Farrukh mostly keeps quiet and to himself.
Carina lets Navius' 'compliment' go unanswered, instead choosing to thank their gracious host.
"Indeed, your frog legs were delicious."
At the mention of lizardfolk speaking mostly Draconic, she gets a smile on her face. And you morons can't properly communicate with them? No wonder you're all battered and bruised.
Oh, yer welcome, friends." Ma grins. "Yo' all kin take th' guess rooms."
The 'guest rooms' prove to be three huts around the edges of the thorp. One of them contains a rather large possum that is not nearly as afraid of humans as it should be.
The next day (), several of the Lambere natives join Tanith and Cuetzpalli in their exercises. Apparently, they worship an aspect of Ehlonna they call "Nester" (perhaps a bastardization of the Elven name for her, Ehlenestra), but they respect Kord well enough.
A few of the children of Lambere have taken to watching the others, especially Eben, who finds he has a young admirer in a ten-year old half-orc girl—the only nonhuman that's been spotted in town. When he exits his hut, he notices her slipping just out of sight.
Ma invites the adventurers to breakfast, serving up a big pot of thick porridge and what seem to be a couple fried cat-sized spiders. "So'ry, huns, meat's been scarce of late."
After breakfast, Allustan is packed and ready to go.
After dinner (and noticing that he's attracting the attention of the local children anyway) Eben heads outside, where he proceeds to put on an impromptu open-air magic show for the next hour. Standard card and coin tricks and juggling are spiced up with liberal use of prestidigitation, ghost sound, and silent image. At the end of it all, repeated castings of snapdragon fireworks liven up the evening sky with colorful puffs of flame and explosive light. Noticing his most fervent young admirer, he smiles to himself and makes a point of pulling a gold coin 'out of her ear' at one point of the performance. (Which of course he lets her keep, because it came from her head, right?)
At bedtime, he eyes the large possum sharing his hut warily but also a little hungrily, remembering that Ma had compared the delicious taste of frog legs to dire possum... Still, he settles for eventually managing to shoo it out into the night.
He sleeps in during the daily Kordite exercise fest. "mrph... one'a these days I'll do it with you guys..." he mumbles before rolling back over to sleep. At breakfast he is momentarily taken aback by the fried spiders, but remembering how quickly breaded frogs won him over, he breaks off a leg and gives it a try. After a lot of slow chewing, and realizing there's no napkin around to discreetly spit into, he eventually swallows and fills up a bowl of porridge, which he eats exclusively for the rest of the meal.
The children (and a couple of the adults) clap and laugh at Eben's light show. The half-orc girl is in particular awe of the bard's magic.
After a comfortable night's sleep (compared to camping on the road), Tanith wakes, gives Carina a parting kiss, and exits their hut to find Cuetzpalli and begin their workout/worship. The big Kordite is surprised when several of the locals join in but doesn't object. Instead he beams with pride as he leads the largest group-workout session in his time as Kord's faithful through an intense but rewarding series of exercises.
Following breakfast, he's quick to dress and don his armor.
Carina spends a couple of hours the night before copying two spells from the Faceless One's book into her own: expeditious retreat and ebon eyes. The amorphous form spell looks to be a bit out of her league for now...
----------
Carina gives Tanith a hug to go with the kiss as he leaves for his workout session.
After a complaint-free breakfast (even though the fried spiders were a bit off-putting), she gathers her gear and is ready to set out once more.
The group once more sets out, this time accompanied by Allustan. The wizard is pleasant enough company, though he still doesn't much like talking about his late master, Tenser, and he avoids addressing Astraden directly.
As the heroes cover the last stretch of the southbound trail and draw near the Keep...
You are quite certain the smells are coming from the direction of the Keep.
Spiny seems on-edge, snapping at the numerous flies and giving a low growl.
After breakfast, Eben packs his things into Grifter's saddlebags and gives the horse a quick brush-down, then gives a cheery farewell to the people of Lamberre (especially Ma and his young friends) before setting out with Allustan and the group for Blackwall, walking and leading Grifter behind him.
"Sounds like trouble", Tanith says. "Prepare your magic and weapons. We might be walking into a fight."
Carina bites her lip as Farrukh relays his info. Mom... please be okay...
"Well, I was hoping for a warm reception and a hot meal that maybe didn't include spiders..." Eben sighs. Regardless of his disappointment, he wastes no time stringing his bow and having it at hand.
The hilly terrain means it’s possible for the party (and Allustan) to get quite close before actually getting a look at the keep. Finally, they arrive at a high point.
The keep itself is built out of black stone and consists of a single ground floor with a tower. The entire ground floor is buried under a false hill, and all that is visible is the tower itself.
The door to the keep, on the south side, looks like it has been broken open and hastily repaired. On the level above the door a five-foot balcony extends outward.
Large sharpened wooden stakes jut out of the hillside, pointing away from the keep.
Next to the keep is a stockaded horse corral, partially embedded in the false hill. The doors to the stockade are open and a dead and partially dismembered horse is in the doorway.
Blackwall Keep is under attack.
Six groups of five lizardfolk are arranged in strategic points around the keep, using bushes, large rocks, and dead trees as cover. Some of them are eating horsemeat, and at least one is eating a dead human soldier.
The nearest lizardfolk group is right on the path, led by a gangly lizardman wearing a curious white mask. They haven't noticed the party.
The group furthest south is led by a burly lizardman with a glowing steel shield. He seems to be the overall leader of the thirty-strong force.
Behind the party, Allustan can be heard muttering to himself. "What? But...damn! Understood. Be not a moment. Hold them off."
Tanith levels his poleaxe but looks to Eben, the party's lizardman expert.
"Is this was it looks like? Any chance you could sort it out?"
"Okay, you guys recall all that stuff I said yesterday about how misunderstood the lizardfolk are and how only some tribes are bad? Let's go with the assumption that this is one of the bad ones."
In response to Tanith, Eben replies, "Well it's a war party and they're eating people. I mean, maybe they are justifiably pissed, but the fact is, I really don't see them parlaying nicely at this stage." He points to the upper floor balcony of the keep. "There's some soldiers up there with bows. They're not firing. Maybe they don't want to set off a full-blown charge?" He turns to Allustan. "You just get a sending?"
"I'm afraid you won't have my help, either," Allustan says, drawing out a scroll. "I've just received word from Valkus Dun that there's some sort of uprising going on in Diamond Lake. There's going to be blood if I don't get back there, and fast.
"I have an emergency scroll of teleport. I have no doubt that you can handle this—you've all faced worse than lizardfolk by now—but any of you that want out of this quest...well, you'd best come with me."
Tanith chants a spell to bolster his strength only to look at the wizard in disbelief.
"Go if you have to. Red's mother's in there. We're getting her out."
Farrukh sighs.
"Guess we better help these guys. I was hoping we'd get to talk with the lizardfolk."
Eben slips his healing wand into his belt to be ready at hand. He lays a hand on Farrukh. "I believe in you.' He continues his preparations in between spellcasting. "What do we want to do here? Just book it for the keep, get inside, and then coordinate with the garrison there, or do we want to try and take this siege out from here while we have surprise on our side?" He lays a hand on Tanith. "I believe in you.' He faces and regards the keep.
"You know, Eben, I'm not sure I believe you when you say you believe in me. You didn't clap your hands or anything."
Astraden claps her hands, tells Farrukh she doesn't believe in him, and turns him invisible. She prays to Olidammara, calling for aid against order and organization, and sets a violet ring of power around the group. Lastly, she disguises herself as Allustan and touches Eben's arm, erecting a shield of Olidammara's blessing around the magician.
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"You may not be able to talk to these ones," Allustan says, unfurling the scroll, "but don't forget: The undead are enemies to us all. There might still be a peaceful solution in the long run. Be safe, my friends."
The wizard reads off the scroll and vanishes.
Once again bolstered with an unhealthy dose of heroism, Tanith brandishes his poleaxe and gestures at the forces threatening the keep.
"Right. First thing we need to do is get their attention. Those archers might be able to lend a hand once they see we've got their backs."
"Red, think you can get their attention?" he asks with a smirk.
Carina hands two of her extracts off to Tanith and Cuetzpalli. "Shield extracts. Just in case you need them." She says, her voice shaky.
"And if we can reason with them, I can speak their language. Hopefully, we can end this without too much bloodshed..."
"Red, think you can get their attention?"
"What, with a bomb? Or with my natural charm?" She asks, trying to put on a brave face.
Tanith quaffs the extract and nods.
"Let's try talking them down but have one of those bombs ready."
Lowering his weapon with one arm, Tanith advances towards the battlefield.
"Hey!" he shouts while waving with the other. "This doesn't have to get any worse."
"No, no. Clapping is for another spell entirely. One that makes you feel pleasure at everything and realize it while it's happening so you can appreciate the experience. The rule is, 'when you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.'" Eben nods appreciation at Astraden's protective magic, then casts a final spell on himself, affecting the graceful movements of a feline.
The masked lizardfolk and her followers turn to face Tanith. The masked one casts a spell on herself, though what it does is hard to tell from this distance.
She shouts back in a sibilant tongue. "Zu'u los ni ko hahmoor wah krif ko strin. Lif nu ahrk hi aal lahney, paag jul!"
Carina swallows, then knocks back her dexterity-boosting mutagen. Her skin promptly turns purple and her movements become more fluid and graceful, but her senses heighten to the point where everything is almost too clear and sharp.
Her next words are spoken in a clear, if somewhat rushed, tone. One of her hands rests on a bomb on her belt.
"Zu'u dreh ni mindok dahrin fah hin iidah -- ol gut ol mu mindok, daar jul lost drehlaan nid wah lask grik iidah. Fos lost drun daar? "
Puzzled by the lizard-tongue, Tanith looks to Carina.
"She's not in the mood to enter melee, and she called you fat." Carina whispers, resting a hand on Tanith's arm.
Astraden peers up at the soldiers, trying to understand their reluctance. "Maybe they're low on arrows."
She then strides forward behind Tanith, keeping one hand on her mask, which is disguised as Allustan's beard. "What did you tell her?"
There is a pause. The lizardfolk puts away her club.
"Zu'u fen ni zaan yaav nol gein aanvorey. Ris tum tol vial ahrk lov ahrk mu vis tinvaak. Het, Zu'u fen gelum dii zun."
She has no intention of negotiating.
Carina glances over at the other lizardfolk warriors assembled, not trusting the leader's words, but taking her hand off her vial. "Waan hi ofan zey hin rot tol hin kendov fen ni iidah, Zu'u fen miinahsul nii."
"Asked her why she's attacking. Hasn't answered." She whispers back to 'Allustan'.
Tanith frowns at Carina's explanation but holds his position.
"Wants me to approach to talk with her. Doesn't plan to negotiate. I'm worried she'll attempt to kill me once I drop my guard." Carina whispers to the Kordite.
The lizardfolk seems to consider it, though her mask makes it hard to tell what she's thinking. "Zu'u vaat naal Semuanya, dii kendov fent ni aax hi." She turns to the others. "Muz! Hi fent lif lom zii kos."
Carina turns to Tanith and nods before stepping forward.
She stops about halfway to the lizardfolk and waits for the leader to approach, her arms folded behind her back.
Not sure about the plan but trusting Carina's judgement, Tanith follows behind her.
Farrukh shadows Carina, weapon at the ready in case of betrayal. He keeps a very close eye on the lizardfolk leader.
He whispers to her.
"I've got your back, just in case."
The lizardfolk hesitates, gets out and drinks a potion, then walks up.
"Bek. Hetro sent. Zu'u med hi, Lom Zii, ful hi vis lif nu ahrk lahney. Hi fend kuz tol miik. Ont Kushak ahmin hi, rok fen kriin hi pah. Rok kiibok konaar, ahrk konaar kiibok ved diiv Ilthane. Rek los gein wo lost shaan konaar wah niivut nahkriin."
Eben stays at the ready, an arrow nocked but pointing at the ground.
Astraden whispers a spell, then waves up at the soldiers. "Never fear, folk! I am a mighty wizard!!!"
Carina arches an eyebrow in confusion.
"Nahkriin? Nahkriin fah fos?"
She winces and pinches the bridge of her nose at 'Allustan's' antics.
Astraden...
At Astraden's shout, the other lizardfolk groups look over sharply. The leader's eyes widen as he beholds the heroes, and he gives a bellowing warcry.
The masked lizardfolk sighs. "Pruzah, ful pogaas fah tol. Waan rok komaan wah kuz hi ol aanvorey grunzah, unt wah hiiv beylund Hishka. Hi fen lahney bit lingrahiik tol ven. "
She backs away and casts a spell, causing spectral armor plates to form a protective shell around her.
Two of the lizardfolk advance, drawing and throwing javelins. The other two charge Tanith.
Meanwhile, two of the lizardfolk groups—including that of the leader—start making their way towards the heroes. Another moves to keep an eye on the northern Keep soldiers.
One of the humans stands up to shoot an arrow.
The five lizardfolk who moved have been waiting for this. They throw their javelins, and despite the distance, one goes through the man's arm. Bleeding profusely, the man collapses out of sight.
No one else stands up.
"Gah! Stand back, you scalawag knaves! I know magics that would fry your skin. Abracadabra! Olidammara! Hear my prayer!" Astraden waves her hand magically, and the lizardfolk lose a bit of luck, while those they would assail gain some. She shimmers, and splits into yet another Allustan. "Twice the power! I'm old!"
"Well, damn," Eben says, as every lizardfolk in the world seems to converge on his position. He takes a breath, steadies himself, and fires off arrows as fast as his bow will allow.