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@GM Valen - Thank you so much for running this adventure for us. I really enjoyed myself, the entire way through. "***** Would play with again!" @Team Awesome - I enjoyed every bit of the RP, the combats, everything. Thanks for making this one of my favorite scenario playthroughs! You are all welcome at my table any time!
Martin nodded to the hobgoblins without saying a word, then followed the rest of the team from the pavilion and off to their quarters. It wasn't until after they had traveled from the camp and were on their way back to Magnimar that he finally spoke up. "This is hard for me to admit, but I had no business being on this mission. I don't know what the Venture-Captains were thinking - maybe I was just the only other Pathfinder in town - but I need a whole lot more experience in both combat and the subtleties of diplomacy before I can take on a job like this again. Don't get me wrong, I managed to help out in a few crucial moments in combat, and I learned a lot from all of you, but I think I need more training and experience before I take on a job of this difficulty again. I guess what I am trying to say is, thank you. For putting up with me, I mean. And if you ever need a forest guide or assistance with some job, you know, that isn't high level diplomatic talks and maybe takes place in the forest, look me up."
"Look, Joli and Fortiva can take our evidence and accusations to Lietenant Eloqui and we can have this out in the open. I'm tired of all this sneaking about, being outclassed and overpowered at every turn. You all may have a lot more experience than I do, but I think we should bring this out in the open and be done with it. Besides, aren't we only on recess or whatever for a couple of hours? I thought they were going to reconvene soon."
Martin looked the corpse over for a moment before moving on to the other items in the room. One of their medical experts could liekly get more from the body than he could. Martin was more interested in the alchemical items. "Lots of alchemical stuff over here. You think this is where they brewed up those chemicals they used to attract the bulettes?"
Martin grins as Fortiva slides into a flanking position. At least someone was going to distract the monster in front of him. Martin had no illusions about this fight. He was in way over his head. If the brutish hobgoblin had chosen to go after him instead of Zac, Martin would likely be bleeding out on the ground by now. Still, needs must. So Martin sent the sisters flying at Morgroar's legs, trying to slow the behemoth down. Then maybe they could kite him around a bit.
Martin hung the sisters back in their sheathes on his belt as Fortiva relayed what the kobold had told her. "You're right. Assuming that the hobgoblins believe her story, alongside the scales and the things we noticed about Raike, it could make all the difference here. Especially if the hobgoblins believe that Raike was trying to manipulate them. No one like feeling like they were played, and I bet a militant group like this really hates it." He snapped his fingers as he thought of something. "Ask her if the hobgoblin they call Master Sergeant Morgroar was down here with the Aspis. See if he might have known what was to happen."
"Hold up, guys. This isn't right. You see these scrapes here and here? Those are from three different bulettes. And they are converging from different locations. Bulettes are mostly solitary animals. They don't congregate like this, and would rather carve their own tunnels than share one with another bulette. And these are humanoid tracks. More evidence that something fishy is going on, as if we needed any for ourselves."
Martin ranged out slightly ahead of the others, scouting the way. He was limited to whatever light came from the others, so he could not go far, but hopefully any advance notice would help. He was aware that he likely wouldn't be much use in the next fight, if one came, other than to provide a distraction for one of the others. He was okay with that.
"That's it, Joli! Keep its attention over there, and we'll see about this end!" Martin kept the sisters moving, chopping at the bulette's legs and aiming for areas where he thought the major blood vessels and tendons were. The armor was so tough, though, and his sisters needed sharpening, apparently.
Martin took Joli and his nearest companions aside and murmured, "The liquid Raike spilled on the ground outside smells like blood. I don't know what she's up to, but that was deliberate. Also, see their necklaces with the bullette pendants on them? Something is going here. Of course she is going to talk about exploiting the weak and strength of arms. But, remember that holds for anyone they do business with as well. There is no loyalty or honor in that philosophy. The only ones that cater purely to the strong are those that have no problem with turning on their allies at an advantageous moment."
Martin waits until the Aspis representatives had moved into the tent before stopping to inspect the liquid spilled by Raike. Normally he would have just assumed she no longer wanted to drink her hot beverage, but he was all but certain that she had deliberately poured the cup out, and tried to use her bird as cover for it. However clumsy the attempt, he wanted to know what was going on.
Once he was satisfied with his investigation, he moved into the tent with the others. Without the sun in his face, Martin could see now that the vial around Raike's neck appeared to be empty, and that all of the Aspis agents wore the same charm around their necks. It was an image of a...
Martin overheard the discussion with Oltug, and moved closer to contribute. "Pardon my interruption, Chef Otug, but did you say someone in the camp deliberately stole food from the camp stores? That would be an act of treason, would it not? If it were done by a member of the tribe? Would you mind if we looked around your stores for any signs of what might have happened to your supplies? At worst, if we find what happened to them, we can restore them so that all may eat well. At best...well, if you know who took them, you might be able to arrange a fitting punishment."
True to their plan, Martin let Joli do all of the talking, only speaking up when directly addressed. It wasn't that hard. He wasn't a man of many words anyways. Sometimes he wondered why he joined an organization that was more about diplomacy and bookkeeping than about preserving a balance between civilization and the wild. In fact, he only spoke up when the topic turned to trade with the neighboring orc clans. He was able to point out a few things about the Broken Tusk clan's tanning methods, and how they yielded far superior snow fox pelts than the quick curing used by most human settlements.
Martin goes to the meeting armed, though with no weapons drawn. As part of a military camp, he assumes that no one will say anything about his weapons, though he is prepared to leave the bow at the door if asked to. When he saw the red vellum tucked into the Master Sergeant's bandolier, he took a moment to subtly point it out to the others. As they discussed, Martin stood to one side and took in the room while waiting for Joli to speak.
"I'd like to see the defenses around the camp. It will give me a better sense of where we sit in all this. I'd also like to avoid the Aspis folks for now. It seems that they've been here for a few days already stirring up trouble. Let's get our feet under us before we start kicking that particular hornet's nest." Martin kept a keen out out for the lay of the camp. It was obviously military in nature, and it looked to be taking good advantage of the natural defenses of the area.
"Why do I get the feeling that when she says not to cause trouble, she completely expects trouble to find us, one way or another? Oh well. I'd like to get the lay of the land around here, and if possible sniff out where the Aspis group will be staying. Also, keep in mind Drussem recommended we stay together as a group."
Martin was glad he had bough the winter clothing, and he was almost warm as they walked. When the avalanche blocked their trail, however, he was a little dismayed. "I'm glad we weren't ahead of schedule. I'm not sure anything could have survived that. Is there a way around that area of the trail? Martin clambered up on top of one of the wagons and began looking for a parallel trail that might take them in the direction they needed to go." He thought he spotted an alternative path, and pointed it out to Drussem.
"Humans are like most other species. There are good ones and bad ones. I mean, I've known some rabbits to be real a@@&*+@s. Of course, the bad ones tend to be the loudest and demand the most attention. But, there are good ones around. Like Zac over there. He's a goof fighter, well organized, and doesn't have a problem working alongside being of different races. You seem to like him. Lots of humans are like that. If you guys want, I'm happy to have Zac speak for us, or Joli, you like to talk. You can talk for us." "Drussem, what is the terrain like where we are going? I've walked a lot of trails, but I've never been up into Oprak. I've been up in the Mindspins a few times."
Martin nodded in respect to Sergeant Drussem. The hobgoblin didn't waste time with pleasantries or try and blow smoke up their skirts. He liked that. "Name's Martin, pleased to meet you. I am ready when you are, though I'd like to refill the waterskins before we head out. Can you tell us where we are going, and about how long to get there?"
"I give my word, and take others at theirs. There is little to be gained long term in being secretive. I have heard some pretty bad things about the Aspis Consortium, though. There was a nasty business in some ruins down in the Mwangi Expanse. An Aspis agent there sicced a whole tribe of natives on an archaeologist. The way I heard it, he had to jump into a snake-infested river to get away from them. Lucky guy barely made it out alive."
Martin wasn't too good for stereotypes. He actually went out of his way to be the embodiment of the typical ranger. Skin bronzed from the sun, shaggy hair, bow and hatchets - if anyone were to give a description of a human ranger, he would be it. He wasn't exactly at home in the cities, but he visited Korvosa a time or two and knew that he hated it. Specifically, he hated how the various districts of Korvosa all seemed to work against each other. Oh well, he wasn't being asked to live here, just find this Sergeant Drussem person. He headed over to the Drinkhall to find this hobgoblin contact.
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