Vesh, having no stomach to relive yesterday's slaughter by disposing of the goblin bodies, follows Ameiko into the front office.
"I need to find out who these people were. This is so terrible. Didn't my father write anything down?!?"
Ameiko's anguished question shakes him. "Of course!" Vesh answers her. "He must have," he adds in a quieter voice.
Approaching her, Vesh swings his pack off of his shoulder. He glances at Salome and Malcolm then says to Ameiko in a low voice, "I think he did. I feel stupid to have forgotten, but Tsuto took papers as well as the glass." Vesh produces from his pack the papers that were in the canvas sack.
"The top one is the letter that I delivered to you when we first met. I found it in your room along with your dagger. Bethana translated as many words as she could, enough for us to guess who had abducted you and where you might be. Here." Vesh hands Ameiko the papers.
"The answers you need might be in them."
Ehlissa walks in and stops in a stunned mix of horror and realisation, "Good Lady..." she murmurs as she looks at the sketch in Vesh's lap. "A blond woman with a clawed hand... This is the one behind all this, according to the goblins." She examines it more closely and then her reflection in some glass, "Hmph, can't see the resemblance, myself." she adds.
After a few quiet moments, Slidell asks, "Is she gone yet?"
"AWK! Yes!" The raven screeched.
"Can the crow-speech, you know how annoying I find that!" He replies, eyes still closed, reaching for his pack hanging on the bedpost. "And I know this is the pot calling the kettle black, but you talk to much!"
"Just using good manners, you should try it sometime!" Veran snapped back, in a normal if high-pitched voice this time.
"What?! And deprive my entertainment-starved familiar of the opportunity to berate me? Perish the thought! Ah, here we are,..." Slidell responded, eyes still closed, as he reached into his pack and found what he was looking for. He slowly and carefully removed the scroll he had been gifted with earlier.
Slidell opened one eye to find his raven looking down at him from the headboard. They looked at each other, upside down, in silence for a moment. "She told you to rest." Veran broke the silence first.
"Do I look like I'm getting up? And SInce when do you listen to anyone's advice? Besides, this IS restful!" Slidell declares, waving the scroll at Veran. "If you want to be helpful, you can help me with this!" He adds, carefully unrolling the old parchment.
"I listen to advice all the time, just not yours!" Veran grumbles as he reluctantly changes his focus from his master to the parchment.
Slidell sighed theatrically, as one under great duress. Whether at his familiar or the scroll he didn't say. "Why can't these things have an index?" He asks snarkily. "Heck, I'd settle for a decent Table of Contents! We are gonna be here allll day!"
"Oh. Joy." Veran mumbled softly as Slidell settled more comfortably into his pillow, unrolling more scroll.
Slidell began talking softly, either completely missing or carefully ignoring his familiar's comment. "I've never seen or heard of anything like those split-jawed creatures before. They certainly weren't natural creatures. And there is a lot of old Thassilonian architecture in the region. I wonder,..."
"Do we have any clue as to who this... person is, and what she wants here?" Ehlissa asks Ameiko and Vesh.
"Oh, how rude of me, how are you Ameiko? I'm so sorry for all this." she adds in a heartfelt manner.
"Your new girlfriend?" Ameiko tosses the sketches on Vesh's lap.
"Tempting." Says Vesh looking at the drawing with a frown, "but I prefer women without claws."
..."But for example, the reference to 'father' does not refer to my father and certainly not to Tsuto's father (and he never called Lonjiku father). I think it refers to her father. It says 'she has come to collect her father as payment'. But who is she? And why would anyone give their father as payment?At that exact moment, there is a knock and a guardsman stationed outside opens the door to admit Ehlissa...
"Do we have any clue as to who this... person is, and what she wants here?"
"I do." Answers Vesh. "I don't know what they found in the Cathedral after the fire, but it wasn't Nualia's remains." He holds up the picture of the clawed woman.
"This is Nualia."
"This is Nualia."
Feeling once again as if she had been dropped into someone else's story, Salome finds herself unable to make sense of the conversation in front of her. "Naelah? Nualia? Who is this Nualia? I thought we were cleaning up after goblins and looking for the elf-man who took Ameiko."
Remembering what she saw two days before, she adds, "Is this why you were in the graveyard?"
Remembering what she saw two days before, she adds, "Is this why you were in the graveyard?"
Vesh gives Salome a boyish smile. His eyes narrow as he asks, "Did you think we were grave robbers? You did, didn't you?"
He turns back to Ehlissa. "You realize, of course," says Vesh, "that Slidell is going to be cross for not being here." His grin widens at the thought. Rarely smiling, Vesh looks more open and, if possible, younger than when he is burdened my his characteristic frown.
Returning his attention to Ameiko, Vesh asks, "What can we do to help you, Ameiko?"
Vesh gives Salome a boyish smile. His eyes narrow as he asks, "Did you think we were grave robbers? You did, didn't you?"
Salome stands straighter and sniffs. "Where I come from, people are traditionaly buried with their symbols and treasures. There is only one reason to open a buried grave."
Slidell's SEARCH of scroll check: (1d20+3=20)
Slidell's KNOWLEDGE: (Arcana) check: (W/ +5 for scroll bonus): (1d20+13=33)
Searching through the scroll for almost 4 hours, Slidell's eyes are drooping. Suddenly he sits bolt upright, almost hitting Veran, still perched above him, as he does so.
"HEY! Watch it! What? What is it?"
Slidell scrolls back a few pages, then forward again, ignoring Veran's pleas. Finally he flops back onto his pillow, narrowly missing Veran again.
"What IS it?!?" Veran demands. Loudly.
"Well. Spellfire." Slidell mutters, staring at the ceiling. He blinks, then looks at Veran, then sits up again. This time Veran was prepared and the miss is a much wider margin.
"Listen to this V,..."
I follow Ameiko into the Glassworks, staying alert for trouble. When the mayor enters and dismisses us I leave and head to the Rusty Dragon, asking "What are you lot up to now? Care for a little lunch? I bet Bethana could whip something tasty up for us. Nothing much else to do until the mayor summons us but to relax and tell Slidell what we've discovered."
Salome stands straighter and sniffs. "Where I come from, people are traditionaly buried with their symbols and treasures. There is only one reason to open a buried grave."
No. Now it would seem there are two reasons to open a buried grave. Vesh thinks, his smile broadening a bit, all mischief. He stops himself from saying so in front of Ameiko, however.
"This concerns you also . . . the Town of Sandpoint appears to be again in need of your services, if you be willing. I will send a messenger to meet with you tonight. Where can you be found?"
"We had planned on being at the Rusty Dragon." Says Vesh, looking around at the others.
"Hang on to these. I haven't had time to read it all yet. I don't think there is any more you can do here now, but I will see you at dinner time. Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it."
Vesh takes the papers and carefully returns them to his bag. "Of course," He says as Ameiko leaves, "we'll see you tonight."
He then turns to Ehlissa. "I'm glad you've found us. Naelah wasn't up when we checked on her this morning. What have you been up to?"
"Vesh, this is for everyone; I've taken my share," she explains giving him the money, "And actually, that brings me rather neatly to my other reason for finding you; Father Zantus and I (well, him more than me, really) are enacting a ceremony tonight to consecrate my sword. He asked me if you'd like to take part as well." she adds excitedly.
"Let's split this up tonight. We should send word to Corran and have him join us tonight so that we can give him his share." Responding to Ehlissa's invitation, Vesh says, "Of course I'll take part. Let's drop off my pack at the Dragon. I don't want to be walking around with this much coin."
Slidell sits for a moment, re-reading the words, as if commiting them to memory. He then gently re-rolls the scroll, and replaces it in his pack.
"Alright V, let's go." He says, swinging his legs carefully over the edge of the bed. He stood slowly, as if making sure that his legs would hold his weight, then stood smiling, and snagged his hat from the bed post.
"She said you should rest,..."
Slidell rolled his eyes. "I've been resting. NOW I'm hungry. You GOT breakfast mister bread-snatcher! Besides, whatever that was that she gave me for the poison worked. I feel much better." He said, testing his bandage. "A couple more days of rest, I'll be as good as new. With a handsome scar to show the ladies." He winced and put a hand to his head, then blinked and shook his head.
"We can get lunch, and I can't wait to see the bazaar I've been hearing about! I want to see what's available. After reading that, I've got a couple of ideas for some spell-enhanced items,..."
"Besides," Slidell smirked, "Five more minutes alone with you and I really WILL go as crazy as they think I am!" He placed his hat on his head and walked, slowly but steadily, to the door.
"So, You hungry or what?"
"Nualia. I see..." Her eyes narrow, "She killed her father, then."
"Nualia. I see..." Her eyes narrow, "She killed her father, then."
"Guess having a priest for a father just sent her over the edge."
"Guess having a priest for a father just sent her over the edge."
Salome gives Malcolm a look through narrowed eyes, but says nothing. Rather, she hurriedly finishes her lunch before checking on Naelah and heading for the cathedral.
She is taken aback by the colors, sights, and sounds of the market: food and animals she doesn't know the words for, people in strange (to her) clothing speaking their regional dialects. For an instant, she is transported back to the bazaars of her childhood and instinctively looks for furtive ganyas of street urchins conspiring to steal some food or clothing -- but sees none. Remembering where she is and awakens from her reverie.
Glancing at the various booths and stands as she passes, she makes her way to the cathedral, looking for some peace and quiet and, she hopes, inspiration from the Lady of the Dawn.
Slidell goes downstairs to the common room of the Rusty Dragon. He is walking somewhat slower than his usual wont, but his long stride still manages to make it look like he is in a hurry. He manages to finagle a plate from Bethana, and happily digs into the simple but hearty fare of spiced potatoes, stewed chicken, and fresh tomatoes. He is happily downing his second tomato when the door opens, and in walks Vesh, Malcolm, Ehlissa and Salome.
After the usual greetings and "I'm Fine"'s, there is the expected disappointed tirade from Slidell about missing the visit to the glass factory. This is climaxed by Slidell and Vesh both declaring at the same time,...
"But Wait till you hear what WE found out!"
After a brief moment, they decide to let the energetic mage go first. Though this may have had more to do with the fact that he had already finished eating, and they were just claiming their plates.
So SLidell tells them about the Wrathspawn, giving them the short (for him) version of their history and abilities. Noting with a furrowed brow, and distinct pout, their immunity to enchantments and resistance to magic in general. But rather than being depressed or upset, Slidell seems to look upon this fact as a challenge to his abilities. He explains to the others that it should be possible to enchant items, ("Expensive gloves would work, but metal gauntlets would be better." He says glancing obviously at Ehlissa.) to make whatever weapon the wearer is holding magical for a few minutes each day, giving them a magically enhanced chance of hitting and damaging the creatures.
After he finally runs down, he listens while the others tell of what they found in the Glassworks with Ameiko. Leading to Ehlissa's simple declaration.
"Nualia. I see..." Her eyes narrow, "She killed her father, then."
"Guess having a priest for a father just sent her over the edge."
Salome silently drifts away as Slidell makes a strange, choking noise. As alarmed faces turn his way, they realize he is biting his lips, and most likely his tongue.
He is trying not to laugh.
"I TOLD you so!" He finally declares, smiling and surrendering to his impulse. "I KNEW there was something funny about that business! There was just too much,... There were too many,... I KNEW it! I was right!" He declares happily, looking at the raven finishing off his bread on the table. The bird seems singularly unimpressed.
"Of course I was right," He continues, suddenly frowning. "But that still doesn't answer WHY. WHY kill your adopted father? From all we've heard so far, he may have been a little stern, but he supposedly loved her dearly. And WHY come back to reclaim his remains? And WHY wait till now to do it? And WHAT seems to be the obsession with burning the town?!?"
After finishing their lunch, and their discussion, Slidell declares that he is visiting the bazaar. He is interested in just seeing it for one thing, and he wants to see if there are suitable items for enchanting available.
Ehlissa shakes her head and rolls her eyes, "Yes, yes Stormraven, you did say there was something funny going on, but I think we all go that idea, what with the goblins and the grave robbing."
"I'm pretty sure that none of us could have imagined that the mastermind behind it was her." she adds, brandishing the lewd sketches in the young wizard's face.
Ehlissa shakes her head and rolls her eyes, "Yes, yes Stormraven, you did say there was something funny going on, but I think we all go that idea, what with the goblins and the grave robbing."
"I'm pretty sure that none of us could have imagined that the mastermind behind it was her." she adds, brandishing the lewd sketches in the young wizard's face.
"Oh, I don't know," Slidell replies, deftly plucking the brandished sketches from Ehlissa's hand and examining them closely. "I DO have a rather vivid imagination." He says softly, raising an eyebrow at one of the more vivid sketches.
"But you are quite right m'lady." He continues, smiling impishly. "Of all the scenarios my suspicious mind did conjure up, 'Nualia as Mastermind' wasn't anywhere near the top ten!" He doesn't say how many scenarios he DID think up, leaving the others to wonder briefly exactly how much time he spent considering possible plot-twists.
"However, now I'm not sure whether to be more frightened of the mastermind, or of the man who drew these." Slidell says, tossing the sketches back onto the table.
"Obviously a young woman who is capable of murdering her own father, engendering cooperation between goblin tribes, and mutating her own flesh is someone to be wary of, at the very least. However,... These drawings were obviously made by a person completely infatuated with his object d'art, and in my experience, the fanatical followers are usually more dangerous than the leader."
"The leader of a group is usually intelligent enough to realize his own limitations, and has a goal in mind, which usually doesn't include dying. When you threaten him, or her, with the loss of everything, they usually cut and run, hoping to come back and try again later. But the fanatical followers have no higher calling or long term goals. The leader IS their life. And people who think they have no higher calling than to die for their cause are impossible to negotiate with." He muses, mostly to himself, while idly tracing the clawed arm on the top sketch.
"Yes," Slidell says softly to no one in particular. "When next we see Tsuto, I doubt that he will come along quietly. And what force of Art did she use to do this? I know of a few spells that could cause such a change, but they are all temporary, a few hours at best. Hmmm."
"will you stop leering and join us on the same plane please?" Ehlissa asks testily as he gawps at the pictures.
"Has it crossed your mind that she might not have used your sort of magic at all? There are other kinds, you know; perhaps she's taken part in some perverse divine ritual. I've heard of underground cults and whatnot in Magnimar."
An odd expression crosses her face, one which might be taken for utter hatred, "Or she could be a demon of some kind... in which case we have a duty to dispatch her."
An odd expression crosses her face, one which might be taken for utter hatred, "Or she could be a demon of some kind... in which case we have a duty to dispatch her."
Vesh pauses, spoon midway to mouth, "A demon? Do you really think so?" He looks from Ehlissa to Slidell and back.
"Well, it looks pretty demonic to me!" says Ehlissa, "The arm I mean; I don't think we can discount it. Don't worry, we have light on our side." she adds brightly.
"A demon you think?" I say, glancing at the pictures "I don't fancy the idea of fighting a demon. Maybe she's trying to emulate a demon and is replacing parts of herself or undergoing a slow transformation? I heard tales back home about a tribe in the Mindspin Mountains that worshipped a demon lord and had mastered the art of warping flesh. They were said to grow 'improved' body parts and then replace their own parts with them. Maybe its the same thing?"
I glance at Ehlissa "We have the light on our side? I heard that from a paladin years ago, right before the idiot charged into a horde of sea devils. They ate him."
Vesh pauses, spoon midway to mouth, "A demon? Do you really think so?" He looks from Ehlissa to Slidell and back.
An odd expression crosses her face, one which might be taken for utter hatred, "Or she could be a demon of some kind... in which case we have a duty to dispatch her."
"Well, it's certainly POSSIBLE, however improbable it might seem. However it's far more likely that Master Malcolm has the right idea. There are certainly a few mages back in Cheliax who felt that their acquisition of magical power wasn't going fast enough to suit them. At least some of them have openly admitted making pacts with various demons and devils in order to gather magical might more quickly. Several of those pacts included spellwarping their flesh into a semblance of the creatures they were working with. And others have gone so far as to replace their limbs with demonic ones."
"Yes, it's far more likely that she is transforming herself into a demi-demon by means of some arcane or dark priestly ritual. However, that means that she is trafficking with demons or devils in one way or the other. And that makes her no less dangerous than if she were an actual demon. I think her obvious intentions of razing the entire town makes that perfectly clear. She must be given a chance to realize what she has done,... be shown the error of her ways. If she will not turn from her chosen path willingly, then she shall have to be stopped,... otherwise." SLidell finishes, looking much grimmer than is common for the usually perky mage.
"If she surrenders then she shall of course be treated fairly, but if she is a minion of foulness then the Lady shall be my guide." Ehlissa adds.
"Well", Says Slidell, after finishing the last bite of bread from his plate. (Much to Veran's chagrin.) "As interested as i am in see Father Vantus work, I really want to go and see the fair! I have some ideas for item enchantments I'd like to try, and I want to see if they have anything that looks suitable."
"Besides. If we're going to be taking on more goblins, wrathspawn, or anything remotely demonic, I'm going to need a better weapon than that branch I've been lugging around!"
"Well..." Ehlissa tries to frame this politely, "I don't recall the Father inviting you to the ceremony. But you have fun in the market!" She says as she goes off to get ready.
"Thanks, You too!" Slidell smiles merrily and waves at the retreating figure of Ehlissa.
He then places his wide brimmed hat on his head and tells Vesh to have fun. Then he turns to Malcolm.
"So, Ehlissa and Vesh are going to go to a ceremony, Naelah is still resting, Corran is probably off on guard duty somewhere, and Salome, Where did she get to?! Wasn't she right here?" Slidell looks left, and then right, obviously having missed her exit. He shrugs.
"Oh well, Salome's probably off to the temple as well. Did you have any grand plans Malcolm?"
:)
As he offers the blade to you, Father Zantus intones, "May it bring the foes of Desna - and Iomedae - to their knees, Lady."
Vesh blinks several times to clear his eyes. He turns to Ehlissa as she holds her sword. "Wow." He cannot find any other words to say.
---------------------------------
Ehlissa regards the sword with awe, and a smile plays about her lips. "Lady guide me," she whispers, "Thank you Father."
At the cathedral, Salome finds herself completely alone for the first time in days. She slowly, methodically unrolls her prayer rug and kneels, facing the eastern window, overlooking the graveyard.
Graveyard. Goblin attacks. Stolen grave. Demon-girl...
Salome shakes her head and tries to focus again. The morning rays long since fled, the overhead sun makes the graveyard strangely bright, unlike the foggy shroud of the other day when she saw Sulidella (who, she learned, is not an undertaker) and the others investigating.
Who are these people, really? They seem brave, if sometimes foolhardy, and certainly seem to have a cause. But where will it lead them? And why do I keep getting pulled into their story? I don't need anyone; why do they seem to want me to follow them? What do they see in me?
She closes her eyes and breathes, trying to put it all together. So many strange happenings, people, and this place she doesn't quite understand.
"Sarenrae, Lady of the Dawn, where shall I go now?" she prays. "There is no place for me, but where thou wilt have me go..."
In her mind, she is transported... A warm breeze blows past her cheeks and Salome opens her eyes. Still kneeling, she finds herself in a desert, both strange and familiar, beaten by the heat of day. Ahead, she sees an oasis, shady and green, surrounding a pond of blue water. Suddenly thirsty, she makes her way to the water. "Drink," says a Woman of shimmering gold. Salome kneels and reaches to scoop some water into her hands -- but hits ice. "Drink," she says again.
"I cannot," apologizes Salome. "It is cold and hard. There may be water below, but I cannot break through to reach it. Can You melt it?"
"No change is made unwillingly," says the Woman.
Salome feels the water on her face, and discovers her own salty tears.
As she comes to, Salome notices warm beams of late afternoon light shining on her back through the western windows. Ehlissa and Vesh arrive and meet with Father Zantus. Curious, Salome observes the ritual. Watching Father Zantus -- so assured in his movements, so certain of his work -- an empty place in her heart cries once again for Garjjan De. What would he do?
Simple. He wouldn't avoid people; nor would he fear his own pain. He would simply go about doing whatever good needed to be done, regardless of the circumstances or the recipient.
Ehlissa regards the sword with awe, and a smile plays about her lips. "Lady guide me," she whispers, "Thank you Father."
"Milady," says Salome, bowing. "I notice you still walk carefully, as if still in pain. May I be of assistance?"
"Oh, just a bit of a graze really!" says Ehlissa with faux-cheefulness. "Those toothy blighters in the tunnels packed a bit of a punch. I don't want to bother you when you have more urgent things to attend to! How is Naelah?"
She notices the slightly red eyes of the priest and she frowns slightly, "Are you alright? Pardon me for asking, I mean we hardly know one another, but you sort of get used to how we all are with one another. A good fight does that to you, you know." realising she is rambling, Ehlissa stops herself short.
"But thank you for helping us back there; it would have been touch and go but for you!" she winces involuntarily, "Hmph, I do seem to have done myself an injury, as they say. Bit of sprain of the old ankle. I don't suppose we can get any ice?"
As Ehlissa and Salome have their interaction, Vesh hangs back to speak with Father Zantus.
"The sword blessing--I've never seen anything like that. Thank you for inviting me to take part, Father."
Vesh pauses a moment and lowers his voice. "Father," he says, "I have something to tell you. Something about Father Tobyn and his daughter Nualia..."
Vesh takes Father Zantus to the side of the room and proceeds to tell him what happened at the glassworks and of his suspicions about Nualia and the possibility that she is still alive and has "collected" her father's remains "as payment." He concedes that he does not have much detail as to what that might mean, but he shows the father the drawing of the clawed woman.
"I think that Nualia is alive and well, Father. And...changed." Vesh whispers. "I would be wary. She seems to hold no love for Desna or her cathedral."
"Oh, just a bit of a graze really!" says Ehlissa with faux-cheefulness. "Those toothy blighters in the tunnels packed a bit of a punch. I don't want to bother you when you have more urgent things to attend to!"
Salome looks at Ehlissa with a raised eyebrow.
"How is Naelah?"
"She is doing much better, but still resting. I am sure she would be happy to see you this evening. Hopefully, she will be up and around then; the air would do her good."
She notices the slightly red eyes of the priest and she frowns slightly, "Are you alright? Pardon me for asking, I mean we hardly know one another, but you sort of get used to how we all are with one another. A good fight does that to you, you know." realising she is rambling, Ehlissa stops herself short.
Surprised at the inquiry, Salome startles, then closes her eyes and shakes her head slightly. "I am fine. Fine. Not to worry."
"But thank you for helping us back there; it would have been touch and go but for you!" she winces involuntarily, "Hmph, I do seem to have done myself an injury, as they say. Bit of sprain of the old ankle. I don't suppose we can get any ice?"
"Ice?" asks Salome, concerned. "Does it feel hot? We need to take a look at this." Helping Ehlissa to the bench she had been sitting on, Salome removes Ehlissa's boot to see her ankle -- and much of her foot and leg -- swollen and inflamed. "You put up such a fight, too. I am afraid I had underestimated your injuries. And that poison did not help," Salome says, half to her patient, and half to herself. "Lie down here for a moment," she says, using her rolled-up prayer rug as a headrest, and, with a hand on Ehlissa's forehead, recites the now-familiar prayer.
I go out into the market, whistling and enjoying the warm fall day. I wander through the market, examing the wares and looking for anything interesting. Not expecting to find any, I keep an eye out for any curative items. Around four in the afternoon I return to the Rusty Dragon to meet up with the others.
Slidell bids the merchants goodnight and joins the rest of the group at the joined tables. He leans his one visible acquisition of the day, a sturdy staff of dark wood polished to an almost ebony sheen, up in the nearby corner. As it settles into the corner, the combination of motion, shadows, and decorative carvings on the staff combine momentarily to give it a serpentine appearance. But you blink, and the moment is gone.
As he sits, the bulges in his various pockets prove that the staff was not the only thing that caught his eye at the market today. He chatters amiably, seemingly uninterested in his usual serious analysis of the universe, and swaps stories with the others about the things and people they saw at the market. He listens attentively as Ehlissa and Vesh retell portions of the sword-enchanting ritual. (Veran stealing bread from his hand as he absorbs the details, trying to imagine the scene.) And raises a speculative eyebrow at Vesh's wide-eyed look of wonder during his narrative.
When Ameiko joins them, he laughs with the rest as she and Bethana try to convince each other to sit and be served.
"Well, It would seem that congratulations are in order." Slidell says, popping a final piece of fruit into his mouth. "From what little I have picked up on Sandpoint's economy and politics, you have a very important job. Seems to me that a lot of people are going to be counting on you. Or at the very least, looking to you for guidance. You have the potential to do a lot of good."
Slidell reaches for another roll, and shares a portion of it with Veran. "I think the council will find that they have chosen well. As long as your around, I'm sure the Kaijitsu family still has a lot to be proud of. And will accomplish plenty to prove it." He smiles.
"As far as the tunnels go, I'm glad that the council is taking the threat seriously. Though I'm beginning to wonder if they aren't worried for the wrong reasons. I'm no longer certain that the goblins are the threat we need to be most worried about. I will be happy to participate in an expedition to explore them further." He says, looking at others.
"I'm sorry to have dragged you out to the glassworks and then abandoned you like that," starts Ameiko, "I had no idea the mayor would want to talk my ear off like that. Oh, but there is something in it for you, maybe. She is really concerned about the possibility - well more like certainty - of goblins having entered Sandpoint through those old tunnels under the glassworks. I think she's going to offer you a reward to scope them out make sure it's safe before sending in a work crew to seal them off.""Oh, before I forget. I'm now an honorary town councilor. At least until I can dupe someone else into taking the title from me. It's not normally a hereditary thing because, well, my father was the first patriarch of the four founding families to die. And the way he went...
"I said I'd do whatever I could to help you. Let me revise that; I'll do anything but take on the councilor job." I say to Ameiko with a smile. "I'd be happy to join in any expedition into the tunnels."
Ehlissa appears an odd mix of the grim and the excited, "Yes! We can take the fight to these horrors; and this time we'll be prepared!"
At Ehlissa's excited comment, Corran smiles at his group of friends, knowing that, though he may see them again from time-to-time, he has become an outsider.
He clears his throat and speaks, "I have been honored to be in your company this past week, and I appreciate that you've invited me to dine with you one more time." He pauses, a little uncomfortable at making speeches.
Nodding to Vesh and the others, "I also appreciate that you have allowed to keep a share of the...of the gold. If I indeed get a commission with the guard, then I will be drawing a salary. Please know that I will put this coin to good use towards the defense of the town."
"I am not one for drawn out goodbyes. And, though I am reluctant to leave your company, I should get back to the men. We've put more guards on the wall since the goblin attack, and we've placed more on patrol at the glassworks, so we're stretched a little at the moment. Any relief I can give is usually appreciated."
"Before I go, though, I did want to tell you some information about Horatio. Information that ought not leave this room as I don't have the details of it." He leans forward. "Horatio has not been with the guard for very long--a month maybe--and is often dispatched on special assignments. According to some in the guard, he has experience in dealing with the Sczarni in Riddleport," He glances at Vesh, "and the Sheriff hired him to help root out Sczarni here in Sandpoint."
When he finishes, he looks at each person at the table. "Please know that you will always have a friend here in Sandpoint. Should you have need of me."
He stands to leave. "I just," again he pauses, "Thank you." He says simply and turns towards the door.
I nod to Ehlissa "Yes, this time we'll be ready."
When Corran enters and makes his goodbyes I stand and, raising a glass to him, say with a friendly smile "Its been good knowing you. You're a law-man now, but I think I trust you yet." and drain my ale as he leaves.
After a moment I say "Well, onwards and forwards as the winds blow us eh? When do we mount this little expedition? And what of the goblins of Thistletop? Having a horde of the little bastards led by a demon-worshipping madwoman and a fanatic half-elf so close to Sandpoint doesn't exactly fill me with joy."