"Hah! That's a good one!" Flung replies to Sees-Death's demand.
"You've got an interesting sense of humor. First you make googly-eyes at the frog and now you want one of my weapons?" Flung asks incredulously. "I don't think so! Maybe Smoog can whip up some sort of contraption for you." he mutters and turns to leave while shaking his head.
Approaching Thunk, Flung sits down next to him, chewing on some juicy hell hound morsels. Offering a bite to Thunk he says "Can you believe the nerve of her? Asking me for one of my weapons?"
She not know kill folk like us not give up poke stick or thump stick. May we should show her use poke stick?
Sees sputters for a moment, for the first time unable to put two words together.
The moment passes.
"What did you think I meant by invalid?" Sees takes a patient breath and assumes the simple undertown dialect she had strategically assigned Smoog. "It means I've got to act all gammy and sick, like you said oh my brother. A truely good plan it is too if we've both got it knocking about in our noggins."
Then it hits her. "Oh my brother, I've always said you were a card." Internally, Sees holds her breath. She was never one for puns, but any sacrifice was worth tying another loop in her web.
Sees sputters for a moment, for the first time unable to put two words together.
The moment passes.
"What did you think I meant by invalid?" Sees takes a patient breath and assumes the simple undertown dialect she had strategically assigned Smoog. "It means I've got to act all gammy and sick, like you said oh my brother. A truely good plan it is too if we've both got it knocking about in our noggins."
Then it hits her. "Oh my brother, I've always said you were a card." Internally, Sees holds her breath. She was never one for puns, but any sacrifice was worth tying another loop in her web.
"You can use my fancy walking stick IF you agree that I can have your skull and bind your spirit once you're dead? Fair trade huh?" Grick proposes to Sees...
"Arcshaman Toebiter, when I have passed, you are certainly given my permission to bind my skull. You should have known that if you wanted a little head from me, all you need do is ask." Sees winks.
Go get big worm room! Thunk shouts, immensely pleased with his humor
Smoog blinks at Sees a little disappointed she had ended his game so early by using the linking word but at least she had taken a turn.
-
My brothers never played my word games with me. They hated it. 'Smoog, shut up with the wordy crap already' they would say. How can they just dig in silence?
-
His word games and rhyming had kept his sharp mind busy during the long tunnel digs.
Mining had come easy to him.
The slope calculations and radius-ed intersection diagrams were not as hard as his father had made them seem.
So to fill the time, Smoog invented games, and songs and harder ways of doing things just to keep from dying of boredom.
-
"Are you balanced up there O.K.? Don't spend too much time in there. And if you get into trouble, sound your horn or something so we know to come get you out."
Smoog like rhyme? Thunk best rhyme!
Pulling the tent tarp tight around her neck and leaning some of her weight on the cane, Sees begins to guide Hegh up the hill. "I have the very blood guard of Gourlaug to protect me, but I shall surely sound the call as soon as I believe this farce to have borne its last fruit. Fssst has not seen a good bonfire in too long and I would not have him wait much longer."
Fssst stands quietly away from the group, observing their banter.
"I feel I shall be in the company of one soon enough, Talespinner. This gaudy shack will not survive the eruption. Nor will it's inhabitants." he says, scanning the building for exits other than the front door. "At least, not after we seal the entrance and set it aflame."
Fssst looks back to his allies, "After we have taken what information and supplies we require, though, of course."
Fssst stands quietly away from the group, observing their banter.
"I feel I shall be in the company of one soon enough, Talespinner. This gaudy shack will not survive the eruption. Nor will it's inhabitants." he says, scanning the building for exits other than the front door. "At least, not after we seal the entrance and set it aflame."
Fssst looks back to his allies, "After we have taken what information and supplies we require, though, of course."
"Dissolving them all in acid would be a better tribute to the mighty, wise and magnificent Gorlaug but fire will be an acceptable substitute. We really should find a supply of acid though."
Fssst's power is impressive. If he falls in battle, I will bind his spirit and use his fire to set the world alight.
Pork grunts to himself as he watches the others banter
Maybe if I'm lucky this place will have some food...
After a fair bit of fnagling and cursing under his breath, Smoog is miraculously able to rig up a seating contraption that fits over Hegh's shoulders, by cannabalizing parts and materials from the Hellhound's collar and the birdcage. (Very clever, Smoog). Spend 1 charge as you have to add some of your own materials to keep it all together and relatively comfortable.
So perched, Sees-Death and Hegh make their way to the flophouses, huddled around the oasis. If Sees was merely riding on Hegh's shoulders, their wobbling would have been obvious, but all that gives away their true selves now is a faint whirring coming from the auto-stabilizers that Smoog added.
As you approach, the sun is setting in the soot-stained sky - you judge it to be about 7 PM. There are lights on in the windows of 5 of the 6 buildings surrounding the Oasis - only the one on the far side of the drinking pool is darkened. The main building, Felix's house, also doubles as his "reception office", and primary tavern hall for those who are staying in the other buildings to come and eat. Despite the imminent threat of volcanic eruption - the ground is rumbling every 10 minutes very fiercely - here's raucous singing and bright lights coming from the main building as you approach it.
Shieldbearer whimpers nervously as he clings tightly to Hegh's body, constantly needing to scramble to stay out of the way of his feet.
Fssst begins gathering dry brush and grasses from the surrounding land, stealthily stashing them against the outer walls and under the windows of the various buildings of the Oasis. He then begins to look for materials that might block or barricade the doors. Finally, he begins to inscribe some runes onto a scrap of cloth using charcoal, in the hopes that he can collect the screams to be used later.
Nobody instructed the Shieldbearer to stay behind and he's too stupid to really understand the nuances of what you're trying to do. He mainly just follows Hegh everywhere he goes, poor little bugger.
Smoog scans the outbuildings for a shop, barn or toolshed of some sort.
During the wait for Sees and Hegh he intends to slip in and 'borrow' any tools or mechanical supplies he finds.
-
"Guys, guys, I will be right back.
Just have to pick up a few things at the Four-Finger Bazaar.
Thunk, can I borrow your green gloves?
I will swap you this Villian-Compass until I return them?
-
He will also look for apples :)
you get Thunk Apple?
Assuming Smoog says yes thunk gives his gloves
Whispered to Shieldbearer: Take to the shadows, Shieldbearer. Do not make a sound unless I draw my blade. Do not come inside.
Sees guides Hegh toward the front office. She pauses at the door a moment, catching her breath and making a note of any recognizable tongues she can hear from outside. Finally, she pushes open the door and props it open with her cane, heaving herself forward in a gesture of exhaustion, and clutching the cane in both hands. Swallowing to moisten her mouth, she addresses the boisterous crowd within in human-accented Undercommon. "Praise Twinkletoes and the band of righteous adventurers, I am free of that accursed pit!" She fishes a gold coin from her purse and flips it to a server nearby, "A drink for myself and anyone who will sit and share praise for the warriors of light!" With a haggard smile, she scans the room looking for a suitable table.
[who] here is useful or valuable to me? Whose eyes brightened at mention of Twinkletoes?
Pork finds himself uncomfortable in the confines of so much civilization. He decides to take a less noticable form..
He takes wing, settling down on a nearby tree to observe his surroundings
Hegh listens closely to Sees' words, following her every nonverbal command.
Sitting should prove interesting ...
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Grick doesn't go inside, instead he sits and watches what Fssst is doing with interest and swaps stories with the spirits in his skull collection...of course their side of the conversation is mostly limited to yelling "avenge me!" or "kill them all" so after a while Grick sort of tunes them out.
Flung finds a spot nearby where he can watch both the flophouse and the main road without easily being seen and watches and waits.
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A Short Treatise on Individual Kobold Nomenclature
or
How Smoog Got His Name
A majority of Kobold families have adopted the modern era convention for naming offspring.
That is to say that they modify or combine the mothers/grandmothers name with
the fathers/grandfathers name in some way to perpetuate a theme through the family.
Larger families may have to go out to Aunts and Uncles but with creativity and persistence unique names are always readily available.
---
Some Kobolds choose to adopt new names as they grow to reflect their advancement through occupations.
Guilds and CrafterUnions also use tools, materials or techniques as name s eeds.
---
Smoog suspects Thunk and Flung use warrior ethos names.
Pork on the other hand; well he does kinda look like a pig.
---
Still others have new names thrust upon them through traumatic events in their lives like Smoog’s uncle Bugbelcher and most recently, SeesDeath.
This is also why Smoog sometimes thinks that Hegh should be addressed as BortaEss but it is not his place to name.
Only the individual can claim the new name or an elder of the clan can bestow it.
---
I wonder who the Elder of our clan is now that everyone else is dead.
Probably Fssst, he seems oldest and is quite experienced and wise.
Grick might have a claim to Elder by virtue of his SpiritGuide connections.
Sees wants to be Elder but she is no older than I am.
---
Although these are the more common ways names are given, there is another naming way that has almost been lost to time.
Smoog has chosen to honor his mother's death by keeping his birth name derived from this most ancient of dragon naming rituals.
In keeping with the idea that dragons are eternal (or at least very long lived), dragon names are likewise a symbol of that eternity.
Usually quite long and elaborate, the names are scribed onto the eggshell while the unhatched baby still resides within the egg.
The mothers use delicate filigree to form the name into a continuous loop.
---
As such, ancient dragon names are all but unpronounceable due to the fact that they have no true beginning or end.
To speak a dragon’s true name would be an infinite endeavor.
Since that would be impractical, the ancient dragon ritual has one more component to decide on the spoken name for the dragon.
When the hatchling emerges from the eggshell, whichever shard remains in its mouth becomes the young dragons common and speakable name.
---
Smoog’s full and real name is...
***quar-li-magnon-froahillsromgoromire-darma-lessimoth-brass-mooglim ore-lan-zaymyne-granth-jjarrralll-ophalim-sannwanna-bey-hedger-boll engar-nithrohg-alleruo-morhundra-valla-klingor-bishbash-radathor-fe ll-pendormull-wheenagarahull-shanthrasher-***
((*** denotes where the name was joined on the eggshell))
The shard was small and held five letters; SMOOG.
When Sees-Death, in her human disguise, bursts through the door and praises the heroes that just slew Gorlaug, there's a raucous cheer in response that greets her. You see a huge, hulking brute of a man, the owner of this oasis, Felix, stand up and approach you with a warm smile on his hideous face.
"By the Gods, we've been drinking to that for what feels like days, and we'll be cheering them for years to come, I'll wager!" his voice is like boulders crashing over each other as they roll down a rocky hill. "Here," he says, offering you an enormous arm, "Let me get you to a seat. You look like you can barely stand! It's a hard road out there, but you've made it to the Flophouses, congratulations."
The half-ogre guides you to a booth on the far side of the room from the entrance and sits you down with care, setting your cane aside. All around you is an eclectic crowd - greenskins, dwarves, humans, a drow - but no kobolds. Your eyes sweep the bar, and you see something that sickens your heart. One of Gorlaug's mighty horns, by the looks of it something that came from his decapitated head, has been mounted above the bar. A trophy, donated by the triumphant adventurers on their way back to Bastion, no doubt.
You focus your attention on the task at hand. Nearly everyone looked up at your proclamation, but their cheers weren't universal. You see an elf at the bar, drinking alone, who scoffed when you praised Twinkletoes. He wears long, expensive-looking traveling robes covered in dust from the Wastes. Also, you make note of a rowdy group of dwarves at the booth just behind yours. They're loudly debating among themselves - slurring slightly - about whether the volcano that's been going off will have valuable minerals in it to plunder. "I knew the great Barbarian Lord Krondor myself!" one of the braggart dwarves shouts loudly, gesturing with his pint. "Gods, he was a fighter! Blades interwoven on the ends of his mighty beard, and it's said he slew a brace of kobolds every morning before brushing his teeth! He told me that there were veins of unknown glory running through that whole mountain! Were it not for the eruption after Gorlaug's death, it'd all still be down there, out of reach. But now that the erupting's all but finished, I say we head out there and see what we can find! The adventurers took everything they could carry, but there's got to be more out there."
"You'd have a better shot just following them to Bastion and joining their army," another dwarf retorts. "I bet they drink wine instead of water in that army, with the wealth of two dragons' hoards behind it."
"Pah!" the first dwarf retorts. "Lord Krondor won't have anything to do with that Paladin's 'army' business. His beef was with Gorlaug! Now that's done, he'll be taking that necromancer buddy of his and heading south. He told me!"
"You're full of shit, Droger," a third dwarf chimes in.
Pork, you successfully shapeshift into a Sparrow. Your moves are to Elude Attack and...that's about it. You can go unnoticed and you can fly, but your form offers few advantages beyond that.
The sparrow, adorned with strange, tiny tusks on either side of its beak, flies down to the main flophouse and perches on a tree nearby to one of the windows. You can see Hegh and Sees in their human disguise, being assisted by Felix, but you can't hear anything from inside over the general roar of noise through the open windows.
Thunk devours the apples and redons his gloves when Smoog returns
He approaches Flung.
This could be a good time to develop a fighting chemistry, if I learn his style and he mine...we could be deadly. very deadly.
Thunk think Fling has good sting. Thunk think Fling and Thunk should play, but no real thump. Then when time to real thump we thump good!
He hefts his club.
"Thank you, child, these old tortured bones are twisted and sickly, but they're still carrying me to salvation." Once seated at the booth, Sees can stand on the seat and maintain her disguise. She hides some High Draconic instructions behind a hacking cough, "Move if you dare; Caution; I have window." When the server brings her drink, she takes a fair gulp to wet her rapidly drying mouth and settle her nerves.
As the other patrons rattle off details, Sees wishes she had a good pen and parchment. This kind of information she expected to get after a long, protracted inquiry, but if the monkeys are going to prattle on, she would let them. Maybe she could get something else out of the exchange as well. "A young darling in the pits suggested the town was gathering priests to ward the castle proper. I'd say if that were true, then the mountain's wrath has only just begun. We'll be lucky if the floes don't bury the castle in six feet of solid rock, not to mention the lost harvest... Yes~ I'd say we have a hard winter before us, but at least that dragon's gone. The adventurers are leaving someone behind to help rebuild, right? They're not just gathering together all the able menfolk to leave us behind, surely." Sees takes a long sip of ale and watches for the onset of doubt. She takes particular care to catch the elf's eye.
Sees was the top half of the human disguise, you were the bottom half. Now that you're "seated," Sees can stand on the booth and look like a human sitting down to a casual observer. That frees you up to try to do some espionage of your own, if you dare move from beneath the disguise's cover. It'd be dangerous, but you can attempt it. Otherwise you have the option to stay with Sees in cover until she is ready to "get up" and leave.
Hegh takes a quick glance at his bright white scales, and decides to stay put.
Thunk devours the apples and redons his gloves when Smoog returns
He approaches Flung.
This could be a good time to develop a fighting chemistry, if I learn his style and he mine...we could be deadly. very deadly.
Thunk think Fling has good sting. Thunk think Fling and Thunk should play, but no real thump. Then when time to real thump we thump good!
He hefts his club.
Flung glances at the flophouse for outward signs that Sees' ruse has been discovered. Observing that nothing is amiss, Flung shrugs his shoulders "Sure. But let's go back in the woods a bit, so that we don't create a spectacle of ourselves."
Thunk grins and when out of the way he attacks.
H and S, but since I am not actually hitting you not using my d8 method.
Thunk moves like Thunder and quickly freezes with his club an inch away from Flung's head.
Smoog returns from gathering random mechanical tools and supplies from the isolated work shed. He managed to find a few proper tools to start his tinkering kit with, a broken clock, some half-spent candles and a work-bag to carry it all in. He also found a jug of lamp fuel!
-
"Fssst, I think this might help accelerate the conflagration you intend to leave our 'hosts' as a parting gift." Smoog hands the jug of lamp oil over to Fssst.
-
Returning the gloves he borrowed from Thunk he also delivers the promised apples, (having already tucked one away for himself of course)
-
"I am nearly convinced that these gloves help deaden the auditory emanations of the wearer in close proximity to their activity. A little more testing might be in order to figure it out more completely. Thanks."
-
Then Smoog will assit Fssst with the 'building bonfire' preparations.
"Ahhh, many thanks. This is perfect for our needs. But you mistake intent. The gift is not for them. It is for us. You wish your tools reworked. The flames of their corpses shall rework them." The older kobold seems more energized than you have seen him since the fall of Gorlaug.
"You have told me the names of these tools you require. I shall also need description. What do they look like? What do they do? Stay close when I am working the metal so you can correct any errors I make."
Sees is astonished and dumbfounded by Hegh's restraint and foresight. If she didn't think she knew better, she'd think he had made a sound and sane judgement.
-
"I am nearly convinced that these gloves help deaden the auditory emanations of the wearer in close proximity to their activity. A little more testing might be in order to figure it out more completely. Thanks."
-
Want Thunk thump Smoog and see if make sound? Great thought! If Thunk thump Smoog and no one hear does is make sound?
"Thunk, I am NOT a tree! But I think you have a good idea in there after all. Yes, hit something, not me please, and we will confirm that no noise is made. Let's head out into the treeline just in case it does make some noise."
"Ahhh, many thanks. This is perfect for our needs. But you mistake intent. The gift is not for them. It is for us. You wish your tools reworked. The flames of their corpses shall rework them." The older kobold seems more energized than you have seen him since the fall of Gorlaug.
"You have told me the names of these tools you require. I shall also need description. What do they look like? What do they do? Stay close when I am working the metal so you can correct any errors I make."
"Fssst, I have pictures and diagrams in this book we can use as reference when the time comes.
Are you sure we will not have to deal with any fleeing victims from the fires? Or will we be 'remaking' after all are for sure dead?
Sees is astonished and dumbfounded by Hegh's restraint and foresight. If she didn't think she knew better, she'd think he had made a sound and sane judgement.
Hegh is a bit of a fan of his current surroundings.
On the way to the sparring match, Thunk whacks his club against all manner of things
Thunk grins and when out of the way he attacks.
2d6+2 H and S, but since I am not actually hitting you not using my d8 method.
Thunk moves like Thunder and quickly freezes with his club an inch away from Flung's head.
Flung quickly sides-steps the blow while using his spear to deflect the club away from his noggin. Then he dances backwards to give himself some operating room.
With the longer reach of his spear, Flung is able to keep some distance between himself and Thunk's club. After a series of feints and minor jabs, Flung brings the spear around to knock Thunk's feet out from under him.
"Fssst, I have pictures and diagrams in this book we can use as reference when the time comes.
Are you sure we will not have to deal with any fleeing victims from the fires? Or will we be 'remaking' after all are for sure dead?
"After all have perished from the flame. It does not do, to utilize a sacrifice before it has actually been committed. One can get into a great deal of trouble acting on such assumptions."
Con.
Thunk steps up, directly into the attack, actually taking a hit with the blunt end of the spear.
Though as is often the case he does find himself a bit too close to swing his own weapon but he strikes out with the base of it.
Oh Flung thump Thunk!
He says as the butt of his club moves toward Flung's gut.
Sees gives Hegh's neck a gentle squeeze. She wonders if the others will mind if she and Hegh disappear for a few hours once the fire gets started... Glancing out the window, she checks the moon phase.
Thunk: while wearing the gloves, your club makes no noise whenever you thump anything.
The moon is obscured, Sees. It's impossible to tell, where you are.
Sees' observation about the eruptions not being quite done yet is met by guffaws. "You sound like those fools over at the End of the World party in Flophouse 4!" he points. Following his gesture, you look out one of the Flophouse windows and see another Flophouse with what looks like party lights going up, through the grimy window. Pork, you can see that there's flashing lights coming from some of the windows at one of the bungalows, as well.
Even the kobolds sparring with each other can hear, on the rising breeze, the sounds of pumping bass coming from one of the bungalows on the far side of the oasis. The party sounds like it's getting fired up, over there.
"Look, lass, ye're a human, and we're dwarves. Ok?" the dwarf is clearly enjoying the sound of his own, slightly slurred, voice. "We know a thing or two more about mountains 'n volcanos 'n eruptions than you do. Those bat-shit crazy priests in Bastion are just paranoid. That first eruption a few days ago let off enough pressure that the mountain's just spitting smoke now. She will be for a few weeks. Best get used to overcast weather until it all blows over, eh boys?" the dwarves slap each others' shoulders and laugh uproariously. Despite the dwarves' apparent unconcern, Felix looks worried as he buses some of the other tables. You notice the stranger in the robes at the bar scoff at the dwarves' words, also.
Pork, curious at the bright noises and flashing lights, flutters over to the windowsil where the rukus is coming from and looks inside