Snapjaw is very dead.
The Kobold is still unconscious. She has made a home from the large log. It contains cooking and living supplies, but not much of actual value.
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"This may also be a case of mistaken identity. The kobold seemed quite agitated by our presence and appearance. If I could have understood its speech, perhaps we might have some understanding of its concern."
Looking at Snapjaw and Dasiji, Aesantiel looks aggrieved, "Slaying the crocodile might have been counterproductive. I understand your position Dasiji, however the same can be said of warhorses and guard dogs."
"In any event, we should probably remove this kobold to her home before interviewing her, and keep the crocodile out of sight. Any cooperation we might expect will certainly evaporate if her pet's corpse is visible."
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Shouldering the bloodthirsty and the speculatively callous, Aesantiel hefts the druid over her shoulder, and strides towards the kobold's home. Out of sight of the battle, somewhere in the yard, Aesantiel binds the kobold to a tree (wood splitting stump? something). Aesantiel removes the blindfold. She checks the bonds on the kobold's hands, arms, and legs, and double-checks for concealed weapons.
"Irenal, if you can speak with her, it will be helpful. I may understand her for some short time yet, but I have no means of making her understand us. Please do translate." And Aesantiel splashes some cold water on the kobold's face, and chafes her cheeks lightly.
"Please let her know we are not enemies, but our respect for her abilities demands we tie her to avoid hostilities."
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Shouldering the bloodthirsty and the speculatively callous...
"Wha's tha'...?", a surprised Noa begins. "No, I don' mean twis' her hea' off! I mean magics or something. Bu' wha'ever, you gon' be happies' with wha'ever you do. I'm goin' over here."
Noa busies herself with getting the cart brought closer, though she leaves it out of sight as has been discussed. Then she'll try to gather any ammo that survived, and that knife that was thrown, and return them to their owners. She leaves the questioning of and judgement on the kobold to others.
The Kobold starts awake.
What do you want? Don't harm my children! Where is Snapjaw? You pink skins can never leave us alone!
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As Baru pulls the last knots of foliage from his armor, he listens as his companions begin to communicate with the kobold. Ignoring Irenal's translation, he says, "We may have bested her, but other travelers may not be so fortunate. It is obvious from her actions that she has no intention of peace with others. We would best serve Saraene by putting a blade to her throat." Standing a few feet away, he gestures with tip of his sword at the creature's neck.
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"I did not walk out of the desert, sail across the Inner Sea (a most unnatural undertaking), and go through an entire Academy training in order to kill every creature who I do not initially fully understand." Looking around pointedly, "Including stocky bumbling humans, infernal half-breeds, celestial half-breeds, singers, dancers, and rangers with hostility problems to animals. Where I come from, the lot of you look as savage, alien, and hostile to my people as she does to you. But my people sent me to talk to the world, and learn from all peoples I can find."
"My experience with you all so far has been harmonious and productive. It would sadden me to be forced to conclude that when confronted with the alien or the discomfiting, your only available reaction is violence. I have thought more highly of you all so far."
"I choose to extend an open mind and a forgiving hand to this kobold, if she chooses to accept it, and prove worthy of it. She is the first of her kind I have encountered in person. You all are interfering with my ability to establish communications with her, and determine what has caused her hostility."
"If she is a bandit, waylaying hapless travelers, then I concur and will support executing her. If she had some reason to believe she was in danger and needed to defend herself, then we will all apologize for the misunderstandings, make what amends we can, and part ways without further rancor. Because that is what rational sentient peoples do. Without that capacity, then we are as rabid badgers set upon each other in a pit, and none of us deserve to call ourselves 'People'"
"So, if we are all clear about not acting like bloodthirsty savages, then let's get on to conversing with this person, and hopefully repairing relations. Do you have any issues?"
This is the single longest stream of verbage any of you has heard from the elf. The fierce, cold detachment of the statement, laced with occasional hints of contempt, disappointment, impatience, and anger, is a reminder of just how different and alien a perspective she has, and how little you actually know of her.
With a small chill, you realize that she has just implicitly conveyed that her politeness and physical restraint with everyone in the party (and everyone outside her tribe) is contingent on her evaluation of that person as a rational sentient. There is a definite message (not a threat) that failing that evaluation puts that individual outside the pale of her defense, mercy, or sense of social obligation. And she has been named 'beastslayer' once already by this party.
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Dasiji's jaw goes slack with amazement when some of his comrades attempt to reason with the dangerous little spellcaster that ambushed them. He shuts his mouth with a snap, and looks at the sky. Well I hope they do it quickly. The sun isn't moving backwards. Then the elf makes a speech, and he once again finds himself closing his jaw with a click of his teeth.
"Hey now! I like animals in general, and they generally like me back; I only have "hostility problems" with the hostile ones. And I've agreed to safe passage with kobolds before, instead of just killing them all -- which is why I was prepared to shoot to stun, which is the only reason that she's alive right now."
"But for as hard as we tried to avoid hostilities, she wouldn't let us. It isn't good enough for me if she thought she was in danger; she wasn't, the misunderstanding was entirely hers, and the next victims of her paranoia might not be so well-prepared as us."
"Because it's not just about us. It's about the wider community, and we're not normal. Most people can't defend themselves anywhere near as well as we can. We might as well kill our neighbors ourselves as leave a killer behind, just because we won."
Dasiji is clearly as passionate about his own perspective, developed from his time in the Sargavan Guard, as Aesantiel is about hers.
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"You both go' a lo' to say", Noa says, walking up with someone's wayward thrown dagger. Maybe the productivity or the time has cooled her; she is clearly less upset than a moment before. "Here's some more to think abou'. Unless you fin' a bunch of eggs in tha' tree, tha' lizar' migh' be alrea'y make us ou'side wha's a person for her. If you go' an hourglass runnin', talk to each other la'er, her firs'."
Noa wastes only an instant more of the hourglass' time to meet Aesantiel's eye, then Dasiji's. She nods, and then goes in search of arrows...
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"So, agreed. We gather more information, from our only informant. Then we make a judgement and move on." Looking at Dasiji, "We need more information. About animals - I have no mission regarding animals, and they are your domain, not mine. I have not questioned your judgments, even though I have disagreed with them. In this I will insist that we not rush to judgement, and I will insist on having a voice, because I do have a mission and obligations."
"Irenal, can you please convey the offer to this kobold, perhaps ask her name, and ask her take on events?"
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Irenal looks around at each of the party members. He then turns and hisses "yth re ossalur erekess, vur tir ti jatil jacioniv levnim. svabol ui dout ominak? svabol tir wux siofme ui shinaltir tenpiswo?"
We are traveling through. We do not mean you harm. What is your name? What do you think is happening here?
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Baru hold his sword in place, pointed at the kobold's throat as Aesantiel delivers her tirade at those gathered before her. His face is emotionless as she rants, listening to her words. When she is through, he replies "We're all on a mission here, dear. We need to deliver Herr Rees to Escabar, less you forget." The tiefling's eyes seem to burn for a moment and he seems ready to say more. Instead, he sheaths this sword. "Have you conversation, but make it quick. We're loosing daylight and I for one would like to get out of this noxious swamp sooner than later."
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"Let her have her time. Maybe a gui'e can ge' us through faster. Or ge' us all killed. Then we woul' know who is goo' or ba', and we coul' stop tryin' to be better than each other. Because that don't suppose' to matter until then, anyway. You all can be too goo' for my tools, too goo' for me, don' matter. I'm jus' paid to hit things. We suppose' be Pathfinders, and we go' a long way to go, yet. So if some stupi' kobol' can put it's neck under our knife, and we gon' stab each other with it, le's fin' ou' now. You know... after she talks to the kobol'."
All big folk I have ever met have meant me harm, and most little folk too! I tend to my children here in peace, and you attack my home! No one travels through my home, that's why I live here. You big offs trample through wounding my children plants without care for them!
Irenal, as you watch her you don't think she has comprehended much of the conversation in Common, except for the tip of a sword of course. She also does not seem to have all of her marbles, if you know what I mean.
The Kobold says several sentences in Draconic before breaking off into sobs.
I missed that, when did Comprehend Languages get cast on you?
Rees, I agree with Baru, we should stop wasting our time here and move on.
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"Please ask her if she will guide us to the far side of her domain. In exchange, we will set up signs to warn people to ask her permission and her help to avoid harming 'her children'."
Looking at the rest of the party, "If we keep her with us, she may provide some value, and we can keep her out of trouble. If we set up signs, we can warn travelers of her paranoia," with a nod specifically to Dasiji, "and perhaps afford her a chance to gain some peace of mind and a better way to engage travelers. If we can come to such an understanding with her, is this acceptable to all?"
Leaning over the kobold, Aesantiel points to herself and says, "Aesantiel. Aesantiel." She points to the kobold, indicating she should name herself. She repeats this several times, or until she receives a response. As Irenal translates, Aesantiel will free the kobold from the tree, leaving only her hands bound.
'I just hope we don't have to kill her when she discovers her pet crocodile has been killed.'
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Noa laughs. "No, no... for the living, I give them pain'. Pigmen'." Noa laughs again, at her own accent, and begins speaking in an elaborate elven accent, "I would give them brushes and colours.", she says, twirling an invisible parasol. "They make their own signs. Bu' you mean is i' worth i', like maybe you shame me. I'm a Gypsy dancer, I go' no shame. I'm killin' things for money, I go' no shame. But I go' ideas, maybe you hear them, you see I'm on the same si'e, even if I'm no' better than everybo'y not blowing a golden trumpe'."
Noa visibly sighs. "I'm sorry. I seen too many quie' goo' people, made ba' people, by lou' good' people. So, anyway. Signs, yah. And whistles. Because if we gonna give her doors, we gonna give her knockers."
After a heartbeat, Noa again laughs.
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Dasiji hits his forehead with his palm. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he grumbles. "Look. No one reads signs with words. If you're going to do this, you need to make it graphic."
"So like, on one line, you draw someone prancing happily past the sign and whistle; and then in the next picture, there's a kobold with her arms raised, and the guy's tied down by plants with blood spurting out of his thighs, because they're no longer connected to what a croc's got in its mouth. (Like what they tried to do to me.)"
"Then below that, you draw someone blowing the whistle; and then in the next picture he's prancing along arm-in-arm with a kobold on one side and a croc on the other, all buddy-buddy like. I mean, I think this is a horrible idea -- but if we're going to do it, we should do it right. Which means no words."
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Baru audibly sighs and then walks over to join Nestor. Leaning against the wagon, he crosses his arms and watches as the others once again begin crafting signs. "Sarenae's justice is swift. We should be letting the lizard plead for her redemption before Pharasma, not painting her colorful pictures." he mutters to Nestor.
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Noa snickers at Dasiji's described cartoon. A moment later, she says,
"The trees will grab,
The croc will bite
The kobold laughs,
Hides in the night.
Or horn is blown
And coin is spent
And through the swamp
The three friends went"
"Only, we can' make horns, so whistles. Or drum. Drum is easy. But all this, too long to do. So bring her, we discuss her new guide business, or our old kill-the-croc-master business. It is a fork, no' a triden'."
Rees seems a little offended at the retort, but keeps quiet.
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Noa removes the blindfold she'd placed, meets the kobold's eye, and speaks carefully, in a succession of languages, each less human than the first.
"If you can understand this, stop pretending you cannot.", she says in common.
The Kobold looks very confused.
We’ve spent enough time bickering about what to do here. Rees grumbles as he hobbles over to her. Faster than you thought he was capable of moving, Rees pulls a thin sword out and catches the Kobold in the throat. He cleans his blade swiftly to the sound of her dying gurgles and puts it back in his cane. Shall we? We have a job to do! And it does not involve rehabilitating mangy Kobolds. He limps back to the cart.
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"I ain' go' no words for you!", Noa says to Rees. "Bu' you gonna wai' for words for her, now!"
"'Siji, ge' the ga'or hea'", Noa says, laying the kobold out restfully. "Bas'ar' jus' ma'e you in the righ', li'l dragon...", she says to the dead kobold as she unbinds its limbs. "This scarf, i's go' a map in the pa'ern, all the worl's. You go towar' the star, maybe you fin' a worl' ain' nobo'y so be'er gon' cu' you throa'."
Noa shrouds the kobold in one of her scarves, and puts her into her home in the treetrunk. If Dasiji has brought the gator head, Noa will set it beside the kobold in something like ceremony.
Then she gets back to the business of getting to their destination.
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As Noa begins to bustle, Aesantiel stands very, very still. When Noa moves the body of the kobold Aesantiel turns to Irenal and says softly, "Thank you for your efforts." Following behind Noa to the tree, Aesantiel pauses as she passes Dasiji, and says, "Thank you for your understanding, and contribution of creative thoughts."
Laying the small kobold to rest, Aesantiel says quietly, so only those who are gathered for a moment of contemplation can hear, "We never discovered her name. But she was right, and wise. 'All big folk I have ever met have meant me harm', and 'You big oafs trample through wounding my children plants without care for them!' Neither I nor any of us would be used so without lashing out. We have treated her poorly, and failed to earn the title 'civilized' today."
Turning to Noa, Aesantiel embraces her briefly, seizes her gaze, and says simply, "Thank you, my friend."
Aesantiel turns abruptly, shoulders her pack, and moves in their direction of travel. "We are losing daylight. And apparently we are in an unholy rush."
'We have failed to to earn the title civilized, and Rees has disqualified himself as 'person'. It is well for him that we are pledged to deliver him intact.'
The next couple of days of travel are quiet and uneventful as everyone considers the events in the swamp. You finally reach the sleepy fishing village of Pier’s End.
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Dasiji brings Snapjaw's head to the tree house at Noa's request, then adds a few words of his own. "She tried to kill me because she was a racist, and she half-succeeded. But she was also trying to protect what she loved; and I can't speak to whether the swamp is better off without her, because it's bigger than me. So let's move on."
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Baru follows along, not straying far from Nestor's side as the party travels. Although his manner seems to indicate that he is not bothered by the events in swamp, he remains silent in respect of his companions own contemplations.
The sight of Pier's End is a welcome relief. Baru breathes deep of the air, the scent of salt water reaching his nostrils. "That is a most excellent sight to behold. Reaching the north side of the island means we're almost to our destination."
After asking a few locals, they direct you to the nearest tavern, run by a surly looking woman named Jayne. Well, at least it looks like she might be a woman, maybe?