A muddy trail leads up to a swampy lagoon. The open ocean is visible just beyond these shallow waters, while an old two-story building, its walls soggy with moss and its roof sagging with age, sits on the lagoon’s eastern shore.
As you approach, you see a small figure come out and stand on the porch. "Well, well. Don't get many visitors around here. What brings you folk this way?" He seems friendly enough, though surprised at receiving visitors.
Leandro nods respectfully. "Warden Proudstump, I suppose. We have been tasked with relieving Sandpoint from the Licktoads' raids, and we'd welcome any help you could give us. It's well known that your mastery of the Brinestump Marsh is unparalleled, after all, and if somebody could help us navigate this tangled briar, that someone is you."
His left hand plays almost absent-mindedly with the Tangled Briar harrow card, twirling it between his fingers.
"Ya have some good eyes, Nikka. I've noticed it too... cerrtainly not an animal. I vas humanoid I'm surre... neverrtheless, ve move on, but be rready to be jumped." Saying this, Olaff draws his longsword, which he also uses as a machette to clear the way for the others.
"As Leandrro said it, ve need a guide... it looks ya arre surrprised forr us to be herre, so I believe ya verre not the one spying on us earrlierr, rright?" Olaff inquires, sheathing his sword and lowering his shield.
Staying near the back of the group, Sunishi will continue watching the edges of the clearing, letting the others introduce themselves and our mission to the Warden.
If something really is in the trees, he isn't going to let it get the drop on the group.
With Leandro voicing their purpose and Olaff voicing their concerns, Vance finds himself content to stand in the back and enjoy the atmosphere. After all, with every step it seems more and more likely that their adventure will turn bloody. Which is still something he struggles to wrap his mind around. Just don't freeze, and you'll be fine. Make sure you are doing something.
"Hello Warden. I'm Nikka and this is my friend Jakur. Do you happen to know anything about the goblins that might allow us to deal peacefully with them? While we'll be violent if we have to I'd much prefer to come to a deal with them if that is at all possible"
As she says this, she takes out a chicken bone for Jakur to knaw on. She doesn't want him going after any pets or livestock that Warden may have
"Goblins? Peacefully? You know if you come out here to make fun, you could spend your time better." He gives a light chuckle, then addresses other questions. "I'm not of a mind to guide you, but if you take the other path it runs right into them. Why we built the new path, can't go on the old one or we run into goblins."
"We appreciate the header. By chance do you know of a way that might give us the drop on them instead of walking down the middle path? Perhaps some sort of back way?" He inquires.
As Vance talks Tiltha's attention is caught by something else; the bit of scrap that Nikka has just produced from her bag. The bird hops over to a branch near Jakur, shifting her feet and eyeing the chicken bone.
"Do you know why they have been extra Gobliny, I guess that is to say, On the move, where they got the fireworks?"
Deep breath,
"Excuse me. Do you know if it is just the fireworks that have emboldened the goblins? Has anything else changed?"
"I don't know, they're off in that direction." He motions to the southeast. "I overheard that they're planning to attack soon, but beyond that, it's no nevermind to me what happens as long as they stay out of my area."
Noticing Tiltha's attention, Nikka turns to Vance
"Your friend seems a little jealous. May I give him a bone of his own?"
Tiltha's head swivels to Proudstump and she stares for a moment...then her attention turns to Nikka and she hops over onto the halfling's shoulder, impatiently flapping her wings.
Vance turns with a shocked expression. "Tiltha! Be nice!" He gives an exasperated sigh, then shakes his head and smiles. "Yes, thank you. Hopefully it will prevent her from getting her head chewed off by a creature ten times her size."
"Maybe the sneakiest of us could scout ahead and look for vantage points. Do goblins have some weakness that we could exploit?"
"Southeast it is then... hoveverr if ourr Varrden herre is not interrested in guiding us, I believe it vould be too rrisky forr us to simply go southeast vithout a trrail to follow, unless therre is one that ve don't know." He looks around for confirmation before continuing. "I suggest ve go back frrom the same trrail ve entered until ve reach the Lost Coast Rroad... then, ve trravel south along it, crrossing the Soggy Rriverr and only then ve enterr the Marrshes again... considerring how slow ve valk within it, I believe ve vill not loose much morre time, hoveverr ve vill be much morre safe."
At Leandro's suggestion, Olaff shakes his head with conviction. "Ya know how ve call these sneaky scouts back in the norrth? The corrpses. Ve do not rreally know the arrea, ve do not know forr surre verre the enemy is and on top of that ve know someone orr something is vatching on us. I say ve stay safe and togetherr."
Ryn is oblivious to anything a miss.
"Do you think it better to go through as you say or around as Olaff suggests Mr. warden."
Continuing to scan the tree line, only half listening to the conversations going on behind him, glancing occasionally at the warden but not really noticing anything unusual.
"If you guys want me to scout, I can try, I'm not half bad at sneaking through the woods but you're right, if there is someone or something following us I'd be hesitant to go alone," Looking at the group, "There are old rogues and bold rogues but no old bold rogues,"
"From what I understand of goblins, they aren't particularly bright but they're not mindless and are known to make use of ambushes. I say we stick together to avoid any unpleasant surprises."
"Problem with going off alone is no one knows when you are in trouble."
"Then together we stand." agrees Leandro with a smile.
"We now know how we stand, now how do we walk."
Ryn sticks his head out the door and looks around curiously.
"Yes, I think we should definitely stick together. Olaff, Warden said that if we just follow the other trail we'll find the goblins. As long as we get to a place where they use the trail we should be able to find their tracks. I think we should just keep things simple and take the trail that Warden suggested"
"Will that be all then? You're done intruding on my time?" The warden impatiently regards you. He doesn't seem to want to have you around for one reason or another. It could simply be that he wants to be alone.
The ghosts around Ryn seem to be acting up much more than usual. He gets the sense it has to do with the warden.
"What's wrong? I sense there is something more to what you are saying. Are there goblins here holding you hostage? I know you're not telling me everything."
Vance frowns at Ryn and his sudden confrontational nature. But perhaps the half-elf saw something he did not. Vance stays silent, looking at the warden curiously. After a moment he decides to scan the area for magic. "Ickrak'ey arcaniss." He invokes, his eyes turning forest green as they did earlier.
Olaff adresses Nikka's suggestion. "Ve arre all saying the same thing... the trrail the varrden suggested and the one I'm saying ve take arre the same. Therre is no trrail dirrectly frrom herre... ve need to rreturrn to the rroad firrst."
Olaff eyes the warden with suspicion, specially after Ryn's words. "Indeed, ya seem to be too eagerr forr us to leave... vat arre ya hidind, little one?" He looks him in the eyes before completing in a more serious tone. "I do not like to be lied to..."
The halfling looks even more upset, but in the disturbed not angry sense. "You come to my home and pester me! I live out here to be left alone, you wanted to know how to get to the goblins and I told you. What more do you want from me?" He's still clearly not being forthright, but about what you cannot say.
Leandro turns back towards Proudstump, brow corrugating. "What we want is to know the reason you seem on edge, and anxious for us to leave. And if possible, to offer assistance, like you offered your knowledge. Are you somehow under duress?"
Remaining oblivious to any trouble that might be happening behind him, Sunishi adjusts his backpack, his knives and re-situates his sword belt to make it a bit easier to draw if he needs it.
Looking around at the group questioning the Warden, just now taking notice something might be wrong.
"I'm concerned for you. I just wanted to know what is happening here for your sake and ours. I don't mean any harm by it."
Hmm. What would he possibly be worried about? Some sort of concern caused by the goblins? Or some other unrelated reason he wants us gone? Vance keeps his silence. He's not entirely sure what is going on, and the others are already confrontation the issue head on so he doesn't want to overwhelm the halfling. He observes quietly from the back.
"I was attacked. I am tired, irritable, and you are working on what is probably my last nerve." He looks very disturbed, and your attempts to assuage his concerns or soothe him seem to be very much in vain.
"I'm sorry that was my fault. I'm abrasive at times. If the attack was by goblins maybe we can help. Were you hurt? Was anything taken?"
"Perhaps it is best we leave him to his business. He was very helpful and wishes us to be on our way." Vance offers tentatively.
Nikka looks around to see if she can see anything amiss. Perhaps he is growing flayleaf?
"Look, you can be honest with me. I won't tell them everything. Us halflings have to stick together! But I have to tell them SOMETHING. You know what the big folk are like, they can sometimes get nasty if they think something is wrong"
Olaff spits to his right to clear his throat. "Verry vell. Vateverr is his prroblem, he doesn't vant ourr help, and ve have betterr things to do than stay herre and arrgue forr nothing. Ya arre rright, Vance, lets be in ourr vay." He looks around, awaiting for a confirmation from the others.
"Arrr, my thrroat is drry..." He draws his waterskin from his backpack and after a small sip he notices it is empty. "Varden, before ve live, verre can I fill my vaterrskin?"
Maintaining his watch for anything signaling danger, Sunishi scans the area.
I got a bad feeling about this. . .
Everyone is caught quite unawares as the creature you thought was a halfling morphs and shifts, then takes a swing at our poor halfling!
It misses its attack, perhaps due to the strain of having to put up with endlessly helpful and annoying humanoids imposing on its lack of hospitality!
Then somehow, you all are more aware now than it is, and are able to act quickly!
if local, +2 if know nature
Jakur is really unhappy at somebody attacking his friend and lets loose
for
for
for
Nikka will withdraw away
"Uh, WHY are you attacking us? What are you, anyway?"
"Forr Gorrum, vat monsterr is this? Nikka, stand back!" Olaff exclaims as he drops his waterskin at his feet. He quickly draws his sword and attacks the creature. "Rryn, Leandrro, time to prractice those skills ya verre talking about..."
_________________________________________
No cover from the bottom left hand corner of the square.
"Oh sh- Nikka, get clear!"
Leandro's blade flies clear of the sheath as he thrusts straight into the shapeshifter's figure. He shudders feeling, for the first time, the feeling of the blade cutting viciously into another creature. It's to protect, it attacked us first, Shelyn forgive me, I hurt a living being.