"Um, are those kobolds?"
None of the guardsmen, magisterial or otherwise seem willing to let Mikmek and Nakpik (or Erevenywg, who is standing by them) in.
"Oy! Let the kobolds and Erevenywg in! They ain't gonna bite!"
"Scar-lets-karab! Manen tye sinte ni vamme ana nahta?"
"Huh?" Scarlet pauses for a moment, mumbles Erevenywg's words back to herself, and you can see her light up as she understands the Sylvan speech. She laughs.
"I know you ain't gonna bite- wait, wait." Scarlet mumbles a bit more to herself.
"It's a figure of speech, I didn't mean it literally! I figure you would watermelon- I mean, bash them over the head. Er, don't do that by the way!"
Thinking it over Erevenywg says: "Ni care- vamme osán- i ni watermelon...."
"Yes.... You're old Remuros's stable boy aren't you?" the older man says stroking his pointed beard.
Zokon turns to face the lord at the comment
"Well I probably did muck out some stables as part of some training regime or other for Remuros, but no not a stable boy, my origins are not quite that simple." he says to the old Lord
"Yes! Kobolds!" Illthir exclaims, glad to have a topic that didn't involve challenging swordlords. That was fun she admitted but not perhaps productive. Or healthy. Gesturing towards their tiny new friends she introduces them to the magister and his people. "These are Mikmek and Napik - ambassadors from the Sootscale tribe. They have agreed to cease hostilities and let trade move trough their lands. So that's one less obstacle. And *uh* speaking of those - we are working on the language situation!"
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"Um, are those kobolds?"
"Indeed! As our new Half-Elven friend here has said, they are emissaries sent by Chief Sootscale himself. The chief has agreed to make peace with us surface folk after we did him a significant favor. In fact, Lord Magistrate, it is fortunate that you are here, since otherwise they would have had to travel to Restov to see you."
"...concerned about the continuing bandit activity in the region. ..."
"And rightly so! We have been working on that front, Lord Magister, and intercepted another bandit group recently, led by someone named Dovan of Nisroch. We put them to the sword; it didn't seem convenient to march them back to Restov as we had with the last bunch."
"We have also located the stronghold of the man who calls himself 'The Stag Lord.' He is the one behind most of the bandit activity in the region and has been recruiting heavily. He has a small army encamped around the stronghold. We returned here to resupply before returning there to take him on."
"That headless woman a month past, and so forth."
"Headless woman? I don't recall that one."
"That headless woman a month past, and so forth.""Headless woman? I don't recall that one."
{Wavy lines, wavy lines, harp music, harp music....}
Then, a few days later...{Wavy lines, wavy lines, harp music, harp music....}
The Magister looks aghast at the kobolds, and at the fact that perfectly ordinary folk like Numalar and Illthir might travel with them and speak so.
He visibly tamps down his distaste though at the word of more dead brigands. "Did you bring their remains back to hang from the walls?" he asks.
....
"Yes.... You're old Remuros's stable boy aren't you?" the older man says stroking his pointed beard.Zokon turns to face the lord at the comment
"Well I probably did muck out some stables as part of some training regime or other for Remuros, but no not a stable boy, my origins are not quite that simple." he says to the old Lord
"Honestly lad, it doesn't seem like it. You are as unsubtle as a bull in the presence of the Dragonscale Throne." The noble moves off toward the main house.
"See what you've done? I'll be sleeping in the my stables soon enough." Oleg complains to the party, gesturing at the nobles who will undoubtedly be sleeping in his bed this night.
"Did I hear you and your wife will be in need of a tent for the night?" Naleksa interrupts, her eyes lighting up like two silver coins.
Zokon pffts at Solvis words.. and stops himself from miming shooting him with a bow as he leaves and notices Anza's listening. No crime in that.. yet
"With all the interest that will most likely come through the parts now, you should start up a guest house, with expensive rooms for Nobles. Then well I do not think you will have need to grumble after that."
With some reluctance the kobolds and strange fey woman are allowed in.
"Scarlet! When did you get back? Are the others here? Two whole bushels!* Goodness! You must have picked them all. Oh you look sick! Here, sit down. Tell me everything that happened and I'll warm some soup." Svetlana hesitates for a moment as if unsure how to proceed and then ladles some soup into a pot and rushes outside to hang it over the fire.
"Don't start until I get back!" she calls from the hall on her way to the door.
Once Svetlana returns, Scarlet is glad to recall her adventures underneath the huge tree, the ghost that wants the Stag Lord's head, the bandits she helped rout, and the high speed mine cart adventures at Chief Sootscale's tribe. Honestly, Scarab's just glad to get away from the huge crowd.
"Oh yeah, and then I met this half-cricket half-woman and her king, oh yeah and then Erevenywg appeared at the circle of stones. We've been meeting all sorts of folk out here."
"I should ask the party to see my mercenary company. They travel frequently, and it's been a while. I hope the boss isn't too mad about my absence."
After chatting for a while, Scarlet will ask to be excused. She'll look for Oleg and try to get a private moment with him. "Hey Oleg, is this your ring? We found it with the kobold tribe after we cleared up a civil war."
"They should only be here for the night and then they'll be off to the Renault place. You are right though I should get back to expanding the place."
Oleg gathers up his hammer and shoves some nails into his mouth and looks ready to get to work.
After chatting for a while, Scarlet will ask to be excused. She'll look for Oleg and try to get a private moment with him. "Hey Oleg, is this your ring? We found it with the kobold tribe after we cleared up a civil war."
O_o
"" Oleg shouts, his fave lights up and he almost swallows his nails.
Then a moment later he returns to is laconic self and says: "Um, thanks." Ring in hand he heads off.
"Hehe, no problem. I'll just wait in the dining room." Scarlet heads back to the dining room, expecting that Svetlana will be a little late. "Feelin' good..."
Bloody Angus updates your trail maps with his proposed path to Mivon and the Company of the Sapphire Scarab (see the Region Map Folio above). As there are no reliable bridges or fords going south through the Greenbelt He wants to skirt the north and northwestern edges of the Narlmarches between the forest and the Hooktongue Slough. Alternatively, if there were more time, he would go back along his original path which hugs the northwest of the Slough and stop at in at outpost erected at the northern tip of the big lake out that way where it meets a short river that comes out of the northern highlands. From there they could expect to resupply and then drive back south again. They might even find a ferry for the Slough while messy is thick with waterways and tributaries that feed trade between Brevoy and the River Kingdoms proper, especially in the spring.
Even still Angus expects it to be a dangerous ride. He smiles and chuckles a lot as he describes it.
"Mivon huh? That's a bit to walk ..." Illthir considers her options - and her share of the kobold treasury. Maybe it would be better if those trinkets simply had four legs to carry her instead. "I think I'm going to see if Oleg has a spare horse ... Because you don't have a horse in your pockets do you Naleksa?"
"Sorry er um, ma'am, you'll have to see if one of the farmers has a horse to spare. All the ones in my barn are accounted for. Maybe try Mister Renault."
"Mkay! I'll go check with him. Thanks for the tip!" Illthir cheer and continue her minor quest for a horse. Or, should it come to it, possibly a pony. But that was a big maybe.
"I'm not sure about a trip to Mivon that might actually be too far out of our way.. we are the customers aren't we, if they want our business they should come to us. Let's get their rates and see if we can meet it, then if we want em, make an offer contingent on them coming to us." says Zokon in a burst of talkyness
"Weel we're an experienced boorichie, 100 strang, aw finely-appointed, an' moonted oan beasts ay burden. We hae a number of- let's caa them specialists in th' ranks tay. Wi' board, we typically rin abit 3,000 gp if we ruun a copp'r, per week usually wi' th' first week's payment upfront. That's fur haem defense, guard duty 'at sort ay hin'. In war-time we gang fur tois ur thee times 'at, but since ye ur friends wi' Scarlit haur aam sure we coods manage a family discoont."
Scarlet scratches her head. "Yeah, we're gonna need quite a discount if we're going to hire all 100 of ya. 3000 gold a week ain't cheap, but you get what you paid for!"
"I assume we only start paying when you arrive here in the stolen lands, not for the almost 2 weeks travel ahead of the unit.
Renault renault renault ... Illthir repeated the name mentally so she wouldn't forget, while asking around the small trading post as to where this farmer might reside. Probably a little bit away, but she didn't mind the walk. And hopefully she wouldn't have to walk back anyhow!
What the locals know about him is this:
Mr. Renault is a very wealthy, and very independent Brevic farmer, who has a big plot of land in in the Greenbelt. He's sort of a defacto headman amongst the local farmers, every year in spring (about ten days past) he hosts a little country fair/bonfire for all the locals. This year there was some sort of disturbance involving a wolf (or two) who attacked a child, or the fair, or didn't do either or some outsiders/strangers/poachers, or some such. It all ended with a followed by a scandalous play called "the Three Sisters" or something.
Renault is the best bet for buying a horse in the region. Other farmers might sell you sheep, goats, or cows though.
"I assume we only start paying when you arrive here in the stolen lands, not for the almost 2 weeks travel ahead of the unit.
"If ye want us tae march, yoo've got tae pay us."
"Well if your company wants to get in on the potential work we will have for them here in the stolen lands they'll want to march here. My choice is for you to see how that attitude gets you work where you are and for us to look elsewhere for help. Depends on what the rest of the group wants though."
Zokon takes a stern demeanor while talk but doesn't commit to getting stern he is obviously waiting on others opinions.
Alia, not quite interested in a lenghty conversation with the Magistrate, or explaining to his lackeys that these other humanoids had roles to play.
For a moment, she is surprised at the notion that she would very much care about the Kobolds fate, even if she did her best not to.
Then her thoughts quickly turn to the Drow supposedly active in the depths. But then, I saw nothing. Maybe they saw SOMETHING, but how save can they be that it was a Drow? It must have been far away...not in plain sight......with her mind wandering, Alia unpacks her crafting tools, the anvil and hammer, sets down Vega's Cage in the shade, then works on getting a fire going while talking to the cat: "We'll play a bit later. I need to do some work..."
"Hmm - seems like I'd have to head over to Renaults farmstead to purchase a horse." Illthir reports as she returns to the party. Scratching her cheek she notes that that technically is on the way to Mivon. "But I could just head out there tomorrow real quick and be back by lunch. Unless we are in a hurry to head out?"
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- Macdoon is in the area scouting for future work for his mercenary company and will be leaving in a day or so to the southwest where their main camp lays, near Mivon. He offers to take Scarlet there.
"I assume we only start paying when you arrive here in the stolen lands, not for the almost 2 weeks travel ahead of the unit."If ye want us tae march, yoo've got tae pay us."
After talking with the Magistrate, Numalar goes over to talk to Makdoon.
"Mister Makdoon! Greetings. Any friend of Scarlet's is a friend of ours."
"So I understand you're heading to Mivon? By swinging west around the Narlmarches, won't that take you to Pitax? Kind of the long way around, isn't it?"
Numalar pulls out his maps and notes.
"The Shrike River is south of us, and that one flows into the Lesser Sellen and right through the city of Mivon, where it joins the East Sellen. So basically a straight shot south."
"It seems to me that if you went that way you wouldn't have to make this detour. And by coincidence, we could be heading that way soon. We have a few errands to run first; we need to get some mounts and supplies, and so forth."
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When he gets a free minute, Numalar approaches Oleg.
"Mister Leveton! I trust business has been good. I hope you're charging all these visitors for their keep!"
"We saw your inventory before, but but what I am looking for now is something you didn't have last time."
"I am looking for a variety of materials that I can use to enchant items. There are a variety of things that will work, mineral compounds, herbal extracts, and so forth. Reagents, essentially. I wonder if you have anything like that. And if not, do you know where it can be found, or if you can acquire that sort of thing?"
"'Reagents'?" Oleg says.l, trying out the word the way small children try cauliflower.
After a remarkably warm night bedded down in the stable with the other commoners the party makes ready to travel their separate ways, and Svetlana begin worrying about how many spoons she will need given the number of recipes she's planned that require them as ingredients.
"I swear I'll not have a spoon left to eat with."
"Mister Makdoon! Greetings. Any friend of Scarlet's is a friend of ours."
"So I understand you're heading to Mivon? By swinging west around the Narlmarches, won't that take you to Pitax? Kind of the long way around, isn't it?"
Numalar pulls out his maps and notes.
"The Shrike River is south of us, and that one flows into the Lesser Sellen and right through the city of Mivon, where it joins the East Sellen. So basically a straight shot south."
"It seems to me that if you went that way you wouldn't have to make this detour. And by coincidence, we could be heading that way soon. We have a few errands to run first; we need to get some mounts and supplies, and so forth."
"Och aye, but th' Shrike has got o'coop'l o' roogh spots. White water. It woods be better tae tak' th' Eest Sellen if ye hae a boat." Makdoon replies.
Plus, I speak Elvish. And Vega speaks Cat. So I guess that makes Scarlet, Celyne and Alia going for Bokken, and Ilthir plus 'Da Boyz' to Sammy.
"Hi boys."
"Hi Naleksa."
"Ummm.I suppose so, we are the team." Looking at Ilthir and Numalar
"All right!" Illthir looks excited to get a new horse. Walking, while not bad, was getting tedious. And if she was riding again she wouldn't have to be reminded what happened to her last horse!
"Thanks Angus. I owe ya. Hehe, when do I not owe ya?"
The next morning Scarlet stretches. "So, we heading to Bokken, or what? Basically I'm following Alia. I still have a job to do, here."
The next morning sees Numalar mounted on his dog, and Zokon and Illthir mounted on Zokon's mare and the group heading across the rolling plains toward Samuel Renault's farm. About half way along the way they come upon a pair of riders leading some pack horses moving in the opposite direction. One of the riders is a swarthy man bundled in a blue cloak, the other is a woman with bright red bandana. Upon noticing your group they wave.
Meanwhile traveling in the opposite direction Alia, Celyne--both mounted, and Scarlet and Luna--both afoot head toward Old Bokken's hermitage out on the prairie.
Zokon says back to Illthir "If they turn hostile, you jump off the horse and support my offence, i'll stay on the horse and do what I can."
Zokon then waves to the two travelers
"Hey there strangers! You folks in need of supplies?" Shouts the woman a fair distance off still. She's waving and indicating her pack animals.