** spoiler omitted **
The orcs watched Chotka and the others as they drew near, weapons close at hand.
"Stand there, warrior," one of the guards said, holding out a hand. "This is the Palace of the Steel Hawks. Birdfood is its master."
"Good. I heard groups here were looking for more muscle and finders with an eye for the good stuff," Chotka waved at the scrawny looking halfling, "and we heard the Steel Hawks are the best. We need to talk to Birdfood."
"Good. I heard groups here were looking for more muscle and finders with an eye for the good stuff," Chotka waved at the scrawny looking halfling, "and we heard the Steel Hawks are the best. We need to talk to Birdfood."
A man with a grotesquely mutilated face, much like those you slew at the fort, stepped out from within the building.
"I'm Birdfood. You want to talk? Hand over your weapons and magic first."
"Do you want us to kneel on the ground and expose our necks as well? A warrior doesn't give up his weapons before his life," Chotka spat derisively.
Taking a close look at Birdfood Karek mutters under his breath to the others. "He looks more like one of those foul Smilers!"
He starts readying for a fight, looking around to see where the enemy would come from?
Spidre is surprised by the boldness of Chotka's answer, but realizes it makes sense given what they'd been told of the town. And, of course, what the orcs in her company were naturally like.
Karek didn't mark any signs of subterfuge.
"Be a warrior or talk to me. Not both," Birdfood said.
Karek didn't mark any signs of subterfuge.
"Be a warrior or talk to me. Not both," Birdfood said.
Chotka stared at Birdfood in confusion for a moment before replying. "Fine. Keep your words," the orc shrugged and led the way down the path on the left.
Spidre shrugs and stays within the shadows of the bigger ones.
"Just so I know, do we have a plan here?"
Spidre shrugs and stays within the shadows of the bigger ones.
"Just so I know, do we have a plan here?"
The Sworn Band retreated from the Hawks' lair, with Birdfood sneering at them the whole way. They passed through a large expanse of twisted metal debris, which rose up about them in looming walls. Betimes it seemed a stiff breeze might dislodge something heavy or sharp and send it falling upon them. But even where the metal pressed close on two sides, Scrapwall did not fall. They came out to a relatively open area again, to find a group of men and half-orcs wielding noisy metal rods that spat smoke at four creatures that looked like rats but were the size of halflings and stood upright who had hunkered down behind a small debris pile and returning fire with crossbows. Four more lay dead in the open space between the debris and the attackers. Neither side seemed to have noticed the band.
"We must learn more of these 'Lords of Rust' and this Hellion. There also appear to be many criminal groups in Scrapwall - and based on this fight, they don't all like each other. We need to determine if there are ordinary citizens who are not part of the gangs, and see if they can give us information."
Rikal watches the fight from a distance. The rat-men appeared to be getting the worst of the fight, but those noisy metal rods were quite potent. Was there a benefit to intervening, or should they let the two sides fight each other? That was the question.
"This might sound crazy, but I bet those rats know more about what's going on in this city than most. And I bet they'd talk, if we helped them." Spidre shrugs. "But you guys are the ones who would be getting shot."
"Well, the guys we fought at the ruins had those weapons. I wouldn't be upset of there were less of those guys around."
"Well, the guys we fought at the ruins had those weapons. I wouldn't be upset of there were less of those guys around."
Rikal looks at Chotka. "Warleader, I could conjure forth a cloud of billowing fog to mask the sight of those with the rods and allow the ratfolk to flee. If we don't like that idea, I could conjure something that proves quite distracting to them - and also dangerous."
"If we're going to help the rats, we need to make it obvious we're helping them so that they will help us in return. Unless we're just doing a good deed, but I'm not sure either side of this is on the side of 'good'."
"Good? I care about finding the thieves that stole Torch's fire, and those guys seem an awful lot like the guys from the ruins. Why don't you slip in close little one and tell the rats they can scurry away safely once our distraction is in place. Rikal, if you can make a cloud, I can fill it with swirling lights to confuse them."
Rikal nods. "Spidre, I will give you time to move in close. We will then cast our spells."
"Oh, sure! I'll just run out in between all the arrows and flying metal balls. Because I'm small, and that's my job. Glad to do it!" Spidre says with much consternation and sarcasm. Nevertheless, she draws up her hood and attempts to sneak towards the rat-things to tell them of the plan.
"Oh, sure! I'll just run out in between all the arrows and flying metal balls. Because I'm small, and that's my job. Glad to do it!" Spidre says with much consternation and sarcasm. Nevertheless, she draws up her hood and attempts to sneak towards the rat-things to tell them of the plan.
[dice=Stealth]1d20+14
Spidre slipped forward unmarked.
"Pssst! It's not looking good for you guys, but if you sit tight my friends over there-" Spidre says, pointing "-are going to help us out. When they do, follow me and I'll make sure you're safe."
"Pssst! It's not looking good for you guys, but if you sit tight my friends over there-" Spidre says, pointing "-are going to help us out. When they do, follow me and I'll make sure you're safe."
[dice=Diplomacy if needed]1d20+3
The ratfolk nearest Spidre started and wheeled on her, crossbow rising before seeing she didn't pose a threat. After a moment's pause, he nudged the others and passed the message on.
Spidre tries to signal to her comrades that it's time.
Spidre tries to signal to her comrades that it's time.
[dice=Bluff (pass secret message)?]1d20+8
The signal given, Rikal nods and says, "On three, Warleader? One...two...three!" He casts his spell, conjuring up a cloud of fog to engulf those with the noisy sticks and obscure their sight.
The signal given, Rikal nods and says, "On three, Warleader? One...two...three!" He casts his spell, conjuring up a cloud of fog to engulf those with the noisy sticks and obscure their sight.
Shouts of confusion and dismay immediately erupted from the gunmen, while the ratfolk wasted no time leaving their cover and rushing were Spidre led.
Chotka did his part and drops a swirling vortex of colored lights to further disorient the gunmen, then hurried to follow Spidre and the ratfolk.
"You, little rats, where can we go where those guys won't find us?"
Chotka did his part and drops a swirling vortex of colored lights to further disorient the gunmen, then hurried to follow Spidre and the ratfolk.
"You, little rats, where can we go where those guys won't find us?"
"You come quick. See Redtooth!" one of the rats said. "Very safe. "
Karek feels a bit left out but follows the others while fondling a bomb, ready for any pursuit.
"Then there we shall go. Quickly, before those men figure things out."
Spidre nods and goes with everyone, quickly going from leader to follower.
Spidre nods and goes with everyone, quickly going from leader to follower.
The ratfolk led the sworn band away from the Smilers and through several stands of rubble on a twisting path. They came at some length to the mouths of several tunnels leading into a huge wall of rock, metal, and dirt. Half a dozen ratfolk melted out of the shadows as the group approached. After a few quick words among their guides, one darted off into the gloom and returned in short order with a lightly armed ratfolk woman with a sword and gun at her hips.
"My people tell me you helped them with some Smilers. We don't get much of that anymore."
Rikal says, "We suspected that you and your people might be able to provide us with help if we provided you with help. We have come here on a quest. A representative of the Lords of Rust attempted to steal the fires of Torch. We stopped them, but we must know more of them, and ensure they do not try again. The power of the fires was sent to this Scrapwall. There is much we do not understand of this maze of steel and death. We would ask that you tell us of the factions that live here, and how to deal with each."
Chotka nodded his agreement. "We met Smiler before. Outside of town. I don't think they smile much now," Chotka added with a wicked grin.
Chotka nodded his agreement. "We met Smiler before. Outside of town. I don't think they smile much now," Chotka added with a wicked grin.
"Good to know."
"The Lords of Rust are our problem here too. Them and Hellion. Some of my own people have gone over to them. Give it another few months and they'll run Scrapwall. Then you'll have plenty of problems on the outside; don't doubt it. They're mostly orcs, androids, and my traitors. They operate out of the Scrapmaster's Arena, where you go if you want to join up. Fight something, kill it, and you're in. But they cheat. Lose and you're lunch. Must be a few hundred of them now. Sacrifice to Hellion, they call it sometimes."
"Not that anyone's seen Hellion, if there is such a person. I think that purple-haired android cooked him up, myself. Puts him up on the screens and screams somehow. Probably magic. Or it's a ghost or demon or something. Doesn't matter with all the muscle she's got. You want to put the hurt on them, you'll have to deal with that. There's Draigs; that's a giant, two heats and spiked chains. Helskarg's a troll, runs the fights. Nalakai's Kulgara's Meyanda's -the android's second. She's..." Redtooth gave Chotka an appraising look. "She looks like one of yours, honestly. Orc. Tough. Fights with a chainsaw. Her and Nalakai, who's some kind of priest."
Chotka knew the names; Kulgara and Nalakai were of his tribe!
"You can go charge in if you want. Might get you a quick death, might not. Only other way to get close is to get invited, unless you're better sneaks than my people. Unless you got whiskers and a tail hidden up in there, I have my doubts." Redtooth looked at Spidre. "Except about you."
"Not a lot to say about the rest of us anymore. I lead the Raiders, what's left. Used to be we kept the peace, more or less. We're probably done for inside a few weeks."
"The others? There's the Steel Hawks, who used to be on top. The Lords killed most of their leaders and put a Smiler, Birdfood, over them. They think that's funny. Hawks don't, but Sevroth Slaid isn't going to do much about it as long as she likes living."
"The Smilers are filth. Cannibals. They live in some kind of ship module. It's all lit up with heatless fire and gods know what they do inside. Freaks. We've been at war with them for more than a year. Doesn't make much sense since they don't eat us -they like humans and orcs- but they took my brother, Whiskifiss. Without him, our pets are getting restless. A hobgoblin named Marrow runs them. She knows the Dark Arts. The Smilers aren't the Lords, but they're close enough."
"Then there's the Thralls of Hellion, who are up by the big dish. They were talking about him, or it, or whatever, like it was a god before the Lords got involved. They're doing something up there, but keep more to themselves. Chokers, the lot of 'em. Might be that's got something to do with your fires. It was glowing every night for a while, then stopped."
Rikal listened to the rundown of the gangs, then considered a moment. He asked, "Would the Steel Hawks be willing to go against the Lords of Rust - or at the very least, not provide them aid - if this Birdfood were removed from power and Sevroth Slaid replaced him?"
Rikal listened to the rundown of the gangs, then considered a moment. He asked, "Would the Steel Hawks be willing to go against the Lords of Rust - or at the very least, not provide them aid - if this Birdfood were removed from power and Sevroth Slaid replaced him?"
"There's a good chance. They'd at least stop questioning everyone that came into Scrapwall and passing word on to the Lords."
Chotka stood quietly for a moment, then turned to Rikal.
Rikal considers Chotka's words, then replies.
"We shall do so, Warleader. I think that first we must remove some of the other enemies from play - The Steel Hawks and Smilers at the very least, and possibly these Thralls of Hellion. If the leader of this group speaks truth, we will need to be invited in order to get close enough to speak with them. Eliminating the Smilers and returning leadership of the Steel Hawks to themselves may be what we need to attract their attention."