"Shut up." Korren doesn't even look up from sharpening his axes.
"Well,this is dandy." Kressle comments sarcastically.
"Well, ain't you a treat?" she replies with an odd mix of sarcasm and flirtation.
Nakpik takes the group through more tunnels and attracts a couple of other kobolds who tag along with you, chirruping and yapping in their language to each other in excited tones.
You are led past the entrance to a large cave where several kobolds are gathered, including one, larger than the others wearing a reptile skull on his head, adorned with feathers. He looks quite splendid in his own small way. He is currently moping with his head in one hand.
Upon seeing you he looks up and barks something at Nakpik as he heads down the corridor. Your guide yaps something back, hopping up and down.
The other kobold sits up and rattles off something that sounds like a command.
Nakpik looks torn, "Um, Chief Sootscale, well, he says, you come 'n' talk to him."
Pavla looks carefully at Nakpik. "What else did he say? You're looking a bit unhappy about something."
"Sootscale, appropriate name for such a dark kobold...so let's talk Sootscale, You speaky common?"
Sootscale looks at Blackbow and then replies, "Yeah, sure, I'm not an idiot." in a deep kobold voice (which is still kind of squeaky, but slightly more imposing.)
Nakpik whispers to Pavla, "He kinda grumpy I take you to shaman without going to him first."
"Like my father then."
Pavla finds the kobolds uncomfortably familiar.
Nakpik looks puzzled.
"No. He a kobold. You a hoomun. That no work."
"Trust me, I've spent most of my life having breakfast with someone very like your chief. Kobold, human - sisters under the skin."
"I not yer sister." Nakpik says carefully, as if talking to a child, "You sure are weird."
"I know you're not, even though you are very like my oldest brother and just as difficult to explain things to." Pavla sighs as mutual incomprehension grows and gives her attention to Sootscale.
[b]"Good, so let's get everyone together, let's talk about what you need, then we can discuss alliances, rewards, et cetera."[b]
Chief Sootscale looks a bit bamboozled.
"Whuh? Oh, right..."
Sootscale says glumy, "I guess you better see Tartuk about that. And then maybe talk more when you get Old Sharptooth back here."
"Old Sharptooth? Are we retrieving a statue or a person?"
The chief looks morosely at Pavla, "Old Sharptooth is the statue" he says with a shudder.
"What does it do? Nakpik says it's magic, but that covers a lot of ground."
Sootscale mutters "Tartuk says it will lay a curse on us if it is not returned. Sharptooth's curse will make us all turn yellow and die."
The other kobolds in the room nod their heads and sadly agree.
"I take you to Tartuk." he adds, and makes to leave.
"Really? That sounds awfully odd to me. I'd love to look at Sharptooth if I get the chance. That sounds more like a problem with water than a curse."
"Mites took statue. You'll get a good look when you steal it back from them. Come on."
With that, he and a gaggle of kobolds go down the hall.
He shoos them away with a wave of his scepter/club and a hiss.
"Right, how many mites, how small are their warrens, why can't you get it back?"
"You ask shaman your questions," Sootscale calls back offhand to Blackbow.
Pavla follows along, looking curiously around her and thinking, once again, how familiar Sootscale seems to be.
"Very well, let's get to it then." His nose wrinkling slightly at the smell of the reptile's hideaway, wondering where they do their business, then looking to his boots.
Outside
"Reckon yer buddies are kobold chow yet, handsome?" Kressle asks.
Inside
Sootscale and the excited kobolds lead the heroes down a corridor...
The walls of this cavern are decorated by a rickety wooden frame formed from clean-cut branches lashed together with gut and twine. Banners cut from two-foot-wide strips of old blankets and horsehides hang from floor to ceiling, covering much of the walls. The sloppily painted banners bear dozens of primitive icons and mystic symbols. A large cauldron filled with bubbling red liquid boils in the center of the room.
A strange kobold is thwoing things into the cauldron. His scales are livid purple and a tatty crow perches on his shoulder. He looks up with a start at the noise,
"What?! How dare you- Urk!" he squawks as he sees humans amidst the kobolds, "Er, what is the meaning of this? My cogitations and concoctions are not to be disturbed! he says in an outraged manner.
"This is interesting decor," murmurs Pavla quietly to Blackbow and Kari.
"I think you'll want us to disturb you. We can get your statue back."
"Hey might nice pad ya' got here. Looks like the kind of place a real leader would have. All kinds of interesting things..." Ardell's voice trails off as he glances around the room.
"And they're mine, you foppish nincompoop!" the shaman chirps, "Now, who are you and what do you want?"
Sootscale says carefully, "Great shaman, they say they can steal back Old Sharptooth."
"Do they now!? Marvellous! Simply splendid," Tartuk replies, "Perhaps the curse can be averted, eh, old chap?" he says meaningfully.
"This is the curse that turns kobolds yellow? Have you considered the possibility of water contamination?"
The shaman boggles slightly.
"It is the curse of Old Sharptooth on those who did not guard him well enough, and on all the tribe if he is not recovered!" the purple kobold says spookily.
"Well, it might not be Old Sharptooth. Statues aren't usually responsible for rampant disease and water quite often is. I don't doubt your wisdom and you definitely know more about kobolds than me, but I'm a healer, so I'd be happy to look into it for you."
"Blah blah blah! You talk too much, little girl." the shaman replies nastily.
"Sootscale, be a good fellow and buzz off." he says to the chief and waves him away.
Sootscale morosely departs along with his rag-tag entourage.
"Ah, brave and noble humans," he continues, "Thank you for offering to bring the great god back to us. I can hear his cries to be returned even from this distance."
"And I know you humans like treasure, don't you?"
He rootles around in what you can now see is a veritable hoard by the standards of a kobold tribe.
"Aha! Here we are..."
He holds up an amazing topaz, the largest any of you have seen.
"Yours if you return Old Sharptooth to us."
Pavla notes the unsubtle brush-off from Tartuk, and decides she doesn't like him much.
Outside
"Reckon yer buddies are kobold chow yet, handsome?" Kressle asks.
"They'll be fine. It'll take more than a few overgrown lizards to take out Kari."
"Now hold on a sec. Chief. We may look like we are after treasure... but we are actually in need of something greater. Which so happens to include that you need to be healthy. So listen up to the smart lady and we'll give you a hand."
Persuasion
wild
wild - exploded-
"And alliances, we help you now, you may help us later, or just keep your ear to the ground. I thought kobolds were nearly as treasure hundry as your dragon cousins."
The shaman makes an obsequious gesture as something in Ardell's manner suggests he should be listened to, "Of course, my apologies, madam"
He turns to Blackbow, "Oh yes, we kobolds LOVE treasure, but I think I can spare this. Alliances? Well, you'll always have a welcome here. If you return the statue that is."
"Do we have a deal?"
"We'll find your statue for you, but I'm really not convinced it's the cause of the curse you're talking about. Could I visit some of your cursed kobolds? It's hard to make a diagnosis without a patient."
"They're dead." the shaman says simply, "And the rest of them will be if Old Sharptooth does not lift his curse. So. you're going to get the statue. Excellent."
He proceeds to give you directions to the mites' lair.
"Hmm."
Pavla takes Blackbow, Korren and Ardell aside while Tartuk gets to work on the map.
"Good the sooner the better."
"They are quite intelligent, I'd think they'd know disease if it hit them."
Ardel leans to Pavla "I do concure Pavla, However much like magic maybe there is something to it. But by all means investigate it to the fullest."
"Pray tell chieften of the Kobolds, how long has Ol' Sharptooth overseen your clan?"
Persuasion -
wild
pers -
"I'm not the chieftain, you nitwit, I'm the shaman. The great and powerful shaman. Old Sharptooth has only recently shown his beneficence to this poor benighted tribe, but they already know what a powerful god he is."