The speaker bobs it's head, and unless someone else asks a question, it heads off into the city. The armored pair follow it.
The group is left at the entrance to the city, drawing some attention from the curious, but nobody is molesting them or bothering them.
Luna heads on into the city, hoping to find at least one more person who speaks the common tongue here... perhaps among merchants? She will follow some common sense, looking for a market square perhaps where people gather or an inn perhaps? While searching for such areas, she'll stop and speak with as many people as she can, hoping to find another translator who might walk with them and translate for them.
"Our main problem may be paying for anything. We may have to rely on trade. I might be able to pidgen their language some to be understood and he said there are some here who speak the surface language."
Luna pauses before moving forward. 'He said something about the locals wanting ingots in trade, but we have no ingots.. and ingots of what? he wasn't very specific... "
Nobody stops the Raptor, so he trots off with his armored guards.
As Luna leads the group deeper into the city, the group is eyed by the Raptors they pass. Within a few blocks there's a fairly large crowd of young raptors, from knee high to thigh high, following them all making hissy honky noises in hushed tones.
They also see at regular intervals the raptors in the heavy armor, clanking as they stride along.
While no one raptor in armor follows the group, there's always at least one within a block of them.
As the group moves deeper in, they come to the center of the town, which is a large central circle with streets leading off of it. There's actually a good deal of light here, as glowing orbs give off daylight levels of brightness and are stuck on the tops of stone rods about 30 ft high. Each orb is about 40 ft apart, and scattered throughout the 100ft radius area.
There are raptors standing around in large circles, each with a wagon with an odd looking double yolk. The double yolk in front has springs on each arm of the yolk, forming two swing arms. The swing arms drop down to form two legs when the wagon is parked, but when swung up and over, form the handle to pull the wagon by.
Most have placed planks over the yokes in order to increase their table top surface, and have goods spread out on the wagons and planks, with more on the ground in packs ready to be placed or pulled into view.
The square is filled with noise, and the smell of roasting meat and fungus. Small carts with fires dot the area providing food.
"Looks like a market, but we're gonna have a hard time buying without being able to honk like them. "
"Well, maybe we'll find someone else who can speak like the shaman did...Otherwise we'd better learn some of their language quick."
"It looks like the city guards are never more than a block away. Keeping an eye on us I guess. Why don't we try and find someone who looks like they might have something we need and then I can try and speak to them."
Luna casually strolls through the marketplace, looking at goods for sale...
Food, mostly mushrooms and meat, the raptors seem very big on protein, not so much on starches or fats.
Weapons, although they are all of the 'claw sheath' type.
Clothes, but again, all of the 'I have a tail' type.
Some of the jewelry might be usable, especially the nose rings, which would make decent hoop earrings.
At least two shops are selling magic of some kind, as the owners are waving their hands and small magical effects are going off almost continuously, floating lights, transparent replicas of customers, etc. There are a lot of raptorlets near those stalls, obviously.
Spices seem to be popular, as at least 5 wagons have various spices for sale (based on your best guess of the small powders, dried leaves, and such). But it could be alchemy supplies or medicine instead.
After about 30 minutes of wandering, and drawing eyes, a smallish black raptor with dark grey, black and red died feathers bobs up (it's about 2/3rds the size of most of the raptors walking around).
"I wass told that you are sseeking guide, yess?" The Raptor says in passable 'upperworlder'.
"As a matter of fact, yes... a guide who speaks our language... Are you offering your services?" Luna asks with a smile.
"If you are having ingotss or trade goodss to pay for guide, I am offering sservissess as guide. If you are not, I am being annoyed and calling you namess insstead."
Sterling smiles at the raptor. what's your name?
He pulls his backpack free and starts to pull his alchemichal wares to show thier new friend. Take a look, I'm sure I'll have a few items that might peak your interest. If you like the wares, maybe you can help us set up shop. We need to earn some ingots and time to learn from your people while gather information that we need.
4x Powder, Flash 200
Thunderstone 30
2x Smokestick 40
2x Oil, Quick Freeze 100
2x Antiplague 100
2x Antitoxin 100
2x Repellent, Vermin 50
2x Smelling Salts 50
2x Stillgut 100
2x Air Crystals 100
2x Alchemical Glue 40
Alchemical Solvent 20
2x Alchemist's Fire 40
2x Alkali Flask 30
2x Tanglfoot bag 100
Foam, Impact 25
Paste, Bone 75
Hope the chemicals work, cause I'm pretty sure I left all my metal ingots back at the forge. he thinks to himself.
"You may call me Sshadowss and Flamess. It isss asss closse asss your language can come." The Raptor says looking over the things as Sterling pulls them out. It asks about each item, and at the end, reaches a foot forward and taps first one of the Vermin Repellents and then the Antitoxin. "I will be your guide for two weekss for thesse two itemss. Further work may be done after thiss for more itemss, or ingotss." The Raptor doesn't comment on the working, at least for now. You get the feeling it is reserving it's comments until the contract is completed.
Sterling nods and says, I will throw in a tanglefoot bag, if you purchase us a large room at a decent Inn for 2 weeks.
The raptor tilts it's head and thinks, and then nods. "Agreed, I will do sso." It bobs it's head in an intricate movement, down, then left, then right, then up, then down twice. It has the feeling of a ritual.
"We will deal with the roomss first. There are no innss that cater to upperworldersss. They do not come here, ever. However, I know of a a plassse that allowss Phaitai to sstay when they vissit for trade. The Phaitai roomss sshould accommodate you."
The raptor turns and begins walking off out of the area, assuming everyone will follow it.
"Umm, what is a Phaitai?"
The raptor gives Harry a look from one eye as it strides along. Apparently they have excellent peripheral vision, as it's head is pointing sideways, while it walks forward, dodging other raptors and things in the street, even while looking back at Harry.
"A Phaitai iss a Phaitai. They are traderss when they trade, and enemiesss mosst other timess. They are ssimilar to ssurface worlderss, in overall appearansse. Overly large armss, no tail, sslow, flat fassed. "
The creature looks thoughtful for a moment. "They do have more armss than you."
"Right. Well if you see one, point it out please. "
"There are none in the ssity that I am aware of, at the moment. We are currently at war with them. Until it iss over, they will not be allowed in again."
Luna memorizes the head movements, returns them to the raptor as if to seal the deal... then comments in reply to his answer: "Interesting... do you perhaps have some pictures of these Phaitai? Maybe a mural somewhere? Or a depiction of a battle? I would love to see one if you do. Just so I'll recognize one if I ever see one."
The raptor pauses in it's movements, and then it's head twists oddly, as if it's chin were swinging. "Ah, yesss, I believe that may be posssible. There iss a sstatue of a battle. They are not life ssized, but it would sshow them."
The raptor then begins to move again, but takes a turn at the next street.
After a small mazelike walk, the group ends up in what is obviously a park of some kind. Where they would have expected plants and such on the surface are, instead, mushrooms for bushes and trees, and sand for grass.
The mushrooms are lit by glowing bulbs, and their colors seem to have been chosen to make a chromatic explosion of color in the otherwise rathe drab stone city.
In the center of the small park is a large statue showing a dozen raptors fighting a dozen four armed creatures, the raptors seem to be winning. "Thiss iss the plasse where Myr'ssta Bloodtalon defeated the Phaitai Ssporeking, over 400 generationss ago, during the Upheavalss."
"Oh my, they are fearsome looking with all those arms... Your warriors must be fierce indeed to overcome such foes!"
"Ugly critters. Don't much want to meet one that's pissed off. "
Sterling's eyebrows arch at the mention of war. The terran sensed a great opportunity had just presented itself. A better question is, why are your people and the Phaitai at war?
The raptor gives a hissing honk, which seems to be laughter. "We eat the fungi, and the creaturesss we feed fungi. They are fungi and eat creaturess that die, and that they kill. We are, how iss it in your language... natural predatorss of each other." It bobs it's head, which seems to be something like a shrug for it's people. "You might asss well assk why water flowss down, or why hot air goess up."
So it sounds like there would be People willing to pay for advantage over them. Maybe smuggling, or scouting..
They had god like skills now, and there would always be someone to pay mercs in areas of conflict.
A quick question, have you ever seen a yellow powder from the rocks. It smells like rotting eggs when burned?
"You mean sssulfur? Yesss, I know of it. It iss not eassily found, the primary ssoursse is near the volcanic vents, which are the home of the Phaitai. Healerss usse it in wounds to redusse infection. Alchemissstss usse it to make Dragonbane."
Dragonbane? I wonder if he means gunpowder. Sterling looks thoughtfully to his companions. Either way we can make our own. Saltpeter from the crystallized guano mixed with Sulfur and charcoal. We can use Harry's forge to create rifles and cannons. Think of the possibilities.
"If they already have black powder, unfortunately you're not going to be able to bring something new to the table for them.. but perhaps you can help them refine uses of it. I'd be happy to simply be able to trade for things we need with things we have... Good also to know that the Phaitai live near volcanic vents... something new we learned about them. Perhaps they like the heat and cold might be an effective weapon against them?"
Sterling shrugs Well, we don't know if Dragonbane is gunpowder, but they surely don't have rifles. imagine how much more effective they'd be against the Phaitai.
We sell a fraction of our weapons for gunpowder and raw materials needed to make them. We build up a war chest, while giving The People a technological advantage.
Sterling smiles at Luna. That was my thought anyway.
Paul listens to the conversation and as Sterling finishes says, "That's all well and good, and I can see the advantage to having allies, but I thought the whole idea of coming down here was to find a way through the barrier so we could try and reach Rantherius. Now we've booked a room for two weeks. Do we want to change our focus now?"
The raptor politely waits for the humans to finish their conversation.
I don't want to change current focus. I'm just pointing out the possibilities. The whole point of getting past the barrier, is to find allies, maybe an army. I'm merely pointing out that an army with rifles and cannons would be a boon. From what I've seen, Harry's forge is plug and play.
Sterling turns to Harry. Correct me if I am wrong, but you can set your workers to craft rifles and cannons while we're travelling?
Regardless, I will spend 2 weeks here learning as much as I can. With luck, setting up lucrative deals for our entire group as well.
He turns back to the raptor. Pardon my rudeness Shadows and Flames, we can walk and talk, please lead on
After walking a bit, Sterling recognizes he is given commands instead of working as part of the group. He turns to Paul. I rented the room for two weeks, because I wanted to learn their tounge. There should be no question that they will have invaluable knowledge in helping us navigate our way through the caves. As well as the dangers that lurk here. I would much rather learn as much as I can before pushing foreword blindly. Let's have a look at the place, then we can vote whether to push on, and when.
"I see your point Sterling, and learning their language would be a boon though not essential... However I'm not sure altering the balance of power between them and their enemies is necessarily a good thing... just saying... " Luna shrugs and continues walking along with the others.
"I'm not sure if the forge can make something they are unfamiliar with like muskets or cannons. When I got here I asked about a rifle and they looked at me funny. "
So I guess you don't know enough to teach them...No matter, a cannon is easy. But if you think it won't work, I won't press further.
"Ok, we can wait two weeks and see what we can find out. I'll try and learn their language as well. The more of us that speak it the better.
As for making guns, I do have some skills in making intricate parts though I would probably need better tools.
Any one else have any ideas?"
"I don't know a lot about guns, but I can craft mechanical things, so if you need tools in order to make what you need, perhaps I can help with that task?" Luna says with a smile, eager to help out.