Just as Esme casts her spell, the kobold counters it with her own Entangle spell, cancelling it out.
Malfeas' arrows sails wide of its mark. The party fills a feeling of warmth surround them when Haku's bless spell takes effect.
Initiative:
The order: Haku, Esme, Malfeas, bad guys, Gunther
Malfeas' shot hits the kobold, and wounds it.
The kobold tries to maintain her spell
She succeeds and the entanglement vanishes.
The kobold chants an arcane phrase and her club shimmers for a moment.
The crocodile moves up and snaps its jaws at Gunther.
The bite cannot break through Gunther's armor, and the croc's teeth stop just before his skin!
Malfeas is unable to further harm the kobold.
Gunther and Esme complete their flanking action. Esme feints, but Haku's mighty swing cannot harm the crocodile through its tough skin.
The kobold uses a double move and approaches ot threaten Malfeas!
The croc bites at Esme!
His jaws clamp down hard around her waist, leaving a deep wound.
Next up: Gunther - then end of round.
Followed by: Haku, Esme, Malfeas, monsters.
Gunther's stab just misses the crocodile. Haku delivers a crushing blow with his club. The beast is severely injured, but still ready to fight. Esme steps back.
Malfeas delivers two arrows on target, slamming into the kobold, and casuing her to gasp in agony. She too still remains standing, however.
She moves forward and tries to smash Malfeas with her recently enchanted club.
Her blow misses him completely.
The crocodile snaps at Haku.
Haku shrugs off the creature's weak effort.
Next up: Gunther
Then: Next round - Haku, Esme, Malfeas, monsters
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"Hold Haku! I have a plan!
"It just occured to me she might be a druid, if so, could we please let her go on guarding this lovely patch of swamp? I don't think she means us any real harm, we are trespassing."
Blood pouring out of the severe gash across her midsection, the gnome valiently charges the crocodile once more attempting to get her friends the distraction they need to perform a devastating blow.
Upon hearing Esme's words, the kobold freezes for a moment and then replies:
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Esmeralda yells for her friends to stand down and shoulders her spear stepping back from the crocodile. "We have her leave to pass in peace, shall we carry on? Just have to lower your weapons and depart in peace. All done! Yay for gnomes, yet again. . . "
Esmeralda answers the kindly woman in Druidic "Thank you ma'am, We will be on our way. Nice crocodile by the way. What's his name? on the way back maybe I can bring him a treat? Oh! Wait. I have some in my saddle bags![b]" Esmeralda hands a singe day's Carnivore Rations to the kobold, and prepares to depart. "[b]Would you like to lead us around the garden? I don't want to hurt anything of yours."
"Can't believe it took me so long to realize what she was. I am sorry. Oh, and be nice to her garden, she might lead us on a safe path out of this place. Yay!" Happy and unphased by her wounds, Esme cheerfully follows the kobold out of her swamp.
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You head off onto the trail again, and continue walking for about 5 hours. Towards evening you approach a little fishing village on the northern coast of Kortos. After arriving in town and enjoying a thot meal at the inn, you learn that there are three captains willing to ferry you across the channel to Escadar:
Darice Sumore, Small Otti, and Crazy Old Tanner.
The locals seem to know a bit about them, and appear willing to talk further.
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Upon learning there are three different captains that could ferry them across, Malfeas turns to his companions. ”I am not good with negotiations that do not end in things dying. However, if there are multiple options for a service, the buyer has the advantage, something I have used to my advantage as a mercenary in the past. I see two immediate paths before us. One: interrogate the peasants to see who they would choose. Since they live here, they would have the best knowledge of business practices and skullduggery. Two: Approach each Captain and present our offer, letting them know we mean to check on their counterparts as well. This will allow them to show their character if they speak ill of their rivals. Also, anyone familiar with ships should give their vessels a once over to try and check the general repair of the ship. It would be poor for the ship to fall apart under our feet as we cross.”
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"Oh, Come on! One of them is named "Crazy"! We have to go with that one! That would be so much more fun then going with boring or more boring. Seriously! What more do we need to know?"
Sighing in exasperation that the others need or want to actually investigate the others, Esmerelda follows suit, doing her best to aid Haku in his efforts, casting Guidance on the crusader as needed.
"Did I remember to tell you all that I love open water just slightly less than your average Mountain Dwarf? This will be fun!
As the group wanders, Esme will spend a little time tying a knot in her rope every eight inches or so, then stow the rope back in her pack.
You sit down at the bar, and one of the local fisher captains is more then happy to speak with you.
"Sure, I know them three well enough. Darice never knew 'er father, and word 'round 'ere is he was a Pathfinder! She 'ates that she never knew 'im though, and she's always fingerin' that old trinket he left behind. She often lends a hand to the elderly blokes 'round 'ere - it's probably becasue she misses 'er dad so much."
"Small Otti values 'is coin, to be sure. He has many mouths to feed — most importantly, 'is own. Any deal with 'im is made sweeter if food is involved. I also 'ere he often asks for the moon in payment, but if he’s treated proper, he'll take less sure enough."
"Tanner’s the best sailor in these 'ere parts, but he's a right nutter; take a boat ride with 'im and you might ride straight into a squall. 'Course, some folk say that he's not really crazy. So far no one's been brave enough to find out. Tanner sure enjoys 'is tobacco, and merchants often give 'im some before talking to 'im. Make's 'im relax, see?"
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Malfeas listens to the stories regarding the three options, scowling over the prospects of all three. ”If the first never knew her father because he was a Pathfinder, she will either bend over backwards to help us out of memory of him, or hate us and refuse passage. Small Otti sounds like someone with too many brats to feed and charges higher because of it. And the crazy guy, well, Esmerelda already likes him because of his name.” Sighing, he adds, ”I don’t remember, is the coin for this coming out of our purses, or did we get a stipend for it?
Esme finds tobacco froma street merchant. Nester Rees informs the party that the society will be reimbursing all expenditures on the journey (other than stuff you keep).
You go mmet with Tanner,a disheveled, fish-smelling, and wild-eyed man who constantly talks out the side of his mouth while blowing thick gouts of smoke from an aromatic pipe. his initial offer is 35 GP, but after some negotiating (in which you offer him som efresh tobacco), he offers to sail your group for 25.
The journey by ship lasts about 12 hours, and is very scenic but uneventful. You then arrive in Escadar.
Escadar is the war port of Absalom, located on the Isle of Erran north of Kortos. It houses Absalom’s navy and is strategically placed away from Absalom’s treacherous Flotsam Graveyard. Furthermore, those nations intent on blockading Absalom must also deal with Escadar, for
word spreads quickly, and Escadar’s armada can come to Absalom’s aid on short order. Along with the primarily military population, Escadar is also home to many gillmen (or Low Azlanti, as they call themselves). These amphibious humanoids have set up an embassy within the town, and it is with this organization the Pathfinder Society plans to trade Azlanti artifacts. The gillmen have agreed to meet you at a waterside tavern called the Grindylow’s Goblet.
The sounds of a busy tavern echo off the wooden walls of this unusual building. Resting precariously over Escadar’s harbor, the Grindylow’s Goblet offers an unequaled view of the water. In the bar’s center, a thick glass aquarium presents a striking display. Within the tank, a coral statue of a goblin with the lower body of an octopus hosts a school of colorful fish that flit about the nooks and crannies of its tentacles.
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How about you head to the bar and grab a drink? At least that way, you will be able to keep an eye on things, in case negotiations... go sour. Haku puts his hand on Malfeas' shoulder. I will feel more comfortable knowing that your bow will be watching my back, especially if the Consortium has made it here first.
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As they approach The Goblet, Malfeas speaks up, ”I am not skillful in the art of deal making, and my... tender… words often upset people. If it is acceptable to the group, I will stay outside of the tavern and let you four make the transaction.”
If the group agrees, Malfeas will circle The Goblet once to check on various entrances and exits, so that if things go sour, he can get in to help the group. Then, after the group enters, he will “plop” himself down near the best route out and pull a cloak over his head to look like a drunk sleeping it off, especially since after a week of roughing it in the woods, he certainly smells like a homeless drunk.
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"I think Malfeas has the right of it. We shouldn't look like an armed troupe; that will just gather attention we may not want or need. We can filter in one and two at a time to the local pubs like a group that just happened to all be on the same ship. Lots of people are probably rolling into town off small vessels, what with the barricade and all . . .
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Then I will enter with Nester, Haku nods to the negotiator.
After waiting a minute or so after the second pathfinder enters, Haku opens the door, holding it open for Nester, then follows the hobbling man in. He scans the room, looking for the Low Azlanti representatives, while at the same time checking for possible threats.