Chapter One – The Swallowtail Festival

Staring out over the plains of Vairisa from atop the lead wagon I soak in the warm rain of a late summer shower. We’re traveling from Nybor to Sandpoint, hoping to reach the small town in time for the Swallowtail Festival. This year, the people of Sandpoint are not only celebrating Desna, but also the opening of a brand new cathedral, according to caravan master Egral. I’ve never been to Sandpoint myself, but I’ve been traveling with and working for the weapons merchant for nearly a year. He seems to think there would be a higher turn out in Sandpoint this year and wanted to capitalize.

As the sun begins to peek through the clouds ahead and the rain slowly subsides, I rub one calloused hand against my cheek, feeling the itch of early stubble. I can still feel the scars of my birth, an ordeal that ultimately killed my mother, running from chin to scalp along my left cheek. Once, I had a long, fiery red beard to cover it up, but the shame I brought upon myself and my family forced me to remove it. It’ss growing out again, and I will need to shave again soon.

The memory of that day remains etched in my mind’s eye, and I relive it nearly every night. My father had just been buried, his body found after months of searching the tunnel system of the Mindspin Mountains. An elderly druid named Garrar and his half-orc assistant, Ausk, had aided in the search. My father went missing while on patrol for orcs, and when we found him it was apparent he had come upon a nest of the vile creatures. The ensuing battle was vicious and bloody, the bodies of a dozen orcs scattered throughout the cavern. My father was found sitting against the wall in a pool of his own dried blood. He’d defeated the orcs, but had suffered wounds too grievous to escape.

The night of the funeral I went to the bar to drown my sorrows while Garrar and Ausk consoled me. Three of my former classmates at the academy decided it would be a good time to disparage my father’s memory with claims he’d purposefully gotten himself killed by the orcs so he wouldn’t have to look upon my face again. Their jabs fueled a rage within me I didn’t know I possessed, and I leaped upon them with wrathful vengeance. It took a dozen or more patrons and guards to pull me off, but by then, it was too late. Two of my tormentors lay dead and the other grievously wounded.

Though my victims were not blameless, murder was hardly justifiable. The Sky Magistrates quickly concluded I should be locked up or possibly even executed. My grandparents, wealthy crafters of high standing, interceded on my behalf to prevent either, but even they couldn’t wholly protect me. It was agreed that I would be banished from the city. They were close enough with the arms merchant Egral that they convinced him to take me on as a guard. He agreed, but would only retain my services for a year. That year was nearly up, and I suspected Sandpoint would be my last stop. He never seemed to take much liking to me, though he did appreciate my work.

Soon, the smoke of chimney fires heralded the bustle of crowded streets filled with locals and foreigners alike, all there to witness the opening of the new cathedral. A small sign stating Fanner’s Bridge, marks a rickety, wooden bridge leading into town from the east. A pair of guards stationed in front lazily wave us across, and once on the other side I hop down. The rain has stopped and the sun is now fully shining down upon us, and the smell of fresh earth fills the air.

Egral sticks his head out of the wagon just long enough to toss me a small bag of coins and wave me dismissively away. I decide not to worry about meeting up with him again later, and instead wonder if Sandpoint could be my new home and what it might be like. The road I find myself on sits under a small rise to the north, which, I note when I look up, holds the cathedral itself. It’s an impressive sight, and I find myself eager to witness the opening dedication.

Merchants line the street on either side, calling for anyone who shows even the slightest interest in their wares. I ignore them as I pass through the crowds, but one merchant catches my eye. He’s a short, round man with a rapidly receding hairline peddling potions and medicines, something I think could prove useful should I find myself in some trouble. I approach and inquire about his curative potions. A black-toothed grin spreads across his face as he excitedly informs me about one particular potion that will close any wounds with one swig. Something about him feels a little off, but I don’t want to ruffle the feathers of the first person I meet, so I agree to his asking price of one gold piece and take the potion. He assures me I won’t regret it, but his mannerism doesn’t fill me with confidence.

I tuck the potion away and continue along the street, first passing a tavern known as Risa’s Place; which looks interesting enough I make a mental note of to return to later. Picking my way through the crown, I come to a connecting street that heads up the hill. I follow it to the cathedral square, and to my surprise spy a familiar and not unwelcome presence.

“Ausk!” I call out. The half-Orc druid turns, his brown cloak twisting with him as he does. Spike, his pet roc, caws from his perch upon Ausk’s shoulder.

“Gulnyr!” He’s surprised to see me, but no less excited for it. He reaches out his hand in greeting as I walk up to him, which I accept with a firm grip. “The road seems to have done you well.”

“Indeed it has, my friend,” I said and look around. “Where is Garrar? Could the old coot not make it?”

A pained look crosses Ausk’s face, and I know my error instantly. “My mentor has passed from this world to the next,” he says.

“I’m sorry, my friend.” I clasp a hand upon his elbow, his shoulder being a bit to high to reach. “We must have a drink in his honor.”

“I don’t drink,” he reminds me.

I shrug. “I’ll drink then.”

He smiles and nods his appreciation.

A loud female voice rings out across the square, grabbing everyone’s attention and cutting our conversation short. I don’t catch her name, but she seems to draw some measure of respect from the crowd as she begins to speak. First, she declared there will be fun, games, and a massive buffet for all to enjoy. The dedication to the cathedral will come later. She also mentions someone named Lonjiku Kaijitsu will be unable to make his speech due to an illness. There are more than a few eye rolls in the crowd upon hearing the news. Then she introduces a dour man, apparently the sheriff, named Belor Hemlock. The mood of the crowd drops considerably as he takes the stage and asks for a moment of silence to remember those who died in the fire that destroyed the original chapel. He then prattles on about safety for a few minutes before handing the stage back to the previous speaker. Her jovial attitude and exuberance quickly lift the crowd back up as she introduces another speaker, Father Zantus.

Father Zantus recounts a short story about how Desna first fell to earth and was nursed back to health by a blind child whom she rewarded by turning her into a butterfly. Then he and a few others pull the cover off some wagons and hundreds of butterflies pour into the sky in a spiraling ring of colors. The crowd cheers and children chase, never quite fast enough to grab one, while Ausk and I turn our attention to the lunch tables. We try some lobster chowder, a dish of curry-spiced salmon, and some peppercorn venison. The salmon is the best, but I enjoy all of it.

“Come on,” I say after we’ve had our fill. “Let’s have a look around.”

We push our way through the crowd, heading back down the street to check out the various sights. We walk past an armory and make our way down High Street, at the end of which is a blacksmith shop called Red Dog Smithy. It occurs to me that if I plann on staying here a while, I might need a job. I inquire with the owner, a taciturn man named Das Korvut, and after a brief negotiation, he agrees to let me start the next day. Ausk applauds my efforts, then we continue on, wandering through the streets in no particular pattern.

We come next to Cracktooth’s Tavern, and Ausk lets me pull him inside for a quick drink. Much to my delight, there is a knife-throwing contest taking place. I enter my name then order a pair of drinks, one for each of my hands. I toast to Garrar and down them with two swigs, eliciting a nod of appreciation from Ausk. Then my name is called, and I head over to the knife-throwing area. A large, round man hands me three knives and points at the target hanging on the wall. I throw the knives, but not quite hit the mark just right. The man calculates seventy points. A few spectators begin to cheer, and as I turn to thank them I realize the cheers are not meant for me. Instead, I stricken by the sight of a stunning woman with raven hair cascading down her back like a waterfall and skin as golden brown as the sun rising over the Mindspin Mountains on a crisp autumn morning. She dances through the crowd, and I stare, open-mouthed and wide-eyed, in mesmerized bewilderment.

She takes the knives from the large man, flashes me a captivating smile, and proceeds to land a perfect score of one hundred twenty with ease. So struck by her beauty, I take no notice of her victory until Ausk nudges me from behind and laughs. The crowd cheers again as she blows me a kiss, and dances her way out of the tavern. I feel a fluttering in my chest and try to follow, but the sea of on-lookers refuses to part. One man gives a hearty laugh at my expense, but in his jest I hear him mention I might garner her favor by visiting the bakery. I tuck that nugget of information away as Ausk grabs my collar and yanks me back from the crowd.

“Time to head back to the cathedral,” he says, a worried look in his eye. I suspect he’s concerned about another outburst from me, but I was too smitten to care about the verbal jabs. I nod anyway and follow him out. I don’t want to miss the dedication, but my mind keeps going back to that smile, so sweet and perfect.

We arrive at the cathedral as the sun begins to set. A large crowd has gathered, with some still picking at scraps left over from the midday meal. Then suddenly there’s a sharp crack like thunder, hushing the many conversations. Everyone seems a little nervous until Father Zantus makes his way up the stage. He wears a broad smile that seems to calm the crowd, but just as he’s about to speak, a woman’s scream pierces the air, joined a moment later by the high-pitched shrieks from something not quite human. The crowd panicks into bedlam, but Ausk and I remain calm. We draw our weapons, Ausk with his staff and me with my two-handed hammer, and prepare for battle.

As the square clears, I spot a goblin licking blood off his sword as he stands over the body of a slain dog. More goblins emerge, one taking up a ridiculous goblin battle song. Two other figures step free of the crowd to join us against the onslaught, a human male with yellow and blue robes wielding a scimitar and a halfling female in a gray cloak twirling a staff-sling. They eye the goblins with the same malice Ausk and I bear.

Ignoring the goblin song, I leap forward, spinning my hammer threateningly. Spike shrieks and takes to the air, temporarily drawing some attention. I use that distraction to charge the first goblin, but before I can reach him I suddenly become overwhelmed with a sense of calm. My pace slows to a stop as I turn to see a goblin in strange clothes whirling his hands in a confusing and hypnotic pattern. I feel a strange desire to lie down and forget about the fight come over me, with a shake of my head and a growl, I push the urge aside and take up my charge once again. I close the gap with the mischevious goblin with just a few strides and smash him into goblin paste before he can summon further magic.

Scanning the area, I discover the remaining goblins already taken care of. Perhaps I was out of it longer than I thought. Sounds of panic and chaos reverberating through the town and black smoke billowing into the air tell me the threat is not yet over.

Chapter 2 – The Heroes of Sandpoint

A fiery explosion creates a bloom of smoke and debris from a nearby vegetable cart as more goblins enter the square. Their proclivity for singing and generally poor tactics do little to dissuade our weapons from tearing them to shreds, though they do get in a few licks of their own. After the brief battle, Father Zantus steps out from the cathedral, and prays to Desna to heal us.

“I’m Devin,” the cleric says as Father Zantus works his magic. He bears the holy symbol of Sarenrae about his neck.

“Call me Ash,” says the halfling.

Ausk and I introduce ourselves as well, and once Father Zantus finishes tending our wounds we hustle north toward the sounds of battle. Near Sandpoint’s northern gate we discover a nobleman and his hunting dog cornered by a goblin commando mounted atop a war dog.

“Help!” The nobleman shouted to no one in particular while the goblins taunt him. He wields nothing but a cane.

The goblins turn as we approach, and even more jump out from behind an over-turned merchant’s cart. The little buggers seem to be everywhere. Thankfully they aren’t the most competent of creatures as exhibited by one who trips over the cart and impales himself on his own blade.

“I’ll get the leader,” I say, pointing at the one mounted on a mangy red goblin dog.

The goblin commando urges his mount into a charge, but the long reach of my hammer keeps the beast at bay. We exchange a few near misses before my hammer plants itself into the commando’s chest, blasting a hole and knocking him to the ground in a lifeless pile. The dog scurries off in retreat.

“Thank you, heroes,” the nobleman says. “Especially you, good Dwarf. Your prowess in battle is remarkable.”

I flush with embarrassment and turn away while the others introduce themselves.

“My name is Aldern Foxglove,” I hear him say. “I’m staying at the Rusty Dragon Inn, and will be there for a few more days. Tomorrow I will partake in a boar hunt.” He pauses, looking around at the results of the battle. “Assuming everything has calmed down by then.” He smiles wanly then seems to recover himself. “I would love it if you could spare the time to join me.”

“Let’s get you back to the inn,” I say, ignoring the request. “Then we can make sure there are no more goblins about.”

On the way back to the inn, I keep a sharp eye out for any more goblins, but find none. By the time we reach the inn, I find myself wishing there were at least a hundred. Aldern spent the entire time remarking on our fight with the goblins, and didn’t let up even upon our arrival. Inside, he continues to explain in irritating detail every swing, spell and triumph of the battle to anyone who would listen. He seems especially fond of recreating my battle with the goblin commando.

The proprietor of the Rusty Dragon, a woman named Ameiko Kaijitsu, approaches us after hearing of our exploits. She has black hair, aside from a pair of white stripes at the front, and a distinctly foreign look about her. She carries a pleasant air about her though, and I feel immediately at ease around her.

“You’ve certainly made an impression upon Aldern,” she says. “I saw you fighting in the square, too, so I know it’s not all exaggeration. It would be my pleasure to host you for the week, no charge.”

We can hardly refuse such a generous offer, and with my stomach rumbling I’m quick to order our first free meal. Aldern, thankfully, takes his leave, and we spend the next few hours eating, drinking, and swapping tales with the locals. Ameiko proves a more than capable hostess with the fine dining and incredible tales of her own. I get the distinct impression this is not the first time she’s told these tales, but everyone is nonetheless enraptured by her energetic storytelling.

As the evening begins to wind down and patrons start shuffling out, Sheriff Hemlock arrives and approaches our table in the kind of slow, shambling manner that matches his earlier pedantic speech.

“Greetings, heroes,” he says with a pause between words. “I want to thank you for your assistance earlier today.”

I smile and salute him with a mug of ale before downing the last of its contents. Belor shifts from one leg to the other uncomfortably as a delayed silence hangs over the table. My companions and I exchange glances, and it looks as though Devin might speak up before Belor finally manages to find his voice again.

“I was hoping you could help us with one more…situation,” he says.

Curious glances are exchanged around the table. I shrug nonchalantly.

“Sure, Sheriff,” Devin says. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Father Zantus has discovered the door to the burial vault of his predecessor is open. He’s concerned one or more of the attackers may be hiding within.”

My eyes light up. “More goblins to kill? Just point me in the right direction, Sheriff.”

He leads us out of the tavern and up the street toward the cathedral. On the way, he explains the vault housed the remains of former servants and acolytes as well as Father Ezakien Tobyn who died in the fire that destroyed the previous cathedral.

The vault turns out to be a 20-foot-square stone structure, the door hanging ajar as Father Zantus reported. Ausk steps forward to opens the door, then yelps first in surprise then in pain as two skeletal figures lurch out of the opening and slash rusty steel scimitars at his chest and belly. He falls to the ground and moans in pain. The rest of us quickly jump forward to smash the skeletons to pieces before they can attempt to finish him off. Devin offers to tends to Ausk’s injuries while Ash and I examine whether more foul creatures lurk within the tomb.

In the center of the chamber is a large sarcophagus with the name Ezakien Tobyn etched on the front. The cover of the sarcophagus is shifted out of position just enough to grant access to the remains within. Ash takes a peek inside and reports it’s been emptied.

I spot a discarded robe with faint patch marks lying in the back corner, and bend down to pick it up.

“What do you make of this?” I ask.

Ash examines it and points out a pair of patches that resemble the skeletons we’d just dispatched.

“Might be this was left here as a gift for the first person to come snooping,” she says.

I nod my agreement. The walls of the vault and the rest of the remains therein appear undisturbed. We exit the vault and report our findings to the others. Ausk appears improved, but still in a dire state.

“We should inform Father Zantus,” Balor says. Then he glances down at Ausk. “He should be able to help your friend as well.”

We arrive at the Cathedral a few minutes later to find a frantic Father Zantus awaiting news. As Balor predicted, he provides further healing for Ausk’s injuries as we relate the news of our findings in the vault.

“This is most disturbing,” he says. “Who’d want to take Father Tobyn’s remains?”

None of us have any answers, but we all agree the attack on Sandpoint could very well have been a cover for the ransacking of the vault. Father Zantus and Sheriff Hemlock thank us for our assistance, and we return to the Rusty Dragon to get a much needed night’s rest.

Chapter 3 – Trouble at the Rusty Dragon

The next morning, I push all thoughts of both the vault and the attack aside and go out in pursuit of the woman from Cracktooth’s Tavern. I ask a few of the townsfolk about the bakery and am pointed in the direction of a place called Sandpoint Savories. The smell of baking pastries wafts into the streets through open windows, pushing back the salty tang of the sea air. Inside, I’m greeted by an elderly woman who smiles and welcomes me into the her store. She has a faraway look in her eyes that suggests she isn’t quite all there, but she seems pleasant enough. There’s enough resemblance between her and the woman I’m looking for that she could pass as her mother.

“Greetings,” I say. “I’m Gulnyr, and I’m hoping you can help me find someone I was told might be here.”

I describe the woman from the day before, and she calls to the back. A moment later a beautiful young woman who looks the spitting image of the woman from yesterday but her face is partially hidden by flour and dough. I also note the part in her hair is on the opposite side. She shares a whispered conversation with the older woman before turning a charming smile toward me.

“Hello,” she says. “My name’s Aneka. This is my mother Alma. How may I help you?”

It’s clear she doesn’t recognize me so I explain my encounter from the day before. Aneka chuckles and seems bemused by my situation.

“That was Arika, my sister,” she says. “She’s always playing around even when there’s work to be done here.” She shares a knowing glance with her mother. “She comes and goes as she pleases, but you might want to check out The Hagfish tonight. She’s always eager to meet anyone who can pass the Norah challenge.”

I thank her for her time and purchase a delicious-looking pastry before heading out and making my way to the Red Dog Smithy to get started on my new job. Das Korvut, the smith, seems somewhat less gruff than earlier, perhaps in part due to my role in defending the city. The day passes uneventfully as I work away filling our various orders. It seems an attack on the town is good for business. Afterwards, I head over to The Hagfish, eager to discover what this Norah challenge is all about.

As it turns out, the challenge is to drink water from a fish tank inhabited by a hagfish named Norah. The water is slimy and foul, but I close my nose and drink it down anyway. The next thing I know I find myself lying on the beach covered in my own vomit as the sun’s first rays of daylight stream down upon my face. I feel confident I failed the test. Also nauseous.

I stagger away and happen upon Devin who also seems confused about how he arrived there. He has a number of bruises, but given my own state I decide not to press the issue. Together, we walk back to the Rusty Dragon in silence and spend most of the day getting cleaned up and recuperating. I’ll have to apologize to Das for missing the day’s work later.

In the evening we meet up with Ausk and Ash in the main room of the tavern having fully recovered from our rough night. Ausk tells us he spent the afternoon boar hunting with Aldern, although he let Aldern do most of the hunting. Ash is quiet about her activities, but does give a knowing wink to Devin as she asks about someone named Shayliss Vinder. Devin turns red, but refuses to discuss the matter which only makes Ash laugh loudly. They seem to have a friendly rapport, and I get the impression this isn’t Devin’s first time getting into such trouble.

Ameiko comes out from the kitchen, an apron tied loosely around her waist.

“Due to a generous donation of boar meat from one Aldern Foxglove, tonight everyone dines for free,” she announces. All the guests cheer and raise their glass in toast to the news. Sadly, Aldern seemingly chose not to stick around to enjoy the fruits of his labors, but when Ameiko turns over entertainment to Kaye Tesarini and the Pixie’s Kittens few are bothered by his absence. Local Carpentry Guildmaster Aesrick Battlehorn, a fellow Dwarf, is so enraptured by the band he buys several rounds for everyone.

Sometime later, the fun comes to a jarring halt as the tavern door slams open and a surly man barks out a sharp-tongued command in a strange language from the doorway. The room instantly grows quiet as the middle-aged Tian (that’s what Ameiko is!) man strides into the room continuing to shout angrily. He stops as he nears our table and his eyes meet ours.

“Oh, I see,” he says with a sneer, “here are the self-professed heroes whose antics the other day probably put us all in danger from further goblin raids!”

He scowls at us a murmur of disapproval filters through the crowd. I find his words confusing, and an ire begins to rise within me, but before I can say anything, it’s the other dwarf who challenges him.

“Don’t you think yer being a bit hard on ‘em, Lonjiku?” says Aesrick from the far end of the room.

Ausk and I exchange glances. We’d heard the name come up in idle conversation, and there was no mistaking it.. This is Ameiko’s wealthy father who ran the Glassworks across town, and who was curiously absent during the festival. Lonjiku sweeps his hand to encompass me and my companions, seemingly ignoring Aesrick’s remark. “Just what we need – a filthy band of vagrants to attract even more trouble to town.”

Ausk puts a hand on my shoulder to keep me from doing anything rash. As I contemplate brushing him off, Ameiko appears from the kitchen once again, a ladle dripping with soup in hand. They exchange angry words in what I thought might have been Minkaian, which I assume is their native tongue. Suddenly, Lonjiku lunges forward and tries to grab her, but she proves too quick. She dodges aside and smacks him upside the head with her ladle, leaving him covered in fish stock and potatoes. The crowd bursts into laughter.

Lonjiku sputters in disbelief then turns a hateful glare toward his daughter. “You’re as dead to me as your mother!” He then turns and rushes out the door.

The room falls deathly silent as all eyes turn to Ameiko. She seems to be fighting back tears, but puts on a brave face. “I’ll need a well-cleaned ladel now since jackass stew’s not on the menu.”

The crowd bursts into laughter one more, and the band resumes their music louder than ever. Ameiko mouths a word of apology in our direction before turning things over to her halfling maid Bethana Corwin and retreating back to the kitchen.

Chapter 4 – Mystery of the Closet Goblin

Over the net couple days, my new friends and I settle in to a new routine. We partake in a hearty breakfast in the morning then split up for the day before meeting back at the inn once again for feast and frivolity. On the third day, however, we are just departing the inn when a woman with unkempt hair, a screaming baby and a small boy intent on annoying as many people as possible approaches us. She’s screaming incoherently about something called a “Closet Goblin”.

“Woah, woah, settle down,” Ausk says. “What are you talking about?

Ausk’s efforts do little to clear up the situation, but we all agree to follow her back to her ramshackle home which appears not to have had much in the way of repairs for many years. She brings us to the front door, but refuses to go inside while pointing down the hall past the kitchen towards the sound of a tiny dog’s constant yipping.

Growing impatient, I take out my two-handed hammer and stride down the hall toward the room from which the barking emanates. It proves to be a a small bedroom, lightly furnished and not well kempt. The barking comes from a closed closet door. I gesture to my companions, who followed me, to remain near the bedroom door while I approach the closet. I open the door, prepared to put an end to whatever lay beyond, but before I could even determine what it might be, something attacks from behind.

Emerging seemingly from under the bed and surprising me with a slash of his Dogslicer is a goblin. I dodge away from his attack, and Ausk steps forward to punch the goblin in the face. It collapses in a heap. I move to finish it off, but Ausk tells me not to kill it. He seems to want to question it. I begin to question his sanity, but after a moment of internal debate, I shrug and return my focus to the closet. Stuck in a hole the goblin apparently dug through the floor is something resembling a cross between a Chihuahua and a Poodle. We retrieve the creature and return it to the family.

With Ausk carrying the unconscious goblin, we make our way to the sheriff’s station and meet with Sheriff Hemlock. Ausk explains what happened, and suggests the goblin be questioned. Belor’s face takes on a strange expression as he instead offers each of us two silver pieces as a reward for capturing the goblin before throwing the creature into a cell.

“Incidentally,” Belor says as we turn to leave. “The Mayor and I would like to have a word with you this afternoon, say around two? We have troubling news from a local ranger we’d like to discuss with you.”

We agree to meet later and leave the station. Ash and Devin decide to return to the inn and ask Ameiko about her father, the hope being enough time has past she’ll be willing to discuss it. Ausk declares he’ll be spending the morning training Spike. I head off to the smithy to get some work in. When we meet up later at the town hall, Ash and Devin report Ameiko hasn’t been at the inn all day. We agree to check in with her later.

Inside, the sheriff formally introduces us to Mayor Kendra Deverin, a woman with fiery red hair and a matching personality. She thanks us profusely for our efforts in protecting the town. Yet another person was waiting for us as well, a tall, thin woman with strikingly blonde hair and the pointed ears of an Elf. She’s introduced as Shalelu Andosana, a local ranger with extensive knowledge of the surrounding areas.

“Tell them what you told us, Shalelu,” Mayor Deverin says after introductions are complete.

Shalelu eyes us as though judging for herself whether we were worthy of her information, then nods in assent.

“Activity from the local goblin tribes has drastically increased in recent weeks, and even more notably they seem to be working together to conduct raids from Nettlewood to Mosswood.”

Not being from the area, those names don’t mean much to me, so I push for more information. She sighs, but indulges my curiosity. Based on the reaction of the others, they are equally eager to hear.

“There are five major tribes,” she begins. “The Birdcrunchers live on the western edge of Devil’s Platter. To the south are the Licktoads of Brinestump. To the east are the Seven Tooths of Shank’s Wood and the Mosswood Goblins, the largest of the tribes. Along the Nettlewood coast lay the home of the Thistletops.

“There are also several goblin heroes of note,” she continues. “Big Gugmut of the Mosswood may be part Hobgoblin. Koruvus is a champion of the Seven Tooth tribe but has recently vanished after discovering a secret hideout in the cliffs. Last I saw of him, he was wielding a large sword. Vorka is a cannibal from Brinestump who is known to feed off the Licktoad tribe.

“Chief Randwattle Gutwad leads the Licktoads while Chief Ripnugget leads Thistletop. Bruthazmus is a Bugbear ranger who prowls the Nettlewood. We’ve had more than a few run-ins, and I think it’s safe to say he’s not my biggest fan.”

“That’s all very interesting,” Ausk says, “but what does it have to do with us?”

“I’m gad you asked,” Mayor Deverin says. “We’re hoping you’d be interested in assisting Shalelu in rooting out the cause of this increased activity and putting an end to it before it reaches Sandpoint.”

I grin and place a hand on my hammer. “I’m always up for taking out some goblins. When do we leave?”

Shalelu put up her hands as if to say slow down. “Not for a couple of days I’m afraid. I want to do some scouting to see if I can determine the source of this cooperation. Otherwise we could be wandering aimlessly for weeks before finding anything of use.”

“We could join you,” Ausk offers. He seems eager to help. Or maybe he’s just bored.

Shalelu does little to hide exactly what she thinks of that. “I’ll be faster on my own, thanks.” She nods towards the mayor, excuses herself and exits the room.

“Ah well,” I say. “Something to look forward to at least.” I turn to look at the Mayor. “I’m sure you’ll let us know when she’s ready?”

“Of course, but before you go, there’s more you should know about our town.” She gives a pointed look to Belor.

Belor proceeds to inform us of some occurrences dubbed by the town as the “recent unpleasantness”. An eccentric man named Jervis Stoot had made a habit of carving depictions of birds all around town. They were beautiful and the locals came to enjoy them even though he never asked for permission. Some even offered to pay him for specific carvings, but he would always decline saying ‘there were no birds to free from that wood’.

Jervis had a home on an island just north of the Old Light, an ancient ruined lighthouse. The local Carpenter’s Guild built a set of steps leading to the island so he wouldn’t fall while climbing up. For fifteen years, things were peaceful, but then in 4702 AR the killings began. Twenty five gruesome deaths were committed by someone the town dubbed “Chopper”. The last death was Sheriff Averton, Belor’s predecessor, but in that battle, the Chopper was wounded.

Belor, then part of the guards, discovered the bloody trail and followed it back to Stoot’s house. Fearing for Stoot’s safety, Belor led a team inside in the hopes of rescuing him only to discover it was Jervis himself who had become the Chopper. An altar and pieces of his victims were found within the home, and Jervis himself had cut out his own eyes and tongue in a final offering to whatever demon he was worshiping. Belor ordered the house and stairs be destroyed, and little of the events were ever spoken of again. The bird carvings around town were scratched out in the hopes of removing any last traces of the awful events.

A month later there was a terrible fire at the cathedral. Father Toybn and his adopted daughter Nualia were lost in the fire. Belor was officially promoted to Sheriff and the town began plans for a new cathedral, which was unveiled at the Swallowtail Festival.

I find myself nearly falling asleep as Belor speaks while wondering what any of this has to do with the goblins. I perk up a bit at the part about Father Tobyn, though. Perhaps whoever came back for his remains has something to do with the fire that destroyed the old church.

Chapter 5 – Family Secrets

“Help, please!” she shouts as we approached. “Ameiko is missing!”

She shoves a letter into Devin’s hands before we can muster a response. He opens it and reads aloud for us all to hear. Bethana informs us Tsuto is Ameiko’s half-brother and that he hasn’t always held the highest regard for the town. Our instincts tell us this letter was meant to be a trap. Without debate, we hustle over to the Glassworks Factory.

We move around back of the factory to check on the delivery entrance with the hopes of attracting less attention from the locals. The door is locked, but Ash whips out a set of lock picks and makes short work it. Inside, the din of broken glass and the gleeful laughter of goblins fills the air. I draw my hammer and creep forward, the others close behind. We soon reach the main glassworking room of the facility where ten goblins are busy playing with broken glass and making a general nuisance of themselves. Strewn about the floor among the broken shards of glass are the bloodied bodies of eight factory workers.

I pull a throwing axe from my belt and launch it at a nearby goblin, connecting solidly with the side of his skull. It falls with a thud and stops moving. Ausk and Devin follow me in, weapons at the ready, while Ash circles around to another entrance. The goblins charge us as I step up to meet the attack. I step on a slick piece of glass and tumble to the ground. Three goblins pounce on me, somehow manage to lift me up, and begin carrying me toward the furnace.

My rage bubbles to the surface, and with great fury, I break free of their grasp and begin to swing my hammer at anything that moves. Two of the foul creatures are sent sprawling, their chests caved in. The third flees in terror. Only one other goblin survived the fight, and slips out behind his comrade. I begin to take chase, but Ausk grabs me by the shoulder to stop me, then points to the central alcove.

Lonjiku, or what remains of him, sits propped up in a chair encased in molten glass. A deep-throated growl emerges from my throat, and I run off after the fleeing goblins. Rushing through the halls, I come to an open doorway revealing a set of stairs leading down into darkness.

I peer into the depths below, but before my eyes can adjust I hear the twang of a bow and an arrow embeds itself into my chestplate, nipping at the skin beneath. I stumble backward, just managing to slam the door shut, then collapse against the opposite wall. I rip the arrow out and am tossing it aside when my companions catch up.
“Careful,” I say, gesturing toward the door. “They have an archer.”

Ausk considers the door for a moment, then says, “we should check the rest of this level before continuing down.”

The others agree and followed him while I stay behind to guard the door. A moment later, the door bursts open and a half-elf fires off another arrow, grazing my shoulder as a goblin charges forth. I retreat into the relative safety of the factory halls and prepare to make a stand but the attackers don’t follow. We the others finally return, they notice my haggard look.

“What happened,” Devin asks.

“A half-elf and a goblin appeared and drove me back. I fear they may have escaped,” I say, indicating a door to the outside not far from the staircase.

We examine the area carefully but can see no signs of escape so we decide to explore the staircase. No one wants to take point with the threat of being shot by arrows, so I remove the door from its hinges and wield it like a shield before me as we charge down the stairs. The thud of arrows smacking against the door reverberates in the narrow staircase, but the door holds firm and we make it safely to the bottom of the stairs.

Ausk steps past me to engage the pair of goblins and the half-elf archer, but the goblins are too quick and he takes several jabs from their swords. With blood pouring from multiple wounds, he charges at one of the goblins and drives it backwards down a side corridor. Devin slips past me to take his place as the archer drops his bow in favor of his fists. He proves adept at fighting within the tight confines of the hallway, leaving Devin stunned with a flurry of kicks and punches. As Ash engages the second goblin, I drop the door and advance on the half-elf with caution.

Seeing my hammer, the half-elf tries to slip past me to escape, but I block his every attempt and lay him low with just a few strikes. In the meantime, Ash takes down her goblin and another. Devin uses his magic to heals some of Ausk’s wounds. Even with that, he seems a big groggy.

We search the half-elf’s body and discover a journal in addition to some coin. The journal is unreadable to us as it was written in a language none of us understood. Also within the journal are nude drawings of Nualia Tobyn, who, if these drawings are anything to go by, apparently hadn’t died in the church fire after all.

We continue down the corridor, which wraps around in a semi-square. There’s no response, but as we came around a final corner we are met with a strange gelatinous ooze that lurches menacingly toward us. It reaces out with a pseudopod and latches onto Devin. He screams in pain as the acid burns at his skin. Our weapons prove useless against the strange creature and we are forced to retreat. It pursues us relentlessy. Ausk discovers some old wooden crates which he breaks to create firewood and set them alight, swinging them to deter the creature. Ash then pulls out a firework she apparently had in her backpack and fires it, smacking the creature full force, but barely slowing it.

Undeterred, the ooze continues forward, attaching itself to me and burning my skin. I pull free and retreat farther back, swinging my hammer in an attempt to keep it at bay. I search around for anything of use, and discover a bottle of alcohol lying near the crates. I rush over to grab it as Devin and Ash are cornerned. Ash pours a bottle of oil upon the ooze before collapsing in a heap from her injuries.

Desperate to rescue our comrades I rush forward while Ausk runs upstairs to search for more firewood or oil. I smash the bottle of alcohol against the creature then leap past it to Ash’s body. Searching her pack, I discover another firework. I fire it at the creature, knocking myself back, but this time the creature lights up in a fiery blaze. It emits a strange noise in its death throes but finally succumbs to the blaze and the threat is ended.

Ausk returns moments later and uses his magic to heal the others of their wounds. Once we are all awake and ready, we continue our search of the tunnels. Thankfully, there are no more unpleasant creatures, but we do come upon Ameiko tied up in one of the rooms.

She thanks us for the rescue, but her happiness is soon quelled when we show her the unconscious body of the half-elf.

“This is my brother, Tsuto Kaijistu,” she says.

We show her the journal we found on his person. She identifies the writing as Minkaian and the handwriting as Tsuto’s.

“It says here there is another raid scheduled on Sandpoint. He also refers to Nualia as his love, and there’s mention of something or someone named Malfeshnekor,” she says after reading some of the journal. “Nualia has organized the goblins, it seems, and is using some old smuggling tunnels here under the Glassworks as their point of entry. There’s also mention here of some demons, a quasit and succubus specifically.”

We tie up Tsuto and lead Ameiko out of the tunnels. She comes with us to the Sheriff to report on what we found and decides to wait behind for Tsuto to awaken. We return to the Rusty Dragon to get some rest.

Chapter 6 – The Smuggling Tunnels

The following morning, Ausk has a personal errand to run. The rest of us return to the Glass Factory for further investigation. One of the rooms below the factory has an opening in the wall that opens up to a smuggler’s tunnel. Following this, we soon come to a split and choose the wider path. This leads to a dead end, but I search the wall and find a secret hatch that opens onto the beach.

“Just the smugglers’ entrance,” I remark. We make a quick scan of the beach, but there doesn’t appear to have been any recent activity. We then return to the split and take the other path.

We reach a carved out chamber from what which emanates a foul stench. I wrinkle my nose at the nasal assault. “What’s that stench?”

Devin points into the depths of the cavern indicating a hunched and hairless humanoid messily devouring its latest kill. “The droppings of that creature, I would think,” he says.

“What is that thing?” Ash asks.

Devin considers the creature for a moment before answering. “A Sinspawn, I believe. The embodiment of sin made flesh. It is unlikely to be friendly, and will certainly follow us if it catches our scent.”

“Then we should kill it,” I say, and draw forth my hammer. My companions don’t argue the point, so we advance on the seemingly uwary creature.

Though we make little noise, the creature nonetheless detects us, perhaps by scent. It turns and fixes a hateful gaze upon me, then charges. I leap out of the way, and though there are other targets, it maintains a steadfast focus on me. I step back to draw the creature in. As it nears, my companions pounce on it, destroying it utterly.

“It certainly seemed to like you,” Ash says.

I can only nod in agreement and wonder at the oddity of its fascination.

The stench of the chamber prevents anything more than a half-hearted search of the area and we quickly leave. Back in the main tunnel we find Ausk slightly out of breath having just caught up. He appears somewhat bedraggled but doesn’t offer any explanation. With more pressing matters, we conitnue on.

As we continue I find myself marvelling at the ancient workings of walls and in particular the wooden doors which should have long fallen to rot. Devin examines the doors with a bit of magic and determines they were magically preserved. Further ahead, we come to a small chamber containing a red marble statue of a beautiful yet monstrous human woman wielding a finely crafted ranseur of metal and ivory. She wears flowing robes and bears the look of intense rage. It’s unclear who the statue is meant to portray, but we decide she must have been a formidable foe in her day. We cautiously approache, but the statue doesn’t react to our presence or touch. The ranseur isn’t attached so I remove it and carry it with me across my back where my hammer usually resides. The hammer I keep held in a firm grip.

From this chamber, there are three exits including two open passages and a closed door. Upon opening the door we discover a larger chamber with twenty prison cells lining the perimeter and a rickety wooden platform with stairs leading into a lower section. I’m about to advance farther into the room when Ash holds up one finger to signal a halt.

“I hear movement,” she whispers and points beneath the platform.

Ausk volunteers to investigate and climbs down the side of the walkway hoping to catch whoever may be lurking below by surprise. He himself is surprised to discover two sinspawn, but fortunately for him, they stumble over each other in an attempt to tear into him. He gives a started cry and the rest of us hurry to join him. The two creatures provide little resistance as we quickly dispatch them.

A search the prison cells afterward reveals eight human skeletons and one cell with an opening dug out in the corner. The opening appears to be someone’s escape route as it leads to the same corridor we took in coming here. With nothing else of interest in the chamber, we climb back up onto the platform and cross it to an open passageway that leads to some kind of torture room. The devices scattered about the room appear strange and archaic, but there can be little doubt of the pain they could inflict. Two more doors lead out from here.

One door opens into a small closet with three additional doors. The others begin to discuss how to approach exploring these doors, but my impatience begins to gnaw at me.

“Bah,” I say. “This is taking too long.” I kick down each door in turn only to discover small closets with deformed human skeletons. Clearly, someone had been experimenting.

“Well, that was exciting,” I say, then turn and make for the other door leading out from the torture chamber.

This door leads to a long staircase leading down into a room covered with wooden lids upon the ground and an arched ceiling some twenty feet high. A strange coldness seeps into my skin and sends a shiver down my spine, but the sight of an even stranger three-armed goblin wielding three weapons raises my spirits.

I recognize the glowing sword in one of his hands and instantly know who the creature must be.

“Koruvus!” I charge him, my hammer raised to strike.

I smack him across the shoulder as he slashes and spits burning acid at us, but the four of us are too much for him and we quickly overwhelm him. Upon his defeat, I take the glowing sword and add it to my collection while the others investigate the wooden lids.

Beneath each lid is a deep pit containing a zombie. As we lift the lids up, the zombies begin to moan and attempt to claw their way out. After some discussion, Devin decides to use his magic to create enough water in each pit to raise the zombies up to where we can easily dispatch them. It takes a long time, which only furthers my fury, but I take the opportunity to try out my new sword. It proves quite capable of setting their zombie heads on fire and provides much entertainment.

The next room we come to is a weird circular room with various objects floating around, including a bottle of wine that catches my eye.

“Ausk, hold my legs,” I say.

Ausk grabs me so I can reach in and grab the bottle, but he’s unable to hold on against the powerful winds and we both got sucked in. While flying about in the whirlwind, we gather what objects we can, including the bottle of wine, an old book, a wand and a scroll. Unfortunately, a dead raven covered in maggots hits Ausk in the face during this time. I wince in sympathy as he flails his arms in an attempt to free himself from the disgusting thing. I’m pretty sure he swallowed some of it.

While Ausk deals with the raven corpse, I draw a coil of rope from my pack and try to lasso the door in an attempt to escape. I miss badly, and half the rope disintegrates in a burst of electricity as it strikes the wall. With mounting frustration, I maneuver myself to grab hold of Ausk. I then hurl him away from me as I pass by the door. The momentum of the toss propels me from the chamber but causes Ausk to brush against the wall and get a taste of that electrical shock. I run back to where we left Koruvus, grab him and hustle back. I toss the corpse into the whirlwind and Ausk uses it to propel himself out as I did with him. In spite of it all, Ausk seems unfazed by the ordeal, though I can’t help but feel a cold stare upon my back as we continue on.

Around the next corner is a set of stairs that end in a pile of rubble. The stones are covered in ancient runes, which Ash seems to think might be Thassilonian. If so, it supports our working theory that the area is quite old, but they offer up nothing else of interest. We continue on and discover a room containing a large pool of dirty water and an altar. A strange bat-like creature with tentacles flies at us with deadly intent from the ceiling. I flail and hurled my axes at the creature, but miss. Fortunately, Ash and the others are more accurate and the creature is soon felled.

I stare at the downed creature. “What is that thing,” I ask, but no one has an answer.

The next chamber is a huge, cathedral-like room where the walls are carved with more Thassilonian runes. On either side of the chamber, a set of stairs ascend to a higher platform along the back wall. A large pool filled with water and human skulls dominates the lower level while a triangular pool of bubbling liquid sits atop the platform. A deathly chill hangs in the air.

A tiny creaure flits about the room. Devin identifies it as a Quasit, and we surmise it to the creature referenced in Tsuto’s journal, Erylium.

She hovers above the cauldron and offers us an evil grin as she cuts her hand and bleeds into the bubbling pool. A Sinspawn crawls forth Erylium disappears. We fight the Sinspawn, downing it quickly, but then a giant spider appears beside me as though summoned. Startled, I swat at it with my hammer until it is smashed to pieces. Then I pause to catch my breath. Then I smash it a few more times just to be certain.

“Ugh,” I say with a shudder. “Spiders.”

Ausk utters a spell and suddenly Erylium is visible once more. I throw my axes, but she easily dodges them. She flies in confusing patterns, proving rather elusive. I charge up onto the higher pltform for a closer swing. I miss her, but not by so much that I don’t draw her attention. She giggles as I continue to miss time and time again. Ausk takes advantage of the distraction, sneaks up behind her and snags her by the feet. Together, we manage to finish her off.

“There,” Ausk says when it’s all done, doubled over and breathing hard. “That wasn’t so bad.”

I grumble at him, but otherwise let the comment pass. We take the quasit’s things, and make a quick search of the room, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else of interest and there are no further tunnels to explore. At last, we make our way back to Sandpoint for a meal and perhaps a bath.

Chapter 7 – Expedition to Thistletop

“The attack will come from Thistletop,” Mayor Deverin tells us the next morning after having reviewed the journal and all we’ve learned so far.

“Fear not, Mayor,” Devin assures her. “We’ll put a stop to it.”

During the remainder of the day, we sell some of the treasures we gathered and prepare for our journey the following morning. On our way through Northgate we’re hailed by the ranger Shalelu Andosana, who’s hustling to catch up.

“I’m glad I caught you,” She says, her tone and expression grave. “I’ve just come from Mayor Deverin’s. I understand you’re heading for Thistletop?”

“We are indeed, fair ranger,” I say.

“Good.” She nods in approval. “You should take the old hunting path through Nettlewood and avoid the coast. Pauper’s Grave has come under a pall, and the graves have been desecrated. There’s foul play afoot there. Your druid can navigate the woods for you more easily.”

She goes on to explain that Pauper’s Grave is the resting place of the poor and desperate laborers from Magnimar who came to establish Sandpoint and its surrounding farmlands many years ago. The desecration of their graves, despite the lack of wealth within them, has clearly unsettled her.

“Thank you, Shalelu,” Devin says. “We shall certainly follow your advice.”

We turn to leave, but Shalelu halts us once more. “One more thing,” she says. “I don’t know the source of evil within Thistletop, but there may be humans and elves among their forces. Goblins should be whacked like weeds, of course, but I prefer those with a conscience to be brought to justice if at all possible.”

“We’ll do what we can,” Ausk promises.

Finally, we depart, traveling east along the Lost Coast Road. It’s overcast with only a few bright beams of sun illuminating circles of water far off shore. Intermittent winds whip the grey ocean waters causing great ripples to splash upon the shore. We pass north of Ravenroost hills where isolated copses of eucalyptus, pepperwood and pine can be found, and marvel for a moment at a rock structure known as the Three Cormorants just barely visible from the road. Something upon the third rock glitters in the light, but even the sharp eyes of Ash and Ausk can’t quite make out what might have caused it.

Heavy rain soon begins to pour down as we make our way inland between Shank’s Wood to the north and the Tickwood to the south. A small roadside shrine catches our attention, but it turns out to be not much more than a stone plinth with yellow roses and a faded symbol of a golden seagull with blue circles on each wing. No one is able to discern its meaning, but Spike lands atop it and gives a happy squawk.

The road continues, and we come to a split where one path leads to Pauper’s Grave and the other into Nettlewood. The rain has lessened somewhat, but the air now smells of ozone. On the advice of Shalelu, we turn east and make our way to the Nettlewood.

Even under cover of the forest canopy, the trek proves unpleasant and difficult. Despite this, we push on and soon find ourselves in a thick grove of vines and thorny bushes. A crudely put together gate we think might be the entrance to a goblin hideout stands before us. Pushing the gate aside, we pass through into a field of thick grass. Tracks indicate something heavy was recently pulled through. We follow them to a large shaft in the ground that seems to naturally enhance the sounds of the shore some eighty feet below. We continue north and come across some ugly goblin dogs tied to a fence. After careful consideration, we decide they are too much of a threat to break free of their chains, so we dispatch them.

The tracks continue to a grove where was a passage leads out in a southern direction. We decide to check it for unfriendly goblins and are soon surprised when the plants themselves attack. Vines reach out to ensnare us, and a goblin druid appears with his pet cat, a fire pelt cougar, to taunt us. We slowly work our way through the vines, slashing and cutting at them, until at last we are free. The goblin retreats, but the cougar proves more courageous, and we are forced to put the cat down before continuing after the goblin.

By the time we catch up to him, he had found reinforcements. I fly into a rage and charge the goblin warband, cleaving my way through their numbers and sending eight of them to their deaths before one gets a lucky strike and knocks the hammer from my grip. Unfazed, I draw the sword of Koruvus and continue my onslaught. The druid flees again, but Ausk manages to track him down.

He falls to his knees as we approach. “Please no hurt Gogmurt,” he says, his hands held up in an obvious sign of surrender. “I tell everything.”

“Very well, goblin,” Ausk says. “Tell us about Thistletop.”

Gogmurt nod enthusiastically. “Chief Ripnugget in charge,” he says. “Has…” he takes a moment to count on his fingers, “twenty goblins.”

I look dubiously at Ash. Math doesn’t seem likely to be a goblin strength. She just shrugs.

“Crazy lady below Thistletop,” Gogmurt continues. “Has strange power over Chief. Guarded by Bruthazmus and two humans, a male and female.”

“What’s that hole back there,” I ask, pointing over my shoulder in the direction of the large shaft we found earlier.

“Howling Hole,” he says, his eyes lighting up. “Chief throw humans, er, people, in for Bunyip when Bunyip hungry.”

We ask a few more questions, but he doesn’t seem to have much more to give so we tie him up and bring him along with us until we find a suiable place to make camp. He chatters the entire time, even at night when we’re all trying to sleep, and by morning I grow tired of the constant noise so I smash him over the head with my hammer. The others look at me in stunned horror

I shrug. “Not like we could bring him with us anyway.”

No one argues the point, so we break camp and continue our journey. We soon break out of the forest and come to edge of a cliff. A stiff ocean breeze leaves a salty taste in the air. A rope bridge spans the gap between the mainland and what appears to be Thistletop, which lies nestled atop a large stone pillar away from the cliff’s edge. I peer down into the deep ravine to the waters below and shiver. It’s a long way down.

Ausk takes one tentative step onto the bridge, which is swaying slightly in the wind. It seems safe, so he continues to cross. Ash follows, then Devin. Ausk is nearly across when the bridge suddenly lurches to one side.

Ausk and Ash grab onto guideropes as the bridge collapses on one side, leaving them hanging dangerously above the ravine, but Devin loses his grip and plummets into the cold waters of the cove below. Ausk and Ash begin to slowly make their way back as I peer into the waters below in search for our companion. I see him flailing in the water as he is drawn back into a cavern.

“He’s alive,” I inform the others as they clamber back onto land. “I fear he may be being drawn toward the bunyip.”

“We should go after him,” Ash says.

Ausk nod in agreement while I peer down the side of the cliff and begin to question my life choices. Without hesitation, they begin to climb down the face of the cliff. I take a moment to cut loose the bridge. If we’re able to swim to the base of Thistletop, we may be able to use it to climb up. Before I even return to the edge where Ausk and Ash began their climb, I hear them both splash into the waters below.

With a heavy sigh, I carefully begin my own descent. Growing up in the mountains, I’m more adept at the task, but I reach the bottom far more slowly as a result. Screams like those of a large seal mixed with the cries of my companions echo from the cove as I make my way down. When at last I reach a safe falling distance, I leap into the waters and swim as quickly as I can to catch up. By then, though, the bunyip, a strange mix of shark and seal, lies dead and my companions slump exhausted against the cavern walls. While they rest, I consider ways for us to cross the water to the stone spire.

“What if we make a boat out of the bunyip’s hide?” I offer. The others shrug noncommittally, but I take out an axe and go to work.
Soon enough we have a makeshift boat and a way to reach the dangling rope bridge.

Chapter 8 – Thistletop Invasion

Ash and Ausk are the first to begin the climb. At the top they discover goblins throwing rocks at a seagull tied to a rope. Several goblin dogs lurk nearby, but so far they haven’t noticed us. Ash and Ausk clamber up and engage the goblins before they can get their wits about them, such as they might be. Devin and I are quick to join them. After dispatching the goblins and their dogs, we release the seagull.

The stockade blocking extrance to Thistletop is cobbled together from pieces of old ships that likely crashed in the cove, or were hijacked by the goblins. Ausk decides to smash the door down, hoping to intimidate those within. As it happens the room beyond is devoid of living creatures, and is instead adorned with poorly preserved animal heads and a pair of black feathered wings pinned up with daggers. One dagger has a pearl handle that appears to have some value, so we take it.

Suddenly Ash seems to hear something from down the hall. “Incoming” she cries out just as four goblins pour into the room and attack. Their surprise assault proves ineffective, and we soon leave them for dead.

I split away from the group to investigate some of the smaller rooms, and soon come upon a pair of sleeping goblins, an almost empty pickle jar near their heads. I dispatch them quietly, and take the remaining pickles. Upon rejoining the group, I offer one of the pickles to Spike who seems to enjoy it almost as much as the goblins.

We make our way through the keep to a grass-covered courtyard open to the sky above. Two goblin corpses lay within, but we don’t have time to examine what killed them before four goblin dogs snarl at us and charge. A brief battle leaves the dogs beaten and broken, allowing us to examine the area more thoroughly. As we glance about, a loud banging sound echoes from inside a nearby shed.

Ausk approaches the shed, intent on freeing whatever creature lay within, but the door is boarded up. Together, he and I remove the barrier, and stumble just far enough away to avoid getting trampled as a frightened horse crashes out. Ausk used his druidic powers to calm the creature, but after considering our options decide it would probably be best to leave the horse in the courtyard for the time being.

Four unexplored doors lead out from the courtyard. “Let’s live dangerously,” I suggest, gesturing toward each door. “They’re only goblins, after all.”

All at once, we open each door. Ausk reveals a storage room filled with leaking barrels of pickles, the reek of which proves nauseating, and sacks of grain. Ausk takes some to give to the horse. Devin discovers a room filled with cages of rabbits, which he assumes were meant to be food for the dogs. Ash’s door opens to reveal an empty corridor, which she decides not to explore just yet.

My door opens at the bottom of a twisting staircase that ends at a trapdoor. I motion for the others to wait, and as quietly as my thick Dwarven body allows, I ascend. Opening the trap door reveals a guard room where some goblins are playing some form of card game, apparently oblivious to everything happening in the courtyard. Upon the table sits yet another jar of pickles. At this point, I began to wonder if perhaps the goblins have too strong a dependency on pickles. Nevertheless, I leap up and surprise the goblins, quickly smashing them with my hammer even as they stare in stupefied wonder at my sudden appearance. I then take the pickles and the deck of cards, for I, too, like pickles and card games.

Reuinted, we decide to trek down the corridor Ash discovered. This brings us to a room decorated with hanging furs, firepelt skins and other assorted animal hides. Four timbers studded with iron spikes support the ceiling, and a throne heaped with pelts and hides sits upon a wooden platform in the northeast corner, opposite from where we stand. Seated upon a large gecko near the throne is a goblin that can only be Chief Ripnugget surrounded by four of his guards.

In a broken form of the common speech that only a goblin would use, the chief offers us an opportunity to parlay. It seems an obvious trap to me, but before I can voice that opinion, Ausk steps into the chamber.

“Oh, great chieftain of the Thistletop Tribe–” is all he gets out before the chief orders his guards to attack.

Faster than I might have thought possible, his guards are upon Ausk, slicing and dicing with their swords. He’s quickly taken down and even our hurried charge into the room cannot save him. Spike screams in anger and delivers a mighty blow to one of the guards, but he is soon overwhelmed. One guard hangs back, vocalizing in a manner that approximates singing. I assume he must be a bard of some kind. He puts up an illusory screen to mask his location, but I have no time to deal with him as Chief Ripnugget and his pet lizard begin to run amok throughout the room.

I dash behind a pillar in an attempt to avoid the chief’s hacking cuts, and bide my time while my comrades deal with the guards. I deliver only occasional blows to the chief as he surges past. He seems to be slowing, and as he turns for another charge, Ash expertly delivers a crushing blow from her sling-staff that sends him crashing to the ground. I finish off the gecko, then we corner the bard and end his refrain.

Devin rushes over the bodies of our fallen companion and his pet roc, but after a bref examination, he shakes his head solemnly. “There’s nothing I can for them,” he says.

I whisper a prayer to Torag to offer them safe travels into the after-life, then suddenly Shalelu burst into the room, her bow at the ready. As her eyes alight upon our fallen companion, she lowers her bow and offers her heartfelt condolences on our loss before her gaze then moves to the goblin chief.

“At least it wasn’t all for nought,” she says. There’s a pause as she allows for a moment of grief.

“I’ve managed to muster up the town militia,” she says a moment later. “They are securing the area around Thistletop. It took some for us to pull the rope bridge back up. Even now, efforts are underway to repair it fully. In the meantime, it seems you’re one short. If you don’t mind, I’ll join you for a bit.”

We cover Ausk and Spike with a large blanket, then continue our sweep of the area. There isn’t much left of interest. A bedroom with fur rugs contains a small chest with an iron key and a holy symbol of Lamashtu. There is also an armory filled with low quality goblin weapons and armor, and a butchery that smells of rotten meat.

Having cleared out the area, we begin a more thorough investigation and discover a secret door in a sparsely filled treasure chamber that reveals a set of stairs descending into a lower level. At the base of them we find a research room with a note regarding a whispering beast and tamed sinspawns we can’t quite understand. Beyond is a small storage chamber containing digging tools and pictures of a large goblin with snake-like eyes and taloned hands.

An umber-skinned woman with braided hair and a white cloak stands within the storage chamber, a scroll in her hand. A white cat sits at her feet cleaning itself.

“Greetings,” she says, seemingly unfazed by our appearance. My eyes narrow suspiciously, but she continues as though everything is perfectly normal.

“I’m Lyrie Akenja, at your service,” she says as she puts the scroll down on a pile of others.

“What is your business here?” Devin asks.

She shrugs and gestures around her. “There are many ancient things in the halls. These scrolls for instance have ancient Thassilonian writing on them. It’s all very fascinating.

Something about the way she talks makes me even more suspicious, but Shalelu and Devin have other ideas.

“We’re here to clean out the goblins and any other forces that may be risking the safety of the citizens of Sandpoint,” Shalelu says.

Lyrie frowns. “I have nothing to do with all that,” she says, “but there are others about you should be mindful of.”

Shalelu eyes her carefully. “Tell us what you know, and you may leave freely, but you must leave. Thistletop must be cleared of any and all threats.

She agrees, and informs us of the bugbear Bruthazmus and another human, both with ill intent, reside here and are under the influence of Nualia. She then takes her leave, and we continue our exploration.

We come to an open cavern over-looking the sea. I take a step in to examine the area more closely and am ambushed by a hidden squid-like creature. One of it’s tentacles reaches out to sting me and instantly I feel its poison coursing through my veins. My companions pull me away from the creature’s grasp as a sense nausea starts to set in. We leave the chamber and I take a few moments and some heavy breaths to fight off the poison’s effects. The others search a nearby room to discover what they think is probably a goblin nursery. At the moment, however, it is empty.

Returning to the finished section of this level, we head down another corridor and soon came upon the famous bugbear Bruthazmus and a harem of goblin wives. Bruthazmus stares daggers at Shalelu as they square off and taunt one another. Bruthazmus charges, and a battle ensues. The goblin wives try to intervene, but they too are cut down.

Our investigation continues down a long corridor of bedrooms, including one with a human fighter named Orik who refuses to surrender. He puts up a mighty struggle, but we manage to knock him unconscious and tie him up with the intention of turning him in to the Sandpoint authorities. We also find Tsuto’s journal in one of the bedrooms. A brief reading of it discovers mention of something called the Catacombs of Wrath which we ascertain to be the tunnels below Sandpoint. We add it to our collection for the town.

The last remaining doors yet to explore are etched with carvings of monstrous creatures clawing their way out of pregnant woman. Devin remarks upon them, indiciating we are dealing with a worshipper of Lamashtu, the deity of monsters.

“Whatever lies beyond this door,” Devin says, “we must be ready.”

We steel ourselves for the worst and Ash prepares to open the door.

Chapter 9 – The Pit of Malfeshnekor

Before Ash pulls open the door, a pale-faced man in a black cloak appears in the doorway behind us.

“Captain,” he says breathlessly. He appears to have been running.

Shalelu turns towards him. “What it is, Philippe?”

“The woman you sent up, Lyrie. She’s disappeared.”

Shalelu frowns, seemingly troubled by the news. “Thank you, Philippe. I’ll check it out. Take my place here and help out as you’re able.”

Shalelu makes a hasty retreat, leaving the rest of us to make quick introductions before turning our attention back to the door.

Ash pulls the door open to reveal and room filled with a red mist that seems somehow unable to filter out through the door. Peering into the mist, I see an altar and a statue of an ugly creature I assume to be Lamashtu. What little I know of her seems to fit the depiction.

A horrible howl from somewhere deep inside the mist pierces the air. A sudden, intense fear washes over me and I turn to flee. When my senses return, I find myself trapped inside a cell in another room, still shaking with fright. I turn around to see two strange dog-like creatures floating in the air, their eyes glowing red.

I hear my companions nearby, perhaps likewise trapped. I close my eyes and summon all the courage I can muster, then burst out of the cell, take a wild swing at the creatures and slip out through the door in the hopes they’ll follow. One of them does, which I hope will prove to be enough. The fear subsided, I turn to face the charging creature. We exchange several blows, mine proving the more dangerous, and soon the creature is felled.

Ignoring the minor wounds I suffered, I rush back into the prison room to find my companions have likewise recovered and the second creature dead on the floor. With no one particularly worse for wear, we return to the mist-filled chamber. Philippe makes his way over to a pair of basins containing water. He places his sword in one of them, and somehow the sword seems to drink the water in. What this means, I couldn’t say, but I deem it more his problem than mine.

Turning my attention to the statue, I decide to redecorate. With a few swings of my mighty hammer, the statue is turned into a pile of rubble. I do the same to the altar. There seems to be nothing else of interest in the room so we return to where we discovered Lyrie. She isn’t there, of course, but we decide to search the room more thoroughly, thinking we might have missed something earlier.

Ash discovers a door left slightly ajar behind some crates. Beyond the door is a set of stairs leading even farther below Thistletop. I lead the way down to a room where the floor is slanted and four statues in alcoves have fallen over. One is missing the top half, but the others depict the same man wielding a glaive. I stride forward between the first pair of statues and trigger a trap, but I just manage to leap forward before a pair of portcullises crash down on my head. I thank Torag for my quick reflexes.

The statues then rotate, their glaives now blocking the path, and the area of floor I so recently vacated opens up to reveal a pit below. Ash gestures for us to remain still while she examines the trap. After a moment she resets everything except the floor then places a large stone at the base of one of the statues then asks me to strike the floor with my hammer. I do, and the trap is triggered once more, but this time the heavy stone destroys the mechanism rendering the trap useless.

Moving forward, there are two doors at the end of the hallway, one on either side. I open the one on the left which reveals Lyrie, another one of those weird hovering dogs from earlier, and a white-haired woman with a very large sword. Philippe, who had come up next to me, immediately retreats back to the main chamber. I stay and try to hit the dog with my throwing axe, but it deftly steps aside. The dog and I rush each other, but this time it’s the dog who gets in the decisive blow. With a loud crunch, I feel the bone in my arm break under the strength of the creature’s jaws. I stumble backwards, yelping in pain, but my steps go too far and suddenly I feel myself falling. There’s a loud thud and a darkness envelops me.

The next thing I know, I awaken to the sight of that umber-skinned woman leaning over me and four walls rising on all sides. At first, I think she must be trying to finish me off, but I soon discover it’s quite the opposite. Instead, she’s tending my wounds. In the distance I hear the sounds of battle. I try to get up, but Lyrie stops me.

“You’re in no condition to fight,” she says. I want to disagree, but the pain in my arm prevents me.

A few minutes later, I see the familiar faces of my companions peeking over the edge of the pit.

“Hello, down there,” Devin shouts down. “Would you care to join us?”

I scowl at him as he laughs at his own joke. The others lower a rope allowing Lyrie and I to climb back up.

At the top I find Shalelu standing over the unconscious body of the white-haired woman. I assume it must be Nualia. With the help of a few town guardsmen who show up, she takes Nualia upstairs. Lyrie goes with them, fretting a bit over Nualia.

Devin, Ash and Philippe, meanwhile, are interested in another door. They look to me, their eyes pleading. I can see they want to explore further, so I grumble something unintelligible, and wave them on.

Beyond the door is an L-shaped corridor. A large carving of a pile of gold coins in the shape of a circular frame stands at one end, the hallway beyond the carving too narrow to reach. We turn the other way and follow the corridor to a set of double doors depicting skeletal arms holding a skull. Ash and Philippe open the door to reveal a room with several sarcophagi. While examining them, three humanoid shadowy figures float out from the walls and attack us. While our mundane weapons prove mostly useless, Dvein channel some divine energy which proves too powerful for them. A search of the room reveals nothing more of interest.

We return to the carving, and I take a closer look. Within the walls around it are six small slots about the size of a gold coin. We place one coin in each, and the carving sinks into the floor, granting us access to the hallway beyond. I examine the floor for recent passage, but it appears to have been undisturbed for some time. The first door we come to opens to reveal a room with many tools and a seven-pointed silver and gold star. The door to the north opens into a small room with a throne perched upon a dais. A ghostly figure sits on the throne, and appears to be addressing some unseen audience. The words are foreign to us, but Ash seems to think it might be Thassilonian. The statues throughout this level match the appearance of this figure.

The door to the south is locked, but has an indentation in the shape of a star. We use the seven-pointed silver and gold star to open it, and beyond we discover a large four-legged creature in a room with burning candles, a carving of the star symbol and a fire pit. A voice inside my head compels me to enter, and though I try to fight it I find my legs marching me straight in.

Philippe tries to grab me, but the creature swats him and knocks him unconscious. That act seems to break my trance, however, and I find myself with control of my body once more. I can see the creature is far too powerful for us, especially in our weakened state, so rather than right it, I grab Philippe and leap back through the door. Devin and Ash close the door, though how I’m not sure and the creature seems unable to follow. The creature’s thoughts linger in my mind. I hear the name Malfeshnekor.

“Let’s get out of here,” I say. The others agree.

Epilogue – The History of Nualia

We return to Sandpoint without incident, and are given a heroes’ welcome by Mayor Deverin and Father Zantus, as well as the rowdy crowd at the Rusty Dragon. Even Shalelu consents to join us in the evening’s revelries. Ameiko knows how to throw a truly outstanding celebration, while also giving respect and honor to the recently departed druid Ausk (despite an awkward moment when Father Zantus, a bit drunk, describes Ausk as a guy who just couldn’t seem to keep his guts on the inside.) Only Sheriff Hemlock seems reserved, and excuses himself early after making assurances that Nualia is safely guarded under lock and key.

While Nualia remains impossible to interview (varying between near catatonic silence and fits of mad screaming), her extensive notes recovered from her Thistletop lair piece together a tragic story.

Nualia was a foundling raised by Sandpoint’s religious leader, Ezakien Tobyn, and her childhood was lonely and sad. Her unearthly beauty made the other children either jealous or shy, and many of them took to playing cruel jokes on her. The adults in town weren’t much better – many of the superstitious Varisians viewed Nualia as blessed by Desna (goddess of dreams and luck). Rumors that her touch or proximity could cure warts and rashes, that locks of her hair brewed into tea could increase fertility, and that her voice could drive out evil spirits led to a succession of awkward and humiliating requests over the years. Nualia felt more like a freak than anything else when she finally came of age, so when Delek Viskanta, a local Varisian youth, began to court her, she practically fell into his arms in gratitude.

Knowing her father wouldn’t approve of a relationship with a Varisian (he wanted her to remain pure so she could join a prestigious convent), they kept the affair secret. They met for many secret trysts, often in the abandoned smuggler’s tunnel under the glassworks. Before long, Nualia became pregnant. When she told Delek, he revealed his true colors and, after calling her a slut and a harlot, fled Sandpoint rather than face her father’s wrath. Nualia’s shock turned to rage with no outlet, and her father’s reaction to her condition only exacerbated her feelings. He forbade her to leave the church, lectured her nightly, and made her pray to Desna for forgiveness.

Nualia’s rage continued to grow, amplified by the presence of the catacombs and sinspawn below Sandpoint. Seven months pregnant, she miscarried a monstrously deformed shape, only a glimpse of which put Nualia into a coma. As she slept she experienced dark dreams, fueled by the wrath from below and the dark goddess Lamashtu. Nualia gained a conviction that her wretched life was inflicted on her by those around her. She came to see her angelic heritage (for indeed her unearthly beauty was due to being an aasimar, a half-angel) as a curse, and the demon-sent nightmares showed her how to expunge this taint from her body and soul.

When she awoke, Nualia was someone new, someone who didn’t flinch at the personal connection to Lamashtu that had been forged. She jammed her father’s door shut as he slept, lit the church on fire and fled Sandpoint. The locals assumed Nualia had burned in the fire, a tragedy made all the worse by the death of Father Tobyn as well.

Nualia made her way to Magnimar, where the record becomes fragmented and disjointed. She tracked down Delek and murdered him, possibly with the help of others. The god of secrets, Norgorber, is mentioned but scratched out. It was in Magnimar that she received the seven-pointed star medallion from an unknown benefactor. Newly confident, Nualia returned to Sandpoint and found herself drawn to the brick wall in the Smuggler’s Tunnels where she and Delek had conceived the deformed child. Nualia bashed down the wall and discovered the catacombs beyond, as well as the quasit Erylium.

For many months, Nualia studied under Erylium’s tutelage. During this time, Nualia received another vision from Lamashtu – an image of a monstrous goblin wolf imprisoned in an underground room. Nualia learned in her dreams that this creature was a barghest named Malfeshnekor, and one of Lamashtu’s chosen. If she could find him and free him, he would help her continue her vengeance on Sandpoint, and would be the key to cleansing her body fully of her “celestial taint.” Nualia wanted to become one of Lamashtu’s children now… a monster in form as well as soul.

The notes finish with a few interesting details. Nualia was planning to send a large army of goblins to Sandpoint to burn the place down once and for all, as a burnt offering to her dark goddess. She hoped to become a half-fiend, and had learned from Erylium how to manifest sinspawn from the “minor runewell” down in what she refers to as the “Catacombs of Wrath.” However, the runewell has only so much arcane fuel, and once expended neither she nor Erylium knew how to replenish it.