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JollyDoc's Rise of the Runelords...Updated 12/22
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<blockquote data-quote="JollyDoc" data-source="post: 4265807" data-attributes="member: 9546"><p>Wesh identified Tsuto definitively when he and the others finally caught up, but there was no sign of Ameiko in the room the half-elf had come out of. A quick search of the other basement rooms, however, found the young woman unconscious and bound hand-and-foot. Dexter quickly cut her binds as Luther knelt to tend her wounds. After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open and she gasped. </p><p>“It’s ok,” Luther soothed. “You’re safe now. We’ve dispatched all the goblins.”</p><p>“What about my father?” Ameiko asked, desperately. “Tsuto?”</p><p>Luther lowered his eyes and shook his head slowly. Tears filled Ameiko’s eyes.</p><p>“How could he?” she sobbed. “He lured me here under false pretenses, and tried to convince me to join him. He said that he and several mercenaries, led by Nualia Tobyn, had big plans for Sandpoint’s future.”</p><p>“Nualia Tobyn?” Wesh interrupted. “But…she’s dead! She died in the church fire with her father!”</p><p>“Apparently not,” Ameiko said quietly. “Tsuto warned me that I didn’t want to be in town when her plans came through. When I declined his offer and struck him, he unleashed his goblins upon me. They left me down here.”</p><p>“Did he say where to find Nualia?” Wesh asked. Ameiko shook her head.</p><p>“Perhaps this can shed some light on things,” Dexter said, holding up a small journal. “I found it in Tsuto’s room.”</p><p>The leather-bound booklet contained two dozen parchment pages, most of which were filled with maps of Sandpoint or erotic drawings of a woman, presumably Nualia. One of the last of these depicted her with demonic hands, bat wings, horns, a forked tail and fangs. The maps each showed different attack plans. The first set illustrated the plan for a group of thirty goblins, and one of these battle maps was circled…the recent attack on Sandpoint. A short passage was written beneath this map:</p><p></p><p> <em>The raid went about as planned. Few Thistletop goblins perished, and we were able to secure Tobyn’s casket with ease while the rubes were distracted by the rest. I can’t wait until the real raid. This town deserves a burning, that’s for sure.</em></p><p></p><p>The next several pages of the journal showed an assault on Sandpoint by a force of what appeared to be two-hundred goblins. None of these maps were circled, and while many were scratched out as if they’d been rejected, the implications were ominous nonetheless. After the last of these maps was another note:</p><p></p><p> <em>Ripnugget seems to favor the overwhelming land approach, but I don’t think it’s the best plan. We should get the quasit’s aid. Send her freaks up from below via the smuggling tunnel in my father’s Glassworks, and then invade from the river and from the Glassworks in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree, and I’m pretty sure the bugbear’s just being contrary to annoy me. My love’s to distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision. Says that once Malfeshnekor’s released and under her command, we won’t need to worry about being subtle. I hope she’s right.</em></p><p></p><p>There was one final note written before the last illustration depicting Nualia:</p><p></p><p> <em>My love seems bent on going through with it…nothing I can say convinces her of her beauty. She remains obsessed with removing what she calls her ‘celestial taint’ and replacing it with her Mother’s grace. Burning her father’s remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the transformation, but I can’t say her new hand is pleasing to me. Hopefully when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtu’s fires, her new body won’t be as hideous. Maybe I’ll luck out. Succubi are demons too, aren’t they?</em></p><p></p><p>“This explains much,” Wesh said, tucking the journal inside his tunic. “The raid was merely a ruse to cover the theft of Tobyn’s body, which in turn, it seems, was used in some vile sacrifice to begin Nualia’s transformation into some-sort of Abyss-spawn. It would seem the Thistletop goblin tribe that Shalelu spoke of is instrumental in the next planned raid, and didn’t she also mention their chieftain, Ripnugget, and a bugbear as well?”</p><p>Dexter nodded. “But what about these smuggler’s tunnels your brother described?” he asked Ameiko. “And what’s a quasit?”</p><p>“I can answer that,” Luther interjected. “Quasits are minor demons, usually in service to more powerful demons, or occasionally to evil-minded mortal wizards.”</p><p>“As for the tunnels,” Ameiko added, “I know of these. They lead down to the beach, but I’ve never heard of anything living down there.”</p><p>“I would seem that Tsuto discovered differently,” Wesh mused. “I think we have some further investigating to do…”</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="JollyDoc, post: 4265807, member: 9546"] Wesh identified Tsuto definitively when he and the others finally caught up, but there was no sign of Ameiko in the room the half-elf had come out of. A quick search of the other basement rooms, however, found the young woman unconscious and bound hand-and-foot. Dexter quickly cut her binds as Luther knelt to tend her wounds. After a few moments, her eyes fluttered open and she gasped. “It’s ok,” Luther soothed. “You’re safe now. We’ve dispatched all the goblins.” “What about my father?” Ameiko asked, desperately. “Tsuto?” Luther lowered his eyes and shook his head slowly. Tears filled Ameiko’s eyes. “How could he?” she sobbed. “He lured me here under false pretenses, and tried to convince me to join him. He said that he and several mercenaries, led by Nualia Tobyn, had big plans for Sandpoint’s future.” “Nualia Tobyn?” Wesh interrupted. “But…she’s dead! She died in the church fire with her father!” “Apparently not,” Ameiko said quietly. “Tsuto warned me that I didn’t want to be in town when her plans came through. When I declined his offer and struck him, he unleashed his goblins upon me. They left me down here.” “Did he say where to find Nualia?” Wesh asked. Ameiko shook her head. “Perhaps this can shed some light on things,” Dexter said, holding up a small journal. “I found it in Tsuto’s room.” The leather-bound booklet contained two dozen parchment pages, most of which were filled with maps of Sandpoint or erotic drawings of a woman, presumably Nualia. One of the last of these depicted her with demonic hands, bat wings, horns, a forked tail and fangs. The maps each showed different attack plans. The first set illustrated the plan for a group of thirty goblins, and one of these battle maps was circled…the recent attack on Sandpoint. A short passage was written beneath this map: [I]The raid went about as planned. Few Thistletop goblins perished, and we were able to secure Tobyn’s casket with ease while the rubes were distracted by the rest. I can’t wait until the real raid. This town deserves a burning, that’s for sure.[/I] The next several pages of the journal showed an assault on Sandpoint by a force of what appeared to be two-hundred goblins. None of these maps were circled, and while many were scratched out as if they’d been rejected, the implications were ominous nonetheless. After the last of these maps was another note: [I]Ripnugget seems to favor the overwhelming land approach, but I don’t think it’s the best plan. We should get the quasit’s aid. Send her freaks up from below via the smuggling tunnel in my father’s Glassworks, and then invade from the river and from the Glassworks in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree, and I’m pretty sure the bugbear’s just being contrary to annoy me. My love’s to distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision. Says that once Malfeshnekor’s released and under her command, we won’t need to worry about being subtle. I hope she’s right.[/I] There was one final note written before the last illustration depicting Nualia: [I]My love seems bent on going through with it…nothing I can say convinces her of her beauty. She remains obsessed with removing what she calls her ‘celestial taint’ and replacing it with her Mother’s grace. Burning her father’s remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the transformation, but I can’t say her new hand is pleasing to me. Hopefully when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtu’s fires, her new body won’t be as hideous. Maybe I’ll luck out. Succubi are demons too, aren’t they?[/I] “This explains much,” Wesh said, tucking the journal inside his tunic. “The raid was merely a ruse to cover the theft of Tobyn’s body, which in turn, it seems, was used in some vile sacrifice to begin Nualia’s transformation into some-sort of Abyss-spawn. It would seem the Thistletop goblin tribe that Shalelu spoke of is instrumental in the next planned raid, and didn’t she also mention their chieftain, Ripnugget, and a bugbear as well?” Dexter nodded. “But what about these smuggler’s tunnels your brother described?” he asked Ameiko. “And what’s a quasit?” “I can answer that,” Luther interjected. “Quasits are minor demons, usually in service to more powerful demons, or occasionally to evil-minded mortal wizards.” “As for the tunnels,” Ameiko added, “I know of these. They lead down to the beach, but I’ve never heard of anything living down there.” “I would seem that Tsuto discovered differently,” Wesh mused. “I think we have some further investigating to do…” [/QUOTE]
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