Lirisial chuckles at Kesten's suggestion, whispering back "I imagine we could. Though maybe not so soon as might be liked. The stars will tell the right time, worry not." She gives a mischievous smile to Kesten, and moves away to unpack her horse.
1 Pharast 4708
The first day of spring dawns cool and clear, and the group has a leisurely three-hour ride as it leaves Fort Kazmir and heads to the southeast, despite the last gasps of winter still evident in the chilly wind blowing across the plains.
The party then crosses into unexplored territory, leaving the plains for the forest, whatever warmth gained from being out of the wind negated by the deep shade of the towering trees. Massive oaks, still bare after the long winter, block any long views as you make your way along the numerous animal trails cutting through the underbrush.
The day passes slowly, cold beginning to bite at everyone's fingers and toes as you laboriously explore the area, putting down details of the area onto paper.
You have covered most of the area you plan to explore that day and the sun is deep in the west when Ivory suddenly freezes, her attention drawn to a clearing about 60 feet to the southeast. Bushes -- bearing a white radish-like fruit -- block your view of whatever might have caught the dog's attention.
You hear a strange moaning coming from ahead of you, apparently from the same clearing drawing Ivory's attention.
Draelen: and Ivory:
Edrukk:
Lirisial:
Orin:
Rupert:
Treshiell:
Something else:
Rupert suddenly halts, drawing his longbow and notching an arrow. "'Oy," he whispers, "There's somethin' moanin' up ahead. Orin, let's check it out." Rupert stalks quietly forward, ready to spring into action at the sight of something hostile.
Stealth
Perception
Edrukk brings Patience to a halt as he gets out his crossbow, ready to cover Rupert and Orin if trouble should break out.
Orin will dismount from Windswift and unslings his bow and nocks an arrow. With a nod at Rupert, he will join him in investigating the noises.
Stealth check:
Perception check:
"Easy girl" Draelen says softly to Ivory as he dismounts his as yet unnamed horse.
Holding his long, jagged hammer at the ready, he moves forward with Ivory beside him. He trails Orin and Rupert, but tries to stay close enough to come to their aid if they encounter trouble (40 feet or so).
Handle Animal (Heel trick DC 15):
Stealth (Draelen):
Stealth (Ivory):
Perception (Draelen):
Perception (Ivory):
While Rupert manages to quietly approach the strange moaning sound, the shadows make passage treacherous for those following him. Rustling leaves and a sharp crack as Draelen steps on a dry branch alert whatever is making the noise, which suddenly stops.
As you come up to the bushes, you see six small black-scaled reptilian humanoids -- kobolds! -- leap to their feet, screaming and grabbing their spears, inadvertantly knocking over several baskets full of the white fruit.
"Our radishes!" the apparent leader screams in broken common. "Ours!"
Kobold perception check:
Draelen and Ivory:
Edrukk:
Lirisial:
Orin:
Rupert:
Treshiell:
Kobolds:
"Hey, it's a bunch of farming Kobolds! I never thought I'd see the day, haha," Rupert laughs, as he lowers his bow but keeps the arrow notched. He looks to his companions briefly, seeing how they would like to handle the situation. One the one hand, the Kobolds have not yet attacked, but on the other, they are notoriously evil and could very well just be biding their time until they are no surprised and unable to react with time to think. "What should we do?" he hisses between his teeth, afraid to look away from the Kobolds in case they launch a sudden attack.
Draelen slowly puts down his polearm and shows his empty hands to the kobolds to make it clear he has no harmful intent. He motions Ivory to stay and walks slowly up to join Rupert and Orin. Draelen had always found that the smallest, weakest warriors responded the best to flattery and decided that there was no reason it wouldn't apply just as well to kobolds as men.
He speaks to the kobolds "Peace vicious warriors, we have no desire to eat your radishes. We are simple explorers mapping this wilderness, tell me, do you and your kin farm these radishes? We are quite interested in recording the deeds of the inhabitants of this land, and judging by your fierce demeanor, you obviously have stories to tell."
Handle Animal (Stay DC 15):
Diplomacy:
Rupert smiles and replaces his arrow back in its quiver, hanging the bow once more on his back. "Yeah," he says, "We're not here t'do no harm, we're just scopin' out the lands an' lookin' to talk t'some locals."
Diplomacy (to assist Draelen)
Edrukk continues to watch and be ready for trouble, ready to fire at the first kobold that takes offensive action, but otherwise simply watching quietly to see how the situation unfolds.
"We not farmers," the kobold hisses. "We Sootscales! We eat radishes. They ours!" It shakes its spear to emphasize its point.
Seeing that the kobolds are unlikely to attack unless their radishes are disturbed, Edrukk will lower his crossbow and comment, "It is a bit unusual for kobolds to eat radishes as far as I know. What is special about these?"
Treshiell sits atop her horse and watches Rupert, Orin and Draelen sneak forward to investigate the sounds. "We can hear you", she says as the half orc cavalier steps on the twig. The witch then sits back and watches the exchange between Draelen and the kobolds.
Treshiell motions her horse forward and she fixes her gaze on the lead kobold. On her shoulder her viper Thaal has begun to sway back and forward in an hypnotic pattern. As the witch is in line next to Draelen she commands her mount to halt. Thaal's eyes flash red as the witch starts to hiss in a tone alien to her normal voice.
"נידעריקער דיין ספּירז, סאָאָטהסקאַלעס. מיר זענען נישט דאָ צו פאָדערן אייער ראַדישעס מיר זענען אָבער אינטערעסירט אין איר. דערציילן מיר וועגן זיך."
lower your spears, soothscales. we are not here to claim your radishes. we are however interested in you. tell me about yourselves.
The kobold's eyes widen as it looks at the human witch and her snake, and he puts the butt of his spear on the ground, though he doesn't relinquish the weapon.
אני מקמק, לוחם משבט בהיקף פיח. אנחנו חיים במערות ליד הנהר עם הדג טעים" "רחוק צנוניות.
לספר לחבר כמעט רגיל בגודל שלך שעיר שאנו אוכלים צנוניות הירח כי הם טעימים. ייתכן שיהיה אחד. רק אחד! שתף! אבל רק אחד."
Tell your almost normal-size hairy friend we eat moon radishes because they are delicious. You may have one. Just one! Share! But only one.
Orin will lower his bow but keep an arrow knocked, just in case things go south.
Draelen seems a bit taken aback by the change in Treshiell's speech and manner, but doesn't take any action. He remains alert and tries to gain a read on the reaction of the kobolds to Treshiell and Thaal, but is unable to read their scaly faces.
Sense Motive:
1d20-1
The kobold's eyes widen as it looks at the human witch and her snake, and he puts the butt of his spear on the ground, though he doesn't relinquish the weapon.
אני מקמק, לוחם משבט בהיקף פיח. אנחנו חיים במערות ליד הנהר עם הדג טעים" "רחוק צנוניות.
לספר לחבר כמעט רגיל בגודל שלך שעיר שאנו אוכלים צנוניות הירח כי הם טעימים. ייתכן שיהיה אחד. רק אחד! שתף! אבל רק אחד."** spoiler omitted **
"Do you have any questions to them?", Treshiell asks as she dismounts and approaches the kobold leader. "They like radishes."
"וואס איז ברייטהאַרציק פון איר, מיקמאַק. מיר וועלן אָננעמען*", the witch says as she recieves a radish from the kobold. "זאג מיר, וואו איז דאָס הייל פון דייַן?"
That is generous of you, Mikmak. We will accept.
Tell me, where is this cave of yours?
"Maybe ye'should ask 'em if they've seen any bandits in these parts recently." Rupert doesn't like not knowing what's happening in the conversation, but chooses he'll trust Treshiell to know how to manipulate those weaker than her.
"המערה היא טיול ארוך בדרום."
It is a long walk to the south.
"דאָרט זענען אנדערע יומאַנז דאָ אין די וואַלד. זייער לאַגער איז דרום פון דאָ. וואָס טאָן איר וויסן וועגן זיי?", Treshiell says to the lead Kobold and stows the radish in her slingbag. The witch then takes a few steps back knowing that her charm hex will expire soon.
there are other humans here in the forest. their camp is south from here. what do you know about them?
The black-scaled reptilian figure's eyes grow large and it takes a step back. אנו נמנעים הגדולים, כל עוד הם להשאיר אותנו לבד. שן שארפ מגן עלינו" אז הם לא מעזים להטריד אותנו!"
"מיר זענען דאָ צו ענדיקן דעם גרויס אָנעס. צו צעוואַרפן זיי אָדער הענגען זיי פון די ביימער", Treshiell continues with a tone that could possibly be thought of as relaxing in her hissing speech.
We are here to end the big ones. To scatter them or hang them from the trees.
Who is sharptooth?
Do you know where the big ones camp is?
Do you know how many they are?
How much do you know about the region? Any landmarks?
and last: do you know a good place to hunt mice?
[ooc]More might come depending on the anwsers
At this point, Edrukk casts comprehend language so that he can understand the conversation, though still content to sit back and watch for the most part.
The little kobold hops up and down excitedly at Treshiell's first hissing response, lifting its spear over its head and shaking it excitedly, which it continues to do as it responds to her first question. It settles down then for a moment as the conversation continues.
"שן שארפ הוא קובלט כנפיים אדיר מי ומשגיחה עלינו ומגנה את הכף פיח."
"Sharp tooth is a mighty winged Kobold who watches over us and protects the Sootscales."
"The big ones camp along the fishy river, to the sunset of the Kobold caves. They are very many, definitely three."
"The Sootscales know this land well. We know where the radishes are, and where the evil mites live in their biggest tree."
"Mice are all over the forest. Try near the river. But not near our cave; those mice are ours!"
Lirisial smiles widely seeing Treshiell converse with the kobold. "It seems we can do things diplomatically as well. It gladdens my heart to see it done."
Edrukk will ask, "Do you know of any mines in the region?"
The kobold shakes its head. "No mines, normal-sized hairy one. Just Sootscale home. Ours!"
Draelen remains quiet as Treshiel and Edrukk converse with the kobolds. He's a bit uneasy not knowing much about his companions and not understanding the conversation Oh well, I guess that I'm going to trust them at some point and they seem like decent folk, although that woman with her snake give me the creeps.
He doesn't interrupt with any further questions.
Not understanding the conversation, but seeing it's progress so far, Orin looks at the Witch with a look of respect and bemusement. thinking to himself "Perhaps this won't end in bloodshed after all. That girl is definately a mystery" but Orin still holds his bow at the ready "We aren't out of the woods just yet, though."
With Treshiell's curiousity triggered, she continues her inquieries.
"Sharp tooth is a mighty winged Kobold who watches over us and protects the Sootscales."
"What do you need protection from?"
"The Sootscales know this land well. We know where the radishes are, and where the evil mites live in their biggest tree."
"Tell me more about these mites. Why are they evil?"
"There is a cave guarded by a bear nearby the big ones camp. Do you know of it? Do you know what the bear is guarding?"
"The big ones are led by an old big one. Have you seen him?"
"Anyone who tries to hurt the Sootscales. Sharptooth stops them!"
"They fight Sootscales, cause us problems," Mikmek responds with a hiss as he talks about the mites. Treshiell you recall hearing about the creatures, small, evil fey. They typically live underground, where they're a bane for dwarves and gnomes.
"We avoid any caves with bears, unless there are many of us. They are too big for even a warrior like Mikmek to kill alone."
"No. The other big ones do not talk, they try to hurt us, so we avoid them"
Treshiell listens to the lead Kobold and then turns to her companions. "Is there anything you would like to ask them?", she asks, now back to her normal ethreal voice.
"איר האָט שוין נוציק", Treshiell says to the kobold and continues with some gestures "מיר האָפן אַז איר פאַרטראָגן די מייץ און אַז שאַרפּטאָאָטה וואַטשיז איבער די סאָאָצקאַלעס. אפשר מיר וועט טרעפן ווידער. דו ביסט וועלקאַמד צו אונדזער היים, אָבער איר זאָל שטאַט דיין געשעפט צו די אָנעס גאַרדינג די טיר. מיר ימאַדזשאַן זיי קענען זייַן נאָענט מיינדיד צו עטלעכע געסט."
You have been helpful. We hope that you endure the mites and that Sharptooth watches over the Sootscales. Perhaps we will meet again. You are welcomed to our home, but you should state your business to the ones guarding the door. We imagine they can be close minded about some guests.
With that she curtseys to the kobolds and walks back and mounts her horse. She looks at her companions. "Shall we go?"
Draelen looks at the rays of sun filtering through the trees, trying to judge the time until sunset. "Aye, let's move on and find a place to camp for the night."
Once the group has moved on, he addresses his fellow explorers: "Well this could be trouble, kobolds are never good news. Now, the charter only speaks to banditry and other law-breaking, but I doubt these Sootscales are just innocent radish gatherers. What else did you learn from them Treshiell?"
Treshiell retells the details of her conversation with the kobold leader, Mikmak.
"The kobolds make a home in a cave by a river a long walk south from here. It must be nice because they seem very protective of their home. They seem to wage a war against the mites that live in a tree, but Sharp tooth protects them from evil. Mikmak could not tell us much about the bandits that dwell here other than their camp is along the same river as their cave, toward the sunset."
"They did not seem harmful. Do you not like kobolds?", Treshiell asks Draelen when she's finsihed. "I told them they are welcomed to visit us at the fort."
"I agree that they often have violent and immoral instincts, but until they prove threatening I think we should treat them respectfully, as Treshiell has. After all, we're not here to invade, only explore."
Rupert then squints toward the setting sun and says, "Perhaps we should camp here for the night. The sun is going down, and this clearing will probably suffice."
"I agree that they often have violent and immoral instincts, but until they prove threatening I think we should treat them respectfully, as Treshiell has. After all, we're not here to invade, only explore."
"Mikmak said that the Sootscales knows the area well. Perhaps they could guide us?", Treshiell suggests.
"This is probably as good a place to camp as any, and the kobolds seem harmless, even if they are demented. That will give us all night to ponder if we want to go to their home and see if their leader know anything more than these ones who are behaving like they are drunk."
"Well, that was a delightful diversion, even if I understood very little of it. Your skills prove very useful, Treshiell. Where did you acquire them?"
Edrukk, you think you remember hearing about the radishes, which are actually called moon radishes. They're not really radishes at all, though do look a bit like them, but are a rather sweet fruit.
You vaguely remember one story in which a young peasant girl was visited by a noble who clearly intended to have his way for her. Before he could, she fed him a moon radish soup. That evening, when he went to her room, he was unable to "perform," leaving him too embarrassed to ever return.
They are fairly rare, which might explain why the kobolds trek this far for this patch of them.
"Well, that was a delightful diversion, even if I understood very little of it. Your skills prove very useful, Treshiell. Where did you acquire them?"
"Thall knows, so i know", Treshiell anwsers the elven cleric and dismounts from her horse. She surveys the clearing for a few moments before declaring "Yes, this will do".
Treshiell starts to gather some twigs which she places on the ground in a random pattern that with some imagination could be interpreted as a border on a map. She drops her slingbag to the ground and Thaal slithers down her leg onto the ground where he starts to make circular patterns in the enclosed area. As he finishes the viper slides and disappears into the slingbag on the ground. After a few moments faint and calm hisses can be heard from the bag.
Content with the campsite Treshiell then unrolls her bedroll.
After collecting a couple of radishes, making sure to leave plenty for the kobolds, Edrukk finds a good tree to make a quick shelter under using the nearby foliage before he unrolls his bedroll in it and munches on one of the rabbits Orin scrounged up as he pulls out his tools to finish the crossbow bolts started at the bandit camp before going to sleep/standing watch.
As the others prepare camp, Orin will wander off some ways away a hunt for some food.
Survival:
Returning shortly before nightfall he brings back a brace of rabbits for all to eat.
After dinner, Orin will volunteer to stand first watch.