The Plot Thickens

So last night, I stayed at Andrian's cousin's wagon. I used some presto cantrips to make it look cleaner, but I didn't tell him that they wouldn't last. This contraption doesn't look, or feel, like it would get very far down any road without falling into pieces; but at least we are out of the town, camped near the woods between the city walls and the manor estates' districts, which are on a hill overlooking the oceanside cliffs.

Anyway, the next morning, he and I went to the Kaijitsu Estate. He had an appointment with the lord, and I entered through the servant's entrance to visit granny. She gave me a great breakfast! I really do need to repay her for all these meals she has been providing me. Now that I can stay at Andrian's, using my spells to help out there, I should find a way to make some coin to pay more of my way, which gives me an idea...

Later, we went back into town, to meet with the others- Lyk, Brunt and Carufinwe, at the "Rusty Dragon," bar and inn, for our meeting with Aldern Foxglove, concerning his Boar hunt invitation. The place is owned by my oldest childhood friend, Amiko Kaijitsu. She is a little older than me, but we used to play together, as children. I shouldn't say here, since it is one of my most embarrassing memories, but she used to play with me, like was her baby or a doll. I haven't seen her since before all those years that I went away to college. I heard she went off to become an adventurer, in that time. I wonder if she was in some famous group? For some reason, she opened up this tavern in Sand Point, and it is famous for her Winterdrop mead and the spicy Curry Salmon Brown Rice, passed down from her late mother's recipe.

When we entered, the others were already seated, and Amiko was busy brewing her Mead. When she saw me, she dropped everything she was doing and ran right up to me, picked me up and beamed, shouting, "Riley! You're SOOOO Cute!!" She went on about how I was all grown up. She was grown up, too. There are many beautiful women in Sand Point, but Amiko must be the most lovely of them all. I was kind of surprised, so I didn't say too much. I thought I would be embarrassed again, but I had a different feeling, instead.

It seems that Aldern Foxglove is a very wealthy merchant. He offered to buy each of us a riding horse, to keep after the boar hunt. He asked us all, over breakfast, about yesterday's battle. He really wanted all the details, too! He seems to like stories. When he came to ask me, I told him that I just know some tricks. He wanted a count of how many each of us killed, so I told him I didn't do much. I just said that there were some goblins in between the defenders and Andrian, and I tricked them, since goblins ain't too smart. I didn't want to get into all that devils talk again. He did say that he thought he had seen my father, years ago, working at the Kaijitsu Glassworks. Aldern mentioned about how he was a darker brown-skinned halfling, from the south. I don't think he knew my father very well, or maybe better than I did, but Aldern seems to be very widely traveled.

Then we all parted from the Inn, to tend to our own business. I went alone to the Sand Pointe Theatre, and I talked to the manager there, Cierdak Drokus. I offered to work for his plays, providing minor magical effects for the production, and I gave him my name as simply, "Rizzle." I'll work under the moniker Rizzle, since publicity for Riley is not a good thing at all. He agreed to pay me 5 silver, per performance, but I hope I can get more, if I stay longer. I stayed there all day, reading this play and learning the cues. The show is tomorrow night, so I don't have much time.

That night ended with a subdued revelry, since today was another minor holy day, and we honored the 6 fallen farmers from yesterday's battle. There were all sorts of dishes at the Rusty Dragon, since yesterday's feast was canceled. Andrian asked where I was all day, and he almost seemed kind of hurt that I didn't go everywhere with him, but I don't know what that's about.


The next morning, Tuesday, we all met at the stables, to pick up our horses. The Hunt was to take place in the Tickwood Forest, north of Devil's Platter. Great - more devils.... Aldern warned us about the boar and gave us some tips on how to get one, but I knew I would be relying on my spells all along. As we rode and searched, I asked the dwarf priest, Brunt, if he would do me a favor. I told him I still had my note, from our town reward, and that it still had 36 gold pieces of credit, on it. I asked him if he would take it to give to my granny, if I died here today. He seemed to agree, but he kind of joked that if I did get killed, there probably wouldn't be enough paper left to read, with all the blood. I had almost asked Andrian at first, but then I remembered that I don't trust him. And all the while I talked to Brunt, Andrian looked glum.

We found a boar, soon enough, but it was too large! Maybe the size of, or larger than, one of our horses, with huge wild tusks. We also espied four goblins, who had the same idea as us, but this boar was too much for them, so they ran past us in terror. Lyk charged right away, so I didn't dare cast a spell at that, in case he got caught in it, too. Maybe I should have fired at some of those thistle-emblemed goblins. I did fire two force-missiles, the first at the boar and the other at a running goblin hunter, but I missed both. Maybe with more practice, I can improve, or maybe I just have bad luck. Aldern sent in his hunting dog, Killer, to fight the boar, too, but it got ripped to pieces. Then Andrian finished off the boar, seconds later. I had my mind and eyes on the fleeing goblins, and I yelled to everyone, "You guys are just gonna let them get away?" Apparently, they weren't interested in pursuit, but I think the goblins are much more of a threat to the town than any boars. A goblin will get into your house and kill you in your sleep, but a boar is unlikely to bust down the town with other boars.

Aldern wept; he was really so grieved, maybe too much. Some of us looked at each other in disbelief and others had expressions wondering why he was overdoing it. But I think I understood. That dog was all Aldern had, and I felt bad for him. I subtly mentioned to Brunt, that maybe he could say some kind words, to ease Aldern's suffering. So he did, or he tried anyway. Maybe it helped, a little. We buried his dog there, and dismembered the boar, to bring back to town. It will feed many, for days. With the horses, we were able to carry back most of the meat, to Amiko's Rusty Dragon Inn. I only saw her briefly, and she smiled when I waved to her. I had to hurry, to get to the rehearsal for tonight's play. It went well enough, that night, but for my first - I think I can do better. This play is a comedy, and I think my illusions would be better served to a darker drama or even a tragedy. At least I made the five silver.


The next morning, Wednesday, Andrian suggested that he wanted something to put on his blades, to make them more deadly. I was pretty sure he was talking about poison. The only place I could think of was the town alchemist, Nisk Tander, the half-elf. We saw Lyk there; he was buying more healing potions. I thought maybe that would be a good idea, since they cost 35 and my note was for 36, but the town gives me five-percent less of a discount, because I am a "devil-worshiper." Why did I ever even come back here? So you see: Lyk comes here, looking for life; and Andrian for death. Anyway, Nisk made some uproar, while talking to Andrian, so I guess that means he doesn't deal in poisons. I was talking to Lyk, and I gave him my note, so he could get the healing potion for me, saving some money, and he also gave me one gold in return. When I felt the cold metal coin in my palm, I knew that I must give it to granny Iris.

As we left that shop, we saw Carufinwe in the street, with his mother, Shalalu. She looks like she is the same age as him, but that is elves for you. We all went to her meeting with the Mayor, to discuss the goblin strategy. She had a lot to say: about dwarvish history, their mountain home under Raduruundar, and old battles. She told us about some goblin leaders, that could be organizing these goblins. Korvis, a goblin hero who wielded a two-handed human sized axe, but he has disappeared. Ripnugget is the leader of the Thistletop tribe, which the four we saw yesterday were members. Bruth Asmus is Shalalu's nemesis, and they are always trying to kill each other. He is really a bugbear, a larger cousin to a goblin, and he wears a necklace made of elf ears. It was then that I peered at Shalalu's ears more closely, and noticed a light fine scar upon one.

We told Shalalu about the connection between the goblins and the scarred handed woman, and the theft of Father Tobin's corpse. She seemed very surprised and worried and maybe even confused about it all. I thought she was some seer, so I asked, "You didn't know that?"

"No, how would I?" she replied, bewilderedly.

"You knew about the attack, that day." I offered.

"You are pretty mouthy for a little brown-skinned halfling!" was her retort. I thought that was funny, since those were the only words I have ever spoken to Shalalu and all that I said at that meeting.



After that, I finally went to visit granny, to give her that gold coin. But granny was in a state; she was so worried, that I became very concerned. I asked her what was wrong. It turns out that granny Iris and Amiko meet for tea every day. Since Amiko's mother died, my granny and her became very close. Granny said that when she went to Amiko's today, the tea was there, but Amiko was gone. She did find a note, in the trash, but it was in a strange foreign writing. I asked her for it, and it was nothing that I could read either - not without magic anyway. So I spent a few minutes and cast my ritual of comprehension, to reveal this language to my mind and eyes. I read it to granny, and I will tell some of it here now.

Tutso is Amiko's half-brother. He was sent away to a monastery, kind of a family secret or dishonor. He is a half-elf, so there is no way that Lord Kaijitsu could be his father. Amiko kept in touch with him, in secret, by way of such letters. Her father would surely be displeased by that. I knew Tutso, from childhood, too, but he was always just a bully. This letter was from Tutso, and he was here in Sand Point, arranging a meeting for last night with Amiko, at the Glassworks. I am not sure if she went to that meeting or not. I needed granny to show me where she found this, so we went back into town, to visit Amiko's rooms above the Rusty Dragon Inn. I asked granny to taste the tea, since she said it wouldn't be right, but I thought maybe she could tell if Amiko made it, by the taste. So it seemed that Amiko was just recently kidnapped from her rooms here. I asked granny some more questions, about the Kaijitsu family, since I was away so long, things seemed so unfamiliar to me. Granny told me that Amiko loves her brother, and she hates her father. Lord Kaijitsu doesn't like that Amiko runs a tavern, since she is his sole heir. It is supposedly beneath her, but I think it is a nice place. She likes what she is doing, and she is very successful, too. Then I asked granny if she told Lord Kaijitsu about Amiko's disappearance? She said, no, because maybe he is the one who captured her.... That makes me wonder if he had anything to do with his wife's death. And it really makes me worry to have granny living at his place, but she has nowhere else to go. I hope she will be safe.

She said the Glassworks is all shut down, but she last saw the lord yesterday. Usually they work in the daylight hours, but yesterday, the glassworks ran all day and night, with black smoke billowing from the stacks. I gave her that gold piece, hoping it would be more, and to do more later. I told granny that I have some new friends who will help me to figure this out, and that I will find Amiko. She said she was so proud of me, to be a wizard and grown up. I suggested that she not tell many people about my being a wizard, since they don't like wizards.

"Oh, those are just the silly humans," she said.

"But granny, this whole town is full of humans."




So I gathered all the others, showed them Amiko's room, and told them all I knew. Andrian determined that there was some struggle or forced removal. Someone asked about Amiko, who? Brunt pointed to me and replied, "His girlfriend."

I opened my mouth to object, to say something, but I didn't know what to say. I couldn't say that she wasn't my girlfriend, even though she wasn't; but just then, I thought that maybe I would like that. If I ever even see Amiko alive, again. Maybe there is something to this dwarf and his religion and Torag, his deity. Does he know something, that I didn't?

I wasn't really sure where to go to look. I was feeling a little strange and at a loss. I had found more letters in Amiko's place, from Tutso, but I felt bad to read them. I did have to check that the handwriting was the same, and Andrian confirmed that. There were no tracks in her room, that could be followed. They decided that we should enter the Glassworks that night, at dusk. No one knew how we would get in, so then Andrian unrolled a leather case, saying that we could rely on his credentials, to gain entrance. He revealed some metal tools, of various shapes and types. I guess he knows something about picking locks.

After sundown, we approached the rear delivery entrance, as mentioned in the letter. Just as we got to the doors, Andrian heard movement from inside. Someone was coming out. Tutso opened the door, and he was followed by a group of goblins. He didn't know what hit him, but I saw it all: First, Andrian cut his leg, then I force-missiled his face, and then Lyk knocked him out with one last blow. It should have been enough punishment to kill three men, but Tutso was still alive, although unconscious.

Next, for the goblins. These were more of the weakest ones, like the cemetery attack from Sunday. I force-orbed two or three, just missing one, again. The remaining four fled back within the dark halls of the Glassworks. Lyk and I chased after them, and I was able to get just ahead of Lyk in our run, but then the last goblin took a swipe at me and missed. I clapped my hands together, for a Thunderwave spell, killing three of them. Then Lyk got to the last one, just as he was opening the door to his escape, and Lyk knocked him out. I wonder if I can tune my spells, to knock out things, instead of killing them? I mean, I do know a spell named Sleep... I heard that people can do that, but I was never as good at it. I was too riled up to think of it before, but maybe I will try sometime.

We returned to the others, just in time to see Tutso, who had been tied up and restrained by Andrian, starting to cast some spell! "Look out!" I yelled, but Andrian is quick, and he smacked Tutso down again. "Next time, blindfold him, too." I suggested.

Andrian told us what he said. That Nuale' forced Tutso to kidnap Amiko and betray his father. Nuale' is the scarred hand woman, and she worships the dark forces of Larashtu. We did commandeer Tutso's equipment, and I found his journal which revealed the whole plot, or most of it. Andrian thought he was lying, but we put Tutso into Lyk's custody, with that last goblin prisoner, to return to Sand Point.