The Once & Future KingMaker

Game Master Aest

In the distance you spot 1d6 ⇒ 4 Elk grazing on the plains.

Torod can either mount the feather to a pole and carry it like a flag, or build a litter to carry it behind the horse.

Other Ideas?

I figured to wrap it up and place it on Girty.

Sure, it's pretty long, but it is light....

The day passes towards night, though you could forage for elk in the evening if anyone desired.

I was surprised no one wanted to take a shot at the elk....

The goldmine appears totally undisturbed looks like no one has come by since the last time you were here.

In the hex beyond the gold mine and down further than the bandits camp, this hex has a river running through it and near the center of the hex you find an old rickety bridge.

The Thorn River winds through a 20-foot-deep gulch
here between a pair of hills. An old wooden bridge spans
the gulch, allowing passage over the river.

The day passes towards night, though you could forage for elk in the evening if anyone desired.

I was surprised no one wanted to take a shot at the elk....

Sometimes I'll read posts and wait until later to respond. This one was victim of my faulty memory. Strawberry would have chased them for sure.

Actually no the kobolds should be on this side of the river.

We have rations. We don't need to kill an elk - yet.

"It's going to be murder, getting the horses over that," Asta says, eyeing the bridge with a small frown. "This feels uncomfortably like a prime ambush spot."

Obviously this bridge has seen better days and would eventually need to be repaired or taken down.

But for now there is no reason to actually cross the bridge to get to the kobolds.

"Let's just note the bridge for now. We'll get back to repairing it in time. For now, we're heading in the other direction."

As you head South into the next hex, and travel along the river, you come to a point where two rivers from the upper land come together and form a single river that continues straight down......

The Thorn River grows unusually shallow here just before
it empties into the Shrike. The resulting ford is never
deeper than 3 feet.

Well good to know there is a bridge here. I wonder who built it? Andrei says finally, glancing at the chasm. Notting that Asta has marked it on her map, Andrei points towards a way around it. Kobolds then?

That is where we'll cross then.

As you carry on along the Shrike rivier, you notice a couple of small cobolds swimming in the river...they seem to be catching fish in their teeth as they swim.

You are fairly distant from them,but can make out the fish wriggling in theirr mouths.....

Ah I see we have found the notorious kobolds.. scourge of the wilds.. destroyer of chickens Andrei sarcastically mutters glancing back at Torod. They look pretty harmless to me.

Torod smiles. "Everything is not always as it seems. They will show their true selves in time."

The ceatures swim around for quite awhile..

What's the plan?

Waiting for Asta to make contact with the kobolds.

Asta?

Asta...?

Asta spends too much time thinking through her approach and before she gets a chance the kobolds get out of the water and begin to walk towards the nearby hills, before they even make it the full way hom it appears they are living in what was once a silver mine.

Asta can still approach the group before they get back to the tribe...but she needs to hurry.....

"Keep me covered," Asta says with a resigned sigh.

The Witch gets off her horse and approaches the Kobolds, staying out of crossbow range of the mine's opening as she hails the diminutive reptilians:

"Hail unto the spawn of the great Dragons!"

Sorry for the delay. 'Stuff'... >_<

The kobolds turn around and prepare for danger.

Draconic:
"What you do here long-shanks?"

linguistic check DC 15

Linguistics 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (12) + 6 = 18

Asta grins at the Kobolds and stands proudly before them.

"Looking for mighty dragons, who like to get gold for something they'd do anyway," she says. "You are the blood of the mighty dragons, are you not? And as dragonbloods, you like gold, do you not?"

Draconic
"You pays us to kill you?"

Sense motive DC 15

Sense motive 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4.

"Tch, no," Asta says, rolling her eyes.

"You fine Kobolds know about the Stag Lord, right? The robber baron going around, stealing, killing and extorting money? There's a price on his head and that of his lackeys."

Asta grins conspiratorially. "My dear Kobolds, I'm sure you've no love for an armoured thug who leads a gang of thieves and kills people who don't give him what he wants. Sooner or later, he'll come 'round here. If you give us a hand taking them down, I'm fine with sharing the reward with your people. Do you have a boss I can talk to? A chief or a general or a high priest or something? I'd like to talk business and money... Because I think there are opportunities for us to make a lot of both if we can come to an agreement."

Torod stands in the background keeping Strawberry Deathstrike close by him. If these kobolds get aggressive, he'll be ready to strike.

"We have war with mites you help we sell silver from mine?"

It seems the kobolds not only live in the mine they have taken to mining as a profession....

"My dear gentle-Kobolds," Asta says, grinning widely and spreading her arms. "I think I can do you one better. Kobolds are masters at mining, artificing and magic. How would you like to open up a new market? Help us now, and I can open up whole new avenues for you to sell your wares on a regular basis!"

Would anyone mind my establishing a treaty with the Kobolds that we don't kill each other, and they can sell at the fort - or any future towns we open up?

"This good we hass too much silver, needs other stuff. You has to talk to chief. Chief wants no war."

The kobold looks around nervously....
"Shaman wants war, says kobolds must fights."

"All comes all meet chief, say no war."

The kobolds lead the way towards the mine......

"Then may I assume we shall enter your home as guests, under the flag of truce?" Asta asks before following. "That way, if your shaman proves... unreasonably aggressive..."

The witch winks at the Kobolds.

I believe my opposition is well documented. We're talking now against my wishes.

"Sure, we see chief, you talks big talk and makes good deal, mites you kills no more kobold war."

The kobolds walk far ahead of you looking back every once in awhile to make sure your coming......

We go.

You are lead to an old silver mine in the side of a hill just north of the Shrike River.

An outcropping of large boulders emerges from the weathered face of a nearby hillock. A narrow opening in the rock leads into darkness below. A fallen sign leans against the side of the cave entrance, and a cage made of branches and sticks sits on the other side.

The fallen sign is weathered and bears a few faded words: “Oaktop Silver Mine.”

The stick cage contains a single, sobbing mite—his eyes squinted tightly shut against the light during the day. The wretched creature is the only prisoner
the kobolds have managed to take alive, and they’ve placed him here as a warning to any mites that might approach.

The guards on duty chirp in surprise as you approach, but since you are being escorted they do not move to stop you from entering the dark mine.

"Hmm," Asta says as she eyes the Mite. "Looks in sufficient health for my needs... How much?" she asks in a callous tone, pointing at the prisoner.

"Captured him, put here to keep others out, saves kobolds troubles from stupid mites."

Torches are lit and you are given a guided tour as you are taken to the chief of the tribe….

Guided tour though actually it is just the kobold naming areas as he leads you into the complex……..
……Y1 is the main entrance (as described)
…..Y2 is Just beyond the tunnel openings, a pair of shadowy alcoves flank the main passageway. Two kobold guards wait within the alcoves.
……Y3….The walls of this cave have been smeared with what appears to be charcoal and blood to depict multiple representations in red and black of a looming, sharp-toothed reptilian devil. Two low stone tables sit in the middle of the room, one of which is stained with blood.
……Y4 ….The air in this large cave feels warm and close, thick with a reptilian stink mixed with smoke and burnt meat. Numerous beds of furs lie scattered throughout the room amid smoldering cookfires, while to the south, a ten-foot-wide alcove contains a large mound of furs framed by dozens of sticks on which are mounted the skulls of many birds and small animals, all smeared with ash.

A tunnel leads out the back of this chamber……

You are brought before

Chief Sootscale

The kobold points to himself…”Chief Sootscale.”

”My kingdom is at war with the mites, Tartuk decrees the statue stolen by the mites is sacred and if not recovered we will be cursed….already half our tribe has been lost to this stupid war. Help me recover the sacred statue and stop the war.”

Sense motive DC 17

Sense Motive 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (17) + 3 = 20

We should all learn a language to speak to each other in when we want to be circumspect about what we're saying. One of the ancient languages like Thassilonian or Azlant or a modern language from far away like Polyglot or Vudran.

"You get statue back for kobolds. Kobolds make peace and continue mining here."

You have never heard of kobolds mining before, but being small hardy and able to see in the dark it would be a good fit. Though how they were trained is a mystery.

"Ok, Chief. We'll leave and get working on that right away."

"As a boon, great chieftain," Asta says, "please let us have the captured Mite. I think it may be useful in retrieving your statue."

The chief agrees to release the mite to you so that you don't get lost on your way to the mites lair under the old sycamore tree.

Once you have the mite in tow, you are headed to retrieve the statue.....

Asta carries the cage containing the Mite with her, back to the horses. "We are fortunately that the Kobolds were so accommodating," she tells the others, smiling a little. "Our new friend here can be very useful to us in getting that statue."

Asta's eyes briefly shimmer bright crimson, and the Mite's battered body looks just a little more healthy.

One Healing Hex for the Mite, to the tune of 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9.

The mite looks stunned for a second and then squints at Asta

Undercommon
"What I do?"

The young Ulfen woman translates everything she says to the Mite and that the Mite replies into Common.

undercommon

Anyone else have any input into Asta's plan?

Torod can't help but smile as he says, "You do realize this isn't going to go well?"

As Asta translates her conversation back and forth to everyone.....

undercommon....
"I steal statue but you pay first 50 gold coins!"