Valeeran nods and then calls out, "Good folk have you enjoyed our opening act? I hope so for there is more to come. Ah but where is the ringmaster? How can we proceed without his call to perform? Come, let us summon him forth so that the show can go on!"
With that he begins chanting Bernaditis name while encouraging the crowded to follow suit.
The crowd helps you chant: "Berna-diti!Berna-diti!Berna-diti!Berna-diti!"
You notice a large aligator, dressed in fine clothing and holding a teacup in one hand stepping outside. He wears thigh high leather boots, which fit together nicely with the red and blue velvet jacket he has on.
When he leaves his tent, the crowd goes silent instantly.
"You require my presence, good sirs?" he says in an absurdly posh accent.
Staring at the talking alligator like creature Skitter asks Valeeran "Do you have any idea what you're doing?". The wizard wryly responds, "No but why let that get in the way?"
"Ah Bernaditi I assume? Good of you to come out. We were just on our way to find you and stopped to entertain the fine crowd here. They were dreadfully bored you see. I thought perhaps we might come to an accord on how to further their merriment. You see we have need of a gem you possess and I imagine however we get if from you it will provide them quite the wondrous show." he pauses a moment to let his statement sink in. "So ringmaster how shall the show be called? From the look of things it would seem the little bauble has done you little good so perhaps it will be titled "How Bernaditi began the salvation of the Storykin" but then perhaps your meal has not yet turned to ash in your stomach and you prefer to play the role of the dragon in our own rendition of "Lady Kayle and the Wyrm"?"
As the bears drop, Anja lets go of her fury. She looks back at her new companions with a big smile and nods approvingly. Not bad! Not bad! They're not rookies, for sure!
As Valeeran plays the crowd, she non-chalantly drapes the ranseur across her shoulders behind her neck discreetly catching her breath. She paces back and forth across the width of the ring between her party and the small tent. When Bernaditi appears, her smile returns, though she continues to pace casually, her weapon resting across her shoulders non-threateningly.
The impeccably dressed alligator/crocodile-man sips daintily at his teacup while speaking.
"Ha ha, you are quite the extra-ordinary fella, aren't you? Trying to trick me, in my own home? I daresay old chap that it sounds preposterous enough to actually make me want to provide you with some knowledge you still feel you miss. I must admit though, I'm a -terrible- cheat, and usually I can't help lieing invariably."
Bernaditi pauses, and then he grins.
"Tell you what, my otherworldly fellow, I'll put a wager on this trinket that you seek. Why don't you lot prepare for a battle of wits against little old me? I'll let each of you ask me a question. Should you be able to catch me in a lie, I'll parts with my token. Note however, that I will require proof of my lieing, not just a 'gut feeling' or 'hunch' the common folk like to rely on."
He raises his voice, and it becomes heavier:
"However, should you fail, I demand to keep one of you as my “pet.” You see, it's only fair after you have disabled so many of mine." he says while looking at the two bears and the gigantic juggler.
The laughing crocodile also adds
"Oh, and the token you seek is cleverly hidden, so violence is pointless, wouldn't you say dearies?"
You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on Sense Motive checks against Bernaditi!
Anja's smile fades as she wondrously recalls one of the cards, though she'd only glanced at them while the casters flipped through them one by one. 'The Rakshasa' had a similarly dressed anthropomorphic crocodile/alligator.
"Seems a boring show. The crowd rather liked the violence, though. I rather liked the violence. Besides storykin, what kind of creature are you?"
"Well now that does sound like an interesting challenge. So we would ask you a series of questions one of which you will answer falsely. Our task is to identify which that is and provide proof of its falseness?"
Turning to his companions he asks in a quieter voice, "Your thoughts?"
"I will leave you all to talk amongst yourselves. Come to me to ask your questions, when you are ready."
Khar steps forward first "Of metallic dragons, which color of dragon can breath fire?"
"Good question.." Bernaditti responds while thinking.
Anja looks back at Efran with a dirty look. How are we going to prove that? Catch one and bring it back? She shrugs her shoulders and looks back at Bernaditi. It doesn't really change anything - she still expects a fight in the end.
Bernaditi looks at Anja and smiles. "You have no question for me?"
Valeeran ponders a moment and asks, "Well I suppose the best question to ask would the the one that provides the answer we first sought. So, where is the token we seek hidden?"
Valeeran stands intently waiting to see how the creature will respond to the groups questions when the weasel on his shoulders cocks his head to the side and then starts chattering in his ear. At first the elf waves away the commentary, responding dismissively in a similar language. That is until the feisty creature bites his ear and fires off another string of sounds.
"Ouch! Alright, alright...yes it's a fine questions...no doubt you're included too." Valeeran hastily says, rubbing his injured ear.
Turning to the larger grouping he says, "Ahem, my friend has asked me to translate his own question. It's a bit morbid I'm afraid but interesting in its own way. "What would happen if we killed you?""
His question asked Skitter gives an approving squeak and turns his attention to the reptilian man.
Bernaditti smiles as he ponders the questions, and after a while turns to you.
"I'll answer them briefly, so there isn't too much confusion on your part: I'm a storykin, and a rhaskshasha, I believe it's called in your tongue. Your quiver seems to hold more arrows than I have in the trunk behind my bed, and the ones in the bears added to them. The dragon that can breathe fire is the same one as our supreme draconic leader. Don't know how if you've met him?"
He pauses to let it sink in, and continues: "These poor homeless bastards that are currently my guests would have to leave while I'm gone. They would return when I return, and things will be like they were before, without any hint of your passing. Oh, and of course the token is hiding in my tea, right at the bottom. That would be the perfect spot to save something of immeasurable wealth, wouldn't you?"
He turns around quickly, takes a small bow, and takes the applause of the people in the stands.
"I will await your reply. And be sure to explain why..."
|
Motioning for the group to join him in a whispered conversation, Shan-yu reports, ”When he talked about the dragon, he swallowed 3 times instead of the usual once. That usually signifies a higher level of anxiety, and usually a lie. Now, I wasn’t involved in your little question session with the man we saved, did he mention anything about a dragon here?”
"Indeed. Our little friend there" Valeeran gives a quick jerk of his head towards the storykin they'd been talking to, "told us that the dragon Zassrion was a blue." He continues matter-of-factly, "As everyone knows blue dragons breath lightning not fire."
"I'm sorry to say beyond that falsity his tongue is far to slippery for me to have noticed anything odd about his speech. Swallowed three times you say? Curious. I wonder..." Valeeran begins rambling various theories about changing body temperature, pupil dilation and so on until a sharp squeak from Skitter brings him back to the present.
"Ah yes the crocodile. So shall we call him on it?"
Anja leaves the word games to the spellcasters and the monk, of all people, maintaining her sentry between the party and the rakshasa. She casually brings her ranseur off her shoulder and holds it in front of her, resting on her thighs, but more ready to strike than before.
Valeeran nods to his fellows as whispers, "Be ready then, he may hold to his word but he may well not."
Turning he says, "Well Bernaditti your words are quite eloquent but I'm afraid they've gotten away from you. My friend asked which metallic dragon could breath fire and you held Zassrion up as an example. As I imagine is well know in this land the dragon is neither metalic nor a fire breather but blue of scale and breathes forth lightning. Therefore this is the lie and the token is ours."
Bernaditti puts down his cup behind him and claps his hand three times. The audience in the tent goes silent.
"Agh agh agh, you are correct wizard. Off all my statements that was indeed the one that was an obvious lie, although I imagine you have only that man..." and he points towards Biyo Venna "..'s word for it.."
He pauses. Uncomfortably long.
"Take my token, my friends. I hope you know what to do with it, and can only offer my circus as a place of rest should you desire it."
Valeeran keeps his eye on the teacup as the Rakshasa puts it behind him. Giving a slight bow to the creature he says, "Thank you master Bernaditti."
He walks back into the quarters behind him, leaving you alone in the ring.
Anja walks over and picks up the teacup. She tilts it, and starts pouring the tea slowly out onto the ground, keeping an eye out for the jewel that Bernaditi claimed was at the bottom.
Songsmith’s Kiss. This garnet and gold pendant is worth
1,200 gp.
When most of the tea is spilled, Anja sets the teacup back down, and reaches in. She pulls a pendant out with her fingers, holding it up for the party to see.
Waving to the crowd Valeeran takes a bow and then says, "Well I hope we provided you all a new bit of entertainment."
When Anja picks up the token he asks, "Would you mind if I took a look at that?"
Anja hands over the trinket on request. "He really think we're going to want to relax at some slaver's home? So, which one next?"
Valeeran takes the trinket and examines it, turning it over curiously in his hand.
You also notice it's very obviously connected to the realm, having exactly the same kind of magical feel as the ground you're standing on.
Khar shurgs "The one in the Briar place sounds the least intimidating out of the rest, so that would be my suggestion. I don't know that it really matter either way where we go next."
"Most interesting...most interesting indeed. Well it seems we are well started. Even with just the one I can sense the slightest of pulls though it's too faint to be of much use. Shall we continue on then? The Briars is fine with me. Biyo what do you know of the place and the man?"
"Anja, please stand still while i take care of your wounds.
There you go, feeling better? Velena flashes a friendly smile towards Anja while her wounds closes.
After i heal Anja i turn around looking at my companions, my face clearly looks worried as i ask you all;
"What happened? All i heard was alot of cheering and battle, and then suddenly everything was quiet, are you all alright?"
I turn around to the the man we have been protecting and asks
"Pardon my manners sir, my name is Velera, what is your name, and can you tell us anything that could help us when we head out to this place called The Briars?"
Anja straps her gear back in place while she feels the paladin heal her.
"Thanks. I've got a wand, though, too, if you can use it."
"So how far is the Briar? We have to walk there? Or are there more portals or some crap?"