Isis Hex's page

So, what are the Kobolds doing?

Mercy and Kiptera

Mercy and Kiptera

Isis continues to watch from the wagons.

Isis talks with Kiptera and Mercy.

Isis does as Kiptera requests. She follows Mercy hopping off of Haggard's wagon and going to the third wagon. She does her best to get the wagon turned around facing the opposite way.

Isis speaks in hushed tones.

Yeah, that is just getting sick.

Especially when I compare it to a few weeks back with a character that I have in RL Pathfinder campaign. The character was using a Glaive to do Whirlwind.

Over two rounds of swinging at targets he rolled five 1s in eight rolls. The only two shots that rolled a successful hit were on shadows that both made their incorporeal rolls to be missed.

Nothing like having your Cavalier be the laughing stock of the table for weeks after that incident.

I'm sorry, I just generally write the way that I do when I'm novel-ling.

When doing PbP it is different from live where people can see expressions and hand gestures. I also like to convey more of the overall story.

I mean, it is bad enough if you want to do a 'strong silent' type at the game table in live but in PbP it is a good way for people to start to wonder if you abandoned the game.

My aim to just make an enjoyable read for people by adding in bits of colour and events that go on with the character (like visiting her mother or how her mother has shaped her thinking). If it gives you information on Isis, I'm pretty okay with that because I figure that people that have lived in the town will know much of her life or will pick up stuff in the stores and bars as part of the everyday gossip.

When I want something to be truly secret, I put it in a spoiler addressed to the GM.

Mercy nods along as Isis speaks, smiling that she thought to help her along without being prompted. "Good, good... Besides constantly worrying that a bear is standing just outside of my vision, I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. How about you? A little different than the outskirts of town, I'd bet... oh, and not to be rude, but let me know if I should be running over there," Mercy says, and gestures with her thumb in a direction that would lead her parallel and away from combat entirely.

Isis looks at where Mercy is pointing and figures she means towards Simon and the others.

She doesn't want to embarrass Mercy; so, she reaches over with her two hands to grasp Mercy's hand move it more towards the centre of the group where the Kobolds are located.

'A little more this way.' whispers Mercy working hard to choke back a giggle.

Isis Hex wrote:

Isis watches Simon, Vendictos, and Brev go forward and thinks, 'Now this is where things get interesting.'

Mercy sits on the wagon with Isis, her guisarme across her lap. It still doesn't feel right, but she's learned to deal with how she feels about kobolds since the last time they'd came. She glances to Isis when she hears about the kobolds, and gives her a half-hearted smile.

"So, we shouldn't expect much action then. Should be good for us."

'I don't suppose it would be bad to say that I hope so. I mean, I know you're a warrior person Mercy and you're like trained for this. But me, I uh, feel real nervous in this sort of thing. You know, with kobolds and such running around.'

'Oh, sorry, for second there, I forgot you can't see very well. There's no kobolds near us. It's still Simon and the others walking over to where the kobolds are waiting in the field. Everything is fine. Everything is fine now. Ah, how are you?'

It's just like in paintball. You go over and over several times what you're going to do and how you're going to act as a team but when that horn blows, it's fifty people running in fifty directions ;>

Isis watches Simon, Vendictos, and Brev go forward and thinks, 'Now this is where things get interesting.'

Isis will inform Kiptera and Mercy of what Skitter has told her of the kobolds being roughly the same number as before. She further mentions that they appear to be mostly sitting around and talking to themselves instead of looking like they are planning an ambush.

Isis figures Kiptera and Mercy will know what best to do with the information.

Isis will be in the back of Haggard's wagon using some boxes for cover. She keeps the message spell up with Kiptera and she is ready to cast sleep (her long distance spell) if needed.

Isis will settle down in the back of one of the other wagons they brought, likely the wagon Mercy borrowed from Haggard.

Isis figures that's as close as she needs to be to any action. Her mother taught her that; 'A witch that strays to close to the fire, ends up as goblin stew.'

Of course, when Isis had first heard that bit of wisdom it was in relation to her sticking bits of straw taken from the end of a broom into the fire. Isis had also asked her mother when told that bit of wisdom what was the recipe for goblin stew and if it was written down in one of her mother's many books.

Her mother wasn't too impressed that Isis had failed to grasp the meaning of the lesson she was trying to give her daughter.

Isis had a brief image of Simon in big black cauldron surrounded by Kobolds before shaking her head to focus on what was going on.

Isis whispers to Skitter and sends him forward to scout out the clearing.

Stealth Skitter pg131 Pathfinder Bestiary Familiar Lizard 1d20 + 14 ⇒ (17) + 14 = 31

Perception Skitter Low Light Vision 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (17) + 1 = 18

Skitter move 20' and climb 20' so he can move most places that needs to go to see things.

Swap for the day, Daze instead of Mending. Will keep the other two level 0 of Stabilize and Message.

Isis will set up her message link again with Kiptera and hang back with the wagons as long as they remain withing 100' of Kiptera.

Isis then makes a couple more motions, <via Whisper> 'I've got the link set up again. Ah, do you need a whistle or chalk? Cuz, I have those too.'

Isis takes Kiptera's offer to ride on the wagon next to Mercy. Even at this time of year, it can get awful cold riding in the early morning. Having someone to sit next to and talk to makes for a pleasant day.

'uh, Miss Stiresong, um, I was thinking, that um, I could send Skitter. That's my pet, here. Say, hi Skitter. Anyways, I, um, know generally what Skitter knows in a sort of sense, bonded way.'

'Well, um, he's not fast or anything, but he is pretty tiny which makes it hard for most people to notice him. So, I was thinking, I could send him on ahead and he could, ah, let us know, well, me really, if it was okay to go ahead.'

Isis follows along behind the wagon Kiptera is driving.

Sher reviews the spells she has prepared in case things don't go as planned.

'It's a sunny day when these go as you plan but it ain't worth getting wet because you forgot your umbrella.' Isis smiled a bit to herself as she remembered another of her mother's lessons taught at the tip of wooden spoon.

Skitter tucks into Isis's hairline keeping warm against her neck.

Prepared list is Sleep and Charm Person

'I haven't seen much sign of them then Caelin here, Miss Stiresong.' said Isis looking up from the crochet work.

'I have found, though, when heading out of town, that is. Well, once you start, next thing you know you have one, then two, then a half dozen dogs following along with you out to the hills.'

Isis gripped the yarn in a bit of a death grip at the attention of Kiptera and Caelin.

'I'm not meaning to calling people dogs, or nothing. It's just, um, I mean, if we start out, I'm sure the others will just join in as we move along. I mean, no one, wants to be left behind in the village, do they?'

Isis double checks her bags on her mule and heads to the centre of town ready to ride out. She then sits down and pulls out some wool and a crochet needle.

She didn't really know why she was crocheting. It wasn't something that she was particularly good at or that she enjoyed doing.

Then, Isis realized, she was crocheting because her mother crocheted. She was doing it because her mother would be doing it.

Isis prided herself on being different and yet with all the choices things she might be doing, she was doing exactly what her mother would be doing.

Isis could use some fish from Bev to smoke for trail rations.

Before setting out on any multi-week journey to the Dwarf clan holdings, I would hope that we come back to Tanner's Crossing which is only a couple of days away.

Isis quietly whistled a happy tune as she worked at the baking. In-between batches of baking, she also took time to review her spell pouch and healing kit to make sure they were filled with the things she might need.

She also made sure to add some more chalk and a dog whistle (made from a bit carved wood and reed). She wanted to be ready in case Kiptera called for these things on this trip.

Looking forward to it and I understand RL matters.

My RL Pathfinder game that I'm a player is on Saturday night. Our GM is doing a campaign based around the Elenium Series by David Eddings. He set up some basic character classes for the group that were needed and had us do a random draw for the various classes. I was one of the last to get a pick; so, I was part of the mandatory 4 Cavaliers that the DM insisted upon for the group (we have a big group of 8 to 9 players).

My RL Pathfinder game that I GM is on Sunday. That is a kwel game as two of the players are fairly new to table top roleplaying and their previous experiences had been poor. Another player has played a fair amount with the Saturday group but hasn't really had anyone give her the time to properly explain how the rules work and what is going on. She's much happier in a smaller group where she can get the time to ask questions and get help as needed. The last two are very experienced and help with the other three; so, I can focus more on the story.

Isis will return home to her mother and report on the events of the meeting.

Isis will then see if she can beg her way out of chores to get ready for the group to be leaving. She'll spend time gathering up any dried berries, nuts, and grain/flour to bake up travel cakes for the group as a form of trail rations.

She'll also send one of her sisters to Bev and request any fish that he might have recently caught to be taken back for smoking and preserving for the journey.

When Kiptera stops by, she smiles happily at the words spoken.

I'm all for Isis getting a chance to use her magics. I may want her to become a wicked witch of the west but I can't do that without some life affirming experiences. hehe.

'Ah, Miss Stiresong, how are we gonna get the bodies back? I know that Venedictos will likely ask for them but what if they, I mean the Kobolds, won't give them back. Or worse, that they've, uh, already, um, been put in a stew pot? Do we break in, even if means giving up a chance for peace?'

Isis looked to the councilors and mayor to try and gauge how they were currently viewing the discussion.

Sense Motive (untrained) 1d20 + 2 ⇒ (17) + 2 = 19

'Well, Caelin, if you put it that way then I guess that I would support your first option. I wouldn't want the Kobolds thinking we wouldn't fight here in Tanner's Crossing if we had to protect ourselves but I don't see any reason to go borrowing trouble either.'

'It may mean our town goes through some growing pains with new folks and new ideas being brought to town with the smell of money but more people will also mean we are stronger and more able to take care of ourselves come what may.'

Isis decided it was best to throw in with the people wanting make peace with the Kobolds. Make peace for the present day when the town was only a hundred or so bodies and mostly farmers.

The flood of new people would open new opportunities. It would be a genie bottle that once opened gained its own momentum.

The counsel that thought they were the kings of the world would likely find new people would come along and sweep them away; especially, as the numbers of new comers out numbered the people that grew up in Tanner's Crossing.

In a few years time it would be the humans that were the most numerous people in the area and setting terms with their sheer numbers. The greater the opportunity and the more the people would crush the land surrounding Tanner's.

Kiptera may talk of owning of deer. Deer might not have owners but they knew enough to flee a forest fire and the deal with the Kobolds was going to be a forest fire.

Isis heard Venedictos say,

No matter what deal we could strike with the dwarves; eventually, they are going to want a bigger cut. They have already shown their willingness to just try to take the gold; what's going to stop them for trying to take it from us also?

and shuttered. She didn't no much but she did know that you don't say that Dwarf's word can't be trusted. Especially when you had a dwarf, Kiptera, and some staunch defender of dwarves, Caelin and Mercy, in the room with you.

If Asvora had been in the room, Isis was fairly sure that Venedictos would right now be praying for a new spleen.

It didn't matter if it might be true, you just didn't say it. It was worse then commenting on the wart on woman's face and that was just considered plain rude.

'Uhm, I know this might be getting ahead of things but what would happen when the town got the gold? I mean, sure, whatever gold comes into the town, if'n we were to own it or get paid by the kobolds in ore. How would it be divided? Who'd get what shares and what would happen if new people came to the town and claimed they wanted shares?'

'Sorry, I know that's getting ahead of things but I think it really is an important question that someone needs to be asking and getting answers to cuz there are plenty of people going to be pretty angry and mad on the answer that comes back.'

It was like tossing in the golden apple and asking who's the fairest.

Once Kiptera and Caelin were done with chewing on Venedictos' hide that would leave Simon as the only viable leader of the expedition that people would all respect. Too bad he was too much a puppy, even if he did look so really cute, to handle the councilors.

Isis watches Venedictos start the discussion with the details of the trip.

She's a bit surprised that he mentioned the Kobold gold. Wasn't he suggesting that they keep that part quiet to avoid this sort of muddying of the waters? She even remembers Simon calling for a show of hands on whether that detail should be mentioned.

Oh, well, too late now.

Venedictos heard her thoughts on the councilors and now Kender was like enough to have tripled the price on spades and picks before anyone stepped a toe out of this room.

Even if her mum listened to her it was very like that her father wouldn't make it back before all the sites for twenty miles around had been staked and claimed. Cursed in luck and mining. He'd end up doing back labour for someone else's palace while they sat on the their lump ass and checked each worker's teeth for hidden gold.

Isis enjoys her evening at the Everful but doesn't stay till Haggard has to start tossing people out.

She finds she is very tired after the last several days and craves her bed and a fresh start on the new day and the council meeting.

Isis finishes her report to her mother of all the events that occurred as she knows them and can remember them. She adds that she thinks it might be best to contact her father since he knows more of mining then anyone in their family.

She knows that her mother will scoff at the idea and kick up a fuss but dad lived his whole life for a score like this. If he missed this then he'd never forgive any of them.

Isis only got the words from her mother, [b]'You leave me to worry on what's good for your father. Now, run along, you've got chores in the morning to do before the counsel meeting occurs.'[b]

Isis took her leave and practically ran to the Everful Mug. It was considered unsightly in her mother's eyes for a witch to ever be seen running unless someone was actually hurt and dying. Isis, thus only ran when she was fairly sure that no one was watching her.

When she got to the tavern, she got a bowl of honey covered nuts and a cup of water. She then sat back to hear the villagers press the others with ale and questions on how things had gone. She was sure that at least a few like Caelin would have their lips loosened with enough of Haggard's ale.

Mercy Ülricsdottir wrote:

Isis Hex wrote:

I was thinking from the beginning that Isis would be connected to this bigger group or Coven. It's really built right into the Witches selection of Hexes...

This is fantastic. I'm stealing this for my home game.

I like the concept. It's like you're building the bad guys for us... I can see Hecate coming to town to take over your mother's job already.

Wasn't Hecate a Titan?

...

If you like it then go ahead and use it Mercy with your own campaign. I'm just building a bit on the bones that Jason has provided in the Witch class.

Hecate was the daughter of Perses and Asteria who were Titans. Hecate is associated with magic and one of a group of female deities often praised and worshiped in connection to magic and Witchcraft. Though, like many deities, she has a confusing past and parentage with several different claims. She is also associated with the dark side of the moon and said to have shares of wealth in heaven, earth, and the underworld given to her by Zeus.

The association with magic is why I chose her as an alias that various Elder Coven members might adopt for covering their true identity. Coven members could easily use various other alias and disguises but likely with some sort of magic connection.

------

Further growth on the idea of Witches and some things.

1> Women often spend much time close to the hearth because a chimney is way through shuttered walls to carry a message even into the heart of a castle.

Is that old woman sitting in the corner shucking peas in the kitchen and muttering to herself crazy or talking to someone via the chimney?

2> Many people will open a window to let some fresh air in or to cool a fresh baked pie.

Is it really to do these things or is it to make it easier for someone on the outside to communicate with someone on the inside?

3> The suggestion that evil can not enter into a home without being invited in might just be a rumour to encourage people to leave a window unshuttered instead of making sure everything is closed. People will feel safe in their homes even with an open window knowing that they haven't invited any evil spirits into their home.

Just some thoughts.

I was thinking from the beginning that Isis would be connected to this bigger group or Coven. It's really built right into the Witches selection of Hexes.

I also got to thinking of what impact in a fantasy world a little spell like Message combined with a few of the Hexes like Flight and Disguise would have on how a group could operate.

I realized that Witches could talk to each other without speaking really out loud and they could do it over a fair distance and didn't need line of sight. A level 5 witch could talk to up to 5 people for 50 min with up to 150' between each of them and as long as there is something like an open window or even a small mouse hole then they could keep in contact. Technically, even wood or stone is not a full barrier if it is sufficiently thin enough so people could be on opposite sides of panel of wood and still talk.

I'm sure wizards and sorcerers could do a similar thing but the Witches have this explicit organization called the Coven that they belong to. I thus figured that solo people would be the oddity instead of the norm.

Once I realized that Witches might talk this way together, I began to think on what they might talk on. Being scattered around the various villages of an area, they would probably learn of all sorts of interesting information that they could pass along.

It was at this point that I realized that I really had some form of spy network even if it wasn't formally called that. I also could see that the organization probably had good reason to exist as there is always talk of Witch burnings and such. Given the shadowy existance of the Coven network, it might be a self fullfilling situation. I also figured that the coven structure might incorporate good, neutral, and evil witches. It was a bit of the Krynn system of wizards where they all still respected the overall system despite having different outlooks on how the coven should operate. Frankly, it just makes it more interesting to have both good and bad witches in the same system but willing to work together for the overall coven of witches.

I even thought it might be fun to have a bit of snobbery amongst witches on the nature of familiar choice. Isis's choice of a lizard which is associated with beast spells would be considered likely good or neutral. A witch that had a viper with its selection of attack evocation spells would be considered to be neutral to evil in outlook. It is not as clear as white robes and black robes in Krynn but that's fine with me.

Once, I realized that I had a spy network, I realized it would need some way to protect itself. Again, the Hexes of disguise gave the perfect way to do this. Leadership was hidden by the usage of standard names (probably famous names like Hecate that are associated with witch craft) and using disguise spells. There was also compartmentalization into the coven cells; so, if a ruler had problems with the witches or wizards decided to get rid of the competition, it was that much harder to take down the whole network.

Lastly, I had to then back reason why a network of magical casting beings wouldn't be removed by any ruler when they spotted a witch. I answered that by the role the village witch plays in society. Most work in small rural communities where the big priests and temples are rarer providing healing, help with animal husbandry, and counsel or information on matters outside of the village. The villagers generally want and protect the witches and some ruler in a big castle just doesn't have the man power to go chasing around to every little village to look for the witches and remove them.

This is just my thinking and the DM can do with it as he wishes.

Isis bring the mule Bear back to the stable and makes sure to wash him down and set up a good bag of feed.

She has to fend off the family dogs that are happy to see her after an absence of several days.

Her mother watches her as she performs the task with a critical eye but saying nothing. Her sisters also watch and go to speak to her but her mother's one gesture keeps their tongues in check. They know better than to interrupt at a moment like this.

Isis then takes the saddle bags loaded with things like her bedroll and healing kit and heads into the cottage.

'Would you like some soup?' her mother offers.

Isis was going to say, no, but after several days on the trail, her mother's root soup smelled like heaven. She gobbled down the bowl of soup with a good chunk of bread. By the taste of the bread, she guessed it had been made by one of her sisters because it hadn't had enough time to properly rise the second time and the crust was bit extra brown on the bottom.

Her mom waited patiently while she ate and the cats took turns circling around her ankles. Her sisters, dangled their legs over the edge of the loft, wanting to ask all sorts of questions on what had occurred but knowing they'd have to wait till their mother had given her permission. The calls of 'unfair' would come later.

'So? You wanted to talk?' Her mother had patience but it was not infinite. A village witch was always a busy person.

Isis wiped her face with a napkin and ordered Skitter down on to the table to take his place at her right. Isis' mum noting the change and formal start of a Witch conversation ordered her familiar, a pig named Pietro, to sit at her right.

To an outsider, nothing would have been heard. You would likely think that the pair were in some sort of meditation with their lips barely moving. This was Witch talk. It was the way that Isis had been able to speak to Kiptera over great distances but Witches used it to keep their conversations from prying ears.

Some witches job was to walk disguised through an area and use Witch talk to the various agents in the community. The witch might appear to be just a peddler or a miner or any of a dozen other people that stopped for a meal at a tavern or paused outside of a home at the road side. Often at night, witches would take to the wind and fly across great miles to meeting spots to exchange information.

The power of the coven was not in the magical might it wielded but in the hundreds of threads of knowledge it gathered and exchanged. Most of the knowledge flowed up to the Coven Elders and only a small trickle flowed down to the village witches. It was for the security of the coven that it had always been so. Even the true faces and idenities of the Coven Elders was a mystery. There were always three but they adopted forms and disguises that they exchanged amongst each other chosen from a historical set of names and faces that had been used in the past. The Coven Elders of the county coven were members also of covens that covered larger areas or covens that were dedicated to a particular task.

Networks inside of networks with each built as cells that could not betray the rest. It was how the witches protected their knowledge and their members from the various periods of time when suspicion and anger might turn on a witch or coven.

So, Isis and her mother sat, and Isis told her mother of the events of the past few days.

...

I would propose to let the majority rule there"
Can we have a show of hands ? Those for telling on the right side of me , the others on the left side "

Isis riases her left hand to vote for not revealing the possability of gold with the kobolds for now.

To Isis, he apologizes for his whispered comment to Caelin, and reaffirms that he does not truly think her stupid in any way. He then tries to explain that he had not been judging Mercy earlier, but instead judging the mentality that lesser creatures should just be killed as a simple solution to problems.

Isis feels odd having someone apologize to her, especially someone older. Not sure what to do, she decides to do what her mother seems to do in cases where she's mad and people appologize to her. She keeps a scowl on her face and says nothing but simply nods her head as Venedictos speaks.

After he leaves, she gasps. It is way hard keeping a scowl going for so long and she'd seen her mother do it for hours when she was upset with her father or her sisters. Her mother must have practiced for years to be able to do that for so long.

The group of heroic companions ride back into town having lost no one, ...

Isis realizes, much to her chagrin that her mother is in town and has her typical scowl on her face. She comes up to Isis and where no one but Isis can hear whispers. "You acted foolishly and impulsively... but you did the right thing, for the right reasons. You can stay out tonight, your sisters have taken over your chores while you were gone."

...

Isis hung her head at her mother's first words. The praise in her voice was unexpected. It was like finding that there was a drop of honey in the bottom of your bowl of oatmeal. The reminder of chores and her sisters reminded her that she was going to be paying a hefty bill to her sisters. They were likely going to make sure she paid them back by sticking her with the worse of the chores like mucking out the pig's stie. Though, for tonight, she could stay out late.

It would be sure great to be able to stay at the Mug and hear everyone tell their tales. Maybe someone would get Asvora would tell more of what happened to her people. Then again, she might say nothing till the elders gathered.

That reminded Isis, she did have a duty, even though she was a witch in training, to report to her mother the events that had occured but not here in the middle of the street.

'Uh, sorry on that mum. I'm going to take Bear home first and wash up a bit. Maybe, we could talk for a bit?'

Yippee! 300 posts! Keep up the posts and the fun.

"I believe Venedictos did a wonderful job with the negotiations, but there will be resistance on every side, as Mercy here has just shown, and we need to do our best to calm feelings everywhere. Mercy, you say that kobolds are not people, but how do you define people? Humans? That would eliminate myself, Kiptera, and Denis...

Brev says some high philosophical mumbo jumbo that is lost on Isis. How he could liken people to kobolds and badgers was beyond her comprehension. It was clear to anyone that ever grew up in Tanner's. Calistria herself couldn't twist the truth so badly that you couldn't look in a mirror and recognize what clearly in front of your nose. Brev might think whatever he wanted but as far as the people of Tanner's Crossing would be concerned he'd always be a new comer. True people were born and raised in Tanner's or had shed blood and tears carving a living from earth with their broken nails instead of spending their days fishing and catching butterflies.

"I guess the solution would be to go and buy our picks and shovels before telling the townspeople about why we would need them," he says to Isis. "We shall have to outfit the kobolds with proper equipment if they are going to be doing our mining for us. And Isis, you really shouldn't call yourself a stupid foolish girl, since you aren't, nobody is fooled, and it's really just not a nice thing to say about anybody, including yourself."

'Yes, sir' drawing out the sir in a pouty grimace. Argh, did she just say 'Sir' to Venedictos? Stupid, stupid, but when he spoke like that it was like his mother speaking to her and she instinctivly had to reply. How come she didn't have a bloody backbone in her whole body. Not like Mercy or Kiptera. They got mad and they showed it. They wouldn't buckle down to no one and no way.

... Tell me, Mercy, how does slaughter, blood, and death enrich the world in any way? Zon-Kuthon's laughter is not a merry sound at all."

'You have no right judging Mercy, Venedictos. You, uh, just don't.

Isis sticks out her tongue and rushes up to keep close to Mercy.

Simon listened with attention with what has been said so far and then looks one by one to the ones who stayed silent:

" Isis, Mercy, Denis ,Brevadellar , what are your opinion of the situation ? "

'Oh, uh, umm, I really don't know Simon. I mean, my opinion really doesn't matter. As soon as we get to Tanner's the elders will likely step in.'

Isis could just see the boar fat dripping from their fingers as they spent the night pawing over their imaginary piles of gold and trying to figure out how they could best profit from the situation.

'I mean, Tanya, probably won't recognize the change in things but as soon as she hears of kobolds and gold then you can expect the whole county to know it a minute later.'

That blabber mouth couldn't sing the praises of Venedictos' healing enough. Stupid goose running a shop called the 'Finer Things' in a bush community. Isis would often stare in the window and see dresses with matching hats and wonder who could ever afford a hat for every dress you owned. It was rediculous and impractical. Still, they were some very beautiful hats. And there were even lace gloves.

Not that she had a clue when someone would ever have an opportunity to wear such things when you needed to always be handling horses or never knew when one of the village dogs would use you as a pounce pole in greeting.

'Kender Leftfoot, though knows the weight of a coin. You can be sure that the day that he smells money is the day that everything becomes triple price in town. His store is like Bev's collection with one of everything. You need something odd and Kender will have it but if he knows that there is kobold gold in the hills then you can be sure the price of picks and shovels are going to price of a cottage.'

'I know its not nice to say so of neighbours but everyone in town that's lived here their whole lives knows it.'

'Course, the Mayor knows the most of the town but I'm not too sure on how good his letters are. He'll keep you busy for hours talking on how the town was when it was founded and things like who ran off with who or bagged which deer. I'm sure he'd be plum happy to know that there was gold to be had but I don't for a moment know that he'd really know what to spend it on if you plunked a bag down in front of him.'

'Then there's Haggard and Claire. They've got more sense between them then more than half of Tanner's Crossing. Haggard though will likely resist the idea of any change. He fought in real wars and stuff. All he wants to do is make beer and keep things quiet. He'll likely sign just anything provided it don't interrupt his current life. Claire looks after him as good as any daughter or wife could. If you want some peace deal then you best start with them.'

'Course, Haggard would likely more than want to wash his hands of the whole thing then have Tanner's turn into another mining town. He likes the quiet life and he don't want no rowdy miner's making their own laws up as they see fit. He'd probably sell the whole claim to the dwarves rather than have miner's wrecking his peaceful life.'

'Course, these are just my opinions of them. You can have your own from living here. I'm just stupid foolish girl. What do I know?

...

"My name is Asvora Stoneadder, and I guess I was a bit rude earlier, but you can understand my frustration I hope."

Isis: ** spoiler omitted **

In Dwarven: ** spoiler omitted **

Keep talking on your way back to the village or let me know when you want to kind of fast forward time to get back to town.

Isis listens to Asvora and curses privately.

More brands were now sticking their nose in the fire.

If the Kobolds did have gold then it was sure as Erastil's Aim that the Dwarves would immediately claim the lands of the Kobolds and everything in between. It wouldn't matter whether they'd actually brought any ore from the ground.

The dwarves would use the 'smelled it' defense to say they knew the gold was there because their miner's had smelled the gold in the rock.

Her father had been jipped out of one claim because of that. A group of dwarves had started a mine on the opposite side of a hill from where he was mining and then claimed his mine because 'that was where they'd been heading when they started tunneling.'

While she didn't have anything personally against dwarves and could see that Kiptera was a decent person, she could see why elves had been more than once angered to war with them.

It was said to be easier to separate a cub from a bear than to separate a dwarf from the smell of gold.

It looked like Venedictos was going to walk a narrow line. If he succeeded then he would be the praise of the town. If he failed then he might find his fortunes failing as the newcomer to town that messed things up. That might help Isis' family as it would drive his free benefit's clinic from the area.

...

I just hope we'll be able to address this problem in the treaty beforehand.
That's what I intend to report to the mayor but I would like to hear your take on the situation "

Isis felt like clapping at hearing the words of Simon but stayed her hand for fearing to embarrass herself too much in front of the others.

He was like the hero in a bard's tale giving his speech. Discussing his views of right and wrong and providing the morality in the play.

He was also totally naive if he thought the villagers would see it that way. The idea that the kobolds could be considered to hold the claim to something that they would trade for a few crumbs of cake was ludicrous.

It was like thinking that a baby could really hold title to farm without some guardian to watch over things. It was the responsibility and moral duty of others to hold title to things which the baby could not understand.

Now, maybe the dwarves had held title to the land but their clan was wiped out. They'd lost their claim when they couldn't keep it secure from the forces of nature that beset them. The mine was really, just an abandoned farm now.

Besides, Isis would bet that the dwarves had done what most dwarves do and set up the mine without ever filing a legal land claim. Dwarves continually were cutting holes in the ground and robbing humans of minerals stating that their gods had given them everything under the ground and they didn't need to file any land claims with any kingdom.

The Dwarven proverb of 'The first to mine it is the first to own it,' was more often their way. They didn't care if it was underneath a farmer's field or the King's castle.

Proper laws and society meant as much to most Dwarf clans as the distance they could swing their pick.

Mercy Ülricsdottir wrote:

Isis Hex wrote:

[whispering to Mercy]'I agree. But what can we do. It's in the hands of the elders now. All we can do is follow the lead of people like Venedictos and Simon. I mean, it's not like we can just follow the kobolds back to their mine. You know, just so we know where it is. Kiptera is the only one who could do that and she's taking us back to Tanner's Crossing. I mean it is all trust trust with no verification.'

[whispering back]"If *I* could follow them back... that'd be nice. Would make this a lot easier. Too bad I can barely even see the color of the grass from here." She gives Isis a half-hearted smile. "I trust these people to do what's best with this... I just don't trust all of the others we're inviting into our business. I have a feeling we're making a mistake. Oh well; we're just the blind beat-stick and the herb gatherer. What do we know?"

Talking seems therapeutic and she's losing her focus on her anger.

EDIT: Wish I could respond to Caelin, but Mercy and Isis are probably out of earshot of them by now.

When Denis heard about her obvious dislike she smiled, though he of course could not hear the whisper well enough as he got closer to Mercy and looking up at her. He too decides to whisper to her.

[whisper]"I agree too. I wish we instead killed them and took all the gold. If I had my way I would've driven my rapier into his heart, but this was a peaceful solution and I am no one to lead a group."[/whisper]
Denis continues to walk beside Mercy, hood down as he had already assumed she had seen him cearly before they left and she had approched him with kindness when he had his hood up. So far as he knew nothing had changed.

When Denis moves up to walk by Mercy, Isis drops a few steps back to follow behind. She slouches a bit and keeps her eyes more focused on the ground.

If Mercy glances her way, Isis just makes a quick shake of head but otherwise drifts along.

There would be time later to talk.

Isis Hex wrote:

'Yes, Mercy. Right away Mercy.' says Isis turning to follow Mercy and retrieve the mounts for the ride back to Tanner's Crossing.

As they walk, following Kiptera with the horse and Bear, Mercy sighs, rubs her hand over her face and looks down to Isis. "This is stupid," she says in a voice not meant for others to hear. "This is going to end up biting us all in the rear. And we had to let a pack of little slaughterers go to get our hands on gold. I feel dirty."

Mercy seems to apologize for her rudeness in body language, but not in words. She feels a little bad for cursing at Isis.

[whispering to Mercy]'I agree. But what can we do. It's in the hands of the elders now. All we can do is follow the lead of people like Venedictos and Simon. I mean, it's not like we can just follow the kobolds back to their mine. You know, just so we know where it is. Kiptera is the only one who could do that and she's taking us back to Tanner's Crossing. I mean it is all trust trust with no verification.'

LOL! I'm having fun ^^ it's RP only =) keep going at it ;)

+1

It's all good as long as it is appropriate to the character and the story as far as I'm concerned.

It feels like a good episode of Deadwood in the works!

Mercy is obviously annoyed at what just happened. She agrees completely with the dwarf they had just saved, and is feeling incredibly put-off by allowing the kobolds to live. Hearing the dwarf's story, she identifies with her completely, and now that Caelin has berated her down and called her a liar, feels a lot of helpless rage she can't quite express. She gives Caelin an ice-cold glare and then returns to where Isis is standing.

"Let's go get your damn Bear," she mutters as she passes Isis, and she walks back into the woods for the horses where they had left them where they had first contacted the kobolds (which is ~60 feet back into the woods at most, I would assume). She seems frustrated, kind of walking blind, almost stumbling along the pass as she heads back.

'Yes, Mercy. Right away Mercy.' says Isis turning to follow Mercy and retrieve the mounts for the ride back to Tanner's Crossing.

"Why, I think that is an excellent idea. Meekis, sir, this young lady would like to write up a formal and legal contract for this treaty. I'm uncertain if kobolds have this tradition, but the people of Tanner's Crossing definitely do, and only through exploiting that tradition will we be able to create a binding agreement that the Tanner's Crossing citizens will be forced, by their own laws, to respect. I believe this contract will likely state something like we discovered the presence of this metal beneath the hills and are claiming sole rights to mine it for our own purposes. Any people to whom we do not give permission to be on these lands will be subject to the laws of Tanner's Crossing. You, as the original settlers of the land, will grant us permission to use the land as we see fit, with the stipulation that we will bring no violence against you, and you will continue to live on this land both during the removal of the metal, and afterwards also. This will be in perpetuity, meaning that for as long as Tanner's Crossing exists, no humans would be allowed to come and try to take your land from you. Does that sound like something the kobolds of Meekis' clan would want?"

Part of this little speech is for Meekis' benefit, but part of it is also for Isis' benefit (as well as the others), to suggest what he feels should go in this treaty. Giving the mining rights to the town would only encourage the townspeople to come and try to eradicate the kobolds, after all. Since this is technically unclaimed land, better to claim it for themselves.

Isis does her best to listen to Venedictos' words.

She keeps smiling as Simon says the bit on only chiefs can sign deals. Simon was so cute when he was being so naive. He was like a puppy that was fresh weaned from its mother and expected to be brought back to her shortly.

Well, they had one to two days getting back to the village. Iris wasn't sure which because it was Kiptera's job to figure out what was the best path. That would leave roughly one to two days in the village before they'd have to turn around and come back.

At least Isis might be able to work late after they stopped to camp and start on the rough draft. She was sure that she'd be getting input from just about everyone in the group.

<sigh>

Everyone was a camel committee when it came to these things. It almost wasn't worth doing the draft because it was likely going to be ruled by the council, thanks to Simon's insistence of chiefs, that anything she started to draft was going to be given a polite glance before being ripped to shreds as something too junior for a silly village witch to try and draft.

Yup, the most important find in Tanner's Crossing was likely going to be written up by the baker, the general store owner, and someone who barely knew their letters.

Well, at least it would keep them busy.

I'm hoping for cake! Cake and crumpets.

Worthless metal? Maybe to a stupid kobold but it won't take long before the whole town was ripping up the hills and wringing kobold necks for 'pots of gold'.

Venedictos was preparing to crack open a wizard's staff and see what lay inside.

The only thing, the only proper thing to do, was to file a claim that removed temptation from the average citizen. If a claim was filed then people would have to respect it. Heck, if the wording was just right on the deal drawn up to transfer the bit of worthless metal and prisoner for protection then the kobolds might forfeit all later claim to the mineral rights in the ground.

The kobolds would even profit by having more caves to inhabit after all the worthless mineral was removed.

And she could get her father back because he wouldn't have to spend months searching for gold in some distant hills when it was just a few days ride from home.

But she had to act or the opportunity might slip away.

Isis stood up putting the sticks behind her back and the spell components back in the pouch.

'Hello, uh, Mr Venedictos, sir, I, uh, speak and write draconic. I could up put something official down on paper if you like. Sorta attesting to the conversation and words you've said. I could write it in multiple languages, to make sure everyone has a fair copy of the facts.'

Isis feels almost drawn to stand up and get closer to hear better but Kiptera had told her to be ready to run if things went bad and this talk of gold could be a trick.

Oh, she didn't know. She didn't know anything of the ways of kobolds.

They could be like leprechauns or gnomes forever promising wonderful things but always using that lure to punish the greedy humans. They might have no gold at all and just looking for the opportunity to march the lot of them into a cave and ambush them.

What to do, what to do?

"I see. The metal you describe sounds like gold. Dwarves do tend to like gold, though that does not give them the right to attack your people. These dwarves do not represent the nearby villages and towns, and the nearby villages and towns have no authority to control their actions. If you wish us to prevent future attacks by the dwarves, Meekis' clan would have to...join...with the human settlements. Then, we would be able to enforce protection of your clan."

Not sure for whom Venedictos would need the amazing diplomacy roll for this: kobolds or Tanner's Crossing.

Did she hear that last part right, Isis wondered?

Did Venedictos just suggest forming an alliance with Kobolds?

Had the sun gotten to that bald head of his? Her mother and the town elders would never agree to such a crazy thing. Kobolds couldn't be trusted.

Even if they could be trusted, if what the kobold had said was true of them sitting on top of a gold mine then her father and a dozen other men in the town would want to take claim to the land.

Tanner's Crossing wouldn't just be some stupid spit of a farming village in the backwoods. It would be a gold town with people coming from half the kingdom to mine and get rich.

This was open territory with no Baron or Lord to steal your claim with statements of divine right. This was land where the first to file a claim owned the land and every speck of gold underneath.

Dammit, she could finally get something other than oatmeal for breakfast and and clothes. Real honest to Erastil clothes like city women wore. Heck, she might be able to get a closet of clothes if the little reptile could be made to talk.

It was all right to be neighborly and good with real people but kobolds weren't people. They were comic mistakes compared to real dragons. Even if they agreed to something, it would only be for a week or so before they forgot what they had signed.

Yet, a week might be enough time to file the appropriate papers if they could get enough money and knew where to file the claim. A proper and legal claim that the power of the kingdom would uphold and defend in court and with force of arms if the claim jumping kobolds continued to be a nuisance.

Isis hears the following in a very low whisper a few comments interspersed with periods of silence. ** spoiler omitted **

Isis does her best to follow the conversation going on but at a distance of 100' can clearly hear only snatches of things being clearly shouted.

Hearing Kiptera whisper via message makes her feel better and she nods her head in agreement forgetting that message doesn't transmit nods as communication.

At a distance of 100' which is more than the distance between the bases in baseball diamond, I figure that even though Isis understands Draconic, she's not hearing what the Kobolds are saying unless they clearly shout it out. At least in real life I know that I can't hear what the catcher and batter are saying to one another.

Game wise, I think it is -1 per 5' to any perception check which makes it -20 without any positives for loud voices.

I'll be out of the house much of today.

I have a local anime convention, dog obdeience school, and RL Pathfinder game today.

If you need Isis to act then you can bot her.

Isis would cast her memorized Sleep spell if the Kobolds were to attack. The range on the spell is 100' so she would move first to make sure she had as many kobolds inside the 10' radius burst. DC would be 14.

After that she has some clubs for throwing but there range is 10' so not really practical to throw more than 20' with damage 1d6-1.

Her other memorized spell is Unseen Servant which won't help in this situation.

OOOOooooo AAAAaaaaaa. Ms Isis and I are going to get along right nicely. I bet you could charm all the guys in Tanners Crossing to become crossbowman with that kinda talk...

What?

Talk on what is the correct amount of friction is too little or too much for trigger mechanisms?

Surely a small village girl like me knows nothing of what you might be referring to and my mother had better hear the story that way or I'm grounded till I'm thirty. hehe.