She smirks at her blind luck, noting their height and hoping she didn't stand out too much. Deciding against trying to walk past them with her stone with light casted on it she back tracks to another section and tries an adjacent tunnel in the hopes it isn't similarly guarded. However to mark the tunnel she has already explored she kneels down and claws the floor of the tunnel with an 'X' before moving down the next tunnel.
Ti'Itza nods to the Chieftess Tatiana and lowers himself down on his haunches. "I will watch Cheiftess. There are many more ways in but if you wish to wait, we wait. Tepti is strong, she will find her way." He was certain Tepti could handle herself for a long time and he resigned himself to waiting for her return or the coming of the small scales...
Tepti doesn't enter the area of darkness at first, she casts detect magic on it before entering to see what she is walking into...
Tepti grunts, exhaling and turning away from the exit the magic there could be a number of things but the Evocation magic was what she feared. Dying wasn't high on her priority list so she marked the earth with her claws and moved on to finding another exit...
Tatiana makes herself comfortable to wait a reasonable distance away from a tunnel. She won't make camp until afternoon, because maybe they do some more topside scouting before they rest in order to operate at night.
Ti'Itza scouts out the other entrances that he knows of, slowly making his way to the X hoping to spot Tepti in his movements. He makes sure not to go alone, just in case.
|
They have not seen her.
She manages to "form" behind them, and just outside the portal they grab each other tail, with she grabbing the tail of the last one of them, which doesn't seem to mind. They walk into the darkness.
She notices several steps they take, as a know route, which take them outside a cave, with the sun setting.
In front of you are Ti'Itza and the others.
A group of Kobolds get out of the cave, and face all of you. The first of them hisses.
"What you want? Our Land! No welcome!"
Tatiana smiles and replies, "We are a delegation of the neighboring kingdom and would like to discuss with your leader potentially alliances."
Tatiana smiles and replies, "No bandits, kingdom. Only kingdom."
She thought she was using words that the kobold understood. Tatiana tries again pointing to the stag lord lands, "The stag lord is dead. There are no more bandits there. "
"Yes." Tatiana answers concisely.
Ti'Itza translates as needed, allowing Tatiana's natural ability to be diplomatic to prove itself. He watches the Kobolds carefully, noting as they watch him in return...
Tepti stands at the rear of the Kobolds, listening quietly and trying to remain unobserved as she faces her companions. She was pleased as things continued on a positive note, she looked to Ti'Itza and gave him a small wave to get his attention while hopefully remaining unobserved at the back of the group...
|
|
Secret Messages: You can use Bluff to pass hidden messages along to another character without others understanding your true meaning by using innuendo to cloak your actual message. The DC of this check is 15 for simple messages and 20 for complex messages. If you are successful, the target automatically understands you, assuming you are communicating in a language that it understands. If your check fails by 5 or more, you deliver the wrong message. Other creatures that receive the message can decipher it by succeeding at an opposed Sense Motive check against your Bluff result.
Ti'Itza looks to Tatiana as the Kobolds starts to make their way back into their warren. "Tepti is here, should she followed them back in?"
Tatiana replies, "No, the costs of getting caught outweigh the benefits of any intelligence."
Tatiana leads the group away a sufficient distance to make camp.
Ti'Itza watched them go and chuckled when Tepti easily slipped out of their ranks. After she explained to Tatiana her findings Ti'Itza looked to the scaleless woman as he asked. "Shall we camp here then?"
"Yes, let's camp. I defer to your advice and translation of this lizard culture."
|
|
What Tepti can translate is that this "reptilian" civilization is completely alien to her. She comes from a culture that values individuality and nature, and this Kobolds seems hive-like, with constructions and symbolism completely alien to her and her experiences.
They weren't even able to pinpoint her as an intruder, as if even them can't recognize each other in their sameness.
About the lair, it is clean to a fault, and demonstrates advanced abilities and plenty resources.
And also some lack of security, probably based in a deep rooted confidence if their preparations for an attack or invasion.
We set watches among the five of us: Szymon, Tatiana, Tepti, Ti'Itza and Topper Red.
Tatiana suggests Tepti take the lead with negotiation being able to speak Draconic using the process to translate with Tatiana to support . "We're looking for allies, trade, farm land, and free passage ways for roads. We need to find out what they need, besides being left alone."
Tatiana suggests that they return home to collect gifts.
She asks Tepti what would be appropriate?
Tatiana asks Tepti what would be appropriate?
Any news from the other group(s)?
Can I quietly find out what the halfling has been and is up to?
|
|
Tepti mentions that fresh meat would be a good present for a Lizardmen, but she thinks it won't work on the kobolds, as they seem very alien to her own experience.
Anando politely welcomes you and then leaves, telling you he is very busy with "the matters of the kingdom"
You manage to get from the staff he has been very busy trying to keep the new kingdom finances adding up.
Topper Red attempts to remember anything about kobolds, their history, or potentially any political delegations that may have treated with them.
Tatiana takes the group shopping in their town looking for a set of masterwork mining or crafting tools.
Buy and bring the "very good" masterwork tools. Order the "regal" masterwork tools.