As the others get to work on the meal Grond sets himself in one chair while proping his feet up in another. Ferns dirge lulls him to a inward place where he ponders all that has happened in recent days. Suddenly he bolts up saying, "I thinks we be havin' a problem that we might 'ave overlooked. The greenskins out a Thistletop didn't seem to be to smart and I think we be agreein' that someone else is behind all this mess. We are assumin' that that person be out there with the gobos, but what if they is hiddin' in Sandpoint? Someone had to let the greenskins in for the raid and it be a bit far to haul the remains o' the priest out to thier lair. I be thinkin' that our culprut might be hiddin' a bit closer."
Fern returns to the others, a small gathering of herbs bundled up in her cloak. She manages to catch the last bit of Grond's concern. "If not at Thistletop, then where? Where else are there goblins closer?"
Fern returns to the others, a small gathering of herbs bundled up in her cloak. She manages to catch the last bit of Grond's concern. "If not at Thistletop, then where? Where else are there goblins closer?"
I'd be bettin' the gobos are back at Thistletop, what I be suggestin' is that who ever be helpin' em might be hunkered down right in the middle o' Sandpoint with the poor old priests remains."
"It certainly sounds plausible. Do you think Hemlock will have found out anything by now? Either way, I think that we should endeavour to meet with the Sheriff tomorrow morning, first thing. Well, first thing after breakfast.", Fern adds, making clear eye-contact with the dwarves. "He'll likely be very interested to know that we took care of Ripnugget."
Fern will busy herself, dividing her time with helping the Dwarves start the brewing process, and helping Kyran with dinner. She takes the oppurtunity of working with the vegetables to surreptitiously place some herbs from her pouch into her mouth, chewing as she works.
to Kyran and devrin
"Come Fern, lets make us the strongest dwarven ale possible, maybe you could add a gnomish twist to it, I think Grond and I be excited to try a new flovor".
Devrin thinks on Grond's words for a few but remembers, "That goblin shaman that we captured squeeled on how things were working in Thistletop. He said that some humans had come and that Rippnugget was answering to them. He asked us to get rid of the humans to set things right. You may be correct that someone from Sandpoint is involved but they may have relocated to Thistletop. I wonder if any of the villagers have gone missing recently."
Kyran agrees with the others. "I can walk through the town and give it a sweep. Erastil seems to have seen fit to give me the ability to ferret out wickedness where it hides, at least some of the time, anyway. It might be worth the attempt."
---
Later, Kyran, not content to just let things slide with Fern, waits until everyone is sitting around in contented comfort after dinner, then asks Fern to help him with the dishes. Once they're about a third of the way into the dishes, he turns to her and asks in his typical kindhearted fashion: "Are you okay, Fern? Our ordeal over the last couple of days seems to be extracting a high price of horror and grief from you."
"I'm fine. Really.", Fern insists. "Don't worry about me. I've been through worse, and I'm still here."
"Are we agreed then? In the mornin' we head into town to check with the sherif and be scoutin' about for anyone who be missin'. We can also be on the look out for any strong arms who can be helpin' us the next time we be tacklin' Thisletop."
"Sounds good, but we best not tary too long. Those goblins will take time to organize but they know were about. If there are humans behind the goblin menace things will mobilize a lot quicker. I'd like to head back out before midday tomorrow." offers Devrin.
"I'm fine. Really.", Fern insists. "Don't worry about me. I've been through worse, and I'm still here."
Kyran nods. "Well, if you need someone to talk to, I think you only need to chose the closest one of us except maybe Korpi... and we'll be more than happy to lend any help we can. Hey, pass me that serving plate and I'll put it back for you." Kyran indicates a high shelf.
Korpi, naturally, has been engrossed in devouring Kyran's food. He doesn't seem too upset at the prospect of wiping out his 'subjects', and certainly not about killing the Longshanks infesting Thistletop. Indeed, he makes the occasional expression of enthusiastic support for the whole endeavour. It's probably a bit much to expect any advanced tactical planning out of him though.
Grond will eat, relax and retire prepareing to awaken early with the Dwan to harmonize with the earth and commune with Torag.
Kyran scraps the idea of sweeping the town for the time being, and retires along with the rest of the party.
The night passes uneventfully, save for somebody reprimanding Korpi for looking hungrily at the cat. Anyone would think they weren't feeding him properly.
Having helped themselves to a good breakfast and assembled their gear, the group make their way into town to consult with Sheriff Hemlock. As they enter the gates of Sandpoint, the first thing they notice is a plume of dirty smoke rising from the glassworks.
Although they waste no time in getting on the scene, it seems the action's at an end by the time they arrive. Hemlock is overseeing a good deal of activity while several of his men keep back the curious and others busy themselves hauling large, human-sized objects out onto the grass. From the outside, it looks as if every window in the glassworks has been smashed, boarded up or both, and while the smoke is diminishing, the interior has surely taken a good deal of fire damage.
Noticing the approaching heroes, Hemlock waves at his men to let them through. He looks decidedly grim and tired by the morning's events, whatever they have been.
Fern, taking an unexpected leadership role, moves to the front of the group and marches right up to Sheriff Hemlock, keeping her posture as firm and resolute as possible. "We killed the Goblin Chief Ripnugget, of Thistletop, Sheriff. We staged a..", she searches for the words, the nature of the event something she is still not used to, "..a frontal assault! And we won! And there was a swinging bridge that almost killed us all, and there was a big lizard!"
Her voice has all the excitement of a young child.
"But, we think there's something else. Something worse. You mentioned yesterday that there were some other people involved. We're pretty sure they're in town, and we were wondering if you had any more leads for us."
Grond eyes the scene with a heavy eye and speaks soflty to Umlo.
For Umlo in Dwarven
Grond then moves away from the others slowly moving about the yard casting an even gaze upon everything from the earth itself to the large objects being placed upon it. Summoning the power of Torag he intones the holy words, "Entdecken Sie Magie'" that will let him see things beyond that of the normal dwarven eye.
"AYE" Umlo firmly agrees with his bearded brother, he unbuckles his axe and guards the Druid as he does his scan. "If foul witchcraft be at work,you will find it and I will smash it my stone brethren"
"You might say that," Hemlock says, "It seems our traitor is Tsuto Kaijitsu. He seems to have had a rather serious grudge against his father - the owner of the glassworks," he adds for those not local, "We got most of his goblin minions, but the damage had already been done." Hemlock indicates the latest burden his men are carrying from the building. It looks at first like some kind of bizarre sculpture, but soon resolves itself into some poor soul who has been coated in molten glass.
As the guards lay out their burden and drape a sheet over him, Hemlock continues, "We know about Tsuto's involvement from his sister. It seems he thought she'd be pleased their father was dead and locked her up when she failed to react with delight to all this." From Hemlock's tone, he has no trouble whatsoever in understanding the woman's position, "Tsuto himself escaped during the confusion of the assault through some tunnels under the building. Shalelu's out tracking him, but it's a good bet the trail leads straight to Thistletop."
Grond's search for magic fails to reveal anything significant. A couple of minor trinkets on a couple of the townspeople, and some form of enchantment on Hemlock's sword, but that's about it.
Grond joins Fern by the sheriff and asks, "Do ye think we might be lookin' about inside? If this fella done run off to join the greenskins he might be leavin' behind some clues as to thier strength and numbers or some hint as to what he plans to be doin' with the priest's bones."
"I suppose it would be good for us to have a look around. I hate to waste too much time when Thistletop still stands but if there might be a back entrance then it could be easier than trying another frontal assault." replies Devrin.
"I suppose it would be good for us to have a look around. I hate to waste too much time when Thistletop still stands but if there might be a back entrance then it could be easier than trying another frontal assault." replies Devrin.
Gobbos aint Dwarves, I don't be thinkin' they be tunnelin' all the way from Thistletop to Sandpoint, but there maybe clues here that be aidin' our purpose."
"Lets go inside and look around"
"Lets go inside and look around"
In Dwarven
Kyran nods and follows the dwarves.
Entering the building, the group pass through reception and administrative areas before coming to the furnaces - the heart of the glassmaking operation. As they enter this room, the stench of burnt hair and flesh assails their nostrils. Numerous goblin bodies are scattered about, mingled with dismembered and glass-splashed human corpses.
Perhaps the most disturbing sight in the room however, is a lone body in a chair, coated in thick sheets of glass. From the distorted expression of agony on his face, it seems he was alive when this was done to him.
Hemlock, having followed the group into the building, speaks up, "They gained entrance through a tunnel in the basement. It seems Lonjiku had a smuggling operation going." He sounds disapproving of this, but not terribly surprised. In any case, the crime of smuggling pales in comparison to what has happened here today.
"Tsuto escaped the same way, leaving the goblins to cover his retreat. I certainly won't shed any tears if Shalelu fails to bring him in alive."
"What a mess they been makin' here. I say we spread out and look for clues." Grond starts to search for anything that might give some insight on the goblins and or the raid of Sandpoint.
"Aye Earth brother, this plays is a disaster" Umlo croutches low to the ground as to look for tracks and clues.
"Lead on." Devrin says to his dwarven allies as they move further into the glassworks.
Working their way backwards in the sequence of events, the dwarves can reconstruct the course of the fight - both fights actually, with both guards and goblins bursting through the southern doors to slaughter their respective foes. It looks as if some of the victims legged it through the northern doors, but judging by the fact that there are a couple of bloodstained trails leading back in again, the workers at least didn't get very far.
The majority of the goblin tracks lead them down some stairs and into the basement. From here, the footprints scatter down two passages. There are a few rooms to be explored, but the majority of the tracks clearly lead south, and then through what is clearly a secret door which has been propped open.
Grond slings his warhammer off his belt and keeps it at the ready. "I bet they be headin' that away, keep watch while I be checkin' these rooms. Entdecken Sie Magie."
Devrin stands watch while Grond takes a look around. He is ready to head down the secret passage when his companion returns.
Fern will also thoroughly search the room for tracks and clues.
There's not much to be learned from the basement. Most of it is storage, and although one of the rooms looks to have been vacated in a hurry, all the previous occupant left behind was a rumpled bedroll.
"Notin' here, let's be movin' on." Grond heads through the secret passage.
"Hmphfmmmm, the secret door it is" Umlo grunts and follows his companions.
Kyran doesn't say anything, but he draws his sword, shrugs his shield into place, and starts using his detect evil ability. That hard set has crept over his features again. He's confident his teammates can handle the search; he's going to handle security from the rear and make sure they don't get jumped from behind by any stragglers.
As his stance suggests, Devrin is ready to head into the secret tunnel. He hopes that things will be over soon so that they can get back to Thistletop but doesn't intimate his feelings at the moment.
The door leads down a long tunnel, gradually descending as they proceed. It has plainly been carved out of the ground by hand, rather than being a natural passage. Progressing northeast, they soon come to a junction, with branches running west and southwest, as well as the main passage continuing to wind northeast. Oddly, at the edge of the lantern light, down the western passage, are the dismantled remains of what looks like a brick wall. Most unusual.
"Must be the work of Goblins. Look how rough these walls are. It's like...like they just hacked at the thing. No sense of grace at all in this carving..." Fern runs her hand along the wall, feeling every rough edge and bump with the tips of her fingers.
"I'm going to go up ahead, and see what I can find out. You guys stay here, I'll be back in a minute or two."
Fern heads down the corridor, creeping as quietly as she can amongst the rubble/
"Brother, let us be lookin' at this with a keen Dwarven eye." Grond says this to Umlo and then studies the wall carefully running his hands over each crack and crumble.
Umlo will aide Grond
While certainly not up to dwarven standards, the tunnel is certainly a cut above the kind of rubbish you'd expect from goblins. Come to that, it's doubtful they'd have the attention span to dig one of this length. Probably human work, at a guess. The walls are more or less smooth, and the ceiling is supported by props at regular intervals. The tunnel's been here for a fair while. Perhaps over a decade, and it looks as if it sees fairly regular traffic.
The tunnel continues for another couple of minutes before it terminates in a larger cave. It looks as if another one of those doors has been propped open here, and the cave itself opens out onto the coast. Judging by the distance Fern's traveled, it should be outside Sandpoint's borders.
Fern will return and share what she has seen to the others.
"Friends, I think this tunnel continues into a larger cave system. I can use my magic to illuminate the way, if you will follow me."
Fern will return and share what she has seen to the others.
"Friends, I think this tunnel continues into a larger cave system. I can use my magic to illuminate the way, if you will follow me."
"I be more interseted in that brick wall than a natural cave. It just don't seem right..it bein' here and all."
Grond continues his investigating on the brick wall.