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Faeleen stares at Grrazz with platter-sized eyes. "You... you can ralk- I mean, talk?"
"I will NOT sit idly by here in the dirty old woods while you use me for some diversion!" Amelia cries out, stamping her foot and stepping back, away from the two tieflings.
Up on the ridge near the gorge, you can see:
Beleste seems to be a bit too busy whispering to notice anything new.
Jokum is also too distracted by the discussion to notice anything out of the unusual.
At the child's outburst Grrazz attention snaps focused upon her. Looming over the smaller girl Grrazz pushes forwards until Amelia steps backwards...or falls down again.
Then, reaching around, Grrazz simply takes the child collar between their teeth, picks them up and trots off carrying them by the 'scruff' of the collar back towards the bridge. Stopping within the forest nearest their end (As in Grrazz, Faeleena and Amelia) of said bridge. Plonking themselves and Amelia down and settling to again wait.
The tieflings are completely distracted discussing tactics, Outsea, and how they can turn current events to their advantage. A few moments pass as they discuss their plans on the clifftop.
Suddenly, you hear the sounds of steel on scabbard! Turning around, you see five drow standing over you - somehow they detected you from the road and snuck up on you unawares! Their weapons are drawn, their spells are prepared and they are positioned all around you - they caught you with your pants down. The males are wielding fine rapiers and are armored, and the females wear even heavier armor and the magic effects of a readied spell is in their hands.
"You're wearing slave collars. I take it you're from Chaulnazeen?" a casual female voice breaks in. You see the eldest-looking female speaking, her expression calculating. She shows signs of constant stress recently, but her bearing is commanding.
Faeleen and Grrazz would need to make a DC 15 Perception check to detect something is amiss from their position.
The battlemap is updated, even though you aren't in combat. I figured it can't hurt to be prepared when you have the Ravener and his favored style of "eat first, ask questions never."
"It seems to me that you already know the answer and I doubt you would trust me if I said otherwise. Why do you not attack us outright?" Beleste would inquire while accessing the situation and trying to find an opening.
"Because killing you would be near-meaningless. Whomever sent you is probably already in the process of slaughtering my House - we saw the writing on the wall ages ago, and the Matron Mother wouldn't heed our warnings, so we fled. If you slaves are on our trail, it's likely that the attack has already begun.
"Truthfully, I and my comrades wish to be free of Chaulnazeen and all its political machinations - but our blood ties us to those fools back in the city, and that makes us a threat to your master, who fears we will expose her. Nothing I say or do would convince her that I don't intend to testify against her House. So..." she plucks her noble broach from her cloak and holds it aloft.
"Our options are - fight it out with our rapiers already at your throats, or deceive your master, whomever she is. If you take this token back to her, she will believe the deed is done, and we can go on our separate ways. In return for freedom from pursuit by you hunters, I can even offer information on how to remove those slave collars so you can get a little revenge on the slattern."
The Ravener who was about to pounce on the hapless drow who had delivered himself in front of him, paused at the mention of freedom.
Grrazz ears prick up as they hear sounds coming from the ridge above the road. Putting a paw on Amelia they push the girl to the ground and bend closer to nuzzle at the girl's ear,
Beleste would continue to look about for an opening while continuing to speak, "While I appreciate your generosity and freedom is a great motivator, I find a few holes in it. First being the fact that she will likely force the truth from us with these collars. So is it possible to break their control of us before we go back to her? Secondly, I doubt she'll take a single broach as enough evidence to prove your demise. She would expect us to strip you of anything of value to heighten our advantage in such a horrible world."
Taking a moment to take a head count, he would add in, "I also notice that a few members of your group seem to be missing..."
Taken completely by surprise, Jokum suppresses the bubbling terror at the back of his mind. Drow! We've failed and our life is forfeit and... Finally successful in quelling that irritating portion of his mind, Jokum listens carefully listens to the conversation while running over tactical options in his mind.
Amelia stares at Grrazz, then...nods and huddles down in the grass, trying not to be seen.
You don't see any of the normal tells for lies in her eyes or faces, or for that matter in the faces of her companions, as she speaks. Now, one face not betraying anything is easily excused by a skilled liar, but an entire group?
Granted, it's an entire group of drow. There's no way to be 100% certain...or even 75%...but you might be able to manage 50-60. Your deduction is somewhat aided by the fact that her group DOES have your group pretty dead to rights, with their weapons at your throats. They could've killed you without speaking.
As for her statement about the collars, she clearly knew that it would be a hot-button issue for you, as her open smile and quirked eyebrow indicate. However, you've given the matter of your collars some thought in the past and deduced that if anyone knows how to remove these slave collars for sure, it'd be a drow noblewoman.
*Sneaking, sneaking, sneaking...*
(⌐_⌐)
"Breaking the slave collar's hold completely requires a magical apparatus that I don't have. But I have enough mastery of the enchantments inherent to the collar to loosen them, allow you all to lie and speak freely. She could still inflict incredible suffering via the collar, that is harder to remove, but binding your very mind's mental commands to your body is much trickier to do, and easier to break free of.
"As for the broach, I'm afraid you're probably right..." she breaks off, considering for a moment and staring off into space. Though she appears distracted herself, her companions aren't - their blades stay at your throats, and don't waver. You know firsthand how quick drow can be.
The other female speaks up. "Bring back a drow hand. Not one of ours -" she smiles as one of the males' eyes widen in alarm. "The hand of some other victim, disguised as a drow's with my magic. That would fool your master, I wager. Say the pig-boy over there ate the heads of the rest of us!" the younger drow female giggles a little.
The eldest considers this. "Have you any recent kills for use with the spell?" she asks. "Slaves like you are never far from death..."
"And some other factor prevented us from looting your bodies?" Beleste would ask inquisitively.
"Self-defense spell. Stray fireballs. This one looks like a wizard, say he incinerated them. By the Spider, I know you aren't drow, but try to think creatively.." she sighs.
The males holding weapons in front of you tieflings tense up and glance around slightly - perhaps they realize that the arrogance of females can sometimes get them into trouble. They stare at you grimly.
Beleste smiles as he notices the unease of those closest to them. "Creativity only gets you so far. It is unlikely that everything, but a singular trinket would be destroyed."
Deciding that discretion is still called for, Jokum asks quietly in a cool, logical tone, "My companion speaks wisely, perhaps it could be arranged that you give us some further proof from your own equipment? You are to have fled in some haste, so it's possible you had little with you... a few trinkets and a weapon or two should suffice. And consider this carefully, I doubt our master would entrust us and us alone with the safety of the house. There are likely contingencies in place and our deaths may well bring your own doom too. It would be much the same if our story fails to satisfy our master. We both have a vested interest in our story being convincing."
*Sneaking, sneaking, sneaking, sneaking...*
(¬_¬)
The drow female narrows her eyes at Jokum and stares at him for a few tense moments. Finally she speaks. "You're impertinent, for a slave. Recently captured, I'd guess. Interesting. Still..." she pauses for another moment, before continuing. "You're right. Killing you all would only delay our freedom until your mistress releases the next pack of hounds. Better to work with you to make them believe we're gone for good."
Her lip curls as she comes to the unpleasant realization that she'll have to sacrifice something truly significant. To her credit, however, she acts quickly when she knows it's the only way. Pulling her cloak aside, she withdraws a small knife that's shaped to look like a spider's 8 legs are grasping the blade. "Take this to whatever b@~@* owns you. This ceremonial dagger was presented to my family before the entire city. I would not part with it willingly under almost any circumstances." She flips it to grasp it by the blade and throws the dagger into the dirt next to your feet.
"Do you agree to the plan?" she asks.
Beleste would turn his head to regard Jokum. He was not happy with the concept of letting them go either way, but freedom was tempting. He would turn his head back towards the elder Drow.
"What do you need to do to loosen the hold of these collars upon our necks?"
Jokum, carefully to avoid cutting himself on the rapier at his throat, glances down at the item tossed at his feet and nods his acceptance. Keep them talking and hopefully our companions will realize something is amiss. A distraction would work nicely here.
He replies in the same cool, tone, "That token and the trinket you mentioned earlier should suffice. And the collars? We will, against our will, expose things best left unsaid unless certain... troublesome... aspects are removed and we are no longer compelled. My companion has the right of this."
After a bit of deliberation, Faeleen decides to follow Grrazz. She draws her rapier, then starts sneaking forward, right on the other tiefling's heels.
"You wouldn't be talking to us, if you didn't fear that we could end you even with an ambush. You are not the masters here. Give us half of the magical treasures you smuggled from your homes and loosen our collars, or we will feast on your entrails. The best kind of drow is a dead one, but we can be bought."
If there isn't immediate compliance, the Ravener will attack.
If two claws hit,
*Sneaking, sneaking, sneaking...*
The Ravener looks hungry and emanates a palpable aura of cold, evil, and fear around him. The drow females look at each other and a trace of uncertainty flickers between them.
After a moment, the eldest speaks once more. "Very well, tiefling. We merely wish to be away. We will do as you demand. Put up your weapons," she commands the males. Reluctantly, they back away, their rapiers still drawn.
"Our supplies are this way," she says. "Come. We'll weaken the collars' enchantments, give you some spoils, and go our separate ways." She sends a male ahead, and then gestures for you tieflings to follow him.
Surprised by the turn of events, Jokum glances at his feral companion in surprise. That was a rather clever, though I don't think it was actually a bluff... Stooping to collect the dagger once the weapon is away from his throat, he looks over the thing for a moment. As the drow move away, he begins to follow them while casting a cantrip in order to determine its properties. Allowing the drow to get a short distance ahead, he whispers to Beleste, "If we follow through, we need our other companions to be here too. We'll all be caught if their collars aren't also modified."
Luscious, plump lips pull back to reveal a shark toothed grin. It gnashes its serrated teeth at the males, but will follow the females back.
Raising up to his full height and placing the blade of his greatsword sized longsword on his shoulder, Beleste would gesture for the rest of the drow.
"Not to say we don't trust you, but I don't trust you. The doctor has taught me that lesson."
If they fall in line, Beleste will follow after with Jokum and respond in quiet tones, "Let us see what they intend to do before we let on that their are more of us."
Jokum, the dagger is a Shatterspike dagger.
Jokum, the dagger is a Shatterspike dagger.
Jokum nods his assent and responds quietly, "Just raising the concern." Chewing his lip slightly, Jokum tries to consider another angle to what the drow are doing, but nothing sensible springs to mind.
"Don't forget, we were told there are seven of them. I've only laid eyes on two of them so far and while we were told that only five of them should be of any real threat, we still do not know which five them are those supposed threats."
Grrazz stealthily creeps into position near the wagon down the road. There are two horses that were pulling it, but the great beast is quiet enough to not spook them. However, Grrazz picks up some speech coming closer and looks over their shoulder to see the drow leading the tieflings peaceably toward the wagon.
You have time to act before they arrive - probably about 45 seconds. What do you do?