- Prologue
- Sandpoint
- The Glassworks
- Thistletop
- The Sawmill Murders
- Sandpoint Theater
- Malfesknekor Revisited
- In Magnimar
The Witless Wanderers
By Gil-Garrand
Maybe someday this journal will famous. Who can know? If anything, it's at least good practice. I should record something about our little troupe, but I should note that I've only just met these other gentlemen. I don't know how long we will be adventuring together, but I do know that someone in the Brotherhood has placed us all together. I hope I can pay off our debts in good time, but part of me is quite excited to be away from Magnimar.
Myself, I am Gil-Garrand. I serve as the group's announcer, driver, bard, and historian.
Then there's Grurag, an imposing Shaonti ranger. He seems to know the road well and has a valuable lay of the land. He bears his tribal tattoos and makes a note to show them off whenever the weather is warm enough. He also sells some very nice necklaces and other baubles from his homeland. Grurag carries a deadly greatsword strapped to his back.
Next is Rincewind. I believe he is a Varisian, but I'm not quite sure. He keeps to himself most of the time and seems perfectly content to just wrap himself in his scarf and cover his head with his ridiculous hat. I believe he has some magical ability but I can't be sure.
Our cleric is a nice, young halfling named, Heggun. He's short… I mean, even for a halfling, but he is quite skilled. He is a Desna worshipper and appears to be devout. I find Heggun to be reliable and helpful. He certainly has the halfling love for good food and the pipe. I do find his tobacco to be repugnant.
Finally, there is Zefer. He's the first gnome I had ever met and he's very strange. He claims to be a sorcerer but I've only seen him use some simple cantrips. He carries a well-crafted crossbow which he cleans at an almost obsessive level.
So there we are, The Witless Wanderers. Fate (or debt) has thrown us all together. To what end? Only the gods see that.
We arrived at the city of Sandpoint on the first day of autumn. The city is a bustling little coastal village and our arrival also marks the start of their Swallowtail Festival. Heggun told me a story of the goddess, Desna, and something about butterflies. I'm not sure that I believe him.
The market square was decorated with banners and flowers. Vendors and tradesmen were out in force. Games and amusements were setup throughout the town as well. I had some luck at a goblin-toss game and won some venison jerky! I took the opportunity to announce our arrival to the crowds nearby but didn't get much of a response.
Rincewind and Grurag competed in the greased-pig competition, which is as disgusting as it sounds. But Rincewind was able to catch the little messy piglet. Perhaps Heggun can turn it into some chops or bacon. I have already grown tired of trail rations.
A few of us competed in the "dragon races". To my dismay, they weren't real dragons. Only small lizards with fabric wings tied to their backs. I don't mean to boast but I won the race! I received a simple, little medal but, more importantly, showed our prowess to the onlookers.
After spending a bit more time in the market, we headed towards the cathedral for the Desna ceremony. After the mayor and the sheriff and the priest said some words they loosed an enormous flock of butterflies into the crowd. It was quite spectacular but the wonder was quickly cut short as screams came from inside the town.
I remember hearing a strange chanting and someone shouted "Goblins!" And through the crowd, I could see them. The were short, ugly things with nasty, piercing eyes. They darted through the onlookers and attacked at random, overturning carts and breaking tents. Before I knew it they were upon us.
The others quickly moved into attack maneuvers. Grurag shot forward, challenging two goblins. Rincewind unfurled his scarf and flashed towards a goblin. To my amazement, the goblin cried out in pain. Of course, I realized, a Varsian scarf… a bladed, Varisian scarf. Rincewind's movements were like a dance. Heggun charged out with his mace and shield. And Zefer began firing his crossbow. Unfortunately, I wasn't as effective with my whip.
The priest was able to help us rescue a young, pregnant woman. And we quickly defeated the first group of goblins. We barely had time to catch our breath before another group was upon us. They came with torches, burning anything that would catch quickly. I can't be certain but I believe Rincewind has a fear of fire. I saw him cringe noticeably when one nearby wagon caught fire. This group of goblins also came with one of their chanters. His voice carried well over the church square and I believe he was able to give commands through his chanting.
After defeating those goblins, we heard screams coming from behind the cathedral. We quickly headed towards the sound. Perhaps these goblins were a blessing in disguise. Now the citizens of Sandpoint would see that we could handle ourselves in a fight.
More Goblins!
After helping clean up the remaining goblin invaders we were introduced to Mr. Foxglove. He was greatly impressed by our combat prowess and offered to take us on a boar hunt in a few days.
We helped Sheriff Hemlock investigate the graveyard. Apparently, the goblins had invaded one of the tombs and opened a sarcophagus. We fought a pair of skeletons lingering in the area, but, honestly, I was too frightened to be of much aid. I find the undead to be quite unnerving. After defeating the skeletons we found an old Robe of Bones that had been left.
Over the next few days we spent time learning more about the town of Sandpoint and its inhabitants. We finally got a chance to meet the famous Cyrdak. He was every bit as dramatic as I had hoped for. He even offered us roles in an upcoming play. I, of course, jumped at the chance and was able to convince a few of my companions to join in. Cyrdak provided us with some study material.
Young Heggun had a bit of a tryst with one of the young women in town. We only learned of this after the young woman’s father caught Heggun and beat him silly. The father turned out to be Ven Vinder, a merchant of some renown in the city.
We observed a difficult argument with our innkeeper and her father. They had nearly come to blows before Rincewind intervened.
A young mother in town, Amile Barrett, informed us of a goblin that was hiding under her house. Seeing this as an opportunity to show ourselves off, we jumped at the chance to help her. Unfortunately we arrived too late to help her poor husband, who died of his wounds. We were able to capture the goblin and put him to the question. He told us about another goblin, perhaps a chief, named Ripnugget. He also mentioned a place called Thistlestop, maybe a goblin camp.
We had a lovely dinner with Mr. Foxglove and on the next day, joined him in his boar hunt. Mr. Foxglove seems to think of himself as a potential adventurer as well and he showed some skill in the boar hunt. He provided us with horses and we went traveling into the Tickwood, just east of Sandpoint. I must boast, but only for a moment, that it was my arrow that finally dropped the vicious beast. We returned to Sandpoint and Mr. Foxglove gave a large feast in our honor.
We used the feast as an excuse to visit Mr. Ven Vinder and offer him our apology in the delicate matter of his daughter and Young Heggun. Thankfully, he accepted our apology, albeit somewhat reluctantly.
Mayor Deverin invited us to a meeting where we met the Ranger, Shalelu. She gave us some of the history of the local goblin hordes and their locations.
We were awoken the next morning by a pounding on our individual rooms' doors. The maid, Bethana Corwin, gathered us together and informed us that our hostess, Ameiko, was missing. She produced a note to Ameiko and signed by her brother, Tsuto. The note stated disdain for their father, Lonjiku, and requested that Amiko and Tsuto meet at the Glassworks. Without any other evidence, we decided to head to the Glassworks and investigate it.
The Glassworks chimneys were billowing smoke, but we saw no other activity around the building. We talked to a few neighboring locals and they said the Glassworks should be open by now. Upon checking the front door, we found it locked.
We decided that something had to be amiss and Grurag broke the door in with his greatsword. The front sales room was empty and we continued to carefully make our way inside.
As we opened the door to the furnace room, we discovered a grisly sight. Lonjiku Kaijitsu was dead and his body was buried under melted glass. Multiple goblins were cavorting about the room and we quickly worked to dispatch them.
We are not yet the efficient fighting force I would hope we could be. Grurag seems to be the only one with some skill. As much as I was excited to use the bow, I have found it to be a very difficult weapon in close quarters.
After defeating the goblins in the furnace room we found our way down in to the lower floor of the Glassworks. There we discovered a broken brick wall and more goblins. As we engaged them in combat, we also ran into Tsuto himself. He stated that he didn't want to fight us and he offered a truce. We reluctantly agreed in exchange for Ameiko. Tsuto escaped down a darkened tunnel and we found and rescued Ameiko, who was tied up in another room.
We explained the situation to Ameiko and, while she seemed happy to be free, I was surprised that she didn't seem upset about her father’s death.
We explored the rest of the basement and found some interesting notes, probably written by Tsuto. The notes contained very detailed battle plans to attack Sandpoint and, this time, with a much larger force.
Could the goblins be preparing for an all-out war? Could Tsuto be supplying them with information about the town defenses? Did Tsuto kill his own father?
We took our newly found information to Mayor Deverin at once. She agreed with our worries and asked us to investigate the tunnels under the Glassworks.
Ameiko gave us a sizable reward for rescuing her. I decided to use my share to buy a light chain shirt. The chain is made of good steel but it is heavier than I expected. I also purchased a notched long sword and scabbard. While I am nowhere near the skill of Grurag, I do feel more like an adventurer with it by my side. Perhaps I will name it.
Under the Glassworks
After making our purchases and resting a bit, we ventured down into the tunnels under the Glassworks. I have never seen such darkness. Thankfully, Rincewind, used his dancing lights spell.
I forgot to mention Rincewind's aversion to fire. I had noticed it when we first encountered the goblin attack at the Desna festival, but I thought his fear related to the goblins. It turns out that he is quite afraid of open flame. He will move around a room to avoid a fireplace and will ask us to extinguish a torch. While this is somewhat amusing during dinner, trying to explore the darkened tunnels was pointless without a torch.
Rincewind insisted that the torches not be used and instead summoned several little lights of his own. This was the first time I had even seen Rincewind use any magic, to my surprise, of course. Heggun also had a simple light spell that he cast on his mace. With the two of them, we kept the darkness easily at bay.
After exploring the earthen tunnels we came across an entrance of some kind. We entered and began exploring the area. The walls were finished stone but looked quite ancient.
We encountered some monstrosities the like of which I have never seen. Wild, strange creatures with mutations came out of the darkness towards us. We defeated them but it was no easy feat. We found remnants of a jail and a study. Within one of the rooms we fought a three-armed goblin who was quite powerful. It took nearly all of our abilities and tricks to finally defeat the goblin, who we assume was Koruvus. He was wielding a magical greatsword which was a nice replacement for Grurag.
The final area to be explored revealed to be the most deadly. We encountered a quasit (it was only later that Rincewind was able to identify the creature). This tiny demon flew about the room casting spells and summoning creatures. My bow and Zeferian's spells were nearly unless against the quasit. It cast some type of fright spell which sent Grurag and Heggun running away in terror. We barely managed to damage the quasit before she disappeared. We tried to search her out by to no avail.
We found several other tunnels leading up towards Sandpoint and further below it but both were caved in. We decided to leave the caverns at that point and report our findings to the mayor.
Sheriff Hemlock has returned to Sandpoint. We convinced him to send some guards to patrol the Glassworks and the caverns below.
I was able to purchase some thieves tools and spend a good part of the evening practicing with them. We encountered a few traps while in the caverns below Sandpoint. I feel it is one of my roles within our team to provide some trap disabling abilities. I will admit, it is much harder than I imagined.
The next morning the Sheriff proposed that we investigate the area of Thistletop, one known encampment of the goblins. I will admit I was thrilled that the Sheriff nominated us for this job. I still am worried that this is a distraction from our task for the Brotherhood, but the Sheriff seems to trust us. I was able to convince him to procure some healing potions and a healing wand, which we divvied between us. We then reluctantly made our way to the goblin encampment.
As we neared Thistletop the forest quickly turned from trees and shrubs to a dense thicket of thorns and briers. Several paths wound through the thicket and we proceeded as quietly as we could. In one clearing we found a small hole in the ground which dropped into darkness. Grurag decided the best way to test the depth was by urinating in it. I found this quite disgusting and simply tossed a lightened pebble into the hole. Grurag swears he heard a roaring coming from below but I only saw water (as we are adjacent to the coast).
I tried unsuccessfully to scout ahead but I made too much noise. Out of the thicket came half-a-dozen little, dirty goblins! We fought valiantly against them and even defeated one of their leaders.
After working our way through the thicket, we found a rough rope and plank bridge that connected the goblin fortress to the mainland. The bridge was sturdy but we still crossed it carefully. We quietly dispatched a guard and his canine mount. After proceeding further inside, I sneaked into one of the towers that flanked the entrance. I was able to dispatch one of the guards there with my new sword but not without waking the other guard. What I did next, I am not proud of. I threatened the guard to silence and coerced him to announce to the outside patrol that there was no need for alarm. I lied and told the little wretch that he would be free if he followed my instructions. After he convinced the outside patrol, I tried to end his life. He saw my attack coming and easily dodged aside.
I felt awful. I should have tied him up or gagged him, but I was so worried that he would turn against us. I let my fear lead me towards a nearly deadly mistake. The guard began yelling about the attacking "Longshanks" and the mounted patrols rushed into the buildings below.
What followed that was one of the most fearful few minutes of my young life. Goblins began pouring from nearby rooms. Grurag and Rincewind stepped bravely into battle. Heggun, Zefer, and myself formed into supporting positions behind them but the onslaught of goblins was too great for us. We slowly tried to take defensive positions, using some of the doors within the fortress to hold them back. I even used my trusty whip as a way to lash one of the doors closed.
The goblins were relentless! Through their ranks I could hear the sounds of one of their singers, rousing his troops with a warchant. Imagine that! A goblin bard.
The Burning Tower
The goblin rank's closed around us and we decided to fight our way into one of their watch towers. As we filed into the tower, I cast my Grease spell on the floor below. While it slowed most of the goblins, their leader charged at us while riding a giant gecko. The gecko, with its sticky feet, was able to climb the walls. We positioned ourselves defensively around the hatch in the tower floor.
We were desperate. Zefer decided to try one of the scrolls, Flaming Sphere, we found under the Glassworks. If it worked we would burn the goblins below us. If it didn't, the tower would engulf us. Zefer successfully started the spell and a huge ball of flame rolled town the tower stairs, burning and scattering the goblins below. I saw a look of outright panic cross Rincewind's face and he began kicking at the wooden walls of the tower.
One of the goblins knocked Zefer unconscious but that didn't put out the Flaming Sphere. Now we were in real trouble! We were able to defeat the goblin leader and Heggun insisted on taking the gecko as a mount. We revived Zefer and then broke open a side of the tower. Rincewind dropped a rope for us and we climbed down to the roof below. The tower was nearly ablaze as we jumped to safety.
We fled. We were defeated and wounded. This was not our day. We hid in the thicket outside of the goblin boulder-fortress.
We watched the fort for a few hours. A large bugbear (I assume it was one of their leaders) came out of the entrance and cut the rope bridge. Why would the goblins close off their only entrance to the foot? There must be another way in and we will have to find it.
The Second Assault
We headed back to Sandpoint to lick our wounds and contemplate another strategy. After meeting with Sheriff Hemlock and Father Zantus, we have procured a boat to take us along the seaward side of the the Thistletop boulder. Father Zantus has also agreed to join us.
We used the boat to scout out the sides of the Thistletop boulder and located a small cave entrance on the eastern side. The entrance was about sixty feet above us but Heggun used his gecko to climb up the rock wall and secure a rope for us to climb. We sent Zefer and Grurag up after Heggun. I was just starting to climb up when they announced they some monster was attacking them. It took my several tried to get up the rope before I saw them fighting a strange tentacled beast. Its tentacles were dripping with poison and Grurag seemed to be greatly affected by it. It took us several seconds to finish off the monster. Rincewind informed me later that it was a "tentamort".
The rest of the team stayed back while I quietly scouted ahead. I was moving towards a door when I kicked a small rock. It loudly skidded and I froze. After waiting several seconds to make sure I hadn't alerted the guards, I quietly opened the door. A large sword came slicing through the doorway and a larger human charged towards me. The sword sliced into my arm and I stumbled backwards. I darted back towards my team and alerted them to the guards presence. Grurag charged towards the human with Heggun close behind and Zefer slinging spells.
Another human, this one dressed like a wizardess, joined in the fight. We were able to quickly defeat the guard and force his surrender. His wizardess companion made herself invisible and we lost track of her. The human offered his bow and shield in exchange for his freedom. We accepted, but reluctantly. Can we trust this mercenary?
Thinking that the wizardess was only seeking reinforcements, we quickly steeled ourselves for another attack. There was a snort and a roar and a large bugbear stepped around the corner. He fired a shot from his longbow and the arrow thudded into my shoulder. I had never felt such pain! I staggered back and found cover. Father Zantus cast a healing spell over my wound. Zefer fired off more Magic Missiles. Grurag and Rincewind charged towards the bugbear, hoping to close the distance before he could fire again.
Remembering the dungeon layout I thought I had a chance to flank the bugbear through one of the passages. When I came around the corner, I was shocked to see Tsuto Kaijitsu sneaking towards us. I yelled out in surprise which brought Heggun back to help. Zefer also retreated preparing more spells. Tsuto jumped towards us knocking me back with his bare fist. His blow nearly hurt as much as the arrow! Zefer stepped back further, firing off more Missiles. Heggun swung his mace at Tsuto, narrowly missing. Tsuto closed the distance on Zefer and shoved the little gnome right out of the cave. I heard a splash and sighed in relief that Zefer had hit the water instead of our boat. Heggun whirled his mount towards Tsuto and charged. His attack caught Tsuto unprepared and Tsuto went flying from the cave to the water below. I moved to the cave and readied an arrow to shoot Tsuto when he surfaced, but we never saw him. Hopefully he's decided to run… or swim away!
The Yeth Hounds
Rincewind and Grurag returned to us after dispatching the bugbear. We patched up our wounds and decided to check the large pair of stone doors at the end of the hall. After listening at the door for a moment, I pushed them open. The doors opened into a small chapel with two large, flying dogs before us.
"Yeth hounds!" Rincewind announced.
Before we could even try to attack them the pair of hounds gave off a loud echoing bay. It was so loud and frightening!
"Retreat, Longshanks!" Grurag yelled and took off running.
"Ahhh!" Zefer ran as well.
"The door!" Heggun shoved his way forward and slammed one of the doors shut. "Quickly!"
"Rincewind!" I yelled but he was running away as well. I shouldered my door shut.
"We have to hold the doors!" Heggun grunted. "The hounds used a spell on the others, but it will wear off."
"The lock… I have something." I dropped my backpack and pulled out my locksmithing kit. I had only just purchased it when we were last in town. Maybe I could jam the lock to give us some time.
Heggun's stout body held the doors while the hounds slammed against it. I chose one of the larger picks and shoved it into the keyhole. Twisting it quickly, it gave a resounding snap. "I think I got it!" I announced.
"Good for you," Heggun growled sarcastically, "Now help me hold the doors!"
The hounds scratched and shoved at the doors and we held our ground but only for a moment. Just as doors broke open, our friends returned. Thankfully, we were able to quickly dispatch the yeth hounds.
Tsuto and Nualia
The yeth hounds were guarding a shrine to Lamashtu. Father Zantus and Heggun agreed that we should return later to demolish the shrine. A search in other rooms of the lower floor revealed some female goblins. Zefer guessed that they were concubines or wives. None of them were armed or vicious but we debated for a moment about what to do with them. I decided to try to show them that we meant no harm. I offered them some of my rations and motioned for them to remain quiet.
We discovered a small dormitory area and set ourselves to rest. Grurag moved a large cabinet to block the only door into the dormitory. The rooms were comfortable and obviously not used by the goblins. I found myself a bed and feel asleep almost instantly. Had I only known what the goblins had planned for us.
Grurag's loud voice shook me from my slumber. "Up, Longshanks! They're trying to smoke us out!"
I stumbled from the bed and grabbed my bow. The others were crowded in the hall ahead of me.
"We shouldn't have slept in here," Heggun grumbled. "There's only one way out!"
I could see a small curl of smoke across the ceiling.
"The fire can't be too big yet! We'll have to charge them spells blazin'!" Zefer locked a bolt in place and cackled.
"F-fire?" Rincewind's voice was barely audible.
"Grab a hold of me." I said to Rincewind, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I'll get you through."
"We're ready then?" Grurag twirled his greatsword and grinned. "Away, longshanks!" The ranger stomped forward, shoved the cabinet aside, and kicked the door open. He was greeted by a small wall of flame and multiple arrows.
Through the smoke and fire I could see only 3 or 4 goblins, but I could hear the sound of the goblin warchanter's encouragement. Grurag grunted as several arrows thudded into him. A swirl of silver mist next to him formed into a large floating weapon, which slashed into the ranger. Zefer yelled and fired from his crossbow. They had us pinned! I tried to fire as well, but the smoke and flame made it hard to find a target.
"Get in there! Get them!" A voice called out from behind the fire. It was Tsuto! He must have swam to another entrance.
"We have to help Grurag!" Heggun drove his gecko forward and up along the wall. His spells coating over Grurag's wounds.
"Get him out of there! We'll cover you!" Rincewind's voice sounded from behind me. He seemed to have steeled himself against his fear of flames. His bow fired into the goblin ranks and dropped another.
"Your adventure ends here, Wanderers!" Tsuto jumped through the flames and slammed into Heggun, knocking him from his saddle.
"Heggun! No!" I clumsily fired another arrow.
"There's too —" Grurag's words halted as a figure strode through the flames. I had never seen such a beautiful woman and I had never felt so scared in my life. Her confidence alone shook me to my core. She slashed at Grurag with her sword and the ranger groaned with pain. Her offhand was disfigured and clawed. She wore armor but it left her torso exposed. Were those scars across her belly?
"Nualia." Rincewind whispered next to me. "It's her." He stepped past me and twisted his hand with a spell. Suddenly the room was filled with a heavy mist. I could barely see Zefer standing next to me.
"Shit!" Zefer cursed and fired off a Missile. "This isn't good!"
"Where is she?!" I yelled.
"Right in front of me!" Rincewind yelled.
I fired an arrow towards where I thought she could be but I had no idea if it connected.
"We have to move, Gil!" Zefer yelped and then screamed in pain. "Ahh… bitch!"
The mist parted and Nualia stepped toward us.
"Heretic!" Father Zantus tried to hit her with his club. She parried the blow easily and slammed his head into the dungeon wall.
I darted back, readying another arrow. The cleric of Lamashtu stepped over Father Zantus and my arrow thudded into her shoulder.
"Your time is over, boy." Nualia's voice was cool and calm. "You will serve my god now."
"No!" I shouted and fired again. The arrow thudded into her again. This time I saw blood. She was weakening.
"YES!" She roared and charged at me.
I dropped my bow and drew my longsword just as she closed in on me. I barely avoided the blow and tried to counter. She swung at me with her clawed hand, slashing down my arm.
"No!" I yelled again. "This ends here!" I slashed at her wrist, drawing her clawed arm away from her body and then slashed through her unarmored midsection.
She gasped in pain and staggered back. Blood seeped between the claws of her hand clutching at her wound.
"I… I was chosen," Her face softened and her voiced cracked.
I lifted my weapon to strike her again, but she simply eased down to the stone flood. Her clawed hand fell to her side and a small sphere rolled from her hand. The sphere shattered on the floor and instantly a vision poured through my mind.
Nualia's Vision
Given her deathblow, the beautiful Nualia smiles at you sadly and unclenches her clawed demon-hand. A small clear sphere with red swirls drops and shatters on the ground. All of a sudden, the room is covered in a dazzling flash of light and you instinctively close your eyes…
When you open your eyes again (even those unconscious at the moment), you find yourselves standing suspended weightless in the air overlooking Sandpoint and what appears to be the old church that got burnt down in place of the new cathedral.
The door to the church furtively opens as a beautiful little girl with silver hair and violet eyes pokes her head furtively outside before timidly walking outside. As she daintily walks down the steps, a stone flies out of nowhere and hits her head. Boyish giggling can be heard in the distance as someone yells: “Freak! Go back inside!” Clutching the bloody welt on her forehead, she runs back inside crying.
You are transported to what looks to be a quaint, old-fashioned schoolhouse. The same sad, quiet girl sits alone in the corner, reading a book. Cruel whispering and giggling can be heard all around her, before she gets up and excuses herself to go use the restroom. Three other giggling girls follow behind her and wait for her to walk into the outhouse before piling tables and chairs outside her door. Several hours later, a little girl’s frightened screams of anguish pierce the dusk.
A teenage girl walks back home to the church from the school house. Immediately, the air is filled with lewd catcalls and hooting from the adolescent boys in the area. Extremely uncomfortable with the inappropriate attention placed upon her beautiful form, she quickly runs back to the church, with her head hung low.
A young woman holding a basket is browsing through vegetables at the market, when suddenly, she feels someone yank at her hair followed closely by a loud “snip” sound. Whirling around, she sees an old woman gleefully hobble off with a handful of hair the color of the stars.
A mob of petitioners approach her. Many of them have rashes and boils, others have warts. Some others claim to hear spirits in their head. They ask her to bless them. They ask her if she could cure their maladies with her touch. One of them calls her “the Blessed of Desna.” Another asks her to drive the evil spirits out of his head by singing to him. Too much for her, she runs back to the church. They give chase.
A stern voice of an older man can be heard: “On your seventeenth birthday, I am taking you to the highly prestigious Windsong Abbey to become a nun. The Abbess expects all young applicants to be perfectly versed in their catechisms. You may not leave this room until you have memorized all of your scriptures.” Hours later, a young woman looks out the window gloomily as the sun sets and another warm summer day spent cloistered in her chambers.
A handsome Varisian boy, who recently arrived at Sandpoint from Magnimar, takes her on a picnic for a date. It is her first picninc. They sit on a grassy knoll and watch the sun set. She falls in love.
Weeks pass. The boy throws a stone at the church window. The window opens and the girl looks outside. She smiles happily at him before clambering over and climbing down on a cloth rope. He takes her hand and takes her to the moonlit beach. They walk for awhile in the sand until they come upon a strange cave nestled within the cliffs underneath the newly built Glassworks. Giggling softly, they both go inside.
Months pass. The two young lovers sit shoulder to shoulder at the mouth of the cave overlooking the waves at night. The girl turns to the boy and says that she has something important to tell him. “What’s the matter?” the boy asks tenderly.
“I’m pregnant.” The girl says.
“You’re lying!”
“No, I swear it’s true.”
“How could this happen! I thought your kind was infertile.”
“But…what are we going to do now?”
“What do you mean we? I will be going to Magnimar with my caravan next week.”
“I thought you said you were going to stay here with me.”
“I lied. I knew I should never have gone out with a sad little fool like you.” With that, he turns on his heel and walks away with barely a glance backwards. Mouth agape, too stunned to speak, and hurt beyond measure, the girl quietly watches her so-called “lover” disappear into the darkness.
Kneeling before the altar, she prays for repentance that she does not feel. Her foster father yelled at her harshly and had called her a “harlot” when he found out about her condition. He forbids her from leaving the church in fear public ridicule. Bitterness and rage clouds her heart like a thick poison and festers…
Eight months later, she undergoes a painful miscarriage. Through the haze of pain suffusing her entire body, she catches a glimpse of her baby – a horrific and deformed monstrosity, which the blanching midwife immediately swaddles up and takes away. In one awful moment of clarity, she realized that she had been carrying a fiend in her belly all this time. She falls into a deep coma.
Her coma-induced sleep is filled with fevered dreams. In them, a pregnant woman with three jackal heads and a serpentine tail beckons to her. She approaches slowly and falls into the demon goddess’ embrace. In her other dreams, she dreams of burning the old Desnan church – her home and prison – down, with her foster father in it. She dreams of masked men who revel in the act of hunting and killing other men. She dreams of hunting down and murdering the boy who brought her so much pain. She dreams of a hidden shrine underground shrine, where she meets her tiny new mentor, Erylium. She dreams of a monstrous and ancient goblin creature – a chosen of Lamashtu – that paces restlessly in ravenous hunger in a small chamber. She dreams of Sandpoint being overwhelmed and razed by a ravening horde of monsters, and she vividly sees herself standing amidst the ruins, reveling in the act of offering the souls of the dying to higher, more terrible beings beyond the understanding of mere mortals.
As the visions catch up to the current Nualia, breathing her last breath nearby, the effect from the memory sphere ends and you comprehend some bit of the fullness of the pain of this Lamashtu-corrupted hopeless soul.
Malfeshnekor
I snapped awake and found myself still standing over Nualia's corpse. The vision felt as if it lasted for years! A growl and patter of feet moved me to action. Was there more still coming? The answer to my question arrived in a group of three more goblins. I wouldn't call it bravery, maybe more desperation. I was wounded but I had little choice.
I fought like a caged animal. I spun. I sliced. I dodged. When it was finished, the three goblin were dead. I was breathless.
"Enough!" I jumped as another voice came from down the hall. A woman came down the hall with her arms raised. "We want no more bloodshed." She was that spellcaster who had hidden from us.
"No more?!" My voice came out in a defiant yell. "There lies your leader." I pointed at Nualia's still-warm corpse nearby. "I am your leader now."
"No!" She shouted back. "Give us terms."
"Come closer," I was angry, "I have your terms."
She looked at me for a moment and quickly ran off. Maybe I had bought some time. I rushed over to Father Zantus and cast my healing spell over him. His eyes slowly opened and within minutes he and I had safely revived our group.
I told them about Nualia and the goblins, but I don't think they quite believed me. Once we patched up our wounds, we scoured the remaining top floor and basement.
Grurag found a large, locked chest which I was able to open but only after the trap inside sliced part of my hand. The cut wasn't deep but the blade was very rusty. Heggun took a look at it and said we'd need to keep an eye out for infection. The chest held a large amount of coins, but unfortunately our boat has gone missing. I can only assume that some of the remaining human guards have taken it.
The Lower Lower Level
We located another set of stairs that lead even lower in the Thistletop fortress. How deep does this lead?
The first room we entered showed several statues of a Thassilonian Rulelord that Rincewind identified. We carefully worked our way across the room, narrowly avoiding a floor trap that we were able to disarm. To the north we located a large study, filled with books and notes. This we will examine later.
To the south we found another room with a pair of stone doors and an enormous pile of coins. It was more riches then I had ever seen in my life. A screen of some material very similar to glass blocked our way to the pile of gold. I found some slots hidden on each side of the screen. Rincewind suggested that we drop our own coins into the slot. We did so and the coins lowered into the floor. A narrow passage opened before us, but the coins were gone! I was very disappointed. We could have used those coins to remove our debts in Magnimar.
Despite our disappointment, we carried on. We found more rooms, one of which looked as if it was used for medical experiments. We found some medical tools, which could fetch good price, and a large seven-pointed star with a handle. I pocketed the star, perhaps it would be usable later.
The other room we found contained a black, imposing throne. Before we could even enter the room a image of a man appeared on the throne. A voice rang out as if giving a speech. After a few moments the image and voice repeated. Rincewind thinks it was one of the Runelords from Thassilonia.
A pair of stone doors blocked the southernmost room. A seven pointed design was on the doors that matched the seven-pointed, handle star that we found in an earlier room. I put the star on the doors and twisted it. The doors opened easily but there came a loud roar from the room. Inside the room was a large pool filled with fire. Through the flames I saw a strange creature. It had the face similar to a goblin but the body was more like a wolf. It was covered in fur and I saw razor sharp claws on its hands and feet. The too-large mouth opened and it gave an imposing snarl.
We closed in on the creature, hoping to catch it off-guard. It moved unnaturally fast. I saw its eyes focus on Grurag and our ranger suddenly began acting strange. The creature manipulated his mind somehow! Grurag’s eyes dulled and his posture no longer looked ready for battle.
Rincewind saw the spell and stepped towards the creature. His scarf whipped out in an attack but the creature easily dodged it.
“It’s a barghest!” Rincewind called out.
“It has to be Malfeshnekor.” Father Zantus replied in warning. “A very powerful demon of Lamashtu!”
“Something’s wrong with Grurag.” Zefer fired off a missile at the barghest.
“I’ll see to him,” Heggun answered.
I drew an arrow and fired. I am sure I hit the barghest, but the arrow drew no blood!
The barghest waved its clawed hand again and it magically grew in size. It roared again even louder.
“There’s no hope!” Heggun moaned. “We cannot defeat such a monster!”
“Pull back!” Rincewind slashed out with his scarf, trying to push the creature back. The barghest parried and clawed into Rincewind’s armor. I heard Rincewind grunt with pain.
“Get the door!” Zefer shouted.
I cast my Mage Hand spell and pulled the doors shut.
Rincewind quickly grabbed the star-key and together we retreated back to the narrow hall. We could hear the barghest growling and scratching at the doors but it never returned to us.
“… longshanks… my people… “ Grurag muttered and Father Zantus tried to calm him down.
“It’s only a spell of some kind.” Zantus said. “It will pass.”
“That creature was a tough son-of-a-bitch.” Zefer pulled an oil cloth from his pocket and worked at the gears of his crossbow.
“Agreed. Far beyond our skill, but is it secure for now?” Rincewind tugged at the straps of his armor.
“Let’s move on,” Heggun suggested. “At least we need to know if anything else is crawling around down here.”
Feeling secure to continue exploring, we moved on to another set of double-doors to the south. Opening them, we found a high ceiling room with several sarcophagi along the wall. At first, we thought this was the last room in this lower floor but Grurag spotted a hidden door. Opening it revealed another hallway and we reluctantly entered. How many more rooms could there be?
A small stairway and a door led into a room with a pool of water. The room smelled strongly of salt water. Could this be connected to the ocean outside? At one end of the pool, there was a giant-sized metal helmet.
“Oh yeah,” Zefer said hungrily. “That’s made of gold?”
“Can we get it out?” I asked.
“Step aside, boys!” Grurag trudged into the shallow water. “We’re about to be rich!”
Just as he stepped up to the helmet, a large pincher clamped around Grurag's waist. "Arg! Longshanks!" He roared.
There was a giant crab living inside of the helmet! I drew my longsword but then I heard Father Zantus give a yell.
"The shadows!" He hollared, "They're attacking me!" A swarm of shadows formed into humanoid shape and began beating on Father Zantus.
"Step aside, boys!" Heggun gave a wicked smile. "I got this." He lifted his symbol, which began to glow brightly. He spoke a phrase in a language I had never heard and a circle of light cut into the floor. The shadows gave strange howling screeches and swirled with pain.
One shadow darted forward and I shoved my sword into its midsection. It cried in pain and completely dissipated.
"Yeah! Blow 'em up!" Zefer cackled and fired off a stream of Magic Missiles.
Rincewind slashed at the crab with his scarf, trying to help free Grurag.
Grurag cursed as the claw dug into his legs. He drove his great-sword into the eye socket of the helmet, making the crab shudder with pain.
"By Desna's light!" Father Zantus summoned a holy light that exploded the remaining shadows.
Rincewind slashed into the crab's exposed face and it fell as well.
We gathered up the gems and the giant helmet and decided we had thoroughly explored the goblin fort. We returned to the top level and began the reconstruction of the rope bridge. It took most of the rest of the day to get the bridge in good working order, but we were able to take our treasure and return to Sandpoint as victors!
We returned to Sandpoint feeling victorious. The goblins now had no leaders. Tsuto and Nualia were defeated and the Thistletop fortress was thoroughly explored. We met with the Mayor and Sherriff and they hailed us as heroes. Over the next couple of weeks, we enjoyed some rest and the hospitality of the citizens of Sandpoint. We were able to procure some much-needed improvements to our travel wagon as well!
We were relaxing one morning over breakfast when Sherriff Hemlock joined us at our table.
“Sherriff!” Zefer exclaimed. “Were about to see how many eggs Grurag can fit into his mouth!”
“Join us, Longshanks!” Grurag growled in greeting. “A dozen eggs is no challenge for my people.”
“I’m afraid I have something serious to discuss, Wanderers.” Sherriff pulled over a chair and sat.
“Troubles, Sherriff?” Heggun asked.
Sherriff Hemlock sighed and then began to tell us a frightening story:
“Sometime during the night, a pair of bodies was discovered at one of the lumber mills. One body was identified as Banny Harker, an employee of the mill. The other body was identified as Catrine Vinder, daughter of Van Vinder. Apparently the two had met at the mill for a romantic tryst. Ibor Thorn, Banny’s business partner in the mill, discovered the bodies. Several clues have led the Sherriff to believe that these murders could have a deeper meaning. A seven-pointed star was carved into Banny’s chest. A similar star-shaped wound was carved into the bodies of three men discovered in a barn about a week ago. A note was found, pinned to Banny’s body, that was addressed to Zefer.”
At this point we all looked at Zefer, who looked as surprised as the rest of us.
The note read: “Zefer, we have spoken of this before, my master. Now it begins. Join the pack and it will end. – Your Lordship.”
We quickly offered our services to the sheriff who deputized us on the spot. Our investigation of the sawmill murders was one of the more challenging things we have done as a party. Thankfully we were able to solve the murders but it has only led to more questions about the Brotherhood of the Seven.
Serveral generations ago Vorel Foxglove was attempting a ritual to become a lich. His family interfered with the ritual, which placed Vorel's spirit within the Foxglove mansion itself. In essence the Manor had become Vorel's phylactery. Vorel's influence haunted the remaining inhabitants of the manor and ultimately led to their death. The only surviving member of the Foxglove family was Aldern Foxglove. Aldern attempted to rebuild Foxglove Manor but had borrowed money from the Brotherhood of the Seven. Aldern had some arrangement with a Xanesha. The details of that arrangement are still vague to us, but Aldern was given a list of names and had attacked them using ghouls. Aldern himself had been turned to a ghoul. We had a brief moment to speak to Aldern, who spoke of his regret. However, whatever remained of Aldern was quickly overtaken by a presence who called himself "The Skinsaw Man".
Aldern had become obsessed with our friend, Zeferian. My guess it was when we rescued him in Sandpoint from the goblins. We found various items that belonged to Zefer, as well as multiple charcoal drawings of Zefer in heroic poses. While we found some entertainment in these items, it was quite unsettling.
Our party carried themselves bravely through the Foxglove Manor, but the things seen within the Manor still haunt us. We know that Vorel's spirit still lives within the Manor but we do not have the ability to cleanse it. While the mystery of the murders has been solved, we now feel that the Brotherhood of the Seven has a reach far greater than we could have imagined. We haven't decided on our next course of action.
Having some downtime in Sandpoint, we easily convinced Cyrdak to open the theater for us to put on a performance. I know I was much more enthusiastic about this event than some of my compatriots, but all agreed to play their parts. Before the show began we purchased some tickets of our own to give out to some of the poor. Thankfully, Cyrdak gave us a minor discount on the tickets.
Our plan for the show was simple. I would serve as a master of ceremonies and tell the story of our assault on Thistletop. Throughout the story I would pause to introduce each Wanderer and let them showcase their talents.
"We have a full house, boys!" Cyrdak announced as he joined us backstage. "I hope you're up for this!"
"No worries, Cyrdak," I told him. "The Wanderer's are ready for any challenge."
Cyrdak gave a snort and headed to the stage to introduce us.
"Right, guys?" I turned to the rest of the group.
"I'm just glad we're indoors." Rincewind brushed a speck of dust from his armor.
"I don't think Stickfoot likes the crowd." Heggun tugged on the gecko's reins.
"I am ready." Grurag adjusted his ceremonial outfit.
"This…." Zefer made a little spark pass between his hands. "… is gonna be awesome."
Cyrdak announced us and I quickly headed out to the stage. He was right, the theater was packed. I swallowed nervously, took a deep breath, and announced, "Welcome one and all to the first show of the Witless Wanderers! Tonight we will amaze and astound you! There will be action! There will be danger! Hold on to your seats and get ready for the true story of the Assault on Thistletop!"
I quickly started into the story of our adventure. I slowly built up the tension and the danger of sneaking through the thicket around Thistletop and subduing the outside guards. Then I upped the action as we fought our way inside to the tower.
"We were outnumbered and surrounded. What could we do? Our only hope was in one gnome. I give you Zefer the Zeferian!!" I motioned towards the curtain but Zefer didn't emerge.
Seconds later he appeared out of thin air right next to me. He started his presentation of his magic. And I must admit, he was quite a showman. He summoned multiple forms of magic including his lightning fireball and a dazzling display of color and sound. The audience loved it. I couldn't believe the faces in the crowd. Zefer ended his set with bang and the crowd showed their appreciation.
I continued the story, going into the story of Ripnugget and his gecko mount. "And your in luck, ladies and gentlemen. For tonight, we have a special guest. Why, it's Ripnugget and Stickfoot!"
The curtain parted and Heggun and Stickfoot came galloping out. I heard audible gasps from the audience and even some angry yells. I was able to quickly calm them down by telling them that it was only an illusion.
Heggun tugged off the Hat of Disguise revealing his true form. He then tried to get Stickfoot to do some tricks, but the gecko didn't seem to be responding.
"C'mon, buddy." Heggun grumbled. "It's okay."
"Hurry up, Heg." I muttered through my smile. "Old Vinder looks like he's gonna come up here."
"Ugh," Heggun grumbled again. "Stickfoot, go!"
Thankfully, Stickfoot responded that time and scampered up the walls. The crowd gave off a surprised laugh. Heggun ran Stickfoot across the ceiling and around the theater walls. I could hear children in the audience laughing and giggling. As a finale, Heggun drove Stickfoot into a gallop and then flipped down onto the stage. He gave a bow in the saddle and then rode off stage to the sounds of applause.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, we suffered great wounds in the goblin tower and were forced to retreat. Thankfully, we found a place to hide. And one of our group has the ability to look into the spirit world. Through his guidance we were able to find a secret route into the Thistletop fortress. Ladies and gentlemen, help me in welcoming the Man of Mystery himself, Grurag!" Grurag came out in his Shoanti garb, getting only light applause from the audience.
"Are you sure about this?" I whispered to him.
"Trust me, Longshanks, my people have been doing this act for years." Grurag whispered back and then started his show.
Grurag began by stating he is in touch with the spirit world. And the souls of recently departed were coming to speak with members of the audience. Rincewind was watching from offstage. Hoping that his knowledge of local lore could assist Grurag, Rincewind used his spell to communicate with Grurag. He pointed out several audience members who had suffered the loss of a loved one.
Grurag first brought out Das Korvut, who's wife and son had been lost to the Chopper years ago. Das Korvut didn't seem quite convinced at first but Grurag summoned a pony and that seemed to really get Das Korvut's attention. Grurag slipped into a trance-like state and explained that Das Korvut's wife and son were at peace and wanted Korvut to know that. Kovut seemed to almost be in tears as he returned to his seat.
The crowd seemed to respond well to that and I encouraged Grurag do it again. Grurag focused his attention on the half-orc trash collector, Gorvi. The half-orc seemed quite confused by the whole ordeal. Even when Grurag summoned a small bird to fly around him. Thankfully most of the crowd seemed to enjoy Grurag's performance.
"Now, friends. We have entered the final part of our story. We were in the depths of the Thistletop dungeon. We had been forced into a corner. The goblins one-by-one began to defeat us. Fires burned around us. Smoke filled the darkened halls."
From behind me, a thick mist (summoned by Rincewind) filled the stage.
"Our last standing Wanderer was none other than the mighty warrior, Rincewind." At that cue, Rincewind came out from the side curtain.
"But through the smoke," I spoke with a voice of warning, "came the beautiful but deadly, Nualia, secret leader of the goblin horde." I stepped out of sight and quickly summoned an magical image of Nualia. I made the image step slowly through the mist to confront Rincewind.
Rincewind slowly unhooked his heavy flail began to spin it in a deadly whirl.
I made the Nualia image draw her sword and nodded at Zefer. Zefer cast a crashing Ghost Sound just as Rincewind's flail struck Nualia's sword. The illusion wasn't perfect but the crowd seemed to follow along. We made Nualia dance around Rincewind for a bit of combat before Rincewind finally defeated her.
I jumped back on stage and announced, "And now we have defeated not only the goblins but their leader, Sandpoint was saved!"
"Heh! That's nothing!" A voice called out from the audience.
"Well, that's the end of our show, folks." I tried to ignore the heckler.
"Now let's see a real test of skill." A man stepped up towards the stage. I recognized him as Cracktooth, a bar owner from the other side of town. "But let's make it interesting. I wager a whole night of drinking at Cracktooth's Tavern. If you defeat me, then I'll buy drinks for the whole town. But if I defeat you, then the Witless Wanderers are buying for everyone."
An excited titter passed through the crowd and I knew I couldn't ignore it.
"It's up to you, Rincewind." I muttered. "He looks pretty strong."
Rincewind hummed for a moment, "We'll just have to see how strong."
"Alright, sir," I called out. "You have a deal."
Rincewind pulled over a small stage table. "Shall we say… arm wrestling?"
The man smiled and I saw where he got his nickname. "That'll do."
"Here we go, folks. I guess the show's not over!" I announced and people settled back into their seats.
Cracktooth continued his large grin and rolled up one sleeve. "I hope that goblin dungeon was filled with riches, boy. You're going to have to buy a lot of booze."
Rincewind gave a polite nod and the two locked hands.
"On three…" I stated. "One… two… three!"
Cracktooth and Rincewind both pulled at the same time. It looked, for a moment, that Rincewind was going to win, but Cracktooth pulled his down. The crowd cheered happily and I heard an audible groan from the other Wanderers off-stage.
"Oh yeah!" Cracktooth whooped. "Not too strong now, eh, boy?"
"That was only one test." Rincewind stated, reaching for the buckles of his breastplate. "How about a wrestling match?"
Cracktooth's eyes widened, "And the stakes?"
"If you lose, all of your business goes to the Rusty Dragon for a week." Rincewind pulled off the breastplate and rotated one shoulder. "If I lose, then we'll buy everyone's drinks for a week at your tavern."
"Oh, you're on!" Cracktooth yanked off his shirt, to more cheering from the crowd.
I grabbed Rincewind's arm. "Are you sure about this? A whole week?"
Rincewind smiled at me, "He runs the cheapest tavern in town. And every drink will be coming from the Witless Wanderers."
"Oh." I hadn't thought of that.
"Also, he favors his left leg. Perhaps an old injury." Rincewind handed me his breastplate.
I grinned and turned to the audience. "The stakes have been raised! Let's hear it for our competitors!"
The crowd whooped and cheered. Both men lowered themselves into grappling stances.
"On three," I said again, "One… two… three."
Rincewind darted forward, locking his arms around Cracktooth's torso. Cracktooth groaned and pushed against Rincewind. Rincewind pivoted towards Cracktooth's left and twisted. Cracktooth yelped loudly and crashed onto the stage floor. The crowd roared! Rincewind dove on top of him, keeping him down.
"Arg! Damn you!" Cracktooth hollered.
Rincewind re-positioned himself, gaining more leverage. Cracktooth tried to push Rincewind away but couldn't get a clean grab. Rincewind rotated again, twisting Cracktooth's arm.
"Ahhh!" Cracktooth growled.
"Do you yield?" Rincewind asked loudly. He seemed like he was barely exerting himself.
"Arg!" Cracktooth grimaced. "Fine! I yield!"
Rincewind jumped to his feet and then helped Cracktooth to stand.
"Ahh, you done well, boy." Cracktooth lifted one of Rincewind's hands at the victor. The crowd cheered and cheered.
"To the tavern then!" Cracktooth announced. "Drinks on the Witless Wanderers!"
I'm a little blurry on the rest of the evening. I do remember a set of twins speaking to me or was it to Zefer? Heggun performed something called a "keg stand". I noticed Grurag and Ameiko sharing a table at one point. Rincewind and Cracktooth seemed to become friends. And a lovely tailor named, Rynnshinn, took up most of my evening.
"I do believe Malfeshenkor is a direct threat to Sandpoint. I don't like leaving unfinished business." Rincewind sounded almost excited. "If you can use one of your protection spells, we can easily keep the demon within its room. Therefore we—"
"Fine. Fine." Heggun interrupted. "Just… stop talking so loud."
The wagon rocked from the rough road. Heggun groaned and rubbed his temple.
"I think you may have drank a bit too much last night, Heggun." Rincewind peered over at the halfling.
"You think?" Heggun scowled.
"I think Shayless may have kept him up half the night!" Zefer quipped, his eyes still closed.
"Shut it, you!" Heggun kicked at the gnome. "Like you weren't occupied with the twins."
"Oh, I was." Zefer held up both hands defensively and wagged his eyebrows. "I certainly was."
"Awake, Longshanks!" Grurag called out from the driver's bench atop the wagon. He pounded his fist on the wagon's roof, making Heggun and Zefer moan loudly.
"Pull over there, Gil." Grurag pointed to a stand of maples. "We can cover up the wagon there."
"Mmm." I mumbled a reply.
"Oi!" Grurag thumped me on the shoulder. "You need to learn to handle your drink, boy."
"I'm never drinking again." I stated. My guts rumbled. I flicked the reigns and steered the wagon slowly through the trees.
Grurag hooted with laughter. "You hear that?" He hollered into one of the wagon's windows. "Never drinking again!"
A pair of groans replied from inside.
Rincewind stepped out from the wagon and pulled down the brim of his hat. "It would be wise to keep quiet, Grurag. At least until we know it's safe."
"Safe?"Grurag belched loudly. "What's the fun in that?"
We hid the wagon and set out for the bramble that covered the entrance to Thistletop. Heeding Rincewind's warning, we made our approach quietly. Seeing no signs of activity, we proceeded down into the dungeons of Thistletop. We knew that Malfeshnekor was trapped within a protected, locked room. Knowing full well how challenging this monster was, we steeled ourselves against the battle to come.
"Anything?" I called out.
"Nothing." Rincewind held his hands out. I knew he was reaching out with his magic, looking for any sign or clue.
"Oi, something here." Grurag was crouched over a small pool of dried blood.
"Isn't that Heggun's blood?" Zefer squinted down at it.
"Don't remind me," Heggun lifted his mace like a torch. It glowed with a warm light.
"Human, for sure." Grurag circled his finger around an impression in the blood pool. "Very narrow feet. Possibly female."
"I don't see it." Zefer cocked his head to one side.
"There was that mage that worked for Nualia." Rincewind said. "We know she escaped somehow."
Malfeshnekor's room was entirely empty, including some chests that had been raided. I couldn't help but feeling some relief to not face the demon again. The fact that it was now missing was even more disconcerting.
"These candles are magical at least!" Zefer held up one of the eternal candles that covered the table in one corner of the room.
"No signs of a struggle or fight." I said.
"They would have needed a way to enter the room." Rincewind pointed at the heavy pair of doors. "Those doors are quite secure. So either a spell or another star-key."
"I see only that one print." Grurag sighed. "Very hard to track down here."
"Back to Sandpoint then?" I asked, looking at the group.
"You know…" Heggun said, "There is one place we could look."
I peered down the hole in the ground. "Really?"
"Why not?" Heggun tightened the straps on Stickfoot's saddle. The giant gecko chirped happily. "It will only take a minute."
"Wasn't that shark-seal-were-tiger thing down there?" Zefer asked.
"A bunyip." Rincewind replied, peering into his book.
"Wait, it's a bunny?" Zefer grinned.
"Hurry up, Longshanks," Grurag growled.
"I'll call out when you can lower the rope." Heggun clucked his tongue and Stickfoot scrambled down into the hole.
I unhooked the rope from my back and secured it to heaviest looking bramble-tree.
After a moment, we heard Heggun called out. "It's fine! Come on DOWNAAAAH!!"
"Yes, the bunyip." Rincewind looked down into the opening. "I should have said it would be alerted by loud noises."
I threw the rope down the hole. "Well, hurry then!"
Rincewind grinned at me, "Yes, well…" Then he stepped into the hole. I thought for half a second we were going to hear Rincewind's body crash onto the rocks below.
"Bah! Feather Fall." Zefer spoke up. "Very basic cantrip really."
"Can you cast it?" Grurag grabbed at the rope, preparing to climb down.
"I, uh…" Zefer hesitated. "I prefer the climbing exercise."
Grurag shimmied easily down the rope and I watched them battle the bunyip. The monster gave out a wailing cry but it seemed to have no effect on them. Heggun smashed at it with his mace and Stickfoot bit into its front flipper. Rincewind slashed out with his scarf and Grurag stabbed with his greatsword. The bunyip backed away into the water, looking to retreat. Rincewind then performed a move I hadn't seen before. While the bunyip was nearly ten feet away, Rincewind extended his fist towards it. I saw the bunyip react as if being punched and then it fell lifeless into the water.
Zefer landed on the rocky outcrop, "Aw, you killed it already?"
After informing the Mayor and Sheriff about the missing demon, Malfeshnekor, we decided to follow-up our research on Aldern Foxglove. We had found some newer birdcages within the haunted Foxglove Mayor. The cages had contained dead rats that had been under some strange experiments. The cages bore a maker's mark with the name of "Pug's Contraptions". This and the letter from Xanesha were our only clues. We knew that the Foxglove family had a townhouse within Magnimar. Perhaps we could gather more clues there. We said our goodbyes in Sandpoint, gathered into the cart, and began the five-day journey. Thankfully, our travels were uneventful.
Arriving in Magnimar, we started our investigation at Pug's, a peculiar merchant and tinkerer. He remembered the birdcages that Aldern had ordered and, after some persuasion, gave us the address of the townhouse.
"I have a thought." Rincewind said.
"Here we go." Zefer rolled his eyes.
"We defeated Aldern, which means he hasn't been here in some time." Rincewind pointed to the hat on my head. "We could use the Hat of Disguise to pretend to be Aldern."
"The illusion is only his appearance," Heggun stated. "How well can you mimic him?"
I cleared my throat and gave my best Aldern impression, "Well enough, good sirs. Can I interest you in a boar hunt?"
The rest of the Wanderers looked at each other and shrugged.
"Close enough," Zefer grinned.
We pulled up the wagon to the Foxglove town house. The windows were boarded over and the house showed no activity.
"So… just kick the door in, Longshanks?" Grurag cracked his neck.
"Uh… we have a key." I dug through my pockets to find it.
"Boring." Grurag sounded disappointed.
I unlocked the door and entered. The foyer was well decorated. We could hear voices coming from a pair of doors ahead.
Doing my best Aldern impression I called out, "Hello?"
The double-doors opened and, to our amazement, Aldern and Aiesha Foxglove entered. There was an awkward pause as they stared at us and we stared at them.
"Well," Zefer looked from me to them. "One of you is going to have to change."
The Foxglove pair growled and charged towards us. Their arms extended unnaturally, ending in long claws.
Grurag and Rincewind stepped forward drawing their weapons. "Definitely not human!" Grurag called out.
"You are not Aldern!" The other Aldern hissed. His long arm slashed out at us.
"Well, neither are you!" I dodged to the side, snatching an arrow from my quiver. "Who are you?"
"We are your doom!" The other Aldern growled and his form shifted. His human features melded into a strange mass of featureless flesh. His clothes wriggled into a dark, swirling skin.
"Gah!" Zefer fired off a spark of electricity, singeing one of the monsters. "What the hell are those?"
"Dead is what they are!" Grurag spun his greatsword in a downward arc. The blade caught the monster between its head and shoulder, nearly splitting it in two. A brownish spray of what could only be blood splattered across the finely painted walls.
The Aiesha Foxglove monster shifted into its original form, claws raking out towards Rincewind. He deftly blocked the attack and whipped his scarf around the monsters ankle. It gave a surprised growl as Rincewind yanked it to the floor.
"They seem to die easily enough!" Zefer fired a bolt of electricity into the monster.
"They sure do smell bad!" Heggun stepped forward and smashed his mace into the monster's skull. Its legs shook as it gave a final, dying croak.
"They are some type of aberration," Rincewind bent over the body. "From an aboleth perhaps."
"Search the house quickly?" Grurag suggested. And we all nodded.
We found a small horde of coins and deeds of ownership for the Foxglove Manor and Townhouse. An expense ledger showed regular visits made by Aiesha to make payments to "B7". We can only assume that those travel records were false. The notes also pointed to a location called "The Seven's Sawmill". Thinking this could lead to a connection, we made our way to the sawmill.
We observed the sawmill for a few hours. Thinking it would be less inhabited by nightfall, we came up with our plan. Rincewind and I would make some disguises to enter the sawmill as workers. The rest of the Wanderers would remain outside, but hopefully within shouting distance if there was trouble. The main floor was unlocked and quiet, so we proceeded upstairs. The second floor had a room with some workmen in it. One of them spotted us, but I convinced him we were just arriving for our shift.
"Check the third floor?" Rincewind asked quietly as we moved away from the workers.
I nodded and proceeded up the stairs. When we got to the top floor, we noticed blood stains on some of the work tables. Unfortunately, we were spotted by workers there.
"Hey, what are you doing up here?" One of them scowled and pointed at me.
"Uh… " My voice caught in my throat. "Maintenance?"
"Get 'em!" The worker shouted and moved towards us.
"I think our cover is blown, Gil." Rincewind unfurled his scarf from his neck.
"You think!?!" I grabbed my bow and started firing.
"Intruders!" I heard a voice in back yell out in alarm. Moments later I heard boots stomping on the stairs beneath us.
"We have trouble!" Rincewind called out down the stairwell and then charged towards the nearest worker.
Three floors below us. Some of the workers heard the alarm and decided to check outside. They ran right into Grurag, Heggun, and Zefer, who quickly tried to defeat them.
I cast my Grease spell on the stairs below us, hoping to slow the workers down. Rincewind's scarf whirled around him, forcing the workers back.
"There is no point of fighting us, gentlemen." A voice called out from the back of the room.
"Justice Ironbriar?" Rincewind sounded confused.
What was he doing here? He's one of the thirteen justices in Magnimar's Court. I knew he was connected to the Brotherhood of the Seven, but