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Varrus will also pay for a week, and will throw in a little extra. He knows that running a business is difficult, and the haggling was the most tiresome part of his parents' shop.
Finding a diamond in the rough, a work of art that was undervalued? That was exciting. Like discovering treasure.
But then trying to squeeze the owner for every last copper? Demeaning.
So he is generous when he can be.
"A little extra for your exceptional service, Talia. My apologies for... for any misunderstandings that may have occurred."
Talia shakes her head with Varrus's generous tip, though accepts it, not wanting any further scenes to be made.
---
After you settle your affairs at the Wise Piper Inn, the party heads back the northwest along the quarry road. The cleanup job yesterday, aided by Rill, was swift and thorough, and the remains of the tower look like they have been sitting there as a cleaned up ruin for ages, with little sign of the disaster unless you know where to look.
The quarry road leads uphill into a sea of foothills. The road is not as well traveled as the other roads in the region and are potholed, but not difficult to travel on foot.
The road curves around the summit of a hill, and then you get a splendid view of the wide "pond" that is the flooded quarry, with the fetid greenery of the vast swamp known as the Dragonfen beyond. The road splits, heading toward the swamp and down toward the quarry. The latter is where you need to go. You can see rough lime cliffs carved into the hillside heading downward, split by stubborn greenery growing here and there in the cracks. You spot a likely area at the edge of the pond that could be where the entrance to a cave or lair might be.
How do you approach?
Hegio shifts unconfortably as Talia lectures goes on, but the town's history catches his interest. My country is littered with stories like these, like a crumbling empire... but his thoughts stop short of continuing his melodramatic narrative of his nation.
---
The travel to the flooded quarry isn't as long as he feared and Hegio is thankful for these small mercies. He felt a little silly he found the view breathtaking and decided not to share. He turns to the group "Are we taking the stealthy approach?"
A strangely beautiful body of water, yet not likely to have any fish residing within, alas, Rill muses to herself as the quarry comes into view, her time as a fisher giving her an eye for such things.
"We can try to be stealthy. But the clanging of mine armor is likely to hinder any attempt I make, unfortunately," Rill states, gesturing to her scale mail.
Rill's assessment that fish would not likely naturally show up in what was originally highly alkaline water is probably correct. However, it has sat filled enough that some aquatic flora have begun to fill the pond that might make the water more livable for some creatures. If a knowledgeable fisher knew the best kind of fish to stock the lake with...
The road toward the likely lair is lined with vegetation and young trees, which may inform assessments about stealth as well.
"I could potentially move ahead and help with scouting out before the main group arrives?" she offers
... ...
Since we have come for information from the chief, sneaking seems... the wrong approach. Besides if there are guards, they have probably already seen us. If not, it doesn't matter.
Sahvi stands out awkwardly as the mean barkeep addresses her, a deep copper flush rising up the back of her neck. She normally stands out in a much more bold and attractive way. She tries to listen to Claude's simultaneous lecture and history lesson, but it is kind of hard to hear over the ringing of her ears. Her lips are pursed as anger and embarrassment rite within her. Does Claude think she can't pay? Ridiculous. She could just stay in the woods, it's not as if she's suddenly forgot how to survive alone on the Storval Plateau. But she likes Talia, at least as much as one can like a stranger. It was nice not having to pay for the first couple nights, especially after the so-called 'law' essentially robbed her of her caravan pay.
What is the salary of a serving girl to a mighty dragon? Child's play.
Frowning, trying not too move too much, like a rabbit trying to avoid attracting the attention of a falcon, Sahvi fishes in her new pouches for some of the coins from her treasure hoard. Not for the gold coins, but the heavier platinum ones, which are easy enough to find due to their weight.
Sahvi doesn't even like the platinum coins, anyways. They look just like the silver - like clean, metallic light flickering off the surface of a still lake. The copper and gold is much more beautiful, the gold even looks like the copper a bit in the right lighting. More people would like copper better if they weren't stupid. She's asked Hegio to explain why the platinum is supposed to be worth more than the gold, but it doesn't make sense to her. It's the same as the silver! And it's taking up valuable space for more gold. Maybe a small part of her feels bad for Talia and her struggles, especially after she's been so nice, but her decision is totally informed by her opinion that platinum should not be a precious metal, and nothing else. Yes.
She sets three of the coins on the countertop, one atop the other atop the other. Without looking at Talia, she slides them towards the woman and mumbles something about a "lovely inn" and "don't let anyone steal my bangles" without looking at the innkeeper.
Part of her thinks it's a waste. For various reasons. The main one being that it sounds like this place is dead, it died a long time ago, that a few guests for a few weeks isn't going to fix that, and the people here should sell what they can while they still can and search for better hunting grounds. She shrugs internally. She's never had a stationary home, so she probably shouldn't judge those who've only known that kind of life for not being able to let go.
She retreats.
==========
"Stealthy approach from what? What are we hiding from? I don't think the 'bolds will want to talk to us if we sneak up on them." Opening a dialogue with their clients neighbors by using subterfuge probably won't send the message they're looking for.
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Hegio scratches the place where he was hurt. No physical scars but the memories were all too fresh. Regardless, he decided to concede to the group, Rill's argument specially resonating with him.
There would be no problem sneaking if you are not caught, but that is unlikely.
"Sure. Let's try negotiating, then".
Varrus is pretty stealthy, but agrees with Sahvi and Moss-Fingers in this case.
"If we want to negotiate, we should approach openly."
"If you wish, i could stay behind and act as some form of fire support in case the negotiations go awry?" the half Drow girl offers
"Sure. I don't think any reasonable dragon would object to a cute elf standing relatively near."
She was a bit flustered by the sudden compliment, something she wasnt use to
[b]I think Haelin's suggestion is excellent. We know 'something' is up with the kobolds. So it makes perfect sense to have a hidden backup.
"Agreed. Diplomacy should be our primary objective, but there's no telling how the kobolds may react to our presence."
The party agrees to approach openly, but with Haelin following behind stealthily in case anything goes wrong. She can find rocks and vegetation along the path as needed to attempt to do so.
The path, somewhat rugged and overgrown, heads downward, taking you south and then around the pond to its eastern shore. As you approach you can make out two divots in the cliff wall, partly concealed by rocks and boulders, that are likely two cave entrances.
Varrus leads the way, watching carefully for the traps that kobolds are known for.
Hegio keeps his eye peeled but, mostly importantly, asks Feathers for help in case something is farther away. He does not ask Feathers to fly overhead, however, to not call too much attention.
Sahvi's draconic eyes miss nothing!
Haelin finds exactly the right rocks and bushes to duck behind and seems to disappear from view... even those of you who knows she was with you have difficulty knowing where she went.
As you head downward toward the entrance--you are at this point about 80 feet away--Haelin, well aware where other scouts or ambushers might hide, almost instinctively locates where a green-scaled kobold is nearly camoflaged behind a green bush just about 30 feet above you on a narrow ledge. The only reason Haelin noticed him at all is because he nudged the brush when reaching for a signal whistle.
At this moment, Feathers also issues a low cry in Hegio's ear as he receives a mental sense of danger above and he realizes someone is moving above them. Moss-Fingers too, used to being alert for such things in the wilderness, realizes someone is up on the ledge.
The scout is putting the whistle to his mouth...
"Ambush!" Hegio manages to say in his few precious seconds of advantage as he points to the overall directions of the kobold scouts and casts mage armor on himself. Feathers just stays close.
Moss yells in Draconic,
Knowing that the mission was diplomacy, she doesn't shoot, but she does keep herself ready to engage if the kobolds do decide to fight and not talk