UPDATED: Friday, August 22.
name: Riley Penyfeather - Player: GM
Halfling, Wizard: 2
xp: 1,622 DEMP: 4 pt. (spend one to get a +1 wand, if can be got for 270gp, or less than 300 gp)
S 8 -1
C 10
D 15 +2
I 18 +4
W 13 +1
Ch 12 +1
Initiative: +7 (+2 Dex, +1 [1/2 lev.] +4 from Feat)
AC: 15 ** (17 vs opportunity [Racial] or second chance [Racial Feat]
or - 19 vs Opp AND 2nd) ...and, See ** next:
** SHIELD ** - Spell - IMMEDIATE Interrupt: +4 to AC vs 1 Attack.
so AC 19 w/ shield, 21 vs second chance, or 23 vs 2nd chance, opportunity & using Shield. (Encounter Exploit)
Yo! I am Slippery; Don't let them hit me!
(Basically, use the Shield, Immediate Interrupt, if you were hit by less than 4. or use the second chance power, if you are hit and shield can't block it.
Then, if still get hit, use the 1/2ling Feat, to get +2 to AC, (again, use shield then if you didn't, if the 4 pts of AC will make a difference. so for that second chance, they must hit AC: 21, or AC 23, if it is an opportunity Attack.
Halflings get +2 vs. all Opportunity attacks.)
FORT: 11
RFLX: 13
WILL: 14
HP: 24 (Bloodied @ 12)
Surges/ Day = 6 (Surge Value: 6)
Action Points: 1
Speed: 6
Passive Insight: 16
Passive Percptn: 11
RACE FEATURES:
Second Chance: Encounter - (force enemy to reroll any hit - & @ -2, due to Feat)
+2 AC vs Opportunity Attacks
Languages-
Halfling
Taldorian (common)
FEAT:
Halfling Agility (-2 penalty to new attack roll)
Improved Initiative (+4 to Init Rolls)
Class Features:
*** Wand Implement Mastery ( Encounter: +2 to hit, for one Attack ) ***
CANTRIPS- (at will)
ghost sound
mage hand (minor action)
Prestidigitation
Light (minor action)
Ritual Casting- (Rituals Known)
Comprehend Languages (4 castings worth of components)
Tenser's Floating Disk (4 castings worth of components)
Make Whole
Extra Spells...in book, as Wizard (+1 per)
AT WILL POWERS-
All INT Based, so +5 to hit
Thunder Wave (Blast3) 1d6+5 / INT (+5) v. FORT
(good vs minions, but you have to get too close)
Magic Missile (Range 20) 2d4+5 / INT (+5) v. RFLX
Encounter POWER:
Force Orb (+5) v. Rflx (use Wand for +2 to hit, [so +7] 1/ Encounter power, on the primary target)
Ranged 20. 2d8+5 force damage, make 2ndary attack.
if hit, then you can roll vs secondary targets, each that are adjacent. 2ndary Hit = 1d10 +5 damage.
DAILY POWERS:
Sleep (Burst 2, Range 20) INT (+5) v WILL (or use the Wand on this one, per encounter, for extra +2 to hit, vs. 1 target. )
Flaming Sphere... d20+5 vs. reflex - (don't bother with it, devils' stuff. really, this is all I know about hellfires.)
- it does auto damage to adjacent, and is a move action to control / roll. it lasts for the encounter, if you concentrate (up to 5 minutes, so it maybe come in handy, after all)
2d6+ 5 fire damage (one creature) sustain minor
Flaming Sphere [Revision]
Player's Handbook, page 160
Move the Effect line above the Target line and replace the text with the following:
Effect: You conjure a Medium flaming sphere that occupies a square within range, (10) and the sphere attacks. Any creature that starts its turn adjacent to the sphere takes 1d4 + Intelligence modifier fire damage. As a move action, you can move the sphere 6 squares.
Exploits:
SHIELD (see AC, above) - Encounter: IMMEDIATE Interupt.
Trigger: hit by an attack: + 4 to AC (& see extra AC bonuses, from Feat & Halfling trait, ** Above ^ )
Expeditious Retreat -Daily (also in book - but use shield, if fighting, & you know you will be fighting.)
Appearance:
Black / Dark-Brown Skinned, a shock of Long black hair, short & tough, scowling
Personality Traits:
Quick witted, skeptical, affronted, guarded
Equipment:
4 healing potions (minor action - spend 1 surge +10 hp)
Spellbook
wand (non-magical) [- try to get a magic wand (+1) 360 gp or less (w/ local discount) even if have to sell the magic halfling armor.]
clothes (2 sets)
boots, cloak, belt & pouch
satchel, waterskin
Backpack
Book w/ pen & ink
Horse
+1 magic Halfling leather armor
3 cp
12 sp
(I owe Lyke 5 gp for potion)
2 Dwarven Platinum pieces (worth 100 gp each?)
Trained Skills:
ARCANA = +9
DIPLOMACY = +6
HISTORY = +9
INSIGHT = +6
Acrobatics = +5 (racial +2)
Thievery = +3 (racial +2)
Stealth: +2
Athletics = -1
Religion = +4
+1 for: Bluff, Dungeoneering, Heal, Insight, Intimidate, Intimidate, Nature, Perception, Streetwise.
+0 for Endurance.
I would set up this way:
- prepare Shield & Flaming Sphere
- for Encounters, you have:
Shield (+4 to AC)
Second Chance (& the second, reroll vs me is with +2 to my AC - from feat)
Force orb (can hit adjacents, so probably use the wand focus, for +2 to hit primary)
& 1 use of Wand focus, for +2 to hit for one attack.
(then you also have the daily power available)
- at wills: usually snipe with magic missile, or try thunderwave, if you are close & can get many in the blast.
- just be careful of casting adjacent to enemies, don't cast anything that says Ranged, in that situation.
Light is a minor action to cast, and don't forget the other cantrips, you can be tricky with them.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Guess What Happens Next?
I listened to the crash of the distant waves from the darkness below, and the gurgle of the unconscious Tutso's sucking through his gag. Where was Amiko? Where could she be?? He wouldn't help us.... I could still read the strange script his journal was written in, but it didn't have many clues about her, just that other woman: Nuale'. Quickly leafing through the pages, I read aloud, so the rest could hear his words.
Andrian speculated that maybe Amiko would be sacrificed by Nuale', and I began to despise Tutso even more, if that could be true. Maybe there was some sinister plan for her, and it seemed to me that Amiko could be in Nuale's clutches. We decided that maybe she was taken into the secret tunnels, under the Glassworks, maybe that led to Nuale's base; and that Tutso had to be brought to the jail, which was not far away, to be secured. So Lyk and Brunt escorted him to confinement, and the rest of us would look inside for her, while waiting for them to return.
I got a lot of use out of my Illumination cantrip, a minor spell, to light our way, as Andrian scouted ahead. Carufinwe went last, to guard our backs. We searched, but the place was so quiet and seemed deserted: All so black and dark, with only my little light shining in protest. Inside the main foundry, we were met with a ghastly sight: Lord Longiko Kaijitsu was there, encased completely in glass, like a coccoon or second skin melted onto him. He had the most horrific contorted expression, but he was not burned at all - Like he was frozen in time, although he must surely be dead. This had to be Tutso's doing. All around, there were burned body parts, a sickening smell and near the smoldering fires, spits and spikes upon which the glassworkers were roasted and cooked.
I could not stay in there long, and my thoughts for Amiko became more grim, so we had to continue the search. Eventually, some stairs were discovered, just as Lyk and Brunt returned. So we descended into the close space, until the tunnel split. To the left we followed until it came to the cliff, an old smuggler's hideaway, and so we went back to venture down the other branch. Suddenly, we are attacked by a devil! Well, Andrian was attacked, and the thing hit him hard. I have to give Andrian credit, he almost always scouts ahead to make sure the way is clear for the rest of us. This thing had red skin, it snarled, and it could not be from our world. I moved up to help, since I couldn't see into its lair from my spot in the tunnel, and I force-missiled it, although it barely clawed me as I got into position. Then I spelled it again, but it was determined to get Andrian, who looked worn out and about to fall. He even had to drink a healing potion in the fight and retreat. Then Lyk chopped it again, with his axe, and finished it off. That thing was tough, and it could have killed someone, I think. After it was dead, its flesh seemed to melt, until there was only a fine mist left, which rose and drifted down the corridor. I was still in the hall, so I watched to see which way it went, but we were all too tired to chase it, as much as I wanted to see where it went. I think it was going to warn someone. So we took some time to rest up, and Brunt tended to everyone's wounds.
I didn't like waiting, since who knew how much time Amiko had left; but we needed a rest, in case we had to fight to save her. We followed the way that I saw that mist float, and soon the stonework changed, to a smoother, worked and non-native stone corridor. We came into a small room, and in the center of it, there was a statue of an enraged woman, wearing flowing antique robes in a style no one had ever witnessed before. In her left hand was a book, with the seven-pointed star symbol that I had seen somewhere before, and in her right she gripped a glittering ranseur, covered in precious metals. No one could think of who she could be, or what it meant, but it seemed to me like more devil stuff and the kind of place that Nuale' would hang out. If she hurt Amiko....
Andrian checked out the door in here, and we passed though. After more passageways, we came to another room, with another, similar statue of that woman, but this one was all red stone and much larger in size. Now a choice to make: Through that door or up some stairs. Andrian listened at the door, and he heard more growling beyond, while I peeked up the stairs. I had a feeling about them, and I wanted to see where we could come out, since we were by now far underground. At the top, there was a locked door, and Andrian got us though that.
Inside, there was a room with water rippling down into a pool, lined with blood-smeared skulls. Something rose up from under the water: a bluish-purple skinned man, with tiny horns, a tail, and dead eyes. Andrian hit it and retreated. I think he learned, from that last fight with the red one. That left Lyk standing between it and the rest of us, and they exchanged strikes. I was pretty pumped up, since this was not like anything I had ever seen, and I let my force orb loose. I hit it harder than I could ever cast that spell, like never before!
Brunt stepped up and called on Torag, but the thing just seemed burned by his efforts. We were finally able to defeat it and continued on, after a fruitless search of that pool and chamber. There was another door, more stairs, and yet another door. After more circular stairs, and a lot of time, the passage collapsed from above, so we had to go back, to that room where that second red thing was heard.
We thought of a plan to draw it out, so we could all attack it and kill it, before anyone could be hurt too badly. After throwing the door open, we heard it farther inside, so we had to go in after it. Andrian entered, and I followed with my light, to back him up. I wanted to find Amiko. This was a large room, with cells below, and we entered onto a wooden catwalk. The thing was still snarling, so I went down the stairs to find it, and I did draw it out alright, since it ran straight for me! Andrian flipped around and shot one of his hand crossbow bolts into its neck, but it must have hated my light, since it raged right for me. Usually these things seem to hit you with their claw and then bite you, but this one somehow missed me with its claw, but it still bit me bloody! I guess it had never attacked a halfling before. Brunt was able to get close enough to heal me, and the rest came to my aid as well. Lyk got right up behind me, so I dodged behind him. Since I can attack from a distance with my magic, I moved back up the stairs, to get a better view of the fight. However, I guess the thing shook me more than I want to admit, since I missed with my spells as the rest laid into it. Lyk was taking the pounding from it this time, like Andrian had with the last one. He was hurt bad, and he went up there to help me. If it was me there, instead of him, I would surely be dead by now, but he looked like one more swipe would drop him. So I took a deep breath and cast another force-missile, finally hitting that devil-like thing, felling it. I don't think I hit it that hard, but it was enough, after all the others did, to bring it down. "Hey Lyk, I saved your life!" I smiled, kind of joking, since we all knew that he and Brunt, Carufinwe, and even Andrian had just saved mine.
There were maybe twenty skeletons, one inside each cell, all pulling on the bars trying to escape and attack us. I had just the thing for them. I went around the room, Thunderwaving all of them into pieces. "Sending them back to death." I think that was how Brunt put it. He seemed to approve. I wondered who they were when they were alive, how they came to be here, and what was going on in this place. Lyk suggested that we not go on much further, since our resources were running out. But the way continued beyond, so Andrian went for one more look. They found many torture devices in there and two more doors.
Someone mentioned that we hadn't seen any goblins, so this was probably the wrong way to have come. We decided that we would return to the glassworks and look there more thoroughly. All the while, I had thought Amiko would have been taken to Nuale's base, and if this wasn't it, maybe it was up on that Thistletop hill, where she performed her evil rituals, as mentioned in Tutso's journal.
Back in the Glassworks, we searched all the rooms, until finally discovering Amiko tied up in a closet, gagged, hog-tied and even blindfolded, to add to her terror, too. She looked to have been beaten, but she seemed otherwise alright. I tried to console her, and Andrian gave her a healing potion. She warned us about Tutso, and she feared for her father.
"It's too late." I revealed.
I didn't want to make her panic, but I had to show her. Maybe that would help her to realize how evil Tutso was, and that there was no hope for him to help us. She told us some things about Tutso that we knew from his journal, and also that he wanted her to use her sorcerous powers to help him and Nuale', the woman who had corrupted him with her foul love. With her lies, more like; she was just using him. They don't want to just attack Sand Point, they want to burn it to the ground. Tutso's Journal did say that was the ritual to summon some devil, named, “Malfeshnekor.”
I tried to console Amiko as best I could. I hugged her, and she kissed me, and I kissed her back. She also said that Tutso thought their mother was killed by Longiko Kaijitsu. I thought so too, but I couldn't tell her that now, after all this.
I brought her upstairs to see her father, and poor Amiko broke down again. "He can stay here, forever," I offered, as a way to suggest that he wouldn't have to be really gone.
"That's creepy." Said Andrian.
I guess it was. Maybe all my time with those evil wizards, casting their magic has affected me. I never did summon a devil, so according to them, I didn't really graduate, but I know enough of everything else. Or maybe it was from seeing all those weird things under the glassworks. I thought of the statue of that woman again, and looking at Longiko, it seemed like he was here in his house, and she, whoever she was, waited down there in her abode, below.
I accompanied Amiko back to her father's estate. Carufinwe insisted on guiding us. I watched over Amiko. The elf watched the road. As we slowly walked, with my arm around her, Amiko spoke: "You know your money is now no good at the Rusty Dragon. You and your friends can eat and stay there, for free. Maybe Iris can help me to find my father's safe...."
"Don't worry about that now, Amiko." I said. She was trying to provide for us, even after all she had been through. I felt stupid for not looking in that closest sooner. I think I had passed by it, once. I wished I could have found her sooner, but she would be alright, for now. There was still the matter of Nuale's nefarious designs on Sand Point.
Turns out my granny Iris is more important at the Kaijitsu estate than I had thought. I figured she was a cleaning lady, but she is really in charge of most of the servants there! She helped Amiko to find the safe, and Amiko gave me a huge bag of coins, containing five-hundred gold. It was too much.
"I can't take this, Amiko. You'll need it, to reopen the Glassworks."
She said she had the Inn to provide for her, for now, and all my friends can stay there. She told me I can now live at her estate, in the little room next to Granny's. Amiko is just too nice. I considered not telling the others, but I don't think they will abuse her hospitality.
The next morning, Carufinwe, Amiko and I returned to town and her Inn. There we met Andrian, who was happy to hear that he wouldn't have to live in that old wagon anymore, and Lyk and Brunt were also there. I gave them each the hundred gold portion of Amiko's reward, for us. We talked it over, and discovered the plot: Tutso lied and blackmailed Longiko Kiajitsu, twice. The first was because Longiko had been disposing of people assassinated by the "S___" mafia, and he had been trying to end that arrangement. The second was by smuggling goblins into town, in his glass wagons, filled with sand. That latter was all Tutso's doing alone, but he wanted to ruin his father by pinning it on Longiko. I knew Longiko was rich and liked money, but I had doubted that he would sell out the town, especially since his glass made him so much money.
I had been thinking, that to find Nuale', we should look near where we killed that boar, since we had seen four of the Thistletop tribe there. And it was called Devil's Platter, so I was sure Nuale' would like that. The next morning, as we mounted up and prepared to ride out, Shalalu returned. She said that she found the Thistletop tribe, up to the north, near the sea, on a hill that looks like a skull. I guess Shalalu is more of a scout than a seer. Seems that I had misunderstood a few people in this town. So we agreed to go after Nuale', to cut off the head and scatter the goblin army, and Shalalu would show us the way. I also told her that Tutso's journal mentioned her nemesis, Bruthalsmus, as being in league with Nuale', as well as that goblin chief, Ripnugget.
Then Aldern Foxglove approached, and stuck his nose in our business, asking if we were off to fight goblins. We all said no, trying to get rid of him, in case he is a spy. He said he couldn't go with us, since he is leaving for the big city. We eventually had to tell him - Shalalu kind of let it slip, and we swore him to secrecy. I guess maybe Aldern is alright and an honest merchant, as much as a merchant can be honest. By some chance, that crazy ranger, Daviren Hosk, overheard someone say goblin, and he insisted that he go, too. Andrian refused him, and Lyk also said no. But I thought, why not? This guy has killed more goblins than all of us combined; he must be doing something right. Since we were outnumbered 60 to 1, bringing Daviren could lessen the odds against us. The others thought he would be more of a liability, than a help. He wound up going with us anyway, and we were all seven of us finally underway, riding north out of town.
After a couple of hours, we saw two merchants on the road. One of them had an arrow sticking in him. They said they were taking a prize horse, "Silvermist," to market, when goblins attacked them. They offered a 250 gold reward, if we could recover the horse for them. Then they said, we could even keep the horse, worth a thousand gold, just to save it from the goblins' cruelty. We brought them back to Sand Point, and it was a good thing, since we had forgot to buy more healing potions. I spent all the money Amiko had given me, to get three, but I even had to borrow 5 gold from Lyk, to do that. We got back on the road, headed north again, quickly enough.
After we crossed the Thistle river, Andrian spied six goblins, flanking the road ahead. He quietly alerted Shalalu, who was in the lead, although she didn't see them. She cried aloud, "Goblins!" Like she was calling them to dinner, and maybe she was, unintentionally. They all fired at her, and she was hit by four arrows and toppled from her mount. Lyk charged the three on the left, and I cast the Sleeping spell on the three to the right. However, only the middle one of them succumbed to the sleep. Still, that was one less arrow flying from their side. Andrian took two arrows, from the ones I missed, as he rushed in to aid Lyk, and Carufinwe returned fire with his longbow. Brunt was able to revive Shalalu, and she withdrew next to her son and joined him in an archery contest, of sorts. Meanwhile, Daviren charged the right flank alone, hacking with all his might into the closest goblin. I tried a force-orb, missing my main target, but catching the other two in its blast.
Then after killing his first goblin, Daviren slew the one I had put to sleep. Lyk and Andrian finished off two of theirs, with ax and blade hacking and slicing, and then Andrien intimidated the third one into surrendering, which it did. We won, but Daviren charged past me, wanting to kill that last goblin: the prisoner. I wanted to trip him, since we needed to question that goblin. I would have attacked him, but I only had my wand in hand, and I can't break that, even though I could have hit him. So I yelled at him to stop, but he was in some blind rage. Almost everyone told him to stop. So I backed up, to allow Lyk, Brunt, and Andrian to defend the goblin, and I blasted a force missile into the back of Daviren's head, since he was being so dumb. I tried not to smile, as it was the most potent missile I had ever cast yet. I don't think I could do more with that spell. Maybe he would go after me instead of the goblin, and I could lead him away. They were able to somehow convince him to relax. I don't think he wanted to fight all of us. Someone suggested that he go ahead to scout, and we would follow along later. After Daviren left, we decided that we needed a longer rest.
The next morning, Daviren had still not returned. We all packed up and set out again, heading north, where the thistles this place is named for get larger, like thorns. One even scratched me to bleeding. Shalalu said to beware an ambush, as we were nearing the Briar Maze, although there was still no sign of Daviren. It seemed from his tracks that he had come this way. We reached to where the thorny tunnel was only four feet high, so we had to leave our horses in the clearing outside. I thought about that poor Silvermist horse, getting forced and scratched through here. I wondered if my flaming sphere spell could burn through, to widen the passage, but I had Sleep prepared. I didn't want to burn down the whole forest. We passed a sinkhole some way through the maze, and after that, there was a room, emitting some squeaking sounds. We got the jump on them: four large rats, well that is an understatement - some dire monstrous rat-like creatures waited for us.
This time, most everyone used missile fire. Shalalu was in front of me, but she retreated, leaving me exposed to attack. Luckily Brunt, with his armor, got up to take her place in the ranks to stand in front of me. I got my Sleep spell off quickly, for once, and even though only one fell asleep, two others were slowed down by it. We concentrated all our fire on the unaffected one, killing it. Then we fired at the next one, and I sent a force orb at the rat things. Another one went down! I stepped back out of the way, and I finished one off, with a force-missile. Lyk had entered to melee, but he got hit just as the sleeping one woke up, so he still had one threatening him. Everyone shot at it, but it was my force-missile that finished this one off, too. "Hey Lyk, I saved your life, again!" I joked, since the thing had looked about to attack him. He said yeah, I did, and laughed. Seems like our individual strategies are starting to work better together as a team, and I hope we can have more successful battles, like this one.
The only problem for me now was that casting that Sleep spell took too much out of me to do it again. We took a short rest but not long enough for that. I would like to have it to use against goblins, and I don't know where we can rest safely in here, for that long. At least we weren't weakened too much by those rats. I think it could have been worse.
Out of that rat room, we went right and then left, to a rope bridge suspended over some rocks below. Looking down, we could see crumpled Daviren, bleeding out onto the sharp rocks and reddening a trickling stream. Was he still breathing? Across the bridge were several laughing goblins, resetting some sort of trap, to make the bridge collapse.
Andrian speculated that maybe Amiko would be sacrificed by Nuale', and I began to despise Tutso even more, if that could be true. Maybe there was some sinister plan for her, and it seemed to me that Amiko could be in Nuale's clutches. We decided that maybe she was taken into the secret tunnels, under the Glassworks, maybe that led to Nuale's base; and that Tutso had to be brought to the jail, which was not far away, to be secured. So Lyk and Brunt escorted him to confinement, and the rest of us would look inside for her, while waiting for them to return.
I got a lot of use out of my Illumination cantrip, a minor spell, to light our way, as Andrian scouted ahead. Carufinwe went last, to guard our backs. We searched, but the place was so quiet and seemed deserted: All so black and dark, with only my little light shining in protest. Inside the main foundry, we were met with a ghastly sight: Lord Longiko Kaijitsu was there, encased completely in glass, like a coccoon or second skin melted onto him. He had the most horrific contorted expression, but he was not burned at all - Like he was frozen in time, although he must surely be dead. This had to be Tutso's doing. All around, there were burned body parts, a sickening smell and near the smoldering fires, spits and spikes upon which the glassworkers were roasted and cooked.
I could not stay in there long, and my thoughts for Amiko became more grim, so we had to continue the search. Eventually, some stairs were discovered, just as Lyk and Brunt returned. So we descended into the close space, until the tunnel split. To the left we followed until it came to the cliff, an old smuggler's hideaway, and so we went back to venture down the other branch. Suddenly, we are attacked by a devil! Well, Andrian was attacked, and the thing hit him hard. I have to give Andrian credit, he almost always scouts ahead to make sure the way is clear for the rest of us. This thing had red skin, it snarled, and it could not be from our world. I moved up to help, since I couldn't see into its lair from my spot in the tunnel, and I force-missiled it, although it barely clawed me as I got into position. Then I spelled it again, but it was determined to get Andrian, who looked worn out and about to fall. He even had to drink a healing potion in the fight and retreat. Then Lyk chopped it again, with his axe, and finished it off. That thing was tough, and it could have killed someone, I think. After it was dead, its flesh seemed to melt, until there was only a fine mist left, which rose and drifted down the corridor. I was still in the hall, so I watched to see which way it went, but we were all too tired to chase it, as much as I wanted to see where it went. I think it was going to warn someone. So we took some time to rest up, and Brunt tended to everyone's wounds.
I didn't like waiting, since who knew how much time Amiko had left; but we needed a rest, in case we had to fight to save her. We followed the way that I saw that mist float, and soon the stonework changed, to a smoother, worked and non-native stone corridor. We came into a small room, and in the center of it, there was a statue of an enraged woman, wearing flowing antique robes in a style no one had ever witnessed before. In her left hand was a book, with the seven-pointed star symbol that I had seen somewhere before, and in her right she gripped a glittering ranseur, covered in precious metals. No one could think of who she could be, or what it meant, but it seemed to me like more devil stuff and the kind of place that Nuale' would hang out. If she hurt Amiko....
Andrian checked out the door in here, and we passed though. After more passageways, we came to another room, with another, similar statue of that woman, but this one was all red stone and much larger in size. Now a choice to make: Through that door or up some stairs. Andrian listened at the door, and he heard more growling beyond, while I peeked up the stairs. I had a feeling about them, and I wanted to see where we could come out, since we were by now far underground. At the top, there was a locked door, and Andrian got us though that.
Inside, there was a room with water rippling down into a pool, lined with blood-smeared skulls. Something rose up from under the water: a bluish-purple skinned man, with tiny horns, a tail, and dead eyes. Andrian hit it and retreated. I think he learned, from that last fight with the red one. That left Lyk standing between it and the rest of us, and they exchanged strikes. I was pretty pumped up, since this was not like anything I had ever seen, and I let my force orb loose. I hit it harder than I could ever cast that spell, like never before!
Brunt stepped up and called on Torag, but the thing just seemed burned by his efforts. We were finally able to defeat it and continued on, after a fruitless search of that pool and chamber. There was another door, more stairs, and yet another door. After more circular stairs, and a lot of time, the passage collapsed from above, so we had to go back, to that room where that second red thing was heard.
We thought of a plan to draw it out, so we could all attack it and kill it, before anyone could be hurt too badly. After throwing the door open, we heard it farther inside, so we had to go in after it. Andrian entered, and I followed with my light, to back him up. I wanted to find Amiko. This was a large room, with cells below, and we entered onto a wooden catwalk. The thing was still snarling, so I went down the stairs to find it, and I did draw it out alright, since it ran straight for me! Andrian flipped around and shot one of his hand crossbow bolts into its neck, but it must have hated my light, since it raged right for me. Usually these things seem to hit you with their claw and then bite you, but this one somehow missed me with its claw, but it still bit me bloody! I guess it had never attacked a halfling before. Brunt was able to get close enough to heal me, and the rest came to my aid as well. Lyk got right up behind me, so I dodged behind him. Since I can attack from a distance with my magic, I moved back up the stairs, to get a better view of the fight. However, I guess the thing shook me more than I want to admit, since I missed with my spells as the rest laid into it. Lyk was taking the pounding from it this time, like Andrian had with the last one. He was hurt bad, and he went up there to help me. If it was me there, instead of him, I would surely be dead by now, but he looked like one more swipe would drop him. So I took a deep breath and cast another force-missile, finally hitting that devil-like thing, felling it. I don't think I hit it that hard, but it was enough, after all the others did, to bring it down. "Hey Lyk, I saved your life!" I smiled, kind of joking, since we all knew that he and Brunt, Carufinwe, and even Andrian had just saved mine.
There were maybe twenty skeletons, one inside each cell, all pulling on the bars trying to escape and attack us. I had just the thing for them. I went around the room, Thunderwaving all of them into pieces. "Sending them back to death." I think that was how Brunt put it. He seemed to approve. I wondered who they were when they were alive, how they came to be here, and what was going on in this place. Lyk suggested that we not go on much further, since our resources were running out. But the way continued beyond, so Andrian went for one more look. They found many torture devices in there and two more doors.
Someone mentioned that we hadn't seen any goblins, so this was probably the wrong way to have come. We decided that we would return to the glassworks and look there more thoroughly. All the while, I had thought Amiko would have been taken to Nuale's base, and if this wasn't it, maybe it was up on that Thistletop hill, where she performed her evil rituals, as mentioned in Tutso's journal.
Back in the Glassworks, we searched all the rooms, until finally discovering Amiko tied up in a closet, gagged, hog-tied and even blindfolded, to add to her terror, too. She looked to have been beaten, but she seemed otherwise alright. I tried to console her, and Andrian gave her a healing potion. She warned us about Tutso, and she feared for her father.
"It's too late." I revealed.
I didn't want to make her panic, but I had to show her. Maybe that would help her to realize how evil Tutso was, and that there was no hope for him to help us. She told us some things about Tutso that we knew from his journal, and also that he wanted her to use her sorcerous powers to help him and Nuale', the woman who had corrupted him with her foul love. With her lies, more like; she was just using him. They don't want to just attack Sand Point, they want to burn it to the ground. Tutso's Journal did say that was the ritual to summon some devil, named, “Malfeshnekor.”
I tried to console Amiko as best I could. I hugged her, and she kissed me, and I kissed her back. She also said that Tutso thought their mother was killed by Longiko Kaijitsu. I thought so too, but I couldn't tell her that now, after all this.
I brought her upstairs to see her father, and poor Amiko broke down again. "He can stay here, forever," I offered, as a way to suggest that he wouldn't have to be really gone.
"That's creepy." Said Andrian.
I guess it was. Maybe all my time with those evil wizards, casting their magic has affected me. I never did summon a devil, so according to them, I didn't really graduate, but I know enough of everything else. Or maybe it was from seeing all those weird things under the glassworks. I thought of the statue of that woman again, and looking at Longiko, it seemed like he was here in his house, and she, whoever she was, waited down there in her abode, below.
I accompanied Amiko back to her father's estate. Carufinwe insisted on guiding us. I watched over Amiko. The elf watched the road. As we slowly walked, with my arm around her, Amiko spoke: "You know your money is now no good at the Rusty Dragon. You and your friends can eat and stay there, for free. Maybe Iris can help me to find my father's safe...."
"Don't worry about that now, Amiko." I said. She was trying to provide for us, even after all she had been through. I felt stupid for not looking in that closest sooner. I think I had passed by it, once. I wished I could have found her sooner, but she would be alright, for now. There was still the matter of Nuale's nefarious designs on Sand Point.
Turns out my granny Iris is more important at the Kaijitsu estate than I had thought. I figured she was a cleaning lady, but she is really in charge of most of the servants there! She helped Amiko to find the safe, and Amiko gave me a huge bag of coins, containing five-hundred gold. It was too much.
"I can't take this, Amiko. You'll need it, to reopen the Glassworks."
She said she had the Inn to provide for her, for now, and all my friends can stay there. She told me I can now live at her estate, in the little room next to Granny's. Amiko is just too nice. I considered not telling the others, but I don't think they will abuse her hospitality.
The next morning, Carufinwe, Amiko and I returned to town and her Inn. There we met Andrian, who was happy to hear that he wouldn't have to live in that old wagon anymore, and Lyk and Brunt were also there. I gave them each the hundred gold portion of Amiko's reward, for us. We talked it over, and discovered the plot: Tutso lied and blackmailed Longiko Kiajitsu, twice. The first was because Longiko had been disposing of people assassinated by the "S___" mafia, and he had been trying to end that arrangement. The second was by smuggling goblins into town, in his glass wagons, filled with sand. That latter was all Tutso's doing alone, but he wanted to ruin his father by pinning it on Longiko. I knew Longiko was rich and liked money, but I had doubted that he would sell out the town, especially since his glass made him so much money.
I had been thinking, that to find Nuale', we should look near where we killed that boar, since we had seen four of the Thistletop tribe there. And it was called Devil's Platter, so I was sure Nuale' would like that. The next morning, as we mounted up and prepared to ride out, Shalalu returned. She said that she found the Thistletop tribe, up to the north, near the sea, on a hill that looks like a skull. I guess Shalalu is more of a scout than a seer. Seems that I had misunderstood a few people in this town. So we agreed to go after Nuale', to cut off the head and scatter the goblin army, and Shalalu would show us the way. I also told her that Tutso's journal mentioned her nemesis, Bruthalsmus, as being in league with Nuale', as well as that goblin chief, Ripnugget.
Then Aldern Foxglove approached, and stuck his nose in our business, asking if we were off to fight goblins. We all said no, trying to get rid of him, in case he is a spy. He said he couldn't go with us, since he is leaving for the big city. We eventually had to tell him - Shalalu kind of let it slip, and we swore him to secrecy. I guess maybe Aldern is alright and an honest merchant, as much as a merchant can be honest. By some chance, that crazy ranger, Daviren Hosk, overheard someone say goblin, and he insisted that he go, too. Andrian refused him, and Lyk also said no. But I thought, why not? This guy has killed more goblins than all of us combined; he must be doing something right. Since we were outnumbered 60 to 1, bringing Daviren could lessen the odds against us. The others thought he would be more of a liability, than a help. He wound up going with us anyway, and we were all seven of us finally underway, riding north out of town.
After a couple of hours, we saw two merchants on the road. One of them had an arrow sticking in him. They said they were taking a prize horse, "Silvermist," to market, when goblins attacked them. They offered a 250 gold reward, if we could recover the horse for them. Then they said, we could even keep the horse, worth a thousand gold, just to save it from the goblins' cruelty. We brought them back to Sand Point, and it was a good thing, since we had forgot to buy more healing potions. I spent all the money Amiko had given me, to get three, but I even had to borrow 5 gold from Lyk, to do that. We got back on the road, headed north again, quickly enough.
After we crossed the Thistle river, Andrian spied six goblins, flanking the road ahead. He quietly alerted Shalalu, who was in the lead, although she didn't see them. She cried aloud, "Goblins!" Like she was calling them to dinner, and maybe she was, unintentionally. They all fired at her, and she was hit by four arrows and toppled from her mount. Lyk charged the three on the left, and I cast the Sleeping spell on the three to the right. However, only the middle one of them succumbed to the sleep. Still, that was one less arrow flying from their side. Andrian took two arrows, from the ones I missed, as he rushed in to aid Lyk, and Carufinwe returned fire with his longbow. Brunt was able to revive Shalalu, and she withdrew next to her son and joined him in an archery contest, of sorts. Meanwhile, Daviren charged the right flank alone, hacking with all his might into the closest goblin. I tried a force-orb, missing my main target, but catching the other two in its blast.
Then after killing his first goblin, Daviren slew the one I had put to sleep. Lyk and Andrian finished off two of theirs, with ax and blade hacking and slicing, and then Andrien intimidated the third one into surrendering, which it did. We won, but Daviren charged past me, wanting to kill that last goblin: the prisoner. I wanted to trip him, since we needed to question that goblin. I would have attacked him, but I only had my wand in hand, and I can't break that, even though I could have hit him. So I yelled at him to stop, but he was in some blind rage. Almost everyone told him to stop. So I backed up, to allow Lyk, Brunt, and Andrian to defend the goblin, and I blasted a force missile into the back of Daviren's head, since he was being so dumb. I tried not to smile, as it was the most potent missile I had ever cast yet. I don't think I could do more with that spell. Maybe he would go after me instead of the goblin, and I could lead him away. They were able to somehow convince him to relax. I don't think he wanted to fight all of us. Someone suggested that he go ahead to scout, and we would follow along later. After Daviren left, we decided that we needed a longer rest.
The next morning, Daviren had still not returned. We all packed up and set out again, heading north, where the thistles this place is named for get larger, like thorns. One even scratched me to bleeding. Shalalu said to beware an ambush, as we were nearing the Briar Maze, although there was still no sign of Daviren. It seemed from his tracks that he had come this way. We reached to where the thorny tunnel was only four feet high, so we had to leave our horses in the clearing outside. I thought about that poor Silvermist horse, getting forced and scratched through here. I wondered if my flaming sphere spell could burn through, to widen the passage, but I had Sleep prepared. I didn't want to burn down the whole forest. We passed a sinkhole some way through the maze, and after that, there was a room, emitting some squeaking sounds. We got the jump on them: four large rats, well that is an understatement - some dire monstrous rat-like creatures waited for us.
This time, most everyone used missile fire. Shalalu was in front of me, but she retreated, leaving me exposed to attack. Luckily Brunt, with his armor, got up to take her place in the ranks to stand in front of me. I got my Sleep spell off quickly, for once, and even though only one fell asleep, two others were slowed down by it. We concentrated all our fire on the unaffected one, killing it. Then we fired at the next one, and I sent a force orb at the rat things. Another one went down! I stepped back out of the way, and I finished one off, with a force-missile. Lyk had entered to melee, but he got hit just as the sleeping one woke up, so he still had one threatening him. Everyone shot at it, but it was my force-missile that finished this one off, too. "Hey Lyk, I saved your life, again!" I joked, since the thing had looked about to attack him. He said yeah, I did, and laughed. Seems like our individual strategies are starting to work better together as a team, and I hope we can have more successful battles, like this one.
The only problem for me now was that casting that Sleep spell took too much out of me to do it again. We took a short rest but not long enough for that. I would like to have it to use against goblins, and I don't know where we can rest safely in here, for that long. At least we weren't weakened too much by those rats. I think it could have been worse.
Out of that rat room, we went right and then left, to a rope bridge suspended over some rocks below. Looking down, we could see crumpled Daviren, bleeding out onto the sharp rocks and reddening a trickling stream. Was he still breathing? Across the bridge were several laughing goblins, resetting some sort of trap, to make the bridge collapse.
Friday, July 25, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Level 1 Character Sheet
name: Riley Penyfeather - Player GM
Halfling, Wizard, 1
xp: 378
Ability / Score / modifier
Strength: 8 / -1
Constitution: 10 / -
Dexterity: 16 / +3
Intelligence: 18 / +4
Wisdom: 11 / -
Charisma: 12 / +1
AC: 14 (16 vs opportunity [Racial] or second chance [Racial]
or - 18 vs Opp AND 2nd)
FORT: 10
RFLX: 14
WILL: 13
HP: 20 (Bloodied @ 10)
Surges/ Day = 6 (Surge Value: 5)
Action Points: 1
Speed: 6
Passive Insight: 15
Passive Perception: 10
RACE FEATURES:
Second Chance: Encounter - (force enemy to reroll any hit - & @-2, due to Feat)
+2 AC vs Opportunity Attacks
Languages-
Halfling
Taldorian (common)
FEAT:
Halfling Agility (-2 penalty to new attack roll)
Class Features:
Wand Implement Mastery
CANTRIPS- (at will)
ghost sound
mage hand (minor action)
Prestidigitation
Light (minor action)
Ritual Casting- (Rituals Known)
Comprehend Languages (4 castings worth of components)
Tenser's Floating Disk (4 castings worth of components)
Make Whole
Extra Spells...in book, as Wizard
AT WILL POWERS-
Thunder Wave (Blast3) 1d6+4 INT v. FORT
Magic Missile (Range 20) 2d4+4 INT v. RFLX
Encounter POWER:
Force Orb
DAILY POWERS:
Sleep (Burst 2, Range 20) INT v WILL
Flaming Sphere
Appearance:
Dark Brown Skinned, a shock of Long black hair, short & tough, scowling
Personality Traits:
Quick witted, skeptical, affronted, guarded
Equipment:
Spellbook
wand (non-magical)
clothes (2 sets)
boots, cloak, belt & pouch
satchel, waterskin
Backpack
Book w/ pen & ink
2 cp
3 sp
Credit: 36 gp worth (@ near cost) - Note from Sandpoint
Trained Skills:
ARCANA = +9
DIPLOMACY = +6
HISTORY = +9
INSIGHT = +5
Thievery = +3 (Cha+1 & racial +2)
Acrobatics = +5 (Dex +3 & racial +2)
Athletics = -1
Religion = +4
rest as avg, or based on Ability mod: 0 or +1
DEMP: 1 pt
Halfling, Wizard, 1
xp: 378
Ability / Score / modifier
Strength: 8 / -1
Constitution: 10 / -
Dexterity: 16 / +3
Intelligence: 18 / +4
Wisdom: 11 / -
Charisma: 12 / +1
AC: 14 (16 vs opportunity [Racial] or second chance [Racial]
or - 18 vs Opp AND 2nd)
FORT: 10
RFLX: 14
WILL: 13
HP: 20 (Bloodied @ 10)
Surges/ Day = 6 (Surge Value: 5)
Action Points: 1
Speed: 6
Passive Insight: 15
Passive Perception: 10
RACE FEATURES:
Second Chance: Encounter - (force enemy to reroll any hit - & @-2, due to Feat)
+2 AC vs Opportunity Attacks
Languages-
Halfling
Taldorian (common)
FEAT:
Halfling Agility (-2 penalty to new attack roll)
Class Features:
Wand Implement Mastery
CANTRIPS- (at will)
ghost sound
mage hand (minor action)
Prestidigitation
Light (minor action)
Ritual Casting- (Rituals Known)
Comprehend Languages (4 castings worth of components)
Tenser's Floating Disk (4 castings worth of components)
Make Whole
Extra Spells...in book, as Wizard
AT WILL POWERS-
Thunder Wave (Blast3) 1d6+4 INT v. FORT
Magic Missile (Range 20) 2d4+4 INT v. RFLX
Encounter POWER:
Force Orb
DAILY POWERS:
Sleep (Burst 2, Range 20) INT v WILL
Flaming Sphere
Appearance:
Dark Brown Skinned, a shock of Long black hair, short & tough, scowling
Personality Traits:
Quick witted, skeptical, affronted, guarded
Equipment:
Spellbook
wand (non-magical)
clothes (2 sets)
boots, cloak, belt & pouch
satchel, waterskin
Backpack
Book w/ pen & ink
2 cp
3 sp
Credit: 36 gp worth (@ near cost) - Note from Sandpoint
Trained Skills:
ARCANA = +9
DIPLOMACY = +6
HISTORY = +9
INSIGHT = +5
Thievery = +3 (Cha+1 & racial +2)
Acrobatics = +5 (Dex +3 & racial +2)
Athletics = -1
Religion = +4
rest as avg, or based on Ability mod: 0 or +1
DEMP: 1 pt
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Here's where it all begins...
I was born in Sand Point, some 17 years ago. It's a fair-sized town, compared to some, but really, I guess some people could be impressed by it's size. I should mention, in case you don't know me, that I am not so big myself. As a black male halfling, I stand at just four feet in height, not that the white halflings get much bigger. I'm not going to tell you all about my history now, but maybe I will some day. This should be enough for now: When I was a kid, I got sent to the big city, Korvosa. I didn't have much choice in the matter, at the time. Some people figured I was smart enough to attend the Wizards' Academy of Colleges there; and I was smart enough... to know I didn't like it.
Korvosa itself was interesting, and I might have liked that place, if it wasn't for all the scumbags, pimps, gangsters and other bad types that no one wants to see alone on a lonely street. Yeah, I know - you're wondering, "Those people were at the Wizards' College?" No, they weren't. The people at the college were worse, especially the instructors. Why else do you think I would ditch classes and hit the streets?
Anyway, all that Wizard stuff was pretty easy to me, and to make a long story short, I graduated on-time, without ever summoning no devils, neither. So recently, I went back to Sand Point, and like I said before, this is where it all really begins....
So it's the annual Swallow Tale Fesival, of 4708. On the 1st day of the month of Rovagug, in the Age of Lost Omens, and I am back home in Sand Point. My Grandmother, Iris, lives here - she has for all her life, I think. Gran'ma Iris is an old lady. She works for the rich glass maker's, Kaijitsu's, family. Why they need a little old lady to clean up after them, I don't know, but Granma seems happy enough, and really, I guess no one knows just what else she would do. Anyway, she's happy, and they're happy - hell yeah they're happy - they're rich. So one night, I rolled back into Sand Point, after fleeing, I mean, graduating from Korvosa, and Granma took me in. But I couldn't stay with her forever, so I went out into town to look for my own way.
At this Festival - something about butterflies and love or something - the new high Priest is giving his sermon. I heard all of these guys before. This guy sounds just like his predecessor, Father Tobin. Now there is some story for Father Tobin: about his daughter disappearing and how his church burned to the ground. He's buried in the graveyard here- or what's left of him.
Then the Mayor took over talking. We have a Lady Mayor, Deveran, in Sand Point, but I think she does the job about as good as any man could, not that I have any faith in any politician. At least she can be funny, or she tries to. The humans here seem to like her, and they laughed at her joke about Larz Rovanky, the workaholic tanner. She also said there is some new play, "The Harpy's Curse," coming to the Sand Pointe Theatre. You know, this theatre we have is nearly as big as some of the ones in Korvosa, and it is definitely the biggest for leagues, around here.
I was off to the side edge of the crowd, listening, but minding my own business, as I do. I saw some elf in the crowd make a smirk at something Mayor Deveran said. Now why did he do that? Just then, I heard some high-pitched singing, if you could call it that. It sounded more like some creaky, grating, shrieking, to me. So then, these little skinny grey things with big wide heads jumped up out of the cemetary and rushed into the gathered crowd!
They were about as tall as me, or maybe a little smaller, and there were around thirty of them. The Sheriff, named Belor Hemlocke, made a cry to rally the farmers to him, but most of the villagers fled in a panic. I got a little swept up in the throng, but I was able to skirt around a building to find clear ground. I fired off a couple of spells, but I missed the two goblins I tried for, although one was such a close miss. Maybe I had missed one too many classes, too. I knew they were goblins now, since I had seen one before, in town. Well, that goblin I had seen was a dead Chieftain, pickled in a big glass jug, owned by this crazy old Ranger guy who runs the livery here.
Meanwhile, the battle didn't look to be going too poorly. A few villagers had been killed, but the Sheriff had a strong group around him, including his huge - and I mean BIG - nephew, Lyk. I just saw blades swinging and goblins falling, over there. There was a gap between the town defenders, where some goblins filled in, so I fired a Force Orb spell into them. That took care of three of the buggers, but I should have got the fourth one. I don't know how I could have missed him.
By then I had reached a line of five townsmen, who themselves had not seen any combat. I stood in front of them, and then I noticed that same elf again. He had been shooting his bow all the while and had backed-up to stand next to me. Now I was in position and ready to unleash all my arcane fury, but there were no more foes left on the field. All the goblins were dead, except for two that tried to run and were taken prisoner.
I approached closer and saw a cloaked man interrogating one of the goblins, with his drawn dagger. One of them said that they were from the Mountain tribe, and were taken here to be sold to the "Long shanks woman with the scarred hand." Or was it "scary" hand? Then he took the two and stuffed them into a barrel. I wondered if he knew our local crazy ranger and was trying to preserve these ones, too.
There was some talk about how this goblin force was a diversion, so the Sheriff took off with the villagers, leaving an odd group standing amid the fallen. They were most of them talking and hypothesizing, but I stood off, barely noticed. One was that elf, and then that cloak guy with the daggers was there, and big Lyk and the High Priest also remained behind. The goblins used some nasty rusty blades, so the new Priest conferred with this dwarf. I guess they could put their holy symbols together and figure out some cure, in case anyone who got cut got infected.
Some talk of the recent unpleasantness, which no one here likes to talk about, came up. Basically, it involves Father Tobin, his daughter Nuale', that fire and some mystery. Gossip stuff, if you ask me, but maybe it has something to do with this Scarred Woman and these goblins. We walked over to check the cemetary, and sure enough, Father Tobin's grave was all dug up and there was no body in there. His daughter is supposed to be buried next to him. I mean, there is a grave there, but most people know that there's no body in it, since she disappeared. I did remember hearing the end of the goblins' song said something about eating people....
No one had said anything to me, and I was being quiet. Then that cloaked guy asked me if I was Arcane. I said, "Yes," to him. I guess I didn't notice all the people around, since it seemed that the whole village had returned by now. They started yelling about how I was a devil worshipper and evil or some nonsense stuff. I mean: people are ignorant. If they don't want to listen or try to understand anything, you just can't make them. I really didn't think anyone but Mr. Cloak & Dagger would have heard me anyway, but I guess they were all being quiet and snuk up to eavesdrop on us.
Then they started to yell about how I was going to summon a devil or some thing. I said, if I could, I would summon one right now and show you all, but I can't. That's the truth that I can't - but I saw some people that could, at that Wizards' Academy in Korvosa. Why do they think I am here and not there?
Well you just can't explain things to some people, so I stood there. A young boy, although taller than me, picked up some crap, probably from one of the dead goblins, and threw it at me! He missed, but he took a second shot and hit me square in the chest. I should have used my Mage Hand cantrip to block it, but it was all I could do to control my temper. I have a cleaning cantrip to take care of that later, anyway. It didn't matter what I said to them, at that point. Lyk tried to cool them off, and he offered to take them all to the bar. That kind of distracted them, but it wasn't until Mayor Deveran spoke up that they listened. She said that the town owed a lot to these heroes, since they had saved Sand Point, from the goblins. I guess she was including me in that group, although I didn't think anyone saw me do anything. Come to think of it, I wonder where the Mayor had disappeared to, or how she got away, since she was up in the front on the stage, when the attack began. Maybe she can turn invisible or fly? I heard that Wizards can do those things, too. And you know what? That sounds a lot more interesting to me than summoning up any smelly old devil. But these people here don't want to hear that. My home town.
"The Saviors of Sand Point!" she called us, saying that it would have been worse if we were not there. She even included me in that, saying, "Even this little devil worshiper."
"My name is Riley," I said, shaking my head. Calling people names is bad business. It leads to stereotypes and discrimination. But I have to give this Mayor credit. She soothed the crowd and probably saved me - or saved them. Then she gave us each a bank note for a hundred Gold pieces. A Hundred! She told that crowd and all business owners to give us a discount or to even make their sales to us, at cost.
Then the cloaked man talked to Mayor Deveran, asking her some questions about his cousin Delek and the Kaijitsu family, but I had to kick him under the table. I knew what he was talking about. I took him aside and told him that Delek was involved with that Nuale', and he left town shortly after the time when the Church was being rebuilt, after that fire where she died or disappeared. It seems to me that maybe Nuale' could be this new scary woman who sent the goblins. Then I said: Hey, if your cousin isn't in town, and you are staying at his trailer.... I asked if he had room for a halfling there? I don't take up much space. He did extend an invitiation for me to crash there, so that was cool. He said his name was Andrian Constantin, but I had to kind of look askance when he said that. He didn't say it like it was really his name. I know about names, from what those Wizards said. They wouldn't shut up about names! I guess a name is pretty important for their devil summoning stuff. So I didn't believe this guy, when he told me that was his name. Another reason is that, earlier just that same day, someone in a cloak, who looked and sounded a lot like, "Andrian," was at the Kaijitsu place, asking for a meeting. But he said his name was Vladimir something-or-other, which sounds a lot different than Andrian, to me. Yeah yeah, if this guy is going to mess with the Kaijitsu's and my Grand'Ma, I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on him.
So I went with Lyk, "Andrian," the bow slinging Elf named Carufinwe, and the Dwarf Priest to have a look at what we could get from these shops in Sand Point. After talking to some shopkeepers, including that crazy old Ranger who told us why he'd get the Goblins' names and carve them into their ears before he nailed them to his rafters, and getting what we needed - most of them bought armor and weapons, I just got some components from the alchemist to perform my rituals; and no, I am not going to summon a devil! How many times do I have to tell you that? - we were in the street, and this buxom woman approached us. Well, she went straight up to Lyk, to tell the truth. She seemed to be hitting on him pretty hard, but he didn't seem to get it. She even made up some story about how a dog-sized large rat was in her basement, and she would go and feed it cheese. I had to laugh; it was so funny.
So I said, "Hey Lyk, you take care of her, and I'll go take care of that rat in her basement," winking. But she didn't like that, so I had to duck when she slapped me a couple of times. Lyk was able to figure out that he should go with her, but I'm not sure what happened with all that, since I went with Andrian to the jail. I told you; I will have my suspicion on this man.
He wanted to interview the goblin prisoners, and he did get some information from them. They described, "The Mistress," as they called her. Then Andrian was able to get each of the goblins to tell him their name. He wrote one on his scarf and scared that goblin so bad, the little grey thing ripped its own neck open, killing itself. The other one was mad scared now, so it told Andrian all that it could. These things ain't too smart, and now that I think about it, maybe I should have another name myself, to tell to people....
After we left the jail, we saw that dwarf cleric, Brunt, again. He seems okay. A messenger came up to us, with an invitation from Aldern Foxglove, to go Boar Hunting. Then some woman came running up, carrying her boy in her arms. He was bleeding, I mean a lot of blood, everywhere. So Brunt set his holy words and symbols to work for him. See? I told you that dwarf is alright. I can read people. I surely seen enough bad ones, to know when I see a good one.
While Brunt helped out there, Andrian and I ran off to her house. She had cried about how her husband was in trouble. Andrian busted in, and he tried to help that man, pulling him out of some hole in the floor that he got stuck into, but we were too late. So since it was open, and I heard something down there, I cast my Light cantrip and jumped down in.
Sure enough, it was another Goblin, but this one looked bigger and meaner than those others - more like that chief. The space was so cramped, even I had to duck. Andrian fell in after me, but he could barely move, since it was so close. This goblin hit him good and bloody, so I fired a magic missile into it, but that wasn't enough. I could hear Brunt and Lyk coming through the door upstairs, but there was no way they could fit down here. Help was on the way, but luckily, the goblin missed Andrian; and he was able to strike back, where it had left itself open in its crouch, killing it.
Korvosa itself was interesting, and I might have liked that place, if it wasn't for all the scumbags, pimps, gangsters and other bad types that no one wants to see alone on a lonely street. Yeah, I know - you're wondering, "Those people were at the Wizards' College?" No, they weren't. The people at the college were worse, especially the instructors. Why else do you think I would ditch classes and hit the streets?
Anyway, all that Wizard stuff was pretty easy to me, and to make a long story short, I graduated on-time, without ever summoning no devils, neither. So recently, I went back to Sand Point, and like I said before, this is where it all really begins....
So it's the annual Swallow Tale Fesival, of 4708. On the 1st day of the month of Rovagug, in the Age of Lost Omens, and I am back home in Sand Point. My Grandmother, Iris, lives here - she has for all her life, I think. Gran'ma Iris is an old lady. She works for the rich glass maker's, Kaijitsu's, family. Why they need a little old lady to clean up after them, I don't know, but Granma seems happy enough, and really, I guess no one knows just what else she would do. Anyway, she's happy, and they're happy - hell yeah they're happy - they're rich. So one night, I rolled back into Sand Point, after fleeing, I mean, graduating from Korvosa, and Granma took me in. But I couldn't stay with her forever, so I went out into town to look for my own way.
At this Festival - something about butterflies and love or something - the new high Priest is giving his sermon. I heard all of these guys before. This guy sounds just like his predecessor, Father Tobin. Now there is some story for Father Tobin: about his daughter disappearing and how his church burned to the ground. He's buried in the graveyard here- or what's left of him.
Then the Mayor took over talking. We have a Lady Mayor, Deveran, in Sand Point, but I think she does the job about as good as any man could, not that I have any faith in any politician. At least she can be funny, or she tries to. The humans here seem to like her, and they laughed at her joke about Larz Rovanky, the workaholic tanner. She also said there is some new play, "The Harpy's Curse," coming to the Sand Pointe Theatre. You know, this theatre we have is nearly as big as some of the ones in Korvosa, and it is definitely the biggest for leagues, around here.
I was off to the side edge of the crowd, listening, but minding my own business, as I do. I saw some elf in the crowd make a smirk at something Mayor Deveran said. Now why did he do that? Just then, I heard some high-pitched singing, if you could call it that. It sounded more like some creaky, grating, shrieking, to me. So then, these little skinny grey things with big wide heads jumped up out of the cemetary and rushed into the gathered crowd!
They were about as tall as me, or maybe a little smaller, and there were around thirty of them. The Sheriff, named Belor Hemlocke, made a cry to rally the farmers to him, but most of the villagers fled in a panic. I got a little swept up in the throng, but I was able to skirt around a building to find clear ground. I fired off a couple of spells, but I missed the two goblins I tried for, although one was such a close miss. Maybe I had missed one too many classes, too. I knew they were goblins now, since I had seen one before, in town. Well, that goblin I had seen was a dead Chieftain, pickled in a big glass jug, owned by this crazy old Ranger guy who runs the livery here.
Meanwhile, the battle didn't look to be going too poorly. A few villagers had been killed, but the Sheriff had a strong group around him, including his huge - and I mean BIG - nephew, Lyk. I just saw blades swinging and goblins falling, over there. There was a gap between the town defenders, where some goblins filled in, so I fired a Force Orb spell into them. That took care of three of the buggers, but I should have got the fourth one. I don't know how I could have missed him.
By then I had reached a line of five townsmen, who themselves had not seen any combat. I stood in front of them, and then I noticed that same elf again. He had been shooting his bow all the while and had backed-up to stand next to me. Now I was in position and ready to unleash all my arcane fury, but there were no more foes left on the field. All the goblins were dead, except for two that tried to run and were taken prisoner.
I approached closer and saw a cloaked man interrogating one of the goblins, with his drawn dagger. One of them said that they were from the Mountain tribe, and were taken here to be sold to the "Long shanks woman with the scarred hand." Or was it "scary" hand? Then he took the two and stuffed them into a barrel. I wondered if he knew our local crazy ranger and was trying to preserve these ones, too.
There was some talk about how this goblin force was a diversion, so the Sheriff took off with the villagers, leaving an odd group standing amid the fallen. They were most of them talking and hypothesizing, but I stood off, barely noticed. One was that elf, and then that cloak guy with the daggers was there, and big Lyk and the High Priest also remained behind. The goblins used some nasty rusty blades, so the new Priest conferred with this dwarf. I guess they could put their holy symbols together and figure out some cure, in case anyone who got cut got infected.
Some talk of the recent unpleasantness, which no one here likes to talk about, came up. Basically, it involves Father Tobin, his daughter Nuale', that fire and some mystery. Gossip stuff, if you ask me, but maybe it has something to do with this Scarred Woman and these goblins. We walked over to check the cemetary, and sure enough, Father Tobin's grave was all dug up and there was no body in there. His daughter is supposed to be buried next to him. I mean, there is a grave there, but most people know that there's no body in it, since she disappeared. I did remember hearing the end of the goblins' song said something about eating people....
No one had said anything to me, and I was being quiet. Then that cloaked guy asked me if I was Arcane. I said, "Yes," to him. I guess I didn't notice all the people around, since it seemed that the whole village had returned by now. They started yelling about how I was a devil worshipper and evil or some nonsense stuff. I mean: people are ignorant. If they don't want to listen or try to understand anything, you just can't make them. I really didn't think anyone but Mr. Cloak & Dagger would have heard me anyway, but I guess they were all being quiet and snuk up to eavesdrop on us.
Then they started to yell about how I was going to summon a devil or some thing. I said, if I could, I would summon one right now and show you all, but I can't. That's the truth that I can't - but I saw some people that could, at that Wizards' Academy in Korvosa. Why do they think I am here and not there?
Well you just can't explain things to some people, so I stood there. A young boy, although taller than me, picked up some crap, probably from one of the dead goblins, and threw it at me! He missed, but he took a second shot and hit me square in the chest. I should have used my Mage Hand cantrip to block it, but it was all I could do to control my temper. I have a cleaning cantrip to take care of that later, anyway. It didn't matter what I said to them, at that point. Lyk tried to cool them off, and he offered to take them all to the bar. That kind of distracted them, but it wasn't until Mayor Deveran spoke up that they listened. She said that the town owed a lot to these heroes, since they had saved Sand Point, from the goblins. I guess she was including me in that group, although I didn't think anyone saw me do anything. Come to think of it, I wonder where the Mayor had disappeared to, or how she got away, since she was up in the front on the stage, when the attack began. Maybe she can turn invisible or fly? I heard that Wizards can do those things, too. And you know what? That sounds a lot more interesting to me than summoning up any smelly old devil. But these people here don't want to hear that. My home town.
"The Saviors of Sand Point!" she called us, saying that it would have been worse if we were not there. She even included me in that, saying, "Even this little devil worshiper."
"My name is Riley," I said, shaking my head. Calling people names is bad business. It leads to stereotypes and discrimination. But I have to give this Mayor credit. She soothed the crowd and probably saved me - or saved them. Then she gave us each a bank note for a hundred Gold pieces. A Hundred! She told that crowd and all business owners to give us a discount or to even make their sales to us, at cost.
Then the cloaked man talked to Mayor Deveran, asking her some questions about his cousin Delek and the Kaijitsu family, but I had to kick him under the table. I knew what he was talking about. I took him aside and told him that Delek was involved with that Nuale', and he left town shortly after the time when the Church was being rebuilt, after that fire where she died or disappeared. It seems to me that maybe Nuale' could be this new scary woman who sent the goblins. Then I said: Hey, if your cousin isn't in town, and you are staying at his trailer.... I asked if he had room for a halfling there? I don't take up much space. He did extend an invitiation for me to crash there, so that was cool. He said his name was Andrian Constantin, but I had to kind of look askance when he said that. He didn't say it like it was really his name. I know about names, from what those Wizards said. They wouldn't shut up about names! I guess a name is pretty important for their devil summoning stuff. So I didn't believe this guy, when he told me that was his name. Another reason is that, earlier just that same day, someone in a cloak, who looked and sounded a lot like, "Andrian," was at the Kaijitsu place, asking for a meeting. But he said his name was Vladimir something-or-other, which sounds a lot different than Andrian, to me. Yeah yeah, if this guy is going to mess with the Kaijitsu's and my Grand'Ma, I'm going to be keeping a very close eye on him.
So I went with Lyk, "Andrian," the bow slinging Elf named Carufinwe, and the Dwarf Priest to have a look at what we could get from these shops in Sand Point. After talking to some shopkeepers, including that crazy old Ranger who told us why he'd get the Goblins' names and carve them into their ears before he nailed them to his rafters, and getting what we needed - most of them bought armor and weapons, I just got some components from the alchemist to perform my rituals; and no, I am not going to summon a devil! How many times do I have to tell you that? - we were in the street, and this buxom woman approached us. Well, she went straight up to Lyk, to tell the truth. She seemed to be hitting on him pretty hard, but he didn't seem to get it. She even made up some story about how a dog-sized large rat was in her basement, and she would go and feed it cheese. I had to laugh; it was so funny.
So I said, "Hey Lyk, you take care of her, and I'll go take care of that rat in her basement," winking. But she didn't like that, so I had to duck when she slapped me a couple of times. Lyk was able to figure out that he should go with her, but I'm not sure what happened with all that, since I went with Andrian to the jail. I told you; I will have my suspicion on this man.
He wanted to interview the goblin prisoners, and he did get some information from them. They described, "The Mistress," as they called her. Then Andrian was able to get each of the goblins to tell him their name. He wrote one on his scarf and scared that goblin so bad, the little grey thing ripped its own neck open, killing itself. The other one was mad scared now, so it told Andrian all that it could. These things ain't too smart, and now that I think about it, maybe I should have another name myself, to tell to people....
After we left the jail, we saw that dwarf cleric, Brunt, again. He seems okay. A messenger came up to us, with an invitation from Aldern Foxglove, to go Boar Hunting. Then some woman came running up, carrying her boy in her arms. He was bleeding, I mean a lot of blood, everywhere. So Brunt set his holy words and symbols to work for him. See? I told you that dwarf is alright. I can read people. I surely seen enough bad ones, to know when I see a good one.
While Brunt helped out there, Andrian and I ran off to her house. She had cried about how her husband was in trouble. Andrian busted in, and he tried to help that man, pulling him out of some hole in the floor that he got stuck into, but we were too late. So since it was open, and I heard something down there, I cast my Light cantrip and jumped down in.
Sure enough, it was another Goblin, but this one looked bigger and meaner than those others - more like that chief. The space was so cramped, even I had to duck. Andrian fell in after me, but he could barely move, since it was so close. This goblin hit him good and bloody, so I fired a magic missile into it, but that wasn't enough. I could hear Brunt and Lyk coming through the door upstairs, but there was no way they could fit down here. Help was on the way, but luckily, the goblin missed Andrian; and he was able to strike back, where it had left itself open in its crouch, killing it.
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