"Ohh..? Ssounds like you've got a count problem. Rumors aside, I've met a fair few Chelaxians myself, and most of them are fair-minded people. Is he doing something he shouldn't be?"
so glad its -5
She gives him a very sly smile, so only he can see, her hood helping with the mystique of the situation
"Hope to see you there"
With that she sets off to the entertainers area
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"Iniga" thanks him for his time and the information, and politely excuses herself.
On the way out, once she's out of eyesight, it's time for a prestidigitation to deal with any mud or muck or smell on herself. Thank Asmodeus for Prestidigitation, without it she's sure the smell would never get out. Satisfied, she eventually walks her way right into town and heads to the pub as planned before.
Having seen Aurilos change earlier, she knows which of the people to walk right up to and have a seat next to during a lull in his conversations and information gathering.
With him in a merchant-looking outfit... Ah! She comes up with a good enough reason to strike up a conversation and leans forward, towards him.
"Evening. Do you know where a girl can find a good ssellsword this time on a Toilday?"
Without too much trouble and with keeping to relative inconspicuousness, you guys learn that nearly 1/3 of the Isgeri here support Cheliax -- and very probably all of those in authority.
But a good 70% of the population do not like Cheliax. With varying degrees, they are fed up with high-and-mighty Chelaxians or just generally distrustful. Some fear Cheliax from rumors and second-hand accounts of deviltry, some hold to personal and national independence thinking they can fight off goblinoids themselves without the aid of The Empire of Devils.
.... And 30% support Cheliax.
.... Including all of the leaders.
From what you can gather, the rest of Isgeri is likely similar to Logas in these views.
When they meet once more she will pass this on,
Well introduced to Isger, and considering their long-term plans, agents of Cheliax have targeted a few possible Isgeri to begin their subtle manipulations.
Captain Blake Goffrey, who seems willing to leave his shift on the wall a bit early in order to rendezvous with an exotic woman and stranger.
Derrick Vogram, a low-level but experienced guard who has opened up his home to host a stranger from Cheliax.
Darla & Francine, prostitutes who know the Chelaxian Count governing the small town of Logas.
....And they have learned that over two-thirds of the Isgeri townsfolk are not warm to the idea that Cheliax supplants governors and feudal lords over them.
....And they have learned about a popular, underground force of "Quiet Warriors" with an odd, rural-country-like Chelaxian accent who have gained fame with the average Isgeri due to their effective slaughtering of Goblinoid menaces in the Chitterwood.
Perhaps if the agents themselves go into the Chitterwood to fight Goblinids they will become popular, too.
Or perhaps there is enough inside the town walls they can do to insinuate their Chelaxian plans to the Isgeri.
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Zartana, if she does finally get away. She will meet up with her fellow agents
"So. The captain a quite a tale to spin... let us get some drinks, and discuss our plans from here. I believe we have some nice hooks we can pull and strings we can attach"
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"Indeed we do. You have quite a talent for getting blackmail worthy material."
"If i can. I do not wish to blackmail the captain. That will ensure future... gosip. Also. If we can, rather than kill our opposition. We convert him to a more positive way of thinking. If they didtrust us, killing him will make him a martyr. But if the man who hates Cheliax... slowly starts to like them? Surely his followers will do the same"
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She comes and joins them.
"I do so hope you have news"
She says with a smile.
"Banging the commonfolk?" Eyebrow quirk.
"Well, can't argue with results. Most of what I got was a pig-farmer. Super easy to please, shouldn't be a problem to get him to like us. But, he mentioned something interesting..."
She turns over to look at Lady Eyota.
"Hey..." She pauses to carefully consider her words. "You know stuff." Nailed it. "Ever heard of something called the Quiet Warriors? Folks who speak with an odd, rural or country accent of Chelaxian?"
"Captain Blake will be a nice toy and get a lot of information that doesnt always reach the noble ears. I will... entertain the ranked commoners. I am good with all kinds of people. But already having the captain like me, i have my foot in the door. Maybe through him i can get to the upstart"
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She sits a moment thinking eyes closed, walking the halls of her mind palace to find information. She then opens them.
"Well, the accent of Chelaxian means they must talk, that discounts the local bumpkins just using Quiet Warriors to describe a monastic order of Warriors who have taken a vow of silence. Humm the only reference I have to Quiet Warriors, are a group also called the silent blades. A company of fighters trained by the best assassins to dispatch opponents while remaining inhumanly quiet. Some say a they where a real bane to spell-casters on the battlefield and off. Sneaking behind the more martial opponents to take out their support before they are even aware of it. A deep strike combat unit. We would deem them special tactical forces. But I have never heard of them working or being based here about's. It would be fascinating to find out they are and why they are here. Could be another player has a piece on the board making moves like us."
She says with a slight smile.
"Captain Blake is very interesting and I would suspect some one open to blackmail or bribery. I think if he was offer noble rank he may fold to the coarse"
She closes her eyes once more thinking.
"I made contact with the two delightful ladies of the night, Darla & Francine, two Isgeri prostitutes that are well, Down-to-earth and friendly when coin is near. You know the types, They both know most of the underbelly of their Isgeri town and have gossip on the members of the ruling class, including dear Count Innavhar. I was hoping to see if he was into something deviant. So we shall she, I left them with a bounty for gossip of use and that was true. I find prostitutes always have the best information, don't you think Zartana"
She then opens her eyes once more. It's as if she is off someplace, another space in her head, and comes back from time to time to report.
"We need a printing press, I have been thinking about this more and more. The problem here is not that the ruling class dose not want to be in the fold of mother empire, its the locals masses. It is those we need to control. We need to find a clear and present danger to drive public option to ask for help. The normal tactic would be to destabilize the local political class to the point of civil war, and have at some point in the fight one side ask the Empire for an intervention. Our glorious army comes in and stability is restored. The locals are happy and the army dose not leave. The empire has grown one country. But that always leaves the expiation area weakened. Civil war dose that, but here we can used a known antagonist. The goblins threat, something in living memory that is still a danger. We need to recruit Captain Blake and possibly others to drive public option. We need to disseminate information that the goblins are once more on the rise. To do that we need a printing press, printing flyers passing on the latest news of the growing danger.
Fear will be our weapon here. We will start by over reporting attacks. There are always goblin attacks. But we will make shore everyone gets to hear about them. We will blow them out of proportion, in some cases just fake them. Once this news get out, the population will start to fear. We will use someone like Captain Blake to start recruiting troops. Building forces to counter the now clear danger. Sending paroles out, of course we can have a few get annihilated by the goblins driving more fear. My hope is the Goblins will also respond the incursions counter attacking. Now it should drive itself. Then when we get to a point we have Captain Blake or who ever we pick ask for assistance in some grant attack. To clear out the goblins once and for all. Now we don't want that to happen. We need a justification to keep our troops here. Having a Goblin danger that is always there means our troops always have to be here. From that beach head it is only a matter of time before the whole state is ours. That is what I was thinking as a plan. But then again, please go on with yours"
She says.
"I do indeed believe using the unseen elements to gain information. And yes. Those two sounds like a gold mine worth. Continual troops in the city and around is also a good idea. I still think we need to try and convert the head anti-chelaxian."
She grins
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"My lady, you seem to have every avenue thought out. Let us not beat around the bush. If we are to accomplish anything we need direction as well as purpose. A commander of this operation. A role which I would not deign to take, but which I think you are suited for. Are there any objections to this?"
"I am more than happy to take on the role of strategic leader. But on the ground you will have to think for yourselves. I will not be micro managing your activities for the Empire. I ask only that you follow the over all plan and keep the rest of use informed or at least me."
She smiles and pours some tea. It's her own tea and in fact her own water as well. In all the time you habe known her she has never eaten and thing she herself did not provide.
"Step one then is to find out just where the goblins are and what they have been doing of late. Let's see if any one is trading with them, and trying to police them. Step to is termination of the on coming danger story. This we need to proagite into the masses. How?" From there we can move to steos 3, 4,5 and six"
So with a two-tined plan you begin.
Upon your entrance into The Second City Aurilous was introduced to a Chelaxian merchant while at the local bar. Ahndal the barkeep, while talking to his new friend "Emilio," put a round of ale on the House for Emilio and Shakriyar -- a Chelaxian rug and tapestry merchant from Senara negotiating for trade with some of the upper-class in Isger. Perhaps Shakriyar will know of where you can get a printing press. ....And perhaps the group can convince one of its new friends to house the press for you. Then it's a matter of paper, ink, and ideas.
But as a group, you enter the Chitterwood.
The northern edge of this dark, hardwood forest still shows fresh signs of flame and smoke. Singed trees fight to recover their bark, roots working hard under the hard earth to squeeze out each tendril of moisture from the dry soil. New growth on the floor, not healthy despite the abundance of potash after the fire, struggles against mild drought.
Shod tracks, from Isgeri patrols, march here and there between the hardwood trees. And a large boulder a half-mile into the Chitterwood makes a great landmark and oft-used campsite.
Goblinoids are wise enough now not to linger this close to the edge of their ancestral wood.
But deeper in, no doubt, survivalists and trackers can find Chitterwood Caverns that will lead to lairs of Goblins, Norkers, Hobgoblins and Bugbears.
Going deeper into the Chitterwood and keeping an eye out for any signs of Goblinoid activity, you begin a longer search.
In the early evening of the first night Zartana, looking around for signs of tracks or geological features that would suggest cave entrances -- not to mention a safe campsite -- finds two signs of interest.
The first is a very good campsite. There is no source of water very nearby so beasts looking for such at night are less likely to stumble upon you. A creek is 3500 yards away past hillocks and heavily wooded copses. Further, the site is a wedge between two hillocks. Making camp in the wedge means you are not visible from the ground yet, by stepping up on either side, you have high ground. And there are two entryways or exits, meaning you can't be blocked in and you only have to worry about two fronts instead of four (or eight).
The second is a telltale sign of a cavern entrance. Seeing some Isgeri bats swirl around for a moment before flying off for their night's feast of insects, Zartana moved to the area and found the entrance to the cave from which the bats emerged. And in the Chitterwood, caves such as this oft mean goblinoids deep inside. While you haven't searched the cave -- beyond seeing some bat guano on the floor -- to see if it goes deep enough to provide a lair for some goblinoids, it does look like a good starting point for a search come morning time.
For now, it's time to camp. The cave, 5,000 yards out from camp in the opposite direction of the creek, can be approached after a good eight hour rest.
Aurilous on first watch
Lady Eyota on second watch
Zartana on third watch
Zartana informs her party of the things she has glimpsed
"Best take on the cave in the morning. Sleep now. Dont want to take on the goblins when are not rested. Not to mention in their own home"
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"I'll take first watch. The last thing we need are these blighters slitting our throats while we sleep."
"I only need to sleep a couple of hours a night. So I will sleep first watch, if Aurilous is happy to watch over me."
She says, taking a fine bed roll out of a some what much small pouch on her belt.
Moving toward the small cave as the sun begins its daily ascent it is readily apparent through the bat guano that last night, probably a bit after the Isgeri bats left for their nocturnal hunt, several small humanoids did the same. There are tracks in the guano, though how many and what kind is difficult to see without a trained eye....
The cave is narrow at the opening; a horse would struggle to squeeze through and even for you it is quickly claustrophobic. But after maneuvering in past the bat guano you see a larger cavern, about thirty-five feet in diameter, violently jagged. The treacherously sharp-angled floor is carpeted with guano while the ceiling is plastered with bats. You assume it would be wise to move in as quietly as you can lest you disturb the bats -- or anything deeper inside the cave.
Several feet in and on the left side of the cave is a ledge, nine feet off the various ragged cones and points and slopes of the floor. A five-foot tangle of branches, not unlike a nest, protrudes from part of the ledge.
There is no light source in the cave and only just enough daylight streams through the cave to provide low-light vision for half of the cavern.
.
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Zartana will do what she was trained for. Once her companions were ready venture further in, she will step back and fade into the darkness of the cave. Providing hidden support if the time should come for her to act
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Nods as Zartana heads in, She waits for her to give the all clear. She marveled as how well Zartana faded from sight,
I wish I had her in the snakes, she would have made an amazing operative.
She then slowly follows
Lady Eyota and Zartana do a quick and quiet search of the cavern as the louder Aurilous stays back, ready to charge in if needed.
The cavern bats are not disturbed and nothing on the cavern floor is valuable. The tracks reveal the presence of humanoids, but who knows how many, what kind, or precisely how old.
And the branches and such folded and bent together on the side ledge appear, at first glance, not to be a nest -- but rather the coverings of a small tunnel that cuts deeper into the rock, descending perhaps to the Darklands herself.
....Informing Aurilous of such, he enters as well -- trying not to disturb the bats, and you decide how you want to continue.
"We should wait here for the goblins to come to us. Then we can parlay with them while they are caught flatfooted."
As night begins to fall the horde of Isgeri bats stir and within minutes exit the cavern in search of their nocturnal activities.
Likewise, a few minutes later, the nest-like covering is shuffled around, traps removed, and a lone Norker emerges. He is followed by a few more until six Norkers, armed with homemade greatclubs and the daggers, javelins and shortswords scrounged from battlefields of the past. Homemade studs of cast-iron and other hard metals and alloys are woven into their leather armors. They each carry empty buckets and look quite thirsty. No surprise that the Norkers smell just like their Goblin, Bugbear and Hobgoblin cousins.
.
EDIT: If you are using Stealth, please roll so I can do an opposed Perception.
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looks back at Aurilous clanking in behind them.
"Hold! If we meant you harm you'd already be dead. We are here to talk."
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Zartana keeps her hiding spot. So far it wasnt needed to show herself. Which is good. Most creatures did not take kindly to her race. With good reason.
I hope this gets solved quickly... she thinks as she readies herself if things go sour
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"Well then...it would sure be useful if someone could speak to these creatures."
Says from the darkness.
"Not attack, here to trade, you talk we pay, just talk, for gold see"
Then a single gold coin lands at the goblins feet.