True Dragons of Absalom.
For Eastern Eurasia Venture Officers
You are kobolds of Absalom’s Sewer Dragon tribe. Made strong thanks to an alliance with the Pathfinder Society, your tribe has many enemies seeking to test its newfound might. Chief Yiddlepode, wise chieftain of the Sewer Dragons, knows that her alliance means nothing if the tribe can’t defend its territory. For the past several months, the tribe has sent its best and brightest on scouting missions throughout the region, repelling others from intruding on the Sewer Dragons’ rightful domain.
As the latest group assigned to protect the Sewer Dragons’ interests, you have received orders from Chief Yiddlepode to make contact with an ally of the tribe—a peculiar otyugh by the name of Hats. Constant supplies and the occasional tribute have endeared the otyugh to the Sewer Dragons, and Hats now acts as further muscle for the kobolds as well as an additional set of eyes and ears in the sewers. Hats informed one of the tribe’s gutter runners that he has an important captive for the Sewer Dragons to interrogate.
Your orders are clear: find and interrogate Hats’ captive. Discover what intrusion has taken place within the domain of the Sewer Dragons and deal with it. Above all, don’t risk the tribe’s alliance with the Pathfinder Society.
Testing Hail
Great day, lairmates, as today Varanog, the Mystic Seeker, will accompany you and bring inherited power of great ancestors to help you.
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- Hey, lizards!
- Chief Yiddlepode assigned me, her favored bodygard to lead you into the fray. Any objections? Fine!
Pethjun looked around for missing party members
- Let's wait for rest of the group and move on as fast as possible - we shouldn't disappoint our beloved chief!
Pethjun found an impressive rock (or pile of bricks) and have placed her foot on it, to support her heroic nature with heroic image.
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Silent steps can be heard, when a shadowy figure appears.
- Greetings-s, my dearest friends-s.
A figure looked on everyone from underneath her cloack.
- As you may know i am Skyrahk - heart, eyes and wings of the great Dahak. He wants our tribe to prosper today!
She pauses for a second, and then continues softly.
- I will guide us-s in our fate.
- Should we bring some gifts to the otyugh? What do they like? Don't say 'poo'! I am not carrying a bucket of waste. Nope.
Knowledge(local)
- Hail, you scaly mates! During our exploration I suggest that you all look before you step forward. Ignore this and Fazgyn cut can find your weaker bodypart...
Just trying to be friendly, scaly mates, no offence!
Seems like Athrax not only mad but quite wise. Hatts realy like hats and helms, diadems and other useless for us sht.
Guys from under sun with compasses use hats. Should we ask them for trade, or... maybe I have seen couple of those things somewhere here.
Small and thin kobold looked to the groop from the corner just near the room enter, seems like best escape tunnel. He repaired latchkey with some instrument and his red scales looking mixed with grey-red colour of studded leather.
He then glanced to Skyrahk and added:
- I'll guide us through the sewer.
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- Ss-so our group is: Pethjun, Ssskyrahk, Fazssgyn, AthRax, Var-ranog... Rrr... Where is Engasshhez??
Pethjun started looking for the remaining Kobold, but when Skyrahk told Fazgyn to lead the way - she jumped closer to them and growled:
- Skyrrrahk! Fazgyn can not lead the gr-R-roup! He can only show us-s the way! Let your protector do her job!
After that she returned in her "heroic" position.
When Pehtjun noticed that Engashez have arrived, she tried to summarize the briefing:
- Orrders is clear-r! We need a hat for Hats-s. Rrr... So Fazgyn will be our-r guide on the way to hat. And then - on the way to Hats-s! And I will lead group on that way. So eve-r-ryone is doing their job! Any objections? Fine! Let's-s move on!
After these words, Pethjun straightened her raven-feathered headdress, draw her shield and her rapier, and prepared to walk the front line of the procession.
After moving on, Fazgyn started to mumble:
- Pfffssss. Leading group. I do not need you. I am loner. But we must abide cheif orders, so give me some place to scout, my scaly mates. Follow not right behind, but 5 steps after.
He then dissapeard in sewer tunnels shadows hoping to find some humanoid headwear.
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Pethjun allowed Fazgyn to scout, waited 5 steps and followed him. (Actually she also prepared to break any spells that Skyrahk could cast on her, but it's something that no one can see)
While group heads on to the sewers, she continued:
- Skyr-R-rahk, would you like to be my enemy? I will add fight with you to my todo-list of heroic deeds then. Right now we need to concentrate on mission from our beloved chief!
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Your enemy? This is-s not my right to decide... Let me see...
Skyrahk looked deeply on the iron simbol in her claws.
Ke-ke-ke... The Great One wants-s me to guide you, Pethjun. I won't disobey his orders. Will do. Will follow. Won't harm.
Skyrahk followed Pethjun, while looking on her from beneath her cloack, thinking about something.
- Let's go!, - said Varanog, tired of lairmates, fighting again.
Fazgyn slices shadows trying to finding any hats as well as any useful stuff to craft traps later. During that he also playing hide and Seek even if his scaly mates have no idea about this.
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- Hhhhail all, mahh friends, - a kobold in a suit with a case reached the party. - I am thha last, am I? Engashez the Dragon Speaker, I will represent our great clan on thha mission.
Engashez adjusted a monocle on his right eye.
- Excuse mahh. Believe it or not, I had a letter to send before we took off. It's delicate to have true trueblooded pen pal... - Monocle never sat long, Engashez adjusted it once again. And again after he noded. - But now I am all yours.
Now you finally are complete you can travel to your objective. You arrive at Hats’s lair unchallenged. The otyugh’s hideaway is a partially collapsed vault off one of the sewer’s less-traveled sections. The space is wide and open, but the collapsed eastern wall, along with numerous wooden coat racks placed haphazardly around the chamber, makes it seem cramped. Each of the racks supports a collection of hats of varying sizes, all of which are lathered in varying degrees of dirt and grime.
The Otyugh Hats is a peculiar creature, which is a respectable feat for a member of a sewer-dwelling species. Hats is a hulking mutant with four flailing tentacles—three spiked and one covered in eyes—instead of his species’s standard three.
Hats bombastically greets you as you enter his haphazard abode
"Hello my fellow Sewer Dragons!"
He uses one of his barbed tentacles to display the hat of a naval commodore and another one a pristine white cowl acquired from a prophet of Kalistrade.
Looking at the naval commodore's hat he says:
"No, Tricorn Willy, I don't know these ones yet, I will ask their names for you!"
He directs his eyed tentacle in your direction:
"Clansmen, could you introduce yourself to my friends Tricorn Willy and Lady Lace"
"Hello Pethjun! Great to meet you!"
Hats gently pats the white scaled warrioress with his one free tentacle.
Just before kobolds enter the Hats lair, Varanog conjures a floating disk and travel the rest of the way on top of it. When they enter a lair, he greets otyugh:
"Great day, mighty ally! I am Varanog. I am one, who keeps a legacy of ancestor's magic in my blood. Softscales sometimes call me Mystic Seeker. I am honored to meet tribe's best ally in person"
"Ohhhh!" Hats says in amazement.
He moves his eyed tentacle under and above Varanog and his floating disk trying to spot how this trick works.
"Magic!"
"White is Pethjun, Orange is Varanog" Hats whispers (loudly) to his left tentacle.
Fazgyn is stil playing hide and Seek and no one won that round yet. He not trying to avoid hazzardous terrain, but use those as obstacles and hide opportunities.
Now Fazgyn also checking vault for some useful items and places to make a couple of traps. He is ignoring Hats request for introducing. Dragon Speaker arrived - thats his job. And leader is not him...
Hats looks at the Kalistrade cowl. "I don't know why the red one doesn't speak, I think he might be shy!"
Hats wraps his empty tentacle around Fazgyn and pushes him towards his left tentacle.
"Don't worry, she doesn't bite, she is very curious though!"
- Willy, Lady Lace, I greet you. My name iss Athrax, the Brilliant Bomber.
Athrax nods to the hats and turns to Hats.- And my greeting to you, Master Hats.
Hats nods back with his eyed and behatted tentacles.
"We're happy to meet you!"
"Green is Athax, Orange is Varanog, White is..."
Hats looks a bit puzzled, looks like he is trying to remember something.
"Pethjun! Yes, yes, we knew that!"
He looks at Fazgyn, Skyrahk and Engashez.
"And your names are...?"
- Lady Lace got incredible scent and Fazgyns respect as well. And stil has no Fazgins cut. I am curious how long will that have happened. Well, Fazgyn is my name, and we a very curious about your kindness.
Fazgyn strayed from other otyugh tentacles as much as he could, but didn't try to escape this one.
"Red is Fazgyn."
Lady Lace makes a little curfew and Willy Triconn gives a solid nod.
Hats looks to Skyrahk and Engashez. He seems a bit annoyed by their lack of manners.
- Aeh! His name is Engashez and he is a bit odd, don't mind his lack of manners - Varanog couldn't understand his friend thoughts lost somewhere and he is not speaking to an ally.
"Black is Skyrahk. Blue is Engashez"
Hats looks at Engashez' hat.
"That's a really nice hat! Can I have it?"
Varanog negatively shook his head:
- Unless you'd like to get some scalescurf. Better we bring you new one from the above, - he didn't wanted to part with his own silver crown, - Actually, we are here on a business. Should we start discussing already, how could our small group help Hats the Mighty and his friends: Lady Lace and Tricorn Willy?
- How could I ever part with Sir Trilby, mighty Hats. We are BFFs, I
think you can understand that.
Engashez respectively to the otygh.
Hats look a bit disappointed.
"Well, we could temporary trade! Lady Lace is all for open relationships! Think about it while we discuss business"
"So... Why are you here?" Hats asks
- Its all about allegiance to our cheif Yiddlepode. Everyone at the sewer are to protect te territory of inhabita. Some tunnels brings thу cuts. Some protected my respective allys as you.
But we need to know more. Much more to know for bring it to our chief. We know you got a prisoner here. Or a guest. Or someone who may talk to us. Is it inruder? May I demand to see the captive?
It was obvious that Fazgyn became shy after this speech. He tryed to escape tentacle and stay off the otyugh.
"Oh! Yeah! Forgot about him!"
Hats directs you to the back of his chamber, which features a spacious, 15-foot-deep pit. A ragged-looking human vagrant mutters to himself as he paces below, an obvious limp slowing him down. A half-dozen hats rest in the dirt at the base of the pit.