The Missing Warhorse

A few days have passed since Ameiko's rescue from the Glassworks and the heroes' subsequent exploration of the strange dungeon that Brodert Quink, Sandpoint's resident sage, refers to as the Catacombs of Wrath. Brodert, a balding scholar of Varisian history and engineering, claims to have spent 2 decades of his youth studying with dwarven engineers at Janderhoff and 3 decades as a cataloger at the Founder’s Archive in Magnimar. He remains baffled and enraged that his learning and obvious intelligence haven’t afforded him more prestige.

Brodert has been studying ancient Thassilonian ruins for the past several years and has recently become obsessed with the Old Light. No one believes his theories that the tower was once a war machine capable of spewing fire to a range of more than a mile, and this casts some shadow on his claims that the complex the adventurers discovered deep under Sandpoint is actually the lair of an ancient Thassilonian Runelord.

Following his investigation of the catacombs, Brodert beleives the statue that once held the cold-iron and ivory masterwork ranseur to be Runelord Alaznist and that the strange well that spewed forth the 3-fingered creatures, that he calls sin-spawn, was a minor runewell keyed to the sin of wrath. That is before the party cleverly drained it of its power.

Ameiko, much occupied with the business of getting the Glassworks back into operation, has not been at the Rusty Dragon very often. She has not forgotten her rescuers however, as Bethana succinctly summarised several days ago "Ameiko says your gold is no good here" and the heroes have enjoyed the homey hospitality of the Rusty Dragon ever since.

And so it was that as the evening shadows started to gather, heralding another enjoyable evening in front of the fire at the Rusty Dragon that two bedraggled merchants staggered in and threw themselves into some chairs at an empty table.  Pulling off their boots and rubbing at their blistered feet, the story of their misfortune was not long in coming. In short...goblins.

"We were coming down the Lost Coast Road and about 6 miles out of town, just after we'd crossed the Thistle River, the little blighters swarmed all over us. We barely got away with our skins but once they'd clapped eyes on Shadowmist they seemed to only care about that horse. We ran, but they've stolen our wagon, the supplies we had and that magnificent horse."

"The only compensation is that the warhorse really gave them what for," pipes in the second merchant, "I saw him send one flying about 15 feet! I hope he gets away, I'd rather have lost him than know the goblins had chopped him to bits."

It takes no time at all to ascertain that the goblins had all the markings of those pesky inhabitants of Thistletop.

Catacombs of Wrath, Part 2

The heroes return to the catacombs to finish their exploration.  They quickly discover an Ancient Prison with 2 sinspawn arguing over a pile of bones.  Blukvard makes good use of the magic dagger!...and then proceeds to bite the sinspawn.  Leena solves the 'riddle' of the prison pit...

They stumble across the goblin hero Koruvus, now hideously mutated by...well by something!  Wielding the cold iron ranseur against Koruvus, Leena does some seriously heavy damage dancing around the pits.  They discover the zombies that Koruvus has been guarding, but Candrak is reluctant to waste arrows shooting at them.  Leena has the idea of using the magic returning dagger to kill the zombies.

Further still and the party finds the collapsed stairs; one lot going up; and the others heading down...to what?  No matter for they are both blocked.  Faint voices are heard at the stairs heading up and Blukvard cleverly speculates that the voices are the townsfolk.  That doesn't explain the eerie howling that seemed to come from the blocked stairs heading down.

They discover Erylium's meditation chamber and Candrak happily launches into the levitation room after the loot.

Finally the party battles the Vargouille, a hideous creature like a head with wings.  It's scream is death though, and Leena and Shala are quickly paralysed for the duration.  Luckily Candrak and Blukvard slay they creature releasing them from their spiritual bondage.

Loot

• silver dagger
• longsword +1
• masterwork handax

Party Experience

600xp  (Vargouille - Washing Pool)
1200xp  (2 Sinspawn - Ancient Prison)
1000xp  (Koruvus, Hero of the Seven Tooth Tribe...and some zombies - The Prisoner Pits)
200xp - killing the zombies
3000 xp Total

Blukvard  (6570 xp)

1000xp (Party XP)
50xp (RP - guessing the voices are the townsfolk)

Candrak  (6770 xp)

1000xp (Party XP)
25xp  (RP - Mystery bonus XP)

Leena  (6520 xp)

1000xp (Party XP)
50xp (RP - zombie + returning dagger idea)

vargouille

Catacombs of Wrath, Part 1

After a brief chat to Ameiko, the heroes rest up and venture down the dark tunnel, previously bricked up to keep such heroes out...or maybe to keep something else in...they quickly find the guard cave and Leena shows her prowess by defeating the Sinspawn within quickly and efficiently.  Taking the door out of the old storeroom they make their way down a long tunnel and find a small shrine raised up on a platform of gray stone.   Sitting atop the platform is an ancient altar, little more than a jagged block of black marble with a shallow concavity on top of it, filled with what appears to be filthy water.   No-one dares take a sip...

The heroes enter the large chamber adjoining the shrine room and find what can only be described as an eldritch cathedral, complete with an eerie 'well' glowing with eldritch light.  They are quickly attacked by a female quasit and find themselves in a battle for their very lives.  The quasit summons another of the three-fingered creatures from the strange well and the perceptive heroes notice the worried look on its face as the well dims noticeably.  The summoning continues, this time with magic spells, as the quasit summons first a Lemure devil and then a dire rat to aid it in its struggle with the heroes.  As the battle progresses Leena, in a moment of intuitive genius shouts that the creature is vulnerable to cold-iron weapons.  Candrak acts swiftly, taking up the cold-iron ranseur dropped by the three-fingered creature.  The effects on the quasit are immediate.  but is it too late?

Blukvard decides to summon his own creature from the strange well and contrary to Blukvard's hopes, immediately attacks him.  This thrid summoning from the strange 'well' is the last straw and the light dies from its 'waters', the quasit flies into a rage and the heroes' very lives hang in the balance.  Leena grabs a second cold-iron ranseur from the wall displays behind the well and the tide finally turns the heroes' way.  The quasit, sensing its doom is nigh, turns invisbile and looks to escape, but Candrak with a surprising sixth sense (given he showed no sense in rushing into the basement after the goblin) cleaves the quasit just as its escape seems assured.

The heroes are battered but victorious, beating a retreat back to town with a sense of having defeated a great evil and their first serious loot: a small +1 cold iron returning dagger; a tiara; and a small obsidian (un)holy symbol to some strange god that they later learn is Lamashtu, goddess of monsters. 

The only question remaining is...will the heroes return to the depths again?

Experience

Party XP

600xp  (Sinspawn - Guard Cave)
1200xp  (Erylium - Cathedral of Wrath)
1800xp  (3 Sinspawn - Cathedral of Wrath)
400xp  (Lemure  - Cathedral of Wrath)
135xp  (Dire Rat - Cathedral of Wrath)
1200xp  (Destroying the Lesser Runewell - Cathedral of Wrath)
5335 Total Party XP

Blukvard XP (5520 xp total)

1780xp  (Party XP)
50xp (RP - summoning the sinspawn)
1830xp total

Candrak XP (5745 xp total)

1780xp  (Party XP)
75xp (cinematic - Candrak kills Erylium after she goes invisible and tries to escape)
1855xp total

Leena XP (5470 xp total)

1780xp  (Party XP)
25xp (cinematic - Leena defeats the Sinspawn in the guard cave single handed)
75xp (R1880P - figuring out that the quasit is susceptible to cold-iron weapons)
1880xp total

Note...apologies...

I have lost my notes on "mystery XP" for the last couple of sessions sorry...

Trouble at the Rusty Dragon

The heroes have become regulars at the Rusty Dragon. Ameiko runs a very adventurer-friendly establishment, and the locals who frequent the establishment’s tavern enjoy hearing stories of derring-do and hijinks from the tavern’s visitors. Merriment was in much abundance the night of the boar hunt with Aldern Foxglove, when a surly visitor slams the tavern’s door open and bellows out a sharp-tongued command in a strange language, interupting the revelries.

Bethana Corwin, the halfling maid, whispers to the heroes "oh dear...it's Ameiko's father, Lonjiku Kaijitsu". Lonjiku is an elderly Tian man and one of Sandpoint’s most well-known nobles. None of you understand the language he so sharply speaks. The other patrons of the bar, however, recognizing him and knowing of his reputation for wrathful outbursts, grow very quiet and interested in their meals. Lonjiku stalks farther into the tavern, his eyes scanning the room for his daughter when Ameiko rushes into the front room, a ladle dripping with soup in her hand, to find out what all the ruckus is about.

The two argue in a strange language for a moment as Lonjiku gesticulates wildly and Ameiko finally tells him to leave her inn in Common (albeit with a string of creative and frankly shocking profanity). Enraged, Lonjiku tries to grab her by the hair to drag her from the tavern, but she dodges and brains him with her soupy ladle, spattering fish stock and potatoes all over his hair and outfit. This act of public defiance seems to wound Lonjiku’s pride more than anything else, and after he sputters for a moment, he finds his voice and utters, "You’re as dead to me as your mother," before leaving the tavern. You see the tears in Ameiko's eyes as she bravely picks up her ladle, inspects it, pulls a hair out of the mess, and says, "I’ll need a well-cleaned ladle now, since jackass stew’s not on the menu." The resulting cheers and laughter from the tavern’s patrons help her attitude immensely as she heads back to the kitchen saying something about "needing to check the soup." Bethana quielty tells you "she'll be ok in a little while, best not to mention it."

A few days later the proprietor of the Rusty Dragon mysteriously disappears and the heroes follow the trail to the glassworks!

There they discover Tsuto in league with the goblins, Lonjiko Kaijitsu dead, and Ameiko bound up in the basement, ready to be hauled off to Thistletop.  After a running battle with the goblins, Candrak pursues and is confronted by Tsuto without backup.  Things go badly for Candrak before Leena and Blukvard catch up to offer aid.  Tustu sees the tide of battle turn against him and makes a break for it, escaping down an old smugglers' tunnel to the beach below Sandpoint. He leaves behind his diary, left behind in his rush to confront Candrak.

Leena and Blukvard give chase while a badly wounded Candrak carries a barely conscious Ameiko up out of the basement and into the streets of Sandpoint to the gasps of the waiting crowd.  Discretion being the better part of valour, Leena and Blukvard catiously follow the trail and find tracks in the sand leading northeast towards the goblin stronghold at Thistletop.  They investigate the bricked up entrance to a mysterious side tunnel halfway along the escape tunnel.  Where does it lead?  They wisely decide to wait to investigate.  Something bad lurks within that ancient passage.  Why would someone brick it up anyway?

Ameiko is conscious but badly wounded and after Father Zantus ministers to her remains distraught at her brother’s treachery. Tsuto revealed to Ameiko that he and several other mercenaries were led by Nualia and hinted that she’s got big plans for Sandpoint’s future. Tsuto warned Ameiko that she didn’t want to be in town when those plans came through, and offered her a chance to join his group at Thistletop. Ameiko recoiled at the suggestion and slapped her brother in shock that he’d sunk to such a low. He responded by unleashing his goblins on her. They overwhelmed her and left her bound in the basement of the glassworks.  She is grateful for being rescued, but eager to warn her father until Candrak breaks the sad news to her.  

Experience

Party XP

1080 xp (8 Goblins)
400 xp (defeating Tsuto Kaijistsu...sort of..)
1200 xp (RP - Rescuing Ameiko)
2680 total Party XP

Blukvard

890 xp (Party XP)
890 xp total

Candrak

890  xp (Party XP)
25 xp (cinematic moment - carries out Ameiko from the glassworks)
0 xp (RP - discretion is the...nope...charging into the dungeon alone dumbass bonus)
915 xp total

Leena

890 xp (Party XP)
100 (discretion is the better part of valour...finally..."ooh look, a dungeon so deadly someone else bricked it up" - frankly I was amazed)
990xp total

Discretion is the Better Part of Valour

Monster in the Closet

Fresh from victory in the forest (and full of roast boar) the heroes once again find themselves in the comfortable common room of The Rusty Dragon. Ameiko's spicy fare always seems to hit the spot.  On this occasion however, their repast is noisily interupted by a distraught Amele Barett.  Her hurried tale involves poor Aeren, whose arm has been gnawed badly by a goblin commando, who had sneakily hidden in the closet. 

It appears the Gresgurt hid in the closet when the raid started to go bad for them....and then promptly fell asleep, completely forgetting to escape.  Aeren's dog, Petal, natural enemy of goblins, would launch into such a barking fit every time he tried to sneak out that he instead decided to make a nice little hole to hide in.  Aeren's father Alergast, didn't beleive the goblin in the closet story until they rushed in to Aeron's screams as Gresgurt was busy having a quick snack, having finally dispatched Petal with a piece of broken horsechopper.

After quickly seeing to Aeren's wounds, the heroes enter to the disturbing scene of Alergast being slowly eaten by Gresgurt in somewhat graphic, and let's be honest, pretty messy manner. They dislodge father Barett and Gresgurt leaps into the fray, angered at the loss of his dinner. Leena makes shot work of him. Despite Candrak's compassionate attempt to shield her from the worst of it, Amele Barett sees things in a less heroic light as the 2 1/2 foot wide bloody smear of Alergast across Aeren's floor leaves very little doubt that her husband is quite dead. 

Sheriff Hemlock takes in the scene with his usual stoicism and Adam recruits Hilda Higgins to help the kiddies. Amele is taken to the Cathedral and Father Zantus gives her a little something.  Being back in the cathedral unexpectedly giggles loose some distant memory in Blukvard, driving him to question the gravedigger, Edwards, about Father Tobyn's foster daughter, Nualia, who was also lost in the fire, although her body was never recovered.  Edwards is reluctant to speak ill of the dead, so the investigators seek out the Sheriff, who fills them in on some of the rumours about Nualia and a Varisian boy, Delek Viskanta.  They learn how Delek disappeared, and the beautiful Nualia was rarely seen outside the Chapel after that.  Six months later the church burned to the ground. 

Mobbed Up

Following the leads around town the heroes decide it's time to check out the seedier side of Sandpoint and head to the local Sczarni hangout, The Fatman's Feedbag.   The reception is frosty, the ale isn't.  Leena spots someone she knows and realises too late that it's Garrett, someone she definitely doesn't want to encounter again.  Tensions are raised as the tavern falls silent and the heroes are badly outnumbered.  A number of bandits stand up and Candrak and Blukvard wisely inch towards the door.  Not Leena though.  The bad goes start slowly towards our protagonsits, the smart ones keep moving towards the door.  Leena gets lippy.  In a (forced) stroke of insight Leena realises its the Sczarni (the Mafia) and that she should leave now or things could get bad.  I guess things got bad. More guys stand up and the way out s still clear.  Blukvard and Candrak have by this time made it outside and sent for the Sheriff's help.  There is still time to get out and yet more nefarious types stand up to join the others. Bewilderingly Leena stands her ground.

When the Sheriff returns with the watch and enters the Fatman's Feedbag, they search it top to bottom but there is no sign of Leena or the beating was heard to take.  Realising that the back door of the tavern faces onto the very same alley that Wacthman Joffrey's house also backs on to, a decision is made to enter and search the house.  Leena is found beaten unconscious and relieved of her weapons and coin.

Presumably in the hope that Leena has learned her lesson, Candrak re-equips her with a weapon out of his own pocket.  blukvard picks up some very fine work from the cranky tanner.

Grim News from Mosswood

The next day they are summoned to the Mayor's chambers where they meet Shelelu Andosana, and elven ranger who monitors the local goblins.  She bears grim news from Mosswood.  Sandpoint hasn’t been the only place in the region that’s had goblin troubles. In short, there’s been an increase in goblin-related raids along the Lost Coast Road, particularly in the dale between Nettlewood and Mosswood. Only a day ago, a farm south of Mosswood was burnt to the ground by a group of goblins. Shalelu was thankfully nearby, and while the farm couldn’t be saved, she did rescue the family and drive off the goblins; the family is staying at a nearby farm for now, but the goblin problem is obviously not going away.

Sheriff Hemlock announces that he’s taking a few of his men south to Magnimar to see about securing additional soldiers to station at Sandpoint for a few weeks, at least until the extent of the goblin threat can be determined. While he’s out of town, he’s asked Shalelu to sniff around Shank’s Wood, Devil’s Platter, and other places where goblins live to see if she can discover anything else about what’s going on. He would also like the heroes to maintain a public presence in Sandpoint over the next few days, if they don’t mind. “The locals seem to have taken to you,” he says, “And seeing you around town will do a lot for keeping worries down over the next few days.”

Shelelu joins you for dinner and regales you with tales of the goblin tribes and 'heroes' in the Sandpoint hinterlands. Canrak and Shelelu clearly share a lot of things in common.  They both like the outdoors and know a disturbing amount of goblin trivia for a start.

Experience

Party

600  Gresgut
900  investigations into Nualia

1500  Total Party Xp

Blukvard

500  (Party XP)
25  (RP - Heals Aeren Barett)
50  (RP - Help from Hilda Higgins)
75  (RP - "she's not dead")
100  (RP - discretion is the better part of valour)
25  (RP - "let's make our presence known" by patrolling)

775  Total XP

Candrak

500 (Party XP)
25  (RP - covers the barrett body so the family cant see)
100 (RP - discretion is the better part of valour)
50  (mystery bonus XP)

675 Total XP

Leena

500 (Party XP)
25  (cinematic moment - killing Gresgurt the closet commando)
--   (RP - discretion is th...no, wait...Leena was a dumbass)
75  (mystery bonus XP)

600  Total XP

Candrak's Fun Facts about Goblins #10

Goblins Believe Writing Steals Your Soul

The walls of goblin lairs and the ruins of towns goblins have raided are littered with pictures of their exploits. They never use writing, though. That’s not lucky. Writing steals words out of your head. You can’t get them back.