Luthor snapped his fingers at Kazimirs response. "That is exactly it, distrusting children." He balled up his hand, awkwardly and far too weakly punching Kazimir in the shoulder. "Pretty good for someone who professes to have no talent for words." Leaving the hand to hover a moment, he let it drop, chuckling. "Heh, yeah..."
"Oh I could believe you figured it out yourself, no problem." He said in reply to Nahs story, unsure if a kobold could even read the sincerity of his facial expression. "Its just, knowing what I know about kobolds, its not exactly something youd expect, usually." He paused as the story continued, perking up a bit at the mention of a gnome. "Gnomes ARE crazy, arent they?" He mumbled as he listened, continuing to absentmindedly follow Boos trajectory. "Shes not kidding about the steering, could use a little work." Having overcome her suspicious attitude, Rikka came crawling into view on his shoulder, stood up on her hind legs and also following the mechanical contraptions movements, swaying slightly as if hypnotized by the motion.
He turned towards Kazimir. "Its a clockwork creature, sort of like a golem, but at the same time...not." Luthor said, pausing a moment. "Imagine a toy, but with a sort of mind driving it." He shrugged, smiling lamely in a slightly patronizing way as he realized the finer points would likely be lost on Kazimir, atleast without proper time to go through them. "But yeah, "thing" isnt exactly wrong either."
He stood, keeping his cloak wrapped around him. "Where to?"
Graelem pales at the sight of the serpentine...Was that a dragon? He thinks to himself. He places a finger to his lips and motions for Laliytsa to back away. "I...I had no idea such beasts roamed in the woods! We were so lucky we did not encounter it...As for Sir Walhem, I do not recall what color mount he was riding." He gazes uncertainly at the scene. "Should we attempt to try talking with it?"
As soon as she sees the dragon Lali starts backing up. She doesn’t want anything to do with that beast, and she’s shocked when Graelem suggests talking to it. ”Ya wanna what now??”
= = = = = = = = = = Kazimir, Luthor, and Nah = = = = = = = = = =
Nakpik and Makroo pout sullenly, taking the opportunity to stick out their tongues and pull their ears whenever Nah's back is turned, but before long, they settle down atop the small hill overlooking the south bank of the stream. The remainder of the group makes its way down the south side of the hill, looking for another watch-post. As they search, they hear the rushed, hasty *BLAT* of someone sounding a horn back at the camp. From their vantage point, they can see a half-dozen riders, armed crudely and far from uniformly, trotting toward it. The first rider carries a slapdash white flag, while the second holds a banner depicting stag's horns over a skeletal head on a green field. Sitting atop his black warhorse, Kesten trots out to within shouting distance as his guards move in between the newcomers and the exhausted travelers.
= = = = = = = = = = Graelem and Laliytsa = = = = = = = = = =
The dragon lifts one of its two powerful talons and takes a step forward, glaring at the two adventurers and thrashing its tail against the ground (and the carcass of the horse, a grey-and-brown destrier with the colors of Liberthane on what's left of its saddle-dressings). It speaks in a sticky, gutteral, and slow version of the language the kobolds used, roars at Lali and Graelem, and then continues eating.
"We oughta go now. Yep." Lali starts herding Graelem across the clearing, keeping as much room between them and the wyrven as she can. ”Dunno what it said, but wyrvens hunt in pack sometimes so let’s get goin’. Coupla more riders went this way, see the tracks?”
Graelem nods and hastily follows the woman tracker away from the wyvern and its kill. "I noticed the remains of that destrier showed a number of stab and slash wounds. Whatever killed it, it wasn't the wyvern. Perhaps it was that group of bandits who left those tracks. I fear Sir Walhem may be lost to us." He sighs heavily.
Kazimir shrugs, absent-mindedly rubbing the spot where Luthor "punched" him. "Words aren't as important as actions back home," he shrugs, before blushing at stammering furiously at Nah's outburst.
"I didn't mean to imply that! I only meant that children squabble and fight, and fear what they don't under-" Realizing he's lost, he sighs, shakes his head and holds up a hand. "Sorry, Nah. It didn't sound so bad when I thought it," he mutters sheepishly.
Watching Boo's flight, he nods slowly at Luthor's explanation. "Is it intelligent?" he asks of the witch and the kobold. "Is there a mind in there, or is it more like..." He pauses, trying to think of something accurate, before finishing with, "A tree?"
He doesn't have much time to ponder the inaccuracy of his statement before the horn sounds and his head whips back towards the camp. "We should go," he mutters, before making for the camp at a brisk jog, weighed down by armour, knowing only that he needs to get to his horse.
= = = = = = = = = = Kazimir, Luthor, and Nah = = = = = = = = = =
Kazimir, Luthor, and Nah head down the hill, moving quickly along the game trail toward the group of truce-seekers near the camp. After a few minutes, they pull their horses up next to Kesten’s jet black charger and the noble’s son opens his visor to speak. ”They claim to carry a message from one lord of the River Kingdoms to another. I told them Kazimir was our commander and that we’d need to wait for you. Let’s see what they have to say.” He lowers his visor and rides forward, motioning for the party’s horses to follow. As he trots up, so too do three of the bandits, one of whom Kazimir and Luthor recognize from the siege at Oleg’s Trading Post.
The bandit, a man with greasy black hair and the veiled eyes of a professional outlaw, stops his horse thirty feet from the party’s and begins speaking. ”I am Dovan of Nisroch, the Stag Lord’s speaker. If this was pleasure and not business, I’d have your camp overrun for what you did to Auchs, but the Stag Lord has forbidden me from vengeance. He sends a message for you.” He pulls out a rough bit of parchment and begins to read from it. ”The Stag Lord, First of his Line, Protector of the Greenbelt, Lord of the Candlemere, and King of the Free Kingdom of Sereveln, demands you respect the laws of the River Kingdoms. The Stag Lord holds this land, and you have what you hold. He is, however, willing to forgive your transgressions in the Greenbelt under certain conditions. First, all Brevic forces, both hired and volunteer, must pull past the South Rostland Road. Second, the trading post shall be required to provide a tribute totalling at least 1,000 crowns in value each month. Third, each hunter, trapper, or fisherman in the Greenbelt shall be required to provide a tribute to the value of 10 crowns each month. Fourth, the reparations shall be made totalling 100 crowns for each man killed in the last month in the Stolen Lands.”
The man sneers, spits off the side of his horse, and continues. ”Shall I go on?”
= = = = = = = = = = Graelem and Laliytsa = = = = = = = = = = =
The wyvern roars again as Graelem and Laliytsa leave, but doesn’t leave the carcass of the horse at all. As soon as the two are out of sight, the sounds of tearing flesh start up again, coupled with occasional roars that last for several minutes.
Astride Surefoot, the old horse standing stoically next to Kesten's warhorse, Kazimir watches Dovan intently, studying every crease in the other man's sneer. With a heavy sigh, he lifts his helmet, staring the bandit in the eyes.
"We both know that you have no intention of keeping your word," he says levelly, before undoing the clasps on his gorget to show the scar crossing his neck. "You claim that your Stag Lord has authority over these lands, yet I know a different lord watches, his face grim and white with age and wisdom. I have bled out upon these lands, and if they truly belonged to the 'Lord' you serve, I would not stand before you. If your Stag Lord cannot hold his lands under the divine will of my own, then he will lose them."
Flicking his eyes to Nah, then back to Dovan, he adds, "And call your men back here, before something untoward happens to them."
It quickly becomes apparent that Graelem's friend put up a hell of a fight. Lali approves of the dead bandits, although it would have been better if he hadn't killed the horses too. She starts poking through the bandits belongings
” Reckon I know where yer friend is. Saw some guy in fancy pants armor bein’ brought in the bandit’s keep. Thought it coulda been him but didn’ wanna say til we checked. ”
Graelem nods grimly, though Laliysta can see by the way he is clenching the hilt of his blade he is barely able to maintain his composure. "So he has been taken prisoner. I swear he shall be freed from whatever fate they have in store for him!" He swears angrily. Taking a few breaths to calm himself he mutters, "We should return to the camp. I am sure those bandits are headed there, sure as the sun shines down on us!"
= = = = = = = = = = Kazimir, Luthor, and Nah = = = = = = = = = =
Dovan eyes Kazimir’s wound, then grins. ”Boys, none of that now. We’re under a flag of truce, and the truce we must respect.” As his men fall back in line, he gestures for his other men to join them back perhaps fifty yards, then reaches into his saddlebags and rummages around. As he does, he speaks loudly and with just a hint of frustration. ”The ‘white knight’ said you might try intimidating us with that scratch. Doesn’t matter. I’m here to do a job, and a job I’m going to do.
”The Stag Lord said you’d decline our offer. Now, hear the alternative.” He finishes rooting in his bags and produces a full helm, emblazoned with the holy symbol of Iomedae, then tosses it into the dirt near the party’s horse’s feet. ”We will hang this knight from our keep’s walls at dawn two days from today if you persist in this folly. We will burn Oleg’s Trading Post to the ground. The hunters and trappers of the Greenbelt will know no safety in the Stag Lord’s realm. You have two dawns to make your choice. Choose quickly; my lord’s patience is not endless.”
Without waiting for a reply, Dovan spurs his horse back to his men, and the bandits head back toward the west at a much faster pace than they arrived.
= = = = = = = = = = Graelem and Laliytsa = = = = = = = = = =
Graelem and Laliytsa turn their horses and head back toward the camp, following a similar path to what they were taking but making sure to avoid the area where the wyvern was eating. It’s a solid hour or more before they make it back to camp, where the rest of the party is dealing with the aftermath of the bandits’ visit and Dovan’s news.
"Teeth and scales indeed" Luthor mumbled.
"I doubt it needs asking, but ill do so anyway." He started, breaking the silence that had settle for a moment after Nah spoke. "We wont be entertaining the thought of meeting these demands, will we?" He looked around, checking if any of the faces around him bore any doubt. "From where im sitting, the only thing thats changed is that they know we are out here and might expect us to show up."
"Such foul treachery from this self-proclaimed Stag Lord!" Graelem exclaims when he learns of the fate of Sir Walhem. "I cannot in good conscience allow him to perish in such an ignoble way. True the Stag Lord may know of this camp, but as of yet they do not know of me! My ancestor's spirits have blessed me and they show me the way!" Graelem declares fervently. "My course is laid out before me. A rescue mission must be mounted to free him and I shall pledge my life upon this!"
Graelem looks over the diminutive kobold with a dismissive look in his eyes at first, yet a part of him soon realizes while the kobold race was devious and untrustworthy, they also had useful skills when it came to infiltration and scouting.
He bends down to one knee so he can look the kobold female in the eye. "Forgive me for the lack of introduction. I am Graelem Nordstarum, former Crusader and follower of the Light of the Sword. That knight the Stag Lord holds prisoner is Sir Walhem, my boon companion who took me under his wing throughout our travels here. I owe him my life, as do all of the refugees who made it here. "
"Of course we won't bend to their demands," Kaz says grimly, watching the fort with his jaw clenched. "We have two days. If we go at once, they'll be expecting us. But if we wait, they'll have more time to prepare for our assault." He scratches his scalp with one gauntlet, visibly frustrated.
Kesten nods at each of the party's suggestions, waiting until there's a lull in the conversation before speaking up. "I don't think burning the fort down would be the wisest move, but it's an option. A fire could prove a valuable distraction, though." He clears his throat. "Here's what I saw from that little flag-waving show. They don't want to fight us out here, and they think they have leverage. They also know what our camp looks like, where it is, and who's in it. Now, I'll sum up the problems we have and propose a couple possible solutions, but you're in charge here.
First, we have some problems. We don't know exactly how many of them there are, we have these travelers, and we don't have the beginnings of a plan to break their fortress. That's not enviable. We need to get rid of the travelers, or they'll become a liability. We could send them toward Oleg's, give them a guide, and hope for the best. That's what I'd recommend there.
If you don't want to do that, we need to move the camp to within a mile of the Stag Lord's fortress, so we can pretend to be sieging them. We need to pretend there's more of us coming, and we need to scout. We can do the first two before the end of the day, or at least by the beginning of tomorrow, if we move quickly. Once we've done that, we need to figure out a way to storm the walls or get in through the gates. I presume the kobolds may have an idea there.
Anyways, that's my proposition. Unless anyone has other ideas, I'd like to use that as our framework for what we're going to do." He pauses, looking at the party with a mixture of hope and panic in his eyes.
Graelen gives the short kobold woman a disapproving look. "I don't think burning down a perfectly useful structure is the best way to solve this problem. Such a fire can easily rage out of control and endanger us all!" Glancing back towards where the other refugees are huddled together he shakes his head sadly. "I do agree with you on this point. The refugees would be a liability in whatever capacity we elect to employ them, even if we used them as decoys. We should send them away as quickly as possible." Turning his attention back to Kesten he adds, "Perhaps we could fool the Stag Lord's forces into thinking we have withdrawn completely from the scene. I fear such a feat would require use of magic however."
"Yep. Send 'em to Oleg's. An' I wanna scout closer too. Mebbe take Nah here an' go see what the heck is hidin' behin' their base."
"We should probably all go on this scouting mission I think." Luthor said after a few moments of thought. "Those of us who arent to adept at sneaking will just have to hang back, but id feel better if we were nearby for assistance if you need it." Rikka scurried from her hiding place,squeaking loudly from her shoulder perch. Luthor smiled. "Rikka says she wants to help, be out front." He rubbed her head before scratching her chin. "Normally id say something overly protective right about now, but I can see the advantage. I mean, even if she gets spotted, what kind of guard would care about a mongoose anyway?"
Graelem nods in reply to Luthor's sage advice. "I would agree there. It will also give us a chance to work together as a team, something which will be sorely needed when we face the Stag Lord in battle!"
With the decision made, Kesten pulls Johann and Mirjam aside. "Alright, you two are going to get these travelers to Oleg's Trading Post. When you get there, keep them there for one week, then get everyone out, including the people living there. Head toward Restov as fast as you can." The two guards turn a bit white, understanding the consequences, but they nod. As they get the travelers up and packing, there's a lot of griping and groaning, especially from Hanna. She glares, muttering under her breath as she assembles swaddling clothes in her canvas sack.
The party quickly breaks down their tents and mounts up, each taking an extra kobold or two. They head back down the creek the bandits rode up to deliver their ultimatum, riding into a long valley. As the party rides down, the shimmering surface of the Candlemere glimmers to the south and west. Silhouetted against it, atop a rise in the distance, sits the Stag Lord's Fortress.
From this distance, and with the angle of the sun, it’s tough to make out details, but if previous reports are correct, there’s watchmen posted.
Lali thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. "Rather not split but if Rikka wants to then it's ok by me"
After some deliberation, Rikka nods and heads off to the right with Boo, quickly moving out of sight of Lali and Nah. The ranger and kobold ride to the left, rounding the north side of the fortress. Even from a distance, the two can make out the wooden stockade around the top of the hill, the three watchtowers above them, and the guards. Three individual bandits stand, one on each tower, but while the guards in the south and west watchtowers seem attentive and focused, the one to the north seems almost to be sitting down, relaxed and inattentive.
The hill leading up to the northern stockade is overgrown and covered in brush, in stark contrast to much of the rest of the hillside. Additionally, there seem to be gaps in the log posts of the stockade.
Once they get close to the fortress Lali dismounts and motions for Nah to follow on foot. She'll take them on a path towards to north stockade, seeing as it's overgrown and the guard isn't paying attention.
Under orders to follow the little furry mammal, Boo skitters along over the ground as he and Rikka separate from the other two and head around to the right of the fort. His sensors hum softly as he scans for enemies...
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Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the guard's inattention, Lali and Nah reach the base of the hill unnoticed, though there's a close call when a second guard appears. The two bandits seem to share a joke before the newcomer leaves again and the first one takes a glance out across the horizon, but both Lali and Nah find bushes to hide behind, and the guard doesn't sound an alarm.
As the two brave adventurers start to make their way up the hill, Nah notices patches of earth, about seven feet by three feet, that look freshly tilled. They dot the slopes of the hill, covering those parts of the hill that aren't overgrown and bushy. A few steps later, and the two notice a soft, muffled groaning sound, then another, and another. The tilled patches rumble as, from the depths of the earth, hands begin appearing; desiccated and rotten, the limbs push up from the ground, dragging bodies behind.
The moaning and groaning picks up in volume, filling the air as the creatures' heads break the surface, and the guard's eyes whip around, quickly surveying the hill. Surprisingly, when he sees Nah and Lali, he simply points and laughs, his words barely audible over the groaning and moaning. "Boys, got some...Come take...look. They're trying...climb the...!" He unslings his bow, but doesn't bother nocking an arrow.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Meanwhile, back with the rest of the party, Luthor suddenly gets a wave of feeling from Rikka. A wave of fear, coming from the south.
Since the two have been discovered and are quickly becoming outnumbered Lali decides it's time to go. "Run." She turns and starts hustling down the hill.
Graelem, watching closely the path where the scouts traveled, is ready for the return of the scouting party. Seeing it is Laliysta and the kobold running he quickly draws his blade and strides towards them.
"I take it you have been discovered? What forces pursue you?"
The walking corpses pursue Nah and Lali all the way down the hill, their moans and groans nearly drowning out the jeering of the bandits in the fortress. However, they stop suddenly at the end of the hill, digging their way back into the ground as if the intrusion never happened. Instead of a fight for their lives, Lali and Nah are left with nothing but a few more jeers that fade away as they return to the party’s camp. Luthor continues to get fear emotions from Rikka, though they gradually fade, turning more and more to excitement.
Almost as if on a timer, Boo returns to the camp, bouncing along in the air and missing Rikka. Boo, after some fiddling from Nah, begins to play a scratchy, metal-on-metal conversation from inside itself. Though faint and hard to hear, the second voice sounds a lot like that of Akiros.
”And sir, I don’t know what happened, but the pulleys for the gate are jammed. We can’t shut it.”
”What do you mean, we can’t shut it?”
”Well, we can, but if we do, we won’t be able to open it until we send someone to Restov. The whole pulley’s off-center, and it’ll snap its axle if we drop it. There’s even a chance the gate’ll fall inwards.”
”Dammit, those fools from Brevoy are out there, and the Stag Lord’ll have your head with the knight’s if we can’t make his keep secure. Take three men and-”
”What’s that, sir? Looks like a weasel, but different.”
”Looks like a...dammit, that’d be the Brevic’s pet. They’ll know enough now.” The first voice shouts. ”Four riders, north. Follow the weasel and kill it if you can!”
As Boo’s recording plays through the sounds of a harrowing chase, complete with shouting, horse hooves on cobbles and dirt, and other sounds, Kesten starts waving frantically at the edge of the camp. ”Those riders are coming! They’re a couple minutes back!”
His message delivered, Boo issues a triumphant sound similar to a trumpet blast as he waves some of his legs in the air. He then buzzes upward to land on Nah's shoulder, continuing to play a rousing little call despite Nah glaring at him all the while.
"Groaners? You mean...zombies?" Graelem pales as the import of Nah's words strike him, barely registering the call to arms. You are correct! The Stag Lord must have a priest or a foul necromancer under his thumb! Still he will not prevail here!"
He motions for the others to make a stand around him. "I shall draw their attention upon myself, thus giving you an opportunity to strike back hard at them. Strike at the mounts first so as to slow their charge then we can cut them down!"