”Great Chief,” Alenaya says, ”Is it a good idea to reveal to them that you are aware of their treachery? Would that not risk them marching an army here? Were there not any survivors who could confirm my information? From my position in their wagon I could see nothing of the battle, just the sounds of the battle...”
The kobold leader waves you away. "You did not see? Then you don't know! The survivor said there was one person, throwing powerful fire bombs." He shakes his head gravely. "If they are treacherous, then they march their army in here single-file, and they die, one at a time. Nakpik is their friend from the Great War. He'll find out what is going on."
"It about a good a plan as I can come up with. We might also want to spread some rumors about the boggards causing trouble. That way the people will be hungry for blood when they come by, escalating the problem quickly."
Eris rolls her eyes "I don't know about that but fine, why don't you take me to the Lady and we can see what we can work out"
As they walked Kage nodded, "That part at least could be entertaining. Just imagine the panic when all these things start happening and the council doesn't know what to do. Maybe we should also spread a rumor that some regional power, perhaps Brevoy, is hoping to install Maxwell as their regent and all of the other events are an excuse for Maxwell to take over."
Jon looks over at his albino companion in surprise. "You are more devious than I had imagined. We could add in that one of the council will first need to be taken care of."[b]
[B]"It may take some time to get the rumors going especially while keeping a low profile, but it should be possible.
Kage did his best to suppress a smirk, replying deadpan "Probably something to do with the company I've been keeping..."
Alenaya falls to her knees, pleading. ”Please, wise Chief! Heed my words! The worst treachery is always from those closest to you! The one your brave warrior survivor saw was the leader of just this attack! They stole my own weapons after capturing me and turned them on you!” she says as she starts to tear up. ”There were two more with her! I don’t know if he just did not notice them in the battle or what, but I promise you on my life there were three who drug me from the city. What do I have to gain from giving you this warning, Great Chief? I ask for nothing, want nothing but to see your people live and prosper, and the ones you call your friends are about to see that undone. I only wish I knew their motivations so a peaceful solution could be had, but I beg you to take your people into hiding and prepare them for the battle to come! They have already struck first, I fear that he who strikes the next blow will strike the deciding one...” she pleads emotionally to the Chief.
”I...I can offer to help you in any way that I can! Like I m-mentioned before, I learned the fine art of making explosives from a great Kobold Alchemist in lands far to the west! The same kind that were used against you, to my eternal shame. Let me amend that tragedy by helping you now, I beg of you! I know this is difficult to accept, and if you do not, then I shall leave you in peace and pray to the gods to watch over your tribe in what is to follow. But I hope you, in your wisdom, will take heed to my warnings and the evidence that is here...”
__________
The chief looks at you, uncertainty crossing his features. Finally, he shakes his head vehemently. "No, this still sounds like a brigand plot, trying to cover their own tracks. Besides, what could we do? March an army against Stagsfall?" he says to the assembled kobolds.
He turns and addresses Alenaya directly. "You speak with conviction, and I can see you care for us. I still think you are most likely deceived. I assure you, I shall get to the bottom of this."
A kobold champion appears in short order, having been summoned. He is still of the soot-gray scales like most, but has very high-quality armor and weapons on him. He bows to the chief. "You summoned me? Is this about the caravan attack?" He looks at Alenaya curiously.
"Indeed. This human is a survivor of the attack. She tells a troubling story; that she overheard Thrusk himself ordering his guards to attack our wagon!"
Nakpik blinks. "Impossible. Is she lying? Trying to drive a wedge between our people?"
Chief Sootscale eyes Alenaya. "I don't think so. She speaks with conviction. More likely, she's been deceived. Bandits, most likely, thinking they can use the Council's names and confuse us. Maybe they meant for her to escape."
Nakpik nods, seeing the wisdom in his chieftain. "That is reasonable. What do you want me to do?"
"I need you to go swiftly to Stagsfall and speak with the Council. Tell them of this attack, and what this human has told us." He then turns to Alenaya. "In case you are correct, which I still find it exceedingly unlikely, would you stay and show us the way to make bombs? Like our brethren to the west taught you?"
The fey gives Eris an enigmatic look. "Very well, mortal. We will see."
He guides her through a dense, labyrinthine tangle of sylvan forests, over brooks, through quiet glades, and around dense tangles of underbrush. It takes the better part of the day, and the sun is dropping into the west by the time the fey brings her to his destination.
The trees part to reveal a peaceful forest glade dappled with the orange sunlight of the fading day. A small pond lies placidly at the roots of an enormous oak tree with a scattering of leaves floating upon its surface. Birdsong twitters from the branches high above. A small doe drinking from the water looks up at you, twitches its tail, then bounds off into the forest.
The goat-legged fey announces in his resonant voice, "My Lady, this mortal has bargained for an audience. I have brought her hence, and petition that you hear her words."
A beautiful woman with leaves for hair and skin like a green sapling steps out of the massive oak. You recognize her for what she is instantly, due to your contract in Cheliax on behalf of the logger named Ricer. She is a dryad, though she appears much more regal. Where Eusephanie was a guardian, this one is much more like a queen.
She moves directly out onto the water toward you and the other fey. Where she steps, a lily pad rises and meets her foot, allowing her to walk as steadily as if she were walking on a paved road. "What was the bargain, Co'pair-huron?" she asks musically.
The fey smiles fiercely. "It was not set."
The dryad's eyes go wide, and she turns to look straight at Eris. Her eyes are ancient and alien, but they still manage to convey surprise. "Then by right I shall set the price she must pay."
Co'pair-huron bows. "Yes, my Lady."
The dryad steps out until she is in the middle of the pond. She gives the other fey a wave of her hand, and he falls back to the edge of the glade. She again turns those deep, inhuman eyes upon Eris. "I will grant you your audience, mortal. Then I shall decide what payment you will provide to the satyr."
"Thank you for agreeing to listen to me" Eris responds, giving an elegant bow, but addressing the dryad in Sylvan.
"As I told Co'pair-huron, I am most displeased with the current status quo of events. Timber prospector's move through the forest, cutting it down in the name of expansion, affecting the environment. Currently, they obey the rules of the Treaty but I feel unhappy that it exists at all. Co'pair-huron was unfortunately of little help in explaining to me why the mortals can inflict destruction on certain parts of the forest, apparently with your permission. So before I get to my proposal, I wanted to know if I had all the facts, having only heard on side, why did you make such a Treaty in the first place? What did you get out of it? This might seem odd inquiry, but I have always had a connection with the Fey, I wanted to ensure you were not unfairly disadvantaged.
Eris finds the dryad's thoughts guarded and impenetrable.
She tilts her head, scrutinizing the petitioner's words. "Do the mortals not keep records of their deeds? Or do you know, yet wish to hear the tale from the other side?"
Her questions are clearly rhetorical, as she straightens and speaks. "Eight seasons ago, this forest trembled with fear. A great menace ravaged the woods to the south of this glade -- an evil plant called a scythe tree." She shudders as she speaks its name. "The tree is a predator of all manner of good creatures, but it particularly preys upon my kind, the tree-daughters. You call us dryads."
Another satyr steps out from hiding, holding a bow with an arrow nocked. The Lady turns and waves him away. "Falchos remembers this time well," she explains. "He was prepared to fight to the last, and die protecting me and my tree. But we did not need to fight it.
"Five mortals arrived, exploring these woods. I was prepared to charm them into slaying the scythe tree, but it was not necessary. They agreed, and slew the evil plant. Those five mortals then returned. They spoke of their new kingdom, and in gratitude we struck a bargain. I would show them the regions of these forests they may harvest, while leaving certain stretches alone and untouched."
Eris nods her head.
"I was checking to see if you were still happy with the given arrangement, since Co'pair-huron couldn't give me any details himself. I do apologize for taking up some of your time. We were still checking if the arrangement was still beneficial to both sides."
Let's go to the location where Maxwell is less likely to be.
”Yes, of course,” Alenaya nods in reply to the chief. ”At least for a few days. I just ask that you inform me if those...monsters from Emeraldvale come here. They will kill me for sure for warning you. I want to be nowhere near them or their servants. I know they were...are, are your allies, or so you think. But I’ve seen too much.”
So long as no reports of Emeraldvaleans are mentioned to be approaching, Alenaya, as Eliza, will begin teaching the kobolds how to work alchemy, specifically in ways that they could make bombs. During downtime, though, she will continue to try and spread rumors against the Emeraldvale people. She focuses this round of manipulation on the lower masses of the tribe, those with not-so-keen eyes and minds.
If the tribe begins to believe it, so too will the Chief have to relent...
__________
days pass by, living within the kobold mines and occasionally posing as one of their member. You think you've got a pretty good series of rumors running through the community.
However, countering the rumors you are planting is the fact that there haven't been any further attacks.
The lady dryad's eyes glitter in their ancient depths as she regards you. "Is that all? You've come, willing to pay whatever price I deem, simply to ask this lone question? Then you seek to slink away? Are you hoping the price I name will not be too great? Or did you lie about your 'connection with the fey,' simply thinking that it would cost you nothing to gain access to me?"
One night, while most of the kobolds have went to sleep, Alenaya enacts another phase of her plan.
If they want to see one of the Council doing this...so be it!
She will excuse herself from the tribe, thanking them for their hospitality and wishing them the best of luck, hoping that her fears are misplaced.
Once well out of sight of the den, and allowing a decent amount of time to pass, she sips down an extract and shifts her appearance into a kobold, then heads back into the tribe's lair and moves about to size up the location of members within the den. Finding a suitable secluded spot, she drinks down another extract and shifts her appearance to that of Grey before climbing up onto the ceiling.
She then, making efforts to harm a decent number of kobolds but killing just a few, begins waylaying kobolds very openly and publicly with bombs, making an effort to make it appear as if Grey was working incantations and lobbing fireballs!
Whenever too much of a threat is presented to her, she retreats and shifts forms into a kobold and "joins in the hunt" for the mage, only to eventually slip away out of the den and leave the area, eventually using an extract to turn into a fog to slip away into the night sky and make her way to where she informed the kobolds she would be camping, and then shift back into her "Eliza" disguise.
Eris does her best to remain relaxed, unconcerned. The situation had escalated a little further than she had expected, but she wasn't surprised that Co'pair-huron had been less than honest. Clearly, the dryad wasn't aware of it, and Eris therefore felt compelled to point it out - least further miscommunication arise. So its with a careful and respectful tone she uses, giving the Lady a deferential look rather than her trademark arrogance, doing her best to sound reasonable and accommodating, instead of launching into a temper tantrum over Co'pair-huron.
"My Lady, I didn't need to waste your time with this, I asked Co'pair-huron, who told me he didn't know, I asked if another fey would be able to tell me, and he told me there was no-one else that would demand an easier price than him. All I wanted to know, was if the status quo arrangement was still appreciated. If it was not, I was prepared with a proposal, but if everything is fine, there was nothing further to discuss, no time wasted."
Eris smiled a little politely.
"I can appreciate tricky wordplay as much as the next person, so I'm surprised that Co'pair-huron wasn't more forthcoming. We bargained for my proposal, in exchange for a request he would give. You haven't heard my proposal yet, because you have told me it simply isn't required. In addition, any price you demand, likewise, is a request from you, and not from Co'pair-huron and therefore not part of the bargain we struck. Both terms therefore, have not yet been met as per our bargain - assuming we were being precise."
Eris bows respectfully. "I didn't mention that earlier, until now, because I didn't want to be difficult, or disrespectful. You can, by all means, mention a price if you wish and good manners might compel me to assist regardless. The moment however, that Co'pair-huron traded his request over to you, our bargain between him and I, became void. Alternatively, you and I could make a new bargain, here and now, if you enjoy such things but I'm sure you have strong opinions about mortals wasting even more of your time as it is." she finishes with a slight amused smile.
"As for alleged lies, I have been truthful. I could tell you, for instance, every explicit thought Co'pair-huron had, every request he imagined, indulgence he craved when we made our bargain. I know what he was thinking when he made our bargain, and the requests he had. You could ask him, if you like, but frankly I'm a little flattered that you believe I could lie to you so easily when you and I both know how skilled you are in spotting untruths or deception. I came here in good faith My Lady, with an open, honest (and a quite frankly) trivial request - something you yourself have admitted. So I confess myself a little disappointed to find Co'pair-huron violate if not the letter, the spirit, of our accord. Yet, here I stand still waiting for your decision."
"As for my connection with the Fey, I could show it to you. You should know that I don't much such an offer lightly, for I have shown no-one else, but I could make an exception."
The dryad's head turns toward Co'pair-huron, who bows. "What was her request?"
"She wished to be brought before one who could speak for the Folk in this wood, my Lady."
The dryad looks back to you with a mixture of impatience and disappointment. "Then Co'pair-huron has done his part of the bargain, for I am Tiressia, Lady of Acraichean Uaine." A number of small faeries buzz out at her pronouncement and genuflect before her.
"Therefore, you owe him a price that was not set at them time of bargaining, so the price is mine to decree. And this is a satyr, Mortal, so knowing his thoughts is not difficult. I should give you over to him for a year and a day so you can experience all his imagination has to offer. He might even share you with An Max'well when he next comes around."
Her expression of disdain lessens somewhat. "Though, perhaps you could prove your connection to the Folk and I may be more lenient -- if such demonstration is worthy of your claims."
Eris frowns in irritation.
"Co'pair-huron did not want for me to run into another fey and make a similar request - he wanted to make a request of me for his own. So he told me that any other fey would demand a higher price, one that I would not enjoy making. He also said that enjoy the price that he would demand."
"Intentionally or not, while I agree that the price was not explicitly stated, it was a price that Co'pair-huron himself said he would demand. Furthermore, he stated I would indulge one of his requests. Both times, a male pronoun, both times, inserting himself into the bargain instead of anyone else. Therefore trading his request, and price, over to you, breaks our agreement twice over."
Eris folds her arms. "I appreciate verbal wordplay as much as anyone, by the agreement was clear. He could have requested I be loaned out to you for a night, He could have asked to shared me with Maxwell (although I think Co'pair-huron is more of his type), he could have asked for many different things. He could not transfer our bargain over to you though, and when he did so, our deal was broken."
Eris pauses for a moment, before her tone lightens somewhat. "I don't owe Co'pair-huron anything as per our bargain only, but I owe you something. This form you see right now, its a gift from the fey ancestry of my race. So I'll show you now my connection."
Eris takes a step back, and concentrates hard. In truth, this transformation was hard for her, because she hadn't assumed the form in decades. It was still a part of her though, which meant that she could never forget its shape. She transforms herself into her true kitsune form, complete with black fur instead of the trademark auburn.
When finished, Eris keeps her attention on herself, she shifts her posture and looks all around herself, tears in her eyes, of sadness, of happiness. In truth, it had been so long since she had assumed her true shape she had almost forgotten what she looked like. She finishes though, and re gathers herself, wiping her eyes and addressing Tiressia again.
"I'm no Saytr, no Dryad, no Nymph. With that said, I wouldn't be this without the gift of the Fey. Sylvan is my mother tongue, as it is for all Kitsune. You can call me a liar if you wish, but I felt I spoke honestly when I told you of my distant connection to the Folk, and I overlooked and ignored the disdain and skepticism shown in response. You might not care for me, but I still appreciate my gifts and am grateful for me. Do you now understand why I asked for an audience over a trivial matter? Why I wanted to ensure the Treaty was fair?"
Kage decides to make his way towards Olegton, disguised as a thoroughly middle class, middle aged landowner of no great importance and graying hair called Andrew O'Brien. With Jon's assistance, Kage donned his disguise. He put on different clothes, well-but not exquisitely tailored more suited to Andrew O'Brien's station. He used a mix of ash and tree sap to gray hi hair and used more of the same to make his skin appear much older and careworn. He then adopted a stiffer gate, and mannerisms appropriate for an older somewhat saddle-sore person who had been on the road for days. The last touch was a special alchemical solution to temporarily change his eye color to dark brown rather than shocking red.
Once near Olegton, he waited for a wagon train from Restov to approach and tailgated it through the palisade gate into town. He then made a bee line for the second nicest inn in town and proceeded to prop up the bar. He tipped well hoping the bartender liking the extra cash would engage him in conversation. He started off small, "Boy am I glad to be back in civilization. Restov's not so bad but trying to sleep in a wagon train gets old real fast. So many folks nearby, and all that snoring!" He took a long pull of ale, finishing the mug and ordered another.
"Been years since I last visited Brevoy. Came back for my Da's seventieth, he's in good health bless him. It was quite the occasion, the whole family came, even cousins I've not seen since I was a nipper. Got talking to one of them over a few mugs, Vin from Brunderton. Turns out he's a private in Brevoy's army these days, he seemed pretty excited about something but he was keeping it under his hat. Anyway evening tuned into the wee small hours and he'd had a skinful - we all had. Vin told me something that doesn't sit right with me."
O'Brien shook his head and took a long pull before speaking conspiratorially to the barkeep in a stage whisper (loud enough for other patrons to hear him), "Apparently there's a rumor doing the rounds in Vin's unit that once our Maxwell takes Fort Drelev, Brevoy is going to acclaim him as a true patriot and Governor of the province of Emeraldvale! Talk about awkward, made me real cross that. I mean, we're independent! We don't answer to Brevoy, who the hell do they think they are? Didn't want to make a scene or nothing, not at Da's bash. So I made some lame excuse and mingled with other guests." After this O'Brian stuck to boring topics, like the price of grain going up and bad camp food before heading out.
Your attack causes suitable chaos in the kobold community. After it's over, there's a kobold-wide demand for the chief to do something about the attacks.
"You do not know the Law, otherwise you would not dispute my authority to decide the price when it is not agreed upon. Though if you would submit to the price that Co'pair-huron would demand, I cannot stop you."
When Eris shows her true form, Tiressia looks interested. "I do not understand, even now. You can control your shape; you have the tail of a huldra and the face of a fox. You want to know the bargain, and are to be given over to a satyr as payment. You have risked and lost much. Are you willing to tell me why?"
Eris gives a dismissive shrug. "I'm not disputing your authority, I'm pointing out Co'pair-huron knew the Law and made an illegal deal by promising a price deciding a request by him, knowing that it would be decided by someone else."
"I don't mind being screwed over, but the agreement was made in bad faith when he lied about its terms. True, maybe under Law he could do so, but he cannot lie in an agreement and expect that same agreement to be honored."
"Why the open intent to deceive? There have been more complicated agreements made without the need to lie and yet Co'pair-huron felt it necessary to do so?"
"I told you the reason, yet, you don't appear to be listening to me. I heard about the woodcutters in the forest, destroying parts of this, and believed you had made a deal from a position of weakness. As you correctly deduced from your initial words - I wanted to hear the terms of the agreement from you. I wanted to renegotiate the Treaty, because I didn't agree with humans cutting down parts of this forest, but I was mistaken, you are, by the sound of it...pleased with the arrangement. I came here, because I wanted to help, so there is staggering irony in me being intentionally deceived by the very creatures I wanted to help."
After leaving the inn and linking up with Jon, Kage asked, "What do you think we should try next?"
"First, let's do more of that as we go about our business. I think the bullywogs are next though. Let's take a few nights in each town we enter to spread rumors as we make our way to them."
Take 10 on Disguise with Aid from Kage equals 25.
Looking for bullywogs.
After spending a bit stirring up some rumors, which seem to be planted in fairly fertile soil, the two Mantises start asking around about Bullywogs, or Boggards in the local parlance. The stories they hear, mainly about the Five taming a whole community within the Hooktongue Slough, place whatever remnants back in the direction they came. They would need to go back towards the Wyvernstone Bridge but turn south before they reach it. Then they would need to head west into the swamps.
The fey queen narrows her eyes while the satyr stomps his cloven hooves in anger. "I did not lie! You were the foolish mortal that did not agree upon a price, which would let me name my own!"
Tiressia plants her hands on her hips. "In the interests of good relationships with the mortal kingdom, I have curtailed the excesses of the pranks and bargains that ensnare many a mortal who wanders into our domain. That is why I claim the right to set the price for mortals in the position you currently find yourself in."
She draws herself up, looking even more regal than before, as she appears ready to pronounce judgment. "The price you shall pay," she says with authority, "is that you are to serve Co'pair-huron for the cycle of the moon, as his bondservant. You will do all the work and chores he sets for you, except to slake his lust. Should you agree to indulge his carnal passions, for each night you do so one additional night shall be taken from your term of service."
The satyr looks less than pleased, but bows his head in deference to the Lady.
"The swamp." Jon does not the idea of slogging through a swamp. "So, do we go killing boggards in the name of Maxwell Arneson and his council or do we play the role of concerned folk looking out for the monsters of this land?"
Kage scratched an ear as he considered, "Mmm... I think it depends whether the spirit has been beaten out of them or not like it was for the Tiger Lords. If I had to bet, my money would be on them being a shadow of what they once were. So how about this, we spread rumors that Maxwell has placed a bounty on Boggard scalps intending to wipe them out once and for all to impress Brevoy. We can use that as an excuse to ask the locals where the Boggards are. We'll make sure the Boggards find out by killing a few and letting some escape to warn the others. On the way back we can spread wild tales of an army of Boggards with some scalps as proof. If that doesn't stir up trouble nothing will!"
Before entering the next town on the way to Wyvernstone Bridge, Kage (and presumably Jon) disguise themselves as tough woodsman adventures. Not such a big change, but the idea being that nobody would recognize what they really look like.
Kage heads straight for the inn and orders food and ale. He takes the innkeep's measure before excitedly telling them, "Have you heard the news? Maxwell is going place a bounty of fifty gold on each Boggard scalp! Why is he doing this? Not really sure mate, I although I heard a rumor it was something to do with impressing Brevoy with his resolve. Anyways we figured we'd get ahead of the rush, and snag a few scalps, maybe get enough to retire. Any idea where about in the swamp the nasty little things might be hiding? I'd be willing to pay for good information."
Turning a little red, he corrected himself, "Pardon me I misspoke in my excitement. That's fifty gold for the chief and five gold each for the rest. Still get a few and that's enough for a man to retire on if he ain't greedy."
Kobolds don't do war the same way as most of the larger humanoids. They're not about to mobilize an army and start marching upon the strongholds of Emeraldvale. They do start setting up a myriad of defenses, both within their warren and in the paths and trails leading toward it.
The bonds of friendship between the Sootscales and the Emeraldvaleans do appear to be sundered. But the kobolds are still reticent to sally forth from what they expect to be their most secure home.
The locals growing rice and other crops around the soggy environs give very good directions toward the old Boggard fens deep within the Hooktongue Slough. After a few days of slogging through the mire, the pair manage to find the remains of a village deep within the swamp.
The structures are mostly made of wood and mud, and even though they don't look abandoned for that long, the swamp is quickly reclaiming the huts and longhouses.
I'm trying to be as fair as possible, but at the same time, you wandered into a fey-infested area with 0 ranks in Knowledge (nature) and tried to strike a bargain/disrupt their society without knowing anything about it. The fey are capricious, but I tend to run them as adhering to a strange set of rules that seem chaotic and nonsensical to mortals. Just look at historical folklore -- lots of people get screwed over by the fairie folk.
Though, I think there's a fairly big clue you might have missed -- phonetically, the name "Co'pair-huron" sounds very close to "Copperhorn". It might not necessarily be a bad thing that you're bound to this satyr for a little while.
Ah ok, if there is a plot option to investigate then I'm happy to go with it. I just thought there was a time crunch/deadline since we went 'rogue' to get the First Blade Quest. Kinda why thinks have been a little more reckless of late. Also, forgive my uneducated self, whats the Copperhorn reference? I'm just drawing a major blank ooc.
Jon stalks around the abandoned village. "You think they've already been wiped out?"
Forgiveness was not her strong suit but Eris was not exactly stupid. She wasn’t going to make trouble, and besides, she wondered if she could use this position to her advantage. Maxwell for instance, seemed to stop by, according to the Queen, and that was always useful information. Besides, the fact that the satyr couldn’t stoke his lust was sure to drive him crazy, and Eris considered that revenge enough, for now.
Quietly pleased with herself she glances up to the Queen and gives a deferential nod.”I hear and submit to terms.”
Kage looked around the abandoned settlement with distaste. Turning to Jon he replied, "Most of them perhaps, but I bet there's a few that came back. Of course what I'd really like to know is whose bright idea was it to settle this godforsaken place. "
He then slipped into the shadows and circled around, looking for any recent tracks other than their own.
Alenaya, pleases with the way things were going, decided it would be best to not push her luck. With the trust between the kobolds and the Emeraldvale people broken, she knew eventually things would escalate if their own accord. She makes her way back to the meeting place.
The pair of Mantises together pooling their expertise are able to find a small trail among the fens, leading deeper into the swamp. It's a path of relatively solid ground that is flanked on both sides by deep, scummy water and tall reedy plants. The insect population is so vast that it makes the air almost appear cloudy, the swarms are so thick.
After some slow travel to avoid slipping on the slick and soft ground, while also trying to stay as hidden as possible, they come to a much smaller village of the same mud and reed huts. A few humanoids that have very froglike appearances go about their regular business, weaving baskets, sharpening spears, and preparing meals. After several minutes of observation, there appears to be around twenty boggards and twice as many young.
The satyr nods as well, clearly not happy with the fae lady's pronouncement. He bows, takes his leave, and has Eris follow him. He leads her deep into this sylvan wood, eventually coming upon a pleasant, secluded area of moss-covered stones and soft ferns providing plenty of privacy.
"Now, my servant," he says as he pulls out his pan flute, "I wish to see you dance. If you do well, perhaps I'll even join you. If you want to shorten your period of bondage, you'll have to prove yourself eager and willing." He gives her a sly smile, then begins to play a tune.
As you leave the area of kobolds, you have to make a circuitous route because of their preparations for war. This puts you near Stagsfall as you have to go south and west before you can make your way to the road going north back to Olegton. As you go this route, you observe a high-fenced paddock surrounding a rather large copse of forest. The reinforced fence has several signs in Taldane, Skald, and Draconic warning against trespassing, by order of the Council.
Eris smiles politely at the Satyr. "I believe that the assigned tasks were to do your work and chores, not fulfill your fantasies. I can choose to indulge your passions, to reduce my time here, but I don't think that I will. Still, I don't mind giving a dance, although, I did it for someone much more charming not that long ago"
Eris gives a twirl before nodding to herself thoughtfully. "Most interesting to hear of An Maxwell in this forest, its indeed a very small world. Why, I recently had the pleasure of his company several days ago, and he made no mention of this place at all. Still, I cherished the time I had with him, although it was a little short" Eris frowns a little, as if disappointed "He did have a lot of company with him for much of that week if I recall correctly, so I didn't get to spend as much time with him as I would have liked."
Ducking behind a tree, Kage grinns at Jon and whispers "Quite a few and with young, they'll fight to the death. Lets watch and ambush some when they wander off on an errand?" Kage's reasoning was simple, they wanted an unfair fight. One that would allow them the luxury of letting a Boglin escape to tell the story they had concocted. It seemed likely the Boglin's would need to travel to forage and those would be the ones they hit.
While they decide what to do, Kage will circle around the settlement at least a quarter mile away hoping to spot any tracks.
"Hmmmm... Alenaya muses to herself as she studies the sign, curious as to what lies beyond the paddock and within the forest...
Eris suddenly finds the satyr to be delightfully charming, and her dance becomes more earnest as she hopes to find favor with her new master.
Copperhorn slows his tune, allowing her to dance more sensuously for a while as she speaks of Maxwell. The fey being listens intently to her, then ends his song for a moment. "You know of him? What a mortal! I hope you can intrigue me as he does. It is a game we play, to see who can better resist the other, though we are both drawn. Do you feel it yourself? Do you want to resist me? Or could you hold out until the Maxwell returns to me to tempt me once again?"
Finding tracks is difficult in this soggy land because the imprints fill up so quickly, but before long Kage is able to find a pair of boggards spearing fish a distance away from the camp.
Neither seem to spot Kage's approach.
The sign gives no clues, though the nation's capitol is quite close to this paddock.
Huh. Whatever it is must be important...
She then takes a vial of Alchemist’s Fire and heaves it over the paddock into the forest. She then drinks down an extract that turns her into a gaseous cloud and then flies up and over to the smoke to blend in with it and see who shows up and exactly what is inside this paddock.
The fire created from the chemical spreads through the grasses between the tall fence and the tree line, but eventually sputters out before spreading to an out-of-control conflagration.
Alenaya drifts over, unseen, and floats along with the plume of smoke to get a bird's eye view of the paddock. It appears to be a cordoned-off section of forest, though much of the surrounding woods outside the fence line had been cleared away two or more years ago, given the amount of new growth taking purchase in the soil.
There's very little of note in this fenced-in area that catches her eye as she drifts with the wind until she hits the right angle and then she sees it: a patch of ground stained dark with old, dried blood.
Eris shrugs casually, before giving the satyr an almost evil look. "I think I could resist you fairly easily. You forget, I can read your thoughts, I know your darkest desires just as I know Maxwell's. All your hidden preferences, all the things that excite you, I know them all."
Eris smirks a little vindictively. "Since the Queen forbade you to request that I satisfy your lust, and I'm here for one month, that means that for one month, all you will be thinking about is me, and yet I'll be completely unobtainable. I'm betting that its going to drive you crazy."
"Maybe you should accept defeat and just contact Maxwell to ask him to help you manage the next month. I'm sure he would be vaguely amused by the whole thing, assuming he hasn't moved on with someone else since you last saw him. I'm not stupid satyr, I know enchantment magic when I feel it, even when I'm under its spell, so if you are resorting to it this early after barely an hour of service then I think resistance, shouldn't be a problem."
Copperhorn gives Eris a smirk back. "I am merely ensuring that your service to me is enjoyable. What sort of master would I be if my servant is unhappy?"
He puts his flute away, sighing. "If you are not interested in frolicking, then it is time for work. I would like the water from this pond to be brought to this other pool." He points to the corresponding bodies of water, which are about eighty feet apart from each other.
Eris thought hard at the task. No water container available meant that the task was supposed to be frustrating and time consuming. It meant her friend was trying to encourage her to give in.
Happily, Eris walks over and begins to use her hands to lift water from one area to an other. It was impossible to complete but Eris continued to do so. As she works, she asks Copperhorn a question. ”I’m not sure my attire is appropriate for this task master” she questions, using her magical items to change into a variety of outfits that she knew would stoke the satyr’s interests.