Tana smiles as she notices the weather improving. She surveys the landscape ahead. She sees the heather, the small boulders, the buildings and the people. But her mood changes as she notices the giant vulture atop the granite tower.
It's not a good omen, or sign to see an animal that feeds on the dead and dying. She becomes more alert and asks the others openly,
Have any of you met blue humanoids like those people in that village? Do you think that they are friendly? More importantly, do any of you think that vulture atop a tower of granite is a sign of welcoming strangers? Or do you perhaps think these folks and their "guard vulture" might be trouble for us?
Tana awaits an answer...
This is
Pitching his voice low, it emerges as a deep rumble, as of distant thunder: "What do you think? Is this the village we seek?"
Frowning: "These tiny creatures - they cannot possibly be the xvart?!"
Looking out and trying to find defenses and if the small blue ones carry arms. And trying to decide if the valture is guarding the village or keeping the little blue ones in check.
"I don't know, never met a Xvart before. But they do look like blue goblins."
|
Antonio watches the vulture, but can't tell if the Xvart settled there for protection offered by the giant carrion bird or if the creature moved to pick off the blue folk. Neither seem perturbed by the presence of the other.
Jar thinks back to some off-hand comments made by his giant friends - legends of their evil fomorian cousins who enslaved tiny races: "Ah yes - Ha! I remember now - these 'xvarts' used to be like gnomes. The evil giants enslaved and changed them by magics in the Shadowdark. Later, they bargained with hags and escaped to the Shadowfell - they are now a twisted and evil race...."
"Let's go show them the blessing of a true god of giants, eh?! Stronmaus will help us scurry these creatures back to their warrens."
Zar takes in the sight of the village. "I wasn't expecting the stone to be that large but I suppose if I was going to hide something under it, the bigger the better. Between all those creatures and the giant vulture, I think it may be wise to try diplomacy first."
He tries to recall anything similar in his studies but nothing comes to mind.
Zar listens to the information the dragonvorn provides.
"Evil you say. That might make diplomacy more difficult but I still think we should try. I don't know that we are in condition to fight such a large group and possibly a giant vulture all at once right now."
Shaldinari watches the creatures in the village but has little to add to Jarprax's knowledge.
"Hmmmm....a bunch of corrupted gnomes, you say." She says rubbing her chin in thought. "Means they can probably see in the dark as well, so no real advantage in waiting until night."
She nods toward Zar. "The wizard may be right. A little diplomacy might be best." A feral grin crosses her face and her eyes dance with a violet light. "Unless we want to try and draw them to us."
"A few fey lights to look like lanterns in the night. Some shouts of lost and weary travelers. That will probably bring several of the little fiends to a place of our choosing." She says. "We set a few snares, find a good ambush site. Thin them out a little before we have to deal with their big feathered friend or god or whatever they think it is."
"And coming back with a few heads of their warriors will make them more likely to give in to our demands at the bargaining table." She adds with a final shrug and wave of her hand toward Zar.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Jarprax, who has been strapping on his shield and only half-paying attention, looks up: "Huh? What's that now - an ambush?" Looking down at his bulk, his chainmail, his face clouds over: "I'm not really the sneaky type - I am the thunder that comes before the storm - I AM TH.." Realizing that he's raising his voice through this tirade, Jarprax makes an effort to calm down, and returns to adjusting his armour: "I'll follow your lead, but I vote for charge in and smash."
Tana listens to the others especially Shaldinari and Jarprax.
Tana turns to Shaldinari and asks her,
Sounds like you have a good plan. What would you like me to do?
Tana awaits Shaldinari's reply.
"I do not have a problem with the ambush, but what we need is information on the village, not just blood. So we need to keep one alive." Still looking down at the village. "And the last question would be, what happens if we attack these Xvart's and they are not evil? I do not see anyone being whipped or beaten, nor do I see any animals being harmed or mistreated. I figure that is something you might find in an evil village." Turing to look at the party "There is no honor in spilling innocent blood."
Tana thinks over what Antonio said about determining alignment and needing information. It would be wrong to slaughter innocents.
Tana tells the others, Everyone take cover and hide while I stroll innocently towards the village. I will ask them if I can rest in their village. If they allow me, I will first ask them about where we're headed, directions so forth. If they are friendly and peaceful, I will attempt to shake hands with them.
If they are unfriendly, I will walk in a circle and back to the group. And if they are aggressive, I believe you'll figure it out. What do you think?
"Sounds good Tana, but don't get your self swarmed. It may take sometime for us to get to you." turning to Blacklock "How close do you need to be to hit anything with that bow? Could you sneak down with her to provide cover from a distance if something goes really wrong?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Shaldinari accepts the others desire to learn more. "Corrupted gnomes living next to an evil artifact and worshipping a giant vulture. I have little doubt they've plenty of blood on their hands." She says. "But do what you will. Is there a next of kin you wish me to contact?" She adds in a wry only semi joking manner.
"Tana has a good heart, but I believe I have a better suggestion. Many of you are ... I don't want to say sneaky but... well, you're sneaky. At least compared to myself and Antonio." Bouncing lightly on his toes, causing his chainmail to jingle slightly.
"This is my suggestion. By the blessings of Stronmaus, I can create a mist to rise up and hide our approach. I can walk, unhidden, into the village, with Antonio not far behind - the mist will hide the him from view, the noise of my approach will mask any noise he makes. You others can sneak ahead into position in case there's trouble."
Jiro sits and patiently listens to their planning. He really didn't like the idea of charging in against that many. Luring them out sounded good, but he worried who they would offer for bait, after all, little kobolds are good for dangling in front of evil creatures.
But what he feared the most, however, was the d-word. Diplomacy. As the conversation drifted to Tana walking alone into the village, Jiro really wanted to just wish her luck and stay behind the the big people with big weapons, and then Jarprax offered himself up to approach. That d-word just kept sitting out there.
Jiro's shoulders slumped.
" *sigh* If anyone is going to talk to them, I probably should. Technically, I am a diplomat. I'm supposed to go talk to different people. Besides, people tend to not feel very threatened by a tiny little kobold. As a little guy in a world of bigger things, it's pretty easy to feel threatened by something two or three times as big as you no matter how they enter."
Jiro glanced over the village again, assessing the situation, trying to think of his kobold ambush training... and realizing he always talked his way out of ambush duty so he could take a nice nap instead.
"Be prepared for this to go very bad, very quickly. And if others want to go with me, I'm fine with that. But we need to be as nonthreatening as possible. Otherwise, they look like the type to attack first and *gulp* probably just eat us later and never bother with the questions."
The kobold then looked around the village and the xvarts to see if he could notice any decorations that could be religious symbols hanging around or on any of the xvarts. Then he tries to study the people themselves to determine if they looked like normal gnome intelligence, or if their minds might have degenerated as well.
Zar listens to the plan forming. "As long as I'm close enough, I can try to put some to sleep if they become aggressive."
"So be it." She sighs heavily and then starts looking for a spot near the village that will provide a bit of cover.
"I have done enough guard duty in my time that I will walk with the kobold. Not sure how they would take it if they only see those with scales. looking at the party "If anything goes wrong we meet back at the first camp site, ok?"
Tana flows Shaldinari and helps to find both of them some cover near the village.
Tana looks around and gasps in Abyssal, Gott im Himmel!!!
She touches Shaldinari's shoulder and points and says in common,
Look I actually found some cover!!!
Tana awaits Shaldinari's response...
Tana also quietly says to Shaldinari, When we defeat these turkeys, we should celebrate with a large feast! And if it turns out quite rewarding, maybe should make that celebratory feast an annual event. As a way of honoring ourselves and being thankful for what we are about to receive from this battle!!!
;)
Nodding at the scraggly bushes and small rock outcrop pointed out by Tana, Shaldinari smiles at the monk. "That should work fine. Enough of a barrier to keep us hidden from casual eyes, and close enough to provide a little support if our diplomats get themselves ambushed."
Upon hearing the monk speak of feasts and the glory of battle, she clears her throat softly. "Let's not speak too soon of victories, feasts, and great rewards." She says, trying to be kind, but not really comfortable doing so. "There isn't much here but filth and hovels. Not much more than a goblin's camp judging from what I can see. And while I've no doubt we will prevail, we may not all emerge unscathed."
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
|
|
--
Jiro scans the crowd of blue creatures, but he cannot glean any holy symbols. The little kobold does, however, spot one that seems to be a leader, or maybe some kind of holy/unholy man. The xvart moves around, and waves an offering to the giant vulture. The beast drops down to gobble it up, then returns to its perch to resume its vigil...
Jiro, Jarpax, and Antonio approach the village. As they come into view, they are spotted by one of the blue creatures, who shrieks and goes running off toward a hut!
A few moments later, the fog bank rolls in from the little bit of cover that Tana found, keeping the hidden within 50 or 60 feet from their three diplomatic members.
EDIT:
Shaldinari's eyes narrow slightly as the little creature disappears into one of the huts. "Not exactly the reaction of someone who welcomes strangers with open arms." She says as an eldritch glow starting to form around her hands and swirl in the depths of her eyes.
"Best be ready to bail out those three." She adds to those waiting beside her outside of the village.
"Well they are not swarming us, may be we should hold and call out to them, explaining that we mean no harm.?"
Says Antonio who is taken back by the behavior. But keep an eye on the over sized bird.
Jarprax moves to stand 10' to the side of the other two, while keeping a sharp eye on the hut the xvart entered.
Jarprax rumbles out a quiet(ish) laugh: "Hah! The little ones are afraid of us - tell them to come back, Jiro. We only want to talk."
Tana tries to observe what is happening both with the villagers, and with what the Vulture is doing.
Tana, noting how intently the vulture is staring at Jarprax Jiro, and Antonio prepares her darts. If the vulture flies towards her fellow Adventurers, she will open fire on the bird of prey.
Tana tells Shaldinari, Blacklock (if he is in ear shot), and whom ever else is near her,
That vulture is staring intently at Jiro, Jarprax and Antonio! Can anyone discreetly message or somehow warn them of the danger above?
Tana pauses...then says,
Better yet, can anyone eliminate enemy air superiority?
|
|
The medicine man looking Xvart emerges from the hut and babbles at Jiro, Jarpax, and Antonio in some heathen tongue and points his walking stick at the three of you!
Almost in response, the giant condor spreads its wings wide, casting a shadow over the three diplomats and the blue creatures start streaming out of their huts, bearing their little curved blades at you!
Initiative Order
Tana -> Blacklock / Xvarts -> Zar -> Jarpax -> Jiro / Shaldinari -> Antonio -> Giant Vulture
Cautiously walking with stealth towards the edge of the cloud, closest to where Antonio, Jiro and Jarprax are, but still remaining in the cloud, Tana readies her darts. She keeps an eye on the vulture being ready to throw her dart if the vulture flies down towards the three diplomats.
Also, the range to hit the Vulture will likely be over 20 feet away. So the attack roll is with disadvantage. If the hit is successful, just use the one damage roll.
"That's what I was afraid of. Does anyone understand what he said?" Zar says nervously as he begins casting sleep to try to take out as many of them as possible.
"Oh do cease with all that gibberish." Shaldinari says sending a blast of eldritch power streaking toward the jabbering medicine man.
"Well, that went about how my diplomacy normally goes." Jiro turns to the other two "diplomats" and considers for a moment, then says, "Antonio, you are awesome. The best. You got this. Please don't let that bird eat me!"
Tana hearing Zar ask if anyone understands their language puts her darts away. She then raises her hands in the air and emerges from the fog to address the villagers in abyssal,
Bitte nicht schießen! Wir wollen Ihnen keinen Schaden zufügen! Wir müssen nur mit Ihnen sprechen.
is
Sighing and looking down at Jiro "Well, I guess you can at least say we tried not to spill their blood."
Antonio steps in front of Jiro drawing his sword. Just as he start to raise his sword and shield Tana steps out of the fog speaking the same language.
lowering his sword arm but keeping his shield in place if the blue creatures still try and attack.
"That would have been nice if we knew that she could talk to them."
Antonio swings his long sword to protect his companions
|
|
Tana calls out to the medicine man who stares at her with his red eyes and retorts,
He raises his walking stick and calls out to something or someone named Raxivort, or something like that and three bolts of flame burst forth just as an arrow sprouts from his chest!
Blacklock's arrow seems to have done its work as it disrupts the little Xvart's aim!
The mob of Xvarts swarms over the three diplomats attempting to overwhelm them, shoving them to the ground so that they can stab at them mercilessly!
Group 1 v. Jiro (make a Str (Athletics) or Dex (Acrobatics) DC 15)
Group 2 v. Antonio (make a Str (Athletics) or Dex (Acrobatics) DC 16)
Group 3 v. Jarpax (make a Str (Athletics) or Dex (Acrobatics) DC 15)
If you fail, you are knocked prone.
Zar casts forth his magical slumber and one of the Xvarts on Jiro grows sleepy and falls over, snoring loudly...
Shaldinari's eldritch force punches a hole through the chest of the little caster and sends his body flying through the air, landing hard on his head with a sickening thud! The little creature lies still, clearly dead.
Jiro inspires Antonio and...
Antonio fights to his feet, but is off-balance and unable to land a blow on one of the wicked little creatures!
[ooc]Okay, I get on the plane in a few hours, so if Jarpax and Jiro post their actions before I leave, we should be able to finish at least this combat up pretty quickly...
Initiative Order
Tana -> Blacklock / Xvarts -> Zar -> Jarpax -> Jiro / Shaldinari -> Antonio -> Giant Vulture