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Shalelu Andosana is the closest thing Sandpoint has to a living legend.  The ranger is not quite a bounty hunter, a survivalist, or a mercenary, but she is a bit of all three.  The elf has passed through Sandpoint once or twice a season to buy supplies and tell stories for as long as anyone can remember, never stopping for more than a few days, and always staying in the same room at The Rusty Dragon.

Shalelu never visited more often then every couple of months, which is why the party awoke to find the town in something of an uproar.  As you came down for breakfast, The Rusty Dragon's taproom was buzzing, both with the information above and with rumors of varying wildness.

The facts were these:  Shalelu had passed through Sandpoint less than a month ago and wasn't expected back until the end of autumn at the earliest.  So the townsfolk were stunned when she rode into town earlier this morning, looking much the worse for wear.  And what has the inn's patrons even more stirred up?  She forsook her normal routine of first visiting various shops and The Rusty Dragon, instead heading directly to the town hall and requesting an immediate meeting with Mayor Deverin and Sheriff Hemlock!

These out-of-character actions and the normally-immaculate elf's ragged look have put tongues to wagging, theorizing about possibilities running the gamut from sensible to ridiculous.

"I hear Bruthazmus the Bugbear almost got her this time!"

"She's infiltrated those goblins what attacked Sandpoint and brought the Mayor news of their plans!"

"She was attacked by goblins lyin' in wait just outside town!  They're groupin' up for another attack!!"

"Goblins have attacked from Thatcher's Mill to Lenn's Creek.  They have a new leader who's trying to destroy every settlement on the Lost Coast!"

"The slavers are back!  They almost got her, and she's here lookin' for help to go hunt 'em down once and fer all . . ."

"Somethin's happenin' to those out on the Farmlands.  You mark my words, I hear a necromancer is behind all of this, and he's turnin' folk into abominations to do his biddin' . . ."

The party gathered at a table for breakfast as the rumors washed over them . . . .

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Kellan awoke a little before dawn, rolling over in the luxurious Rusty Dragon sheets he looked out the window to gauge the time then sat upright with a grunt. Donning a wrinkled pair of clothes he took a brief trip downstairs to acquire some warm water before returning to his room to clean himself up, it was during this trip that he first overheard the rumors of Shalelu being back in town.

Shalelu was one of the few outsiders to make a mostly positive name for herself in the insular little community, a hard won respect tempered by her isolationist and some what eccentric behavior. She was also one of the few elves than Kellan had ever met. Kellan's mother, despite her humble birth and simple means was something of a romantic and had arranged for Kellan to learn Elvish in his youth. Why a hay slinging farm boy needed to learn Elvish he had never understood, but Shalelu had found it amusing at least that Kellan was able to speak it, rough as his accent was.

Kellan took the time to pray this morning, a special thanks to Erastil for the previous days successful hunt, his thumb running over a smoothed bit of carved stag horn that he kept in his kit. With that accomplished he donned his armor, the padding beneath having that slightly sour musky odor that came from the constant contact with his body while the Chain mail seemed ice cold after the nights cool weather.  When he was all cinched up he laid out his guard uniform on the bed and smiled.

He took an inordinate amount of pleasure and pride in his job, a satisfaction born of the realization of childhood fantasies and the joy of finding his place in life. As his fingers ran over the fabric it sparked countless memories of training and patrols, brothers in arms and a few enemies, long nights and lonely watches, and those that had served before him, Dacen being the foremost in the mind this morning.

Donning his uniform he straightened it then reached for his pole axe that had been leaning in the corner. This Shalelu business would no doubt warrant investigation and he looked forward to getting to work.

Cato rose and after a few minutes to clear the sleep from his mind, pulled out his spell book and carefully set to work refreshing the arcane energies that allowed him to work magic.  It was a holdover from his days fleeing from the Hellknights, but he had since learned to always prepare his spells first thing in the morning, lest his preparation be interrupted.

An hour later, Cato dressed and went to meet the others at the common room of the Rusty Dragon.  The room was already buzzing with news that Shalelu had returned to town, and Cato eagerly listened to the rumors surrounding the Elf's return.  He had only heard of the woman coming to Sandpoint a couple times since he had come to the town, and he wondered what truth actually lay behind the wild rumors circulating in the common room.

Morning found Pisca in a far corner of the hummie bed.  Swaddled in a tangled mess of the bedding, she was precariously near to dropping over the edge to meet with a resounding thump on the hard floor below.  In a way, the glorious expansiveness of the hummie-sized bed was its downfall as well.  It encouraged all of the less correct behaviors of sleep.  Hogging the blankets.  Flopping about.  And, the inevitable, staying in far too late.  Fortunately, this morning, the gnome had not succumbed to the last of these.  She woke with a snort as the first rays of the sun lit her window with the glow of morning.  Head, arm, and shoulder already hung over the edge of the Extraordinarily Comfortable Mattress.  A quick roll backwards, saved the gnome from a fall, but also served to further and more thoroughly entangle her in the sheets and blankets.

It was several moments before Pisca was able to extricate herself.  She rose from the mound of covers with her strawberry blond hair in a complete disarray.  It was a chaotic golden skein that hid the frown on the gnome's face as she stood in her flannel sleepwear upon which ponies cavorted here and there with bunnies.

She washed and dressed quickly as the gnome had already made many plans for the morning before drifting off to sleep the night before.  The buzz around Shalelu Andosana was readily apparent to the gnome well before she knew what the buzz was about.  She slipped into the kitchen and ordered two small compact meals as a special favor from the kitchen crew and listened to the gossip surrounding the elfish ranger as the meals were made.  Long ago, she'd come up with the idea of placing meat and vegetables between two slices of bread - or, at least that's the way the gnome remembered it.  Since then, she'd refined the idea with mustards, gravies, and other spreadable condiments.  Today it was an egg white mixture known as mayonnaise with which she paired slices of cucumber and slices of tomato with boar meat from the evening before.  From the first, Pisca had called these things Sand Witches.

"You've heard the rumors," Pisca said to the others at the table during the break of fast, "about Shalelu Andosana's return?  I don't know if you're curious or not, but I am.  I want to see what color her arrows are," added the gnome, and she brought out the black half arrow she'd cut from a goblin body two days ago."

"But, I think that before we do that, we should talk to Ameiko.  Find out how she's really feeling.  Maybe offer our help."  Pisca then pushed a cloth wrapped sand witch across the table to Liseth.  "That's for Katrine.  It might help in making up with her.  I have another one," she said as she placed another cloth wrapped package on to the table, "that I intend to give to Aldern Foxglove before he leaves for Magnimar.  Thanks for all he's done for us while he's been here."

Automatically, Liseth found herself stirring from sleep while the predawn darkness still blanketed Sandpoint.  She always did; her body was tuned to meet the sunrise.  Enveloped in the warm blankets of the comfortable bed, she was almost unwilling to leave them lest this new day provide the same level of disappointment and upset as the previous.  But in the end, as much as she might want to, Liseth knew that she couldn't hide in bed all day long.

All of her things were still at the Cathedral so Liseth had slept in the nude.  Feeling the autumn chill in the air as soon as she left her bed, that condition did not last long as she hurried to dress herself in the same outfit as she had worn during the dinner last night.  With the exception of the extravagant emerald necklace, which she tucked into her pouch and out of sight.  Liseth decided that she was going to need more outfits.

Liseth opened the window to her room just as rays of sunlight began to peak over the horizon.  Feeling the warm glow upon her face, she knelt right there at the window and proceeded to meditate and pray.  She had a lot weighing on her mind and therefore a lot to pray about this morning: the safety of the people of Sandpoint; success for their investigation of the goblin attack; the safe recovery of Father Tobayn's remains; Katrine Vinder's forgiveness, and the hope that she isn't in any danger from her secret affair; and a reconciliation for Ms Kaijitsu and her father.  Liseth even spent a moment to pray that Mr Foxglove had a safe trip on his return to Magnimar.

Prayer served to relieve the burden and stress of Liseth's worries, at least somewhat.  She spent a little longer in today's meditation than she usually did, and when she was done still did not feel completely at ease.  And so she decided to treat herself by asking for a warm bath to be drawn.

Stretching out once she was laying within the soothing confines of the warm water, Liseth finally felt herself begin to really relax.  She allowed her mind simply to wander...which brought her to the happenings of just before she went to sleep.  At the time she was too tired to completely register what had happened and she had merely wished Kerr a good night.  But now, the girl distinctly remembered having been kissed on her own cheek by him after a hug!  Kerr had kissed her!  Katrine had even asked her about that earlier in the day; Liseth wondered whether she should tell her about it.

Well, if Katrine still wanted to talk after what else they spoke about yesterday...

Clean, refreshed, and relaxed Liseth's hair was still slightly damp from the bath when she arrived late at the breakfast table where everyone else was already gathered.  "Good morning everybody."  The blonde girl took her seat.

"I don't even know very much about Shalelu Andosana.  Except for what I saw at the puppet show during the Festival.  Is it true that she is always fighting an evil bugbear?"

"Oh!  Thank you Pisca!"  Liseth smiled as she accepted the sandwich from the gnome.  Liseth peeked under the wrapping, "I hope that Katrine likes boar meat.  And that she accepts it..."  She eyed Pisca's other sandwich, "Are you sure the Mr Foxglove hasn't left already?  He did say that he would be setting out early today.  Although we didn't have a chance to really wish him farewell."

"I think that's a good idea though.  Talking to Ms Kaijitsu.  She doesn't seem to be the sort of woman who would get angry at us for asking."  The blonde frowned, "I mean, she must expect some questions after everything that happened during dinner last night."

Liseth fidgeted slightly in her seat, "So, I heard someone saying something about an evil necromancer.  You don't think that there is an evil necromancer behind everything that's happening do you?"  She paused, then spoke quietly, "Necromancers scare me."  She looked around to make sure that nobody was close enough to hear, then leaned in closer to everyone; continuing to speak quietly, "And with those skeletons that we already saw...does that mean that there might be...more?"
This message was last edited by the player at 00:04, Tue 12 Nov 2013.

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The Rusty Dragon's well-used door banged open to admit Sheriff Belor Hemlock.  The conversation in the inn's taproom quieted noticeably as the visibly-tense Shoanti surveyed its inhabitants.  The tightness in his face relaxed slightly when he spied Kellan, Pisca, Cato, and Liseth sitting around a table, mid-conversation.

Sheriff Hemlock strode purposefully towards that table.  "I am VERY glad to find you all here together!"  He exhaled in relief.  "I've been looking all over Sandpoint for you!  I've already been to Sage Quink's place, the Garrison, and the Cathedral, and come up empty at all three.  I was starting to worry that you'd all left town."

He nodded at Liseth.  "Kerr told me I might be able to find you here."  The Sheriff gave her an amused grin.  "He was actually extremely worried about why I might have been looking for you."

Sheriff Hemlock waved a hand to ward off any incipient objections.  "Not to fret, I told him just what I'm about to tell you, so he calmed down."  He laughed; it had a deep, pleasing, reassuring tone to it.  "I was afraid he might excommunicate me or something if I was planning to arrest you!"

He looked at Liseth with a bit more seriousness.  "Don't you go breaking that lad's heart, now.  There's not a mean bone in his body, and he's one of the most kind, giving men I know."  The Sheriff smiled at the young acolyte.  "We're very lucky to have him at the cathedral.  And I'm glad to see he's found someone like you.  You made quite an impression on Hannah and Willow Sanderson, by the way."

He looked around the table.  "But I'm not here about that."  The Sheriff glanced around the taproom, as if worried about being overheard.  He lowered his voice.  "You've probably heard that Shalelu Andosana rode into town this morning and asked to meet directly with Mayor Deverin and myself.  Well, it's true.  And I believe she has some news that might interest you."  He gave each person at the table a measuring look.  "I'd be much obliged if you would accompany me back to the Town Hall and hear what she has to say."

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Kellan was just buttering a biscuit when the Sheriff stepped into the establishment. Without really realizing that he was doing it, he set the food down and straightened his posture, it was obvious that he respected the man. When the a Sheriff approached the table Kellan stood and nodded in greeting "Morning sir"

Listening to the news, he nodded and reached over to collect his weapon from where it leaned near his chair. "Of course, we can head that way right now" looking to the others for confirmation. "Is she alright?" He asked as he scooted in his chair and began meandering towards the door. He could feel the eyes if the other patrons staring at them, it was not a completely unfamiliar feeling, but it was there nine the less.

Cato was enjoying breakfast at the Rusty Dragon.  He eagerly joined with his companions in their discussions.  "I'm not sure about the necromancers.  We can't believe every little thing we hear, though someone did raise those skeletons.  Still, it was just a one-time incident.  If a major necromancer was active in the region, you'd think we'd have seen some of their minions at the attack on Sandpoint, rather than just goblins and dogs.  Most likely, it was left as a trap.  Remember, we found that cloak in the tomb with fading magical energy.  That points to it being someone who is in fact, *not* a necromancer and needed the item to help them."

Cato took another bite of the boar-cheese-leek omelet that the kitchen had prepared before continuing, nodding at Pisca.

"I had completely forgotten about our mysterious benefactor in the battle.  You think Shalelu was sneaking around town during the attack?  I guess it's strange that no one ever claimed responsibility for those arrows, but why would the ranger do that..."

Cato's thoughts drifted off when the Sheriff entered the inn and the place grew still.

Cato nodded to Kellan.  "Of course, I'm more than willing to help out the town.  He looked down at the few remaining bites of his breakfast and carefully wiped his mouth, taking a final swig from his mug and stood up.  "I'm eager to hear what she has to say."

The arrival of the Sheriff was, for Pisca Neep Freemish, something of a series of shocks.  First, was his statement that he'd looked all over town for them.  How could that be?  How could he not have know that she was staying here?  Confusion mixed with incredulity painted the gnome's face as she looked to the others as though they might know the answer why.  Then second, swiftly on the heels of the first, how could his timing have been so bad?  There was no missing the eyes that were now on them now from all across the common room.  She had wanted their discussion with Ameiko to be a quiet and very private thing.  Guess who had just ruined that?

"As it happens, we were just talking about Shalelu Andosana just now, Sheriff Hemlock."  Though the gnome's tone was congenial, she stood on the seat of her chair with arms crossed, a sign of her displeasure.  "I suppose we should go right away.  They'll be waiting.  For some time now, I'd imagine.  If you've been searching the whole town for us, that is."

Despite the spanner in her plans, it did not escape Pisca's notice that this was an opportunity to meet the mayor.  And in the capacity of a consulting hero, no less.  What better chance would there be to bring up the library?

"I'll be right with you.  I have one quick errand to run first."  The gnome hopped down off her chair and sought out the proprietress of the Rusty Dragon.  Turning back to the others, she waved and called, "I won't be more than a moment."

"Which room is Aldern in?" Pisca asked of Ameiko Kaijitsu.  "I'd like to say wish him well before he leaves for Magnimar, and to give him this Sand Witch for the journey.  Oh ... and ... if you don't mind, we'd like to speak to you later on, if you have the time."

"But an evil necromancer would have had to make that magic skeleton cloak.  Maybe he's just being sneaky until he has more undead..."  Liseth stopped; she realized that she was just making herself agitated with no real evidence to confirm any suspicions about evil necromancers.  "I'm not helping, am I?  I suppose that's why we're supposed to be investigating; to find all of this out for ourselves."

"Oh, I'm sorry Sheriff Hemlock!  I slept here at the Rusty Dragon last night."  She was a bit startled at the Sheriff's sudden arrival; but Liseth stifled a giggle when he began speaking about Kerr.  Or at least attempted to; she wound up snickering instead, "Kerr was worried that you were going to arrest me?  He's so sweet!"  The girl finally gave up trying to suppress it and giggled enthusiastically, "But he already knows that I'm helping to investigate things for you.  Kerr is being silly."  She smiled, "But that's one of the things I like so much about him."

Liseth looked curiously at the Sheriff when he continued talking about Kerr.  Maybe he hadn't heard; unlike everyone else in town, "I couldn't ever break Kerr's heart Sheriff Hemlock.  Didn't you hear that he's my boyfriend now?  In addition to being the sweetest and nicest boy in the world!"  Then she blushed, "Oh, thank you.  I'm glad too."

She recovered when the Sheriff changed his subject, "And Ms Hannah and Ms Sanderson were talking about me?  I haven't seen them since the Herb Challenge during the Festival.  It's good to know that Ms Sanderson doesn't have any hard feelings about me winning."

The Sheriff finally revealed his real reason for seeking them out.  Liseth watched Kellan and Cato readily agree to go and meet with Shalelu Andosana, and then Pisca agreed but went off on an errand first.  The blonde girl nodded, "Of course I'll go and meet Ms Andosana.  She must have important news."

Liseth stood and straightened her skirt before taking the cloth-wrapped sandwich that Pisca had given her for Katrine and placing it into her pouch.  While Pisca was away on her errand, Liseth spent a few moments rearranging everything within her pouch to fit without the sandwich getting squished.  Or getting mayonnaise on her Little Heily.  Or even her necklace.

---

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Ameiko was tired from the previous evening; cleaning up after Aldern Foxglove's party had taken a long time and now she had been woken early by her kitchen staff to deal with the unusual influx of breakfast patrons.  Ameiko was concerned when she heard about Shalelu; normally The Rusty Dragon was one of the ranger's first stops when she visited Sandpoint.  For her to go straight to the Town Hall indicated that something big was up, and the presence of the Sheriff, who had just blown in and gone directly to talk with the very people who had stymied the northern prong of the goblins' attack into Sandpoint, just confirmed it.

Ameiko looked down as Pisca Neep Freemish came up to her, asking about Aldern Foxglove's whereabouts.  "I'm sorry, sweetie," she gave the gnome a sympathetic look.  "He was up at the crack of dawn with his men.  He wanted to get an early start back to Magnimar, from what I hear.  You might be able to catch him down at Hosk's Stables, but chances are he's already on the road to the city."

Ameiko nodded at Pisca's invitation to talk.  "I'm pretty busy today.  And tired.  But we can definitely talk later."  She gave Pisca a worn smile.  "Maybe not today, but definitely soon."

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This message was last edited by the player at 05:52, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

"Oh.  Well ... "  The gnome took out the package wrapped in cloth.  She looked down at it as though commiserating - sharing a mutually felt disappointment with the Sand Witch.  "It's always possible that we could become stranded.  Trapped in a deep pit.  Somewhere.  No food.  This could save our lives."

The thought brightened the look on the gnome's face to the point that when she looked back up with a, "Thank you, Ameiko," she did, indeed appear thankful.  Pisca took the hand of the proprietress of the Rusty Dragon even as she tucked the Sand Witch back into a place where it might serve as emergency rations.

"We're here for you," Pisca said.  And the gnome's eyes were filled with the deepest most heartfelt sincerity.  All of the impossible things in the world could be faced down with a look like that.  It was a look that could take on all of the dragons of the mind and the heart and never feel fear.  Because it was a look that had never experienced defeat.  It had never been crushed under the staggering burden of loss.  It was a look naked and innocent of reality.

Then, "Soon," the gnome said, nodding in the grim way she imagined all adventurers shared affirmation.  She released Ameiko's hand and rushed off to join the others.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:57, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

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Belor Hemlock waited patiently for Pisca to complete her private talk with Ameiko Kaijitsu and return to the group.  "All ready?"  The Sheriff looked at each of them to receive nods of assent.  "Outstanding."  He held the door as they filed out and followed them out on to Market Street.  As they walked on up Market Street to the southern town square, they could see the residents of Sandpoint beginning their day.  Stores were opening; the whole town had a feeling of guarded optimism, as if it had weathered a storm and come out the other side stronger.

As they walked past the town square towards Main Street, the Sheriff began to talk.  "I don't know how much time any of you have spent with the mayor, but she really is good people."  He nodded in support of his own statement.  "Sure, she's a descendant of one of the four founding families but she really has the well-being of Sandpoint at heart and she's not one to hide behind tradition when something needs to be done.  That's more than I can say for," the Shoanti coughed, "certain other prominent residents."

The group turned up Main Street, walking past the Sandpoint General Store.  Shay Vinder was out front setting up a display; she was wearing a modest but tight-fitting dress that showed off her generous endowments.  She blushed crimson when she saw Kellan as part of the group and waved shyly at him before Vin came out to check on her work.  He nodded curtly but respectfully at Kellan as he shared some instruction with Shayliss; they both went back inside the store.

Chask Haladan was reading to several children in front of his shop.  He smiled and waved at the group as they passed, giving Pisca in particular a warm grin.  The children looked enthralled with whatever tale he had been sharing with them, and he quickly went back to telling his chosen tale.

"You'll like Shalelu," Sheriff Hemlock says as they approach the Town Hall, opposite the Garrison.  "She's been a thorn in the side of the local goblin tribes for years, if not decades, and there may not be anyone in the region who knows more about them than she does."  He stopped at the Town Hall entrance, his hand on the door.  "Any questions before we head in, or are you all ready for the meeting?"

---

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The gnome's questions actually began well before the small but intrepid group even made it to the general store.  Immediately out the door chatty Pisca asked the Shoanti law enforcer, "By the by, Sheriff, I've been meaning to ask what Quah you're from.  If you don't mind.  And ... "  She grinned and touched the brim of the hat.  "How do you like the hat.  Taken from the dead body of the Cinderlander himself,"  She said with a proud smile.  "Or, so I was told."

Later, Sheriff Hemlock's description of the mayor prompted other questions from the gnome.  "Which of the four founding families are you talking about," Pisca asked with an apparently casual curiosity, "when you cough about certain other prominent residents, Sheriff Hemlock?"

"You wouldn't happen to be talking about a certain family who run a very loud business with dangerous machinery?  Or, would you happen to be thinking of a certain elder gentleman with ancestral roots in a far off land?  A man who just happened to burst into the Rusty Dragon last night and accosted four innocent patrons?  By the by, Sheriff Hemlock, you've been here in Sandpoint for some time now, haven't you?  Can you tell us what happened to Ameiko's mother?  And where is her lost half brother?" asked the gnome.

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---

"Hmmmmmm."  The Sheriff responded in his deep voice as he looked down his nose at the gnome.  "I see you have some familiarity with Shoanti customs.  But at this point I am Sandpoint-quah.  I gave up my tribal affiliation when I accepted this job."  A haunted look flickered behind his eyes, then disappeared.  "Prior to that, though, I was Shiikirri-Quah."

He glanced at Pisca's hat.  "I would indeed be pleased if the Cinderlander were dead, as he has brought little but pain and fear to the Shoanti."  He shook his head briefly.  "But if he is dead, I have not heard of it, and I believe that I would have.  As far as I know he still roams the wildlands seeking his unachievable vengeance."  The Sheriff sighed.  "So I'm afraid that your hat," he touched Pisca's brim lightly, "may not be quite the historical artifact you believe it to be."

Belor studiously and obviously ignored Pisca's attempt to inquire further into which families he might have been referring earlier.  "I can tell you what happened to Ameiko's mother.  She fell to her death.  Some thought that Lonjiku might have been responsible," he shrugged, "but there was no evidence of that."

"Lonjiku is a . . . difficult man, but I do not believe he is a cold-blooded killer.  Remember, this was a dark time for Sandpoint; the Kaijitsu death, the cathedral fire, and the beginning of Chopper's reign of terror all occurred around the same time.  Some were actively looking for evil and ill intent in places it did not exist."

"Tsuto, Ameiko's half brother," he nodded at Pisca, "was one of those who felt strongly that Lonjiku was responsible for his mother's death.  They had a huge fight at the funeral about it.  Tsuto stormed out, and I'm not sure anyone in Sandpoint has seen him since."

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This message was last edited by the player at 23:59, Wed 13 Nov 2013.

The gnome held the Sheriff's hand the rest of the way to the Town Hall.  It seemed to her to be just as much for him as it was for her.  But, then again, it usually did.

Three times during the short walk, she reached up with her free hand and touched the brim of her hat.  She knew he was right.  In a way.  And yet, she knew that she was right as well.  It was the Cinderlander's hat.  She had seen him dead after the battle of Flameford.  Through curtains of fire she had watched as the bombs fell.  They had dropped a building on he and his cat.

She had seen it.  Had she seen it?

When they finally arrived at the door of the Town Hall, Pisca was quiet.  Sober.  Her reflection had seemed to ready her for revelations of consequence.  The whole town was wondering at the appearance of Shalelu Andosana and the were going to hear the story behind it.

Liseth finished the minor rearrangement of her things by the time Pisca had returned from her short errand.  She was filled with mixed emotions when she set in to follow after Sheriff Hemlock with the others.  They were going to meet both the mayor and a famous, goblin-hunting hero.  The Mayor seemed like a nice lady, even though Liseth had only seen her that one time at her speech before the Festival.  But she didn't know what to expect from a famous goblin hunting elf who even had shows put on to reenact her accomplishments.

Following after the Sheriff and the group when they left the inn, Liseth suddenly realized how grateful she was that Pisca was coming.  It had always made her feel self-conscious when she made people have to slow down for her, but the gnome never minded.  She was small, but it was almost as though she expected everyone else to slow down and match her pace.  Liseth found it very refreshing from the annoyance that she imagined other people feeling when they walked with her.

Well, except for Kerr.  Liseth smiled; he seemed to think that the slower they walked together, the better.

She was amazed by just how much of an extrovert Pisca was.  The gnome had already gone ahead and asked several questions of Sheriff Hemlock that Liseth herself was wondering how to bring up.  Pisca never seemed to worry about things like that; if she wanted to know something she went right ahead and asked.  Or went in to investigate herself.  Thinking back on yesterday, Liseth couldn't decide whether that was an entirely good quality.  At least now she could listen to the Sheriff's answers and not have to worry about bringing the subjects up herself.

There was one other thing that did concern her though.  Liseth decided it would be best to bring up before they met Ms Andosana and the Mayor, "So...um, Sheriff Hemlock, Cato told us that he killed a goblin yesterday.  That was hiding in the Barett house."  The girl fidgeted nervously, "There aren't any other goblins hiding in Sandpoint, right?  Sneaking in other people's closets?"

Kellan had out on his "game face" when stepping out with the Sheriff, he was still just a boy in many ways but it was obvious that he took his position seriously. Listening with interest as Pisca and Balor conversed, Kellan was surprised at how easily the gnome was able to get the man to open up about his Shoanti heritage, a subject he had never heard anybody broach before.

As the passed by the general store Kellan gave a small warm smile to Shayliss, he kept from laughing as inwardly he imagined approaching the girl and how the conversation might play out.

"Oh, why hello there Shayliss, Mister Vinder, why yes I am out patrolling with the Sheriff,...on our way to see the mayor, official business. No big deal. Might go fight some monsters or something later, I'll drop you a letter "


The image could only be compete with a cheesy smile as he polished his finger nails against his uniform.

Despite this vivid scenario playing out in his mind Kellan kept in step with the Sheriff, humble and content. He gave a greeting to Chask as they passed, ruffling a local boys hair with his off hand, then paused with the others in front of the Town Hall entrance. He shook his head to indicate that he did not have any questions, looking over his uniform and making sure that he was presentable before they went inside.

Cato listened to the conversation between Pisca and the Sheriff as the group made their way through town.  He remembered first setting eyes on this small outpost, and imagining that life here must be simple.  It was both a relief and a disappointment to find that just as much complexity, drama, and mystery lay under the surface here as there had been back in Korvosa.  He tried to keep track of all the names and events, constantly looking for explanations as to the current troubles facing the town, but either there wasn't a rational explanation behind the goblin attack, or he hadn't been able to find it.

Still, the news that Tsuto had a fight with one of the founding families of Sandpoint, had stormed off and not been seen since was certainly interesting.  The noble scion had to be up to something.  "No one's seen Tsuto in what, five years then?  No reports from him in Magnimar or anywhere else in Varisia?  That seems interesting.  He didn't happen to dabble in the arcane arts at all?"

Cato was surprised to find himself at the entrance to the Town Hall.  He shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts before speaking with the Mayor and Shalelu.

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Sheriff Hemlock smiled at Liseth.  "No, I don't think you have to worry about goblins in every basement.  Alergast and I investigated things thoroughly yesterday evening, and as far as we can tell it looks like it was lone goblin commando who got separated from the others and was looking for a place to hide."  He patted her on the shoulder.  "Trust me, he wanted out of there just as much as the Baretts wanted him out of there.  I don't think there's much chance that we'll have a repeat of that.  But just to be on the safe side, I put the word out to the guard to keep their ears open for any reports of unusual animal or pet activity.  So if something along those lines happens again, hopefully we'll know sooner rather than later."

Belor raised an eyebrow at Cato.  "No, there have been no 'reports.'  Do you think I have the resources to keep track of every former resident who leaves Sandpoint?  If you want to check up on him, you'll have to talk to Lonj . . . well, that wouldn't work out to well now, would it?"  The Sheriff gave a short laugh.  "You should talk to Ameiko then.  She and Tsuto used to be close."  He shrugged.  "Might be they still are."

"But to answer your question, no."  He gave Cato a curt shake of his head.  "I never heard of Tsuto pursuing any sort of magical education."

The Shoanti looked around at the group.  "So, it looks like we're ready."  A small smile touched his lips as he saw Kellan making himself presentable for the meeting.  "Let's not keep the ladies waiting, shall we?"  He opened the door to the Town Hall and ushered them inside.

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Sheriff Hemlock led you into the Town Hall, which was surprisingly sumptuous given the size of the town.  Hardwood floors, marble pillars, and copper bannisters were the order of the day; the entire interior of the edifice gave off a sense of organization and a sort of purposeful, driven opulence, as if the builders were determined that the town would some day rise to a station that merited such fine craftsmanship.

Belor led you across the main entry foyer and up the leftmost of two half-circle staircases that led to the second floor.  He then turned to the right, stopping at a heavy oak door with a sign above that simply said “Mayor.”  He opened the door as he knocked, leading you into the Mayor’s offices.

The rooms were just as nicely-designed as the entry hallway had been, but the furniture and the way it was organized indicated that its occupant was less interested in affluent opulence and more interested in efficient operations.  Sheriff Hemlock led you to the right, into a meeting room where a trim, handsome, red-headed woman of middle age whom everyone recognized as Mayor Kendra Deverin sat talking with a tall, slender elven woman.

Both looked around as the party entered.  The elven woman in particular looked as if she had arrived straight from some sort of hard labor; her face was smudged, her long, braided black hair was mussed, and she gave off the faint odor of smoke.  A couple of tears were visible in her leather armor; they looked as if they were of recent make, and one of them was surrounded by a dark stain that might have been made by some sort of liquid.

Belor Hemlock stood forward to make introductions.  “Mayor Kendra Deverin, Miss Shalelu Andosana, this is Pisca Neep Freemish of Kaer Maga, Cato Crispin, assistant to Sage Brodert Quink, Liseth Thoradin, an acolyte currently working with Father Zantus, and, of course,” the Sheriff smiled proudly, “our own Kellan Storval, stalwart of the Sandpoint Guard.”

“And it is my privilege to introduce you all to Shalelu Andosana, an, um,” he grinned at the elf, “unofficial member of the Sandpoint Guard.”  He swept his hand out to indicate the party.  “Shalelu, Mayor Deverin, this is our newest crop of goblinslayers.”

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This message was last edited by the player at 21:30, Thu 14 Nov 2013.

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Mayor Deverin stood and shook hands, first with Pisca, then Liseth, then Cato, then, finally and with the most warmth, with Kellan.  When she had personally greeted each newcomer, she stepped back to address them as a whole.  “Thank you so much for coming!  I have not yet had the chance to thank you for your service to Sandpoint during the Swallowtail Festival.  I have it on good authority,” she glanced toward the Sheriff, “that you are responsible not only for saving the cathedral from a second burning but also for saving the life of Aldern Foxglove, a man who has always been a good friend to the town.”

She smiled gratefully at the group.  “I am a politician, not a warrior.  So there is little I can add to what you will hear and learn here today, as both Miss Andosana,” she nodded at the elf, “and the Sheriff,” she gestured to the Shoanti, “are far more qualified to discuss these issues than I.  But I would like you to keep me informed of the goings-on in the town, especially if you stumble upon something that you feel might signal a danger to the town as a whole.”  Her voice took on a somber tone.  “I want to make sure that the people are prepared for whatever might be in store for them, good or bad.”

Mayor Deverin put her hand over her heart.  “And please know that I am here to help in whatever way I can.”  Sincerity seemed to drip from her voice; she was indeed a talented politician.  “You have my full support in whatever investigations or actions you take, as long as you make them with prudence and though for their long-term consequences.”  She coughed slightly.  “Though of course I understand that sometimes decisions need to be made in the heat of the moment.  That said, I will cede the floor to the experts.”

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Belor nodded as Mayor Deverin sat.  “Now that we’re here, let me recap what we know to this point.  Shalelu has told us that Sandpoint isn’t the only place in the region experiencing goblin troubles.  There has been an increase in goblin-related raids up and down the Lost Coast; they seem particularly concentrated in the dale between Nettlewood and Mosswood.  Only a day ago, a farm south of Mosswood was burnt to the ground by a group of goblins."  His mouth twisted in an expression of distaste.

"Shalelu was, thankfully, nearby, and while the farm couldn’t be saved, she did rescue the family and drive off the goblins.  The family is staying at a nearby farm for now, but . . . this goblin problem is obviously not going away.”  The Shoanti looked very concerned.  “Shalelu, what else can you tell us?”

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Shalelu Andosana nodded at the Sheriff as he sat, then stood and looked at the new arrivals.  “Belor has told me of your work against the goblins.”  She smiled.  “Well done!  I’ve dedicated the last several years of my life to keeping them from causing too much trouble around these parts, but they’re tenacious and fecund little runts.”  She grimaced.  “Like weeds that bite.”

“As you may or may not know,” she glanced at Pisca, “there are five major goblin tribes in the region.  Traditionally, they’re pretty good at keeping each other in line with intertribal squabbles and the like.  Yet, from what I’ve been able to piece together, members of all five tribes were involved in the raid on Sandpoint.  A fair number of the Mosswood goblins I dealt with yesterday were already pretty beat up, and there was a lot of chatter about the ‘longshanks and the gnome’ who killed so many of them.  Now that I’ve met you, it seems obvious from their descriptions who they were talking about.”

She grinned at her newest acquaintances.  “Seems like you’ve made an impression.”

“In any event, the fact that the five tribes are working together disturbs me.  Goblin tribes don’t get along unless they’ve got something big planned, and big plans require big bosses.  I’m afraid that someone’s moved in on the goblins and organized them.  And judging from these recent raids, whatever they’re organizing seems like bad news for all of us.”

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Sheriff Hemlock nodded along as the elven woman talked.  As she finished speaking, he stood and addressed the group.  “With Mayor Deverin’s blessing, I’m taking a few guards south to Magnimar to see about securing additional soldiers to station at Sandpoint for a few weeks, at least until the extent of this threat can be determined.  I’ve asked Shalelu,” he inclined his head towards the ranger, “to sniff around Shank’s Wood, Brinestump, Mosswood, Devil’s Platter, and some of the other notorious goblin residences to see if she can discover anything else about what’s going on.”

“In the meantime,” he returned his attention to the group.  “I would like to ask that you maintain a public presence in Sandpoint for the next few days, if you don’t mind.  The locals seem to have taken to you.”  He grinned.  “Oh, don’t think I haven’t heard the talk about the ‘Sandpoint Saviors’ and such.  Seeing you around town will do a lot for keeping worries down for the next few days.”  He reached for a small, heretofore-unnoticed case on the table.   “I will, of course, deputize you so that people know you are acting under my authority.”  He opened the case, revealing four shiny golden badges, which he waved under the group’s noses as if he was nothing so much as a merchant tempting customers with his wares.

“So, what do you say?”

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Cato found himself nodding along with Sandpoint's mayor.  He hadn't ever met the woman up close, and had barely seen her outside of the Swallowtail Festival, but Sandpoint was lucky to have a woman like this.  He had met many leaders who didn't have half the dedication or skill to the job, and it was obvious to Cato that she possessed both in spades.

He frowned at the confirmation that several tribes of goblin had been working together, as well as the fact that the attacks had been spread across the Lost Coast.  Apparently their theories had been correct.  "But we still need to find what's caused them to unite," the young wizard whispered, barely even aware he was speaking out loud.

He looked up as Shalelu continued, then laughed at her description of the goblins' foes in Sandpoint.  "And they didn't mention a wizard flinging acid darts?"  Cato shook his head and tssked quietly.  "I'll have to teach these goblins a proper amount of respect for practitioners of the arcane arts."

Cato found himself nodding to the Sheriff's proposal almost before the Shoanti had finished speaking.  "Of course, Sheriff!  I'd be honored to help Sandpoint!"  Cato found himself grinning, the prospect of entangling his future with the town's making him feel all the more secure.

He paused for a few seconds.  "I feel like there's more that we should be doing, however.  Although I'm glad we have Shalelu's help scouting out the goblins, she's only one woman, and it sounds like from her description that some of the goblin tribes are still recovering from their attack on Sandpoint.  What if we investigated one of the closer tribes as a group?  We might be able to force them onto the defensive, and delay whatever they're planning.  Or, I suppose we might have the opposite effect, and speed up their time table if they feel threatened.  In which case having us here in town keeping up morale might be good."

He nodded to his companions, then to the Mayor.  "I suppose this is exactly the kind of prudence and regard for the long-term effects of our actions we should be considering."

Liseth followed the Sheriff through Sandpoint's Town Hall without paying too much attention to the rich decorations.  Having spent the majority of her life inside religious temples and her own family's manor, Liseth was quite accustomed to fine decorations and furnishings.  Although it did seem out of place for a town like Sandpoint.

When they reached the mayor's offices and meeting room, Liseth politely held her hands clasped at her waist.  She curtsied when the Sheriff introduced her and nodded when the mayor spoke, but found that she couldn't take her eyes of off Shalelu Andosana.  The elf looked like she had just come straight from a battlefield!  He armor was even torn in places, and that made the young acolyte concerned.

Her eyes diverted to the Sheriff when he asked for them to maintain their presence in Sandpoint for the next several days, and even offered them special badges of office.  Liseth looked at the golden badges curiously and imagined what one would looked like pinned to her dress or her robe.  It would be strange, but if Sheriff Hemlock thought that it would make people feel safer, the girl was all for it.  She tried to imagine Kerr's reaction when she showed up at the Cathedral wearing this new badge.

"I can do that Sheriff Hemlock.  I wasn't planning on leaving Sandpoint for anything in the next several days anyway.  And I will gladly wear a badge if it will make people feel safer to see me with it."  Liseth gingerly took one of the golden badges out of the Sheriff's case and held it in her hands.  Then her eyes returned to the elven woman.

"Ms Andosana, we already determined that there was someone leading the goblins.  Someone bigger than a goblin is.  I found larger sized footprints along with goblin footprints when I was investigating the tracks left behind in the Cathedral Boneyard...Oh!"  Liseth's free hand covered her mouth and she looked towards the Sheriff, "I'm sorry Sheriff Hemlock, you asked us not to tell anyone what we found in the Boneyard!"

Abashed, the small blonde brought her attention back to the haggard elf and tried to change the subject, "Um...are you injured Ms Andosana?  You don't look very well.  I can heal you if you're hurt.  If you want..."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:28, Fri 15 Nov 2013.

"Badgesss?" the gnome asked in a very curious and distinctly foreign accent.

She had strolled into the opulence of the town hall with a smile on her face.  The small body of the gnome positively drank in the fine polished wood and the stately sweep of the double stairs.  Despite her rustic frontier attire, let it never be said that Pisca Neep Freemish lacked an appreciation for fine things.

"All five tribes?" the gnome had asked when the topic of the goblins came up.  "We saw signs of at least three during the attack at the Swallowtail Festival."  All the while she spoke, the gnome had been craning her neck to see the color of Shalelu Andosana's arrows.  "Well, if you know anything about the gobbies, you know the only thing that would bring them together would be some powerful person.  It's how they form their tribes.  And with what ... "  Pisca had looked to Sheriff Hemlock before blurting things out.  But he had already said on a couple of occasions to trust the mayor.  And if they couldn't trust Shalelu, who could they trust.  "And with what we found in the Boneyard, well, how could you doubt that the gobbies are being lead by one of you bigguns?  You told them.  Right?  About the tracks leading to the crypt?  Goblin tracks and the one set of hummie-sized tracks that Lysa found?  They stole Father Tobyn's body?"

"Personally, I think the answer's out there."  Pisca had swept a hand in the general direction of the Greater Anywhere.  "Sounds like he's still out there.  Riling them up.  Catch one of the Toothy Weeds and string it up by the heels until it talks.  I mean, if they've been talking about us, how could they not be talking about him?  Or her.  Gobbies are chatter monkeys.  And they're not too smart either."

"But ... if you need us in town ... "  Then the topic of badges had come up.  Pisca had turned.  She put the big floppy had back on her head.  "Badgesss?" she asked in a very curious and distinctly foreign accent.  "I love badges.  Count me in."

Kellan looked decidedly out of place among the finery, it was not that he was dirty or unsightly so much as he looked like he was trying hard not to touch or break anything. His boot fall was gentle and he carried his pole axe with an almost undue amount of caution, making very sure not to scratch the hardwood or scuff the banisters.

He greeted Mayor Deverin warmly, seemingly at ease with her he listened intently as the trio explained the situation, nodding here and there at the right times. When Cato expressed his desire to more firmly impress his abilities upon the Goblin he laughed softly and knocked at Cato's shoulder with the back of his gloved hand.

"Probably afraid if they mention you, you'll appear in a flash of light and a peal of thunder. Or worse...start writing things down"

Kellan looked to Shalelu with a hint of good natured envy, it only made sense that she be the one to try to root out the information they needed, she was a natural scout and knew the area better than any of them. That being said he would be once again guarding the home front, and he resolved to do so with the utmost dedication.

"You know I'm game Sheriff" he assured the man with a firm nod, reaching over to take a badge more to match the others than anything. With a littler fiddling he managed to get the thing to even line up straight and it complemented his guard uniform quite well in his mind.

He looked to Shalelu with an almost comical patronizing expression, his Elvish was slow,  halted and marred by neglect "You should endeavor to pursue your task with the utmost caution, and please do not kill so many of the enemy that we are left without purpose" he grinned afterward to show that he was clearly joking
This message was last edited by the player at 11:50, Fri 15 Nov 2013.

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"I'm glad to hear it, Storval," said the Sheriff in response to Kellan's agreement, slapping him on the back before looking around at the other three.  "And I appreciate the rest of your willingness to help Sandpoint in its time of need.  While I agree with you, Cato, that there's a lot to learn out in the wildlands, I think Miss Shalelu here," he nodded at the elf, "is best equipped for that mission.  Remember, we don't know what the goblins are up to, what there plans are, and how Sandpoint might be involved.  But you four already have a reputation with the goblins; your public presence in town may give them pause if they have any further plans to attack Sandpoint.  I know I'll rest easier knowing that you are here while I'm down rallying support in Magnimar."

"And not to worry, I've already informed Shalelu of the Boneyard attack."  Sherriff Hemlock's gaze flickered toward the elf.  "We've discussed it, and she is just as mystified as we are about what they might have been looking for, or what they might be planning to do with Father Tobayn's body.  But she's going to be keeping her eyes and ears open for any clues to that issue on her scouting mission."

Belor looked at Pisca.  "But yes, she knows that the goblins are working with or for some human-sized creature of unknown race.  We've discussed it; figuring out the identity of this goblin accomplice is one of our highest priorities."

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“I’m fine, Liseth, but I appreciate your concern.”  The ranger flashed Liseth a grateful smile.  “And yes, Sheriff Hemlock has told me about the goblins’ mysterious accomplice.  I will be doing all I can to determine the identity of that accomplice while I’m out in the field.  This person may be the key to understanding what the goblins are up to.”  She sighed.  “Or maybe he or she is just a henchman.  There’s just so much we don’t know right now.”

“And I’ll certainly be . . . questioning any goblins that I manage to catch out, Pisca.”  Shalelu nodded in agreement with the gnome.  “But one of our problems is that the goblin leadership doesn’t normally share their plans, or indeed anything important, with their rank and file for precisely the reasons you mentioned.  And if someone else is truly using the goblins, chances are they won’t have told the even the leadership much.”  The elf shrugged.  “Also, goblins aren’t the sharpest tools and the shed; just because they think they ‘know’ something doesn’t mean that what they tell you isn’t garbled or misunderstood.  So we need to sift through everything we might learn from them with that in mind.”

The ranger grinned at Kellan as he tried out his Elvish.  “I’m glad to see that your Elvish lessons weren’t entirely wasted, Storval,” she teased.  She raised an eyebrow.  “Not ENTIRELY.”  Her face shifted into a more-serious expression.  “But you don’t have to worry about not enough goblins being left for you and your friends.  I have a feeling that, when all is said and done," she sighed again, "we’ll have more of them on our hands than we might like.”

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This message was last edited by the player at 13:35, Fri 15 Nov 2013.

Cato nodded at the Hemlock's assessment.  "Us staying in town while Shalelu scouts certainly is the more conservative option, and I suppose there's no reason to risk the safety of Sandpoint for any reason.  Maybe word will get out to the goblins that we're here, which will at least delay a possible attack."

He thought for a moment longer.  "I just hope it doesn't come to that.  Any attack on Sandpoint by all five goblin tribes is going to result in casualties.  If we engage the goblins on their home turf, they'll be the ones experiencing the collateral damage."

Cato paused again.  "But obviously, Shalelu knows the most about this, and I'll bow to her wisdom.  Hopefully we can figure out what's going on, and who's unifying the goblin tribes."

Pisca had previously pursued support for her library with a classically Pisca-esque disregard for either time or place.  In this particular instance, however, there was something ...  There just seemed something ...  There seemed as though there was something about the people gathered and the talk of goblins and the startling appearance of Shalelu Andosana off her regular schedule that didn't mix with the discussions of libraries and lofty visions of a future Sandpoint.  Now that she and Mayor Deverin had been introduced there should be time enough for the library.  Especially now that they were going to be spending some time in Sandpoint itself.  Although, the gnome reminded herself, at some point she would really need to begin exploring the wider world and acquire some of those books that the library would need.

In the meantime however, other thoughts had come knocking at the Door of Pisca, bringing gifts of crisp, crumbly pastries and wishing to discuss matters mysterious and anomalous.  The chat in the Parlor of Pisca's mind was brief, but meaningful, making little impact on the Big People gathered in the real-world office of Mayor Deverin.  To them, the gnome had simply lapsed into a moment of quiet thought.

"You'll be leaving right away.  Won't you, Shalelu," said the gnome to the elf.  "The town's been abuzz with the news of your coming.  It's whispered that you usually head to the Rusty Dragon for that same room that you always stay in.  But this time you came straight to the Mayor's office.  Now, this gnome can't help but think that means you don't intend to stay long in town.  It means that you think there's an urgency to this goblin problem that we are," and Pisca indicated the we of her intent with a sweep of her arm toward Liseth, Kellan, and Cato.  "That we are not quite fully understanding.  I also have a suspicion that you've known about this for longer than we think you have."

The gnome dug inside her own quiver and pulled out the half arrow painted in black that she'd been carrying around since the day of the goblin attack.  "Oh, by the by, I was wondering whether you recognized this.  I cut this from a goblin head.  We found quite a few goblins slain by these black arrows the day of the attack.  Two of the gobbies caught these arrows right before our eyes.  We never saw the person who shot them."

"Those must have been some pretty long shots.  Whoever did the shooting was an impressive archer.  In addition to being another one of the heroes of that day."

"Oh, okay Sheriff Hemlock."  Liseth sighed with some measure of relief.  She didn't want to be responsible for telling people parts of their investigation that were supposed to be secret.  Thinking about it for a moment though, she didn't know why she thought that the Mayor and Ms Andosana wouldn't have been told already.  Of everyone who wasn't actually present in the Boneyard that night, they were the two who should know everything.

The girl nodded to the tall elf when told that she wasn't in need of any healing.  Liseth still imagined that Ms Andosana couldn't be completely healthy just by her appearance.  But she couldn't be hurt too badly if she was turning down healing; and Liseth was not going to press the matter.

With the way that Kellan and Cato were talking, it sounded as though they were happy that the goblins were afraid of them.  Or at least talking about them; based on what Ms Andosana overheard.  Liseth was just happy that the goblins didn't seem to be talking about a young blonde girl in white.  She knew that she wouldn't feel safe if the goblins had taken such a notice of her during the attack.

"I think that us staying in Sandpoint is the best option."  Liseth agreed with the Sheriff and was glad that Cato came around to that point of view as well.  "If Sheriff Hemlock is going to take some men with him when he travels to Magnimar, we can't leave Sandpoint with a weakened guard.  Especially if the goblins happen to be afraid of some of us."  It was clear that she didn't consider herself to be striking terror into the minds of goblins.  What Liseth did not mention was that she really did not think that she was up to the task of actually seeking out the goblins to attack them at their own homes.  She was perfectly fine with the task of remaining in Sandpoint in order to boost the morale of its citizens.

Liseth watched Pisca when she started in on her dialogue.  The girl had forgotten about the black arrows that Pisca thought were important, but now she did recall seeing one suddenly strike a goblin dead in the Cathedral Square.  Right in front of her.  It was strange that nobody seemed to know who was shooting black arrows that night; Liseth started to wonder herself just who it might have been.  And why they didn't want to introduce themselves.

Maybe Ms Andosana would know somebody that uses black arrows though.  Liseth's interest piqued, she turned her attention back the the elven woman.

Kellan looked eager to get to work but lingered for the others and to find out more about the mysterious black arrows. In his mind he was already thinking of how to go about safeguarding Sandpoint during the Sheriff's absence. His first stop would be to tie in with Alergast to discuss schedules and patrols, an inspection of the fortifications and fire readiness should probably be done, he decided he would need to do a little shopping of his own as well.

He did not want to overstep his bounds or step on any toes, but the boy was painfully aware that Sandpoint had grown complacent over years of peace and prosperity. To his knowledge they had not faced any kind of organized external threat within living memory (Human living memory of course). His mind was alight with all sorts of possibilities, clearing the vegetation from around the walls, repairs, additions, maybe a new coat of paint here or there or even a standard or two fluttering in the breeze.

He focused his attention back on Shalelu, perhaps she would have some ideas of her own.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:06, Sun 17 Nov 2013.

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“Figuring out what is going on is right at the top of my list of priorities,” agreed Sheriff Hemlock.  “We want to take the fight to them, ideally by identifying and then dealing with their leadership.  Without leadership, goblins have no direction and will fall back to squabbling amongst themselves.  Killing rank-and-file goblins without doing that is almost pointless because there are so many of them.  And I don’t need to mention the casualties we would take in the process.”

“But first we have to figure out who is driving them.  Once I explain the situation to Magnimar, they should grant me at least an additional squadron of men.  That will allow us to fortify Sandpoint and free you,” he gestured to the group, “to help Shalelu with her investigation.  We just need to hold on until we can get Sandpoint reinforced.  Time is of the essence,” he nodded at Pisca, “which is why I am leaving for Magnimar almost immediately after this meeting.”

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Shalelu leaned back in her chair as the Sheriff talked.  “I agree with the Sheriff, Pisca,” she assented, “we may be running out of time, but we just don’t know enough to be sure.”  She shrugged.  “I’ve had my suspicions that someone was trying to unify the goblin tribes, but I didn’t have much to support them other than hunches and suppositions until a couple of weeks ago, and nothing to confirm them until the co-ordinated raids began.”

Shalelu’s eyebrows shot up when Pisca produced the black arrow and told her story of the mysterious archer.  “Did you, now?  Slain during the attack on Sandpoint, you say?”  Her eyes narrowed as she studied the arrow, then reluctantly handed it back to the gnome.  “This has been something of a personal mystery for me; now it is apparently something we share.  I have come across these arrows before.”

She looked thoughtful, as if pondering whether to share what she knew, then proceeded.  “I have found them almost exclusively in people who are proven or suspected to have exploited others.  The worst sorts of people, if you know what I mean.  Those whom the,” she coughed and glanced at Sheriff Hemlock, “regular authorities are unable or unwilling to bring to justice.”

The Sheriff looked uncomfortable but said nothing.

“Have you heard that the Lost Coast had a slaver problem some years ago?  Well, that problem no longer exists, thanks to Black Arrow.”  Her cheeks colored slightly.  “I hope you don’t mind me using my private name for him.”  She sighed and sat back.  “I’ve tried to determine his identity, but he is very elusive and is almost impossible to track.  Of course, for all I know, Black Arrow could be a woman, but his style suggests that he is a man.  I can’t explain it, but that is my feeling.  I have played cat-and-mouse with him for years.  Whoever he is, I must tip my cap to his skills.”

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"We'll look after her sir" he assured the Sheriff  "Have a safe trip , and Shalelu." He looked to the Elf "Happy hunting"

Clasping his hands together and rubbing them eagerly he looked to Cato, Pisca and Liseth "Shall we get to it then? I was hoping to tie in with Alrgast to see what the patrol schedules are looking like, then I will probably pick up a few things around town. It's still pretty early...if I hurry I might be able to do a good close inspection of the city walls, might be able to do a little good there."

"Of course I would appreciate the company if anybody wanted to come along, if not shall we meet up for lunch at the Dragon?" Looking over the faces of his compatriots for any sign of what they had in mind.

"Mayor Deverin, always a pleasure ma'am" he gave her a warm smile and bowed his head a little in deference.

He turned began to make his way out at a casual pace, admiring the morning sun through the windows as he walked.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:49, Mon 18 Nov 2013.

"Yes.  I'd heard things of that sort too, Shalelu.  Slavers.  Abusers of servants.  Mysterious Chelish customers."  Pisca stared down at the black arrow in her hands with a pursed look of discontent on her face.  She looked down upon the broken arrow as though somehow blaming it for her disappointment.  It would have been so nice if Shalelu were the mysterious Black Arrow.  It would have fit so well.  In fact Shalelu had even been somewhere in the area, as the gnome had suspected.  She'd been nearby during the attack.  Not near enough, though.

On the other hand, if Shalelu was not the Black Arrow, then ... the position was still open.  Anyone could be the Black Arrow.  "Even a gnome!" Pisca said out loud.  The thought brightened her mood considerably, despite the fact that the evidence that she held in her hands at that very moment pointed quite distinctly to a Black Arrow who was decidedly larger than Right-Sized.  Pisca beamed up at the crowd of humans, sharing her idea with them through the special power through which all people, quite naturally, understood what the gnome was thinking when she wanted them to.  "I wonder if the Black Arrow wears a mask," she mused.  "I think she'd have to.  And a hood," the gnome added.  "A hood would be a nice touch."

From there the avenues opened up for the gnome - avenues down which she could pursue any number of satisfying investigations.  The future, gray and a bit sulky only moments ago, was now clear, bright, and inviting.  "Oh.  Shalelu, would you like a Sand Witch?  I made one for Aldern Foxglove this morning, but he left before I could get it to him.  Just as well, I suppose.  I didn't think to make enough for he *and* his servants too.  That would have been awkward.  Having to eat while the others stood by watching," said the egalitarian gnome.  She fished out the cloth wrapped package and presented it to the elf.  "The meat is from the boar we killed yesterday in Tickwood.  Ameiko Kaijitsu cooked it for us last night.  It's the second best thing I've tasted this week."

"Oh, and by the by, Mayor Deverin," said the gnome, her hands still held out presenting the elf with her offering, "might I make an appointment to speak to you at this time?  I'd like to discuss a certain civic improvement that I have in mind."

Even Ms Andosana doesn't know who was killing goblins with black arrows that night.  Which made things even more mysterious as far as Liseth was concerned; if anybody was going to know that particular piece of information, surely it would have to be a famous adventurer like Ms Andosana.  Liseth herself did not like keeping secrets, she was innately honest.  Leaving her befuddled and highly curious when confronted by people keeping such secrets away from others.  Especially when people would only want to thank them if their identity was known, like with this Black Arrow person.  Or if keeping their secrets was distressing other people and possibly dangerous to themselves, like with Katrine...

Liseth's eyes focused on Pisca when she made her sudden outburst about gnomes.  Was she saying that Black Arrow had killed gnomes too?  No...based on her excitement, Pisca probably thinks that Black Arrow might be a gnome themselves.  Liseth doesn't think that's very possible though.  The arrow was much larger than Pisca's gnome-sized arrows.

"Hmm...Sheriff Hemlock?"  Liseth had a sudden idea.  The Sheriff did say that he was leaving immediately, didn't he?  "Mr Foxglove just left for Magnimar a short while ago.  I bet that if you were to hurry, you could probably catch up to him.  I think that he'd be happy to have your company on the trip, since you are both going to the same place.  And," Liseth held up a finger to punctuate a point that she was making, "It would be safer for everyone to be in a larger group, since the goblins are so hostile right now."  It sounded like a good plan to her.

"Thank you for the offer Kellan, but I think that I should go to the Cathedral from here."  Liseth cast a glance down at her dress, "I need to change into my robes; my dress hasn't been cleaned since our horse ride yesterday when we were hunting the boar."  The dress didn't look particularly dirty, but it did smell a bit...horsey.  "And I should ask Father Zantus if he learned anything new since the incident in the Boneyard.  But I should be able to meet everyone at the Rusty Dragon for lunch."

She left out a number of other reasons for wanting to go to the Cathedral.  Kerr was there, of course; and Liseth wanted to show him the badge that the Sheriff had given her.  But she also felt guilty taking a holiday and leaving Kerr and Father Zantus alone to clean up the mess in the Boneyard, in addition to trying to get the Cathedral in order after the goblin attack.  Even though yesterday felt about as far from a holiday as one could get.  And, if Katrine did want to talk to Liseth, the first place that she was certain to look for her was at the Cathedral.

Seeing that Kellan was leaving, Liseth figured that the meeting must be over.  She curtsied for the Mayor, the Sheriff, and Ms Andosana, "Sandpoint will be safe until you get back Sheriff Hemlock."  She nodded, "I'll be sure to pray for your safety."  The girl look towards the elven adventurer, "You too Ms Andosana.  If you get hurt while you're investigating the goblins I'll gladly treat your injuries for you."  Liseth curtsied once more for the Mayor, "It was nice to meet you Mayor Deverin."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:00, Mon 18 Nov 2013.

Cato listened as the Sheriff and Shalelu outlined their plans.  "You're right, that sounds reasonable to me.  Having reinforcements from Magnimar would probably assist Sandpoint in whatever's coming.  I can do my part by having us be as visible as possible in town during the Sheriff's absence.  Kellan, if it's okay with you, I can accompany you around town just to keep myself visible.  We can talk about any specific uses the guard might have for me later without delaying the Sheriff's departure or wasting the mayor's valuable time."

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Mayor Deverin stood.  “It looks as if our meeting is at an end.  Thank you all for coming on such short notice and for taking such an integral part in the defense of Sandpoint.  I thank you both on my own behalf and on behalf of all Sandpoint’s citizens.”

She smiled at the young guardsman.  “Kellan, as always you have done Sandpoint proud.  It was nice to meet you as well, Acolyte Liseth.  Father Zantus speaks very highly of you.”  The Mayor nodded at the young blonde in approval before directing her attention to the room’s sole gnome.  “Pisca, once this difficult period is over, I would be glad for you to make an appointment with my secretary so that we can discuss this civic improvement you have in mind.  And Cato, Sage Quink could not have a more capable assistant.  I’m glad Sandpoint can count on you all.”

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I’ll try and catch up with Lord Foxglove, Liseth.”  He smiled at her with what seemed like fondness; an unusual display for the normally-gruff Sheriff.  “And I thank you for your prayers.  I may need them!”  He stood and straightened his uniform.  “I feel much better knowing that Sandpoint will be in the hands of such capable guardians in my absence.”

“I will make as much haste to Magnimar as I can.  Hopefully I will return with reinforcements within the fortnight.  Perhaps Lord Foxglove will be able to assist with my appeal for aid.”  He glanced at Liseth.  “In that vein, I shall take my leave.  Mayor.  Shalelu.”  He nodded to the ranger and Mayor Deverin before clasping each party member’s hand as if to bestow upon them a charm for defending Sandpoint.  He then strode for the door, and was gone.

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The elven ranger was clearly amused by Pisca’s musings regarding Black Arrow.  “I have to agree.  There just aren’t enough mysterious vigilantes about these days.  A mask and hood would be almost necessary, I would think.  Especially if our Black Arrow is a traditionalist.”

Shalelu Andosana smiled as Pisca offered her a handmade delicacy.  “Thank you, Pisca.  I accept with gratitude.  As I also accept your offer of healing, should I need it, Liseth.  It is comforting to know I have such a devout servant of the gods on my side.”  But her mood seemed to sour as she looked at Kellan.  “I hope my hunt proves fruitful.  And that it does not prove to be too little, too late.”

“I plan to take dinner at the Rusty Dragon this evening before I begin my hunt, as I need to provision and rest before I head back out to the wildlands.  I invite any or all of you to join me, should you wish.  But I will certainly not take offense if you do not.  It sounds like you all have many preparations to make.”

All present took their leave and headed out to begin the tasks they had set for themselves that day.

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FADE TO BLACK - CONTINUED IN CHAPTER #5.5:  SECOND INTERMISSION