Ruins of Azlant, Part I: A Bountiful Venture [PF] (IC)

[pi4t]

Liyinva takes advantage of a break in the conversation. "Are either of you interested in these?" she asks, giving the weapons and armour in her arms a faint look of distaste. As she does so, something catches her eye and she looks more closely at the shield. "They are too well-made for goblin work, but...this shield is not made of darkwood, or at least not of the type local to the Verduran and Andoran. The grain is all wrong. Either it was brought in from some country a long way away from Andoran, or it was made of some wood native to these parts. But...why would the colonists spend their time making something like this, when they could have made one...or bought one...before they left?" Putting the other items down, she draws out a disc of black wood from around her neck, and compares it to the shield, tapping them both and weighing them in her hands. "It seems to have similar properties to our own darkwood."

Spoiler: OOC Note

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Reminder: Liyinva has also dumped two masterwork machetes and a masterwork chain shirt on the ground. I'm pretty sure none of us are able to use any of this stuff, though...we're all casters or monks!

[Darvin]

"I've no use for armor," Tirsen replies to Liyinva, "and shields aren't exactly convenient for spellcasting. Still, I suppose I can always just take it off if it becomes a problem," Tirsen takes the buckler and attaches it to her arm, finding the light weight agreeable, then turns to pay attention to what Rovena is doing.

[Stelio Kontos]

The goblin continues babbling in fear and anger, obviously not understanding Tirsen's words. When Rovena speaks to him, his demeanor calms somewhat, as he regards her with what appears to be a questioning look. If anything, the fear in his eyes intensifies slightly. He does not speak at all in reply.

[jamieth]

"So you do understand!" Rovena almost gasps in amazement, crouching besides the goblin, and repeats very slowly, trying to keep her pronounciation as clean as possible... granted, Azlanti pronounciation is a matter academic circles aren't really agree on... "Parakaló peíte mou to ónomá sas. Den tha sas vlápsei."

Spoiler

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"Please tell me your name. I won't harm you."

[pi4t]

Liyinva, unable to understand Rovena's words, keeps a close eye on the goblin while carefully packing the armour and machetes into her backpack. Better to take them and perhaps return them to their owners than to let the goblins keep them.

[Stelio Kontos]

The goblin continues to stare at Rovena, becoming more and more agitated and writhing ineffectually in the rope bonds as it recoils away from her. It's almost as though it's trying to burrow into the bed itself to get away. After a few moments of futility in trying to escape, it lets out a blood-curdling scream of unmistakable terror.

Spoiler: Rovena

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It occurs to you that perhaps the goblin doesn't actually understand her after all; it's as though he recognizes the language as a language it's heard before (much as the party recognizes the goblin tongue) without actually being able to speak it. It's also clear that he's much more afraid of you than of the situation -- rather surprising, since being tied to a bed by three people willing to kill should be rather concerning on its own.

[jamieth]

"Oh no..." Rovena backs down, seein the reaction her words cause in a goblin. Even if questioning brought results - and it didn't - that was skirting it too close to the First Law...
"It doesn't seem like he understands, after all..." she sighs - and at that moment, her brain starts working. "But that means... Azlanti gets a reaction from him Common doesn't. But that means someone around here does speak Azlanti - or at least spoke it recently enough that this goblin heard it personally. And that someone, the goblin was utterly terrified of... that's a... distressing thought."

[Darvin]

"There are only two things that speak Azlanti: ancient things that have survived through the ages, and scholars," Tirsen remarks, then smirks, "I'd be afraid of scholars, too, in his place. Tie me and bore me to death with lectures. Still, if he's afraid then that's good. Catch and release, send him back to where-ever he came from and tell his kin to never to come looking around here again,"

[pi4t]

"Or tell his kin to come in bulk to destroy the Azlant-speakers," Liyinva muses. "Still...I cannot say I am altogether comfortable with the idea of killing a prisoner, even if it is only a goblin." She pauses, considering.

"I am more concerned about why the Azlant tongue is causing it such fear. It seems unlikely that there would be scholars out here."

[jamieth]

"Indeed, it is a reason to worry..." Rovena nods, "Of course, just because goblins have a reason to fear those Azlanti speakers, don't mean we do - but, we have no choice anyway, really... killing a prisoner is out of the question, and we can't watch him either... releasing him and hoping they won't be stupid enough to come back is our best... in fact, our only... bet. What's after, though? Finish checking the town? Perhaps the farms as well?"

[Darvin]

"At the very least, we should sweep the area," Tirsen remarks over the wailing goblin, "if you want to make a show of the release, I'll happily play your villain," Tirsen brandishes her rapier menacingly against the goblin, if only to see if it will quiet down, "the more scared he is of returning, the better,"

[jamieth]

"Not sure I can handle the required theatrics", Rovena shakes her head, "Especially since we established communication is likely impossible... but if you think you'll be able to make the right impression, he's all yours."

[Darvin]

Mindful of the stabs received not too long before, Tirsen grabs the goblin from behind and signals the others to follow. She is careful to avoid giving it a chance to bite her as she carries it outside. She hands him to Liyinva, "hold him up high," she commands. With her rapier in one hand, she unties the goblin with the other and allows it to fall to the ground. As she does so, she points the rapier at it, ready to stab if it foolishly decides to come at her rather than flee.

[pi4t]

Liyinva effortlessly holds up the struggling goblin for Tirsen, quickly checking if it has any concealed weapons before dropping it to the ground in front of her. Midnight adds to the general effect by growling menacingly at the goblin, and rather obviously preparing to pounce on it if Liyinva lets him.

[Stelio Kontos]

The monkey goblin seems resigned to its fate as you drag it out into the open. When you actually cut it loose, instead of -- well -- cutting it, it eyes you all warily, as though expecting this to be some sort of trap. After a moment, it lets out a sound best described as halfway between a snarl and a hiss, before bolting for the side of the nearest building, half-climbing and half-vaulting the wall, using its tail to clamber over the edge of the roof overhang, and scampering out of sight across the rooftops to the north.

[Darvin]

"Well, with that taken care of," hopefully, Tirsen adds only for herself to hear, "shall we finish our sweep of the village? Preferably without another stab to my gut,"

[jamieth]

"We probably should... at the very least, we have to take measures against those goblins coming back to kill us in our sleep", Rovena nods. "It would be hard to rest properly if we have to keep watch in turns... and proper rest is vital for keeping control of magical energy."

That was one of the lessons she learned well. However worried you are about the exam, however much you want to throw in some last minute cramming... you should never skip on having eight hours of sleep.

[pi4t]

Liyinva says nothing, but nods and begins heading off towards the next house.

[Stelio Kontos]

After taking a few moments to gather composure -- and a few masterwork items -- the party sets forth along the west wall of the palisade, coming upon two small buildings -- more like large sheds than homes, with no windows but an open door frame with no sign that a door was ever present. The southernmost of these is the one the group comes upon first.

Peering easily through the open archway, you see a wide variety of mundane tools: hammers, handsaws, shovels, and the like leaned against walls and hanging neatly from hooks and ropes throughout the room. Everything that a colony would need to build -- well, everything that you see about you -- is in this room. Though a few hooks are empty here and there, for the most part the room appears fully stocked.

[Darvin]

"More of the same," Tirsen remarks, walking into the building and casting about her eyes to look for anything of interest, "although it looks like the colonists took a few things with them,"

Spoiler: OOC

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perception check (1d20+2)[13]

[jamieth]

"If it was colonists, that is", Rovena notes as she peeks inside. "Anyway... it doesn't look like anything of use to us..."

Spoiler

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(1d20+5)[20] perception

[Stelio Kontos]

All of the equipment in the room is indeed mundane, and in fact there isn't all that much missing from its appointed place -- just a trowel here and a rake there. Certainly, not enough is gone to be of use in fully rebuilding a colony elsewhere.

Rovena spots a locked wooden box, perhaps two feet in each direction, stashed behind a few shovels leaned against the wall. Painted on the side in red lettering are the words "For Emergency Only". The lock proves to be an easy one for Tirsen's skills, popping open with a single satisfying click. Inside are two carefully cushioned vials of alchemist fire, and a human-sized swarmsuit, begging the question of just what type of emergency the colonists had in mind.

[Darvin]

"Alchemist's fire; good for self defense. We could definitely use that, but be careful not to get any on yourselves," Tirsen gives one each to Liyinva and Rovena, then pulls out the swarm suit, "I... er... is this for bee-keeping? What kind of bees do they have around here!?" Tirsen hauls the heavy suit out, already connecting the dots to determine the purpose of the alchemist's fire.

[pi4t]

"Only the usual kind, I believe. I am not sure what the settlers were intending to do with this. If they feared attack by insects, protection for one person would not have been enough." Liyinva's grateful for Rovena's hint about the swarmsuit's purpose; when the elves want to eat honey they normally talk to the bees to calm them down, and then remove it from the hive with their bare hands. Or try to calm the bees down and then get stung, in her case.

[jamieth]

"On the other hand, when taking care of domesticated bees, only the person directly interacting with them would need protection..." Rovena nods, "If there's an opiary somewhere nearby, I'd expect it to be on one of the farms, not in town proper, so no wonder we haven't seen it yet. Hm, if we do face a swarm of - presumably hungry and angry - bees, would you be able to calm them?" she asks the druid, "because otherwise... I could refresh on some spells to hold them, but..." she shakes her head, "I'd rather not."

[pi4t]

Liyinva hesitates before replying. "I...doubt that I. I have not prepared any magic that would help with that, and insects are much harder to influence than larger animals." She blushes slightly. "Even some of the druids I grew up with might struggle to stop a swarm of angry bees without magic."

[jamieth]

"Maybe we should just avoid beehives, then. Whatever misteries this town might hold, I rather doubt honey will be a clue to them..." Notably, when Rovena said "doubt", it was not a sarcasm. She definitely accepted the possibility, just considered it less likely.

[Stelio Kontos]

Satisfied that everything that could be found had been found, you move on to the next building, a short distance to the north. The building appears of different manufacture than others in the colony; the walls of the structure appear to be made entirely of mud and brick, and not a single window appears anywhere on the building. A single door on the east side of the building opens outward; a moment to listen reveals no sound coming from the inside. A faint smell, a mixture of dried and rotting meat and strong spices, lingers in the air near the doorway.

Midnight appears quite interested in whatever lies beyond the door, emitting a familiar low rumbling growl that Liyinva recognizes as a sign that the lion believes it's meal time.

[Darvin]

"Well, from the smell I'd say this is a storehouse of some sort. Your lion seems interested enough, so I'll let you lead on. Just be mindful; if there are more monkey goblins, this would be the most likely place for them to raid," Tirsen nurses her still aching gut, then positions herself to the left of the entryway.

[jamieth]

"Well, it won't be much of an ambush if we expect them, would it?" Rovena asks, "Unless, that is, we decide it's not worth it, and turn around... then they'll have a good chance to strike. I'm no soldier, of course, but it seems giving them that opportunity would be unwise."