Session 04

In which the heroes bring Tsuto to justice and discover he is not working alone.

Tsuto Escapes
The party kept a close eye on the exits of the glassworks, taking defensive positions while ordering several bystanders to go for help. A few minutes later the Shoanti travellers arrived, armed and ready to cleave goblin skulls. They were soon joined by several town guards as well as some of the braver citizens, including Father Zantus, the weaponsmith Sevah, and the stablemaster Daviran Hosk, who has a legendary hatred of goblins.

After several tense moments of quiet, the Shoanti pushed for entering the glassworks. Together, the party slowly advanced with the Shoanti, clearing room after room… Apart from the gruesome glass sculpture that was once Lonjiku Kaijitsu, the glassworks were empty.

Marius found narrow steps leading down into a basement. The basement was a short tunnel with several storage rooms leading from it. More ominous was a previously bricked-up hole in the wall, recently dismantled, which revealed an old passageway leading north.

With no other exits from the glassworks, Tsuto and the remaining goblins must have fled down the tunnel.

The Chase
The party decided to waste no time in pursuing Tsuto and the goblins, after first being healed by Father Zantus. The tunnel heads northward, and there is soon an opening to the west, however Krolm spies what appears to be one of Ameiko's hairpins further along the tunnel and so they continue forward.

The tunnel opens into a cave, where four goblins wait in case of pursuit. However thanks to the advance warning given by the sneaky Krolm and Marius, our brave heroes were able to overcome the goblins, killing two and capturing the other two. Krolm noticed the tracks of Tsuto and the remaining three goblins heading up over the cliffs, which was confirmed by one of the goblins when questioned by the rather scary Jon Constantine, who revealed that Tsuto did indeed still have Ameiko prisoner and it appeared he had tried to take her out of harm's way before the planned attack on the town. The goblin confessed to (his companion) having commited the crimes in the glassworks, and they were summarily executed. The party continued in the chase after Tsuto. Unencumbered by an unconscious prisoner, the party quickly gained, and were soon attacked by the remaining three goblins, which they summarily dispatched. Ahead Ameiko had been left unconscious on the road, and Krolm and Marius tended her while Twitch and Jon continued to chase down Tsuto. Tsuto lay in wait further along the trail and seemed to have the measure of of a valiant Jon and an incompetent Twitch, who was soon bleeding out on the forest floor with a nasty arrow wound, However once the rest of the party arrived the tide of battle was turned, Twitch healed by a potion, and Tsuto stripped of his loot and bound for transport back to Sandpoint to answer for his crimes. ==Clues== Among Tsuto's possessions was a journal, which among erotic images of a woman that Krolm recognised as matching a statue located in the graveyard in Sandpoint, also contained plans for the attack on Sandpoint and the following entry: ''The raid went as planned. Few Thistletop goblins perished, and we were able to secure Tobyn's casket with ease while the rubes were distracted by the rest. I can't wait until the real raid. This town deserves a burning, that's for sure. Ripnugget seems to favour the overwhelming land approach, but I don't think it's the best plan. We should get the Quasit's aid. Send her freaks up from below via the smuggling tunnel in my father's glassworks, and then invade from the river and from the glassworks in smaller but more focused strikes. The rest except Bruthazmus agree, and I'm pretty sure the bugbear's just being contrary to annoy me. My love's too distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision. Says that once Malfeshnekor's released and under her command, we won't need to worry about being subtle. I hope she's right. My love seems bent on going through with it- nothing I say convinces her of her beauty. She remains obsessed with removing what she calls her 'celestial taint' and replacing it with her Mother's grace. Burning her father's remains at the Thistletop shrine seems to have started the transformation, but I can't say her new hand is pleasing to me. Hopefully when she offers Sandpoint to Lamashtu's fires, her new body won't be as hideous. Maybe I'll luck out. Succubi are demons too aren't they?''

Into the Catacombs
Returning to Sandpoint the heroes handed Tsuto to the mayor, who had him imprisoned for trial in Magnimar. The heroes learnt about Nualia's story from Father Zantus and the elven herbalist Hannah, the town's midwife. They next headed back down the tunnel under the glassworks, and explored the western offshoot, while sending guards to secure the cave entrance. Under Sandpoint they fought a nightmarish creature called a Sinspawn, found a demonic-looking woman's statue, and a basin of magical fluid (Twitch took a sample in a vial). In one romm was a large pool of water, and a smaller pool of orange steaming liquid, however the room itself was cold. They were confronted by what was presumably the Quasit referenced in Tsuto's journal. She cursed the heroes for defiling 'the Mother's Shrine.' She then cut herself and dripped her blood into the pool, creating a Sinspawn (presumably the 'freaks' from Tsuto's journal). The heroes killed that, the Quasit, and two dire rats she conjured.