"Just like hatred is so easily mistaken for evil," Liseth mused quietly as the discussion continued about bringing Tsuto to trial, "revenge is so often mistaken for justice."  She sighed, "There is no reason to give Tsuto a trial; everyone already knows that he's guilty.  We have his journal, and he was working with the goblins in the glassworks."

"What would happen?  Would we bring him home just so that they could execute him?"  The acolyte turned to Kellan, "That wouldn't help anyone; people would like to say that it was justice being served, but it's really just them wanting their own revenge against him.  And revenge never makes anyone feel better."

"Everyone deserves a chance."  She continued quietly, "From everything I've heard, nobody has ever given Tsuto a chance before.  That's what I want to offer him.  A chance to make amends.  That's real justice."

"I'll give him sanctuary in the Cathedral.  I'm sure Father Zantus would agree to extend sanctuary for Tsuto, given the circumstances.  Then Ms Kaijitsu could visit him.  And he could ask the gods for guidance, because I think he really needs it."

Liseth turned to Kerr when he started to speak about his examination of the crossbow.  "It's enchanted so that it can't kill?"  She stepped closer to get a better look at the weapon.  "But how can that work with a bolt?"  The girl looked up at Kerr when he offered her the crossbow, then down at the suddenly appearing Pisca.

"Um, Pisca..."  Liseth couldn't do much to protest when the gnome quickly tried to affix the crossbow to her shoulder, "I don't think it is supposed to mount on people."  The blonde acolyte awkwardly accepted the enchanted crossbow from Pisca when she handed it to her.

The girl held the crossbow clumsily; it was about the same shape as the one her father had trained her on at home, but she never really got used to holding and firing that one either.  She didn't have much time to think about it though when Pisca immediately asked her to shoot her.

"What?!"  Liseth looked down at the gnome is surprise dawning on horror, "Pisca!  I'm not going to shoot you!  How could you ask me something like that?"

Kellan nodded in a somber fashion "If that's what you all think...I won't get in the way of your negotiations. I may be the guardsman but we are all in this together"

He looked Liseth straight in the eye, his expression a little sad "I just hope that we can all live with the consequences"

He left unspoken what kind of repercussions could result from bringing Tsuto into their midst. The whole situation obviously did not sit right with him.
This message was last edited by the player at 10:00, Sun 31 Aug 2014.

Pisca the Infinitely Practical Gnome frowned, and then began ticking off the reasons.  "Lysa .. " the gnome began in a tone of exaggerated, long-suffering, patience, " ... One, it would be nice to figure out just what sort of magic properties this crossbow has before we set out.  Two, this is the best of all places to do it.  In front of the Cathedral.  If something goes wrong, we've got all that healing energy to make me better.  And Five, we've got to know that when it comes to shooting anything at all, that you can pull the trigger when you need to.  You've never looked like you've been used to killing, and we've got to know that you can do it.  And, if you can shoot me, you can shoot a gobbie."

"And that's not even counting Three, Four, Six, and Seven, all of which have something to do with the fact that one bolt isn't going to hurt me.  Well, not too much.  If the crossbow works, I might be sore for a few hours, but I should be fine by the time we get to Thistletop.  If the crossbow doesn't work the way we think it will ... well, then we'll just have to spare a few minutes to get Father Zantus for a healing spell, right?"

"Right?"

"So just pull yourself together, aim the bow, and do it."  Ook.  This *is* going to hurt.  Pisca held her arms out to either side, baring her breast for the shot.

"Oh, and by the way," the gnome added, while trying hard not to flinch, "bad idea, bringing Tsuto back to Sandpoint.  Like waving a red flag in front of a bull.  Just asking for trouble.  If you want Ameiko to be able to visit Tsuto, best to have him live somewhere else.  Ameiko visits Tsuto.  Somewhere else.  And not the other way around here."

"Exile.  All things considered, not the punishment it's cracked up to be.  But it's something.  Eh, Stomper?"

Cato stepped up, waving his arms between Pisca and Liseth.  "While I have doubt that this is one way to determine the properties of the crossbow, there's another, entirely less risky way to determine it.  Let me examine it.  It'll take me less than a minute, but I should be able to decipher the auras and determine its properties, which would verify Kerr's theory.  There's no reason to use a high-risk strategy if a low-risk one with the same reward exists."

"Well ...  Alright.  Sure."  The tension drained from the gnome's outstretched arms, and they lowered half the way to her sides.  The look on her face was one that spoke with half it's mouth of relief, while from the other half it muttered of true and worthwhile results coming only from trial, pain, and data won through hard sacrifice.  Pisca stepped closer, her head cocked at an angle that bespoke of curiosity, and she proceeded to observe the words and actions of the human wizard with great care.

"That's not going to do Lysa any good, though, Cato," Pisca added.  "But maybe we can find some badgers or porcupines along the way for you to shoot, Lys.  That might be better, because you'll really have to aim.  They won't sit still and wait for you to hit them."

Then, anticipating the complaint, "What?  They're badgers and porkies.  They're not innocents.  It's not like they're bunnies and kittens, you know."

"But..." Liseth was on the verge of tears as Pisca went on explaining all the reasons why she should shoot her with the new crossbow.  "Pisca, I...you're my friend!  Friends can't shoot each other!  How is that supposed to help me shoot at mean goblins?"

The acolyte thankfully handed the crossbow over to Cato for magical examination when he requested it; glad that removing it from her hands precluded the action of shooting it at anyone.  "Thank you Cato," she said with relief, "I'm sure that you'll be able to see what kind of magic the bow is enchanted with."

"Pisca, it's not that..."  Liseth turned back to the gnome but stopped when she began talking of other sorts of target practice.  "Pisca, I already know how to shoot a crossbow."  She explained, "But I can't just shoot at animals for target practice.  Both Erastil and Gozreh don't like people shooting animals for any reason other than food or self-defense."  She frowned, "And I definitely can't shoot one of my friends for target practice, even if she wanted me to.  I don't have enough friends that I can go around shooting magic crossbows at them!  Not to mention how much Sarenrae would frown on it."

"Exile would certainly be better than nothing at all" Kellan agreed with Pisca, watching with some amusement at the topic of testing the crossbow. After it had changed hands a few times and it appeared that Cato would put the matter to rest, he looked over at Shalelu to gauge her mindset.

He was sure that she would prefer to get this over with, as did they all, but what did the elf really think of their odds? And of taking a bunch such as themselves on such a delicate infiltration?

"Wait!  Cato.  Wait.  Will you wait."  The gnome held out her hands to freeze the wizard in the midst of his act.  "Just like that.  Please.  Yes, please.  Just like that.  Thank you."

Then then gnome flung herself at Liseth, wrapping her arms around the human girl and burying her face in her breast.  "I'm your friend too, Lysa.  Thank you.  Thank you for being mine.  No matter what he said, that means something."

The gnome drew back, revealing a face so full of emotion that a person who did not know better might think that she were miserable.  "Thanks, Lys."  The high and beautiful gnomish voice was husky with the depth of her feeling.  Then, just as quickly as she'd rushed over, she rushed back.

"Alright, Cato.  Thanks for waiting."  Pisca took a swipe of her face with the back of her sleeve.  "I'm watching.  Go ahead."

"Pisca?"  Liseth was taken by surprise when the gnome lunged onto her in an arm-wrapping hug.  She was quick to return the gesture by hugging Pisca right back, "It's okay; of course I'm your friend.  And of course you're my friend."  The acolyte couldn't believe how miserable the small gnome looked at just that moment, "Has someone been saying mean things to you?"

"You're welcome Pisca."  She said when her gnome friend hurried back to watching Cato's examination of the crossbow.  Sudden and unexpected hugs had a way of always making Liseth feel better; she was sure it worked that way for pretty much everyone.

There was still talk about what they might be able to do with Tsuto, and Liseth thought a few moments about the exile idea.  "But, isn't being an exile the reason why Tsuto is so angry in the first place?  Remember when we were talking with Ms Bethana Corwin?  Ms Kaijitsu's maid?  She said that Tsuto was sent away when he was young to be raised outside of his family; and that his mother was forbidden to see him."  She frowned, "He's already been an exile all of his life; what he needs is a family.  The only family that he has left is Ms Kaijitsu, and he is the only family that she has left."

"I just don't think that sending him away again will help anyone, especially Tsuto and Ms Kaijitsu.  He needs to be shown that people can be compassionate and forgiving.  That he was tricked into thinking that helping the goblins was a good thing.  We already know that he is doubting his decision."  She rose a finger to make a point, "And he can't be beyond help.  Because we also know that the reason he tried to kidnap Ms Kaijitsu, as bad as that was, was that he cares about her and was worried that she might be hurt.  He risked everything, all of the plans that he was entrusted with, just to do that.  So he can't be so evil that he is beyond help."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:42, Mon 01 Sept 2014.

Cato cast Detect Magic and began his careful examination of the crossbow.  "This shouldn't take long, assuming there's only a simple enchantment on it."  Cato went quiet as he studied the crossbow, looking at the arcane energies imbued in the device, trying to figure out exactly what they supposed to accomplish.


Spellcraft check, please.

"Not mean," replied Pisca through the intensity of her concentration.  "Not mean.  But sometimes truth itself is mean, Lysa.  And sometimes its better to pretend that the truth isn't the truth, even though you know that it is.  Even though you might appreciate the truth, maybe it's not really what you want.  It's not what you wanted, even though maybe you didn't know that you didn't want it until after you found out."

There is a silence in which the convoluted skein of the gnome's thoughts hang upon the air.  Perhaps Pisca herself required a moment to navigate the tangle of words that she'd spun.  Perhaps she'd paused to pay heed to a particularly tricky portion of Cato's magical analysis.  Or, perhaps the silence if filled with other things, unseen things known only to the gnome herself.

Then Pisca continues, "Are you thinking that this is what Tsuto wants?  Are you thinking this is what he needs?  Because the truth is that, though some people can be compassionate and forgiving some of the time, not everyone can be compassionate and forgiving all of the time.  And, though you might want to do this for Tsuto, you also have to think about doing something for the rest of the people in Sandpoint too."

"I think Mayor Deverin would understand this.  She might have enough compassion to forgive Tsuto.  But what about Dav Houk?  What about Ven Vinder?  What about Katrine Vinder?  You know them.  Do you think they have enough compassion to forgive Tsuto?  And they didn't even lose anybody during the goblin attack.  Do you think any of those people can so easily forgive?"

"Oh, by the way, Lysa, Katrine says that she likes you.  She said that she considers you a friend.  And she also said that she's not mad at you.  She said a lot of other things to.  But they're not important.  Looked pretty surprised too when I punched her father."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:26, Tue 02 Sept 2014.

"What?  You talked with Katrine?"  Liseth was distracted from continuing the discussion by this piece of highly important information.  "She said all that?"  It was almost visible, the way some of the intangible weight she was carrying around drained away from her.  "That's wonderful!  I was so worried that she wouldn't want anything to do with me anymore, after how I bungled all those times I tried to talk with her.  Thank you Pisca!"  The girl got down on her knees and gave the gnome an enthusiastic hug; hugs were the order of the morning.  "For talking to Katrine for me, and telling me that she still thinks of me as her friend.  I don't know many gnomes, but you must be the sweetest one there is."

The blonde acolyte stood back up, "What else were we talking about?  Oh!  Tsuto!"  Liseth cleared her throat, "You see, it isn't as though I expect everyone to forgive him right away.  Some people might, and that's good.  But a lot of people won't; I know that.  He would have to work really hard to earn their forgiveness."  She held up a finger to make a point, again, "That's the point.  Repenting can't be as easy as saying your sorry; not for something as big as helping goblins and Lamashtu worshipers attack the town and kill people."

"That's why he'll need the gods' help, in the Cathedral.  If we can convince Tsuto to seek redemption, I know that Sarenrae will be able to help him."  The acolyte looked down at Pisca, then around to everyone else.  "I'm not trying to help only Tsuto, you know.  I think that this will help Ms Kaijitsu a lot too, having her brother back.  And it will even help Sandpoint, I think, in the long run.  From everything that I've heard, there has been too many terrible things that have happened to Sandpoint in too few years.  Murders, suicides, criminals...goblin attacks...demons...undead...everything else that has happened in the last week.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if the whole town could look at the sad story of Tsuto Kaijitsu and let it have a happy ending?  Sandpoint needs compassion; not just for Tsuto, but for itself."

Liseth ended with a smile, until something that Pisca had said moments ago clicked inside her head.  Her eyes opened in delayed shock, "Wait, Pisca, did you just say that you punched Mr Vinder?  What happened?!"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:10, Tue 02 Sept 2014.

"Wait.  Wait.  Lys.  But.  Cato ... "  The gnome craned her neck to see over her human friend's shoulder.  She tipped her head to the side.  She tried to twist just right in order to angle to a better view of the young human wizard's magic item identifying process.  But, in the end, Pisca gave up.  She closed her eyes and returned the hug until the world was the hug and there was nothing else but the hug.  At least something right had come from a thing that had seemed, at the time, to have gone very much wrong.  All of the disapproval.  All of the anger, the frowning faces, all of it faded away, disappearing into nothingness ...

Until later, of course.

"That would be good, Lys."  The gnome nodded in agreement after they broke apart.  She nodded after Liseth spoke of Tsuto, and the redemption that he would earn from his good works and changed attitude.  Why not?  That would be a good thing.  It would be the best thing all around.  It would be pretty miraculous too.  But why not?  In the end, all things would depend on Tsuto.  On what he would do and what he would say.  Nobody could really truly say for sure what that might be.  So why not?

"What?"  Pisca looked up from her contemplation of miraculous redemptions as Liseth asked about the punch that she'd thrown at Ven Vinder.  "Oh, nothing."  And truly, when one considered the possible outcomes, nothing at all had really happened.  "He was threatening people again.  With his size and with his temper.  It's no wonder Katrine won't tell him who her boyfriend is.  She's afraid.  He'd do much better showing her that he loves her, you know.  Anyway, he threatened Stomper, and so I thought, 'Well, Pisca, this has to stop.'  So I punched him.  Right here."  And Pisca pointed to a spot just above her own knee.

"He fetched up to hit me back," continued the gnome.  "But he never did.  Cato jumped in.  And now I'll never know.  Oh well," Pisca shrugged.  "There will be other times.  And I won't put up with that sort of behavior from him.  It's for his own good.  And for Katrine.  And for your Shayliss too, Stomper.  So he'll just have to learn to be a nicer person, you see."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:39, Tue 02 Sept 2014.

Kellan sighed and shook his head at Piscas words before he focused on the horizon. There was no point in arguing with her now, and no point at all if they did not survive the trip. He had largely forgotten the string of being robbed of his parting with Shayliss and the supplies that could have benefited their expedition. Piscas boasting had brought it back to the fore front of his mind.

---

---

Shalelu gave Cato an inscrutable half-smile.  “You’re not the first group I’ve led into the woods,” she said, “and hopefully you won’t be the last.  I didn’t just conjure these out of thin air over the previous 24 hours, if that’s what you’re thinking.”  She sighed.  “I work on them every so often.  I even have a few more than this.”  She glanced over at Kellan.  “You’re fortunate that I had to take Lieutenant Barett out a few years ago; otherwise I might not have had anything your size.”

Shalelu watched and listened to the goings-on regarding the repeating crossbow and Ven Vinder with a growing amount of ill-concealed impatience.  As they arrived at Northgate she finally wheeled her horse around and stared daggers at the small group, her elven eyes no doubt picking up fine details in the moonlight.

“I don’t think you quite realize what we are about to attempt here,” she hissed in a not-quite-whisper that each member of the party could hear but which probably did not extend much further than that.  “We are heading out into a goblin-infested forest on a critical mission from which some of us might not return.  One of the reasons we are leaving at this hour is because I do not believe that Tsuto is the only child of Sandpoint in league with its enemies.  We are attempting to steal out of town so that our opponents are not forewarned of our coming.  And yet you pratfall and prattle with each other as if we were heading out on some sort of lark!”  She shook her head as if she could not believe she was saddled with the responsibility for guiding such a group.

“Once we get out there,” she said, gesturing to the Northgate, “you will need to try and be quiet.  And to take what we are doing seriously.”  She glared at Pisca.  “Or are you not capable of that?  Because I would rather leave you here than have you get all of us killed because you couldn’t keep your . . . mouth . . . shut.”  She shook her head.  “Don’t think I haven’t talked to the Sczarni about you.  They suspected you couldn’t.”

“Now, if you’re all quite finished, let’s briefly talk about what we’re about this morning, shall we?”  She looked around for any sign of dissent.  “Good.  Once we pass through the Northgate we cannot guarantee that goblin eyes won’t be on us, although from Dav’s scouting earlier we should have a small bit of breathing room.  We’re going to head down the road for about a quarter-mile, then head north into the woods, following some lesser-used trails along the coast towards Thistletop.”

“It is impossible to approach Thistletop without entering the Nettlewood, which is a very dangerous place for those who are not familiar with it,” she gave the group a serious look, “as you are not.  It is filled with all kinds of stinging plants and bushes that will poison you simply for rubbing up against them with your bare skin.  The oils from these plants can remain potent for hours after they’ve rubbed off onto your clothes or armor, so it’s very possible for a careless wayfarer to fall sick for some time after he’s encountered them.”

“I don’t have to tell you what a catastrophe it would be to lose half the group to the Nettlewood’s unfriendly flora.”  She tapped her long, tapered fingers together pensively.  “To prevent this, I have chosen to stay on the game trails as we approach Ripnugget’s fortress.”

“This presents its own challenges.  The Thistletop goblins know the Nettlewood well, including the trails we’ll be using.  There is a very good chance that we will run into goblins watching the trails for intruders.  I don’t think they’ll necessarily be expecting a group like us,” she said, “but if they see us they’ll try to warn the fortress all the same.  I’ll need to scout ahead as we get closer to Thistletop.  These goblins will have some woodscraft, but I hope I do not sound as if I’m bragging when I say that I don’t believe they will have enough of it to spot me if I choose not to be seen.”

“I will navigate you through the Nettlewood to the entrance of the Nettlemaze, the series of tunnels ultimately leading to the bridge across to Thistletop proper.”  She paused.  “I have stolen inside the maze a couple of times, but there is nothing preventing the goblins from changing or altering the tunnels.  They use nettle doors to connect the various tunnels, but they can let the nettles grow over a former doorway and carve new doorways as they see fit.”  She paused again.  “So once we’re inside there is no telling what we might find.  It is beyond the limits of my knowledge.”

She gave the group a measured look.  “Are there any questions before we go?”

---

---

This message was last edited by the player at 07:25, Wed 03 Sept 2014.

Kellan was shocked back into the sober reality they were facing by Shalelus rebuke. This was no longer some looming specter,  some grim eventuality. They were embarking now and they and Sandpoint would have to live with the outcome of this mission, however it fared. He was reminded of Ameikos parting words, he had to take look out for them, he had to do his utmost to bring them all back.

Shalelu was competent,  that was obvious, and would be in her element. But for all that she was just one elf, one elf and a pack of youths who had possessed the fortune to be in the right place at the right time on more than one occasion. For all the talk of heros and divine mandate, a lucky goblin arrow or a rusty blade could be the end of any one of them before the day was out.

The guardsman shook his head when asked if they had any questions. Along the coast, into the Nettlewood, through the game trails, across the bridge, into Thistletop, kill Nualia. They would need to be fast, they would need to hit hard and they would need to commit to the fight of their lives, to the bitter end if need be.

Sitting a little taller in the saddle he urged Hakon forward and set his gaze upon the horizon.

An angry, open "O" of shock replaced Pisca's mouth and her fists flew to her hips in defiance of the series of rapid-fire truths spoken by the elf.  All of this in complete silence.  The gnome pointed the outraged finger of rebuttal at the dauntingly famous ranger.  She threw up her hands at the unjust rumors spread about her by various and sundry unnamed Sczarni.  She strode bitter paces to and fro, and all of this without speaking a single word.  All of this without a sound.

It was an indignant gnome that staked to her mount and ascended to the saddle.  It was a wounded gnome that stroked the neck of her faithful pony to calm her intrepid courser even as she, at the same time, calmed herself.  And, after all that was done and still, even now, not said, the gnome finally spoke, and when she spoke, she said only a single word aloud.

"Bostisch"

And Pisca pointed.  Stomper, Cato, Lysa, and ... Shalelu.

"This is me, Pisca, that you're hearing in your ear, Shalelu," said the gnome through her Whisper magic.  "As long as you stay within ... oh ... a hundred and forty some feet or so, you can speak in the tiniest unheard voice and I'll hear you.  From there, I can relay your words to the others."

"Lysa, tell Kerr that, I'm sorry.  I'm not strong enough to include five so he's out.  Again."

"No questions.  Lets go."

Well, at least one item of interest had come from all of that, thought the pride stung gnome to herself.  Shalelu had Sczarni connections.  That was ... interesting.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (Will renew as becomes necessary.)
This message was last edited by the player at 12:52, Wed 03 Sept 2014.

Finished with his examination of the crossbow, Cato looked up for Shalelu's speech, then glanced back down again.  His nervousness at the endeavor had betrayed him.  He nodded once to Shalelu, and then tried to hide a grin when Pisca activated her whisper magic again.  He urged his horse over to Liseth, and handed her the crossbow.  Using Pisca's whisper magic, he said, "It's as we thought.  This should inflict non-lethal wounds."  Then Cato held up the wand.  "And this is a wand of shocking grasp."

Then, Cato went silent again.  He directed a final whisper at Shalelu.  "No more questions, I'm ready to go."

"Sorry..."  Liseth's head hung in shame as they were all scolded by their elvish expedition leader.  "I'm sorry..."  Just like that, the grim reality of their situation was placed squarely in the forefront of the teenage girl's mind.  They were just about to leave, were in the process of leaving, on a highly dangerous mission that was likely to see some, if not all, of them killed; according to their expert.  Was it so bad that they were trying to keep from dwelling on it?

The tension only mounted as Ms Andosana went on to continue explaining all of the dangers they would face simply to reach Thistletop.  Goblin patrols, hostile vegetation...that Nettlemaze that kept being mentioned.  Liseth was still trying to picture what it might be like to traverse a maze of nettles through goblin-sized tunnels.  No matter how many different ways she tried, it never came out very pleasantly.

With Kerr's help, the acolyte climbed into Heily's saddle.  She stroked the white mare's mane as a way to reassure herself, until Cato presented her with the magical crossbow.  "Thank you Cato," she said quietly when he told her that it was indeed enchanted to cause only nonlethal wounds.  Liseth held it for a few moments before sliding the crossbow into Heily's saddlebag.  "I still hope that I don't have to use it; but it might become necessary..."

She looked up when Pisca's magically whispered voice sounded in her ears.  With a nod she turned her head to Kerr, glancing first towards Shalelu Andosana in case the elf objected to Pisca's whisper magic.  "Kerr, Pisca says that she's using her whisper magic to talk to everyone again, but that she can't make it include you too.  Sorry."

When they were asked if they had any questions, there was only one thing that really came to the young girl's mind.  She looked around as everyone stated that they had no questions, then Liseth tentatively spoke to the elven ranger, "Ms Andosana...um...if you don't mind my asking...how long have you been fighting against the goblins?  You know an awful lot about them."

---

---

Shalelu gazed levelly at her traveling companions as they reacted to her words, finally nodding in acknowledgement as Pisca informed her about the Whisper Magic.  She seemed satisfied.

The ranger sighed at Liseth’s question.  “I’ve been fighting goblins since well before you were born, acolyte.  They are something of a crusade for me.  Goblins can be almost comical in their actions and infighting, but you should never forget how dangerous they are.  Look at how easy it was for them to threaten Sandpoint with destruction.  All they needed was a determined and focused leadership.”

“This situation,” at this, Shalelu took in all of Sandpoint, “is something I’ve dreaded for years.  Goblins are numerous enough to pose a real threat to civilized lands if they ever manage to stop fighting among themselves and unite under a single leader.  Much of the work I’ve done along the Lost Coast these past decades has been to ensure that no such leader arose.”  She sighed again.  “Obviously, I failed.”  She turned her horse back toward the Northgate.  “And this is my penance.”

It was no coincidence that Northgate was guarded that morning by Santo Flitworth and Quint Plinsman.  The two guardsmen had clearly been informed of the mission; they showed no surprise at the group’s arrival and asked no questions about their purpose.  Santo clambered down the ladder to unbar the gate for the group, nodding soberly as the more-exuberant Quint gave them a hearty thumbs-up from his bowman’s perch atop the gatewall.

And with that, they were through into the forest.

Shalelu led them along the Lost Coast Road for about a quarter-mile before moving off-road to the north, traveling cliffside along the coastline in a successful attempt to avoid the Mosswood goblins camped about the approach.  The group’s path lead almost due east, and it seemed as if they were making good time despite the foggy darkness.  Shalelu apparently knew every path, dell, shortcut, and obstacle along the way; she led her charges by the quickest path through the forest to the Ravenroost.

The Lost Coast road cut through the northern part of the Ravenroost, and Shalelu’s group traveled even north of that.  The ragged range of broken hills was decorated here and there with isolated copses of eucalyptus, pepperwood, and pine.  Visibility improved as the eastern sky brightened and they brought their horses to a canter.  According to Shalelu, speed was more important than stealth in the hills as goblins generally stayed clear of the area for reasons of their own.  The group saw nothing of note aside from the occasional wild animal.

After a couple of hours, the hills gave way to Shank’s Wood, a small pine and eucalyptus forest that Shalelu quietly informed them was claimed by the Seven Tooth tribe of goblins.  Once again the elven ranger’s familiarity with the area benefited them greatly, and they were able to make their way through the wood quickly without detection.

As the party exited the wood, they looked down upon what seemed like a large plain dotted at irregular intervals by strange mounds.  Shalelu glanced to the east at the sun, which was beginning to peek over the horizon.  She motioned the members of the group closer.

“These are the Pauper’s Graves,” she informed them quietly.  “Before Sandpoint was settled, Varisians often visited the coastline, and this was one of their traditional graveyard sites.  When Sandpoint’s construction began, a large number of poor and desperate laborers from Magnimar flooded the region, hoping to be rewarded for helping build the new town by being given a place in it.  Those who died during construction were buried here.”  She gestured to the tableau in front of them.

“Goblins give this area a wide berth, which is why our path leads through it.  It is a very, very hazardous place to travel during darkness; it is slightly less so during daylight hours, which is why I planned for us to traverse it after dawn.”  She unlimbered her bow.  “But there are still dangers.  The dead . . . do not rest easy here.  But they are less active while the sun shines.  I hope for us to cross this area unmolested; I do it myself regularly.  But it is especially important that we move quickly, and quietly.”

With that, the elven woman stole out onto the plain, carefully leading the group through the barrows.

OOC:  Everyone should make a Stealth Check

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This message was last edited by the player at 01:21, Fri 05 Sept 2014.

Cato listened as Shalelu explained her work.  "You haven't failed, Shalelu.  You've been succeeding for decades, giving Sandpoint time to build itself into a community that can protect itself.  And while it's not there yet, it will be soon.  Maybe this is the shock Sandpoint needs to rouse itself to action against the goblins, and end the menace once and for all.  And besides, you've done nothing but help the town.  It's people like Tsuto and Nualia who have failed Sandpoint...and perhaps Sandpoint failed them as well.  Not that I'm trying to excuse their behavior.  It can't have been easy having Lonjiku for a father.  But my upbringing wasn't all roses, either, and..."  Cato fumbled with his words, stopping for a few seconds.  "Well, I'm helping to defend Sandpoint.  A year ago, I didn't even know that this town existed.  And now, I can't imagine anything but helping it to continue."

Cato nodded to Sandpoint's guards, and fell silent as the group headed out in the wilds beyond the gate.  His previous trip in this direction, to the Tickwood with Aldern Foxglove, seemed like a long time ago.  Cato couldn't believe just...what, a week ago this entire thing had started?  He shook his head as he scanned the land around him, taking in the pre-dawn beauty of Varisia.

Finally, Shalelu called the group in close.  He listened to Shalelu's instructions and nodded, face solemn, without a word.

13:43, Today: Cato Crispin rolled 8 using 1d20+7. Stealth.

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Kerr donned his Shalelu-provided camouflage garments and looked at the horse he’d been brought with a somewhat-false bravado; he still remembered his embarrassing incident with Heily.  Although he was pretty sure Heily had been embarrassing him on purpose.  He shot Liseth’s horse a suspicious glance and received nothing but innocent nonchalance in return.  His eyes narrowed.  I’ll be ready next time, he mentally assured her.

Kerr’s own horse was a brown-and-ivory patterned Appalloosa.  It looked at him interestedly, apparently taking the young paladin’s measure.  Kerr patted the side of its neck, noting a peculiar star-shaped white mark in the center of its largely-brown forehead.  “I think I’m going to name you Gilroch,” he said to his noble steed, glancing over at Shalelu in a subconscious request for approval, “that’s the elven word for ‘star-horse’.”

Gilroch seemed pleased with his new name.  If Shalelu had heard Kerr’s statement, she gave no notice.

Equine introduction complete, the young acolyte rejoined the conversation.  “Well, Lise, if anyone can convince Tsuto to join our side,” he said loyally but uncomfortably as she swept Pisca into a huge hug, not entirely sure he knew exactly what was going on, “it’s you!  You’re very persuasive.”  He grinned at his young girlfriend, then suddenly blushed for no reason anyone could really discern.

Kerr really didn’t know what he thought about Liseth’s crusade to redeem Tsuto.  On the one hand, Kerr wasn’t one preoccupied with vengeance; he had no need to see Tsuto suffer for his crimes.  And he’d always felt for the older boy, especially given his difficult family situation and famously-contentious relationship with his stern father.

That said, Tsuto had done a lot to hurt Sandpoint and his actions had resulted in the deaths of people Kerr knew and cared about.  There had to be consequences for something like that, didn’t there?

Didn’t there?

Kerr shook his head free of these troubling thoughts as he cupped his hands together and boosted Liseth up into Heily’s saddle, trying not to notice the firm softness of her body as it rubbed against him.  Stay focused, Kerr, he reminded himself, although it was all too easy for his mind to go back to the previous evening, thinking of her hands running over his back, massaging him . . .

Focused.  Kerr shook his head.  Right.

Shalelu Andosana chose that moment to augment Kerr’s internal monologue by berating the entire group for their lack of focus.  While some, like Pisca, apparently felt unjustly challenged by the ranger’s rebuke, Kerr did not; it was of a piece with what he’d already been telling himself.  He needed to concentrate on their mission.  He wouldn’t be doing Liseth any favors if he let her get hurt because he was mooning over her.

And he would never forgive himself if that happened.

Kerr put a foot in Gilroch’s stirrups and hauled himself up onto the horse’s back without any of the shenanigans Heily had pulled back in the stable.  He was so elated at his accomplishment that he merely shrugged when Liseth told him that he would have no access to Pisca’s Whisper Magic.  Although he did secretly wonder if he had done something to offend the gnome.  Why was he always the one left out?

He told himself that such uncharitable thoughts were unbecoming.  Unfortunately, that didn’t make them go away.

Gilroch had apparently decided he liked Kerr because he gave the dark-haired acolyte no difficulty on the journey out of Sandpoint.  He followed the famous ranger closely as she left the Lost Coast Road and headed out into the wild, never once hinting that she did not know exactly where she was going or what she was doing.  Kerr found it a little difficult to credit that he was actually riding out on a critical quest to save Sandpoint with the elven forest-warrior he’d grown up thrilling to stories about.  It was heady stuff.

Kerr kept his head down and concentrated on riding Gilroch as they traversed the hills and forests between Sandpoint and Thistletop.  He was proud of himself for not constantly staring at Liseth; he compromised and settled for catching her eye and smiling at her every so often.  The brisk cold air, the fresh smell of the trees, and the open land made it easy to forget the danger into which they were heading.

Heading into the Pauper’s Graves, however, brought all of it back.  As a child of Sandpoint, Kerr had heard horror stories about the Graves, as all the kids had.  Stories of dead workers walking abroad, filled with hatred for the town whose construction had killed them and anyone associated with it.  No one ever went within leagues of the Graves.

And yet, here they were.  Kerr nudged a recalcitrant Gilroch out onto the plain after Shalelu.  Better to get this over with as soon as possible.

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"Decades..."  Liseth whispered after Ms Andosana explained her crusade against the goblins of the region.  She recalled having overheard somebody once say that a decade to an elf is almost the same as a year is to a human like her.  The girl had never put much thought into that topic before, but now that she was with such an elf, Liseth couldn't keep from wondering.

Shalelu Andosana could be hundreds of years old.  Liseth couldn't tell an elf's age, none of the ones she had ever seen looked particularly old to her.  She suddenly felt very humble with her mere sixteen and one-half years.  The elven adventurer had probably lived Liseth's life a dozen times over.  What must it be like when you expected a life measured in centuries?  It was something that her young mind could hardly comprehend.

The acolyte was quiet, wrapped in the special camouflage poncho that Ms Andosana had given her, when the group finally led their horses out of Sandpoint's Northgate.  Her mind was occupied with all sorts of thoughts; she wanted to talk with the others but wasn't about to speak out loud after they were already scolded for being so noisy.

Then she remembered Pisca's Whisper Magic, "Pisca...do you think I'm too young?  Father Zantus seemed to think so.  He said that the gods must need young people because they're more flexible; so that they can mold them into the sorts of heroes that they require.  But he still seemed pretty concerned that I wasn't old enough."  Liseth paused, "Old enough for things like this."

Liseth continued to be contemplative during the dark morning hours of their horse ride.  Her daydreaming only interrupted by the occasional smile from Kerr; of course she had to smile back!  At least he seemed to be in good spirits; Liseth normally would be as well during a horse ride on Heily.  But at least having her hero riding right beside her did a lot to make her feel safe.

Hours passed on horseback, all spent in darkness.  At least Ms Andosana knew the way, Liseth didn't even know the area well enough to try and navigate during the daytime.  Finally they came to a stop and the elf ranger broke the silence in which they had all been riding.  She couldn't help but notice that their pause coincided with daybreak; the acolyte still needed to perform her morning prayers.

With the news about the Pauper's Graves, she doubted that she would have the opportunity.

"Undead?"  Images of the zombies from yesterday skulked into the girl's mind.  She swallowed, "But couldn't we go around?  Or not...go in there?"  Liseth must have sounded reluctant.  But Shalelu Andosana seemed to think that this was their best route to reach their destination.  Liseth still remembered Kerr getting clobbered by a zombie just to keep it from reaching her.

How many undead could be in such a large place as the Pauper's Graves?

"It'll be okay Heily," Liseth said into the horse's ear while stroking her mane.  "You're faster than any undead.  They won't be able to catch us.  We're just going to ride straight through here."  Whether she was trying to convince the horse or herself was difficult to determine.

She turned to face the rising sun and say a quick prayer to Sarenrae before she and Heily followed directly behind Kerr and Gilroch.  Going down into the Graves she kept one hand with a tight grip on Heily's reins and the other with an even tighter grip on Sarenrae's holy symbol hanging from her neck.

15:34, Today: Liseth Thoradin rolled 10 using 1d20+9. Stealth + Shalelu's poncho.

Natural '1'

Kellan quickly settled into his patrol mind set as they left the relative safety of the city gates and ventured into the dim outskirts and beyond. He could feel Hakons pent up energy as they moved and was forced the correct the charger several times in order to keep in him line with the others. He seemed to want to surge forth, to gallop and stretch out, put it was simply not the time or the place.

His eyes watched the horizon and picked up the subtle glow emanating from the east, then silently appreciated the way the shadows moved and the fog lifted and danced along the ground. He knew most of these roads and it was with a growing dread that he recognized their direction.

Anyone who grew up in Sandpoint would never even joke about the Paupers Graves, they represented the closet thing the little town had to a haunted house and even now that he was much older, and well armed and armored to boots, the disturbed earth still held old fears for him.

Unfortunately for Kellan Hakon seemed to feel the same way. The boy could never be described as stealthy in the first place and between the rattle of his personal accoutrements,  Hakons stamping and neighing and the clatter of whatever he had packed in his saddle bags, he was being anything but discreet.

3:06, Today: Kellan Storval rolled 5 using 1d20+4. Stealth.

"Too young, Lys?" replied the gnome, blissfully ignoring the fact that her half of the conversation (and only her half) would be transmitted to the others.  She'd been considering the question through the many miles they'd traveled to the edge of this Pauper's Field.  "Too young for what, Lysa?  You are what you are when you are it.  There's ... well ... I don't see much 'Too' about it.  I guess, I can only see a 'Too' in things if you fail.  If you try and if you fail, then you were 'Too'.  Maybe you were too short or too tall or too fat or too weak or, maybe, too young.  But you'll never know until you try, will you?"

"With some things, you can tell the 'Too's right away.  But ... too young???  Sometimes people say 'Too Old' and what they really mean is 'Too Weak' or 'Too Slow'.  Sometimes people say, 'Too Young' when what they really mean is 'You're my daughter and I don't want to let you go yet.'  I think Ven Vinder has that problem."

"Too old for things like this?  I dunno, Lys.  I think we've done well so far.  Dying aside.  But I think we're going to find out.  And that's the interesting part."

The gnome patted the neck of her beautiful pony.  She wouldn't be afraid of any undead.  They'd make it through.  Then Pisca gave a small click of her tongue to let Nettie know it was time to move forward, and they moved off into the Field of Lost and Broken Souls.

Stealth check 16.  20 If this area is concidered forest.

Active Effects:  Message 40m (Will renew as becomes necessary.)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:15, Mon 08 Sept 2014.