An early dinner at the Rusty Dragon with an elf named Shalelu Andosanaover yielded a whole bunch more info on the local goblin tribes (notes on all that on the previous page). I couldn’t shake the feeling the whole time that something seemed to be off, but it wasn’t till we’d finished our dinner that I was able to put my finger on exactly what it was: Ameiko Kaijitsu (proprietor of the Rusty Dragon) wasn’t there. And she’s always there.
We asked around and found that Ameiko hadn’t been seen since late last night. One of the maids (an elderly halfling woman named Bethana Corwin) told us that she’d checked Ameiko’s quarters early this morning only to find her room empt, her bed undisturbed, her window open, and a letter laying open upon her desk. We went to her room and found it just as Bethana’d described. The letter was from her estranged half-brother Tsuto Kaijitsu (half-elf, hence the estrangement/family tension) asking her to meet him in secret at the glassworks that night, so that’s where we three headed next.
The doors to the glassworks were locked and the sign out front said that the business was closed but great billows of smoke rising from the stacks above indicated otherwise, so we clambered up onto the roof to take a peek through the skylights and… goblins. Lots of goblins. We came up with a few ideas* for how the three of us could take ’em on our own (admittedly mostly bonkers, admittedly mostly mine) but with at least eight goblins in the foundry room and gods knew how many more in the rest of the building it was clear that we were gonna need some help, so I ran off to the Cathedral to see if I could find and convince Aether to join us once again. (Which is her name, as we later learned. We learned a lot of things today.)
She was arguing with Father Zantus when I arrived. A lot’s happened since then, but I remember hearing him tell her that she needed to leave and wasn’t to come back until she’d “proven herself”. (Or something like that, anyway. I wasn’t about to ask any questions.) She wasn’t happy to see me and at first I didn’t think she’d come, but she did.
(Yet another raging battle with Aether’s aid and I’m even less sure of what or who she is than I was before. She casts at a level that’s way beyond anything one could reasonably expect from an acolyte, and she seems to be able to manipulate water at will! Oh, and she didn’t even try to hide the wand this time.)
The four of us managed to gain entry to the glassworks without alerting the goblins to our presence and upon searching the building (Fiona’s invisibility is a real asset!) we were able to ascertain that 1) all of the goblins were in the main foundry room, and 2) all of the staff were dead. Knowing this, we split into two groups of two, posted up at opposite ends of the foundry, and took ’em by surprise!
It was all going pretty well and we’d thinned their numbers down to just two when who should appear right but Tsuto, who promptly knocked my ass out! Next thing I remember is coming to with Aether leaning over me (and there are worse things in this world to see, believe you me, though maybe one of these times I won’t have to’ve almost died first to see it). Upon rising, I found Tsuto incapacitated (barely breathing but very much alive) and Lonjiku Kaijutsu, Tsuto and Ameiko’s father and owner of the glassworks, encased in solid glass (not at all breathing and very much dead). With Thunderfists guarding Tsuto, we stumbled upon several secret passages below the glassworks and found Ameiko Kaijitsu bound, beaten, and unconscious – but alive. We administered aid and then there was really nothing for it but to break the bad news: her father was dead, her brother had killed him, and both were right upstairs (she took it well, all things considered). Then we put ourselves to searching the area and interrogating Tsuto.
Putting the screws to Tsuto revealed much: Ameiko’s grandfather had used the Sandpoint Glassworks as a front for a smuggling operation back when he owned it (he’s the one who built the secret passageway running from the basement of the glassworks out to the beach near the junkyard). Lonjiku Kaijitsu (Ameiko’s father) put the kibosh to the smuggling operation and bricked up the basement entrance to the secret tunnel upon inheriting the glassworks, but reopened it again four years ago and started the smuggling ring back up again in cahoots with the Sczarni crime family. Tsuto learned of this and used it as leverage to blackmail his father into helping him execute the Swallowtail festival goblin raid (it was Lonjiku who made sure that the northern gates to the town would be left open).
Turning out Tsuto’s pockets, pack, and the room was quite fruitful too. Tsuto’s journal further illustrated both his nefarious plans and some very disturbingly risqué images of Nualia – adopted daughter of the late Father Ezakien Tobyn (she’s an aasimar?!?). Tobin died a few years back in the fire that claimed the old cathedral and all signs had pointed to her having died then too; but instead it seems she’s very much alive. We discovered that Tsuto fell in with her a few years back and then fell head over heels in love with her too (though I’m not sure she returns his affection). We discovered that everything that’s happened thus far has all been parts of Nualia’s vengeful master plan to transform herself into a demon by using runewells to make sacrifices to Lamashtu and then use that power to wipe Sandpoint off the map! We also learned of plans for a future attack involving more goblins. Many more goblins. Like basically all of the goblins.
We’re not gonna let that happen. We’re better equipped now, and better informed, and a bit more experienced too (we can all feel ourselves growing stronger) – but most importantly, I’m happy to say that that our party has grown by a factor of one: Aether’s decided to join us.
* * *
Full list of loot acquired:
• One set of masterwork thief’s tools
• One pair of silver earrings
• One masterwork flute (who knew?)
• One +1 composite shortbow
• One potion of cure light wounds
• Six pouches of gold dust
• Nine pouches of silver dust
• Ten pieces of platinum
• Eight pieces of studded leather armor
• Tsuto’s journal