"Ooh sneaky tunnel for gobs to sneak in!" Vonk is clearly intrigued by the idea of Makena's tunnel. "And ko-bolds," he adds hastily.
.
Vonk approaches the goblin selling charms. Disdainfully he asks "How your charms be good luck if you make words?" He looks at the sign nervously as if the letters might bite him. Gobs no do letters. Thats why old gobs no like Vonk, cuz of write recipies for gluggadrinks.
"Gluggadrinks? You make any that boom or fire?" Vonk suspicously asks the goblin stirring the cauldron. He picks up the vials, shaking them and looking at the liquids inside, seeing if he can get any ideas for his own concoctions or determine how good an alchemist this other goblin is. These probably not as good as Vonk's gluggadrinks. But what if they really good? Then Vonk no sell gluggadrinks and no be Brambleclaw! He is too busy examining the potions to notice the writing on the vials or on the still.
.
"Hmm maybe that a good slave," Vonk says to Makena. "Strong enough for digs hole but not too strong to fights us." He looks at the sign, shaking his head and muttering. "Stupid longshanks not even know how to make good beers."
.
Vonk picks up the sawdust as well. "Yep, this good stuff." He sneezes as wood shavings tickle his nose. "Maybe these humies have good building things to steal?" Looking around to see if there are any large wood pieces, nails, or other useful supplies lying around outside or in the pile of shavings.
"Makena does need wood to make sure tunnels don't fall down. The uhh... longshanks probably want money for this wood, and it too big to steal easy." she reasons, but will grab any small offcuts and bundle them under her arm. "Need find sack..." she mutters, resolving to keep an eye out for something suitably sacklike.
Farg farg rides along behind everyone taking in the sights and not saying much until they see the beaten hman. "Great! We call him Moany Moany Moan! Get up longshanks you ours now!"
|
Vonk's investigation of the "potions" quickly leads him to believe that they are nothing but foul and pungent herbs crushed in a little alcohol with no real alchemical value. The goblin selling them looks up and narrows his eyes at you. "No boom or fire. I Squench, I make glug drinks for sell to dumb longshanks." When Makena protests about bugs, Squench shrugs. "Me know. Longshanks no like bugs, buy dis from Squench. Longshanks dumb as hell."
When Vonk confronts the charms seller, she sighs. "Words is devil magic! Dat gob over there I can't say name make for me, say it make longshanks buy luck charm! It no work real good, an' me scared to touch it. Dat gob sell soul long time ago." She looks sad. "Bad shame, he was real good gob before sell soul." She appears to be surreptitiously pointing at the well-clad goblin in the top hat.
Makena's examination reveals that the youth is about fifteen years old, about two thirds through the larval stage of longshanks. He appears to have been beaten severely with a blunt object. His horrid monkey face is puffy, bruised, and swollen, sticky with dried blood from a cut to the scalp. His roughspun clothes have been rent and abused, and one of his legs is bending in a way that most longshanks can't do normally.
As you approach, he sobs in fear. "Oh mamma the gobs are gonna get me, I shoulda listened to you!" When spoken to, he hides his face in the dirt and cries.
Vonk's search turns up a surprisingly plentiful amount of iron nails. They appear to have been carelessly discarded in piles when no longer needed. There are several pounds of nails here, as well as much sawdust and plank ends as you can carry.
Makena can only nod in agreement to Squench's assessment of longshanks, though she has never actually met one face to face yet. As she follows the alchemicaal goblin to the next stall she can't help but squint at the goblins in confusion. "Words not magic. Most words any way... have to be wizard to make magic words." she reasons, still confused. She follows the surreptitious finger and squints at the fancy goblin for a few moments, before walking in his direction.
"Hello. My name Makena. Other gobs say you sell you soul for magic words. You magic person too? Oooh, if you know devil magic Makena like more devil blood, almost run out." she babbles at the fellow, rubbing a small vial tied to her rope 'belt'. "What these for? Feel soft" she adds, stroking a hat.
Makena pokes at his broken leg some more "Makena see this before; young kobold make tunnel fall down when digging. Fall on top of him, when dig him out arm like this, got real sick. Gobs hold Moany down and Makena make better, otherwise he no work good."
Assuming the other help hold the youth down, Makena will put her expert medical knowledge to work, and yank on his foot as hard as she can to set the bone . Once Moany has stopped writhing in pain (or passed out), she will pull a vial from her belt with a viscous red substance and carefully tip out a single drop onto his leg, before making the odd noises of her native tongue while hopping, wobbling and making other strange motions.
"This good spot, these bits great for tunnels." she says, examining the offcuts and nails. "Come back and get more later."
|
|
The well-dressed goblin greets Makena warmly, bowing from the waist to kiss her clawed hand. "Regrettably, my dear kobold lady, it is true. I have brokered a deal with powers infernal, my soul the cargo! When my days are run out, I shall not join my kith and kin in Basalfeyst, but be tormented forever in flame! I dare not say my name, m'lady, for fear of bringing the wrath of the infernal upon you, but I am your humble servant in all regards. These, m'lady, are called hats! They are worn upon the head for style or comfort. I do not make them, no - the creator of these fine pieces is my dear old mother. From the disguise upon your brow, I surmise you have met her. Please, give her my regards when next you cross ways - I am not allowed into the Brambles by reason of my curse. She leaves hats out here and I sell them. The trade brings a pretty coin, to be sure, but oh! How I long to unmake my choices that have unmade me!"
As the goblin speaks, you see the other goblins averting their gaze and covering their ears.
The young longshanks moans in horror under Makena's tender ministrations. "My soul! I feel hell's flames upon me!" he babbles, then passes out. As Makena's magic runs its course, the youngster's wounds close and heal, and his mangled leg straightens with an audible fusing of bone.
Makena struggles to keep up with the nameless Goblin's reply. She knew the longshanks tongue fairly well but his flowery use of it was pushing her comprehension a bit. "Oh! That uhh... Chewtallow." she says at last when she's finished making sense of his speech, scratching her head and resting the hat she'd been fondlingon her brow.
"You talk funny, but that okay, Makena like you. How many shinies for hats, and which of these shinies gold?" she asks him, pulling out a handful of coins confiscated from the halflings, while a new white fedora rests upon her brow.
"Makena make deals with devil creatures all time. Here, watch." she says after payment is made, snatching off her hat and waving it around as she wiggles and bops out a summoning spell, completely unselfconscious as she yips and barks the necessary phrases. A few seconds later she waves her splayed hands in the air and a particularly spiky and unpleasant looking rat almost as big as she is appears on the ground between them with a scent of brimstone.
The beast is clearly of fiendish origin for those in the know, but seems more powerful than one might expect, featuring a set of wings. Closer inspection reveals that the wings are made from branches and leaves and have been secured to the creature's back with twine. "This squeaky." she says proudly, stroking his wiry fur. "He help Makena by biting bad people and chewing through things."
"What we do with Moany now?" she asks, watching with satisfaction as his leg straightens and heals. He would be a good slave now. "Take back to Brambles?"
Farg farg pokes the human with a stick and nods his head. "Yep, take back give to chief. Him like Moany Moany Moan, I sure."
"Do have to give to chief? He still larva-longshanks, young things adapt better to undergrounds."
"You smart gob," Vonk says to Squench. "Vonk make gluggadrinks too, but longshanks never buys."
"Maybe we give Moany to Chief but he dig home hole for us sometime. Then chief have to feed and make sure he don't run away."
"Wait to dark, come back and we takes all these good build things then. Too many for carry now." Vonk whispers to Makena. He shoves as many nails as he can into his pockets though, just in case.
"Vonk think Chief let him do that? Okay, that good idea."
|
|
The dapper goblin is much taken aback by Makena's display of summoning.
"Venkelvore gnaw my bones!" he gasps. "You are a diabolist as well! I feel... I feel a ray of hope for the first time in many bitter years! For you, Madame, the hat is free. If I may beg an indulgence... There is a human, er, longshanks wizard in town by the name of Jharun. He is the one who inducted me into such secrets as imperiled my soul! Seek him out! He may hold the key to breaking the bond that my pact has laid upon me. You can find him at the Goldenfire Tower, on the shore of the mill pond. Should you release me from my infernal bargain, I shall be forever in your debt! A new hat for you - every month!"
Pockets heavy with sawdust and nails, you push on past the woodworker's house. A few blocks later, you come to a burbling stream with clear, fresh water running through town, towards the keep on the hill and around the hill's base.
Two noteworthy structures catch your attention by the stream.
An imposingly large sawmill perches by the edge of the stream. A mighty waterwheel churns slowly and determinedly in the water's flow, creaking and groaning as it drives a massive belt. The belt snakes into the mill's spacious work floor, where it drives a colossal razor-toothed saw blade through an endless procession of rough logs. A gang of longshanks queue logs in order on flumes that feed the sawblade and remove sawed planks to be stacked into carts. You quickly notice that only three of the longshanks seem to be doing any real work. Eight more men lounge about picking at their nails, guffawing at coarse jokes, and taking nips from bottles and flasks. You also note that the layabout longshanks have fine swords buckled to their belts, where the working ones have no weaponry. As you pass by, one of the armed men jostles another with an elbow and points at Makena.
"Look at that, by Gorum's hairy balls that's the ugliest goblin I've ever seen in me life. Why don't you go over an kiss it, you canker-assed clown?" The recipient of his elbow glowers and looks darkly, but speaks no reply.
On the other side of the road stands a ramshackle hut in a state of advanced decay. Gaps in the thatched roof accentuate a distinct sag on one corner of the building, and the single window long ago lost its pane of glass. A sign by the door features a rat standing on a piece of driftwood. A wizened longshanks woman in short-legged pants and rough vest busily sweeps the cobbled path to the door of the hut and smiles at your approach.
"Glad tidings of the morning, little fierce ones! Seek you the blessing of Our Lord of Rivers, Hanspur?"
Okki continues to wander. He has headed east, away from the others and unfortunately on his own. He seeks to purchase inks and dyes. (Building/area 1?)
He is also looking for anything that may be an easy chance to make a little money. This gob boss cares about shinies, so Okki has to as well.
"Free? That mean no shinies right?" she asks, smiling happily at the gift, pulling the hat from her head to look at it for a few moments before putting it back. "Jharun at Glodenfur Tower on pond" she repeats to herself, muttering it a couple times under her breath. "Okay. Makena try and make him free you then. Makena not met a wizzard before."
Attempting to follow Vonk's advise Makena gabs hold of Moany's arm, and starts to walk back across to the brambles. When this quickly fails she tries getting behind him and pushing him, managing to roll him over this time. She continues to strain and struggle to move the teen before falling to the ground panting.
"Makena need some help..." she observes, reaching into a largish pouch hanging from her rope belt and starting to pull out a number of items, arranging them into a circle next to Moany. This time the ritual seems to be more complicated and longer than the one to summon Squeaky or Pecky, as she hops around the circle chanting and singing in draconic for a full minute, before a shape writhes it's way into being in the middle of the circle, resolving itself into Growly, her mount from yesterday.
Makena once again stops to stare as they arrive at the sawmill. The water wheel and belt caught her attention first, but as she followed the mechanisms along into the mill itself she was entranced by the spinning blade. "Oooooooh. That would make a real good trap." she says happily, her little mind already perverting the wheel and belt apparatus into a horrible machine of death. Now she just needed to find an undergound river, or install same array of belts to transmit the energy underground.
Her staring is only interrupted when she realizes the comment about the ugliest goblin was directed at herself. Her chest puffs up idignantly as she glares at the men. "Hey! Makena is not a-" she starts before her mind catches up to her mouth. She pats at the mask she still wore and falls silent, glaring at the men. "Makena is not ugliest. Makena have beautiful scales!" she shouts defiantly.
"Who that?" Makena asks the woman, not too familiar with the god. "Is blessing good?"
|
|
You wander east, in search of ink and coin.
As you pass by the Thirsty Ogre and leave it behind, you notice an interesting building to the north. Built like a fortress in miniature, this modest-sized stone structure bears a distinctly martial feel. What few windows it has are high above the ground and too narrow to slip through. It has a single entrance, which is guarded by a stout iron door. On the door is etched the figure of a massive man clad in black, spiked plate armor and wielding a massive greatsword. Other than that, the building shows no form of identification. You get the feeling that assaulting this place when buttoned up and defended would be quite difficult.
At the center of Thornkeep lies the town green, an open patch of ground at the food of the road leading up the hill to the Baron's keep. Contrary to the name, the Green is more like the Brown - boots, hooves, and wagon wheels have churned the square into a thick mud. Around the perimeter of the Green you see many shops. The Green is a busy place; you hear the ring of hammer on anvil, the clamor of buyer negotiating with seller, and the calls of street merchants hawking their wares. Your practiced eye also picks out a large concentration of armed longshanks here. You note a patrol of the Baron's guards, as well as three separate bands of 2-3 mercenary soldiers. Several loutish ruffians lean against buildings and keep an eye on goings on, and an enormous savage barbarian clad in wolf pelts haggles fiercely over a load of furs and skins, warhammer strapped across his back.
One shop in particular catches your eye as a likely ink source. It's an L-shaped building at the southwest corner of the square, near you. The sign hanging over its door proclaims the store to be "Greenfoot Provisions".
Passing through the open door to the shop, the hubbub of the street diminishes sharply. This is a spacious, well-lit shop, with good stacked on sturdy shelves in neat rows. At a glance, the shop appears to stock a wide variety of everyday goods, trail gear, and foodstuffs. Behind the counter is a halfling woman watching you with a wary gaze, and a hulking half-orc turns from his chore of stacking barrels as you come in. The half-orc's hand wanders to a club hung from his belt.
"State your business, gob" the hafling woman says. "And if Yunar sent you, you'd best turn around before my friend here beats the brains from your oversized head."
|
|
The Great Chief doesn't answer his door. Moany flops limply on Growly's back.
The idle men ignore Makena's shouting.
"I don't know why we let those little freaks even live here," says one. "It'd be pretty simple to kill the lot and have some sport at it."
The one who jeered at Makena shrugs. "They're useful enough, keep the place free o' rats, pick up garbage and junk to hoard and eat, pretty cheap labor when you need some b$+#* job done what you can't hire a boy for. Their boss is pretty funny too, got his face plastered to the Baron's ass hard enough to leave a mark. Yeh can kill one here or there if the mood takes you, but as far as they go they ain't all that bad."
at no point do they deign answering or acknowledging you goblins.
"Hanspur is our lord of the rivers and streams. He is the lifeblood that flows through the River Kingdoms, praise to his wet glory. His are the River Freedoms, and His are the clear water, the trading sloop, the fresh catch of fish. His blessing marks you forever as a friend to the Sodden, and brings good health, long life, and prosperity. Fancy a drowning?"
Okki considers the Orc for a moment. He probably doesn't want to pick that fight alone.
"Nonono. Okki not know Yunar and if he did he would tell Yunar to stuff it if he sent Okki to poke stick at such pretty halfling. Gobs and halflings should be friends, short-legs in a world of longshanks."
Okki pokes around the shop, staying in full view of the Orc and the halfling. After a moment, he comes to the counter.
"Okki looking for some things. He need [after much explaining of colors like this bug or that thing, it translates to 10 ink vials, 2 black ink pots, 1 yellow ink pot, 1 cyan ink pot, 1 magenta ink pot, and masterwork tools.] You have?"
Okki reaches for his coin purse to show he has money.
"Also, you have problem with Yunar? Maybe gobs can help if you got shinies or knick knacks to trade?"
"Having slave too much work. Thought slave was supposed to help gobs. Maybe we just let him go?" Having never owned a slave, Vonk isn't really sure what to do with this unconscious, useless longshanks and is finding it to be more trouble than it's worth so far (despite Makena being the one actually doing all the work).
"Yep, rats is delicious... Longshanks stupid, Chief way smart to live by them so gobs can steal things and get golds and get big and bad."
Turning to Makena to look at her disguise again, he adds in a reassuring whisper "See your hat real good, they no know you not a gob!"
"Water? Eugh. Fire way better. But Vonk like fish... Vonk tries to puzzle through the longshanks' offer. "Okee, maybe if wet then can't get burn when make big fire!" He follows after the old woman, excited to see what this blessing is all about.
"Hmm, he get better when wake up?" she suggests uncertainly. "Leave him at Two-Fang house, deal with later." She leads growly to Two-Fang's hovel and dumps the unconscious, and now bramble-scratched teen there.
Makena fixes the faces of these longshanks in her mind alongside the mental diagram of the saw contraption. She would have to come back and investigate further when they weren't around. Maybe tonight.
"Of course! It made by mother of magic gob. Make real good hat too." she comments. "Lets go away from stupid longshanks."
Makena listens to the blessing with interest, the whole thing sounding pretty good until the offer of a drowning, which makes her pause in her response.
"Makena drowned once. Fell in river trying to get yummy pinchy bugs. Makena not know how to swim." she observes "Don't drowning not make for long life?" she asks, but will follow Vonk and the woman anyway, curious about this blessing regardless.
Fireface likes to lurk, it seems. She wanders around behind the kobold, hiding in her hood and eyeing unfortunate prisoners,Goblins that write, and priests of the River Lord with the same mildly hungry and sometimes glowing toothy smile.
She seems amused, really, more than anything.
|
|
The old lady leads you into the ramshackle temple. On closer inspection, the walls seem to be made of driftwood. The interior of the temple is small and austere: A simple podium overlooks a pool held in a crude driftwood circle and fronts a selection of battered chairs and pews. The temple is lacking in any decoration whatsoever besides a bronze rat on the podium. The old lady walks to the pool and beacons you closer.
"This way, little fierce ones. The Drowning may be a bit uncomfortable at first, but when Hanspur kisses your lungs with his blessings you shall know his joy and his protection!"
At Makena's question, the old lady smiles. "It wouldn't serve Hanspur's interests to kill all those who seek his blessings, would it? I have personally conducted over a hundred Drownings and have yet to suffer any misfortune. Come now, who's first?"
|
|
The halfling woman relaxes slightly as you indicate you're here for trade and not blood. She doesn't seem totally convinced, though. From under the counter she raises the crossbow she had been concealing and lays it on the countertop, and moves to find you your goods. The half-orc watches you closely.
"I don't know about all those colors," says the halfling, "But I do have some inks. I have black walnut ink - suitable for marking trees or rocks with somethin' that won't wash off. Does passably well at staining leather too. I have indigo dye here too, if that'll suit. I don't usually have call for stockin' a tattooist's goods, but I do sell healer's kits - one o' them has needles and bandages and stuff you'd use. The rest of that stuff I can get for you, within a couple weeks. Since Mosswater fell, trade through here's been brisk enough that I can get pretty much anything you'd want off a caravan."
As you make your selections, she continues. "You must be new around here if you'd offer to go after Yunar. He poses as a merchant, but everybody knows he's the head of the local thief's guild - the Three Daggers. Name comes from their calling card. When they do a hit, they leave behind three bloody daggers. He's trying to run us other merchants out of town so he can have a monopoly on provisions. He ain't above a little murder here or there so long as it can't be pinned on him. s'why I was a little nervous at your showing up, beg your pardon." She looks around, and continues in a lower voice "If'n you take that scum out though, it'd be doing Thornkeep a real solid favor. I don't have that much money left after paying Bosk here to watch my shop with me, but without Yunar leaning on me I'd be making a much larger profit, which you would of course get a cut of. Your hide though - Not only does he have his gang but the Baron's guards are under his thumb too. If you want to cause him trouble, his shop's across town - Thornkeep Mercantile. Name's Nessa, by the way. Nessa Greenfoot."
The goblin nods his head a lot as the short-legs says a bunch of things. He understands, for the most part. There's another seller who wants this seller gone. The amount of work it sounds like is involved makes him a little less interested, but he will ask the boss about it when he gets back.
He pays for 10 stoppered glass vials, the Healers Kit, and a flask of each ink. (10+50+16=76 gp)
"Thanks for the stuff. Okki tell the others gobs about your thing with the guy. Thanks for not shooting Okki too. If you need a tattoo or know anyone who do let them know okay?"
Okki leaves, heading back towards home so he can look at his stuff and maybe ask the boss about Yunar.
Vonk doesn't share Makena's concern. This old longshanks is giving free stuff! "Me first!" He runs right up to the pool, peering in at the water as he waits for the woman.
|
|
Ouch.
Consciousness slowly returns to you. You feel the world shuddering rhythmically and hear a harsh, repetitive stomping sound. Slowly, you open your eyes, dazzled by the sunlight.
What happened?
You were walking through the woods. Something surprised you, knocked you over the head. Darkness. That's all you remember.
You take in the scene. You're in a cart. Cushioned by a pile of hay, you lay in the wagon's bed. No weapons - all your gear has been taken from you. You're bound with leather thongs, and the cart is caged in by iron bars. Apparently you've been taken prisoner. At the front of the cart, a young longshanks man drives the pair of horse-demons pulling your prison. At his side rides a middle-aged man, clearly a veteran of the forest in his green wool clothes and leather armor. A sword swings at his hip and he carries a bow with the familiarity of long practice. They are chatting in their horrid longshanks tongue.
You have no idea where you are. What do you do?
|
|
Nessa relaxes visibly as you leave her shop. As you pass back through the town green, the massive barbarian you saw earlier passes you. He licks his lips and grins wolfishly as you pass, but makes no hostile move.
[ooc]
Returning to the Brambles, you find most of the tribe gone about their daily activities. A few old goblins watch over squabbling youngsters, and a larval longshanks boy sprawls motionless by Two-Fang's hut. When you stop by the Great Chief's house to ask about Yunar, you find the door shut and the Chief uninterested in answering it.
|
|
The old longshanks priest gently lays Vonk on his back in the font. Vonk feels the cool water washing over him in a strangely soothing fashion. She intones: "Blessed Hanspur, Lord of the Rivers, this fierce goblin desires your blessing. In his veins let the blood of the waterways run alongside the blood of his heart. Let the song of the burbling brook fill his mind with ease. Let your grace shine up upon him, and accept his sincerity with this Drowning!"
Thus saying, she pushes Vonk underwater.
Makena hunkers down to watch the 'ceremony', listening and watching Vonk curiously. "Is Vonk meant to hold breath then, or meant to breath water?" she asks, not really sure how this all works.
|
|
Boorgub looks around around his prison and sees the other goblins and is so excited to see that he is not the only goblin left. In his excitement he tries to give his cellmates a big hug, momentarily forgetting that he is in bonds, and ends up crashing into them head first. Jogged back into the reality that he's been captured he then proceeds to start gnawing on his restraints hoping he can find a weak point and break free.
Lurgun's head hurts. How did he get in a cage? Cages are for slaves, not him. The leather bindings chafe his skin, and he suddenly realizes there are two goblins in the cage with him. Weak cousins of hobgoblins, but he knew they had their uses. He shoots a hateful glare at the longshanks driving the cage. Glaring down at his bonds he decides that he does not like these bindings at all. He strains with all his might trying to break them, bellowing in rage and confusion. Why was he in a cage? Cages are for slaves. Was he a slave? He'd never been a slave. Lurgun did not think he would like to be a slave. He was a soldier. Soldiers aren't slaves. He strains at his bindings.
Okki sighs when he realizes that he isn't getting anything out of the boss today. Bored, he isn't quite sure what to do. He looks around The Brambles a bit before deciding to head back out into the city.
He heads to the Goblin Bazaar, looking to see if he can find a booth space for rent. He would build a name for himself with the gobs and teethy folk, then maybe sell tattoos to the humans too.
After being awoken by a hug/headbut, Kavous shakes it off momentarily. Soon after he glances around realizing his predicament, he proceeds to look around more intently getting very angry when he notices his hated foes got the best of him. Kavous picks his nose and flings it at the younger one. Then shouting in goblin "How dareses you filthy lonshanks!? I kills yous till you die from it! Then I use yous corpse for shooty practices!"
Looking to the others "What happened? How filthy longshanks get us?"
Vonk struggles a little as the old lady pushes him headfirst into the water, but quickly relaxes in the cool water. Some of the dirt from his grimy face washes off into the pool. The last time he'd had a bath was a few weeks ago when he crossed a river. He squirms impatiently as he waits. This easy! Didn't know water was good lucks!
If you are underwater, either because you failed a Swim check or because you are swimming underwater intentionally, you must hold your breath. You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to twice your Constitution score, but only if you do nothing other than take move actions or free actions. If you take a standard action or a full-round action (such as making an attack), the remainder of the duration for which you can hold your breath is reduced by 1 round. (Effectively, a character in combat can hold his breath only half as long as normal.) After that period of time, you must make a DC 10 Constitution check every round to continue holding your breath. Each round, the DC for that check increases by 1. If you fail the Constitution check, you begin to drown. The DC for the Swim check depends on the water, as given on the table below.
Farg farg walks next to Fang face as they move around the bazaar. The Wolf Rider picks his many teeth with a dagger as he eyes the stalls.
|
|
The young longshanks grimaces in disgust as Kavous' projectile sticks to him.
"Gaaah! I still don't understand why you wanted to capture goblins, Tiran. Who in their right mind would want to have anything to do with these things?"
The older one says "I know, it strikes me as odd as well. There's a mercenary company out of Thornkeep that's paying good money for these guys. Can't say I understand it either, 'less they're t'be used for target practice."
Boorgub finds that the bindings are chewable, if you're determined enough. He makes some progress gnawing his way through his restraints. The older longshanks watches amusedly.
"You're gonna have to truss 'em up better than that, lad. Gobbos will chew threw anything softer than iron they can reach. Nasty little buggers."
The cart rolls onwards for quite some time. After several bouncy, painful hours, the cart strikes an obstacle in the road. You are all jarred painfully as a wheel breaks and the cart drags to a halt.
"Damnation!" swears the young man. His partner agrees. "That's right broken, it is. Maybe you should learn not to hit every rock in the blasted road. The axle's cracked too - I'll have to ride in to town and fetch back some replacements. Lets get this off the road and hide it, then you can watch these little buggers while I go get parts."
With some effort and much cursing, the two longshanks men heave the cart off the side of the road into a ditch, and cover it with branches and fallen leaves. None of this process is particularly pleasant for you. You then hear the pounding of hooves as the older man rides his demon beast away down the road. The cover of leaves prevents you and the younger man from seeing each other.
|
|
There doesn't seem to be any kind of organized system of stall rentals. It seems that anybody who drags or builds a stand here is welcome to hawk their wares. Some scrap wood and nails would suffice to get you started...
The nameless goblin in the fine suit doffs his top hat cheerily as Farg Farg wanders by. "Good day sir! May I interest you in one of these fine, artisan-quality hats? The height of style and fashion, and keeps the rain off too!"
Makena nods, trusting that this lady knows what she's doing, and glad that Vonk had volunteered to go first. It takes a few moments after the woman starts shaking Vonk that her words penetrate. "Makena thought longshanks said she had done hundreds?" she asks, confused.
Kavous laughs maniacally at the longshanks inability to drive a cart. Unable to understand anything they are saying, and because his stomach is rumbling he begins to try and eat his restraints. All the while grumbling about how much he wants to kill the longshanks and looking around for anything sharp he could use to stab them or the horses with.
|
|
Boorgub looks to his fellow captives and says "Yous helps mees and mees helps yous. Mees be smith of black, mees makes yous shiny stick. Mees can make many shiny sticks, mees make shiny stick for bonky bonkying longshanks," "mees make shiny stick for slashy slashying longshanks," "or Boorgub's favorite, mees make shiny stick for boom booming longshanks."
Lurgun sees one of the goblins furiously chewing through his bonds. Good idea! He thrusts his bound wrists at the other goblin, the laughing one."Chew!"
Kavous furiously chews on his binding, spitting out pieces he chews off at Lurgun.
|
|
After about fifteen minutes of chewing, Kavous is able to part the leather thong binding his hands. Lurgun and Boorgub remain bound.
The midday sun is beating down on the cart's cover of branches and leaves, making for a stifling heat and stillness inside your confinement. The cart seems to be of middling quality but sturdy. Aside from a layer of straw to serve as bedding, you goblins are the cart's only contents.
Makena looks between the woman and the submerged Vonk. This really was seeming like a bad idea, drowning had been no fun, and whoever this Hanspur was seemed pretty dumb if he made you drown. She shuffles back from the pool, glancing around to see what was to hand, and scurries quickly over to the podium, grabbing the bronze rat off of it.
If the lady still hasn't noticed her, she scurries back behind her, lines up her shot, and brings the rat down upon the back of her head.
Realizing his bindings are undone Kavous looks around to see if there is anything useful he can reach outside his cage.
Kavous also checks to see how his cage is secured. If able Kavous tries to open it and sneak out.
Okki is pleased to see there isn't too much fanfare behind setting up a booth. Making note to return, he realizes just how bored he is getting. Restless, he heads back again to The Brambles.
"Hey gobs. Why is dat longshanks pup here? Also, when gobs want to do dangerous things for money who do they see? I done some adventures and don't mind to do them again. I thought boss might give us something, but he seems to want us to do the somethings on our own."
|
|
The only things within easy reach through the bars of the cart are twigs and leaves. The iron bars of the cage are sunk into the wooden sides of the cart, spaced too tightly to squeeze through. The back of the cart features a hinged door section that opens inward. It is secured by an iron padlock.
However, Kavous does notice that one of the planks that make up the cart's bed is somewhat loose. One of the nails securing it was jostled up by the collision. With some determination this board could be pried up and the bottom of the cart squeezed through.
As Kavous looks around the cart, Boorgub gets finished gnawing through his bindings. Lurgun remains bound.
|
|
Okki finds the cluster of old goblin females going about their business around the central firepit. Chewtallow looks up from a half-completed sun hat and looks at Okki.
"New gob and ko-bold bring longshanks in here. Dunno why. When gobs want hire for money gobs can go many places. Longshanks fight-for-pay sometimes hire gob. Dey in town green under sign with blue lizard on it. Sometimes dead in graveyard wake up an' scary dwarf at war church pay to kill again. Many times longshanks merchant hire gob to steal something or spy on other longshanks. Dey know Brambleclaws are sneakest smartest gobs. Sometimes baron fighters pay gob to clean up junk. Sometimes badnits hire gob to cut up traveler and take shinies. Yeah, Great Chief sometimes have stuff to do an' he make gobs do. He not here now, he with longshanks chiefs talkin' important talks."