The chieftan ponders a while.
The few remaining warriors look nervous and twitchy at the hobbit's staccato proclamation. The chief finally answers....
"Sometimes, no......oftentimes a SON doesn't LISTEN to his father.
So the son must thrust his hand into the open flames; he will anyway when his father isn't looking.
And sometimes, when his son comes crying home to his father, the damage is such that there is nothing that can be done to fix it...."
he drifts away for a second, then;
"though I have to admit, this is all my fault. The whole damn thing.
MY failure. I wish my people weren't doomed thus."
He looks at his men;
"I'm....sorry....."
"Oh, it all your fault. OK, now me understand. Meh, me kill you son anyway - it OK, you seem like OK lizard, not like dad of me."
"I....tried, I did what I thought was best.
Orcus....too many. Too much. Semuanya! What did I do?"
to Gittik:
"Who is your father?"
Pip ambles into the longhouse, keeping one eye on the sidelines where the real surprises always seem to lurk.
He bows to chief Hrrth Grrrhar
"Mighty chieftain, I am but a wandering chanter of stories, but I have seen these brave heroes in action. If there is a way to give your son his deserved peace and preserve your village they will find it."
He strums Lucille
"For a wise chief knows,
When to ask for Semuanya's aid,
And to take the gifts she bestows,
And to be not afraid.
For she will provide,
In an obscure way,
The path to ride,
To a safer day."
"So the undead son and his followers come back every night? We could lay an ambush for them and wipe them all out." Altai turns to the chieftain. "What kind of followers does he bring along? More red lizardmen? Any more of those giants? Oh, and what is this 'haunted hall' you talk about?"
He looks at the chieftain's missing lower leg. "I could make a replacement for that, if you want. Give me wa week after we destroy the Orcusites, and I'll put together a prosthetic leg. Hell, it'll be better than the original one."
They all seem a little less forlorn when the hobbit begins to play his tunes.
There's a crowd now, damn near all noncombatants. The younglings, fearful of the ominous, extremely armed softskins, ease up and curiously gather around the hobbit as if enrapt. One bolder youngling comes straight up to the neck of the stringed instrument studying it intently.
"So the undead son and his followers come back every night? We could lay an ambush for them and wipe them all out." Altai turns to the chieftain. "What kind of followers does he bring along? More red lizardmen? Any more of those giants? Oh, and what is this 'haunted hall' you talk about?"
He looks at the chieftain's missing lower leg. "I could make a replacement for that, if you want. Give me wa week after we destroy the Orcusites, and I'll put together a prosthetic leg. Hell, it'll be better than the original one."
"This very hall you stand in. Haunted not by spirits, but by memories of my failure. Sometimes he comes with the red ones. They were among my best warriors; now warped and feral and thoroughly wicked.
Sometimes, giants, or winged things with faces like softskin women....yes, he has brought giants...And sometimes, he comes alone, to take a stray wanderer, or to duel with his own father in this very hall."
Pip nods to the curious youngster
"This is Lucille, she's a fetish of wonderous power. Touch her if you like, but be respectful."
He finishes his impromptu tune and shows Lucille to the youngling.
The youngling gingerly picks it up like it might explode...
He studies it a moment, wondering what to do with it, then twangs a string with a hooked claw.
He hisses excitedly; his tongue flicks in and out on the strings.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
STIG's DREAM
"Stiiiiigwooooold! Ye lazy piece ay gobbo jobby ye gie ower haur reit noo ur Ah swear Ah'll lock ye in th' box an' flin' th' key awa'...."
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
No wonder Stiggy starts drinking before noon.
Pip laughs
"Lucille has made herself a friend!"
e, a, d, g, b, e!
e e, a a, d d, d d d ,....
more hissing...
"Hmmmm...." Altai starts pacing around in the hall, paying no attention to the musical lizard. "If he has giants and flying monsters, repairing the palisade won't do us a bit of good. If he just sends a few thugs over to cause trouble and we wipe them out, he'll be alerted to our presence and we lose the element of surprise. This could become rather tricky..."
"Do you know where they make their camp? And what are your son's talents? Is he a warrior or more of a shaman-type?"
"I don't know where their camp is. I suspect some of my people may have found it, and have been forced to join or killed.
My son was a swordsman,....still is....but now he can turn into things."
Pip gently takes Lucille back
"Let me show you a simple tune, young one, that Lucille and I play often."
He strums a few opening chords.
"Brandobaris came a striding
A striding down the trail,
with a pocket full of coppers,
and a mighty thirst for ale ..."
Pip launches into a hobbit classic, The Thirst of Brandobaris which is a long and winding song with the chorus:
"Sing! Sing a derrio!
Sing come be merrio!
We'll drink our ales,
and bang our pails,
Till the barkeep tells us nary-o!"
"... Me worry - what Jane say if me kill son? Maybe she no want to jiggy with me no more?"
"Who is your father?"
"Chief Bagrom of the Kneecapper tribe."
Pip gently takes Lucille back
"Let me show you a simple tune, young one, that Lucille and I play often."
He strums a few opening chords.
"Brandobaris came a striding
A striding down the trail,
with a pocket full of coppers,
and a mighty thirst for ale ..."Pip launches into a hobbit classic, The Thirst of Brandobaris which is a long and winding song with the chorus:
"Sing! Sing a derrio!
Sing come be merrio!
We'll drink our ales,
and bang our pails,
Till the barkeep tells us nary-o!"
Lizardboy tries. He can't fret with his tender little fingers, so he frets with his claws. There's an eerie tinny sound like he's playing inside a glass bottle.
"Who is your father?""Chief Bagrom of the Kneecapper tribe."
He looks closer. "Bagrom? I've heard of him....yes, he is a bastard.
But...is my good eye bad too? You don't look like a goblin."
At some point, Beldan came back to tell the others what he saw scouting. Then wandered in with them when everyone went to check on Elgan and Riese’s diplomacy efforts. He doesn’t say much for now, waiting to see how things pan out.
For future reference.....
The Long House:
a-n across the top; 1-28 down the side.
The longhouse is roughly rectangular; at a-d 1-3, k-n 1-3, a-e 26-28, and j-n 26-28 are rooms not visible from the hall of the house. Doors at d2, k2, e27, and j27.
The throne is at gh 3, and there's a raised platform at f-i 2-5. Stairs in back down from gh1 each way, and stairs in front at gh 6 up 6 feet to the platform. A massive fire pit is at f-i 9-12 in a circle enclosed by that box, and there are pillars 10' radius carved with totemic masks, at cd 5-6, kl 5-6, ab 8-9, mn 8-9, then every 10 feet down the sides to ab 24-25 and mn 24-25; as well as a t de 24-25 and jk 24-25. There are curtains in front of all of the areas between the totem poles; leather and covered in pictures of lizardmen hunting, or fishing, of making canoes; general life events.
"The skins are great for concealment. We can hide be... Just a second." Altai stops abruptly, almost losing his balance. "Did you say he turns into smoke and drifts away when you kill him? He can change into a multitude of forms?" He spits. "The bastard is a vampire! No wonder he keeps coming back again and again. He's immortal, essentially unkillable - unless we can find the place he rests in during the hours of daylight. This calls for a new plan..." He starts pacing again, faster this time.
Lizardboy tries. He can't fret with his tender little fingers, so he frets with his claws. There's an eerie tinny sound like he's playing inside a glass bottle.
Pip keeps entertaining the non-combatants, trying to keep the mood of the tribe upbeat and friendly. He gives the young protege some pointers.
Thanks! The entry is a good 20 feet wide, at f-i 28.
"The skins are great for concealment. We can hide be... Just a second." Altai stops abruptly, almost losing his balance. "Did you say he turns into smoke and drifts away when you kill him? He can change into a multitude of forms?" He spits. "The bastard is a vampire! No wonder he keeps coming back again and again. He's immortal, essentially unkillable - unless we can find the place he rests in during the hours of daylight. This calls for a new plan..." He starts pacing again, faster this time.
and, yes, there's skins between the cd 5-6 and ab 9-10 poles, their opposites, and from cd5-6 to the eaternmost edge of the south wall of the room there, as well as the opposite.
Lizardboy tries. He can't fret with his tender little fingers, so he frets with his claws. There's an eerie tinny sound like he's playing inside a glass bottle.Pip keeps entertaining the non-combatants, trying to keep the mood of the tribe upbeat and friendly. He gives the young protege some pointers.
everybody's in a better mood. An elderly lizardwoman says, "I wish there was a wedding here for you to play your lovely lute."
"Hey, look at that." Altai finally notices the happy music and the gladdened lizardfolk. "Maybe there really is something to that old saying about hearts filled with music being lighter." He makes a mental note to find out what lizardman music normally sounds like and to which extent the connections between music and happiness seem to be cross-cultural and, more interestingly, applicable across different species.
After briefly considering the matters of music and lizardmen, he returns to more immediate matters. "Um, warchief... Do you have a good pathfinder? I was thinking we, meaning me and my associates, would try to track the troublemakers back to their lair after they attack tonight. But I don't think we have anyone among our number that are bona fide tracker."
everybody's in a better mood. An elderly lizardwoman says, "I wish there was a wedding here for you to play your lovely lute."
Pip bows to the elder.
"Perhaps when the Regulators have prevailed we can have a celebration."
"Hey, look at that." Altai finally notices the happy music and the gladdened lizardfolk. "Maybe there really is something to that old saying about hearts filled with music being lighter." He makes a mental note to find out what lizardman music normally sounds like and to which extent the connections between music and happiness seem to be cross-cultural and, more interestingly, applicable across different species.
After briefly considering the matters of music and lizardmen, he returns to more immediate matters. "Um, warchief... Do you have a good pathfinder? I was thinking we, meaning me and my associates, would try to track the troublemakers back to their lair after they attack tonight. But I don't think we have anyone among our number that are bona fide tracker."
One of the warriors speaks up: "I am Silent Hawk. I can track. I will do so for you, if I survive this night."
"Excellent. We'll take good care of you." Altai grins at the lizardman. "Now, how does he normally stage his assaults? Does he just throw open the doors and have his followers kill anything that moves until they are driven back, or do they make some sort of effort to actually destroy the hall?"
"He's toying with us, like a cat would a mouse. It's infernal.
He wants me to break down and join him. For some reason my blessing still matters. He has all my men though."
"In that case, our plan becomes easy. The noncombatants go to the rooms behind the chief's seat. The rest of us hide behind the painted hides; once the bloodsucker and his minions arrive, we jump them and unleash all kinds of hell. If anyone surrenders, we make them tell us where their base is - if none do, Silent Hawk follows their tracks and shows us the trail. Either way, it will be a bloody night."
Elgan's fine brows knit together at the realization that the estranged lizardson is a vampire.
"Ah do b'lieve dat perhaps yer goddess had a hand in dis afteh all chief. If'n dere's wun t'ing dat ah cannots abide in dis realm, iz deh cursed undying. Ah t'ink is safe tah say dat we shall aid you." He says wryly, looking at the now reassembled group in the longhouse.
"Altee, Ah'm not much uf a trackuh. But dere aint hardly noplace dat dat cursed one kin go, be it land, air 'er sea, dat ah can't follow!" He declares forcefully. "If'n we kin take care o' his followers, an' force 'im tah flee, we'll fin' where he burrows. An' den we kin open it up an' give 'im a good, clean breath of fresh air an' sunshine!"
...and, yes, there's skins between the cd 5-6 and ab 9-10 poles, their opposites, and from cd5-6 to the eaternmost edge of the south wall of the room there, as well as the opposite.
wtf. You said A-B/8-9. Now it's A-B/9-10
... at cd 5-6, kl 5-6, ab 8-9, mn 8-9, then every 10 feet down the sides to ab 24-25 and mn 24-25...
wtf. You said A-B/8-9. Now it's A-B/9-10...and, yes, there's skins between the cd 5-6 and ab 9-10 poles, their opposites, and from cd5-6 to the eaternmost edge of the south wall of the room there, as well as the opposite.
Cool.
Cool.
wtf. You said A-B/8-9. Now it's A-B/9-10...and, yes, there's skins between the cd 5-6 and ab 9-10 poles, their opposites, and from cd5-6 to the eaternmost edge of the south wall of the room there, as well as the opposite.
Sorry; I f@$%ed up the second time.
He's usual raptor (bird) size. I always figured.
Elgan nods. "Ah'll find a likely hidin' spot."
He then nods to the tribe's remaining tracker. "As yeh know deh area, I wuud 'preciate yer assistance." He says solemnly, with a half-grin.
"I'd roost in a tree. Can you look like a vulture, or do you have to be an eagle or hawk? Reason I ask, I'm thinking if they see you, then they might kill a hawk, but they might either kill a vulture or think it's funny that a vulture is there and leave you alone..."
"Who is your father?"
"Chief Bagrom of Kneecapper tribe."
He looks closer. "Bagrom? I've heard of him....yes, he is a bastard.
But...is my good eye bad too? You don't look like a goblin."
"Long story."
If he is a vampire we should look into perhaps harvesting some stakes to use in his eventual death. Holy water would be useful also....hmmmmm. I have an invisibility sphere I can cast when the time comes. It would conceal all in a 10' radius and I was thinking this would be a good way to protect the remaining lizardfolk, including the chief, from harm.
Oso settles into a corner and watches and listens, trying to take in the Gittik conversation on the one hand and the Sakatha vampire conversation on the other.
While the others talk to the chief, Pip concentrates on talking with the mothers of the tribe, hoping they perhaps had any information on the chief's son and his minions:
"I'd roost in a tree. Can you look like a vulture, or do you have to be an eagle or hawk? Reason I ask, I'm thinking if they see you, then they might kill a hawk, but they might either kill a vulture or think it's funny that a vulture is there and leave you alone..."
"Ah kin prob'ly manage a vulture, doh a big Crow er 'nuther carrion bird 'd be easiuh. Sumthin' bout dem long-necked critters dat gives me a crick in mine!"
Gather info....
*Baal Sakatha is his new name; Sakatha was a vampiric lizardman from long ago. A wicked creature, presumed dead.
*They suspect he is in league with the Hool Hags. (it sounds like the usual boogeyman tales; all the children cringe when the name is mentioned).
The know rolls...
Oso doesn't know much about these muzungu spirits....
they can turn into a bat, dire bat, wolf, or dire wolf and call the children of the night mentioned.
Riese knows it takes a weapon of silver AND magic to harm them well, otherwise fire works pretty damn good.
And, you can get turned into one; not sure how exactly it works; if you just get scratched like lycanthropy or you have to be drained of blood.