Mantisbane Pact with GM Zek

Game Master Zektolna

I'll get my spell list up soon, its basically going to be a ton of Suggestion spells with debuffs. GM, with Talia's vast knowledge skills, do I know anything about why the baby looks so odd, or why the mother's hair sways without noticeable wind?

"I'd prefer to interrogate the Red Mantis myself before you pass judgement if at all possible" Talia responds carefully.

At Makkatat's monkey goblin information, Talia meets his gaze evenly without any shred of worry or concern.

"We can handle this task, although as you say, we would need to plan carefully. The monkey goblins cannot learn that its a coordinated attack leading up to an assault on Ganda-Uj. Such information would likely lead the Red Mantis toward reinforcing their position. I think eliminating eliminating the Egg Sucker tribe is the best option, its less suspicious and could be passed off as simple vengeance."

Talia looks at the kobold before shrugging slightly. "How do you want to play this? Do you want a straight up fight, attacking them head on? Outflanking? Eliminating the leader? What sort of tactics do you favor? I'd prefer we spend the day planning, at then make a move tomorrow at the earliest personally, so I can adjust my spells accordingly.

Kilarra examines the map. "The Egg Suckers are definitely where we should start. After them, which are the tribe closest to your Warrens? The Knotsnarls?"

Knowledhe Geography: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (6) + 6 = 12

Uruelleth listens to the various tribes on the island and he gets a very strong sense of deja vu. He turns to Kilarra with a big grin on his face. "I have a warband again."

Kilarra smirks -- or is that a smile? -- at Uruelleth's pride. "Now all you need is another badass nickname."

Talivar thought for a moment before nodding, "Yeah I agree with the first target. We might be able to wipe them out if we can catch them unaware. Still I can't help but think about what comes after. This will be messing with their plans. They'll send agents and I think it'll be up to us to deal with that. And the more success we have the more we'll stir up the ants nest. I wonder if we could set some of the goblin tribes against each other? Would deflect some of the heat."

Talia, you can attempt a Knowledge (planes) check to learn more.

Makkatat nods to Talia. “We wouldn’t have captured them without you and Talivar. Pixxiv can lead you to them when you’re ready.”

Addressing the war plans, the kobold says, “We’ll certainly need to be strategic in our operation. The distances between the tribes is both a boon and a detriment. On the one hand, we’ll likely have a few days before the monkey goblins realize that some of their number are being eliminated. On the other hand, it will likely take at least a day to journey from one tribe to another.

“If we play our cards right, we can eliminate three or four of the tribes before word even reaches Ganda-Uj, or the Mantis, for that matter.

“After the Egg Suckers, the Knotsnarl and Spikespur are about equidistance from our Warrens.”

Kilarra isn’t familiar enough with the geography of the region to work out distances and exact locations.

Makkatat says to Talivar, “It is plausible that the monkey goblins or even the Mantis will launch a counterattack. They would likely have the opportunity to do so before we could assault Ganda-Uj. As for setting the tribes against each other… unfortunately we have tried that before. While I think it could work with enough time, the scale on which we would need it to do so to actually make a difference would take quite a long time to pull off. Furthermore, the Mantis are almost certain to notice, which we need to delay as long as possible. Hence why I think direct attacks are our best option.”

Knowledge Planes: 1d20 + 14 + 2 ⇒ (10) + 14 + 2 = 26

Talia recognizes the child to be a Sylph: a native outsider born from the descendants of humans and beings of elemental air such as djinn. They tend to be pale and thin and have complex blue markings on their skin. Their heritage is also shown through subtle signs such as a slight breeze that follows them wherever they go, or a gust of wind when they experience intense emotions. Sylphs tend to be shy and reclusive.

This is my spell list as a really quick version, but I'm going to be blowing through these spells anyway in quick succession since I'm going to be interrogating them.

"I'd like to see them shortly Makkatat if I can. We don't get much of an opportunity to take Red Mantis alive, and I'd like to get what information I can. There's a lot I need to know" Talia responds smoothly.

"As for the war plans, I excel at getting information, so I can give us an advantage that way. Tell me about the battlefield or terrain, tell me about the commanders, the tribes, about your kobolds strengths, weaknesses, fighting style and I can use that to formulate a plan. Preferably, tell me after I interrogate those Mantis though, I don't like leaving them alive much longer than necessary"

Let me know if this is good GM. I suspect also that the kobolds would dislike an Animate Dead spell (thats just my read) so feel free to informally let me know this, Talia has good enough knowledge skills to probably know how they would feel. Even if they are ok with it, I still don't really want the alignment shift unless its unavoidable.

Isn't that going to turn them into mindless undead? I think there was some way of awakening undead but by Golorion cannon this is evil with a capital E.

"I believe I'll watch this interrogation." Talivar stated with a flinty look in his eye, "They are assassins and could still prove dangerous to you Talia."

While a genuine concern that was far from his only reason for wanting to observe. A certain level of enhanced interrogation seemed justified, but he was keen to see that they (meaning Talia) didn't sully themselves with their zeal for answers.

So basically Talivar is cool with the debuffs and so on, but the closer things get to torture the less comfortable he'll be. Creating undead would put him in a supremely awkward spot (per Golorion cannon he'd think Talia has jumped the shark), it's probably best he has no idea Talia is considering that.

"Yeah, I'll come help."

Agreed that Kilarra shouldn't be present. Feel free to tell her to bugger off. Haha.

”Kilarra, I think it’s best if you stay here. Enchantment magic snaps in the face of open hostility and I know how you feel about keeping Mantis alive, even for a short time. Besides, it looks better for the tribe if the two Trampled are still discussing plans after our non Trampled leave” the shaman quickly replies, worried about an interrogation disaster in Kilarra’s presence.

Im not torturing them, since that breaks Enchantment. I also don’t have plans to actually use Animate Dead. You can make non mindless undead with Create Unsead, but then it’s haddee to control them as they are intelligent. I have Animate Dead prepped just in case but I don’t really want to use it.

Kilarra gives Talia a long, hard, glare.

Eventually she crosses her arms. "Fine." She smirks, although it's unlikely she's amused. "Have fun."

After Kilarra left, Talivar was quiet for a while before remarking to Talia, "Well I suppose she could have taken that worse... For a moment I thought she was going to take a pop at you! Still I hope we don't regret her absence incase our two guests try something rash. The man seemed fairly resistant to my new little trick, so if things go south I may have to turn them into icicles."

Just to be super clear, Talia, if you use Animate Dead, that will shift your alignment to CN. You definitely don’t want to cast it a second time. Also, Talivar is correct in that I’m not sure how Animate Dead in particular could help you get any more info out of the two.

Makkatat tilts his head at Talia’s comment and says, “Be sure to get whatever you want to out of them now. We will burn their bodies after we carry out their executions.”

The kobold leader is happy for any information she can provide about the various monkey goblin tribes.

After your conversation winds down, Makkatat has Pixxiv lead Talia and Talivar to where the Mantis are being held. It is exactly as he described it: a prison hole.

The Warrens slope downward to a circular hole with rope ladders leading further down. Kobold guards surround the area. After you descend into the first layer, you see that there are multiple smaller holes beneath you. Each holds a prisoner. This level is also filled with kobold guards.

Two kobold guards accompany Talia and Talivar into the hole of the first Mantis. He’s currently got his hands tied in front of him, but he is otherwise unrestrained.

Talia lets off a barrage of hexes and spell to try to compel the male Mantis to speak. Her efforts are overwhelming and after she casts Inveigle Person, the man actually smiles at the shaman.

He glances between Talia, Talivar, and the two kobolds, then says, “Hello friends, is there something I can help you with?”

-----

Meanwhile, Makkatat continues making war plans with his fellow Trampled. “So how exactly do you plan to handle the Egg Suckers? And assuming you can eliminate them - or at least Gawg - which tribe do you plan on dealing with next?”

Talia smiles at the man, placing a slim hand on his chest.

"Its so nice to see you again sir, its nice to feel welcome. I thought we could sit and talk together, if you wouldn't mind? I just realized that I know so little about who you are, and the Red Mantis itself, what its like, who the people are, the buildings itself that you call home, that sort of thing, and I'd love to learn a little more. Do you feel up towards telling me a little bit about those topics?"

I can bullet point questions if you want, but technically, I should be weaving them into the conversation.

The man seems excited to have someone to talk to. He glances down at Talia’s hand and blushes a bit.

Doing his best to ignore her hand, he replies, “Happy to talk. Who am I? That’s a good question, uh, well I’m a Blood Vessel. Appointed to be a sacrifice for Achaekek. Can’t recall having another name. I live in the Crimson Citadel. It’s a rather large and grand place. Quite difficult to describe, though, since it’s always changing form. The Vernai and Blood Mistress use powerful magic to change its appearance, nearly every week if not more often.

“Anyway, I’m probably getting a bit carried away. Those are really broad topics. Were you looking for anything specific?”

"Of course. Well, I was wondering where to find the Crimson Citadel. The Vernai and Blood Mistress do a really excellent job hiding it. I think a guy there by the name of Chessin wanted me to go to Sivlamlik, which is a place I don't know much about, but I had a close friend by the name of Alayna there, it would be nice if there was people I knew there, if I was ever taken to the place" Talia replies, name dropping a few people, hoping that she could prompt the man into more information.

“The Citadel is in Mediogalti’s mountains. My handler usually leads me there, since it normally looks so different after I’ve been gone a while. I seem to recall someone named Chessin, but I don’t know him. The Vernai do a good job of keeping us on task, so we don’t usually interact with Mantis assigned to other things.

“I don’t know an Alayna, but unless you’re a member of the Red Mantis, I don’t think you want to go there. It’s… not exactly kind to non-members. But maybe you could join? It’s really enjoyable as a member. I got to visit before I left on this assignment. Mmm, so much fun.”

Talia wrinkles her nose slightly "What's so fun about being a member of the Red Mantis? Your girl friend is really mean and she seems like she is no fun at all. I wouldn't even know how to join or where to meet your handler. What were the two of you doing here, and why is your friend so up tight? Are all Blood Vessels like that?" she asks.

The man looks at Talia in confusion. “I meant that Sivlamlik is so much fun. The pleasure, the ecstasy, the chills… it’s hard to describe it in a way that does it justice. The Mantis spare no expense in finding only the best to service the needs of its members. Being a member of the Red Mantis isn’t about fun, but it certainly comes with its delights.

"The other Vessel here isn’t my girlfriend. Blood Vessels take our duty very seriously. It is a sacred role that we play."

The man seems excited when Talia mentions she doesn't know how to join the Mantis. "You wouldn't go to the Citadel to do so. Present yourself to the Mantis in Ilizmagorti and they will determine if you are worthy. Only those who He Who Walks In Blood chooses to honor many join the Red Mantis.

"We were here to gather intel about the Thunderscale tribe, but in the knowledge that this might be the time when we would get to be sacrificed in Achaekek’s name.”

"Hmm, I don't think the Mantis would let me join. Your Vessel friend didn't seem to like me very much, so I don't think they would let me in. Who is your handler, where could I find them. They might be better people to ask about joining" Talia replies

The man frowns. "I'm sorry to hear that. My handler is a half-elf named Erandlon. He operates in the Greens just outside of the city, but we usually meet for assignments near the Old Bell. He doesn’t talk to people about joining the Mantis, though. You would need to ask the Mantis in the city.”

Talia tilts her head slightly.

"My friends and I really, really want to rescue someone called Alayna from Sivlamlik. She's pretty, like me, but she's scared and alone. I don't think the Mantis would let me rescue her though. Do you anything that might help us in a secret rescue attempt. It would have to be secret I think. I'd be ever so grateful" Talia remarks with an adoring look.

The Mantis chuckles at Talia for a moment before realizing she's not joking. "You're serious? If you aren't Mantis, you may go to Sivlamlik, but you don't leave Sivlamlik. As a friend, I would suggest abandoning such a silly idea like a rescue attempt, much less a secret one. It's not going to happen."

Hmm this guy isn't a fountain of information. Since Inveigle Person lasts for 8 hours, I might interrogate the female one to see if she knows anything different. I can always come back to him if I have any more questions, so long as its within 8 hours.

Alright, that works. Let's hold off on the second interrogation to give Talivar a chance to ask questions. If Kilarra and Uruelleth want to chime in ooc, I'm cool with that, too. I imagine that sort of thing would happen if this was a face-to-face game, so no sense in disallowing it in a pbp one.

Talivar's knuckles involuntarily tightened when Talia started asking after Alayna and he was surprised by a crunching noise. Unbidden frost had covered his hands which he flicked away with irritation. Initially not trusting himself to speak he let Talia carry on. The man claimed not to know his daughter, Talivar weighted this up, was he lying? Ever since his wife had been killed, Talivar had found his judgement to be clouded with doubts. Still in this case with the number Talia had put upon the man, things might be easier...

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (14) + 1 = 15
Sense Motive(disadvantage): 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (16) + 1 = 17

Assuming he thinks the man is telling the truth.
Talivar relaxed fractionally before asking laconically, "Can a Blood Vessel ever become more? Suppose you excelled on this mission and maybe the next few. Could you become like Erandlon?"

Uruelleth studies the map and considers their targets. The Egg Suckers were as good a first target as any, and since the possibility of retaliation was high, eliminating the ones with the most experience in attacking the warrens made the most sense.

Striking hard and fast was Uruelleth's preferred tactics anyway, but he knew enough that having some surprises for their enemies was always useful.

He turns to Makkatat. "Do you have any secondary warrens? Any places that may be abandoned now, or places where you plan to go if this one is overrun? Striking from here is predictable. If we have different places to fall back to or to prepare, we confuse the goblins and protect this warren."

Talivar doesn’t see any indication the man is lying.

The man furrows his brow at the sorcerer’s question. “Why would I want to become more? Being a Blood Vessel is one of the greatest honors a Red Mantis can receive. Besides, once you are made a Vessel, it is a sacred duty that must be fulfilled lest you become an apostate.

“Erandlon has his own, separate duty. Our roles within the Red Mantis are quite different. So no, I could not, nor would I want to.”

-----

Makkatat sighs at Uruelleth’s questions and replies, “We’ve tried building warrens elsewhere. Twice, actually. The Mantis found out before we could complete them and chased us away. They are definitely abandoned, but I would never bring the tribe to them.”

Uruelleth turns to Makkatat, arching an eyebrow. "I wonder if there was something special about those places that the bugs didn't want you there. Might be worth checking out. Where are the abandoned warrens? I don't mean to bring the whole tribe, but they could maybe be a place for a war band to hide for a while."

Talivar tried to stop his eyebrow from raising but failed. The nihilism was shocking, it seemed the only thing his young man lived for was to die in Achaekek's name. This was at once deeply scary and heart wrenching. If the enemy is prepared to die to carry out their mission how can you stop them? No that was the wrong question...

Talivar paused for a moment while he thought before asking, "Suppose some friends of mine wanted to join you... You said we should present ourselves to the Red Mantis in Ilizmagorti, how does that work? Do they decide who is worthy or does Achaekek speak to them?"

Talivar suspected Achaekek was busy and had better things to do but it was interesting to see what the Zealots thought.

Addressing Talivar’s question, the Mantis says, “They decide who is worthy on Achaekek’s behalf. Our rites are sacred, so you would have to experience them for yourselves. You would either pass and become one of us. Or you wouldn’t and you would die. No one who has glimpsed such secrets and been rejected by Achaekek can be allowed to leave alive.”

-----

Makkatat thinks for a moment, then says to Uruelleth, “I doubt there was anything special about the sites. We were only concerned with having warrens to fall back on. Our only requirement was that the ground be suitable. Most likely the Mantis just didn’t want us expanding our area of influence. I’m happy for you to scout them out, if you want to, but I’m not sure I would be comfortable leaving troops there for an extended amount of time. We haven’t been back since we were chased away. The Mantis could be actively patrolling the sites, but even if they aren’t, they could occasionally send someone to make sure we haven’t returned. It would… it would take some convincing for us to use the sites again.”

The kobold then points out the locations of the two abandoned warrens on the map and says, “Something else to keep in mind is that the warrens are indeed incomplete. One we had barely finished excavating the entryway and a couple temporary living quarters. The other we managed to make a common area much like the one we have here, but nothing further.”

Clearly the selection process involved finding the young, impressionable and disposable. Talivar began to think the man genuinely didn't know much in the greater scheme of things, still what little he did know might prove useful.

"Of course." replied Talivar smoothly, nodding to the man,"Ilizmagorti is a pretty big place! Is there anywhere in particular I should tell my friends to seek out the Red Mantis? Some of them seem pretty keen..."

The man nods, "Present yourself at The Pagoda of the Mantis. You will be tested upon entering. Should you pass the initial test, your full exam can then begin. Anyone within the temple should be able to aid you. If you can't find it, members of the Blood Watch should be able to give you directions."

"Why thank you friend." replied Talivar easily. The Pagoda of the Mantis sounded like a place to be avoided at all costs for now, although later on... The idea of somehow infiltrating the Mantis from within occurred to Talivar although as of yet he couldn't think of a way to pull it off.

Not having any further immediate questions he glanced at Talia wondering what her plan was for this young fool.

Talia and Talivar leave the male Mantis for now to see what they can learn from the female Mantis.

While Talia's magic isn't quite as strong, it proves to be more than sufficient to charm the woman. The female Mantis's face contorts as the shaman unleashes her barrage of hexes and spells. As Talia finishes casting her last spell, the Mantis simply smiles at her.

"Hello Blood Vessel, its so nice to make your personal acquaintance. I was hoping you could tell me a little about Sivlamlik. Someone called Chessin thought that I would be a good fit there, along with a friend of mine already there called Alayna. Would you happen to know anything about them, or this topic?" Talia asks carefully

The woman seems quite happy when Talia addresses her as Blood Vessel. She replies, “Sivlamlik is a wondrous place. The Blood Mistress and Vernai spare no expense when it comes to providing the Mantis with pleasures. They have delights for Mantis of every stripe and color. They bring exotic peoples from across Golarion.

“I know of Chessin, though we were acquaintances, not friends. He was sent back to the Citadel for additional training, or at least that’s what he told me. I’m not sure what his issue was, but he hardly ever seemed happy when I spoke to him.

“I don’t know an Alayna, or at least not by name. That’s not surprising, though, if she’s among the treats the Mantis provide us. Pleasures don’t get referred to by name, since their names are irrelevant once they’ve arrived in the Citadel.”

"He didn't mention someone called Talia at all?" Talia responds, a little thrilled to have made Chessin's life miserable after he had indirectly ruined her ability to feel safe on her own.

Talia pauses for a moment, thinking in thought. "How are they referred to then, are they called anything in particular? There are clearly many pleasures in Sivlamlik after all. Where do they stay in the Citadel, are they kept somewhere in a cell, or cared for in some way?"

Talia thinks for a moment before describing Alayna briefly, seeing if that jogs the woman's memory.

The woman thinks for a moment at Talia’s first question, then says, “He never mentioned anyone by name, but kept referring to someone with rather unflattering terms, to put it kindly. He almost seemed to go out of his way not to mention this person by name. Is Talia someone I should know? Or someone Chessin knows?”

The Mantis giggles at Talia’s other question. “We call them many things, usually whatever we feel like on any given day: pleasures, treats, delights. They’re all slaves, so sometimes we’ll refer to them like that, but we prefer to refer to them by what they offer us.

“They stay in Sivlamlik. When they aren’t servicing us, they stay in cells. Most of them have been dominated, so that’s the extent of it. Particularly strong-willed ones we put in chains. We give them what they need to survive for as long as they’re useful to us. That varies wildly from pleasure to pleasure.”

Talia smiles, giggling slightly to try and set the woman at ease. "Chessin knows me as Talia, so its probably me who he is referring to in rather unflattering terms. He wanted me for Sivlamlik you see, and I didn't know what it was, so I fled from him, and he must have received extra training. I wonder how unflattering he was about me. I doubt he calls me a pleasure" she muses out loud for a moment.

"Are the Red Mantis willing to part with a Pleasure, trade one for something? They are just slaves right? Not that important?" she asks curiously.

Thinking further, inspiration strikes briefly. "Honored Blood Vessel, would you know where I might be able to find a copy of the The Red Chronicles, Volume One. I know that its a sacred text, but seeing as you and I seem to be close friends already, surely you would let me understand a little about the Red Mantis history?"

“No, he definitely doesn’t. I don’t think he intends to let you become a pleasure now.”

The woman shakes her head when Talia asks about the slaves, “Once someone has entered the Citadel, they cannot be allowed to leave again unless they are Mantis. Once pleasures have served their purpose, they are disposed of.”

She thinks again about the book and says, “That’s not something someone of my station has access to. The Blood Mistress can access a copy within the Sarzari library. I hear there may also be a copy in the Pagoda of the Mantis in Ilizmagorti, but only the High Priestess would have access to it. That’s really not the kind of information people like you and I would have access to.”

Talia shrugs at the woman's comment. "Its his loss. What if I wanted to meet with Chessin personally and apologise? Mybe he would be happier if he put me back where he thought I belonged? Is it possible for me to go to him, or him to come to me?" Talia asks curiously., before turning serious.

"The Pagoda of the Mantis is indeed a very sacred building. I don't think anyone would be able to walk into it, as the building would be well protected. I also understand its where Mantis recruits go. Are there any defenses I should be wary of if I wanted to seek an audience with the High Priestess?"

"Lastly, as a Blood Vessel I'm sure you report to someone of significant importance. Did you have a rendezvous with someone to report back, any code-words or passphrases so that we can get you to it on time?"

I'm pretty much done after this (since I'm conscious that this holds up Uruelleth and Kilarra from other things they want to do).

The woman shakes her head vigorously and her eyes bulge a bit when Talia asks about meeting Chessin. “Only if you want to die. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.”

Regarding the High Priestess, she says, “She stays in the Pagoda and only Mantis get to see her. She’s got plenty of lower rank Mantis and Blood Priests who can come to her aid if she’s in danger. It’s said that only true followers of Achaekek or those worthy of following him can enter the Pagoda.

“I’m to rendezvous with Erandlon near the Old Bell. There’s no code. He knows me and the other Blood Vessel by sight.”

Feel free to let Makkatat know what you recommend for the two Mantis. Also, now’s a good time to ask any other questions you might have about the monkey goblin tribes. He’s given you their last known locations, so you could conceivably try to scout or attack one tomorrow.

Any indication as to when she meets with Erandlon? Day, time, etc?

I have no recommendations for Makkatat. With time, I could probably use repeated enchantment magic to probably turn them into an ally (which might help with eventually breaking into the Citadel) but I'm unsure if that's worth it, and...I think Kilarra (rightly) wants to kill them immediately. No strong opinions either way. Recommendations for Monkey Goblin attack will happen when I know the timeframe for Old Bell.

Don't worry about holding us up Talia. If you've got more digging to do take your time. And yes, these Mantis need to die.

Kilarra considers the map. "Tell me about the Egg Suckers. Whats the approach to their base like? What is their base? Terrain? Wildlife? Do they often have guards and patrols out?"

I agree. We're learning good stuff.

Uruelleth nods. "Then the others. Might as well know them all. If we wipe out the Egg Suckers quick, we can move to the next tribe right away."

Talivar had to turn away, with angry words like Sordid and Depraved running through his head. The image of his formally innocent daughter reduced to a nameless plaything made him frown deeply, and once more he was surprised by ice encrusting his fists. Not immediately lashing out took a supreme effort of will. In the end the only thought that stayed his hand was the realisation this blood vessel was somebody's daughter.

On the way out he whispered to Makkatat, "That pair are head over heels in love with the idea of being a bloodvessel. I'm really curious what it would take to break that. Still I'm effectively asking for a leopard to change its spots... I'd suggest we offer them a chance to repent and if they refuse, hang em."

Talia, Erandlon goes to the Old Bell at regular intervals to meet with them. Their next meeting is set for five days from now at noon.

Makkatat nods at Talivar's suggestion. “That seems like as good a plan as any. I’ll have our fighters prepare a pair of nooses for their inevitable refusals.”

-----

Both for practicality’s sake and for my sanity, let’s stick with going over one tribe at a time. There’s (potentially) a lot about each one and I would prefer to give them a fair bit of detail. Thanks for your understanding!

Makkatat addresses Kilarra and Uruelleth, “I’ll begin with the Egg Suckers. We can discuss the others, but I doubt you’ll want to deal with more than one on any given day. Not to mention the distances between them will be prohibitive.

“As for the Egg Suckers, they are primarily warriors, making up some of the strongest fighters the monkey goblins have. It’s rumored they’ve even learned a few things from the Mantis.

“They give us a lot of trouble because they tend to always stay in the tree canopy. Most of them are just as deadly at range as up close. When they camp, some of them come down to make fires, but usually at least half their number stay in the trees to keep watch and to ambush those foolish enough to challenge them.

“Their leader, Gawg, is said to be not only charismatic - for a monkey goblin - but also their best fighter. I wouldn’t recommend challenging him one-on-one.

“As far as terrain and environment, our information is accurate as of a month ago, so I doubt much has changed, but you deserve to be aware of that. The Egg Sucker tribe usually keeps their camp in the middle of a fairly flat part of the jungle. It’s still thick jungle without much room to maneuver in a lot of places, but there’s no significant elevation changes, slopes, etc.

“Wildlife normally steer clear of them as the Egg Sucker tribe, as their name might imply, aren’t exactly friendly to the creatures of the jungle. I’ve heard they try to camp in places with carnivorous plants nearby, but haven’t been able to verify such reports.

“They conduct frequent patrols, usually near if not actually in Thunderscale territory. They always have guards at their camp. At least half a dozen, but most of the tribe stay in the trees, so almost all of them could be considered guards since they have a good lay of the land.”

I decided it was finally time to provide a better map of Mediogalti Island, so I added one to the info slides. It includes the locations of the four tribes that Makkatat mentioned (the fifth is based in Ganda-Uj). I blacked out a few things that are minor spoilers, so no peeking! Keep in mind the exact location of the Crimson Citadel is still considered unknown for you. You just know it’s said to be somewhere in the Mediogalti mountains. Hopefully the map will give you a better idea of distances and such.