Copperhorn smiles appreciatively as Eris cycles through a series of revealing clothing that best helps her in the hopeless task.
Curious, Alenaya drifts around, hiding within the trees, looking for what in the world is going on in this paddock...
After searching for the duration of her gaseous form spell , Alenaya doesn't see much of anything except a few trails and the one bloodied spot. If there was a predator that had killed something that still lurked within the paddock, she does not see it.
Eris continues to work, happy to waste time as she lets her movements become routine, her mind swiftly making preparations and plans.
"We need to be able to speak to them. Let them know that our attack is at the behest of Maxwell and his council. Do they understand Common? Any of the languages we speak?"
Jon and Kage have not heard any recognisable languages. The Boggards seem to be speaking their own dialect, a deep, thrumming sound like bullfrogs croaking.
"One can only hope..." sighed Kage, "Or this might be rather more difficult than imagined." He considered for a moment before suggesting, "Maybe we just have to find out the hard way? Kill one or two and remove some ears while spouting our story. Let one escape, if they don't speak common their elder might..." Kage preferred to have a better plan, and this was was so full of holes you could use it as a colander. Still what else could they do?
Jon shrugs his assent and casts Invisibility before getting into position to sneak attack the one designated to be sacrificed.
includes invisibility.
Well...this is odd...
Just before the spell effect ends, she uses it to fly her up and over the paddock wall back where she came in. She uses magic to change her form to that of a goblin. She then uses another flask of alchemists fire to ignite a large chunk of the wall and lingers just long enough to make sure it takes hold before running off into the fields and then on towards Oleg’s once more.
Should have included an attack with that stealth roll.
Kukri, mw, cold iron: 2 wpn, arcane strike
Sneak Attack: dagger, bleed 2
Kukri, mw, silver: 2 wpn, off hand, arcane strike
Sneak Attack: dagger, bleed 2
They had chosen their ambush site such that Jon-Wyn could attack from behind a large tree. Kage was a little further back, so once Jon-Wyn attacked he had to lightly run fifteen feet to make contact with the same target. Aiming for the Boggard's liver out to be, Kage thrust out with a jaggard blade!
A couple days pass. The first is filled with fruitless labor while the night is passed by frolicking and dancing in a moonlit sylvan glade amongst sprites and pixies and atomies. The next day, exhausted as she is, Eris is given other strsnge tasks. Copperhorn asks for the shiniest stone at the bottom of a pool, the prettiest flower from a meadow, and the most perfect spider web in a dark hollow.
As the night falls on the second day, Copperhorn leads the weary Eris to a delightfully soft patch of moss, where he lays down. He gives her an inviting look.
With the fence to the paddock ignited, the alchemist races back to Olegton. The villagers are busy as usual, but an undercurrent of nervousness is palpable as they go about their daily routines.
The boggard dies quickly under the surprise attack of both Mantises.
The village seems unaware of the death of one of their scouts.
Alenaya, still in one of her disguises, casually moves through Olegton, asking around to try and learn why the people are on edge.
A sandy-haired youth just into adulthood seems inclined to give Alenaya a bit of his time. "You hadn't heard? Kobolds are going nuts. They've stopped mining for us, and have holed themselves up in their caves. Then if that's not bad enough, there's been some attacks on the roads west of here. Whole caravans slaughtered."
Kage busied himself cutting the ears off the scout before saying, "Give me a hand. Let's leave this one where they can find him. We'll probably need to kill a few more, but I don't want to kill too many or they'll be unable to rise up."
Eris ignores Copperhorn completely and sits elsewhere.
[ooc]Yes. One should escape."[/b]
After felling the first one, Jon stands ready, but not aggressively so. He tries to speak to the other. "What is your name?" He'll repeat the question in each language that he knows (Common, Elven, Hallit, Infernal, Tien, Undercommon)
Copperhorn looks disappointed, but ultimately does nothing that evening. The next couple days are similarly spent, with capricious tasks that are designed to frustrate or exhaust the Red Mantis. Each night, the satyr lies down in the softest moss while Eris would be forced to lay on rough terrain if she ignored his invitation to lie with him.
Outside of the anxiety and worry of the townsfolk, nothing else is really going on in the northernmost city of Emeraldvale.
The first boggard they try to interrogate has no special language skills, so their attempts to communicate are quite frustrated.
Thankfully, the second they find does speak Common. "I am called Thum. What do you want?" he asks bravely.
We'll kill the ones that can't speak until we get to one that does.
"We have a message for your leaders. By order of The High Precept, Ruler of all these lands, his highness, Maxwell Arnesson. You are to leave these lands and never return or suffer death."
"Can you remember that? Maxwell Arnesson sent us to run you out."
Kage sizes their captive before Leering evilly as he adds, "Maxwell placed a bounty on boglin ears. The news has spread far and wide, many hunters will come!"
The boggard blinks in confusion, because the froglike creature does not have external ears. But he nods and scrambles away to pass along the message.
At the crossroads near the Wyvernsfang Bridge, three of the four Mantis meet as appointed. Only Eris is not present, two weeks after going their separate ways for their missions.
Jon reports "We have done what we could with the bullywogs and the tiger lords are willing, if not as able as hoped. Though we did, perhaps gain a convert for the Mantis God."
Kage added a little color, "The Tiger Lords will is largely broken, they will attack the odd caravan but little more. When spreading rumors we shall have to exaggerate their numbers and intentions significantly."
He then looks around and frowns, "I suppose I should address the elephant in the room. Where is Eris? It's not like her to be late..."
”Well, I got the kobolds revved up pretty good. Think we should go check on Eris?”
A crow swoops in from a nearby fence and shifts into a black-clad woman. Mother Hagcrow folds her arms and arches an eyebrow.
"I have my daughters causing their own share of mayhem amidst the smaller communities. So, you've lost one of your number? Was she the one going to rile up the fey?"
”Yup. We were just debating going to give her some backup,” Alenaya says from her perch on the side of the bridge.
"The fey are fickle and capricious. I hope she knew what she was doing," the witch comments.
"We will investigate why our sister is missing before deciding how best to advance the plan from here."
Mother Hagcrow frowns. "Wasn't she headed in the direction of Tatzlford? That's to the south of us."
Kage frowned, "If she's still negotiating with the fae there's no telling where she might be. Perhaps we need to use magical means to find out where she's gone." Grimacing slightly Kage admits, "I uh have a lock of her hair which might serve as the focus for a scrying spell. She doesn't know I took it, but it shouldn't be too much of a surprise. I was taught at length to be be prepared for anything."
The witch shakes her head. "That could work, but only if you knew of the whereabouts of an ornate silver mirror that I could use. Although, if you would wait for me to fetch Sister Harpy, I believe she'd be able to make a sending to your wayward teammate."
Not forgetting himself, Jon speaks respectfully to the crone. "I think that would do. Then we could determine our next course of action."
Kage nodded, "Agreed a sending sounds best and will likely save us a lot of time. Her absence is likely due to something mundane and nothing to worry about, if anyone can sweet talk the fae it's her. Her eyes are firmly on the mission for the greater glory of Lord Achackek."
It takes the better part of the day, but eventually the Gyronnan cleric arrives with Mother Hagcrow.
Her attitude is a little testy, and seems anxious to get this over with.
"All right, when I cast this, Eris will receive a twenty-five word message. She'll get to send one back as well. What would you like me to say?"
Kage glanced at his fellow mantis and asked "How about this? 'Aleneya successful, Jon and Kage mostly successful. Time to spread rumors. Please advise current location.' There's room for more if we have things to add."
”Knowing her condition would be helpful too...” Alenaya mumbles.
Kage nods, "Makes sense, Jon anything to add to this? 'Aleneya successful, Jon and Kage mostly successful. Time to spread rumors. Please advise current condition and location.'"
"No. It sounds good to me."
Turning to the Gyronnan, Kage asks, "Would you send that message please?"
A week into her servitude, Eris receives a sending from the Gyronnan cleric Harpy.
"'Aleneya successful, Jon and Kage mostly successful. Time to spread rumors. Please advise current condition and location.'"
Eris responds to the sending relatively quickly.
"Fey made deal with Maxwell. Located Maxwell's Fey lover. Pretending to be his servant. Currently unharmed and at full strength. Locationed at Narlmarches. Please Advise."
Harpy repeats the message to the Mantises.
Mother Hagcrow frowns. "Pretending to be a servant? Doesn't sound very productive. What do you want to do?"
"Fae lover..." repeats Kage somewhat incredulously. With eyebrows raised he glanced at Jon before suggesting, "Seems to me we've found some leverage over Maxwell. I wonder how he'll react if he learns someone has nailed his lover to a tree with cold iron nails and is preparing to sacrifice him."
"This might be Copperhorn. Adharc Copair. Maxwell's 'true love' or at least favorite lover. According to Thrusk, he may stray for a time, but Maxwell always returns to Copperhorn. You think we can do something with that, Mother Hagcrow?"
”We let him come out for a little lovey-dovey, and kill him while he’s alone. I highly doubt he brings company for these trysts, and his prolonged absence may go unnoticed long enough for us to spring other traps. The more we can eliminate while singled out, the better,” Alenaya says as she hops down from her seat on the bridge railing and moves over to the others. ”So...how do we convince Maxwell his lover wants some alone time?”
Kage considers Alenaya and Jon's words and murmurs, "We know Grey makes teleportation scrolls, I wonder if Maxwell can use them. If so I bet he ventures alone far from home under the right circumstances. Perhaps his lover might be induced to share some new delight with him?"
"Once we do this, we need to be ready to move on the others. I suspect they will send at least Thrusk and that overly perceptive Yalla to look into things." Jon pauses to think. "We should see if we can lure him during the full moon. That way some will probably have to stay with Alecia."