"I say Bruthazmus," says Cuu, giving Senuset a much appreciated nod for his herbs, "He friends with all goblins, so he must know something. Beat the truth out of him!"
Redeye pounds the table in frustration. "I doubt 'e'll know 'ny mer than the other gob'ins, ye 'diot ha'-erc! As I said, he ain't ambitious 'nough to be tha rin'leader, an' he ain't got the connections ta be abl' ta fin' 'nythin' much worth wishin' fer!"
He seems very frustrated, more than is warranted. He starts hitting the ground with his staff, taking deep breaths.Finally he speaks. "Possibly it is worth investigation I think however we should focus on Ripnugget he seems most likely in these circumstances to be guilty I need a drink of fresh air the smell perhaps could be bothering me or the weather it is not pleasant did not get much sleep..."
Still muttering, he gets up stiffly and walks outside.
Aylmora's jaw drops at Old Redeye's last (accent-less) statement.
"Excuse me," she murmurs as she recovers her composure, standing and following after the distraught dwarf.
Finding the dwarf wizard standing outside, she approaches cautiously. "Wise One?" she asks respectfully. "Are you alright? Is something bothering you? I'd like to help."
Aylmora's jaw drops at Old Redeye's last (accent-less) statement.
"Excuse me," she murmurs as she recovers her composure, standing and following after the distraught dwarf.
Finding the dwarf wizard standing outside, she approaches cautiously. "Wise One?" she asks respectfully. "Are you alright? Is something bothering you? I'd like to help."
The dwarf is taking deep breaths, shuffling a harrow deck with amazing speed. He holds up a card, not seeming to hear her question. "This card. What is it?"
It is the Queen Mother.
Cuu watches the pair goes off then turn back to the rest of his companions with an amused snort, "Bruthazmus, Ripnugget, makes no difference. We track them down, we kill them all. End of story."
Tashik laughs at Cuu's most recent statement. "You's an interesting lot. Yea, Ill be lending my hands to yea. And you, Cuu, was it? You deserve a drink. From the looks of ya, you'll be havin' some of that Orc swill I see get ordered from time to time...good 'nuff for me, if you can drink with an elf." Tashik finishes his last statement with a playful grin and a wink, with that he motions toward a server for two drinks.
The bar maid comes with drinks and Cuu stays Tashik hand while flicking a silver at the comely lass. Checking out her swaying behind for a brief second, the half-orc shifts his attention back to the newcomer, "We hunt goblins together. We brothers. Come, drink!"
Ashbek looks dumbfounded at Redeyes stream of words, trying to make sense of them. With a shake of his head he turns his attention to Senuset and nods in agreement.
Shalelu watches the exhanges without comment but finally says, "Don't forget your promise to the mayor and sheriff that you'd stay in town until the sheriff returns."
"Sure," says Cuu, already halfway through his drink, "But you see goblins in woods, you tell us."
Senuset remains wary of his newfound acquaintances (especially if they start getting rowdy when drunk) but seems to be enjoying himself in his own peculiar way. Once the evening quiets down he begins to join in with tales of his own. Some of the more humorous ones from his homeland fall flat (due to what seems to others like inappropriate gallows humor) but he has many others to tell of his own travels.
Tashik drinks a generous amount of ale with Cuu, and anyone else who cares to join in, and begins to pull a few random pranks; including offering his had to Senuset after spitting in it, emphasizing that its how his people shake hands back home.
Tashik drinks a generous amount of ale with Cuu, and anyone else who cares to join in, and begins to pull a few random pranks; including offering his had to Senuset after spitting in it, emphasizing that its how his people shake hands back home.
Senuset glances at the proffered hand with a raised eyebrow. "Though I appreciate the sentiment that I'm sure is there... somewhere...if we are to do things as they are done 'back home' you have just delivered a grave insult by expectorating and then invited punishment by extending your hand. But I suppose if you really must..."
Senuset pulls a cloth out his healer's kit, dampens it with something, and only then accepts the handshake - wiping his hand off immediately afterward.
The rest of the evening passes relatively uneventfully. You all return to the Rusty Dragon - as its bedrooms are far more comfortable than anything the Hagfish could offer.
The following morning, as you assemble for breakfast, you are approached by the timid elderly halfling barmaid Bethana. She's obviously upset and asks to speak to you somewhere in private.
You adjourn to a private room and here she exmplains that her employer, Ameiko, has gone missing. Bethana says she woke earlier this morning to
find that Ameiko hadn’t started breakfast for the first time she could remember.
"Well, I was worried of course my dears, so I knocked on her door but didn’t get a reply. I know it was wrong but I went into her room to find it empty and the bed un-slept in.
"And worse, I found this." She shows a crumpled piece of parchment. "It was near the bed."
The language is unknown to any of you, and Bethana continues, "It was written in Kaijitsu’s native tongue plus some code thrown in. Ameiko had been teaching me the language over the last few years."
"To translate, it says:
'Hello, sis!
I hope this letter finds you well, and with some free time on your hands, because we’ve got something of a problem. It’s to do with father.
Seems that he might have had something to do with Sandpoint’s recent troubles with the goblins, and I didn’t want to bring the matter to the
authorities because we both know he’d just weasel his way out of it.
You’ve got some pull here in town, though. If you can meet me at the Glassworks at midnight tonight, maybe we can figure out how to make sure he faces the punishment he deserves. Knock twice and then three times more and then once more at the delivery entrance and I’ll let you in.
In any case, I don’t have to impress upon you the delicate nature of this request. If news got out, you know these local rubes would assume
that you and I were in on the whole thing too, don’t you? They’ve got no honor at all around these parts. I still don’t understand how you can
stand to stay here.
Anyway, don’t tell anyone about this.
There are other complications as well, ones I’d rather talk to you in person about tonight.
Don’t be late.'
"Please help me."
Redeye's expression darkens additionally. "Her brother?"
"Yes sir. Tsuto is his name. I'm never one to pass on gossip you understand, but it was something of a scandal when he was born all those years ago."
"You see me dears, he’s a half-elf." She pauses to see if there is any reaction and then blushes. "Oh, you're not from these parts are you."
"Neither of Ameiko’s parents are elves. It was obvious that old Lonjiku wasn’t the boy’s father, and his rage at the discovery of his wife’s indiscretion was the talk of the town for months."
"Nobody ever said who the father was, and it’s a testament to Lonjiku’s stubbornness that they remained married. Young Tsuto was handed over to the Turandarok Academy to be raised outside of the Kaijitsu family."
"Ameiko visited him in secret a few times a month to keep him company, bring him some food, and promise him that someday things would get all sorted out. That all changed six years ago, when they had a terrible argument. Tsuto struck Ameiko. I don't know what the argument was about, but whatever it was is what sent Ameiko away from here for a year."
"She returned five years ago to attend her mother’s funeral. Tsuto was quite public in his opinions that his father had pushed his mother off the cliff to her death, and during the funeral there was a confrontation."
"Lonjiku nearly broke Tsuto’s jaw with his cane, after which Tsuto cursed him and left Sandpoint. Ameiko’s tried to reestablish contact with him ever since, but was never able to track him down."
"Trap." Says Cuu with a finality.
"Sheiff not here, we act now." He looks at the little halfing, "Where Glassworks?"
After everyone who wants to has looked at it, Senuset collects the parchment and carefully preserves it between the back pages of his journal.
"I agree that it seems like a trap, and moreover it would appear to have been sprung last night." He stands up and shoulders his bag. "I visited the glassworks several days ago, I believe I can find it again. Shall we?"
"Sheiff not here, we act now." He looks at the little halfing, "Where Glassworks?"
"Just my words" Ashbek agrees before picking up his glaive and storming out of the inn. Outside he stops and waits for someone who knows the way.
"Just give me a minute to get my armor on and grab my weapons!" Aylmora calls as she rushes upstairs.
Within less than two minutes the young girl is rushing back downstairs, securing the last couple of straps on her armor and buckling on the belt holding her rapier and quiver of crossbow bolts. Her light crossbow is slung over her shoulder.
"What's taking you all so long? Let's get to the Glassworks!"
Redeye picks up his staff and follows. He steps outside, then shouts in pain. "Fergot my hat!" He runs back inside, rubbing his scalp tenderly. "Wher's the bloody thin'?" he mutters, looking about. Finding it, he puts it on carefully and goes back outside. He seems a lot more unhappy than usual, which is of course saying a lot.
Cuu joins this band of esoteric characters and heads to the Glassworks.
"Since we know this is a trap, what's our plan? Should we do some quick scouting around the place, or just burst right in?" Aylmora asks as the group of heroes hurriedly makes its way to the Glassworks.
"Since we know this is a trap, what's our plan? Should we do some quick scouting around the place, or just burst right in?" Aylmora asks as the group of heroes hurriedly makes its way to the Glassworks.
Redeye shakes his head. "Y' don't shut the bern door after the cows 'r out. Trap must've sprung." He pauses. "'l the sem, bes' be careful. We'll see 'bout a mer 'laborate plan when we get there."
You make good progress to the Glassworks, where you find the building curiously silent.
Nobody is going into or exiting from the building, but the furnace chimney still plumes with smoke.
"Ways to get in?" Inquires Cuu, "Just that door?"
"Ways to get in?" Inquires Cuu, "Just that door?"
Redeye shakes his head. "Nay. We can't berge in. Trap may be sprung, but 'e's 'ad time to reset it. See tha' chimney? Thet either means ther's workers in 'ere, er some'un else. This'll require finesse. So 'ere's what we'll do: We knock nermal like, at the deliv'ry . 'f knock the special way, he'll re'lize 'e's been caught. We see who answers. If it's a half-elf, we get 'im. 'fits a worker, we ask some questions. 'fits nobody, then we berge 'n."
"Ways to get in?" Inquires Cuu, "Just that door?"Redeye shakes his head. "Nay. We can't berge in. Trap may be sprung, but 'e's 'ad time to reset it. See tha' chimney? Thet either means ther's workers in 'ere, er some'un else. This'll require finesse. So 'ere's what we'll do: We knock nermal like, at the deliv'ry . 'f knock the special way, he'll re'lize 'e's been caught. We see who answers. If it's a half-elf, we get 'im. 'fits a worker, we ask some questions. 'fits nobody, then we berge 'n."
"Aaah.. the boring way, then." he remark with a smile at Cuu.
"Hmmm....I know a thing 'r two 'bout traps, let me have a look at this door...see what I can find...But first, let me don my 'gear'." Tashik mumbles a few word, and moves his fingers around in an arcane gesture; as he completes the spell and relaxes his posture a blue glow shimmers down his body before disappearing as envelopes his body.
Tashik moves up to the door area, taking his time and examining every area of the door.
"Seems to be clean, I'll knock all nermal like," Tashik says with a chuckle, "if no one opposes, of course."
"Aaah.. the boring way, then." he remark with a smile at Cuu."Ways to get in?" Inquires Cuu, "Just that door?"Redeye shakes his head. "Nay. We can't berge in. Trap may be sprung, but 'e's 'ad time to reset it. See tha' chimney? Thet either means ther's workers in 'ere, er some'un else. This'll require finesse. So 'ere's what we'll do: We knock nermal like, at the deliv'ry . 'f knock the special way, he'll re'lize 'e's been caught. We see who answers. If it's a half-elf, we get 'im. 'fits a worker, we ask some questions. 'fits nobody, then we berge 'n."
With a huge grin and a comforting hand, Tashik addresses Ashbek, "Fear not my large and unwieldy friends, there be plenty of heads to bash in and places to break and enter, yet."
"Hmmm....I know a thing 'r two 'bout traps, let me have a look at this door...see what I can find...But first, let me don my 'gear'." Tashik mumbles a few word, and moves his fingers around in an arcane gesture; as he completes the spell and relaxes his posture a blue glow shimmers down his body before disappearing as envelopes his body.
Tashik moves up to the door area, taking his time and examining every area of the door.
"Seems to be clean, I'll knock all nermal like," Tashik says with a chuckle, "if no one opposes, of course."
Redeye looks annoyed. "When I mentioned a trap, I din't mean a lit'ral one. I don't think he'd trap the derr. It's out in the open."
"If no answer, we just go in."
Cuu yawns and shares a smile with Ashbek.
"If no answer, we just go in."
"Sounds like a plan," Aylmora comments as she loads a bolt into her crossbow.
"Umm, on second thought, before we go in should we maybe notify the Watch as to what's going on? In case we need some back-up?" Aylmora suggests.
"Umm, on second thought, before we go in should we maybe notify the Watch as to what's going on? In case we need some back-up?" Aylmora suggests.
Redeye hesitates, then shakes his head. "I think keepin' this quite's the best plan 'ere. 'f this got out, I think it'd make things diff'cult fer the Kajitsus. 'Sides, this shouldn't be too herd, 't's not like he's a crime boss, 'e's jus' one 'alf-elf. E'en wit' a few frien's, we oughta be able to take'im."
You knock politely on the 'front door' but there is no reply. A quick check reveals the door is locked.
You knock politely on the 'front door' but there is no reply. A quick check reveals the door is locked.
Redeye nods gravely. "Right, sneaky fella, go 'head, we don't wanna make a scene."
The door opens quietly, revealing a roughly circular shaped shop where customers can browse the various glassware produced here. Bottles, windowpanes, and glasswork art are the primary contents.
There are two exits visible, both are currently closed. The main entrance is at the south of the room. Both exits are behind the counter. One is at the east of the room and the other is south-east of the room.
Tashik smiles to himself as the lock clicks into place and the door swing open. "After you, my friends [/b] Tashik continues with a smug grin.
The door opens quietly, revealing a roughly circular shaped shop where customers can browse the various glassware produced here. Bottles, windowpanes, and glasswork art are the primary contents.
There are two exits visible, both are currently closed. The main entrance is at the south of the room. Both exits are behind the counter. One is at the east of the room and the other is south-east of the room.
Redeye nods. "Somethin's up. Warriors first, though the south entrance."
"I'm afraid I won't be much good if it comes to a fight, but I do have healing magic if something goes poorly"
Aylmora says nothing, peering about cautiously, loaded crossbow in hand.
Redeye will approach from the back of the group.