"What are those things? They look like deformed dolls. You think this was their radish patch? If so, these Kobolds are clearly bandits as well, like the humans we've been fighting."
"I don't recognize them, myself. But in my family, we tell many tales of the fey-folk and creatures of these lands. Father always told us to be wary of crossing fey in our travels."
The demonic woman see the Kobolds do not want to negotiate with her, and that her comrades are getting impatient. She attacks the creature, killing but the unconscious and the awaken one.
They can rest now. Let's see what more we can learn and take a look at the rest of the area.
Maja strolls around the radish patch, careful not to disturb any potential evidence. There are some assorted tracks, evidence of a scuffle, a good bit of blood, and lots of radish tops. It seems like a pretty basic turf war, and there's no real way to tell who "owned" the patch first. The tracks should be fairly easy to follow back to either of the creature's homes.
Kivan looks at the little bodies with disgust.
"Well it seems we have found the 'actual' monsters after all. Disgusting Fey."
Kivan looks at the others.
"Here are some creatures deserving of our wrath. Let us travel to their home, and cleanse them from this land."
"Sure, give me a second."
Pretty takes 20 to loot the bodies.
Pretty flips over all the bodies and pats them down. She finds assorted grubs and bugs - food, apparently - along with a few small daggers, darts, and traveling supplies. Nothing is of any great use or value, since it's almost entirely handmade and dingy.
Cassius will pick up the trail of the mites.
Kivan picks a few radishes before leaving with the others.
Well these might come in handy later. Especially if we try to be diplomatic with the kobolds after we have just fought the mites.
Idris follows along, keeping an eye out for anything that might help them.
(add +2 to Cassius's result above)
Especially if we try to be diplomatic with the kobolds after we have just fought the mites.
The mite tracks come from the same direction as the kobold tracks - the southeast. With an expert eye, Cassius pinpoints the details of the encounter. The mites arrived first, early in the morning, and fainter tracks indicate that this is probably a regular spot. After a few hours of gluttony, they were set upon by kobolds who were following the mites' tracks. The kobolds took advantage of the gorged mites in much the same way as the party got the kobolds. Cassius notices an individual set of kobold tracks that left before the rest, and as he's pondering an explanation, Idris points out that they left at a jog - probably a scout returning to inform others about the results of the mite battle.
Seraphina seems unsettled and anxious as they begin tracking the mites.
"I don't think we should disturb the fey of this land if we can help it. Their ways are mysterious but they usually keep to themselves, at least until someone has angered them by upsetting the balance of nature or killing their kin."
"Sera, as Kivan have told us () this mites are not the kind of fey you would like to know, nor have in close to where you live. I think their mean us harm and will only cause trouble. It's a plague we need to eliminate."
"From what you're telling me about these tracks, Cassius, it seems to me that these mites either planted these radishes or found a wild patch and were making ongoing use of it. Then these kobolds killed them and ate the radishes. It sounds to me that the kobolds are basically bandits here. Maybe the mites won't be good long-term members of the kingdom either, though. Kivan, are you sure they can't be dealt with?"
Not all fey are good Sera, and they certainly don't always keep to themselves. I can track either set that you all want to follow
"From what you're telling me about these tracks, Cassius, it seems to me that these mites either planted these radishes or found a wild patch and were making ongoing use of it. Then these kobolds killed them and ate the radishes. It sounds to me that the kobolds are basically bandits here. Maybe the mites won't be good long-term members of the kingdom either, though. Kivan, are you sure they can't be dealt with?"
Kivan shakes his head.
"I don't think so. All of the research I have done on the creatures seems to suggest that they hate everyone, and anyone who has good fortune. While they do have a bad lot in life they don't seek to improve it. They just try to make others miserable."
"I vote for following the kobolds first and dealing with them. Then we can investigate the mites at our leisure. So far, the mites have done nothing to us, but if they turn out to be as dangerous and evil as you've read, Kivan, then I concur with driving them out of our territory."
"I vote for killing both groups and leaving our chances of being merciful to later, with a group of beings who really deserve it" she looks cold, with a emotionless face. "At this pace we will get tired of the talking option and will never come to it again, so I say to leave it for people, or maybe civilized beings. Kobolds and Mites are not among them."
Kivan looks at the rest of the group.
"Whoever we decide to kill first, we have to go southeast anyways, so let's go that way. We can decide on kobolds, or mites first as we camp."
Pretty makes a happy face, glad that they are going somewhere.
Sera still looks anxious, but shrugs in surrender. "I still think I'd rather we start with the kobolds, but I'll go along with whatever you decide, Cas."
"Comes down to your choice, then, Cassius."
We should make camp for the night and then pick up the trail of the mites in the morning
Idris nods, and helps Cassius with making camp. After everything is ready, she spends 15 minutes working her whetstone over her sword, and offers it to anyone else who wants to use it.
"Thank you Idris. My daggers are usually sharp, since they always find a soft spot to dig through" - she raises and turns around two of her daggers, that have no dents at all - "But the human fat is a problem, isn't it?" - She takes the whetstone and start to make some use of it, although it looks too big for the daggers size. "Am I doing this right?"
"Yes, along the blade and against the grain, like that. The edge this makes will probably wear a bit after one or two successful strikes, but we can do this every night to make sure all our blades have that little additional bit of sharpness."
Idris will take a watch in the previously established order, unless there is some change requested.
Kivan will make sure at least 3 radishes are not used in cooking
The party heads southeast, following the kobold trail. As the light begins to fade, camp is made, and everyone settles down for the evening.
In the night, during Pretty's and Maja's watch, the quiet of the night is pierced by a terrible howling scream. It is loud enough to wake everyone up, at least momentarily. The sound comes and goes for the next half hour at least, always in a different direction but never close enough to pinpoint. Without incident, it ceases as suddenly as it began.