Kibrenest smiles a wicked smile... the one where he gets to be the one inflicting suffering upon those who would try to harm those who have seemingly accepted him. He will make them pay for that.
I can help. Will need more twine and lotss of ssharp ztickss or sharp knives, or forkss. I can help make pitss and trips to make it eassier to neutralize them. Or I can move with Rellen, setting pitfallss once we are able to find them. Sslow them down and make them wazte rezourcess, ezpecially food.
Sznek looks at Sorana a bit disappointed that she has not taken his offer of bedding the hero but forgiving her for now.
Where be Goblin Scout? Sznek must see if Mountain goat! Sznek talk nice to Goblin learn much about Goblin army!
Soranna points Sznek towards the center of town, where a small dark green goblin is hung from a tree. He has begun to rot, and the body is due to be taken down. Without a word she takes the roped hobgoblin from Rellen and with little more than a nod to anyone, begins to lead him off towards the dungeons.
The Speaker strokes his beard at Shishka's request, but of course smiles and agrees. A year's taxes on a small shop is little compared to the possibility of losing the entire city. Edgar's question, however, worries him. "Well... our town guard is only 30 fighters, plus Soranna. We could get more recruits together, but we are a peaceful town, we haven't needed a real military for years."
"As for horses, I'd be glad to accomodate, though I'm afraid that they won't be much help where you're going."
"Ack!" The Town Speaker exclaims, "Where are my manners. You've had a trying day, and another one begins too soon. Please, retire to the Inn. I'll send word to Kellin Shadowbanks to have food prepared, and that you aren't to be charged."
Sznek's eyes widen at the sight of the strung up Goblin. He however has no intention to stay at the Inn and instead sneaks away and looks around whether he can find any of city goblins.
Rellen sighs watching the goblin go, and decides that despite the need for speed a nights rest is a sensible idea. He orders whatever roast they have available and eats and drinks trying to avoid the need for painful conversation as much as possible before checking on Arrow in the stables and heading to bed.
"Korvosa w w would be a p owerful ally, if we could convince them of the threat. There must be others."
Forest is bad for horzess. There is thick underbrussh. Trying to take a horze is like trying to thread a tree through a needle. It's not a good idea. We will make better time if we go on foot.
Why am I going again? He thinks to himself.
"There's a w w ways to the forest, and then we sh should try to follow trails anyway, or we'll end up l lost. Cutting our way through the f forest is not practical. if the hobgoblins are there, they'l either be u using roads or h have cut their own path - if there are enough to s surround Skelt. If we f find the horses s slow us we can always leave them," Rellen replies, judging that any trail a man can easily follow a horse can do more swiftly.
"And I can s sc scout ahead with Arrow and find trails from the air. It'll work out, better to h h have them and not need them, than the other way r round."
Rellen gets a good nights rest, and in the morning comes down to brush and tend Arrow before asking Shishka to accompany him so they can sell the hobgoblins gear.
I was wondering though. I am sure there are hunters or trappers that travel the forest, I mean where else would I get those pelt i sometimes sell that were obtained completely laegally not form anyones private land. perhaps we can find a guide to show us the lesser known trails and the best ways to navigate the wood.
Certainly there sshould be ssome trapperss. I would think this would be true in any foresst. Certainly ssomeone can help uss. I am dezent at finding herbss and ssuch, but not sso good at tracking.
Kibrenest turns to Rellen
Horzes are fine in open land. What worriess me iss they make you eazier to ssee. Why would we want to be sseen when we are sscouting to ssave the town? That, and if we do find them, I intend to sset a few trapss for them so they are ssomewhat injured and are sslowed down a ssmall bit.
"We c c can't hide on open ground, and I'm t taking Arrow so its a b bit of a moot point. A h horse is no harder to see than a h hipp hippogriff. And ii if we do have to r ru run better to be on horse back."
Sznek rumages around in the back alleyways of Skelt searching out the local Goblins as a source of information.
Walking through the older and more desolate parts of Skelt, Sznek comes across a goblin with bluish grey skin. She is small for a goblin, and looks both young and somewhat malnourished. Although the goblins do not recognise each other, her reaction is purely fear, and while she clearly wants to run away, she also seems rooted to the spot.
Edgar makes his way to the library, attached to the small church. He pounds on the door, and waits for what feels like forever. Eventually, it creaks open, and a small hunched over man with a long white beard awaits. [b]"Good evening to you, sir. What brings you to my door at such an hour? I don't think I've seen anyone come this late in years. The last that I recall was little Jim Stone, having a row with some of the older boys, he wanted to hide in here. I had to sit him down and explain to him that the house of Sarenrae is no place for games. Kids, you know. What did you say your name was?"
Taking his leave of the others, Rellen retires to the inn, has a nice meal, saying as little as possible to the Halfling innkeeper. Kellen has the look of someone who had spent his life adventuring and is one of the few to have reached an age of retirement from it. He wears a waistcoat and looks proper and decently well-off. While he's curious about Rellen's story, he also respects the man's desire for privacy, and merely observes him from afar. When Rellen has finished his meal, he stammers a thank you, and heads to his room to rest.
Kibrenest starts surveying the perimeter of the town, trying to discern what direction the hobgoblins might come from, and which areas they were likely to cross over, and where the best place would be to lay traps. He finds it unlikely that they'll come south, from the areas of Brindol and Canorate, since there has been no word of trouble there, which leaves the Mindspin Mountains to the West, where the last group was seen coming from, the Fangwood to the East, where there may be a scouting party, and the North, which leads across the Skull Gorge Bridge. Trade still occurred between Skelt and Korvosa to the West, and Skelt and Urgir to the North. Traps on either roads would run the risk of wounding civilian merchants.
Going back to her shop to contemplate the idea of a guide, a few names ran through Shishka's mind. Magar Harvir would have certainly been her first choice, but he was away in the Thornewastes on his own adventure. She opened the door to the shop, wondering who else she could trust. Her brother had started to unpack and organise some of the trinkets and gadgets that she had come back from Brindol with, but was now hunched over the desk, looking at the map she had come back with.
Sznek puts on his meanest face as he eyes the stinky little city goblin. He strides forward in her direction purposefully all buster and begins to insult her in their native tongue as it is custom to treat a subordinate goblin.
You trash collector come here. Mighty warrior Sznek must speak with you. But not too close Sznek not like smell of despicable trash eaters!
After surveying the perimeter of the town, Kibrenest begins thinking of simple, nonlethal traps, except to the east. Something about the east worries him, let alone the fact the forest is to the east.
I'm sure that Shishka will have an idea or three about this. I'll still need plenty of sticks.
After the events of the evening and after taking much more time with the survey than intended, he goes to the inn, appreciates some cold stew remaining in the halfling's stew pot, and retires to bed to sleep late into the morning.
Once awake, and not threatened by everything that moves, he gets out the family cauldron, begins small prayers over his mortar & pestle, grinding the teeth of the hellhounds and placing the "dust" into the cauldron with a few other reagents. When completed, he places small amounts of each into small, very fragile vials, taking care that, as the final ingredients are mixed, they have as little contact with air as possible, sputtering a small curse as he burns his left forefinger on the last one. too hasty... too hasty.. After this is completed, he brews a pair of elixers, enjoying the smells of the wildflowers and even relishing in the dried turtle shell he uses for "infusing" purposes.
Going down to the main floor of the inn, Kibrenest takes whatever bread crumbs and meat remain from serving the rest of the customers, placing three gold and five silver pieces onto the counter. He then leaves the inn in search of the others... which, much to his dismay, includes a goblin that foams at the mouth. Pulling his hat closer to his head in the bright sunlight, Kibrenest begins his 'seeking' at Shishka's store.
Seeing Dingle hunched over studying the map Shishka sneaks up behind him
then grabs him You stole my map! then starts to luagh after seeing the look on his face
did you find anything? I found some hobgoblins and I need a new shirt. and I going to the Fangwood to do some exploring, know of any trappers os such to help as a guide?
Shishka asks as she rummages through her things looking for a new shirt.
A massive, furred creature with horns and powerful claws bounds up, looking to get between the two of you, but with a look and gesture she calms it down. Such a creature is unlike anything you've ever seen, even with the exotic creatures that you saw and battled in Kaer Maga.
The greyblue goblin looks at you, and remarks: "Mighty Warrior Snzek. I am Takesh the Whisper. This is Wildheart, my Enuka companion. What," she pauses, "Can we do for you?"
He talks your ear off with mostly nonsense as he leads you in through the library.
Sznek looks to wildheart and it's mere presence takes a bit of bluster from his stride. Clearly he did not find anticipate the blue skinned one to be more than a feeble city goblin so he has to readjust to the sitauation.
"Ahh you with big army? Is mountain goat tribe with big army?"
When she turns back to speak to Sznek, she's adopted a more broken style of speech, with small words, that he may better understand. "We not from here, don't know Mountain Goat Tribe." Takesh starts.
"But we hear same things. Tribes all joined. We hear that all tribes have one warlord. Worship new god."
"Hmm? Oh, yes." The brother begins as you interrupt his certainly pointless story. "That's... who is that. I could remember them all when I was a boy. We used to have these contests, you see, where we'd challenge each other to give the names of gods based on their symbols. There was Kurgress, and Zyphus... Mestama... One of my schoolmates, Clerval, he always chose Minderhal. Loved the Giants. It's a shame they're all but extinct, he'd have loved to see one. Poor chap died before it could happen."
"Oh, yes, right. That symbol. Why, that's the symbol of Dahak, of course. It's not surprising that you don't recognise it, my boy. He's the dark god of the dragons. When was the last time you saw one of those?" The old man chuckled.
Sznek snorts So you are not part of the new tribe? Not follower of the new god?
The large Enuka next to her let's out a howl, and she looks at him before nodding. "Big trouble coming, and soon. We leave this place. You would be wise to do same."
Wildheart bends down slightly and Takesh leaps up onto his back. She looks down at Sznek and pauses for a second. "Not see many free goblins left in the world. Be brave, Mighty Warrior Sznek. Lots of pain lies between you and your Tribe."
The old man seems to study Edgar for a moment, looking at him with more intensity and clarity than one would have thought the old man capable of. "No good can come of searching out Dahak." he says quietly. At Edgar's prompting, he strokes his beard and tells the story.
"According to legend, Apsu and Tiamat came from the Great Beyond to create the world. Apsu was one of the older gods, a righteous god. He was peaceful, the true God of the Dragons, and Maker of All."
The Brother stroked his long beard. "Apsu and Tiamat, they created new gods for this new world. Dahak was the first. While many other of the deities learned from Apsu, Dahak betrayed his father's teachings. Instead of creating, he chose to destroy." The old man looked at Edgar, could clearly see him as a man of the church. "Dahak made Hell into a place of agony and flame. He created metallic dragons - only to hunt them for fun."
"Seeing all the chaos and destruction that Dahak had wrought, Apsu came to battle him, to end his reign. Tiamat did not want her first son destroyed, and intervened, healing the wounded metallic dragons."
"But, this was a long time ago, if ever. I haven't even heard of a cult of Dahak existing for decades. If... the existence of one brings you searching for him now, I urge you to be careful, my son. Though there are some creatures who worship Dahak because of his power, rarely is his word spread... except by dragons."
Sznek nods to the blue skinned Goblin and with major concern takes his leave to return to the tavern.
Shishka takes the map from Dingle a base for a scouting party huh? and maybe treasure too?
I better tell the others that I met. Dingle you should stay here and mind the store. and with all the adventurers we should get plenty of new business. better see about sticking up on caltrops
Everyone sleeps as well as can be expected of them, given the fear that something terrible is looming over them. The sun barely seems to rise the next morning, trapped behind a dark grey sky.
One of the first to awake, Kibrenest heads over to Shishka's shop to retrieve her. The two then head back over to the Inn in search of breakfast, where they meet up with Rellen, who just finished brushing down Arrow. Inside they find Sznek, impatiently waiting for breakfast and looking ready to maul someone. As they begin to settle down at the table, Edgar bursts through the door looking haggard as anything and carrying a few scrolls and books that look ready to fall from his weary arms.
Ahh! Sznek hungry. Sznek learn of God of Dragons that tribes follow now! Is folish Goblins no dragons. But stinking Kobolds are! You have something to do with this little one?
Sznek enquires of Kibbernest with a mean look and hungry eyes.
Kibrenest raises his brow at the "foolish goblins following the god of the Dragons." Given his own likely descent, he chuckles to himself.
"I believe you are aware of my raze'ss general anzesstry. I have no intention of being lissted among the conzpiratorss here. What you have found will be very uzeful indeed, my angry friend."
Kibrenest orders a meal for the goblin... frightening prospect that that is.