Kingmaker: Here Comes the Cavalry! (IC)

[Chained Birds]

Maple

Riding her valiant steed, Apples,

"I plan on completing my promise of mapping out this area as well, but the Kobold Kase is more important. Do not worry Grinning Fermor, we will definitely explore this area."

Maple coughs a bit as she is still mildly suffering from the poison she sustained earlier. She hopes that her ailment will not be too noticeable when the time for diplomacy arises.

[Morbis Meh]

I cast summon former post *waves fingers in a nonsensical, yet whimsical pattern*

[Lost Demiurge]

And so, Micmac leads you south. Soon, the plains give out into rolling hills, that get steeper as you go. He guides you twenty miles on the first day, before fatigue drives you to camp. The night is uneventful, and perhaps twenty-four more miles roll by.

The last rise sees you overlooking a wide river. He picks his way down a hillside track that gives your horses some trouble, and down into a concealed valley. Perhaps a half-mile from the river, set in the side of a couple of cliffs, is a wooden-reinforced tunnel entrance. A weathered wooden sign hanging drunkenly from the side of it proclaims it to be the "Strike 9 Silver Mine."

Micmac stops well back from the darkened entrance, and jabbers at it in his native tongue.

DRACONIC or Linguistics 18

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"Hail and well met! I have returned with new friends, who helped to save old Sharptooth! They are great of stature, but lo, they hold not with the despicable practice of genocide against the children of the dragons. Let us enter forthwith, there to extend our hospitality to our new allies, who coincidentally, slaughtered the horrible mites to the last squirming bug."

There's a faint reply, and a distant CLUNK.

Micmac hops back and beams. "Okay to go in! Traps turned off now! Uh... Sentry want to know... He take you to see Chief Sootscale? Or he take you to see Shaman Tartuk?"

[Steckie]

Roqoan

Roqoan translates Micmac's words to the rest of the group. "Well, long story short he's telling the sentry that he brings back Old Sharptooth, and that we are conquering heroes who helped him kill all the mites."

Roqoan thinks for a moment, the chief or the shaman? It probably wont matter much since they'll be meeting them both, but it's probably best to meet the chief first.
"I think that we should meet chief Sootscale first. Pay our repects to the big boss first. He can see that we've brought back the statue and we'll bring it back to the shaman after that. How does that sound?" he says to the rest of the group.

[SamBurke]

Fermor nods. "Aye... always go to the chief." Both of his hands glow with a light blue, and he pushes a quietly humming dweomer over both Maple and Roquan, "I think ye'll need this. Just to help with th' chieftan, ye know?"

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Readying a few spells: Guidance. You guys now have +2 bonus on one Cha check in the next few hours, use when you need it.

[Morbis Meh]

Brin nods in simple agreement, she slings her bow over her shoulder for the time being. She keeps her hood up and eyes sharp, looking for any indication of betrayl, though she is somewhat trusting of micmac but an entire tribe of genocidal kobolds?

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Perception (1d20+11)[12]

[Lost Demiurge]

Micmac guides you into the old mine. It's dim in here at best, but every now and then a crude lamp hangs from the ceiling, emitting smoke and light. By the smell of it, it's burning fat.

Passageways go off left and right but he leads you fairly straight. Wooden bracings shore up the roof, and show signs of having been reinforced fairly recently.

PERCEPTION DC 20

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Twice, Micmac walks straight across a couple of suspicious looking parts of the floor. Your friends who don't notice them walk across as well before you can say anything, but nothing happens. They look like inactive trapdoors.

PROFESSION - MINER or KNOWLEDGE - DUNGEONEERING DC 15

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Judging by the glimmers in the walls, there's still silver ore left in this mine.

As you go, there's a pattering of tiny feet, and little kobolds start falling in beside and behind you, glancing up in wonder as they struggle to keep up. By the time you've reached the main chamber, there's five of the little black-scaled kids trailing behind.

The main chamber is huge, perhaps eighty feet by a hundred and fifty. It's in a rough, round shape, and parts of it are beyond your sight due to the limited lighting. Small fires blaze and reveal sleeping furs and mats around them, and perhaps twenty kobolds are here, staring at you. Pots and baskets are gathered here and there, and every now and then a kobold works with tools, chipping at stone, sharpening metal, or carving wood.

At the end of the chamber, sitting on a pile of cushions covered by a huge wolf fur, is a black kobold wearing a horned headdress. He's holding a warclub made from a legbone with spikes pounded through it, and armored in resized chain mail. His eyes are wary.

As you step more fully into the chamber, he leans forward on his makeshift "throne".

"I am chief Sootscale. Why have you come to the home of the Sootscale tribe?"

[Steckie]

Roqoan

Roqoan immediatly steps forward before any of the others can act.
"There are many reasons why we are here.
We have been tasked with bringing peace to the Stolen Lands. And in order to bring peace, we need to have powerfull allies against the Stag Lord and other enemies. We asked around, and heard that the Kobolds living in the Stolen Lands are a powerfull tribe, and that they are already having trouble with our enemies.
We heard that you've been having trouble with one of the Stag Lords lieutenants, a Duergar living under a Sycamore tree.
We have come searching for you to propose an alliance against this Duergar. And after he has been defeated by our combined power, we'd like to develop this alliance further into a real partnership to benefit both our groups even more.

We understand that perhaps you have little faith in our group, but we'd like to start with a few gifts to break the ice. Just to show you that we mean well with your tribe.
First of all, i would like to present you these 4 eggs that we took as plunder from the Mites. Micmac told us that you've been having trouble with these Mites. That problem has been solved.
These eggs are the eggs of Giant Centipedes. Your tribe could hatch these eggs and train the Centipedes. You can train them to haul heavy loads, or to use as mounts in battle. Or as whatever you'd like to train them as. They're usefull animals in a cave and i'm sure your tribe would be glad to have them. They're also a testament to the first victory our groups achieved together, a symbol that you defeated the Mites.

Our second gift is perhaps even better: we return Old Sharptooth to your tribe." Roqoan says while placing the statue on the ground in front of the throne of Chief Sootscale.

[SamBurke]

Fermor nods, trying his best to seem conciliatory, despite the fact that he's sizing up each and every one of the crowd, examining for danger. "Gotta be careful... even if they like us, they're still dangerous folk..." he whispers.

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Perception - (1d20+5)[6]
Stonework - (1d20+2)[17]

Dwarves get +2, so I figure it makes sense in this context.

[Tsumeken]

Fae'l keeps her weapons to her sides and lets Roqoan do the talking, figuring that from his previous conversations with Micmac he was well versed to speak to these creatures. She continues to look around with the others as the conversation goes on.

Perception Check

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(1d20+11)[17]

[Morbis Meh]

Brin looks around the gathered tribe and quickly couts and assesses potential exits/strategies if something goes ugly.

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perception... better be higher than a one or I shall smite thee dice roller
(1d20+11)[22]

[Sithis]

Alistar

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Perception
(1d20+7)[17]

Alistar does his best to keep an eye on things as they move through the tunnels, but the kobold children end up distracting him.

As usual, Roquan is the first to talk when they arrive in the chief's throne room. Alistar does what he tends to, keep quiet and wait for something to need to die. And in this case, try his best not to look threatening.

[Lost Demiurge]

The chief's eyes remain wary as the eggs are presented, but he waves to Micmac who takes them from you, and puts them in a basket by the throne.

He blinks when you place the Sharptooth statue on the ground, and speaks to Micmac.

DRACONIC OR LINGUISTICS DC 18

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"Verily, does this contain the seed of truth? Have these hirsute cerise-hued specimens of sapiens retrieved this malevolent diety for our august personages? It was not by your claw this act was done, Micmac, and they your new followers?"

Micmac responds.

DRACONIC OR LINGUISTICS DC 18

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"I say nay, my lord chief. Sadly was I captured, and enshelled within the feathers of a flightless game fowl. You see before thee my saviors, whom are unparalelled in charity and kindness. Their pinkish-yet-oddly-appealing hands did deliver me from the jaws of demise, and by their own decision do they pay homage and court to thee, with the rescue of our most malevolent master, Sharptooth."

Chief Sootscale nods, and a grin flashes across his face. He stands to his feet, walks over to where Old Sharptooth sits, and looks the statue over. He twirls the club, tossing it up in the air and catching it one-handed a few times, looking the statue over as he does so. The kobolds in the cavern hush, eyes gleaming in the poor lamplight.

SMASH! The Chief catches the club, switches it to a two handed grip, and bashes Old Sharptooth to bits! He shouts in draconic!

DRACONIC OR LINGUISTICS DC 18

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"BY THE INFERNAL REALM, WHAT DARK DIETY OF DECEPTION AND MALEVOLENT MIGHT ALLOWS HIMSELF TO BE ABSCONDED OFF WITH MITES! AND WHAT HARMFUL HARRIER OF HUMANS AND HALFLINGS WOULD LET HIMSELF BE BROUGHT BACK BY THE VERY SAME FOLK!!!! OLD SHARPTOOTH IS WEAK! TARTUK IS WEAK AND UNFIT TO BE SHAMAN! AS THESE LARGE INDIVIDUALS SHALL PROVE, FORTHWITH!"

The tribe gasps, and their heads snap around to stare at you.

After his rant, the chief moves a bit closer to Roqoan, standing a few feet away from the human. Sootscale looks up at him and grins, muttering just loud enough for the group to hear.

"Tartuk is a blight on my tribe. He'll try to kill you, unless you get him first. He won't work with you, and I will. Go kill him for me and we'll owe you a boon, a big one. Capische? Great. He's down the southernmost corridor. Go quick, he knows you're here already."

[Chained Birds]

Maple

Surprised how everything went down, she decides to check out the Chief's alignment.

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Detect Evil in use

[Morbis Meh]

Brin begins to smile at the abrupt order to 'kill' the shaman she whispers to Roquan "I am beginning to like these wee scaled folk, they may be odd but damn they sure are spirited! I can take point if need be since I can usually travel silently." She turns to Chief Sootscale and bows "Your wish is my command Lord Chieften." Rising up she moves on ahead in the direction indicated moving as swiftly and stealthily as she can whilst keeping an eye out for traps.

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I do wish that kobolds were actually playable because they would be so much fun!
stealh (1d20+11)[23]
perception (1d20+11)[26]

[SamBurke]

"'Ascuse me?" Fermor storms to the front, losing all of his helpful guise in an instant. "We brought ya yer god, whatever useless thing it may a' been, and we brought you tha delicacies, and we're gonna help you destroy the Stag Lord's Lieutenant, AN' ye want us to murder for you? MURDER? Ain't happen'in', dog-man." Fermor scoffs, and pushes out his chest. "Now, say, we just help you out... we've done our part. We'll carry yer Tartuk away, leave him at a remote location, banish him... but MURDER? Nae a chance."

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Well, then. THAT, kids, is why you don't fail your Diplomacy checks.

[Lost Demiurge]

The surrounding kobolds shift in alarm.

MAPLE

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Yep, the chief is evil. Not hugely so, this has more of a pragmatic feel to it.

The chief doesn't look at Fermor, just puts his hand palm out to the dwarf in a "talk-to-it" gesture. He remains looking up at Roqoan, and talking quietly, and fast.

"Tartuk is a charlatan who sacrifices two children a week and seeks the doom of our tribe. By the time I realized what was going on, he had too much influence for me to stop him. If I killed him I'd be doing it alone and he might be able to take me down. Even if I won, the tribe would split. But you, you're strangers. Powerful ones. If you do it, I can spin it to your advantage and mine. Now we've got a shot at this if you man up and find your hooblies, and go kill that jerk. But decide fast!"

[Tsumeken]

Fae'l visibly jumped at the smashing of the statue. If they had wanted it broken she could have done that, but why defy their god in such a way? NOw they were to be hitman as well, this had become a bit more desperate then she bargained for, in for a penny though as they say.

[Steckie]

Roqoan

This was a surprising turn of events! The fact that their god turned out to be a false one wasn't surprising, but that their chief smashed it himself was. It was a bit dissapointing that their gift didn't have the planned effect. But there's an opportunity in every dissapointment.
And this one can bring a lot of good. Sure the statue turned out to be a bust, but Chief Sootscale gave them another option. And them killing the shaman when he asks it will bring a much stronger alliance than bringing back a non-godly statue.

Roqoan smiles at Chief Sootscale and whispers to him in Draconic.
Draconic

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"I like you Chief Sootscale, you use the tools you've been given to get what you want. Just like me.
I can convince the others to help kill the shaman, but in return i want to become either a full member of the Sootscale tribe, or an honorary member."

He turns to the others and says to them: "I believe him. He cursed the statue and Tartuk in draconic and he was very convincing. I also believe what he says about the sacrifices.
And if we don't do it we'll lose our alliance with the Kobolds. They'll start a civil war because their chief broke the statue and their shaman is going to try to punish him for it.
We either help Chief Sootscale and get a great alliance, or refuse to act and watch this tribe tear itself apart in a bloody civil war."

[SamBurke]

"Oy! You!" Fermor points at Roquan, "Cut the rhetoric! Ay've heard enough fancy-talkers, and been one myself! This ain't no simple yes or no matter. We're talking about MURDER, plain and simple. Now if he was gettin' a trial for the sacrifice of children, I'd stand and see him hang, burn, or chop, for Justice. But ye gotta consider the thoughts, here! We're not going to suddenly have the tribe destroyed if he doesn't die. If we take him away, it'll be just tha same, save, of course, for the fact that we're not murderers that way! Think of it, man!"

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Yay for moral quandries!

[Steckie]

Roqoan

"Ah a trial! I can already imagine how that's going to go: we're going to capture Tartuk, drag him to Brevoy, get him to a court and explain to the judge that he's been doing nasty things in a Kobold tribe, but we don't have any proof apart from the word of the Kobolds.
What did you say Your Honor? You don't give a tiny rats ass about Kobolds and what they do in their tribes? And the Stolen Lands are outside of your jurisdiction because the charter we've been given says that we need to strive against banditry and the Kobolds aren't bandits?
Fasciniating Your Honor, this means that we've gone to all this trouble for nothing!

Besides, we're not talking about murder here. We're talking about an execution.
Since this isn't Brevoy, the Brevic laws don't apply here. What applies in this tribe is Kobold law. And the Chief of the Kobolds has asked us to execute a dangerous criminal.
Are you saying that you are protecting a dangerous murderer from the lawfull government that wants him to face justice?"

[Chained Birds]

Maple

"Regardless of the moral implications of killing someone we know nothing about except for off-handed remarks about their nefarious ways. We may have to proceed in dealing with the Shaman. If he proves to be far more evil then the Chief, then I might have to side with the Chief.
Anyways, it is better to help the Kobolds deal with the problems so they don't go all Civil War on themselves and make themselves useless to our cause. No offense Chief Sootscale if my words might have sounded offensive in some way."

Maple still feels a bit weak, which is why she hasn't bothered to say much. Losing a fair deal of blood will do that...

[SamBurke]

Fermor begins to laugh, sitting back and setting everyone just a little bit ill at ease. "Oh, very nice one! Very nice... same tone mah commander used when he sent me on a suicide mission, because he hated me. Ya see, ya have a problem: ye'r blowin' everything out of whack. This isn't a man who's murdering: he was offering sacrifices to their gods. Heck, the chief knew that he was doing that... so we'd have to kill the chief, too! Look, Roquan. I understand that you think this is necessary, but it ain't. You claim no judge is gonna have jurisdiction... he sure as Brimstone will, if the chief agrees to it! Even still, this is within the lands we are to explore, so, guess what? JURISDICTION, DONE! Any other things ye need to talk about?"

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And now to decide if my character has skills in debate...

[Lost Demiurge]

The chief sighs. "Just my luck. I get the one adventurer in these ploorbing lands who has a problem with killing kobolds. Fine, whatever. Take him away permanently if you want, him being your helpless, humiliated prisoner will work. Or kill him. Just stop shouting, you're- Hey wait. Weren't there six of you a second ago?"

BRIN

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Brin passes through the southern tunnel as all eyes are riveted upon the shouting dwarf and arguing adventurers.

Following it past a couple of small nooks, she finds a hanging curtain, with an odd haze visible beyond it. The sound of bubbling liquid is loud here, and there are strange symbols on the curtain.

For a second, there's what sounds like a bird's wings flapping behind you, but when you look back there is nothing visible.

[SamBurke]

Fermor quickly counts everyone, and turns to the exit. "Where's Brin?"

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YAY! We don't have to kill him... except that Brin's gone. LOLcrap.

[Chained Birds]

Maple

"Well she did completely agree with killing the shaman. She probably left to do that whilst we were talking. Best follow after her so she doesn't get into trouble. We don't really know how powerful this shaman is, and she might be getting herself into something dangerous."

Maple begins to head out towards the instructed location.

[Steckie]

Roqoan

Roqoan chuckles. "Brin you devilish woman, i could kiss you right now for ending this chatter and getting our group in action. Fermor, if you want to capture him, go ahead, but i'm not going to put any effort in that. We'll just have to roll the dice and see what happens.
I'm going to help Brin."
Roqoan runs after her, casting defensive armor on himself.
If any of the others follow him, he lets himself fall behind the stronger characters so he doesn't get shot in the face or something like that.

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Mage armor on Roqoan

[Morbis Meh]

Brin gets an eerie that she is being watched but presses forward slowly. She moves around the curtain, attempting to move around it without disturbing it. With her bow drawn she continues stalking her prey.

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stealth (1d20+11)[28]
perception (1d20+11)[20]

[Lost Demiurge]

THE MAIN GROUP

You rush down the hallway to the south, past a couple of narrow alcoves in the wall, ending your journey in front of a swaying curtain. Beyond it, through the parts the curtain doesn't cover, is a room full of rolling fog.

ROQOAN and ALISTAR

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There is a bird, looks like a raven watching you from one of the alcoves.

KNOWLEDGE - ARCANA or NATURE DC 15

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The bird's gaze is a little too steady, and it's a little too still. You'd lay odds that creature is a familiar or companion of some sort.

BRIN

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Brin finds herself in a fog-filled room. It's hard to see how big or wide it is. The only visible thing is a fire in the middle of it, with a bubbling cauldron atop, and even that is seen through a lens obscured.

Her fast eyes catch a flicker of... Purple? As something chants a few words, to the side of the cauldron.

(Roll a Will save, DC 15 This is mind-affecting, for what it's worth.)

Failure

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You LIKE that purple thing! You aren't gonna hurt it, and you're sure it's a friend. Yep, welcome to charm person.

Success

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Something just tried to wibble with your brain.

[Morbis Meh]

Will Save

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Will post description shortly... just glad that dwarves get a +2 bonus vs spells making Dwarf monks pretty good lol
(1d20+10)[23]
come on dice 80% chance of success!

Brin shrugs off the odd feeling going around in her head, she feels the chanting had something to do with it. It was obvious that whatever was here knew where she was despite her efforts to hide. She fires two smoke arrows towards the chanting purple thing.