Pathfinder – Era of the Lost Omens
Book 1 – Rise of the Runelords
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Chapter 4 - Burnt Offerings
This was not exactly the best day Tsuto had ever had... or at least, that was his impression as, for the umpteenth time, he made his way to those familiar rooms, deep in the Thistletop dungeons. The half-elf had just received news that had given him pause, and if what his "dear" subordinate was saying was true, then he felt compelled to do his best so that the one person in all of Sandpoint who in his opinion did not deserve his vengeance would not be caught up in it.
Almost without realizing it, Tsuto had arrived in front of his beloved's quarters. He took a deep breath, mentally going over what he had to say... then knocked politely and waited for an answer. He could almost hear an exasperated sigh from the other side of the door...
"I had asked not to be disturbed. I must prepare for the ritual." a clearly irritated female voice replied. Tsuto took a small step back, trying not to appear too bold, and waited for his beloved to open the door.
Finally, the bronze-skinned, white-haired young woman, dressed in an eerie black breastplate with matching pants and boots, appeared from behind the doorway, and her intense eyes stared at Tsuto with an emotion that the half-elf did not quite understand - was it anger, or perhaps pity... or perhaps an attempt to hide her affection for him? If nothing else, by the time she opened her mouth, her voice had softened a bit. "Ah... it is you, Tsuto. Tell me, are there any issues? Are those stupid goblins driving you crazy?"
Tsuto cleared his throat. "No, no... none of that, my dear," he stated quickly. "It's just that... Ripnugget would like to attack Sandpoint en masse right away, but I don't think that's the best approach. In my opinion, we should get Erylium to help us and use the glassworks to invade in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree with me. And I'm pretty sure Bruthazmus is being contrary just to one-up me."
The white-haired young woman sighed. "So, what would be the problem?"
"Well... the thing is, Lyrie just informed me that my half-sister still lives in Sandpoint," Tsuto explained. "She's pretty much the only person I don't hate in that damned place, and I'd like to have her spared, if at all possible. And maybe convince her to come over to our side. Of course... that is if it's okay with you, my love. I know this revenge is just as important to you as it is for me."
The young woman's expression turned thoughtful, and she lowered her gaze. A person in Sandpoint that Tsuto wanted to spare... yes, if nothing else she had enough empathy left to understand this desire of his. After all, she was in a similar situation herself. She, too, still had someone she cared about, even though he no longer lived in Sandpoint. Every now and then, she still felt some regret from losing him forever... but the realization that there was no turning back time led her to resign herself and return to the present.
"Love...?" Tsuto asked.
The white-haired woman blinked, then shook her head. "Sorry, I got distracted... you were saying, Tsuto? Oh, right... You have my permission, and if you can convince her to side with us, all the better. After all, one more or less person won't make such a great difference to Mother Lamashtu." she replied quickly.
Tsuto thanked her with a nod, then looked at the white-haired woman with a worried expression. "So... you really decided to carry out this ritual? Haven't I told you many times already that... for me, you are the most beautiful woman in all of Varisia... why, in all of Golarion?" he continued. "Why would you want to give up your beauty?"
The woman solemnly shook her head. "I must, Tsuto. I must rid myself forever of this angelic blood that has brought me nothing but misery." she explained. "I've been working for the last five years, ever since Mother Lamashtu gave me a reason to live, towards this end...and I can't stop now. Not even if you ask me to."
Tsuto stood in silence... and after standing still for a moment with an incredulous and regretful expression, he finally came to the realization that there was no way to change his beloved's mind. He had already tried several times to convince her of her beauty, to no avail.
For now, it was enough that she had agreed to let him spare his half-sister... and as the white-haired woman headed towards another area of the catacombs, Tsuto waved goodbye and hurried towards the exit of the underground lair, hoping that his beloved knew what she was doing.
The young woman didn't stop long to think about what her subordinate was thinking. As far as she was concerned, as long as Tsuto did his job well enough and remained loyal to her, she saw no reason to deny him anything... but giving up that ritual that would finally rid her of the curse she carried within, that was something she wouldn't do for anyone.
Except maybe...
"Again with this thought..." she whispered to herself, and hurried towards the room where the ritual was to take place, determined to throw behind her every hesitation and every remainder of her previous life. After passing through a series of dimly lit corridors, the young woman finally reached a chapel of sorts, dimly lit by magical braziers that emitted an unnatural reddish smoke.
She entered the unholy place, blankly staring at the horrific bas-reliefs that adorned the walls of the room. Terrifying depictions of violence and death, mostly of demons dismembering human beings and tearing them apart, were evident on the rough stone walls, and near the black stone altar on the opposite side of the room, stood an obscene statue depicting a pregnant, jackal-headed, three-eyed female figure - with the third eye placed vertically in the middle of her forehead.
In front of the altar, four goblins waited, each one displaying an uneasy expression that contrasted with their typical energy. The eldest of the four had just finished laying something on the altar... the body they had stolen from the Sandpoint cemetery, now little more than a dusty skeleton, partially covered by a moldy shroud and still sporting the remains of gray moustache and beard.
The young woman narrowed her eyes as she stared at the body lying on the altar. Though it had decayed so much, she could recognize the person all too well, and as she approached it, she glared at it with barely restrained hatred. The goblins stepped aside in fear as the white-haired girl stopped only a step away from the dessiccated corpse.
For several seconds, the young woman stared coldly at the corpse... and finally, she let out a smile that was in equal parts resentful and satisfied.
"So... father? What do you think? Your little girl... I mean, your little doll... has become a priestess, just like you wanted!" she muttered with cruel sarcasm. "Heh... sure, a priestess of Mother Lamashtu instead of your much vaunted goddess of dreams, but why bother with such silly little details? As they say... you get what you deserve, right? And I deserve this satisfaction!"
She lowered her head, and let out a strange and disturbing laugh, which to the goblins sounded almost like a pained sob... then, she looked back at Ezakien's body. "This is how I thank you, father. For all the evil you've done to me, for forcing me to live like a recluse... and for separating me from the only person who truly cared for me! And I hope you can see me, from whatever afterlife you're in now! So you can witness as Sandpoint is consumed in fire... and you can watch me become a true daughter of Mother Lamashtu! That celestial blood you were so proud of... I will dump it like so much rubbish! This is the last gift from your dear little Nualia!"
At the end of that delirious speech, the young woman named Nualia lowered her head and clenched her fists, laughing and weeping at the same time. The goblins shuddered, but one of them shook himself out of his fear long enough to head to one of the braziers and place a torch into it, lighting it up almost immediately. The glow and vigor of the flames seemed to soothe him, and the green humanoid chuckled briefly before approaching his mistress. Nualia did not even turn to the goblin as she casually grabbed the lit torch... and at that moment, the jackal-headed woman's statue began glowing with malignant energy, and her three eyes lit up, further scaring the goblins!
"IT IS AS YOU SAY, NUALIA." A female-sounding voice echoed in the young woman's mind as she held the torch in front of herself. It did not sound human at all - it seemed to vibrate and pulsate, expressing power and ruthlessness... a voice of undying hatred and primal evil. "YOU ARE A MONSTER. THEY WILL NEVER ACCEPT YOU. YOU WILL NEVER BE ONE OF THEM. YOU ARE DIFFERENT. YOU ARE DISGUSTING. HORRID. ABNORMAL. BUT I... I LOVE YOU ALL THE SAME. I WILL HOLD YOU IN MY EMBRACE, AND PROTECT YOU. ALL I ASK OF YOU... IS TO DELIVER THOSE WHO REJECT YOU TO ME!"
"Mother Lamashtu..." Nualia whispered, reassured by that voice only she could hear. Gazing blankly in front of herself, she held the burning torch closer to her adoptive father's withered corpse.
"I, your humble servant Nualia, offer you the body of this wretched man. I beg of you... deliver me from this angelic curse... welcome me into your womb, and allow me to become one of your offspring... and I shall be a faithful and devoted daughter... and I shall spread your word throughout Varisia, so that all may know your love. Mother Lamashtu..."
Nualia held the flame to Ezakien's body, and the worn shroud immediately caught fire. The flames quickly spread and enveloped the shriveled body, while an acrid burning smell pervaded the hideous cathedral, and even the goblins let out exclamations of fear. As all of this happened, Nualia stood by the burning heap, savoring every single moment of her revenge...
The demonic statue glowed again, and a strange, eerie halo of reddish light enveloped Nualia's left arm, causing her to smile in unholy glee.
"Thank you, Mother Lamashtu... It has begun..." she whispered.
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Sandpoint had woken up to a fine morning after the terror of the attempted goblin invasion. The echoes of the unexpected event had not yet died down, and there was still much to be done to clear the streets of the remnants of stalls and attractions that had been set on fire or demolished by the invaders.
However, as Yan and his adventuring party moved through this, stopping when they could to lend a hand in clearing or repairing, one could sense optimism in Sandpoint's populace. The town had been through its share of hardships, and compared to the terror it had been plunged into at the time of the Late Unpleasantness, a goblin assault was a small matter by comparison.
That said, the young man had to admit that the feeling of being applauded and acknowledged while walking through the streets was pleasant as well. Many of the townspeople had recognized him and his comrades as some of those who had repelled the goblins and helped save many lives, and many were expressing their gratitude towards them.
"Thank you so much! I don't know what we would have done without you!" a cloth seller, whom Eli and Misia had just helped fix his stall, was saying at that moment. "Those little monsters... what were they thinking, attacking us all of a sudden and making such a mess?"
"A goblin's actions only make sense to himself. If that at all." Eli replied. She nimbly moved a hand in front of him and cast a simple Mending spell, which made the rips on a scarf disappear as if they had never been there. "But I don't think they'll show up again, after the beating they got."
"I dearly hope so, Eli..." said Misia, as she tried to gather up some cloths. To her great frustration, it often happened that the cloths slipped out of her hands and ended up back on the ground, and the gnome muttered something under her breath about how things never stayed in her hands. Finally, Eli decided to stop wasting time and cast another of her cantrips
"Mage Hand." the half-elf said, gesturing with her right hand while adjusting her glasses with her left. The cloths, held up by an invisible force, floated into the air near Misia and were neatly deposited on a nearby shelf. "There you go. It should be okay now."
"Yeah... thank you for your help, yet again!" the merchant replied. "Next time you come by, I'll definitely give you a discount!"
"Thank you very much! If we get the chance..." Misia replied. Eli merely bowed her head a little and tipped her hat. "And... please excuse my clumsiness! Now I'm afraid we really must be going!"
Eli looked up briefly. Misia's clumsiness wasn't exactly her friend's fault. It was just her oracle powers,giving her trouble from time to time... and if she had to be honest, she would have loved to stay there and explain the technicalities, but there simply wasn't enough time. The others were waiting for them...
"See you later." the half-elf simply said, and the two hurried towards the rest of the group, who were waiting for them at a street corner, accompanied by none other than Lord Aldern Foxglove, the handsome nobleman they had saved from the goblins the day before.
"Sorry for the delay, guys. We tried to get it done as quickly as possible..." Misia said, showing her palms in embarassment. Jolan blinked and looked questioningly at the female gnome - he seemed to at least suspect that Misia meant something specific by that.
"No problem, gentlemen. In fact, I still have to thank you for escorting me here." Aldern said, his gaze going to the road leading into the countryside around Sandpoint. "At the moment, I have personal duties requiring me to spend time out of town, but I will make sure to return by evening. As for tomorrow, however, I'm not busy, so... I would be greatly pleased if you, Miss Reji, would do me the honor of accompanying me on a boar hunt."
He concluded the request by politely boeing to the black-haired girl, who pointed an index finger at herself and blinked in wonder. "Huh? Are you... are you asking me... to accompany you, Lord Foxglove... I mean, Aldern?" she asked. "I... I don't know how useful I could be. Of course, my companion here and I have been hunting before, in our travels, however..." she said nervously. Aldern's gentle smile and good looks flattered her and made her feel somewhat in awe at the same time.
Yan chuckled briefly and patted his traveling companion on the shoulder. "I'd accept his invitation if I were you!" he said, not resisting the urge to tease her a little. Reji seemed to find the ground to be a very interesting sight right now. "It's not every day, you know, that you get to accompany a gentleman like Aldern... By the way, you have to admit he's pretty handsome too!"
"That... that wasn't the point, Yan!" Reji protested. Misia and Jolan also gave a short laugh, and Eli looked away as if saying that it was none of her business. However, that brief interruption meant that the young monk was able to regain her confidence and answer Aldern. "I would be very honored as well, Aldern! Alright, then I shall look forward to tomorrow, and I trust it will be a fruitful hunt!"
"You have my utmost thanks, Miss Reji. I am convinced that even just your presence will be a good omen." Aldern bowed again, then slipped a gloved hand into his jacket, and pulled out a small gray cloth bag. "I also believe it is only fair to reward you for your help in a more tangible way. Therefore, I hope that you will accept this present."
"Well... we certainly won't turn it down!" Jolan stated as he received the pouch from the young noble. The coins inside jingled as Aldern handed them to the halfling, and the Sandpoint guide figured it was more than enough to allow them to buy some better quality equipment. "Wow! Well... what can we say, Lord Foxglove? We are extremely grateful... and that we count on being of further service to you in the future!"
"So... see you tomorrow, right?" a flattered Reji asked. "Alright... Have a nice day, Aldern, and see you soon!"
"Same to you." the young nobleman replied, taking his leave. The five adventurers followed Aldern until he was far away. At that point, Yan decided it was time to discuss with the rest of the group what should be done.
"Very well, guys. Let's just say it wasn't a bad way to start an adventuring career." the young man stated. "That said...now, what should our next move be? We're relying on your guidance, Eli." After all, the young man reasoned, it had been her idea to stay at Sandpoint and look for Thassilon-era artifacts.
The half-elf woman nodded and thought about it. As far as she knew, one could occasionally find interesting stuff, or even the remains of ancient buildings in the countryside around Sandpoint. In fact, those were the places where interesting and valuable relics were usually found.
While she was still thinking about where they might try exploring, Eli took a map of the region out of her backpack and took a good look. Rumor had it, that there was an interesting but sinister site in the proximity of Sandpoint...
"For now, I think it would be a good idea to simply scout around, and not make any bold moves." the wizard said, then pointed to a few locations along the coast to the north. "I suspect that, back in the days of Thassilon, the faith of Lissala was not widespread in this area... Actually, I've heard rumors that one of the main deities worshipped around here was none other than Lamashtu, the demon goddess, also known as The Mother of Monsters."
"Lamashtu? Who in their right mind would worship such a monstrosity?" Reji stated with a disgusted shudder. "And who was this Lissala, anyway?"
"Lissala was an ancient deity of Azlanti origin," Misia explained. "To be precise, she was the deity of runes and destiny, and her worship continued even after the First King Xin founded Thassilon."
"Before he was betrayed by the first Runelords..." Yan stated, remembering that part of history well. It wasn't exactly an unknown page of Golarion's remote past. The powerful wizard Xin, exiled from the Azlant Empire because his magical research went against the ruling caste's interests, had founded the empire of Thassilon in the region that would later be known as Varisia, supported by many Azlanti families who agreed with his magical philosophies. Later, through contacts with otherworldly beings of various kinds (and not always of sound morality), Xin had developed a new kind of magic - namely, runic magic, whose precepts, based on the so-called seven virtues of command, would eventually form the basis of magical studies throughout Golarion.
Then, his most trusted disciples, the Runelords, had betrayed him and corrupted the seven virtues, turning them into the seven deadly sins... and a dark period had begun for all of Thassilon, which ironically had only ended with the coming of Earthfall and an era of even greater hardship for all living species on Golarion. It was only many centuries later, when Aroden had managed to lead the human race through so much adversity, that Golarion had been able to prosper again. But even now, the consequences of the Runelords' tyranny and the catastrophes of millennia before could be felt...
"I see you know your history. Good to know." a vaguely amused Eli replied.
Yan wrinkled his nose. "Hey, just because I'm not the smartest man in Varisia doesn't mean I'm an ignorant idiot!" he scoffed at her. "Okay, okay, putting aside the history and religion lesson... you'd like to go exploring to see if there are any interesting sites around here, right?" he asked, right before he noticed an imposing figure walking leisurely in their direction. Every time a Sandpoint citizen crossed paths with the man, he would greet him politely and respectfully, and he would greet them in return, briefly but firmly. Yan was convinced he'd seen the man somewhere before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it…
Eli was about to answer, but she too noticed the approaching figure and looked at it with a questioning expression. It was Jolan who recognized him first, and alerted the rest of the group.
"Guys, we'd better pick this up later," the halfling said. "Sheriff Hemlock is coming our way, and I think he wants to talk to us."
"Sheriff Hemlock…? Ooooh, darn, now I remember where I've seen him before!" the young swordsman thought to himself. Hemlock was actually approaching Yan's group, and the five novice adventurers immediately turned their attention to him.
"Good morning, gentlemen. I hope I'm not intruding." the sheriff stopped a few steps away from the party, greeting them in a polite if a little aloof tone. Finding themselves in front of one of Sandpoint's foremost authorities, the five adventurers tried to maintain a formal tone and greeted in turn.
"Ah... you are not troubling us at all, Sheriff Hemlock!" Reji quickly answered. "My companions and I were discussing where we could start our explorations! Might we be of service to you?"
The rugged Shoanti nodded. "I was sort of hoping you'd say that, miss. First of all, allow me to thank you for valiantly standing up to the invading goblins." he replied, his expression unwavering. "However, Sandpoint may yet have need for your skills. May I ask you to come to my office so that we can discuss in more detail?"
The five looked at each other in surprise for a few moments. "Sure. No problem at all. If we can be of any help to you..." Eli finally stated. She had the feeling that the rest of the party was leaving the leadership role to her, which she actually didn't mind.
Hemlock's stern expression did not change. "Thank you. Please, follow me."
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A few minutes later, in the sheriff's office...
"I see. Basically, you're asking us to keep an eye on the goblin tribes around Sandpoint and try to find out who might have set them up against our town." Misia summarized what Hemlock had just said.
The sheriff confirmed with a firm nod. "Precisely. As I told you, our mayor and our new spiritual leader agree that these goblins did not act independently. I would like to kindly ask if you could assist our city by conducting investigations, and possibly unearthing and neutralizing the puppet master manipulating the goblins." he replied. "Clearly, you will receive adequate compensation. We certainly don't expect you to work for free, but our city, with all that has happened recently, could really use people like you. That said, I'll leave the decision up to you."
"A body stolen from Sandpoint Cemetery, huh? And Father Ezakien's body no less..." Yan murmured to himself. Once again, every time that part of his past came up again, he felt a chill and a feeling of remorse and nostalgia. He couldn't really say he missed Father Ezakien, knowing what kind of man he really was, and how he had treated both him and his dear friend, all the while spouting his sermons on "purity" and the "right path"... but he couldn't say he had been pleased by his death. Especially since Ezakien's adopted daughter, Nualia, had disappeared without a trace on the very day when that fire had consumed the sanctuary. No one had ever discovered whether Nualia she was dead or alive... and now, five years later, everyone was convinced of the former, Yan included.
"I don't think it would be a problem," Jolan replied, turning to the other party members. "What do you say? I think it would be a good idea. We keep Sandpoint safe, we get something out of it, and Eli gets a chance to look at all the ruins she's interested in."
Eli wrinkled her nose. "Do you really need to spout my reasons for being here, halfling?" she scoffed at him. "That being said...all right, I think we're in agreement. We'll start looking into this today."
Hemlock's hard expression softened a bit, and the sheriff gave a small smile that lasted barely a few seconds. "Thank you, gentlemen. Your aid is greatly appreciated." he replied. "I would, however, like to reccommend you one last thing. The people of Sandpoint still know nothing of the theft perpetrated in the cemetery, and I would prefer that they should know nothing of it for the present, if at all possible."
"Public order reasons, I suppose," Eli replied. "I understand the necessity. All right, I don't feel it's appropriate to cause undue alarm. We'll do everything we can to find that body before the goblins attack again."
"Do you have any ideas yet on where to look, Eli?" Reji asked.
The half-elven girl took on a confident expression. "Don't underestimate my magic... Reji, right? I may still be an apprentice, but I still have a few spells that could help us find out where those little jerks took Father Ezakien's body. That said..." her expression grew serious. "Sheriff Hemlock, do you happen to know if any wizards live here in Sandpoint? I think I might need your help, to better track Father Ezakien's body."
"I'm afraid...you won't find any wizards here in Sandpoint, miss. At least, not ones who use divination spells." Hemlock replied, rubbing his chin. "All I can do for you is point you to our expert. Mr. Brodert Quink is the wise man of our town, though he is a... somewhat difficult one to deal with. If you can handle his temper, I think Mr. Quink will be able to tell you a lot about goblins, their habits, and their history in this region. And then... well, if you're lucky enough, our goblin hunter Shalelu should be paying us a visit again one of these days. If you're lucky enough to meet her, I think she'll be glad to accompany you."
"Shalelu?" asked Misia. "She's an adventurer of some renown, from what I hear."
"You could very well say that she's our protector!" Jolan exclaimed in a sudden burst of enthusiasm. "You won't never find anyone around here who has more hands-on experience with goblins."
"The fact is, she often stops here at Sandpoint, but she never stays there very long. She's usually busy keeping the wild goblin tribes in check, or briefing the Pathfinder lodge in Magnimar about the latest potential threats. I know she has often worked for Lady Sheila Heidmarch, one of the two founders of the lodge." Hemlock explained.
Eli's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? I had no idea she was working with the Pathfinders in Magnimar! And for Lady Heidmarch, to boot! Geez, to have these things right under my nose and not even notice..."
"Because you spend all your time cooped up in that library studying spells, bookworm." Misia teased her fellow adventurer amicably and gave her a friendly fist bump on the arm.
The half-elf wizard cleared her voice and tried not to let her embarrassment show. "Well... it's because of my study that I have now learned the spells we will need! Don't take me lightly!" she protested.
"None of us ever meant to take you lightly, Eli. I'm sure your magic will be invaluable in protecting Sandpoint." Yan stated. "In any case... We agree, Sheriff Hemlock. I think we're all more than willing to lend a hand."
Reji nodded in assent, thinking that perhaps hunting together with Aldern on the next day would be both pleasant and useful.
"Excellent. Thank you for your time," Hemlock concluded. "I'm conducting my own investigation as well, and as soon as I have any significant leads, I'll let you know. I'll look forward to hearing from you. Good luck, and may Desna favor you."
"Thank you, Sheriff Hemlock. Likewise." replied Misia, as the group stood up to begin their patrol.
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Work had started very early for the adventuring party. They had taken just enough time to check their equipment and make sure they had everything they might need (Jolan had been quite insistent about this, saying that many would-be adventurers had come to an early and unpleasant because they hadn't bothered to check their equipment), and the five of them had set off into the wilderness around Sandpoint, following the directions on Eli's map and Jolan's knowledge of the area.
Honestly, after all the action the day before, Yan had expected something a little more hectic. Instead, they'd spent most of the time trying to move stealthily through tall grasses and rock formations, organizing themselves and staying alert. Sure, there had been a few skirmishes, but in general, the goblins had only tried to attack a couple of times, and they hadn't encountered any creatures other than a few wild animals.
Not that the young man minded that. Hopefully, this meant that the goblins weren't yet numerous and strong enough to infest the area, and that would give Sandpoint some breathing room.
After a fairly unsuccessful morning, the group had gone a little deeper into the forests around the Sandpoint area, and the exploration had finally brought them some results. In a moss-covered clearing, Misia had discovered a strange ramp of stone stairs leading down into an underground tunnel. Figuring it might be the lair of a group of goblins or similar creatures, the party had hidden and waited for a while, with no one coming out or going back in there. Of course, Eli and her companions had figured that the absence of movement didn't necessarily mean that the place was empty - after all, it was pretty well known that goblins preferred to come out of their burrows in the evening or at night. Therefore, with due caution, the group approached the stairs, and Jolan took a look first.
The halfling's nose twitched as the unmistakable smell of a goblin lair slammed into his nostrils - those little monsters' concept of personal hygiene was truly disgusting.
"Goblin smell..." Jolan said, speaking as quietly as he could. "But I can't hear their voices. Those little bastards can be sneaky when they need to be, but they make a big fuss when they think they're safe."
"So... an abandoned den?" Yan wondered. Cautiously, the young man unsheathed his sword and began stepping down the stairs, while Eli cast a Light spell to create a small glowing sphere above the palm of her open hand. The rest of the party followed a short distance behind, until Yan and Eli reached the end of the staircase.
Thanks to Eli's Light spell, the party could see that, indeed, someone had lived there until recently... and it was definitely someone who didn't care much for hygiene and order. Pieces of burnt wood, tattered clothing, roasted and stripped animal bones and other oddities had been left on the ground, and the smell of sweat, urine and smoke permeated the entire cavern, causing the less accustomed to gasp in revulsion.
"Ugh... judging by the conditions, I have an easy time believing that the goblins used it as a den." Reji said, fanning her face as she did so. The stench was truly unbearable. "I know it's not a very pleasant job, but we'd better take a look around. Maybe we'll find something that can point us in the right direction."
"Not exactly my idea of a neat little job, but... no use complaining." Eli affirmed. She felt like throwing up as she realized she was looking near a hole that the goblins had used as a toilet and garbage dump...
"Hey, look! I think I found something!" Yan suddenly exclaimed, after about a minute spent rummaging through the remains of the goblin camp. The young swordsman wrinkled his nose as he looked through the garbage the goblins had left behind... and pulled out a strange object that resembled a medallion forged out of steel, worked in such a way as to resemble (in a rather crude way) a jackal head with three eyes, one of which was placed on the forehead, between the other two. Yan cleaned up the amulet as best as he could and looked at it carefully, thinking that he had indeed seen something like it somewhere... but he couldn't really put his finger upon it. One thing was for sure, it didn't look like the symbol of some righteous and upright deity. There was something about the way it was made that made him feel a sense of revulsion... "This strange amulet... Eli, Misia! Come and take a look, I think this may be a clue!"
"Good work, Yan. Anything unusual around here can help with the investigation." Misia replied, suddenly feeling more optimistic about their chances. The female gnome reached Yan and stretched out a hand to see the artifact... but when she tried to grab it, the object slipped out of her hand and fell to the ground with a clatter, describing a trajectory that seemed impossible! Yan's eyes widened in amazement - it almost seemed as if a sudden gust of wind had snatched the locket from Misia's hands and sent it somersaulting! "Gah! Again! My oracle power picked the darndest of moments to act up!"
"Again? Does this happen often?" Yan asked as he bent down to pick up the unholy symbol. This time, just to be on the safe side, he merely held the relic at Misia's eye level. The young man saw the lively little gnome girl grow serious and grit her teeth in an expression of dismay.
"It's... a side effect of my oracle powers. But... let's save the explanations for later. Now... I've seen something worse." she stated. "What you hold in your hand... is an unholy symbol of Lamashtu, the demonic goddess of madness, mutants, and nightmares! I know for a fact that she's popular among certain particularly depraved humanoid tribes... particularly goblins and gnolls!"
"Damn... so it is very much possible that something far more dangerous than a raid by marauding goblins is behind all this," Jolan replied. "This is something we need to tell Sheriff Hemlock as soon as possible. Is there anything around here that can help us figure out where these goblins came from?"
"Oh, ooooh! Longshanks be curious! Lucky someone has come to lend a hand!" replied the unexpected, high-pitched, shrill voice of a goblin.
Alarmed, Misia abruptly turned towards the steps and pointed her spear at the small figure that was climbing down at that moment - it was about as tall as she was, wrapped in heavy clothes with numerous scarves of various colors tied around his face, arms and chest, wearing a rather crudely patched wide-brimmed hat and a pair of spiked shoes at least two sizes too big. Part of his face was visible between the flaps of his hat and the scarves he wore, allowing a pair of reddish eyes and a patch of green skin to be seen. In one hand he held a puppet made from wooden sticks, while in the other he wielded a lit torch, which he paused from time to time to look at with childish enthusiasm. "Hello, strangers! Greetings to all! Fear not, I am Tup the Terrible! Tup the Terrible on your side! And with Tup is also his steed, Deliverance!"
"Baaaa!" Behind the goblin came a huge ram, still covered in yellowish-white wool, with a dark muzzle and a pair of curved horns, complete with a saddle and bags. It was still chewing on some grass, and the goblin dropped her puppet to the ground and patted her side with a proud expression, as if it was the proudest and most majestic stallion ever seen in Varisia!
"A... goblin?" Eli wondered in wide-eyed wonder. "What on Golarion are you doing here? Where are all your... companions?"
"Hah! They no more comrades, after kicked Tup out!" the cloaked goblin retorted, as the sheep blinked and looked uncomprehendingly at Yan's group. "Now Tup off on his own! Even song say so! You wanna hear it?"
"Maybe not..." Jolan began to reply, not knowing what to make of that quirky individual. But Tup didn't seem to care for the halfling guide's answer, and after climbing on Deliverance's back, he started to do an odd dance, randomly waving his lit torch, and singing one of those little creepy goblin songs...
I be Tup! Alones I creep!
Master of stick-mans! Rider of sheep!
Build a bonfire big and tall,
Feed it! Feed it! Burn them all!
The goblin ended his performance by twirling his torch, and then bowing as if to receive an applause from the audience. And indeed, an applause came in earnest - from Misia, who seemed to have genuinely enjoyed the show!
"Wow, not bad at all! For a goblin, he can sing pretty good!" the female gnome exclaimed .
Reji giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her head, while Jolan removed his hands from his ears with a sigh of relief. "Um... this is quite... interesting!" the Tian monk commented, before clearing her throat and glaring at Tup. "So you're not with the goblins who attacked Sandpoint? And why would they throw you out?"
Tup shrugged and pulled a wooden puppet out of one of the pouches on his mount. Then, he brought the torch closer to the puppet and set it on fire, dropping it on the steps with a brief, satisfied chuckle. "Oh, Chief Ripnugget not like a fire that Tup started," he explained with apparent nonchalance... which a moment later turned into a sour, resentful tone. "Ripnugget is big piece of shit! Tup the Terrible wants to make him pay. You guys want goblins stop and no burn your town, yes?"
Yan narrowed his eyes. "As long as you don't want to set Sandpoint on fire instead..." he commented. His gaze pointed to the torch Tup wielded in his left hand, and the bundled-up goblin moved his free hand in front of him in a reassuring gesture.
"Hahahahaaaaa! No way no way! No snowball's chance!" he exclaimed, and Yan had the distinct impression that the goblin's voice had further risen a couple of octaves! "Tup the Terrible want revenge! He want help you kick other goblins' asses!"
"So... tell me, what do you know about this unholy symbol?" Eli asked. The half-elf approached Yan and pointed to the medallion in the shape of a jackal's head. "This is a symbol of Lamashtu, the demonic goddess, isn't it? This... Ripnugget is a cleric of hers, by any chance?"
To everyone's surprise, both Tup and his saddled sheep shook their heads, in perfect sync. "Nonononono! Ripnugget no worship demon lady! He obey other longshanks like you! A half-elf, a black woman, a dirty guy, and a woman with white hair!" he replied. "White hair is demon queen priestess! She creepy! Almost made Tup no want to light fire!"
"And that would be a tragedy, huh?" Jolan muttered sarcastically, distrustfully glaring at the goblin. As much as Tup seemed smarter and more reasonable than most other goblins, Jolan didn't exactly have good experiences with those little monsters, and he was not going to trust him so easily.
Yan furrowed his brow as he listened to Tup's reply. A white-haired woman? No... that wasn't possible, was it? It could only be a coincidence... his friend had died along with Father Ezakien... in that accursed fire that had destroyed the church... He reminded himself to stop thinking about such things and accept that that part of his life was gone forever.
"And where are they now? I mean, these goblins and this... Ripnugget guy?" Eli asked.
Tup seemed to break out into a radiant smile behind the scarves that hid his huge mouth. "Oh, that easy peasy question!" he exclaimed. "They in Thistletop! Big goblin tribe lives there!"
"Thistletop, huh?" Reji asked. "Isn't that island that looks like a perfectly spherical rocky formation?"
Yan nodded jauntily. "Yes, that's the one. Right in the middle of the Gulf of Varisia."
"And I should add that, before Thassilon fell, Thistletop was actually a huge statue that contained a complex of rooms... it was probably a laboratory for magical experimentations." wanted to add Eli. "After the end of Thassilon, the statue ended up collapsing, and only the head remained. And not even that entirely, as erosion almost turned it into a sphere."
"But the inner rooms are still there, at least partially," Jolan continued. "So, you say the goblins are occupying those rooms?"
Tup chuckled briefly. "Clever halfling get it!" he exclaimed in that shrill voice of his that made Jolan want to plug his ears. "Angry white hair girl say something buried in Thistletop, but Tup no know what it is. They want what is in there to destroy Sandpoint!"
"And do you happen to know anything about a body they stole from the Sandpoint cemetery?" Yan asked, feeling strangely anxious.
His doubts were destined to remain, at least momentarily. "Hey, Tup not know everything!" the goblin replied, shaking his head. "Tup not know they steal a body... maybe they want to do ritual for demon goddess!"
"Okay..." Yan replied, somewhat dejectedly.
"That all Tup know. If you go to Thistletop, you can find more... Maybe save your town too!" the goblin went on. "Tup no care for Sandpoint, but you do... and Tup care for revenge! So we all win!" He finished his sentence by closing his eyes and giving an even bigger smile to the adventuring party... even though the effect was partially spoiled by the heavy scarves concealing his face. "Deliverance and me go away now! Maybe we see you later!"
"Baaaa!" The ram bleated one more time as Tup sat in the saddle, and the goblin raised his still-lit torch to motion for it to walk away... but he stopped as Misia broke away from the party and asked him a point-blank question.
"Hey, wait a minute! Look, we haven't decided whether or not to trust you yet!" she wanted to clarify. "Besides, even if we did... once we've sorted out your former Thistletop comrades, what are you going to do?" She guessed that Tup wouldn't give her an answer, but she wanted to at least let him know that she and her companions were not pawns in his hands.
The goblin gave a short laugh, and Misia wasn't sure if it was to reassure them or threaten them. "Oh, Tup has his plans," he replied. "And he no stupid enough to throw soup on his feet. Good luck! Go, Deliverance!"
The huge sheep resumed walking, then quickened its pace and trotted off, leaving five bewildered and astonished adventurers behind.
"Okay, I really didn't see that one coming. A goblin helping us deal with the other goblins." said Yan finally. "Or maybe I shouldn't be surprised. Those little monsters can be quite vindicative."
"We can't trust him..." Jolan said in clear anxiety. "But at the same time, we can't ignore what he's saying either. As we feared, the Thistletop goblins are controlled by someone. And the info from that nutty goblin... it seemed too accurate to have been made up."
"Then, I guess we should go back to Sandpoint and give Mr. Hemlock an update." Eli proposed. "Then, we'll look up more information on Thistletop, and start thinking of a way to deal with the goblins."
Reji nodded slowly. "Yeah. This is where it gets serious..."
ooooooooooo
TO BE CONTINUED...
