Well if we're going to go off in search of assorted magical gear, and we're not going to get the Staff of Righteous Rule and Domination first, we may as well pay the humans a visit. After all, we've done what the Lizardfolk asked, so now they owe the humans, and that means the humans owe us. Tomorbataar pauses slightly when he says this, the fact that the humans are in his debt causing him obvious joy. I'd like to get some protection before we go traipsing off on various adventures, and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if the rest of you did as well.
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Most of the lizardfolk have left while you discussed your plans, leaving only Chief Kassmak and a few of his guards or advisers.
"If you need nothing more, we leave you for night," the Chief states. "In morning we supply food before you leave."
Y'know, Tomorbataar adds, because the humans promised to make us nice wooden hats. There was even talk of shiny blue metal, if I remember correctly. Tomorbataar looks around at the others, we'd better go there straight away.
Tomorbataar then proceeds to fluff his sheets and burrow into them, covering his head completely and falling into a deep slumber.
The next morning he wakes up, folding the sheets and blankets and placing them on the bed he surveys the Lizardfolk camp. I should like a well cooked potato. Have you got any?
"I don't want a wooden hat. It looks so stupid, like those dunce caps. I know they didn't have the the sky blue metal I wanted to match my scales."Ziphora pouts. "And they gave us scrolls I didn't agree with."
"But I suppose we could head back just to tell them that we've finished helping the lizard folk."Ziphora grudgingly admits.
Vote: humans, mountain behind lizard folk, hungry's recipes, ruling sceptre, in that order
Hothead wakes up with a horrible taste in his mouth. "Sure, let's go tell the humans we did the job. Maybe they'll have something to freshen my breath up, it feels like I've swallowed a bunch of ash. Frozen ash. Bleh."
What Zip said
You wake up in the morning feeling a little bit... different. You see, you've never eaten so well for so long before in your lives. And in typical hydra fashion (or at least typical you-hydra fashion), you seem to have responded to this by growing. Not a lot--not yet, at least. When you're already bigger than an elephant, a quarter-inch of length is pretty hard to notice. But it's definitely more than you've grown in a week in a long time.
What's more, each of you seem to have gained something unusual overnight.
For example: if you were to order ten lizardfolk to throw javelins at a dragon to distract it, and they all obeyed, your +1 bonus would last for ten rounds after the round they threw their javelins.
Oh, I know, Hothead, you could just drink some acid. We had a head a while back who wanted to do that because, you know, acid is so clean. Tomrobataar smiles proudly, happy to give good advice to a sibling.
Now then, let's set out. Maybe the humans will have potatoes.
Tomorbataar votes to go to the humans.
"Sure, Tom. I'll try to keep an eye out for a pool of acid. Got to be at least one lying around somewhere," Hothead snarks.
"Hey, look at me! I can do this!"Ziphora boasts as she exhales a gust of wind that brushes Tomorbataar sparkling clean."Isn't that awesome? We don't need to drink acid, that nasty stuff burns. And no dirty beds for us anymore!"
"And I've got a new friend!" She concentrates hard, and a white dove appears resting on top of her head.
"Hi, my name is Pacem! How do you do?" Pacem chirps cheerfully.
"I guess going to the humans first isn't so bad. I have no need to but I guess if any of you want a dunce cap I won't stop you making a fool of yourselves" Hungry conjures his spellbook and prepares his spells. Halfway through, Hungry visibly has a lightbulb moment. "EUREKA!!!! I'VE DONE IT!!! I CAN RAISE THE DEAD!!! Well sorta, but let's not get caught on technicalities." A few minutes of prep later... (muttered to himself but loud enough for everyone to hear) "Crap! I need a specific gem as a focus for the energies per body animated.." Eventually he finishes preparing his spells.
"Hi, my name is Pacem! How do you do?" Pacem chirps cheerfully.
Beachhead appears behind Pacem and shrieks "Ninja!"
Tomorbataar doesn't realize that Hothead is being sarcastic, and begins looking around for acid. Where? I don't see any...and thanks, Zip, that's a very useful and wonderful trick. Hmm...I guess that makes Ziphora #2. I should remember to update the listing the next time we stop by home...
Raise the dead? Hungry...uh...please don't do that. Do you have any idea how gross a corpse is? Tomorbataar visibly shakes, looking slightly scared until suddenly Beachhead bursts out of nowhere, causing him to jerk violently. Why can't you do that to the ones we're trying to kill?
"Uh, I do? I'm just so sneaky that you never see me do it. In fact, you never seemed to notice anything I did until yesterday.
"And the corpses could be useful! The bad guys can focus on the dead guys, and we can attack from behind!"
Pacem is startled by Beachhead's sudden appearance and flies into a branch. As he comes into contact with the branch, he suddenly disappears.
Ziphora furrows her eyebrows. "That was mean of you, Beachhead! Now he's gone."She hisses at Beachhead angrily.
"He could have been a threat! I was trying to help, maybe!"
"I told you I had a new friend! Then he appeared."Ziphora berates Beachhead. "Are you so thick that you can't out two and two together, you blockhead?"
She turns to Hungry, giving him a dubious look."Animation of corpses sounds suspiciously like slavery to me..."
"The unliving can be so useful! I have pretty good idea how dirty a corpse CAN be. Zip can use her new breath powers to clean them first, if you REEEAAAALLLLYYYYY think it is needed."
Hungry watches Pacem "die" with excitement but it is quickly quelled as it leaves behind no body. "Drat. ... That's a quaint little trick you have there Zip. Too bad it isn't more durable!"
Tomrobataar looks surprised at Beachhead's words, You weren't anywhere until yesterday. You didn't exist, a figment of your own imagination, that's what you were! He doesn't make a bit of sense...
Hmm...not sure Zip's powers would be sufficient, not to clean out the inside of a corpse, anyway...we should research a more powerful cleaning spell, to improve the corpses. Tomorbataar turns to Ziphora, what's wrong with slavery?
"Slavery is wrong, wrong, wrong. You should never deny anyone of their free will! Unless it'll harm others. Everyone has the right to live their lives as they choose." Ziphora vehemently protests.
"You know Hungry, you could try raising just the bones!" Hothead suggests. "That way we wouldn't need to worry about all the fleshy parts starting to smell after a while."
"No, you will not be raising anything! That kind of magic is evil!"Ziphora retorts.
"Everyone has the right to live their lives as they choose." Ziphora vehemently protests.
"Then I can scare off bird threats!" Beachhead contributes.
"Pacem wasn't a threat. He was just a peace-loving white dove, you idiot!" Ziphora bumps her head against Beachhead.
"Don't force your expectations on that bird! If he wants to be a threat, then you should let him," Beachhead says archly. "And I see you've resorted to violence to respond to my verbal statement that you disagree with, so that means I've won."
"Ninja wisdom," he explains to the others.
Instead of contributing constructively to the conversation, Hothead is content to just fling occasional sarcastic comments. "So everyone has the right to live their lives as they please but Hungry can't animate a few corpses just because you think it's evil? Makes sense."
But what she's saying is that raising the dead is like slavery, and it's wrong to enslave anyone, living or dead. Tomorbataar turns and continues without pausing, but lowers his voice, Of course slavery is much better than raising the dead, and it's not even that bad. Tomorbataar turns back, But what's important to remember is that raising the dead is wrong.
Although...the skeletons sounds like a much better idea, because then they aren't rotting away while walking about. Of course... Torbataar shudders with his next few words, you couldn't exactly eat a meal of a bone plate. They're still things we might want to keep really really far away from us.
While you're discussing the merits (or lack thereof) of raising the dead, some lizardfolk cautiously approach. They set down some platters of meat at a distance than retreat. It looks like your breakfast has arrived--leftovers from last night, by the look of the meat.
Hothead frowns as the lizardfolk scurry away. "Go ahead, run away. Keep away from the big scary evil monsters. It's not like they have feelings or anything," he looks at Hungry for a second. "Well, most of them anyway."
'It'd always end that way, her brothers thumbing down ebery suggestion she made...'Ziphora sighs inwardly. There were times she really did wish she could walk off alone and leave them to their own ways....
"Hey, don't run so fast. We don't bite, not if there's breakfast provided..." To prove that, Ziphora takes a bite out of the leftovers.
Wait a second... Tomorbataar examines the breakfast carefully.
I don't see any potatoes here...
The lizardfolk gather some distance away. "We do not run," one answers, warily, "We just give Great Hydra space."
One of the others replies to Tomorbataar. "Potatoes are not growing in swamp. Only hear of them from traders. Maybe humans have?"
"Oh! Let's go to the humans after breakfast to get you your potatoes, Tom!" Ziphora suggests enthusiastically.
Vote to go to humans after breakfast
Hmm...no potatoes in the swamp. Well, I suppose I shall release you from your obligation. Tomorbataar seems to have imagined that the Lizardfolk made a great promise of potatoes, and says these words with all seriousness.
They just seem so white and...bland. What could be better than a nice dry potato? I'm glad you agree, Zip, Tomorbataar say cheerfully.
Once you're done eating, the lizardfolk come forward and clear the platters away, wishing you good travels as they do, and telling you they'll be willing to make similar deals in the future if they need help.
Nothing bothers you along the way, meaning that Hungry has plenty of opportunities to order Mo to feed him more of the meat he's carrying. The sun is getting low in the sky by the time you run across one of the human scouts. He waves at you.
"Hello again, Tomorbataar, Ziphora, Dru-head, Hungry, Hothead, and Beachhead," he says. "I'll go tell the Captain you're coming. Anything I should tell him?"
"Yes, bring the potatoes!Tom wants potatoes!" Ziphora urges the lizardfolk.
"See? That human remembered my name. I told you guys I've been hanging around."
"Or maybe he's just telepathic," Hothead quips. "Tell him we're bringing good news so he won't have to worry so much."
"Potatoes, huh?" the scout says. "I'm pretty sure we've got some. Anything else?"
It's not clear whether or not he's deliberately avoiding responding to the talk about how he knows of Beachhead.
"Yeah I'd like to try a potato too. Have mine baked, then garnished with a little bit of butter. Add a dollop of sour cream on top, and some bacon and spring onion."
"Ugh. Potato elitists are the worst."
"Are those the people that pronounce it 'po-TAH-toe?'"
Make certain my potato po-tah-toe is nice and baked, but with no sorts of sauces or garnishing. Nice and plain...and a little burnt. Tomorbataar looks off into the distance, licking his lips subtly.
Oh, and could you ask about my armor? It has been some time since we set out, and I wonder if you've finished with it.
"I believe we've got some things finished," the scout says. "Carpenter's got some things in his shop, at least. I'll go tell'em to get ready for you, if there's nothing more."