Know (local)
Kaylayne moves forward lest the others instigate a fight that might be avoided.
Diplomacy
"We are passing through, Horse Lord," Kaylayne says, trying to be polite. 'I have heard of you and your Velashan. I had never thought to encounter you, it is an honor."
Kaylayne moves to introduce his comrades, but declines with Ederin hiding.
"We have seen the star fall from the sky. It was a strange portent to us as well. We are merely passing through, Horse Lord. We should be out of your way soon enough," Kaylayne continues.
Ederin watches the horse lords from his place in the grass, bow trained on Windbraid as he sizes the man up. While they most likely don't mean any harm, he's sure rising from the grass won't be seen as non-threatening, so he waits.
Dimitrio bows, "Well met and thank you for your service. I hear you keep the other unsavory types off civilized folks."
He then adds, "Like she said, we are on our way to the elven city of ... what's that name of the city again?"
Windbraid smiles at the recognition as he nods with respect to Kaylayne. "Be careful of the elves, they have grown particularly twitchy of late and they do not take kindly to intruders. There was a time when we could hunt and gather wood along the fringes of their forest fairly enough, but no more."
"Now they threaten us with war at every front. I've heard tell there are pitched battles in those woods, but we respect their boundaries and do not enter."
He changes the topic smoothly, "But what of Riddleport? Is trade season beset with strife, or will we be welcome there?"
He seems to be trying to determine if Riddleport is in the midst of a power struggle, which happens every few years and really throws a wrench into honest trade. While there is one brewing between the Cyphermages and the Overlord, it's still just simmering. Not quite boiling...
"Crying Leaf, Dimitrio. Hopefully not much further to go." Lief looks over the Velashan and their horses. "Magnificent animals you have there, Windbraid. Do you intend to sell them in Riddleport? If you ask about the dynamics there, you'll find only a little difficulty between the Cyphermages and Overlord Cromarcky. There have been a couple of crimelord deaths, and power vacuums tend not to linger long when the fish in the pond are hungry. Thank you for the heads up, regarding the state of affairs with the elves. I think we'll be trying our luck, no matter what."
"Ederin!! You needn't hide from these men!! They are on their way to market in Riddleport, and mean us no harm, as we mean them no harm!!"
"Thank you for the information. I've been to Crying Leaf once, some years ago now. Not much there, but go with the wind in your manes."
He hesitates, "I see you already have mounts, but would you be interested in what we have to offer? Yours are not war horses after all, while ours are... and finer horse-flesh you'll not find unattached."
He invites you to examine their stock. If you are so inclined.
Lief sits in saddle, a little agog at the offer. "You honor us in offering us the chance to purchase, Windbraid. I would be a fool not to do so. An opportunity like this will never be mine again." Lief turns to the others. "I highly suggest accepting his offer. Those horses are the elite of the elite. They are as healthy as one could want, will not balk at battle, and provide corrections to a novice rider."
"Windbraid, please. How much for one of your heavy? Do you accept coin, or do you barter?"
I wonder how many horses we could get for Kaylayne...
Kaylayne inspects the horses, but more to be polite. She is happy for a positive interaction and is ready to move on when others are.
Know (Nature)
Lief sits in saddle, a little agog at the offer. "You honor us in offering us the chance to purchase, Windbraid. I would be a fool not to do so. An opportunity like this will never be mine again." Lief turns to the others. "I highly suggest accepting his offer. Those horses are the elite of the elite. They are as healthy as one could want, will not balk at battle, and provide corrections to a novice rider."
At the sound of 'novice riders', Dimitrio becomes more interested.
He walks over, bow-legged from the ride so far, "Aye, I could certainly use a better horse but I fear it's my lack of skill as a rider that hinders me most."
The bard then goes on, "Perhaps you have some suggestions on how to properly ride a horse. Oh and if you do trade and we come to an agreement on price, some among us are skilled healers that perhaps could be of service to you or your people..."
"We prefer barter, but as we're headed into Riddleport and not away, the gold has value as well."
His tone changes a little, and he slides into presentation mode. He shows off several of the larger horses to Lief. Impressive steeds indeed.
He describes their overall health and wellness, and their impressive intelligence. He makes it clear that each horse has the maximum hit points and provides a +2 untyped bonus to all ride checks.
Unlike normally trained 'war' horses, the horses are also trained for attack twice (so they can attack all creatures even undead). Their full tricks list is: attack x2, break out, come, defend, down, guard, heel, and serve (Handle Animal 10 for the eventual owner of any given horse).
These horses do come at a premium however. The light war horses are 400gp, while the heavy are a substantial 1,000gp.
Lief grinds his teeth a little, as the price surfaces. He knows exactly how much coin he carries currently, so understands he is painfully short of 1000gp. He reaches for his neck, pulling up and over his head the Amulet of Natural Armor +1 he wears.
"I will gladly part with this, but I paid twice the worth of one of your horses for it. Can we negotiate?"
"Of course. Perhaps one of your tribe would also like a heavy horse? Or perhaps, for so fine an item, we'll give you 3 of our lighter horses and your heavy for the amulet?"
He looks to the others to see if there's any interest. If not, he'll refund the difference in cash, though he collects a little from his riding companions to get enough cash to make it work.
The simple advanced template is: Increase natural armor by +2; Ability Scores +4 to all ability scores (except Int). In addition, it also gains a bite attack that inflicts 1d4 damage, and its hoof damage increases to 1d6.
EDIT: added some more information about purchased horses.
Lief grinds his teeth a little, as the price surfaces. He knows exactly how much coin he carries currently, so understands he is painfully short of 1000gp. He reaches for his neck, pulling up and over his head the Amulet of Natural Armor +1 he wears.
"I will gladly part with this, but I paid twice the worth of one of your horses for it. Can we negotiate?"
Dimitrio puts a hand on Lief's shoulder, "Wait kid, you'll need that. I can spot you what you need..."
"And if the horses are as good as they seem to be, I may buy you a light horse for my own. One that's calm and easy to ride, please."
Ederin raises his bow in the air before he walks from the grass and rejoins his companions. He nods respectfully at the horse lords before joining the negotiations.
"How long do you think we're gonna need our horses for?" Ederin says when he hears Lief bartering for one of the larger ones. "And how much do you need kid? I've seen you hit the floor more than I like, you need that amulet, I can loan you some gold."
Kaylayne neither helps nor hinders the horse purchases. She agrees that they are fine beasts, but the practicality of owning one in Riddleport seemed a bit far fetched. After all, there wasn't any parking stable attached to the Gold Goblin, which means finding street stabiling...and the costs of that were impractical to the value.
Then again, Lief was young and rich. Having a horse of his own is the kind of thing foolish kids do. She waits patiently.
"I agree with Ed. Although, I've never seen finer horse flesh, I don't think you'll have use for it once we are back at the goblin," Garridan suggests.
You make your purchases (1,000gp from Lief and 400gp from Dimitrio) and wave goodbye as the horsemen mount up and ride toward Rilddleport with their remaining steeds. You travel the rest of the day, some of you in more comfort than others (damn those horses are nice!), ending that evening at the edge of the Mierani Forest. The forest is dark and foreboding in the warm evening air.
On the final day of travel, the faint hunter’s trail dips under the dense canopy of the Mierani. The forest itself is a place of ancient life, with immense fir trees, pines, and edwoods making up the majority of the flora. Off the trails, undergrowth and ancient deadfalls make travel difficult, but there are countless narrow trails crisscrossing the woodland that can afford more rapid travel - if you find the right path.
You, at least initially, choose to remain on the hunter’s trail; as narrow as the trail is, it constitutes the main route into the woodlands and the settlement of Crying Leaf. The route skirts the forest’s southern edge, never going further than a half-mile into the depths as it winds its way.
Within hours of entering the forest, it grows quiet. It is getting on to late morning - not the usual time for quiet. Suddenly, and quickly, a loud roaring is heard as three large dragonish looking creatures (image) fly in under the canopy! These green-scaled dragons have two powerful legs and a pair of long, leathery wings. A long spike adorns their thrashing tails.
There are some rustling noises in the forest all around you, but nothing can be seen save the drakes at this time.
Dimitrio
Ederin +2 in urban terrain
Garridan
Kaylayne
Lief
Good Guys
Blue
Red
Green
As comfortable as the horse was, Dimitrio knew he was not ready for mounted combat.
He slipped off the saddle and scanned the sky waiting for one of the beasts to come near him.
The bard yelled at Ederin, "Shorty, you got target practice. I hope you're up for it!"
Dimitrio wisely dismounts and readies to swing should one come close enough.
Meanwhile, Green swoops down and breaths a gout of acid that encompasses Lief, Ederin, Lief’s horse and Ederin’s horse. Blue also swoops down and breaths a gout of acid, and his encompasses Dimitrio, Kaylayne, Dimitrio’s horse, Kaylaynes’ horse, and Garridan’s horse. Normal horse stats (link). Dimitrio and Lief remember your horses are special. You can all roll your saves on your initiatives.
If your mount falls out from under you due to damage, you can DC 15 Ride to soft fall and land on your feet with no damage. Otherwise it's a d6 and prone.
Reflex DC 14 for half
Reflex DC 14 for half
The acidic spray forms a cloud over the party briefly before it dissipates.
Round 1, Init 18
Reflex vs. DC 14 -Horse (8 damage)
Reflex vs. DC 14 -Kaylayne (17 damage)
"Ah, piddlespot!" Kaylayne says as she takes the brunt of the damage from the acid. It was really nice of her to use her body as a shield for the horse.
She dismounts, putting the horse between her and the critter. She is happy to let the untrained mount go where it will.
Piddlespot. Piddlespot. Piddlespot.
Collecting what she can of her courage, she casts [i]Call Lightning and sends a jagged bolt at green.
Lightning vs. DC16 reflex for 1/2
[ dice]1d20+7-2[/dice] to hit; (rapid)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
+4 Bab +3 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS
1d6 + 1 magic +1 PBS
Pearl of Power 1: 0/2 used
Pearl of Power 2: 0/1 used
Scroll of Water Breathing
Wand of CLW: 4 charges left
Wand of Magic Stone: 28 charges left
Wand of Lesser Restoration: 21 charges left
Ring of the Ram: 20/36 charges left
10 Adamantine Stones
20 Cold Iron Stones
10 Silver Stones
Kaylayne strikes green with lightning.
Red too, as you might have guessed, swoops in for a breath. He (or she? hard to tell really) targets Dimitrio, Ederin, Garridan, Ederin’s horse, and Garridan’s horse.
Reflex DC 14 for half
The acidic spray forms a cloud over the targets briefly before it dissipates.
Round 1 - Initiative 13-
HP: 20/42 Horse HP: 0/15 - Staggered
AC: 22 (Touch 14/ FF: 18)
Equipped Weapons: +1 Composite Longbow +1
Conditions:
Relevant Data:
+6/+1 BAB
+4 Dex
+1 Bow
+1 Weapon Focus (Longbow)
Improved Precise Shot - No negatives from partial Cover or partial concealment
29 Arrows (Standard)/ 24 Blunt Arrows (15 Silvered (Blanch) 6 Silvered (Alchemical))
Rangers Focus +4 to Attack and Damage on Target until dead
"S%#@!" Ederin shouts as torrents of acid wash over him and his mount very nearly killing them both. Seeing that his horse can barely move anymore he rolls from the saddle and moves from the rest of the group, not wanting to give these things any more chances to target multiple members of the party.
From his spot in the trees he eyes the drake Kaylayne cast her spell against and focuses all his attention on it as he fires a single arrow through the air.
, pass 8 hp
, fail 17 hp
, pass 6 hp
"S~%#, s@&!, s!%&!" Dimitrio ducks out of the way of the acid clouds but sees his horse fully enveloped by the noxious gas.
He yells at his horse, whom he affectionately called Chiquita, to run away, "Shooo, shooo, Chiquita!", hoping it take some sort of cover from the dragons.
He then pulled forth his dust and sent it flying at one of the dragons. The dust expanded around the beast, which now sparkled in the sun.
Garridan quickly realizes he should follow Dimitrio's example and dismounts. Once he has firm ground beneath him he draws his rapier.
Dimitrio. You have, I think, a move action left. Your horse won't move, it's too well trained, without a command. So give it a command and roll the handle animal check (a move action). Remember your handle animal with this fine steed is at +10 as per the serve trick.
Garridan. Your horse collapses beneath you. Please make a DC 15 ride check to avoid damage and being dropped prone.
Lief acknowledges his companions' wisdom, tucking his Amulet back into his shirt, sheepishly. He pulls from his coin pouch 300gp, in an attempt to ante up roughly a third of the expense. He gratefully takes 350gp from both Dimitrio and Ederin, not seeking to deplete one more than the other for their gracious offer.
He wanders between the horses, seeking a certain feeling about his selection. He studies two horses intently, until he's nudged from behind. Turning, he takes in a large horse by any measure, its chalky coat hard to pin down for its color. Its large black eye studies him as much as he studies the horse. The young man grunts, and the horse snorts. It is decided mutually.
...
Round 1, Init 8
AC = 18
HP = 24/33
Weapon Equipped = +1 Rapier
Condition(s) = Unnerved by giant dragon-like thing
AC = 13
HP = 17/26
Weapon Equipped = Natural- Hoof(1d6+3) and Bite(1d4+2)
Condition(s) = None
The horse seems to encourage Lief to dismount, and Lief complies, drawing his rapier as he hits the ground. He studies the Red, expecting any moment now he'll have to deal with its attempt on the horsemeat.
Garridan’s horse collapses beneath him. He stands and draws his rapier, ready for the creatures eventual descent. Ederin strikes green with an arrow. Lief readies a smack down as he dismounts. Dimitrio tries to tell his horse to move away, but absent an actual command, the horse stands at attention, proud to be in battle with its master. He also tries to blind Blue.
vs DC 14 or be blind
All at once, from throughout the nearby forest, elves appear from the underbrush and attack the flying creatures with their bows!
One man, clearly the leader, does particularly well against the Green one.
He drops it with his first shot, and turns his bow to Blue...
The others focus their attacks with their leader’s, and shoot from all over the battlefield. For a moment the sky seems filled with arrows.
Green plows into the dirt taking an additional damage from the fall. Blue, seeing all the new s+*%, decides that you're not worth it, and flies off... fast. He moves 180' this round into the forest and is almost impossible to see.
Round 2, Init 18
"Ah, elves!" Kaylayne says as she aims a Call Lightning bolt at red.
Lightning vs. DC16 reflex for 1/2
[ dice]1d20+7-2[/dice] to hit; (rapid)
[ dice]1d6+2[/dice] damage.
+4 Bab +3 Dex +1 magic +1 PBS
1d6 + 1 magic +1 PBS
Pearl of Power 1: 0/2 used
Pearl of Power 2: 0/1 used
Scroll of Water Breathing
Wand of CLW: 4 charges left
Wand of Magic Stone: 28 charges left
Wand of Lesser Restoration: 21 charges left
Ring of the Ram: 20/36 charges left
10 Adamantine Stones
20 Cold Iron Stones
10 Silver Stones
Kaylayne launches another bolt from the sky, this time at Red.
Red takes the hit (3hp), and looks around. Clearly not a fool, Red too flies off - also bursting for speed, some 180’ away.
We are out of initiative.
The elves come out of their hiding places and walk toward the party. Their bows are out, but not ready, as they approach. Their leader, the one that dropped Green so quickly, stops and says, ”I am Kaerishiel. Why have you come to the Mierani Forest?”
They stand quite still, as if a lot rests on your answer.
Lief stands in awe of the hail of arrows. He almost walks away from his horse to introduce himself, before he regains himself. He collects his new animal, and moves forward to speak to the leader.
"My name is Lief Anemoi. My companions, Kaylayne, Ederin, Dimitrio, and Garridan. We have been sent by Kwava. We understand you may be familiar with him and his organization. We bear two journals, written in drow language, explaining very cryptically the course of recent events. We want the Crying Leaf elves to have them, to read them, and to provide advice for what may need to be done."
What? Is that even right? Kaylayne reacts to what Lief says, but she nods along unsure that these are the ones they want to speak with.
Diplomacy to aid
Ederin whistles appreciatively as the Elves beat back the winged beasts, enjoying the sight of one of them crashing into the earth. He collects his horse and helps the injured beast slowly over to the rest of the group.
"Thank you for the rescue mates, we'd probably have beaten them but not without takin' more damage. What Lief says is right, we got some paper and ink that needs to be delivered." He then looks to the rest of the group.
"Which of you lot got those wands we picked up? I could use a hit, but this horse needs it more.
He nods curtly to Lief, ”We’ve been expecting you. Tend to your wounds, and we should move along. Drakes often return, and their acid breath will be refreshed when they do.”
"Silvana, help these men with healing please." A young elvish woman moves to the group, lowers her bow, and, displaying Erastil's holy symbol, she channels twice.
She returns to her spot in line. Kaerishiel waits patiently as do his troops.
Kaylayne blinks at the elven hospitality, not used to receiving welcome from their kind. She'd usually found them to be disagreeable as a rule in the past.
"Thank you, Silvana," Kaylayne says. "Do you have many problems with 'drakes'? Seemed like you were chasing them to come upon them so soon after they beset us."
Kaylayne goes over to examine the one they killed. She lifts up a wing and examines the creature's teeth and fangs. She shakes her head.
"Sure glad you guys found us."
Lief takes a moment to study the downed drake, up close. He comes up alongside Kaylayne.
"Is there anything of worth on its carcass?"
Lief mounts his horse, and does his best to remain in-saddle as they are commanded to follow the troop of elves. He would very much like to not be here when the drakes decide to return.
Lief, other then maybe taking the head to have it mounted, there's nothing of particular value in the carcass as far as you know. Do you take the time to chop off the head?
Kaerishiel turns to Kaylayne and answers, ”We’ve been following you since you entered the forest. The Drakes are an annoying nuisance. We should get going, and please be quiet. We don't want to attract more of them.”
- - -
After the channelling, Garrdian's horse is still down 5 and Ederin is down 6. Everyone else is at or near max I think.
"So did we need to get bathed in acid before you planned on revealing yourselves?" Ederin asks with a groan as he remount his horse. "Wouldn't have minded maybe meetin' you a few minutes earlier."
He takes the reins in one hand but keeps his bow in the other, not quite ready to put it away. "I'm ready when you lot are, let's get this done."
"Is there anything of worth on its carcass?"
"I don't think we have time to figure it out now. Their kill in their forest means it's their carcass," Kaylayne answers Lief.
"What are you going to do with this carcass? Leave it to feed the others?" Kaylayne asks Silvana.
"Oh, no doubt. I'm only inquiring with someone who understands magic, and where special components are involved. We don't have time to actually behead the thing and bring it to market. Like Kaerishiel cautions, we need to move on. I only wanted to know what we might have left behind."
Lief rides somewhat nearby Kaerishiel. "How far before we're reasonably safe from drake attacks? Do you have to worry about them in your village? The creatures seem smart enough to avoid what is likely a deathtrap to an unwary drake."
Dimitrio covered his head when all the arrows filled the air. The cavalry had arrived.
The bard wasn't as sure as Ederin about them being able to take of the drakes. That acid breath was very corrosive and now all his clothes were ruined! The bard started fixing things up with minor magic; he wanted to look his best for the elves. He always had wanted to meet an elven girl; it was sort of in his bucket list.
Dimitrio bowed with a flourish, "Dimitrio Carini, at your service. As my friends explain, we bring tidings from Kwava."
He thanks Silvana for the healing and makes sure his horse is ready to go before mounting once more. Somehow he managed to sit straighter given all the elven eyes on him.
Garridan's horse collapses beneath him but fortuanatle he manages to land on his feet. He approaches the poor beast and lays his hands on it as he prays over it.
Silvana says nothing, but smiles politely at Dimitrio.
Kaerishiel looks upon the continued questions a bit angrily, but simply says, "We'll leave it to the forest yes, and we would have met you sooner if we had known of the Drakes. We were observing your actions."
He looks at Lief, "They are intelligent and do not bother the village. Now, let us go." He smiles at Garridan’s quiet.
You travel the rest of the day in relative silence (unless you speak further of course). The elves shift, two by two drifting in and out of sight as they check near the trail ahead of the main group. You find yourselves moving at a walking pace, so you can continue to ride slowly or walk your horses.
Up ahead, the forest begins to thin somewhat, but a screen of plants prevents observation of what lies within. After a moment, one of the elf scouts approach the screen, which turns out to be a solid wall of thorny vines. She puts a small silver whistle to her lips and blows three times. As the last twittering note begins to fade, the wall of vines springs to life, pulling back to reveal a small settlement in a clearing on the other side.
The village of Crying Leaf is a modest one, with low structures made of gracefully shaped stone and wood that has been carefully decorated and carved. What is immediately apparent is that this settlement has seen battle recently. A number of the buildings bear burn marks and other damage, and all of the citizens are armed with bows and swords.
Kaerishiel quickly leads you to a low stone building near the SE edge of town where you can stable your horses and refresh yourselves from your journey. ”I’ll return within the hour. Please rest.”
Many of the locals follow you and loiter around outside, trying to catch a glimpse of your group. Eventually they drift along with better things to do.
The building you’re assigned contains three chambers: a central room, a simple bathroom, and a simple dorm containing eight woven reed mats for sleeping. An oak table surrounded by gracefully carved chairs dominates the main chamber. Atop this table is a mound of fruits and vegetables freshly harvested.
Dimitrio unsaddled his horse and watched to see what needed to be done. He was fairly happy with Chiquita and there was no doubt that the ride had been a lot easier and more enjoyable on the new horse.
Thinking back on the elf Silvana, the bard asked, "Er, I know we just came here to uh- deliver the journals and leave, but what do you all think about hanging around for a while?"
He cocks his head, "We could make this into a talent scouting of sorts. I can dance some for the elves to show how it's done in Varisia and perhaps they can show us their folklore. Who knows maybe one of them would like to go back to Goblin and perform there, eh?"
"Hmm, dancin' for the elves, eh? This lot certainly seems like they could use some entertainment." Ederin considers Dimitrio's idea as he inspects the area they've been given, picking up a few pieces of fruit to chow down while he stretches his legs.
"I won't be dancin' but I wouldn't mind seein' if I'm a better shot than Kaerishiel. Proper archer that one."
He doesn't engage any of the elves wandering around, but Ederin does spend their free time sizing them up, trying to see what kind of general mood is about the settlement and just how welcome a group of humans is.
Ederin, the community of Crying Leaf is small, and unlike Riddleport in many, many ways, but it is still urban, so +2 applied.
That said, you're left alone only about an hour, and you're not talking to anyone so there's not much to gather a sense of. The elves that sneak peaks of you are all military types, apparently off duty. Further, you'd guess that no one here is new to combat from their behavior and general bearing. These are seasoned troops.
You'll have an opportunity, probably, to delve deeper later, maybe tomorrow if the party remains here any length of time.
Lief listens to Ederin and Dimitrio discuss the elves, while he partakes of the fruits and vegetables. He takes note of the surrounds, the people, and listens casually to conversations occurring near their place of resting.
"So, we'll need to keep an eye out for drakes on our way out. You don't suppose the elves will escort us out of drake territory?" He misjudges a new fruit for its content, and dribbles an orange-red juice down his chin.
Lief doesn't hear anything in particular. The building is off a bit from the next one and the elves are giving you some distance. The elves who initially congregated talked about how you looked mostly, before drifting off. They wondered how you could hear anything with such small ears.
Kaylayne joins Lief in partaking of the fruits and raw vegetables. She takes a few and finds a place where she can relax as she eats, watching the strangely militaristic encampment.
"These elves are pretty military. It's like they are at war within their own forest. Either this forest is *that* dangerous, or they are facing some sort of threat. Look...see?" Kaylayne points out seasoned troops.
"These guys have been doing this for a while. Given how slowly elves age, some of them might have been fighting for a long time. We should be careful here, lest we get drawn into their conflict."
"Ain't we already drawn in?" Ederin says grabbing some more food as he talks. "We killed how many drow for 'em? Uncovered some plot by their worst enemies, and now we're sittin' in their territory eatin' their food. Bet all my gold it was Drow they fought."
Kaerishiel comes to get you in about an hour. ”Eviana, our high councillor, will see you now. Please come with me.” Assuming you go along, the party is lead to a large central building, through a few entry chambers with elves crisply saluting Kaerishiel, and into a lavish meeting/dining room.
Seated in a high-backed chair of polished white birch, Eviana Nirgassan, the head of Crying Leaf, is a striking figure (image). Her high brow is set with a thin metal circlet, and small gemstones sparkle in her hair. Although richly dressed in a finely made gown, the hilt of a sword is clearly visible at her waist. Kaerishiel strides up to take a seat at the table to her right. As she indicates to you that you should be seated at the table as well, she speaks.
“Please, be seated,” Eviana says in light and friendly voice. “I received word from Kwava that you were coming, bringing with you knowledge that might help us with our situation, deeper in the Mierani. My people and I are grateful that you made this journey. As you can likely guess, we are in a delicate position. It would be best if what you learn here does not spread beyond the bows of the Mierani. Do you agree?”
If you agree, she goes on to ask you what you have learned.