View source for Balancing the Scales, part 5

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== Log Info ==
*Title: Cryosanthia
*Emitter: Balancing the Scales, part 5
*Characters: Glasha, Aimarra, Elyanna
*Place: Eldwyn Forest and Bendywine River
*Time:  Thursday, August 20, 2020, 6:08 PM
*Summary: Aimarra enacts a plan to halt pursuit on the kobolds, in the hopes that this will make them curious enough to approach the group. It is undermined by Tawyse and Joro heading off on their own, and Locien being absent. The remaining party members regroup and discuss, with Elyanna sharing some information she has, and Glasha becoming increasing frustrated at both the party and the prisoner kobolds' intransigence. She demands Trak show them where the others went, whie Aimarra sets off tracking on her own. Both reach a game trail, and it becomes clear that while the kobold is cooperating, he is dragging things out. Aimarra picks up the pace and heads down the trail on her own, accidentally setting off a gas trap that makes her throw up. At this point the other kobolds call out from a distance, saying they are willing to talk but want to do so in a location of their choosing, that the party should follow the trail and look out for traps. Angrily, Glasha frees Trak and tells both prisoner kobolds to tell their friends to surrender or they'll be killed. The kobolds run off, and it seems there are no more answers. In the meantime the party argues and Glasha turns invisible. A while after Aimarra recovers, Jak returns with a crossbow bolt quivver and tells them to follow. He leads them past a deadfall trap, to a cave which he runs inside. The green kobold is almost hidden from sight, and speaks with the group. The kobold seems open to engaging in other, more productive things, but gets drawn into an argument with Glasha over territorial rights. She announces loudly that she's done, and the red kobold does also, insisting the softskins are lying and this is another distraction ploy while their missing compatriots sneak up. The kobolds retreat into the cave, inviting the adventurers to come satisfy their curiosity and also to beware of what lies beyond the dreaded, Door Number Two.</div>

<pre>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Glasha       5'8"     100 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    Green-skinned, young lady with bleached hair.
Aimarra      5'1"     128 Lb     Half-Elf          Female    Brown hair and eyes, breastplate, leathers, pointed ears.
Elyanna      5'11"    153 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    An oddly complected woman in a raven feather cloak
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-=</pre>

Aimarra's plan: Be visible, then make the kobolds think they've lost the trail, scatter and hide. Make them wonder where they are. A simple plan she'll whisper to the others, whom she has waved over.

It's also an opportunity for the adventurers to re-group, share observations and get on the same page if they want. Tawyse, didn't, she headed off into the woods and hides so well the party loses track of her. Joro wandered off into the woods after she freed the gnome. Precious seconds tick by as the other approach, and then minutes. Locien doesn't re-appear, his head injury might be serious. The cart driver is worried, everyone ran off into the woods, then it went quiet. Nervously he flicks the reins and looks around. He'll wait, for now.

Moving slow and keeping low, three kobolds sneak through the bush. They can hear adventurers behind them, but not pursuit, so the opportunity to put some careful distance between them and the other group is not wasted. The enemies are close, too close to stop and set traps, or even hide their trail. Those efforts will happen once they're a little more secure. They didn't manage to shut up, but they are quieter, whispering in a sibilant way that blends with the sound of the wind through the leaves.

"Gila, what sssay? Detailsss now." Reki, the red kobold hisses. <draconic>

Gilagoon, the trailing and green kobold hisses back, "Gotsss Trak, Jak. Wants Matilda. Usssual liesss, give ssshiny let live, usssual threat, you no keep." <draconic>

"Ssay lots for jusst that. Any more?" <draconic> Blubbers, or Blubs, the blue kobold asks, running between the other two. 

"Assk Alex. Assk who givess Matilda. Nest-Mother promissess ssspank." <draconic> Gila hisses, ducking around a bush, a sssshhhss of sound as the leaves rub on armour.

Reki growls and rips a branch off a bush, throwing it down.

"Reki! Don't make eassier." <draconic> Blubs admonishes.

"How many isss? What elssse sssay?" <draconic> Reki stomps the ground.

"Issss giant, issss gnome, issss two half-oruchsssssss, is human. Iss cart, iss human driver, two ride horssesss, ride giant beetle. Ssso ssix to ten." Gila relays, bounding over a fallen log. A move that will make the kobold visible but its colour confidence is strong. "Tell Fizz givesss." <draconic>

"Not ssafe sshare that!" Blubs blurts, twisting to look back, "Ssstay low." <draconic>

"Maybe iss. Ssscariesst half-oruch sssound lessss." <draconic>

"And other? Isss trick. All trickss. Kill all, be ssafe." Reki provides her solution, "Iss good oruch, bad oruch game, and bad, bad, all thingss elsse. They tradesspeak wordss sspin you head. Alwayss liess." <draconic>

"Sset trapss. Go camp. Lasst try talking, tunnel esscape if they closse." <draconic> Gilagoon says. They reach a game trail and bolt down it.

"You ssure? Going tell all? Big big plan?" <draconic> Blubs stares out of smoked goggles.

"Gotss talk Alex for Big big plan. Not tell all. Tell some." <draconic> Gila hisses.

"Sstill think sshoot." <draconic>

"No kill Reki! Rememberss oath." Blubs begs, "Pleasse Reki. Change world." <draconic>

"Keeps shooting you Blubs. Hard forgive." The red kobold looks back, staring at the second, "You live, keep oath. You die, Reki follow." <draconic>

"All together one. Keep plan. Big rissk, big reward." <draconic> The green one summarizes, stopping to lay a smoke stone on the trail, carefully cover it with dirt, then laying a much more obvious stone nearby in a kobold footprint. The three vanish down the trail.

With the exception of Tawyse, the group is together again. Giving Aimarra an opportunity to explain her idea, and allow questions from the others that the encounter might have raised. So far, The first part of the plan seems successful, the kobolds haven't attacked. Whether the second part will work remains to be seen. The party can talk amongst themselves.

Glasha simply walks up to the group through the trees, kobold Jak under her right arm with Trax' chain in her right hand. In her left hand is the purpleheart wood of her axe-staff. She stops as she gets to the midst of the others in the party. 'What's the matter? We lose them?' She looks down at Jak under her arm. "You know where the others would have gone?" she asked him. <draconic>

Aimarra makes a face, but looks at the kobolds that Glasha holds, and mutters, "I want them to think we have. See if they'll lead us to their camp." She keeps it short and sweet.

The red woman makes her way to the group, disheveled some from her earlier spill, still spiny from her unwelcome passengers, and looking just a bit surly. "So.." she says in a low, even murmur, "We are taking them alive to answer questions, yes? To get to the root of this problem?" There's a look to the captives in the half-orc's care, probably a harder one than necessary, but she still has a bunch of spikes in her back and it's been on her nerves for some time.

Jak dangles limply, head and tail hanging down, tucked under Glasha's arm. Trak follows, staying close, attempting to avoid the chain being yanked so much that he often runs into Glasha's backside.

Jak twists his head around to look at the other garter-coloured kobold. Trak looks up. "Know yesss." Jak makes a small hiss.

"Easy show no chains?" Trak asks hopefully. <draconic>

Glasha looks at the red woman. 'Give me a second. I'll see if our prisoners can be of any use.' She then looks back at Trak. "What do you think? You think your compatriots are still worth taking alive? You think you can do convince them to peacefully give up the thing so we don't have to kill you? I want this to be over quickly so I can get back to studying and not have another hour of tracking you little poops through the woods? Because I'm this close to telling the rest of these nice people that the kid gloves are off." She turns so he's in front of her. She seems to realize that Kobold nosing her bottom is a risk of dragging one by prison shackles, but for conversation, it's less than ideal. <draconic>

While Elyanna and Glasha are speaking to the captives, Aimarra finally gets a good look at Elyanna, and says, louder this time, "Hold still." She goes around behind the half-oruch and starts picking caltrops out of the woman's back, one by one, collecting them in her hand as she goes. The captives, she leaves to the other two.

Elyanna looks to Glasha and nods, turning her attention briefly toward the kobolds before Aimarra's intonation snares it. She watches her move around behind her and nods, clenching her jaw.

Trak is dragged around in front of Glasha. He stares up at her, cowers as best he can, dropping low to the ground. The chains don't give him a lot of options. He smells bad now, worse than earlier, very lizardly. He is struggling both to understand all she's said, and come up with answers.

"No kill." Trak hissess, "Good guyss. Not give up Matilda."

He looks to see if Glasha is indeed, wearing gloves. That part definitely confused him, and something else she said. His words are full of nervousness and surprise.

"You going poop in the woods?"

Jak hisses a short burst of laughter.

Distantly, around the party, nothing much moves. There is a light wind, so leaves and bushes are always swaying gently. None in a way that suggest something is near. <draconic>

Glasha stretches a bit. 'Okay, so Trak wants to show us where the camp is. He says they won't give up Matilda, though, which I think is the their name for the thing. Aimarra? Somebody? You wanna take Trak's chain? I'll tell him to guide us.' She then looks at Trak and says, "Listen to me, Trak. I'm going to hand off your chain. You guide, we'll follow. If the others don't immediately give up Matilda, we will kill all of them and take their hides back for money. I don't want to do that, but you all broke the law, and it's not a crime to kill kobolds. I don't want to, but these nice people do, and we tried twice to do things the easy way. Three strikes, you're out." She keeps eye contact with Trak as she says, 'I told him to guide us. If he yells, let him. I told him if they don't surrender Matilda quickly when we find them, they're as good as bounty fodder.' <draconic>

Elyanna bears the extractions with only the occassional twinging grunt, or hitch of breath, though she continues to watch the Kobolds while Glasha explains their relative compliance, "Ma-TIL(!)-da is an odd name for Kobolds to use, is it not?" Once she's sure she's been deburred, she intones a quiet, "My thanks." over her shoulder, then, "The guard captain has ambitions for the weapon, though it was not originally his, as I understand."

"Sure." Aimarra drops the handful of caltrops into her belt pouch for the moment. "The guard claims they stole it from him, but I ain't buying that. I think he gave it to 'em." The shrug in her tone betrays her indifference as she comes back around to take the chain offered, but after a moment, she looks up at Elyanna. "Probably better if you take the other one's chain. You're scarier, and I want to see if the others' tracks take us the same place they do."

<pre>GAME: Aimarra rolls dexterity: (7)+3: 10</pre>

The caltrops have a substance on them still, on all the points that weren't in the half-oruch.

The little garter-kobold continues to stare up at Glasha, then looks at Aimarra. Everyone is so tall. He visibly swallws, and pleads, "Good guys no kill." He looks at Glasha's axe, Elyanna's bleeding back, Aimarra's bow. He swallows again. Their determination is clear.

Trak remains meek as his chain is transfered, no sudden attempt to dash for freedom. Jak likewise, stays limp. His occasional struggles are more to reposition for his crushed organs than an attempt to escape.

Trak looks around at the group, stands up as tall as he can and sniffs the air. He picks a direction and starts trudging in it. Shackled with chains, he can't move fast, and he might be moving at a deliberate speed on purpose. <draconic>

"Then give up Matilda!" Glasha shouts at Trak. "I am sick of running around this bush with you! You stole it; we want it back; giving it back is the only way these nice people aren't going to murder the loincloths off your mates!" She huffs out a sigh. 'We /are/ sure this didn't originally belong to the Kobolds, aren't we? We're not stealing from them, are we? Because just because they have a nice toy doesn't mean we're entitled to it if they didn't steal it.' <draconic>

<pre>GAME: Glasha rolls Sense Motive: (13)+1: 14
GAME: Aimarra rolls sense motive: (16)+2: 18
GAME: Elyanna rolls sense motive: (11)+7: 18</pre>

Elyanna nods and steps forward to accept the kobold's leaash. SHe absorbs what was said, then, "The Sergeant was certain the Kobolds possessed the weapon and the captain overheard and thought to simply come and claim it. He left his crossbow when they thwarted him." She regards her new charge, then her companions, "What of the others?"

Trak is being slower than he could be, that's almost certainly true.

Noting the lackluster pace their guide is presenting, the silver tressed whip in her other hand uncoils before she serpentines her arm in a swift motion to crack the whip overhead as she would a wagon train.

'He keeps saying they're good guys and doesn't want us to kill them,' Glasha says. 'I really would like to comply, since killing sentients isn't a great idea by any of my families' moral codes, but I also really think this is entirely more complicated than it needs to be. From what I've heard of the other kobolds shouting at each other, the weapon isn't something they're used to having. They were arguing over who got to hold it at one point. That tells me it's not something that belongs to any one of them. They didn't seem that surprised at what it did, and they've named it, so it's possible they've had it longer than we've been led to believe.' She then says in Draconic, "How did you guys get Matilda?" <draconic>

<pre><OOC> Tracking survival DC, DC15 Firm Ground, -1 for three, +1 for small. So, DC15
GAME: Glasha rolls Survival: (6)+6: 12
GAME: Aimarra rolls survival+1: (6)+10+1: 17</pre>

The tracks are easy to follow. They go straight away from the party's current location for what was likely half a minute of movement, then they turn hard right. No attempt to disguise the tracks. Those lead to a game trail, and they stay on it. The trail roughly points towards the river.

Trak jumps, and starts pulling on the chain off in a direction which is a hard right from where the kobolds were last seen heading.

"Let's see if he's leading us right." Aimarra signals to the others to follow Trak, but goes on ahead. She returns before long, seemingly satisfied. "Found their tracks, they're running along the river," the ranger girl tells the others. "Probably buying time for them to lay a trap. Want me to go on ahead?"

"I am making the new leaf turn." Elyanna replies as Trak finds new reserves of enthusiasm with her gentle coaxing after Glasha has spoken. "I believe someone else provided them the weapon, the accounts have ben that this lot have not killed, even when refused tithe." With the ranger's corroboration and inquiry, she nods, "Yes. Of us all, you are best able to respond to.... Matilda."

<pre>GAME: Glasha casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15</pre>

Glasha watches Trak move. "Where you goin'," she asks. She leans her axe against herself and shifts her hand, speaking out some eldritch. Grabbing the haft of her axe again, she moves toward Trak. "Where did you get Matilda? Are you leading us to the camp or do I have to become angry with you?" <draconic>

"Trail. Go Camp." Trak gasps, pulling on the chain. It's like walking a sizeable dog. Hopefully he's not leashed in a choker fashion, that could turn unfortunate. He pulls through bushes with a strong intent. Every time he goes around a tree, it's on the north side. A tiny bit of backtracking. He reaches a game trail the same time Aimarra does, although much further back. He turns towards her voice and starts heading down it. <draconic>

<pre><OOC> Cryosanthia nods, "Okay, roll perception. DC15."
GAME: Glasha rolls Perception: (8)+1: 9
GAME: Aimarra rolls perception: (2)+9: 11
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "okay, roll a Fort save please, DC 13"
GAME: Aimarra rolls fortitude: (2)+5: 7</pre>

The game trail is obvious and easy to follow. There are no tracks where Trak joins it, but plenty for the half-elf to see. Very obvious, looks like the other kobolds were running. The bushes are high on either side of this, making for a good tunnel for small critters. Ahead, there's a stone in the path. It's barely remarkable, there are plenty of stones. This one looks like it was kicked up when they ran by. Just to be safe, best not to step on it.

Stepping around it doesn't work. There's a sudden cloud of gas surrounding. Thick and nauseating, it causes immediate coughing.

And an immediate halt to her pursuit.

And part two of the plan officially fails when a high-pitched, hissy voice calls loudly from some distance away. Far enough that the speaker can't be seen. It's unlikely the kobold can see the party, it would have to be at an elevation. On the ground it would have a face full of bushes, no visibility. From the sound of the voice, it's the same kobold who addressed the party before.

"Hey maybe not-lying ssoft sskinss! Want talk! You come usss. Look around. Find trail. Very eassy follow." There's a pause, is that laughing? Are they laughing or is it the hissing of the wind through the trees. "Leave two trapss for you! Go slow, look careful. Trail end, talk! No run up!"

Then silence.

Trak stops, looking back at Elyanna, Glasha, and carried Jak. He's feeling brave enough to answer. Perhaps it was hearing the green kobold, although there's no indication he understands tradespeak. Perhaps it was Aimarra setting off a trap. "Always had. Not local. Come in Freeze." <draconic>

Ely tries to keep Trak from getting loose, but does make note of his choices. She glances back to Glasha, "Assuming they have prepared this route beforehand, we should be wary." Hmmm, more softly still, in more natural sounding Orcish, /I can perhaps disable them briefly with magic, but I must be within twice the reach of my lash./ Then, with the kobold's dialogue, "What is being said?"

Aimarra drops to her knees, coughing heavily, and isn't going anywhere before the group reaches her again. When they do, they'll find her retching into the undergrowth off the edge of the trail, on hands and knees.

Glasha just stops. "What do you mean you always had it?" she says. 'He says they've always had the weapon. Guys, I'm not stealing from anyone, even Kobolds. Ely, please bring Trak to me.' <draconic>

Trak is led over, he seems to be struggling to come up with an answer.

Jak ends up providing one. "Reki, Gila, Blubs, not local. Come sunrise. Jak, Trak, local."

Trak nods vigorously, rattling his chains, "Not local. Always had. Had one small. That taken."

'Rocks And.' Jak says, nodding, "Matilda last. Lose"'Rocks And'. <draconic>

The sight of Aimarra in the dirt coughing isn't a particularly welcome one, but trying to help her while keeping a captive in hand isn't going to work, either. Elyanna turns and with a little tug to indicate a change of plans, she leads the little one back to Glasha, "Here." Once the transfer is made, she turns to warily make her way back toward Aimarra, trying to avoid 'rocks'

Glasha groans. "You guys need to work on your diction," she says. 'Okay,' she kneels down and pinches Jak between her thighs as she holds Jak's chain. 'Jak and Trak are local. Reki, Gila, and Blubs aren't. They came this morning.' She sighs. 'I'm going to try to get a little more, but it sounds like they've had Matilda for a long time.' She pulled Jack close, no anger in her face. "Speak plainly. You're smarter than the small words you've been using. I know it. You are Jak, member of the trap-making Kobold race. Traps require smarts. Be smart. Tell me the truth, and know my axe will be your penalty if you lie. Where did Matilda come from?" <draconic>

Trak is pulled closer. He's eyeing the axe. Jak isn't, as Glasha is kind-of riding him, and kobolds definitely weren't meant to be ridden. Especially as her thigh-squeeze holds his feet off the ground. He twists to look up at her, letting his arms dangle. He sounds a little more frantic, "Always had."

"Always had," Trak echoes, chains rattling. They both smell horrible, "Always had. From plans?"

"Plans!" Jak nods vigorously, "From plans! Have plans! Seen plans. Ask Blubs!"

"Ask Blubs." Trak echoes again, "Blubs plans. Goblin plans." <draconic>

The insistance that they've always had it, but only just.... wait. Elyanna replies, "They had the weapon as long as Trak has known them. Perhaps they others gained it first, then brought these two into their group." She continues to close to Aimarra, carefully avoiding rocks, "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah." Slowly, still shaky and clearly not feeling at all well, Aimarra starts to get to her feet, turning away from her own vomit as if the very smell of it might make her retch again.

Glasha sets Jak down and stands, no longer holding him. 'They built Matilda from goblin plans,' she says. 'I don't know who really wants it, but I'm not stomping on someone just because the man who signs our paychecks covets their nicer toy.' She reaches out with her hand and speaks some unspeakable words from beyond the farthest stars as her free hand gestures. Two glowing balls of energy fly out from her hand and pierce the keyholes. From the inside of the locks flashes before the shackles fall from Trak's wrists. "I don't care what you did, if you set up a toll road in this kingdom again, I will take you to face execution myself. Now get out of my sight." She shouts up. "I set Jak and Trak free. You want to trade, come down. If not, these nice people can do whatever they want. If you don't want to trade, I, the voice of reason who keep them from killing you outright, am leaving." <draconic>

'Get out of my sight' is an easy order to understand, and orders one wants to obey are very easy to, especially when they're bellowed by an angry momma-orc who has clearly lost her patience. The two kobolds take off down the trail. They flow around Elyanna and Aimarra, leaving the trail to go through the bushes as they pass, then they're back on it and their bobbing tails soon pass quickly from sight.

If there are further traps on the trail, they either know their location or a kobold's passing isn't enough to set them off. It's quiet.

No response.

Jak and Trak have only been gone a minute though.

"I... do not want to reward such men as that Lieutenant." Elyanna replies thoughtfully, offering a hand to Aimarra to take if she would, "But, we must sway them from brigandage. it will only lead to someone else seeking their blood."

Aimarra takes the hand, and gets shakily to her feet. "You mean you believe a word those two say? The whole lot of them lied like a bunch of shoddy rugs when they blocked the bridge, you know that. They tell us we're liars, they're a great big pack of 'em." She shakes her head. "You ask me, both sides are lying, and I don't believe for a minute they built something like that themselves. They probably stole it from someone else."

Glasha thumps her axe's haft against the ground before she turns to Aimarra. "Fine, then you go slaughter some kobolds if it helps you feel better. I was promised this was a translation job, and at least one of them speaks trade-speak. You want to fill them with arrows, be my guest. I am not taking part in anything morally ambiguous enough to become a murder charge. I'm here as a translator. That's it." <sildanyari>

No response. Silence.

The wind rustles through the leaves. Bugs whine distantly, birds flutter randomly from tree to tree. Motes fall, and pollen, drifting in the shafts of sunlight that penetrate down. The light levels under the trees are good. It's peaceful, as far as forests go. The sort of peace that preceeds an ambush.

No ambush.

How long is the trail? Were they listening? What's going to happen? No answers to Glasha's ultimatum. Just the wind, and it whispers nothing too.

"I believe the Sergeant. The Lieutenant is much like men I have known, and stunting his rise in rank would be well for the city." Elyanna replies distantly, "I am discontent with this whole affair." She frowns, shakes her head and goes silent, looking between her fellows.

Glasha looks out into the woods. "Is anyone still there?" she calls out, then waits for the response. <draconic>

"You stomp your weapon on the ground as a child stomps its foot when it throws a tantrum," Aimarra replies, crossing her arms across her chest. "And you throw blind accusations. They're both crooked, that much do I agree on. We are being paid to seek this thunderbelcher out, not to decide who's right. You do as you like. I'm going back to Alexandria." The ranger turns to leave, by a different direction, but pauses to add to Elyanna, 'The Alexandrian guards might have some insight on who is lying. We won't find more here, yet.' <sildanyari>

<pre>GAME: Glasha casts Invisibility. Caster Level: 3 DC: 16</pre>

Glasha's response doesn't come in the speech of mortals. Instead, she gestures and speaks a few syllables in the unknowable language of the ancients before simply disappearing. <unknown>

The forest is quiet.

Except when it isn't, because of heated words. Between them the buzzing of bugs continues. A minute grows into two, two into five.

After five minutes, there is a distant, high pitched hissy reply. It sounds like Jak, "Is come! No shoot!" He's being very noisy, it's easy to hear where he is.

The footsteps approach and the kobold appears on the trail. He stops very visibly, and very far from the group. Apparently quite aware of the distance a charge can cover. He holds up an oblong leather pouch, a bolt quivver. He waves it so it's seen, then places it on the trail.

"Gila wants talk. Answers trade for Jak and Trak. T-Bow to trade. Woods not safe, some you hiding still. Come camp. One trap trail still."

That said, he turns and starts down the trail at a slower pace, remaining visible. <draconic>

Footsteps kick up dust as someone invisible runs not on the path to follow Jak. <draconic>

When Glasha disappears, Aimarra simply shrugs. "Good riddance," she remarks to Elyanna. "I say we go back to Alexandria and question the other guards. They'll know if he previously had it or not. I don't for one second buy that kobolds were the original owners of that thing." 

Then, Jak returns, and she turns, eyebrows lifting. "I ... think he wants us to follow. Some of them speak Trade. Let's see what they have to say."

Elyanna is about to purge frustration, as things start to break down within her group. Though, as Jak returns, she breaks off any retort she's about to afford and, after a breath, nods, "Perhaps. Let us see." as she idly coils her whip, but doesn't put it away. If she noticed the invisible pursuit, she gives no sign.

Jak is easy enough to follow, on or off the trail. He's not moving that quickly and is keeping an eye on Elyanna and Aimarra. He's looking off the trail, in all directions, the number of unknown foes have increased.

The leather quivver is in good repair. It looks very new, and the sort that is issued the Alexandrian guards. There are bolts inside, but it's not full.

The trail continues, it's not a direct route as animals wander a bit, but it does have a clear direction that is approaching the river. At one point Jak stops, and is pointing at the air. A closer examination shows a spidersilk thin strand, at chest height for a normal humanoid. He easily passes beneath. It is attached to a very dead looking tree. Exactly how it will bring the tree down isn't clear, but that it's a deadfall is.

The second trap carefully avoided, the trail continues then enters a more open area. The trees and underbrush get a little more sparse. There is a visible wall of rock, a crack in it, and a cave. Noteably, there isn't a lot of brush close to the entrance.

<pre>Kobold Cave Legend .clear 'scrub, *tree #rock
Each row/col, . etc, is 5'

-..A.B.C.D.E.F.G.H.I.J.K.L.M.N.O.P.Q.R.S.T.
01|*.......***''''''.....''''...*****'''''.
-.|..##**'''**...'''''.....'''...'''****''.
02|*'#...''.'...**'.......''..''**''..''**.
-.|......**''''***''.....**''....'''...***.
03|''''......*''''''***.......''##'''......
-.|''..'''....''...'''*''''....''#''.......
04|'...''....**''''''''.......'''**''....''
-.|'...''...'**''..'''''''.....'''..''''***
05|'''''......**''''''''...'''......''''***
-.|***......''''''''.......'''''...'''''''*
06|*'''''''''....................''''''''''
-.|##''...'''...''..............****###***.
07|####*****###''.......''****'''####*''**#
-.|#####**########\.\######################
08|################|.|#####################
-.|#################/./####################
              Cave Entrance</pre>

The kobold managed this trek at a run, with enough time to talk and run back under five minutes. The party follows him back at a slower pace, making it more like five to ten minutes.

Jak puts on a burst of speed at this point, making a somewhat curved beeline towards the cave where he can get inside. He runs with his head down, expecting to get whipped, or shot. He's heard stories.

From inside the cave, about ten feet back, the green kobold calls out. "See you. No run up. Owe answers for Trak, Jak. No giving up shiny boom. Got T-Bow trade, bolts free, ha-ha! So talk!"

Glasha pops into visibility just in time to slash upward with her greataxe, cutting the line to the tree trap. She continues to jog after Jak with the practiced skill of someone who runs often, despite being a wizard. As Jak returns to his little hidey hole, Glasha stops, listening to the other. "Can you speak more clearly in Draconic?" she asks. "I'm getting very tired of listening to you all chirp out grunts like rock-wielding primitives." <draconic>

When Glasha pops back into view, Aimarra shoots a look at Elyanna, one that might leave her eyes bouncing across the trail were she to roll them any harder. "Look who's back," she mutters low enough for only Elyanna to hear. She opts to follow, though, at a safer distance.

Elyanna walks more smoothly now that she diesn't have little spikes in her back, and she explains, "The Sargeant was ordered not to speak to us about the kobolds, the Lieutenant has a way of making his problems disappear, speaking to more of his men may not net us any gains." She gives Glasha a curious look as she appears to disarm the trap, then, after turning in time to catch Aimarra's look, a knowing one of her own, then continues apace, "The kobold group tried to hold up a caravan a tenday before we originally got the job. The wagoniers told the Kobolds they didn't have the necessary writs and rode through, but they did not fire." A shrug, "The lieutenant ordered there to be no report of the incident and he would handle it himself. Then ended up handing them a piece of paper and his crossbow."

As they near the cave, and the trades begin, she nods and makes a show of hanging her whip back into place on her belt before she says anything, "Is there a way we could convince you to hunt and trade, rather than try to take tolls?"

'Is good orc? Bad orc game?' The green kobold calls back. It's using the rock walls as cover. As Jak enters the cave, he turns and picks up a shield and positions in front of Gila. They've got cover now, if they decide to duck into it. Green repeats in draconic, "Is good orc? Bad orc game? You threaten. You want take Matilda. You draconic lots words. Kobolds less. Intuit. You say skin us, why trust?" <draconic>

Switching back to tradespeak, the kobold calls out again, 'There six, ten of you, see three. Others sneak up? Where are?'

There is a moment, then an answer to Elyanna too. 'Ideas good. Talk ideas. What hunt big gold? What trade? Toll for keeping Kobold Bridge bandit free.'

Well, free of bandits that aren't kobolds, perhaps. 

Glasha huffs out a sigh. She begins to speak to her party. 'Kobolds aren't stupid, at least on average. They're as smart as humans. Logically, some are dumber, some are smarter, but on average, human adult intelligence. They're servants of Dragons. Natural selection says all the dumb ones have been eaten or burnt to a crisp by now, yet these kobolds act and speak like they haven't got two brain cells to rub together between them. I'm beginning to see why no dragon wants these particular ones,' she says, glaring back at the cave, knowing at least one Kobold understands her. "Look, I've been trying to get through this with all of you surviving unhurt. If you want to talk, we can talk. We came for Matilda, and I'd like to get you a fair deal out of it, if we can, but honestly, I'm quite honestly done with this. I signed on to translate, not to argue with purile infants who can't conjugate properly." <draconic>

"I have no idea where the others went," Aimarra shrugs. "Most likely to look after the Mourner." Her tone is dismissive, but she directs her next comment at Glasha. "Do they think we blindly believe what they say?" Folds her arms again. Yep.

Elyanna listens to the words of the kobold, sighs, then, "Likely back with the wagon. We are not sure." The response to her question gives her some hope that something resembling reason is actually at play, then, "The City Alex comes from claims the bridge. Taking tolls makes the city think you are bandits." She shrugs a little and shoots a look back to her partymates as they chime in, "Some not scaled will give shiny coins for certain beast. Good food, good hides, yes?"

"Told you," comes a voice from deeper inside, probably red. "Matilda, Matilda, Matilda. All want Matilda. Is trick. Come inside before you, Blubs shot again." <draconic>

"Reki, let work this." <draconic> The green kobold growls back. 'Shiny boom ours. Not yours. Keeping. Lots promises, not kept. Not first time softskins chase. Being very patient too. Others run up, you say 'oops?' like before.'

Elyanna's response gets something more engaged, 'Who decides? Kobold river, Kobold bridge! Alex own sky and mountain too? Ask Alex for toll paper, get shot. First on hill not bandits, all else is? What you rules are?' 

Glasha turns and looks to Elyanna, then Aimarra, then she says, 'I'm done.' She turns to the cave. "I'm done," she repeats in Draconic. She then starts walking. 'I'm going home. I'm hot; I'm tired; this is getting us nowhere; this is either a gray area or a stubborn negotiation, but one of them speaks Trade-speak, so...I'm done. No more translator needed, I'm running out of spells, and the elf can sit on a cactus if she thinks I'm going to listen to her insult me again.' <draconic>

"I do not know who built the bridge. Or paid gold for it to be made. That is usually how it is done here...." Elyanna starts, turning a questioning look back to Aimarra, "Yes?" That said she turns back to the Kobolds, "I-" She breaks off as Glasha says her peace and makes her departure, "Very well." she offers thoughtfully, glancing to the ranger in case the verbage gets a response, then, "But if another way is found, would you be willing to think about doing it, instead of risking more of this?"

"We done too!" Red calls from inside the cave, then there's a sound of a struggle, green saying, "Let go!", and red repeating, "We done, we leaving. Too many hiding. Tell them want talk, find later. Going now." <draconic>

More sounds of struggle, but green moves out of sight, calling, 'Yes. Talk more ideas, later. Going now. Too dangerous. Leave cave for you. Dare you see what behind Door Number Two!'

There's a flicker of motion that suggests Jak scuttled away from the shield and deep into the cave.

And so, inadvertantly, the kobolds enact their version of Aimarra's plan. Quietly vanishing and leaving the party to wonder what is in the cave. Are they? Waiting deep inside behind a defensive array of traps? Have they absconded through some secret exit? How well prepared are they, are they smarter as Glasha insists, and this is an elaborate set-up. Could the red just been pretending to lose its temper all this time? Many things, that might spark curiosity and set it burning.

Though Elyanna's whips whisper to her, it enjoyed the taste of their blood and wants more. They both do.

"All right, princess." Aimarra looks after Glasha's retreating back, then calls back. "Truthfully, I don't care who gets what or who does what. Turn us back, fine. I tell Alexandria it's a bigger threat than we realized, and get reinforcements. Or, I can go back and tell the city guard that the Lieutenant is paying a bunch of kobolds to brigand a bridge for his own profit." When the kobolds vanish, she just shrugs and looks at Elyanna. "Half of me wants to collapse the cave entrance and leave it."

Some decision will have to be made.

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==Tactical Stuff==

<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "The forest is 'medium density' so mostly small trees, a few large ones, and a significant amount of light undergrowth. You can share a space with a tree, it gives you +2AC, +1 Reflex, and assume it's dense enough you can end your move on a tree if you want, or in underbrush, or in the open. The underbrush is 70, so, you're movement rates in the forest are a little better than 1/2. 20'/r drops to 15'/r, 30'/r -> 20'r, 50'/r -> 30'/r. Trees and underbrush prevent charging/running, but you can get a double move if you like. There are also perception negatives, which will come into play. At ranges 60' and under, ranged attacks are normal, at ranges 60' and over, it's +2AC for 10' to reflect trees in the way. Also, if you want to 'Spur self', you can make an Athetics roll DC15, to get 10' more movement, and take 1d3 NL from crashing through bushes. Basically the same as 'Spur Mount', although mounts take real damage I think. To give you some more options and tactics. Some steath bonuses if you end in underbrush (+2 to your steath roll)"
<br><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "And the usual disclaimers, tragedy is easy, comedy is hard and I haven't eaten yet. :) (oh crap the grill!)"