Katya gives a short snort of a laugh as Bea uses the simplest of greetings, her wry smile shifting as she considers what she can help with The Fitcher's plan, "Its possible the Lizardfolk have some kind of witch doctor or tribal shaman correct? Perhaps they will know of something to help us deal with the large plant monster."
Bea speaks aside to her companions, "Do they speak common? Anyone speak their language?"
The Fitcher is neither a linguist nor a diplomat. He stands placidly and patiently, rocking back and forth on his heels and humming. He is in no hurry, waiting to see what develops with the mud-people.
Vasily shakes his head. "If they trade, they must speak some of the trade tongue."
Deciding to continue her current communication strategy, Bea waves and calls again, "Trade?"
The lizardfold who replied before waves back. "What were you thinking of trading?" Its Common is oddly accented (as one might expect given its dentition), but understandable.
Bea sighs in audible relief. "Fitch?"
"I have a cougar pelt, claws, and teeth, if you're interested. We also know where you can find the shell and carcass of a giant snapping turtle."
"And gold!" She gives a sheepish grin. "Well, maybe they'll take coin?"
Silk rope and cures for poison.You have good things in return, maybe? The Fitcher calls out, displaying his toothy grin.
The two guards mutter to each other for a moment, then the one who's been doing the talking "That sounds good. Come over for more dealing." It beckons to you with one massive clawed hand.
The Fitcher takes the rope and antitoxin out of his pack, then walks slowly over toward the palisade gate, smiling his best friend smile. Hello to the mud-people! I am The Fitcher.
Vasily is glad to let the Fitcher take the lead, but digs into his pack to pull out the cougar teeth and claws in case the lizardfolk are interested.
Vasily frowns and edges over to Bea. He whispers to her "There's a small child screaming inside the palisade."
Bea's face stiffens. "I heard it too. That could change things - I don't take kindly to slavers." Straining to hear more, she reaches out with her senses towards the crying.
Smiling stiffly, The Fitcher's eyes turn a yellowy-green color, and he sniffs the air a few times.
Katya's hand subtly moves down to her staff, gripping it tightly as she whispers, "How do you want to do this Bea? We don't know how many lizardfolk there are inside the camp."
The island is a few hundred feet away. The water doesn't seem to be moving too swiftly here, so swimming isn't out of the question; you can't tell how deep it might be, though.
Fitcher, when the wind shifts you catch a very strong odor of lizard and maybe a hint of human. Mostly lizard, though.
The two lizardfolk haven't noticed your distraction, or at least have given no sign of noticing. One drags out what looks like a crude raft and calls, "I come get you, and we can deal."
Bea responds in a low voice "Can't tell anything for sure from here. Let's play along and get closer."
Waving to the lizardmen, she shouts, "Thank you! We'll wait here!"
The lizardfolk swims over, pushing the raft ahead of it.
Vasily nods at Bea and heads onto the boat, Strelka at his heels.
Bea smiles genuinely at the lizardman with the raft and steps aboard, but her eyes keep darting around as she stays alert for danger.
You board the raft and push off, the lizardfolk pushing the somewhat slimy craft over the water. At one point you hear the child cry out again, and the lizardfolk flares its nostrils and glances up at you quickly before returning to its task.
The Fitcher allows his Hunter's Senses to lapse , and pays no notice to the cry of the child. Sturdy raft, he comments with a toothy smile.
He turns the smile to the rest of the group, in an attempt to send a message that all is well.
Bea keeps a watchful eye on their lizard companion and reaches out towards the fort with her senses, searching for danger as they approach.
The Fitcher is going to hold off on drawing any conclusions as to the situation until he sees inside the palisade. He just keeps up his friendly smile.
Vasily glances back at Bea, sees that she isn't ready to start something here on the raft, then goes back to watching the rapidly approaching village palisade.
Katya maintains a wary silence, her own eyes scanning out towards the palisade with her detection spells running.
Katya detects nothing of magic on the approach. The cries have died away by the time you reach the island; the lizardfolk emerges from the water and helps you get the raft up onto the beach. The second lizardfolk guard remains inside the gate, apparently up on a walkway behind the palisade. It eyes you indifferently. The one who ferried you over says, "Now, what do you have to trade?"
The Fitcher shows off his fancy silk rope and his bandolier full of alchemical items. We will need room to spread out our wares, I think. And trading partners. Are you the only interested trader?
Shaking her coin purse, be adds "We've got gold too."
Vasily nods at the Fitcher, glad to let the other man take the lead. Instead of speaking, he looks around to get the lay of the land.
Every now and again, the guard still inside the palisade looks around its side of the wall. The one on your side nods to The Fitcher. "Only one for now. Chief doesn't like traders much, si--doesn't like your sort much."
A tinge of consternation shows on The Fitcher's face. "Our sort?" We come in good faith. In peace. We treat you as equals. We heard the cries of one of "our sort", but we do not speak ill of you. Explain why the young one cries, or there will be no trading with our sort. And we will rethink our peaceful dealings with you, maybe.
Frowning, Beatrix shoots Fitcher a look and steps in. "Now let's all calm down, there's no need for undue fuss. Maybe something's happened to these folk, made you wary of outsiders? If you'd tell us why Chief isn't fond of us sort, maybe we can fix things."
Vasily, seeing Bea has the lizardfolk guards well in hand, checks the top of the palisade and the gate to count how many other guards might be in yelling distance if this turned into a fight.
Vasily, it's hard to say--there's just the one guard that you can see, but the palisade is high enough that there could be others behind it.
Fitcher, the lizardfolk turns away from you with a snort. Then, when Bea starts talking, the lizardfolk fixes its gaze on her for a long moment, visibly calming down. "Chief, he's gotten strange since the ancestor spirit came to live with us. Stisshak's spirit has us doing things to scare the little human." It shrugs. "Meat is meat, but that's just wrong." It calls to the other one in Draconic, and the other one drops out of sight and unbars the gate. "I'll take you to the little human."
With a puzzled look on her face, Bea nods and follows him inside the fort.
The Fitcher seems unperturbed over being dismissed by the mud-person. He follows, but his eyes dart back and forth, like an animal in a cage.
Fitcher, you don't think he is. He seems contrite enough.
Vasily and Strelka follow Bea, wary and watchful for an ambush.
The lizardfolk leads you into the palisade. A few other lizardfolk are about, but your eyes are drawn to where a small boy is apparently secured somehow in a pool of mud up to his neck. Vasily, from the markings around the pool you guess that some sort of crocodilian normally uses it as a wallow, but none are currently evident. From the way the boy's eyes dart back and forth in panic, it would seem that he's also aware of the pool's normal occupants.
He's so terrified that at first he doesn't realize that there are humans around him, but when he does he screams, "HELP! HELP ME!"
It is at this point that something appears in the air over the boy. It looks like a glowing green lizardfolk skull, and it turns to face the party.
Moving with incredible speed, the green skull darts up to Bea and shocks her twice before she or anyone else can react .
Round 1 (ongoing):
Initiative order
Skull-acted
The Fitcher
Katya
Vasily & Strelka
Bea
The Fitcher reaches out and touches Bea on the shoulder, casting a spell.
He calls out to the mud-person. This ancestor spirit leads you down the wrong path. You see? It attacks us unprovoked. We must destroy it, but you can choose to stay out of the fight, yes?
He adds, It is another wisp! Katya, use your missiles!
Katya presses her hand into Bea's armored back, shouting a quick "Los bekir!" and a short cage of electrical energy forms around Bea before becoming invisible. Then, she takes a step back, pulling her staff up to prepare her next spell.