if there's anything you've taught me in the short time I've been with you, there's little we can do to force others to believe or act the way we'd want. If Vesh feels this is right for him...given everything that happened...you and I can't make him feel otherwise just by tracking him down and then what? We plead with him to reconsider? Meanwhile, Nualia and her army razes Sandpoint?"

He gestures with his hand palm up. "You're telling me you want to go after your friend because you think we can change his mind? And your faith doesn't balk at that, knowing hundreds more will die here if we don't intervene in Nualia's plan? C'mon, priestess. You're wiser than that. Everyone else needs you here...much more than Vesh needs you chasing after him right now."

Then, Zieke's expression softens a little. "As for your time at the riverbank," he offers, "I came running quick enough, did I not? Are you telling me that was your way of saying good-bye?" His words linger in the silence as he measures her response.

Sense Motive check... (1d20+4 = 20)

As he begins to get a sense of what the day at the riverbank might have been about, he leans back and reads Salome in a different light. "At least Vesh was thoughtful enough to leave us a note explaining his frame of mind," he answers, "There's not a soul among these friends you've made...including me...who wouldn't search for you if we didn't know what happened to you. But we know what's happened to Vesh. And we know what Vesh intends to do...by his own words to us. I'm going to honor his decision. But I don't believe he's going out there to commit suicide. He's going out there to find himself...forgive himself...and he's left you a note in there to find him when enough time has passed for that to happen."

He moves to leave, but looks back over his shoulder.

"That's a big difference, sister. Maybe you should meditate on that?" He hesitates, worried that maybe he's being too hard on her. "I'll be at the Rusty Dragon once I've gathered a few things for the trip to Thistletop. If you want to talk, find me there..."

She shakes her head. "No," she whispers. "No, no. No, no, no!" she crescendos, as if she can command the letter to change, to retract its own words.

Zieke frowns as he hears Salome's initial reaction. He looks around the inn, fearful that other patrons might assume he's somehow wronged the priestess. Luckily, it doesn't appear very many guests have made it down for breakfast so close to sunrise.

"Zieke! We need to bring him back! We cannot let him go! Who knows what will happen to him? I promised I would protect him. I promised I would heal him. I promised I would stay by him... We need to go. We need to go now and find him, bring him back." She looks around the room as if searching for a clue, a plan to suddenly present itself.

"Yes, yes. We can do this," she says, though it's unclear whether she's talking to herself or to the former guardsman, "but we need to leave right away, before he gets too far or gets in trouble." She looks up at Zieke. "You can track him. I will convince him to come back. He will listen to me. We can be back here before noonday and still leave for Thistletop when we planned." She stands up and heads toward the door before turning back and beckoning to her companion.

"Um...I really don't think that's wise, priestess...I mean..."

"Zieke, please, we need to go," she says, growing more agitated. "You do not understand. This is Vesh we are talking about. Mijn bazé -- my brother. Lamashtu must have poisoned his mind against us. She is turning him away from us when she knows we all need each other the most. She is trying to weaken us, break us apart so we cannot complete our mission. We must find him!"

"I assure you Slidell already examined the letter...Vesh's room...and assessed his probable mental state," Zieke tries to reason with her, "This wasn't Lamashtu. It was Vesh's own choice."

Growing more frantic, she lowers her voice, again seeming to talk to herself. "It must be Lamashtu. It must. Desna is good. She guided him so many times, blessed him with luck. Preserved his life. Lamashtu must be making him think this way. Because if she is not...if she is not...the only alternative is that...oh, no. No, no, no, no!"

Zieke hesitates...unable to follow wherever the mind of the distraught daughter of Sarenrae has gone. He stares at Salome, mentally comparing her behavior to that of a wild animal under duress...at a complete loss whether to try and help or stay back.

The normally stoic priestess starts rocking and breathing heavily, trying to stave off the nearly overwhelming flood of emotions behind her realization. "Zieke, I did it. It is my fault. I told him that when he attacked my face, he attacked my soul. It is Qadi belief. But I held no grudge. I forgave him. I did not mean to send him away! I need to talk to him! I need to bring him back!"

"Everyone I have ever loved has been taken away from me. Now Vesh too!" Unable to hold back her overwhelming grief, Salome covers her face and weeps, still rocking. "Mijn bazé, mijn bazé," she repeats, futilely calling him back through her tears.

Finally making up his mind, Zieke crosses to Salome and pulls her into a reassuring embrace, tucking her head just under his chin and murmuring softly. "Shhhh..." he tells her. His own voice sounds strained but determined, "Now you listen to me."

He swallows hard.

"It's nobody's fault. Only Vesh controls his actions. You didn't push him to do this...and Lamashtu didn't either," he says. The conviction of his words rises with each statement like a well-placed blow, "You read his letter. There's something that's been eating at that boy since before he even knew you. He may have found a kindred spirit and leaned upon your wise advice, but he's got demons of his own making to deal with. What happened in Lamashtu's shrine just woke him up to it. That's all." Even as Zieke says those words, he can't help but compare his own past to Vesh's situation.

"It's better for him to go," Zieke continues, "He needs time to sort out his own mind. It doesn't matter if you already forgave him. He has to forgive himself. You can't help him with that. And even if you could, we've got other duties."

He draws back so Salome will look up at him.

"There's a whole town full of people here that need our help more. The Mayor is counting on us. And given Vesh's state of mind, he knows he's not prepared to help us. He would only endanger our efforts. And now Lamashtu is trying to confuse and distract us from opposing her. If we waste time tracking down Vesh...instead of moving on Thistletop...Lamashtu and Nualia will win. Think about that. You destroyed her shrine. Now, Lamashtu views you as a threat...all of us. Vesh would have been an instrument for her to use against us...either by compromising our efforts at just the right moment...or by making us give up our quest and go after him instead. But Vesh has realized all of that. He's turned away from Lamashtu. He knows we have to oppose her. But he's got his own demon to face. And it's a personal one. We can't help him with that. And he can't help us with ours. So as hard as it may seem, we have to turn away from him. For now..."

He wipes away some of the tears from her face. "It's better for everyone this way," he whispers, "Now pull yourself together. This town and the rest of your friends need you right now. Pray to your goddess that she'll guide Vesh in mending his own past. Ask her to free you to guide the rest of us. And together, let's seek her wisdom so Sandpoint isn't overrun by its enemies."

He continues to stand solidly, holding Salome, and trying to use his presence as a reassurance for her. But he waits for her own reaction before deciding on any further response.

Salome...wanders back to the White Deer Inn for breakfast.

Still munching on an apple as he departs the Rusty Dragon, Zieke skims Vesh's letter for a second time as he looks for Salome. His path naturally takes him to the cathedral, assuming the priestess of Sarenrae will assuredly greet the morning sun in some kind of devotion there.

'She won't take this well...' he tells himself, carefully folding the letter and tucking it away, 'The two seemed genuinely close and concerned for one another. Being a healer, I suspect she'll want to rush off and find him...worrying over whatever mental wounds or depression is affecting the boy. But we've got no time for that. Sandpoint could be attacked anytime by Nualia's army. And the Mayor's trusting us to put a stop to it. If Vesh is in no shape to contribute to that effort, it's better he sit it out than become a liability. But we can't afford to lose Salome. She's the grease that evens out all the rough edges in this group...including me.'

Zieke finally reaches the cathedral and checks with the acolytes there. Although many saw Salome at sunrise, he learns she's already left. At least one of them mentions the White Deer. So he thanks him and crosses the small courtyard separating the two buildings. As he enters the inn, he catches sight of the distinctive priestess. Hardly anyone in Sandpoint dresses quite like a Qadiran.

"Priestess..." Zieke greets her as he approaches her table. One of the serving staff questions him if he'd like to order something for breakfast, to which he answers, "No thanks, I just ate at the..." But his words trail off rather than tell them he patronized the Rusty Dragon over the White Deer. "I...um...already ate. Thanks."

Turning his attention back to Salome, he pulls up a chair uninvited. But the normally brash warrior's demeanor is quite different as he frets over exactly how to break the news of Vesh's departure to her. "We need to talk..." he explains, "Something's come up."

He reaches into his vest and draws out Vesh's letter. "Stormraven found this..." He passes it across the table, but doesn't lift his hand from it until she meets his eyes. "It's about Vesh." With that, he sits back and leaves it to her to read the letter or ask about its contents.

He sniffed again. "Well, I'm not really hungry. I still have lots of shopping to do. Items to purchase, enchantments to conjure, that sort of thing. Let me know if your looking for anything in particular, I'll try to pick it up for you while i'm out. See you later." And he abruptly stands, grabs his pack, and heads towards the door. One hand resting on his familiar, drawing strength from the contact.

In the silence that follows Sli's departure, Zieke regards Ehlissa and Mal. It seems hard to put together any words that won't sound hollow. Being new to their group, he could hardly claim to understand Vesh. Perhaps Salome would have better insight...provided someone told her.

The big warrior mulls over his breakfast. "I certainly hope that boy's himself," he finally says aloud, "The wizard said Vesh's note was deliberately and carefully written. That would imply Lamashtu's curse didn't compel him into any sort of rash decision or odd behavior. Still, a part of me fears he might still be carrying some wound of the mind from that vile stuff he drank. I hope he isn't venturing into the wilderness just become another monster of that accursed goddess. Or worse...that he be drawn somehow to this Nualia and her goblin army."

"Seems like we've all got stuff to do today," he finally settles his own mind, "I'll drop by and check on Salome...give her the news...and see what she thinks. The rest of you get your things together. We need to reach Thistletop. And the sooner the better, I'm thinking."

Zieke then excuses himself from the table and goes in search of the priestess of Sarenrae...

Might as well keep things moving while we wait...but no pressure to respond for anyone. It just seems like a natural direction to take the story. And all of our characters will have to come to some sort of transition in accepting Vesh's departure.

The next morning, Zieke awakens with a sense of invigoration he hasn't felt in years. He goes through his morning routine and training regimen with gusto, relishing the cloudy morning and cool sea breeze. It seems to put him at ease as he contemplates his future freedom and whatever adventure lies in store at Thistletop.

Before finally returning to his temporary room at the Rusty Dragon, Zieke makes sure to wash off with a swim in the ocean. He changes clothes again and then enjoys a massive breakfast in the downstairs tavern. His high spirits and smiling face even take back the serving staff. No one in Sandpoint has seen him quite this...happy?

But Zieke spends more time contemplating the group's immediate future than talking with the locals. He already has a busy day planned to seek out those with knowledge of the road to Thistletop. He half-hopes that Shalelu might pass through town again so he could ask her about the challenges the goblin stronghold might present. Failing that, he suspects the Sheriff or even Mayor Deverin might have some information provided to them by the elven ranger.

Then, Zieke anticipates the gathering of supplies for their trip. Food and water aplenty, of course. He considers horses as well, and maybe a guard dog, knowing full well how much fear such creatures could strike in goblinkind. Other mundane items, like rope, maybe a grappling hook in case they need to climb the head-shaped island...and a handful of other possibly useful things. The big warrior makes a mental list and then informs Bethana and Ameiko of where he can be found if the others come searching for him.

Just thought I'd post up some kind of transition for Zieke as well. Plus, I didn't want this thread to fall off the main listing for the play-by-post games just yet. I'll leave it to Sli or Mal to discover Vesh's disappearance.

"Well, as for a backdoor, what if we sailed to Thistletop rather than going by land? We could probably cut down on time, and avoid whatever goblins are between here and there. Plus, I'm guessing that the goblins aren't ready for an assault from the sea. They aren't renowned as sailors."

Zieke starts to ponder Mal's idea, weighing the merits and disadvantages of an approach by water. As a result, he completely misses Naelah's entrance and doesn't realize a wolf has approached their table until it's practically bowled over Slidell. Startled, Zieke rises from his seat, reaching for his sword as Veran flaps away in a flurry of wings.

"What the...?!" he starts to exclaim, but then holds his weapon as Sli doesn't seem particularly alarmed by the wolf's appearance. He stares about in confusion as it licks the wizard's face and the snowy-haired young Shoanti approaches their table.

"We are brought together once more!"

"We are...?" Zieke asks aloud, then looks around at Mal and Vesh, "I take it you know this woman?"

"I think I know where the goblins came from!...They traveled west along the coast, and there are signs of heavy traffic within one of the larger forests in the area....What has happened to you all? And where are the others? Ehlissa? Corran? The desert-woman?"

Zieke holds his tongue, obviously unfamiliar with the lady. Since she seems to have information about the goblins, he pays careful attention, however, sparing only a wary glance at the wolf as Slidell regains his feet.

"Naelah! I didn't expect to be seeing you again anytime soon. Come on, have a seat....Yes, Thistletop seems to be the source of our troubles. It's where we're going next, actually."

"Neahlah. You look fully recovered. It's good to see you. I...that is we...were wondering what had happened to you. I mean, you were recovering, and then you were gone, and...It's good to see you."

"It is good to see you again, Stormraven!....How I have missed you all so. And no, no sugar rocks today Stormraven....It is good to see you too, Malcom..."

"Seems to be quite a reunion..." Zieke comments to Vesh as he sits down again.

"Thistletop?....An apt name. It is good that you are planning to leave soon, as I can only imagine that the number of goblins there are swelling if they are left alone for too much longer."

"Yes, Thistletop," Zieke finally addresses the newcomer, "Malcolm here was just suggesting we could take a boat there instead of traveling overland." He nods as he folds his sizeable arms on the table in front of him. "Zieke Halveran, by the way," he offers, "A former guardsman here in Sandpoint."

He too offers the girl a seat, curiously measuring her tribal markings with his eyes as she joins them at the table. Although Zieke had encountered a few Shoanti in the wilderness north of Korvosa, most of those meetings didn't go very well. So he continues to watch her and the strange wolf with a wary, guarded edge.

"Thistletop is supposed to be an island," Zieke states in order to bring their conversation back around to their future task, "Shaped like a head some say. So I figure it's more like a mountain or rock jutting out of the sea. If that's the case, I'm not sure we'd find much of a beach to land a boat on. And even if we did, it sounds like there might be quite a bit of climbing involved to scale to the top of it. Locals around here agree that Thisteltop is the most defensible stronghold of the goblin clans anyway. As such, I figure they've got lookouts posted. So they might see a ship coming from miles away long before we even set foot on land again. That would let them raise the alarm and warn this Nualia of our approach."

He rubs his jaw for a moment and then suggests, "I'm still thinking the overland route might be the better route. That way, if we catch a few goblins outside or along the road, maybe we can interrogate them so we can learn more about what we're up against? Also, I think we should approach Thistletop during the day. Most goblins are nocturnal. And they can see in the dark better than us. In the sun, we could catch them sleeping or less likely to poke their heads out to keep an eye on the approaches. And besides, with Salome on our side, I think we might have the sun goddess' blessing on our effort if we go when the sun's at its highest point in the sky..."

Hows that for 'running with it?' ;P

In the spirit of kicking off the NFL regular season, I'd say you managed to get us good starting field position. ;-)

"Sounds easy enough!" He says, taking a peanut from the table and munching on it.

"If this Nualia is under the influence of that stuff we found under the Glassworks, it'll have had a long time to work on her," Zieke comments. He can't help but stare at Vesh as he contemplates his next words, "But if we can shake him out of it, maybe we can do the same for her. Frankly, I'm more worried over what that quasit said about her 'daughter' attempting to free some champion of Lamashtu. Let's make sure that doesn't happen first. Then, we can worry about what's in Nualia's best interests if anything's left of her."

"As for Thistletop," Zieke continues, "I know a bit about it. Mostly things Shalelu has shared. It's an island, so what kind of backdoor could it possibly have? Can't say I get up that way very often anyway. Usually, I'm patrolling the south road to Magnimar to keep it safe for Sandpoint merchants. But I'll find out what I can and meet the rest of you when we're ready to go."

"In the meantime," he suggests, "Why don't you and Vesh and maybe Mal see what the three of you can get for all that stuff we collected from those ruins. If there's something we can use against Nualia or the goblins or Lamashtu's champion, we might as well prepare it now. That should leave Salome and Ehlissa to pay Hannah a visit. If either of you need help, come get us and we'll come running."

Hopefully, that should sum up our intended activities. Zieke will gather intelligence about Thistletop. The selling or modifying of treasure and equipment can be left to Sli, Vesh, and Mal. And the girls can handle the tea party at Hannah's place. ;-)

*Punt*

*nudging* Rags..."Get under the ball...and no fair catch! Run with it!" ;-)

"I think that we might be able to draw her out. She's a healer, and I've whetted he appetite with what I've told her so far. Also, it seems like the Sheriff might be paying her a visit--as fast as he left the table tonight."

"Maybe," Zieke nods, remembering the worried exchange of Hannah's name between the Sheriff and Mayor, "If so, perhaps we can capitalize on that? Not me, certainly. I'd be viewed as just an extension of the Sheriff and Hannah wouldn't be any more apt to share information with me when she'll have already spoken to the Sheriff."

"But Salome here's got an angle I think might work," he shares, "Her faith in Sarenrae and Hannah's profession as a healer should establish some common ground. And given she often deals with...and presumably is confided in...by mostly other women, I think a conversation with Salome or Ehlissa would get a lot farther than any of the rest of us."

"What to ask her though?" Zieke ponders, "For me, I think the obvious question has to involve Nualia. What really happened during the fire at the cathedral all those years ago? Did she ever truly see any evidence that Nualia perished along with Father Tobyn? If not, and seeing as how a lot of evidence is pointing to Nualia being behind the attack on Sandpoint, then we need to know everything about Nualia that Hannah might know. Her personality...her hopes and dreams...her jealousies and secrets...anything to help us know her well enough to anticipate her next moves or how she'll react to us when we arrive at Thistletop."

"I'm concerned about this Tsuto character, too," Zieke confides, "Seeing as how he escaped, he's bound to have returned to Nualia. Presumably, he's told her something about all of you. We need to even the battlefield by gathering some intelligence on her, as well. What do the rest of you think?"

"He may be smart, but his logic is not tempered by wisdom. And once he has reached a conclusion, he rushes headlong in that direction, without considering the consequences or any other evidence around."

"You got that right," Zieke agrees, watching Sli rather aimlessly walk away. Though impressed with Salome's read on the wizard, the big warrior can't help but wonder how the priestess sees him, too.

"Hannah is well-trusted in this community. Trusted as a healer, and trusted as a layworker in the church. And she is entrusted with people's secrets, which she is very good at keeping. I hesitate to jump to conclusions like our majji; before confronting someone, I prefer not to be wrong."

"Generally, I agree with you," Zieke nods, "But there's something to be said for rattling somebody's cage now and then just to play your hunch." He starts after Sli, but tosses one last comment over his shoulder as he looks back at Salome. "Besides," he adds, "You can always apologize later if you're wrong. Reasonable people usually don't mind if they've got nothing to hide and they take the time to understand your motives."

"I think you're exactly right....It all fits together perfectly. Hannah was quite cagey when I spoke to her before, but not unpleasant. Maybe I should try talking to her again?"

Zieke is brought up short as he hears Ehlissa's voice from the shadows.

"Hell's bells!" he mutters, "Is everyone tagging along behind us?"

He finally reaches out and grabs Slidell's cloak as it billows behind the lanky wizard. Meeting Veran's eyes, he pulls the garment taut to prevent Sli from going any further.

"Hold your horses there, Stormraven," Zieke demands, "There are better folks to pry information out of Hannah than you...or me. Let's give Salome a chance to talk to her about it."

Feel free to stop me! Going with the "Sli followed them because he was in his own world" train, this seems appropriate! ;)

I'm going to wait for Salome to yell, "Majji!" That ought to get his attention back to us. ;-)

Ack! I can't believe I missed that! (Actually, yes I can, been under a lot of stress lately) Ok, so either Slidell followed you guys, as he was thinking and not really paying attention to whom he was walking with, (A very possible 'Sli' thing) OR this came out later, over dinner! Either way. Sorry guys, didn't mean to intrude upon your private chat! ;)

I'd prefer to say Sli followed along with Zieke and Salome, too lost in his thoughts to realize the three of them were separating from Vesh, Mal, and Ehlissa. That way, Sli would be around to hear Zieke suggest Nualia might have been pregnant. Otherwise, I don't really imagine that line coming out over dinner. It's just something Zieke felt comfortable confiding to Salome during their walk. And having Sli there to both overhear it and then click all of his tumblers into place is just a good story mechanic. Not to mention Zieke will find it annoying that the wizard was around to eavesdrop. Ah...the lovely relationship between a fighter and a spellcaster... ;-)

"IF Nualia was pregnant, then the reason no one knows about it is because she left after the fire, so no one found out... or something happened to the baby..." Slidell calms down and looks the others in the eye, and speaks very quietly. "The baby. Lamashtuu. The Mother of all monsters. Something happened to the baby. Something that set Nualia off completely. And Hannah knows. That's her secret."

Zieke wheels around at Slidell's voice, half-annoyed to find the wizard trailing after them and eavesdropping on what he thought was a private conversation. But as the wizard carries on and unleashes one connection after another between various pieces of information, the big warrior's annoyance turns into a dubious expression that, while somewhat skeptical of Sli's conclusions, continues to hear him out.

Once Sli finishes, Zieke turns to Salome and asks, "You buy any of that?" He gestures back at Sli with his thumb. "I know Ehlissa referred to him as the smartest man she knows, but I'll be damned if I can follow all that logic. Does he know half the stuff he's talking about...? Because if he's right, I'm even more convinced we need to talk with Hannah."

"Zieke, Salome, Follow me on this for a moment,..." HE rubs his chin in a now familiar way as he lines up his thoughts."

Are we all walking together? I had imagined Zieke and Salome's conversation was taking place separate from everyone else as she followed him back to the garrison to remove his things...

Not that I don't appreciate the circular logic and all...and we can just as easily say the absent-minded Slidell fell in step with them and nobody noticed. ;-)

"I am not sure what we do know about Nualia and Father Tobyn. That is, I do not know what everyone else has learned. I have not spoken to Hannah in more than a week. As a healer, she keeps people's confidences, but it does seem that she has been even less talkative than usual. Perhaps even avoiding us. But with that majji around, I cannot say I would blame her..." she trails off...."If I were to talk with her, I do not even know what I would say, or what I should ask."

"I'm sure you'd do a better job of it than I," Zieke confesses, "I'm more likely to just be blunt with her. At this point, I don't think it's so much about what we know regarding Nualia and Father Tobyn as what we suspect. And I can tell you from patrolling and cavassing Sandpoint's criminal elements, sometimes it's better just to play your hunch and see what kind of reaction it gets. Because even if it doesn't get you an immediate answer, it gives you a better read on people so it eventually leads to one."

"Somebody should just tell her we've found evidence that Nualia's alive," he suggests, "That she never burned up in the fire. Hannah probably has heard by now that Father Tobyn's remains are missing. If Nualia is behind the attack on Sandpoint and the goblins used the Swallowtail Festival to dig up Tobyn's bones, that's got to mean something. Let's put it to Hannah and ask her what really happened at the cathedral that night. And all the days leading up to it. She may give us some insight into Nualia that none of us have right now. And that way, if we do find her at Thistletop, we might have a psychological edge on her...or at least, be able to anticipate her most likely reactions or responses to us."

"If you want someone to come with you," he adds, "I'll be happy to assist. And if you want to check with everyone else about Hannah first, that might be time well-spent, too. I know I haven't had any reason to talk to her since returning from Magnimar. But maybe someone else has?"

"You know, I'm still confused about something the Mayor said to the Sheriff," Zieke confides in Salome as they continue walking, "I could've sworn she mouthed the name of Hannah to him when we were telling them about Nualia. I wonder what that could mean? Is there something they're not telling us about the fire at the cathedral all those years ago?"

"I mean, I know a little bit about Hannah," he shares, "She's half-elven. And so she's been in Sandpoint long enough to see just about everyone come and go since its founding. She's also a healer...of sorts. Not exactly a follower of Sarenrae or Irori or anything like that. Just more of a natural healer, I guess. She usually works as a midwife and sometimes cares for the sick and the dying."

"Knowing what we know about Nualia and Father Tobyn, could there be some kind of connection there?" he asks, "Was Nualia pregnant? Or could one of them have sought out Hannah for something? Maybe we should talk to her before setting out for Thistletop. And by 'we'...I mean you. I think you two have enough in common, that she might open up to you more than most. What do you think?"

Anyone can make Knowledge checks untrained but they can only get up to DC 10 information

Well, in that case, I'd roll a Knowledge (local) check, but Invisible Castle is down. Rolling here at work yields a... 1d20+2 = 13+2 = 15. So clue me in if Zieke knows anything helpful, JSL.

As everyone leaves the mayor's office, Salome lags behind to converse with Zieke. "Sometimes in times of darkness, the path is lit only one or two steps ahead, but it is still your path. And you are still blessed for you walk with friends." Without waiting for an invitation, Salome follows Zieke into the cool evening air.

"Friends?" Zieke wonders aloud as he falls into step with the priestess, "Can't say as I have that many friends in these parts. Acquaintances, yes. People that count on me to do a job, certainly. But I'm an outsider here. I wandered into Sandpoint and stayed for awhile. Now I'm free to move on, but I'm not so sure I want to anymore. Besides, I think I've got a lot more in common with you five. I'm confident I can make a difference here, even if I have to do it outside the 'official' sanction and support of the council."

"And you're right about Thistletop," he tells her, "A bigger snake's den of goblins you'll never see. We'll have our work cut out for us there. But I think we'll do fine as long as we keep faith in one another, as well as your Lady of Light. She certainly saw us through those last couple of scrapes."

One more thought. Would it be appropriate for Zieke to roll a Knowledge(Local) check for information about Hannah and other oddities?

Unfortunately, I didn't have Zieke take any ranks in Knowledge (local)...though in retrospect, I regret that, given that he's supposed to be helping guard the town...but I guess with him being on the outskirts and patrolling the wilderness more, it makes some sense that he doesn't have it yet. It also appears Knowledge (local) can't be used untrained, so I can't even make an Intelligence check for it, unless JSL rules otherwise.

Ehlissa looks at Zieke and very gently adjusts the collar, "Shh, it's fine. The cut of this particular collar is rather high, and I think she might have put too much starch in it. Once you've worn it in, you'll not notice it, trust me. It suits you. Seriously."

Zieke's anger seems to sputter out like a candle in a windstorm, replaced by utter confusion and awkwardness as Ehlissa fusses with his collar.

"The Mayor has just got herself and us out of a very tricky situation politically. And rather well too. She's paid us off, yes, but more than enough, and in one lump sum. We're no longer part of her 'faction' as it were, and we're free agents. That and we have a map." At that she grins.

"A map?" Zieke pauses as he sees Slidell holding up the parchment, "Let me see that..." After taking the map in hand and recognizing the Mayor's scrawl, realization starts to dawn on him.

"By the gods," he mutters, "That is one cagey woman."

"Don't worry; this is even better than before in many ways. Be careful though; wearing suits like that can lead you into more danger than if you went around showing a longsword. But for tonight, enjoy it. Like you say, it will be a difficult journey ahead... Zieke."

Zieke exhales, releasing any of his remaining adrenalin at being cut loose from the town guard. As he considers the freedom this will now afford him, he understands the Mayor gave him exactly what he wanted...as well as what she needed, politically-speaking. A wry grin crosses his face and he regards Ehlissa once more.

"That it will, sweetheart." He slowly starts nodding as he imagines the trail ahead and what they'll need to plan out their trip. "That it will..."

OOC: Ah, perfect, Fabes!

As you wrap up the summary with your suspicions about Nualia, the Mayor and Sheriff exchange another worried glance, but hold their peace.

Perception check... (1d20+6 = 19)

Zieke just happens to be sitting at an angle where he can see the Mayor's mouth move and he frowns, not completely understanding the significance of her words to the Sheriff, but noting them for later in case they prove important.

"Now, as regards your retainer with the Town of Sandpoint, it is with a heavy heart that I must thank you for your service and release you from your obligation....Again, I'm sorry, but this applies to Zieke as well." She addresses the warrior directly, "We are in your debt, but the time of your employment by Sandpoint must come to an end."

Zieke seems stunned and crestfallen by this news. His mouth opens, but he's completely at a loss for words. His gaze, however, holds the Mayor's eyes for a long moment.

'Is this because of our talk together?' he wonders, 'Was I too forward to encourage her to confide in me about her troubles with Scarnetti? Or did she cut some kind of deal with Hemlock to persuade him to stay in Sandpoint and train the recruits as long as she could cut me free? What the hell is she doing? This isn't a time to cast off potential allies...including all of these other folks. They're the real heroes of Sandpoint...the ones who made a difference! And the ones that can continue to make a difference if she would only...'

Zieke's thoughts are scattered as Ehlissa makes her bold statement and intentions about heading to Thistletop clear to the Mayor. He almost misses Deverin's reply...

"If that is your wish. I only ask that you finish your business in town tomorrow and depart with all haste." And with that, she exits leaving you to consider the bag of coins and your newfound freedom.

Wisdom check... (1d20 = 6)

"Ah, I understand. I am only glad we could be of some small service." Slidell says calmly. TOO calmly, considering his usual reactions. Slidell stands and bows as the Mayor departs. As the door door closes behind her, he claps softly, smiling. "Well done. Well done indeed m'lady."

Zieke looks at Slidell like he's lost his mind again.

"So, we're off! And not a moment too soon, eh, Professor?" the young warrior says to Slidell.

Finally Zieke can no longer hold his tongue.

"What are you two talking about?!" he exclaims, "Don't you see?! She's cast us off! Here we are trying to help this town and she takes away every bit of support for our efforts except a thank-you-very-much-please-be-on-your-way! Is she kidding? This is ridiculous! Has someone duped her? Did some witch allied with Nualia put a charm on her?! I've got half a mind to march out there and tell her off right to her face! And to think I bought this damn suit to try and fit into the local politics!"

Zieke punctuates his last statement by tugging at the uncomfortable collar that's been choking him all night...

"And why the hell was she saying the name 'Hannah' to the Sheriff?" he asks aloud, "What part does she have to play in all this...? Did she somehow convince them of this madness?"

OOC: Yeah, that 10 Wis and 10 Cha are rearing their ugly head again. Zieke is too thick-skulled to pick up on the subtlety of Deverin's move and proceeds to shoot his mouth off in a complete misunderstanding. Hopefully, one of you wiser folks can set him straight before he causes any permanent damage to his relationship with the powers-that-be in Sandpoint. ;-D

"Any supplies that the town can provide would be gratefully received, Mayor. Would mounts for my companions stretch the town's finances? I am reluctant to leave my steed behind when her speed could be to the advantage."

"Horses might get us there faster, sweetheart," Zieke replies, "And they'd strike fear in the hearts of any goblins we might charge into...but rest assured, if they find them while we're trying to get into Thistletop, there won't be anything left of them when we get back."

"As for the priestess here," he adds, nodding toward Salome, "I agree with the wizard. She was absolutely instrumental in eliminating ever threat under the Glassworks. And I have no doubt she'd prove valuable if we head for Thistletop as well."

OOC: Apologies on the earlier gaffe regarding Tsuto. I thought you guys captured him. But if he got away...hmmm, it ought to be fun catching up with him again. And this time, with Zieke on your side...! ;-D

The Sheriff nods, "Very well. Proceed."

"Apparently, Sandpoint is built upon extensive ruins below the Glassworks," Zieke begins, "These heroes found them after rescuing Ameiko, slaying several more goblins, and capturing her half-brother Tsuto...who murdered Lonjiku Kaijitsu. The little monsters found their way up into the Glassworks using an old smuggler's tunnel...and that's probably what they used on the attack at the Swallowtail Festival, too."

He gestures vaguely towards Slidell and Vesh. "They also found a journal on Tsuto," he continues, "Seems like he helped plan the attack. But he also goes on about another one. A bigger attack that will overwhelm Sandpoint. He claims Nualia...Tobyn's daughter who supposedly burned up in the cathedral fire...is leading it. She's tied up with Lamashtu somehow and planned on using this she-devil from those ruins to help her. Only we found the...quasit?...first. Killed it before it could do anymore harm. Lots of strange creatures down there, too. Wrathspawn I believe someone called them?"

He then indicates Salome. "This lady of Sarenrae led the fight, and with her goddess' blessing, removed the taint of Lamashtu from an ancient shrine belowground. The threat to the town should now be ended...at least from that source."

"But if Tsuto's journal can be trusted," he adds, "And I assume it can. Then Nualia is alive and well. She's got every intention of putting together an army of goblins backed by more of Lamashtu's followers...and then razing all of Sandpoint. It appears she might be putting this force together somewhere around Thistletop. Now before you decide to rouse the newly-arrived recruits and ride out to meet them, I think it would be better if me and these heroes investigated first. Give us a chance to undo what Nualia might be planning...to take out whatever lieutenants she's picked to lead such a force. And, in the meantime, you and maybe Corran, could see that the new recruits are trained and ready in the event the goblins march on the town."

He glances around at the others. "Did I leave anything out?"

"Oh, practising the old cut and thrust, you know," Ehlissa says casually, patting the sword at her hip. "Over at the field..." she adds, pointing.

"Oh. Yeah..." Zieke is easily distracted by her comment, "I practice over there sometimes too and I..."

As Zieke turns to look, Ehlissa grabs his bag and opens it up. "Oh well!" she says with an air of awe (mock, who knows?) "Very nice!" as she examines the new suit.

"Hey!" Zieke comes off more than a little defensive and angry, "Give that back!"

He chases her a bit along the boardwalk in front of the store, but seems reluctant to make an even bigger scene by continuing that tactic and attracting even more attention from passersby.

"Now!" he demands, resorting to the most authoritative voice he has available...

Once he has the bag back in hand, he secures it more firmly.

"It's a little late in the day for fun and games, sweetheart," Zieke states, obviously in a sour mood and overly defensive about the whole thing, "I've got a meeting tonight. So do you and the others. The Sheriff's back. He and the Mayor want to speak with everyone. Why don't you go pass the word? I've got my own stuff to look into..."

With that, he gruffly leaves her behind, his gait still marred by his embarrassment and anger over feeling embarrassed...and by her of all things!

Once Zieke returns to the garrison, he changes clothes again...putting on the courtier's outfit. He leaves his weapons behind and heads back to the town hall for the council meeting. Although he's conscious of turning heads...as it's the first time anyone in town has seen him this dressed up...he uses the encounter with Ehlissa to deflect any further self-consciousness about it, determined not to feel any further embarrassment.

"What ho!" she calls out, "Did you buy anything nice?"

Zieke cringes as he realizes someone sees him emerging from the fine clothing store. Then as he turns and sees it's Ehlissa, an even further sense of panic sets in. So much so, that he can't quite find an appropriately sarcastic reply.

"Uh...maybe," he answers, slinging his bag over his shoulder to protect their contents from her prying eyes.

"Where've you been all day?" he changes the subject, glancing once over his shoulder at Rynshinn's storefront window.

A beautiful woman, possibly in her late twenties, emerges from behind a silk screen and approaches you. You have certainly heard of Rynshinn Povalli, but you never imagined her to be quite like this. Her dress is stylish and sophisticated, without the slightest hint of being revealing. Yet it outlines her form in a way that leaves you momentarily speachless as she glides to a stop before you.

"Yes sir," she says as she glances over you appraisingly. "We sell only the finest clothing, from Sandpoint, Magnimar, and points east...."

Zieke seems completely at a loss for words for a few seconds, then finally manages to stammer. "Umm...uhh...y-yes," he blinks, "I'm here to buy clothes."

He smiles for a moment as if taking pride in answering her at all, but then realizes he probably didn't fully answer the question and hurries on. "Um...yes, well, of course you knew that. I meant...um, I mean...I'm here to buy some clothes," he says with a steadying breath, "Something a bit better than..." He starts to reach into his bag to pull out the ratty soiled garments he hopes to replace, then immediately thinks better of it and hides them before such a sight can embarrass him in front of the beautiful lady.

"Uh...well, better than...better than what I have," he states, trying to salvage the conversation, "I've...uh...I'm going to attend the Council meeting tonight. And I wanted to look a bit...umm, well, more polished than I usually do." He practically has to laugh at himself by the time he finishes.

"Look, I...I'm feeling a bit out of my element here," he says, "M-maybe I should come back some other time? Corporal Marsk suggested I come here and I'm starting to wonder if maybe he didn't pull a joke over on me? The other guards are bound to have quite a laugh if they see me putting on airs for the Councilors and Mayor."

"...What are you interested in? Please, allow me to take your measurements."

"I...uh...okay," Zieke manages. Despite his head telling him to flee from the store as if a raging dragon were on his heels, his feet stand firmly rooted to the hardwood floor. As the young lady guides him along, he feels like he's in a different world...constantly second-guessing himself and completely ill at ease. 'What the hell's wrong with you!' he mentally curses himself, 'Stop it! You're acting like a fool!'

Despite the intimacy of the occasion, Rynshinn maintains an absolute professional demeanor as your try on and remove various articles of clothing behind one of several screens set up for that purpose. With each trial, she checks the fit and makes minor adjustments. During this time, she ignores all other attempts at conversation while concentrating furiously on her measuring tapes and pins.

Zieke never interrupts her, alone with his jumbled, chaotic thoughts. 'Rynshinn Povalli...' he finally remembers her name, 'How did I miss seeing her for the past two years?!'

Finally, she dismisses you to a chair by the window while she retreats to the side of the shop to make some final adjustments at her sewing table....Two hours after you enter the shop, you emerge with a fine suit, suitable for any formal occasion, short of entreating with a king.

Having taken the time to regroup as he waited, Zieke is mindful to at least thank the lady as he pays her. "By far the best suit I've ever called my own," he tells her, taking great care to actually meet her eyes this time, "You do incredible work...Miss Povalli, is it? I had no idea Sandpoint had such a skilled seamstress. Thank you."

Masterwork weapon prices are another thing that I find irritating. I value a new mwk longsword at 150gp. Savah will buy yours for 125 since it is in good condition. Use PHB prices for the clothes.

Noted...125 gp for the sword. Deducted 30 gp for the courtier's outfit and 2 gp for two other traveler's outfits. Zieke shall proceed to sift through the rest of his old clothes back at the garrison, saving the ones that look like they'll keep for another year or so. He tears the others into some cloth strips for kindling, rags, or binding wounds and such. The rest he throws away or donates to any of the guardsmen that might want them.

"It has been a pleasure, now please get some sleep. I will send for you later."

Zieke nods and takes his leave. After departing the Town Hall, he heads to the garrison, hangs up his weapons, and strips off his armor. He then attacks his bunk for a quick nap before the Council meeting and their report to Sheriff Hemlock that night.

The big warrior awakens a couple of hours before sunset, his body and mind refreshed by a dreamless sleep. He takes some time to wash up and frowns over his well-worn clothes. Nothing seems appropriate for the Council meeting...or really anything, except a trip into the wilderness to live alongside the most uncivilized Shoanti tribes.

"I gotta upgrade to something new," he says aloud. When Corporal Marsk wanders by and sees Zieke worrying over his shirt, he recommends one of the shops in town, Vernah's Fine Clothing, if he wants a new wardrobe.

"Much obliged," he comments. Shrugging into his only other clean shirt, he mulls over his options on paying for something new. His eyes glance over at the wall where he'd hung his weapons. The masterwork blade he'd brought from Korvosa seemed to stare back at him. It had always served as a reminder of his past. But, with the ancient Thassilonian sword to replace it -- and even Zieke had to admit it was made of stronger steel -- his Korvosan blade represented the best solution. If he could sell it, perhaps it would give him what he needed to at least look the part of an upstanding citizen at Sandpoint's council.

Lifting the scabbard from the wall, he draws the blade and looks at his reflection in the polished steel. "We've come a long way, you and I," he comments. A sense of nostalgia sweeps through him, not so much for the times he'd used the sword, but rather all the things he missed about the city he once called home. Those things feel too distant to matter now. Sandpoint is fast becoming his home. And letting go of this sword will close a chapter in his life. Zieke senses that much, but he doesn't allow it to bother him.

Satisfied with his decision, he finishes combing back his still-damp hair with his hands. Then he grabs the Korvosan sword and a small bag with most of his clothes and a few of his other belongings as he leaves. He heads down Tower Street for Savah's Armory to sell it off, haggling over the price as best he can given what he knows of the sword's value.

Flush with coin, he then heads into the heart of town, eventually finding himself on Prickleback Lane not too far from the Rusty Dragon. Zieke had to admit it wasn't a street he often traveled unless he was patrolling for the guardsmen or on his way to Ameiko's establishment. This time, however, he takes note of the boutique described by Corporal Marsk -- probably the only guardsman who would even know or care about such a place.

Summoning his courage -- for what kind of wilderness tracker and self-respecting warrior would venture into such a dress shop? -- Zieke boldly enters. He knocks on the open door and then losing some of his bravado, calls out a little timidly, "Anyone home?"

OOC: Zieke is going to sell off his masterwork longsword from Korvosa and use some of the money to buy himself a few new outfits -- one of which he intends to ensure is at least a courtier's outfit (30 gp) and maybe a couple of traveler's outfits (1 gp each). Just let me know what he has leftover (the sword's list price should be 315 gp) after that bit of business and I'll update his profile.

"Yes. I'm sure that would be most helpful. Please bring the 'evidence' when we meet with the Sheriff later."

"I'll make sure it's brought along," Zieke nods.

"I may know you better than you think - the Sheriff has spoken of you much; however, I never figured you to be one for politics. The fact is, off the record, Lonjiku's death has upset the balance of power in the Town Council and Titus Scarnetti is moving to fill the void. While Ameiko is doing her best, she clearly lacks her father's experience... I do not know if our enemies set out to sow political strife, but they have surely succeeded. Titus is demanding an election to fill Lonjiku's seat on the Council and he has sizable support in the community. At a time like this, we need the town to be united against threats from the outside, not squabbling over politics."

"Politics is just another way of combat," Zieke comments, "You have your opponents, both honorable and dishonorable in their fighting style. You have your strategies and your innate talents, skills, and gifts, all to be applied. And sometimes you have to compromise and recognize when to retreat, regroup, or negotiate a settlement that satisfies both parties. So politics aren't for the feint-hearted anymore than standing up to an ogre."

"I stopped by to offer Ameiko my condolences on her father's passing when I got back into town," he continues, "Always figured she'd be a shoe-in for Lonjiku's position on the council. Doesn't surprise me Scarnetti would make a move for it, though. He's always looking to turn things to his advantage. At least, that's my take on him from being around town the past couple of years and talking with the good folks of Sandpoint."

"If it's possible, I'd like to stand-in at the next council meeting...unless it's a closed door session, of course," Zieke says, "My presence alone might give Scarnetti something else to think about and put him off-balance a bit so the rest of the council can focus on getting things done. I'd like to know more about the current politics as well before Belor gets back. I've got a few things to talk with the Sheriff about..."

"...I do believe you and I have common interests. You want to take the fight to the goblins and I do not want Scarnetti taking advantage of outside problems. The difficulty in this mix, honestly, is the Sheriff. He may have taken a Chelaxian name, but he is still Shoanti and he has his Shoanti honor....To not be at the head of an attack on the goblins would upset Belor greatly, to say the least. However, you know better than most the true nature of the evil we are faced with. And you know that our poor guardsmen - many barely old enough to wield a razor, much less a sword - would be little match for it. Even the recruits from Magnimar will not suffice....This is what Scarnetti wants. I cannot send our guardsmen because they will lose. So he paints me as the coward. If I do send them, and they lose, he paints me as the fool. But now, with you and the other heroes, I have someone who can do the job right - but I will lose Belor's support. Rather than being 'coward' or 'fool', I will 'lack faith in Sandpoint' or 'be in the pockets of foreigners' or some such."

"Let me help you then," Zieke suggests, "I'll talk to Belor and reason with the man. We've worked well together for the past couple of years. I can certainly relate to his sense of honor and desire to personally teach these goblins a lesson. If he's anything like me, he feels a certain responsibility and guilt for not being able to fully defend the town from the goblin raid during the festival. To ease his conscience, he wants to lead a counterattack. But, as you say, that would play into Scarnetti's hands and create an entirely different problem from within the town. I think he trusts me. Hopefully enough to let me to carry out the attack for him. But give me a chance to observe the council when you meet. That way, I can take the measure of Scarnetti and truthfully convey to Belor my own assessment and the seriousness of the threat Titus poses...and if we both counsel the Sheriff to stay here, perhaps we can sway him. You would do so from your stance as a politician. And I would add my opinion warrior-to-warrior.

"The knights are my brothers: Wade and Gaven. Wade was killed by Chopper and Gaven has not been the same since. They were very close. The other fellow is Casp. He was Belor's predecessor - and my fiancee. He was Chopper's last victim. And the sword - I gave that to Ehlissa. It was Casp's. It has quite a history, or so I understand. His great-great-grandfather commissioned it when he was a member of the Korvosan Guard and it passed through the family to Casp. It has saved Sandpoint once: mortally wounding Chopper. Now, perhaps, it will save the town again."

"I'm quite familiar with the Korvosan Guard," Zieke replies, "I'm sure Casp's great-great-grandfather was quite a man if he joined their ranks. And, as they say, apples don't fall far from the tree. I understand Casp gave his all for this town. You know, Chopper was before my time. But it's obvious that his influence...and the burning of the cathedreal...still have quite an effect on Sandpoint. I try to be mindful of it. But I guess I and these 'heroes' of Sandpoint are in the unique position of not having had those incidents affect us directly like it has so many others. In some ways, it frees us up to pursue these current problems with a clearer mind and purpose. That's why I think we can make a difference. All of us, really. You, the Sheriff, Ameiko, me, and these 'heroes'...we can make things better."

"You really should be on your way. I have things to prepare for tonight as well. You will need to be sharp, too - this is serious business."

"Yes, I should," Zieke agrees, "It's been most enlightening, Mayor. Thank you for your time."

OOC: In the interests of connecting up even more parts of the story, I wouldn't mind having Zieke become a bit more involved in the politics of Sandpoint. I don't want him to become a politician or anything, of course. Just knowledgeable enough to act as an agent for the town with several in-roads with some of the council members.

"Well, that is good news indeed," she replies with noticable relief.

"I thought so too," Zieke wryly comments.

"...It is a matter for the Town Council. I will take it into consideration tonight - we are meeting after the Sheriff returns. So far, we have managed to keep the tunnels' existence secret from most of the town. For my part, I am concerned that additional meddling will only stir up more danger - either from within or without."

"Ordinarily I'd be inclined to agree with you...and I do agree with you about maintaining the secrecy of it," Zieke nods, "But I think the greater danger lies outside Sandpoint. Whoever led those goblins to attack during the Swallowtail Festival knew about that place. So it's worthwhile to let an 'expert' like this Stormraven fellow examine it so we can know what they know about it."

"Nualia." She stops short and her expression becomes very serious, betraying a hint of worry.

"That is a name I have not heard in some five years. You - they - think she is somehow behind this? How is that possible? Hannah was sure she had died in the fire."

"I don't know," Zieke offers, "It was before my time here. From what these 'heroes' of yours have pieced together, the girl's death seems a little less confirmed these days. We've got references to her in a journal carried by the one that killed Lonjiku. Drawings even, I believe. Recent stuff. If you or the Sheriff would care to examine the evidence, I'll make sure it's brought before you."

"Let us discuss that with the Sheriff when he returns. I expect he will be here in about six hours. You look like you could use some rest. I will have someone send for you - and the others - when he is ready to meet." She moves to take her seat behind the desk...

Zieke remains unmoving and then offers up his comment about the Mayor's current troubles with Gaven.

At first, it looks like she will say something, but she doesn't. Instead she offers only a glance to dismiss you before thumbing idly...

"If you don't mind me saying so, ma'am, you appear a bit on edge," Zieke notes, "And with more than just these ruins or the goblins on your mind..." He shuffles his feet off of her desk and sits forward in his chair as he rubs his eyes. As tired as he was, this seemed like a moment to make some in-roads with the other power of Sandpoint...aside from the Sheriff, of course.

"Look," he says, "I've been around Sandpoint for going on a couple years now. I spent most of that time out in the wilds than here in town. So we haven't interacted that much, you and I. But I can read people fairly well. And you're carrying a heavy load of stuff trying to lead this town."

"You probably see me as just another sell-sword," he continues, "A mercenary from the south. But I like to think of myself as something more. I try to make a difference where and when I can. And I'll willingly be your hammer for dealing with these goblins and any other physical threat that comes at Sandpoint. But I need to know you've got it together back here. That you're making clear-headed decisions. That's what everyone wants. Probably, Gaven out there, too."

"So why don't you share a bit of that load you're carrying?" he advises, "Tell me what else is stressing you out. Because sometimes in the sharing of such things, you can find a clearer path for yourself. And, if you want, I'll just listen and say nothing...to you or anyone else."

OOC: We don't have to roleplay this forever...just giving you a chance to widen some of Zieke's insights into the local politics and concerns of the citizens on top of everything else that's going on. Whether the mayor proves receptive to Zieke's offer or not, eventually he either changes the subject or turns back to ask one more question before leaves.

"By the way," Zieke asks, "Those portraits up there." He nods towards the wall behind Deverin's desk. "I've been meaning to ask you about them. I recognize you in those images. But who are those two knights with you? And that lanky fellow...with the sword?"

OOC: Zieke is asking this question because the last time he met the mayor, one of the portraits included a sword with a pommel similar to Ehlissa's blade. He's asking out of genuine curiosity as to the significane of it and who it may have belonged to...

"Ah, Zieke. The guard told me you were here to report on the tunnels. Please proceed."

Zieke doesn't open his eyes just yet, still savoring the minor bit of rest he'd managed in the mayor's office before her arrival.

"Sure. Problem solved," Zieke responds, "That's the short answer. The longer one involves a lot of near-death experiences, a horrific shrine to the goddess of madness, and a little devil that nearly got the best of us. But we put down everything that moved down there. And the priestess of Sarenrae performed some kind of ceremony to make sure Lamashtu's faithful won't find any further sanctuary in the place. We accomplished all of that without losing a single person."

"The wizard is sharp to get back into the ruins," he opens his eyes and continues, "For academic study, I'm sure. If you ask me, the whole place ought to be bricked off. But I think there's a lot more at stake for Sandpoint's future. And if there are any clues left in that ruin, it wouldn't hurt to give this wizard and his friends a chance to find them first."

"These people have impressed me, too," Zieke goes on, "I know I didn't buy into the whole 'heroes of Sandpoint' thing when I first heard everybody talking about them. I figured they just happened to be in the right place at the right time and got lucky driving off a few goblins during the raid. But, after observing them and fighting alongside them, I think these folks have what it takes to make a real difference here. They're smart. They're tough. Loyal to one another. And determined to do what's right."

"I want to talk to you about that, too," he says, "From everything they've pieced together so far, it looks like there's another attack being planned. More goblins, but a lot more than last time. And they're not just on their own. Somebody's leading them. Somebody with a grudge against the town. They mentioned Nualia...that girl...the one everyone assumed just burned up in the fire all those years ago. The devil down in the ruins talked about a 'daughter' sent to her by Lamashtu. Nualia might be the one. And if she's stirring up trouble with the goblins, well, there's not a whole lot of point in just sitting here and waiting for them to come to us."

"I know Hemlock got us some more guardsmen from Magnimar," he states, "But honestly...they're the greenest recruits I've ever seen. They'd just as soon run from an organized assault as stand their ground. Better to let them hold down the fort while you send some folks out to investigate. From what I've heard, Thisteltop is the biggest, most likely place for goblins to mass in numbers. I'd like to take these 'heroes' and check it out. Maybe ask Shalelu to do the same with some of the other tribal areas. That way, we take a more active role in solving this problem. I'm sure Belor would favor that."

"Besides, it sounds like you've got your own problems to deal with back here," he finishes, "So why not let us take this one? It should free you up to make amends with Gaven out there. And Belor will have time to train up the men he brought back from Magnimar. That's my professional advice, at least..."

Slidell gives a grin. "Are you sure about that? This could take a while."

"If it's important, I'll make the time for it," Zieke nods, leaving the door closed for the moment and returning to the table with Slidell, Ehlissa, and Mal.

If Zieke wants to be 'caught up' on everything we've found out that isn't 'common knowledge', Slidell will give it too him....THAT little conversation should take us a good couple of hours!

Yes. He will. This is the point where Zieke's world needs to expand to include everything that's gone on before he joined the group. That way, he's more personally invested. And, it should set him up for knowing exactly how much to share with Mayor Deverin and Sheriff Hemlock.

Throughout the conversation, Zieke stays mostly quiet, breaking his silence only to ask questions to round out his understanding. When they're done, he rises and shakes Sli's hand, claps Mal on the shoulder, and nods his head to Ehlissa.

"I'll have a talk with Deverin about this..." he says, "But only the parts I feel she needs to know in order to look after Sandpoint. After that, I'm getting some rest. The rest of you should, too. I wouldn't be surprised if the mayor wants a word with you even after I give her an update."

Let's assume this conversation takes us well after sunrise, but the remainder of Zieke's actions will be unchanged. He'll still venture to the Town Hall for a meeting with the mayor. And afterward, he'll find a bunk at the garrison and sleep in for a few hours.

Zieke: You make your way through the mostly empty streets to Sandpoint's Town Hall. The few people you pass smile and nod in greeting as they hurry about their morning errands....Upon arriving, you discover from the guard stationed at the entrance that the Sheriff has not returned, but is expected later in the morning. The mayor should be along in an hour. You are invited to wait inside, if you want.

"Thanks. Don't mind if I do," Zieke replies.

He finds the mayor's office and makes himself at home, going so far as to comfortably seat himself, put his feet up on one of the other chairs (or maybe her desk?), and take a quick cat-nap while he waits for the mayor to arrive. While resting, his ears listen sharply for the sounds of her approach. Even after leaving behind the horrors of the ruins below the Glassworks, the big warrior remains on edge.

That ought to paint a wonderful picture for Deverin when she walks in... ;-)

Slidell jumps, startled, as Zieke gets up from the table. The lanky mage rises from the table. "I'll walk you out. Ameiko'd want the door locked behind you I think." He says, waving an arm to indicate that Ameiko isn't currently in the room.

Seems odd that the door would be locked at sunrise. Salome is after all greeting the dawn in the cathedral down the street. But I get the overall sense of what Sli is attempting to do. :-)

They make an odd couple as they walk toward the door, the large, heavily muscled warrior and the nearly as tall, thin, lanky bookworm. When they reach the door, Slidell fiddles with the sturdy lock for a moment. Finally he gets it to 'click' open, but instead of opening it, looks back to Zieke.

Zieke pauses, one eyebrow raised. The wizard has obviously taken it upon himself to speak directly with him twice now in nearly as many hours...more than at any other point. 'Either he's starting to like me...' Zieke inwardly smiles, 'Or I've really gotten under his skin.'

"Look, I know we don't exactly see eye-to-eye....but I do realize that you feel a sense of duty. And I'm the last person to criticize someone doing what they think is right. But I'm asking you to be VERY careful whom you relate your tale too. The Mayor, alright. The sheriff,.." Slidell bobs his head from side-to-side, "Alright. The Mayor would probably tell him anyway if you didn't. And they did kind of hire us together. But there are wheels within wheels here, and situations that we haven't had time to discuss or explain to you yet. We know most of the major players in this little drama, but there are other mysteries intertwined, and we don't know if they are in it alone, or have others helping them....I'll be glad to answer any questions, and explain everything, or at least as much as we know, tomorrow. But until then, please...please...don't tell anyone else until we have a chance to get to the bottom of this."

Sli's words cause Zieke to frown in his usual annoying way. "What are you saying, wizard?" he bluntly asks, "Do you have knowledge or suspicion of someone inside Sandpoint aiding this army of goblins and Nualia? If so, you need to speak clearly rather than cloaking what you know in one mystery after another."

"Look, maybe you're really good at puzzles and enjoy the mental challenge of figuring out every little piece of a good mystery," he says, "I assume that's so you can be perfectly correct when you finally reveal everything to those who might be interested in your conclusion. But I deal in reality. The here and the now. I assess a threat. And I respond to it. And that's what I'm very good at. Now I can help you if you've got information. Even if you've just got suspicions, I'd urge you to share them with me now rather than wait until you're sure. That way, at least there's two of us keeping an eye out for trouble before we go wrongly accusing anyone."

"I'm not saying all this to be stubborn," he goes on, "I'm saying it because I care about this town. And I care about these people. I'm not into playing games with their lives, yours, or my own. And though you may think of me as your intellectual inferior, I assure you I'm quite clever in my own right. I know how to play things close to the vest. And the Mayor doesn't have to know everything about what we found below. Otherwise, she'll go off in a half-panic and make the wrong decision. I know how to manage bureaucrats. And I know my duty in reporting to the Sheriff."

"I hope by now I've earned enough of your trust to tell me what you know...or even what you think you know," he finishes, "So don't hold back on me. And rest assured anything you tell me will be held in confidence except for those I'm duty-bound to inform so they can stay prepared to protect Sandpoint. That's what matters most."

"Well...I'd best take my leave," Zieke announces, standing up from the table and pushing aside his now empty cup, "Somebody's got to let the Mayor know what we accomplished. And I could use some rest. Early morning or not, I expect I'll sleep through most of the day. If any of you need me, look over by the garrison. Someone there should be able to find me..."

Zieke leaves the Rusty Dragon and makes his way to Main Street so he can drop by the Town Hall. Along the way, he nods to any of the guardsmen he sees. Since vanquishing the horrors beneath the Glassworks, there's an extra spring to his step...and an air of confidence and sense of leadership comes over him. Perhaps more than most other guardsmen, he feels he can make a real difference for the town. He just needs to convince the Mayor and Sheriff Hemlock to let him and the 'heroes' of Sandpoint give it a try.

Zieke will update the Mayor...and Sheriff Hemlock if he's back by now, or Corporal Marsk, if not. Then, he'll get a full day's rest...convinced that he's earned it.

Anyone need extra healing beyond a good day's sleep?

Nope. That burst of healing from the shrine consecration brought Zieke within 3 hp of full. So one night's rest should get that back for him, I believe.

"You seem like an honorable man....And you obviously take your duty and oaths very seriously. But I would like to remind you that Vesh was not the only one to succumb to the statues power and drink the Milk. Even I, for all my braggadocio, was hard-pressed to keep my faculties in that room. It could just as easily have been any one of us....Please remember that before you make any more ultimatums regarding dealing with anything, 'permanently'." He holds up a long fingered hand to forestall any response. He opens his mouth again, closes it, and breaks eye contact before either can see anything they might not want to see. "I don't like bullies," he whispers stonily, and then begins to climb without waiting for a response.

Zieke restrains from replying. But as the last to leave the tunnels, he mulls over the wizard's words on the climb up.

'A bully? Is that what he sees? For all that wizard's knowledge, he lacks the ability to perceive my true intentions. And I've clearly still got problems expressing them in a way that makes it easier for people to understand me.' He stares upward at Sli's lanky figure swaying against the rock face. 'This isn't about how any of us could have succumbed to Lamashtu's madness,' he mentally directs at the wizard's back, 'I nearly did as well, if not for Salome and Sarenrae's blessing. Instead, it's the fact that Vesh did fall victim to it that matters. There was nothing I...nor anyone else...could have done to stop it. Not the first time...not the second time...and if he isn't completely over the goddess' malign control, not the next time either.'

'With each episode the boy's gotten worse...stronger...more violent. He attacked Salome...one of his closest friends. It's not like he just lashed out at me. Me...I could see. The boy's got plenty of reason to want to harm me. But if he's fallen to madness enough to hurt those that are closest to him, he's a danger to the rest of Sandpoint. A place I'm charged with protecting. I wasn't trying to bully him. I was just trying to warn him that I might have to put him down...that I wouldn't hesitate next time to do it...and to offer an apology for it in advance, while he can still understand me. Because I want him to understand. I'll be as commited as anyone else in trying to save him from himself...or from Lamashtu. But if the madness makes Vesh as dangerous as a rabid dog...eventually, I'll have to put him down...for the better good. Even as I mourn having to do so...and having to be the one to do it.'

"What is to be done now? Hmm? If there is more for us to do, I'll do it. If you'll still have me. If you won't, speak, and I'll collect my share and be on my way."

"Where would you go? No. Scratch that. You can't go!....Vesh. It wasn't your fault. The charm was insidious and the potion was powerful. It could have happened to any of us," he adds with a meaningful glance at Zieke.

"As long as you're fully in control now," Zieke speaks into the void of Slidell's chatter to Vesh, "It shouldn't be a problem. You demonstrated...as everyone did here...the ability to perform some very heroic deeds. You've still got that potential. And there's still more to be done in defense of Sandpoint from those who mean it harm."

"I really could use your help in identifying these items we found. I'm not sure that I want to take items of ancient Thassilonian origin to the schoolteacher for Identification, which would almost certainly lead to general public knowledge of an ancient Thassilonian outpost beneath the very feet of the town. Which would inevitably send the usual hordes of treasure-hunters and glory-seekers to the tunnels looking for it. Which would sort of defeat the entire purpose of bricking it up again." He finishes in a rush, somehow managing to NOT look at Zieke again.

Zieke doesn't make it any easier for Slidell to look away from him, as he immediately responds. "It's not our decision on what to do with the ruins below the Glassworks. The Sheriff and Mayor will be pleased that we've ended any threats that might find their way out of there. But they'll still have the final word on whether Corporal Marsk and his men brick up that entrance. If we...or, rather you and Vesh...determine there's something more or something new that needs examining there, I'll be happy to plead your case to Mayor Deverin myself if it will help to further secure Sandpoint."

"...we now know that Nualia's out there somewhere. Sent to awaken, what was it the Quasit called it? Some sort of beast probably. All I know is that if 'Queenie' wanted this thing for her little group, it's probably worse than any dozen Goblins you'll ever see. I think that we've done pretty well together so far. I would hate to break up the group after all we've been through so far."

"Well just as well we gave her plans the heave-ho," says Ehlissa with more good humour than she has had recently, "The shrine's been destroyed, the demon defeated, and we have more clues! Jolly good work all round, I'd say!" She raises a glass, "To us! Cheers!"

Zieke slowly raises his glass amid the companionship of the table. Still feeling somewhat of an outsider among their numbers, he drinks in an effort to celebrate what is certainly a group accomplishment. He reminds himself he needs to impress upon the Sheriff and Mayor the sacrifice and loyalty displayed by Sandpoint's newest 'heroes.' For, in the big warrior's eyes, all of them embodied that term. It wasn't just a casually assigned honorific as he once imagined...

Salome gets up, grabs her pack, and gently rests a hand on Vesh's shoulder. "Come," she whispers. "We walk."

Zieke eyes the priestess and Vesh over the rim of his cup, watching them leave together. 'I hope she knows what she's doing...' he thinks, 'And him, too.'

Then Ehlissa's buoyant spirit and Slidell's constant conversation brings him back to their celebration. Zieke catches Bethana's attention and waves his empty cup for a refill. "Hell of an adventure," he nods, "So let's drink up while we can..."

He settles back in his chair and suggests to Sli, "If any of you can piece together these clues about Nualia's plans and the...quasit, you called it?...let me know. I'd like to talk to the Sheriff about bringing this fight to their door for a change. Shalelu isn't the only one that can scour the wilderness around Sandpoint. I think together the lot of us might do some good work on behalf of the town and solve this problem before any horde of goblins or fell beasts descend upon us."

Retconning a bit...I didn't want the enlarge effect to end quite so suddenly yet.

"Someone please unbind me."

"I don't have the hands for it," Zieke tiredly remarks, some anger still present in his voice. He also knows full well his overly large digits won't help untie the knots he and Mal had used, "Ehlissa? Mal? Maybe one of you can help him..."

While they do so, Zieke squats down so his face enters the light enough for Vesh to see him clearly.

"You better be sure you're over your moment of madness," he threatens before the final bond is loosened, "Because you lay hands on me or the priestess again and it won't end well for you. Third time's the charm, they say. You've had your first two. The next one, I'm pulling no punches. Because if Lamashtu has any further hold over you, you're a threat to Sandpoint...and that's something I'll be forced to deal with on a more permanent basis...before someone gets really hurt."

"Tell me. What did I do?"

"Does it really matter?" Zieke's voice drifts down from somewhere in the dark above. His 12-foot frame still hasn't returned to normal yet and the lights from Ehlissa's sword and Slidell's lantern can't seem to illuminate the big warrior's face that high up.

"You're alive," he continues, "Salome's faith has driven away the madness of Lamashtu from this place. And you caused no permanent damage to anyone. Be happy with that. Because anything more specific will only make you feel worse about it. And it'll make me angry all over again."

"Slidell?" he asks, "How much longer is this spell of yours going to last? I don't imagine it'll make for easy travel back through the portal and tunnels. Can you end this...?"

[ooc]I haven't seen Fabes lately, so I'll go ahead and have Zieke give a push without Ehlissa involved. Two successful Aid Another checks means an extra +4, so...

Zieke's STR check... (1d20+8 = 17)

"PUSH!" Zieke commands, straining and wrestling with the heavy stone statue in an attempt to lift it from its mooring and send it smashing to the ground.

...Zieke has enough leverage to bend the bars, and, as the ladies step back, snap them in half. The statue sways clumsily, but does not topple - yet.

"Ah...I think we found the answer," Zieke smiles.

Meanwhile, Salome and Slidell gather mortar and measure a few handfulls into the basin. The Milk hisses and bubbles angrily, sending a cloud of choking grey mist into the air.

Fortitude save... (1d20+6 = 24)

Zieke coughs and turns his head, thankful that he can find a few pockets of clean air from his height advantage. He looks down at Salome and Sli's efforts curiously.

"What are you two doing?" he asks, "Let's push this thing over and get out of here..." He sheathes his longsword and moves behind the statue, waiting for the others to line up next to him for one final push.

Great, ladies. Thanks for the assistance there... ;-)

Zieke can tell Salome and Ehlissa are having trouble applying much pressure on the rods from their awkward stance. Gritting his teeth, he pulls on the enlarged sword in an effort to make up for it. His giant muscles strain with the effort and he can hear the groan of the metal rods beneath the statue...

"C'mon..." he mutters, "This thing's got to be old and weakened after all these years. Bend you son-of-a..."

STR check... (1d20+4 = 24)

And then he feels something start to give inside...

Shining a light and pressing your face to the floor, you see that the statue is anchored by rods and a plate set into the bottom of the hollowed stone cavity. You reason that if the rods were bent or broken, the statue would topple in a stiff breeze.

Zieke resheathes his dagger and this time draws the ancient longsword recovered from the mutant goblin not all that long ago. It's now grown along with him, several inches wide, close to seven feet long, and thicker than any normal sword would have a right to be.

Tapping the scroll case tied to his waist, Zieke then summons the energy of the scrolls of Tian Xia to imbue the blade with an extra measure of magical power. He thrusts it down inside the open cavity, wedging it between the rods holding the statue in place. He sets his foot against the flat of the blade, intending to use it like a giant lever.

"Ehlissa," Zieke calls, "Can you and Salome get your arms on either side of this? Reach past the sword. Be careful not to cut yourself or hold close to the edge of the blade. We need to bend those rods and it should make toppling this statue that much easier..."

Presumably Zieke's enlarged longsword isn't too wide to fit through the hole left by the metal plate. He wants to empower it with magic to make the sword that much stronger to act as a crowbar to pry or bend the rods. I'm hoping there's still enough room on either side of the sword that Ehlissa and Salome can use their Aid Another actions to help with the STR check. Zieke will stand tall and only push against the longsword to add leverage to the effort. That way, he keeps his big arms and bulk out of the way.

As long as this is feasible, I'll wait to see the results of Salome and Ehlissa's STR checks to Aid Another. They need to beat a DC of 10 to add +2 each to the final check that Zieke will make. That should give us a total of +8, I think.

"Zieke, can you look at this?" Salome calls out from behind the statue. She points out a square plate on the floor at the base. "It's heavy iron, set to look like the floor stones. Do you think you can move it?"

Zieke peers around the statue, still feeling somewhat ungainly with his new 12-foot height.

"Of course," he rumbles, stepping next to the priestess with thundering footfalls. He draws his oversized dagger to use as a prying bar for the task and kneels down to examine the plate. Once he finds a large enough crack, he inserts the dagger and tries to loosen the mechanism so he can pull it aside.

Zieke's STR check... (1d20+3+1 = 24)
Wow. Okay. That's the best result he could possibly achieve with a natural 20. Hope this works...

I'm a little confused. Are we all pushing together? Or are we delaying another round to mess with the metal plate? Somebody give Zieke some direction here...

Sli and Veran's Per Checks vs statue:

(1d20-1=14, 1d2 5=6)

You do realize that you rolled Veran's Spot check using a d2 as opposed to a d20? If I were the bird, I'd blame his master for that gaffe. ;-D

Oo! If Zieke is rejoining us,... IS he stronger than Ehlissa? Maybe I should Enlarge Zieke, and we can all assist him?

Yes. Though not by much. Turn me into Ultraman, if you must. ;-D

Slidell looks back to see Zieke re-entering the room, sweat beading his brow as he concentrates. Slidell looks at his scroll again, then between Ehlissa and Zieke. He taps the scroll against his chin thoughtfully.

Zieke wears a sickly expression, as if fighting some kind of inner contest of wills.

"Stay close," he whispers to Salome, "I can feel the goddess trying to get inside...and the madness that waits behind it. This must be what Vesh felt. It's a total loss of control."

"Alright, let's get started," he then says a bit louder to Ehlissa and Slidell, "We won't have much time..."

If folks can beat a DC 10 on their STR check, I'll add up the bonuses and apply it to Zieke's. If Slidell enlarges Zieke, that should boost the check by another +1...in addition to whatever leverage is gained by going up a Size category. I'll wait to make Zieke's roll until I know all the variables.

"Ha- Zieke, we need all of us to try to topple this together..."

"Be right there..." Zieke calls, "Here, Mal...finish this...and make sure he doesn't get free."

Zieke finishes up and then heads for the door. He pauses just outside the door, and the statue's influence. "Salome? I'm ready. If you've got a blessing to help shield me from turning on the rest of you, I'll be happy to help..."

Assuming Salome can take a moment to cast resistance on Zieke, he will return to try and lend a hand.
Will save to re-enter room... (1d20+2+1 = 13)
Eeep! I hope Salome definitely takes the time to cast that resistance spell. Otherwise, I believe Zieke will fail his Will save. Assuming she does...

Zieke can feel the menacing effect of the statue bearing down on him, almost as if seeking to savage his mind for taking away Vesh as the shrine's last guardian. He attempts to shrug off the effect, but finds that his own willpower isn't sufficient. Only by the grace of Sarenrae and Salome's blessing does he summon up a shield to hold off Lamashtu's influence.

"Okay..." Zieke says between gritted teeth, "I'm alright. Let's do this..."

He hurries to join Ehlissa and Sli. "Where's the best place to push?" he asks, "Do we have any tricks that might make this easier?"

Will save vs. Statue (1d20+6=16) +2 from Protection from Evil should be 18.

Note: In the discussion thread, I mentioned that a protection from evil spell should shield Salome from the statue's influence, assuming it's a mind-affecting compulsion (which it seems to be). Protection from evil grants you a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities cast by evil opponents that target you, but it grants complete immunity from attempts to exercise mental control over you, including enchantment (charm) effects and enchantment (compulsion) effects. It doesn't prevent such effects from targeting Salome, but it basically suppresses them for the duration of your spell...which should be 1 minute per level. So you shouldn't need to make any Will checks while your spell lasts.

Zieke: I have one Resistance (+1 saves for 1 min.). Let me know if/when you want it.

I'll have Zieke sit out at least a round or two while he secures Vesh. After that, he'll meet Salome just outside the chamber so she can cast her protection over him before he accompanies her back inside.

Aside from Aid Another is there a way to combine strength scores in a more cumulative way? This looks like it would be more effective as an all-on tug-of-war rather than "Let's each take a turn pulling." Salome's Str bonus is only +1, not much use in toppling on her own...

For every individual contributing to the overall effort, each person can make a STR check against a DC 10 to Aid Another. Every success adds a cumulative +2 bonus to the person they're aiding. So, if Zieke was making the primary check with his +3 STR bonus and Ehlissa, Salome, and Slidell all attempted to aid him by pushing or pulling on the statue together (which ought to be feasible), they could generate up to a +6 bonus to apply to Zieke's check...for a total of d20+9.

I don't know what the DC is to succeed at tipping the statue. It sounds like JSL is implying we could use Perception checks to find weaker spots that might lower the DC. If you guys have a decent Perception, you might want to locate such spots before Zieke comes back. That way, we'll all be ready to go.

Also, if Salome has the guidance orison handy, she could provide another +1 bonus to a single skill check...in this case, the STR check to try and topple the statue. That's about the only thing we can apply at this point. However, the thought did occur to me that one of you might want to find a way to destroy or empty the basin where the Milk of Lamashtu is collecting. Hit it with a magic weapon...puncture a hole in it or shatter enough of the stone to make it leak out. Spill it all on the floor, and then no one can drink any more of it even if we do fail our Will saves. That should give us more time to work in the room.

Lastly, the protection from evil spell is ideal for dealing with this room. If necessary, we could leave the ruins, take Vesh topside...wait a day while Salome prepares enough protection from evil spells to lead a work crew down there. Protect them all with those spells and then let them get to work despite the statue's compulsion effect. It's all just a matter of time, patience, and hard work...but we can destroy that thing in a single day if we apply all of our resources to it. Seeing as how we haven't used up all the time Corporal Marsk gave us, I think we've still got a day before they brick it up.

Just a few ideas...

...I do need one thing clarified for my own education. Sli casts sleep from a scroll, right? Does that effect the casting time? I thought sleep is a one rounder, meaning it wouldn't have taken effect until the beginning of Sli turn on R3.

Spell scrolls use spell completion to activate, so they affect casting time and reduce everything down to a standard action.

Spell Completion

This is the activation method for scrolls. A scroll is a spell that is mostly finished. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that’s left to do is perform the finishing parts of the spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on)....Activating a spell completion item is a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.

Hope that helps...

"No argument with you on this one Zieke. Let's at least get him out of the room and bound. Tightly. Malcolm, can you take care of that while Zieke helps us topple this statue? If we can get a rope over the top I'll pull on that for leverage. As soon as the statue's over, Zieke, you should probably leave as well. I'll stay to help set up the ritual. If one of us shows signs of being mesmerized again, you may be needed for a retrieval. Salome, didn't you say you had something that could boost a person's resistance to outside influences? You might want to give that to Zieke in case he needs to re-enter this chamber. Now, What's the best way to topple this thing? I have the feeling that it's not going to sit around and just wait for us to get started,..."

"I'll carry Vesh out with Mal to bind him and keep an eye on him," Zieke replies, "Then come back to help you folks if you still need me. If Salome has something that'll help block any influence Lamashtu's power has here, then she can meet me at the door and make sure I'm protected then. In the meantime, hurry and get this job done before Vesh wakes up and makes another go of it."

Zieke leaves the chamber, lugging the upper half of Vesh's limp body while Mal holds his legs. Once they get outside the shrine, he places the rogue on the floor and aids Mal in binding him with the same length of rope he used last time.

Zieke feels Vesh's body go limp and struggles to maintain his hold while keeping the boy upright in case he's feigning.

"Is he out?" he asks, unable to see Vesh's eyes and unwilling to let go. Once someone (Slidell? Salome?) confirms the threat is ended, only then does Zieke relax his chokehold. Even so, he continues to hold Vesh upright.

"We need to get him out of here," Zieke says, "Permanently. Mal? Think you can give me hand? Let's take him back to the portal while Salome, Ehlissa, and Sli purify this place so it can't do any more harm."

Zieke might be able to aid you guys with his high STR in toppling the statue, but he'll be a liability from a Will save perspective if he comes back. Ehlissa is likely just as strong...and I assume she's decent at Will saves? It makes more sense for the paladin and cleric to deal with this room anyway. And Sli for his arcane assistance, if necessary. In the meantime, it's probably better if we get Vesh far, far away from here...