2012-12-06
Sero Flek is walking along at night in the swamps near Pithfield when a shadowy humanoid figure appears. A robe-ed Lizardfolk. He asks Winifred if she sees it, and gets no response. The figure begins to approach.
Sero Flek smiles with all of his charming teeth, and hails the stranger.
"GREETINGS! I AM A HUMBLE KNITTER OF STICKS WHO IS LOST AND ALONE! I AM SO GLAD YOU CAME ALONG! A """BASKET-WEAVER""" WHO IS SOMEWHAT """SIMPLE-MINDED""" AND NEEDS ASSISTANCE! PLEASE FEED ME WITH YOUR FOOD AND SHELTER ME IN YOUR HOME!”
The Lizardfolk stops and says (in Common) "Do you realize the hornet's nest you have kicked and the power you have roused?”
Sero Flek decided it was worth one last shot at denial. "HORNETS? WHERE!? I AM MILDLY ALLERGIC!”
"You. Are. An imbecile. You should come with me.”
"Yes! Yes I will come with you! Friend! 'New friend'. Where are we going new friend?”
The lizardfolk starts walking perpendicular to the direction Sero Flek was walking and says "Are you... do you know exactly what you were doing, talking to the bunch at the ruins?”.
Sero Flek considers this a moment and says "I thought I did. But then I thought I didn't. On reflection, I didn't.”
"You have roused the anger of a false god, and we are going to mitigate the damage.” At this point, Sero Flek considered the potential that Elven Sacrifice might be considered a viable way to mitigate damage where false gods are concerned, and he decided to ingratiate himself with his new guide.
"I didn't catch your name friend, what was your name friend? I'm Sero Flek.” "I am Alklathix, Shaman of the Lizardfolk who do not want to massacre all of the humans in that town.”
"Well met Alklathix, that is my favourite type of Lizardfolk! How are we going to mitigate the damage?” "We'll see what we can do.”"
They continued to walk, as the glow in the east slowly grew brighter, daylight approaching fast.
Back at the Temple of Nephe in Eathe, Brannock Genji decided that as Ulfgar Firehands, Tyrus and his good self were already up and active, he would wake up the still-sleeping Kobold and Monk by obtaining a pot and ladle from the kitchens and employing them in an improvised percussive performance. Gerrant climbed up his body and threatened to vomit on him, and when he went down again Brannock Genji got stuck into Juxhil. Two Delay Poisons (to mask the effects of the alcohol) and one Calm Emotions (to prevent Juxhil from disembowelling Brannock Genji) later everyone decided they need to find Sero Flek, and first of all they should find Ulfgar Firehands.
They found Ulfgar Firehands finishing breakfast, and notice that he has placed a written note in the centre of the table:
Tyrus: Well, I suppose that this note is partly a reqwuest that I pwovide some explanation as to my involvement in what happened yesterday? Ulfgar Firehands: The whole situation in general really, but answers would be nice.
Tyrus begins explaining that after hearing that Brannock Genji had not found the others he became concerned for their safety and scried their location. Seeing the situation beginning to escalate he hurried to negotiate temporary access to a pair of Boots of Teleportation and transformed his appearance into that of Doc, demonstrating the illusion mid-explanation.
Brannock Genji: This seems sensible, I mean it makes sense to me... Tyrus: Well I was hoping you'd feel that way, but I was concerned that Ulfgar Firehands, Gerrant and Sero Flek might feel that I was not twusting their judgement to go into the swamp with the Lizardfolk. Brannock Genji: Well of course you didn't, you wouldn't trust these fellas? Ulfgar Firehands glares at Brannock Genji and grabs the final sausage, eating it angrily. Brannock Genji: What!? It's not like you're captain responsible!?
At this point, Gerrant attempted to shove the table at Tyrus, who the movement coming and braced himself against it in time to prevent it from moving, which sent Gerrant pushing his chair over backward, though he himself managed to step off the chair as it overbalanced. The moment his feet hit the ground he was walking out of the room; Tyrus called after him "Gerrant, wait, where are you going?” but on getting no response he rose to follow. Heading to the closest courtyard Gerrant began a forearm training routine by repeatedly hitting a marble pillar.
Tyrus tried again "Gerrant, what's wrong?” and received only the THUD THUD THUD THUD of arms against the pillar in response.
Ulfgar Firehands joined them outside (followed eventually by the others) and muttered something, sending Mr Sniffles climbing up the back of Gerrant's clothing to perch on his shoulder, wiggling it's nose at Gerrant "adorably”.
Ulfgar Firehands May I bring your attention back to the agenda? Tyrus: I think this Gerrant's way of saying the same thing. But Gerrant, why don't you simply tell us how you feel?
Gerrant begins punching harder, now incorporating knees, starting to skuff the marble pillar, and with each hit a word: "YOU. LIED. THAT'S. NOT. OK." At this point Tyrus cast Calm Emotions causing Gerrant to stop punching and kneeing, and said "I wasn't trying to lie to you, I was lying to the Lizardfolk so that they might let you go without bloodshed.”
Still staring at the pillar, Gerrant reponded in a perfectly level tone "Upon finding that your breach of my trust has offended me, your chosen course of action is to calm me with spellcraft?”.
Tyrus exploded "My breach of your 'trust'? I was trying to save your life, and you feel that the fact that I waited until now to explain things to you justifies this aggression? This defilement of the temple of those who have given you a bed and a woof over your head? You feel that this is weasonable behaviour? I calmed you because I want to discuss things with you, but 'fine'" as he dismissed the effects of Calm Emotions) "If you so badly want to be violent, be violent."
Ulfgar Firehands; "Ladies, gentlemen, please calm yourselves. While this is important to discuss, the longer we stand around the less likely we are to find that bastard of a bard (I kid, Juxhil, I kid!)."
Gerrant continued to regard the scuffed marble post and said "So what you're saying is, the End Justifies The Means.”
"No. I do things to help you all the time, but I don't expect to explain to you every thing I do as I do it."
Juxhil, having had enough, interjects forcefully.
"OKAY! Tyrus, our 'friend' Tyrus, he fucked up! And you're angry, but that's okay, that's reasonable. But you must 'forgive' him, so he may improve!"
Turning on Ulfgar Firehands and Brannock Genji "And 'you'! Hanging shit on Sero Flek... 'He fucked up too'! But wouldn't you 'all' have done something like that in similar circumstances!? I know there are plenty of times I would much rather run from the thing that is about to hurt me! So. We go, we forgive him, and we save him!"
Brannock Genji stood himself up from the flagstones where he'd been reclining and watching all of this unfold to raise the issue of multiple similar offences from Sero Flek, explicitly citing the time he wilfully provoked a pair of Giants who had been peacefully leaving at the time and asking why they should ignore that.
Juxhil "Because nobody is perfect, and some people are less perfect than others.”
Gerrant: "And he needs to be found, so he can be put down.”
Brannock Genji begins edging towards the way out of the courtyard in the direction of the stables, trying to move everyone else along "The way I see it, I'm kinda bored. The way I see it we all want to find Sero Flek, if for different reasons. Are we all happy with that?”
Ulfgar Firehands "Gerrant, will you agree not to put him down on sight?”
Gerrant: "Well I'm not a judge.”
Ulfgar Firehands: "You want a trial?"
Gerrant: "That's the process?"
Tyrus”What exactly do we mean by "put down”?
Gerrant: "Well he's a liar and a thief and a slaver...”
Tyrus: He's a liar, I'll give you that..."
Brannock Genji: (Sarcastically) "And as a Baron, very hard to convict, friends in high places and able to bribe the courts.”
Gerrant looked aghast at the suggestion that courts could be bought.
Tyrus: "And what penalties do you feel are appropriate for his alleged crimes?"
Gerrant: "Theft: Fines, incarceration, potentially death when relating to cases of grand fraud etc. Slavery: Generally a mob lynching. But I'm not the judge to proscribe these punishments."
Tyrus: I'm not sure of Sero Flek's entire past, but I'm fairly sure he was never a slaver. A liar to be sure as I've said. I'm not aware of him being a thief, but he's definitely not a Baron."
Gerrant (incredulous) "What do you mean he's not a Baron?”
Mr Sniffles advised Ulfgar Firehands that his feelings on the matter of Sero's legitimacy as a Baron matched Tyrus'.
Ulfgar Firehands: This might sound insane, but it is the opinion of my Rat that he's not a Baron.
Gerrant asks Mr Sniffles "What do you mean he's not a Baron?”
Mr Sniffles spoke again to Ulfgar Firehands, who translated: "He's full of shit."
Gerrant: Do you mean to tell me that you knowingly travel with a repeated liar!?"
Brannock Genji (leaving): In my defence, I tried to tell you several times.
Gerrant: How do you people function? You can't be relied on to tell anyone anything!
Juxhil: (Following Brannock Genji) Welcome to the party of rejects. Gerrant crumples into a heap, sobbing.
Brannock Genji: Juxhil, you ain't that bad after all.
Juxhil: Shut up.
Ulfgar Firehands walks up to Gerrant and pats him on the shoulder. "It's okay lad. As you can see, sometimes we function badly."
Gerrant (stops sobbing) "My master had a saying that I've never understood until now: Fuck it." and begins to head after Brannock Genji and Juxhil.
Ulfgar Firehands: "Well, friend. Looks like we have some shit to do."
Tyrus: "Ulfgar Firehands, I'm glad you still call me that." and begins to follow the others, composing the message for a casting of Sending.
Ulfgar Firehands runs back inside and grabs a bottle of potent alcohol, casting a couple of mendings on the pillar before hustling after Tyrus and the others.
Meanwhile in the swamps near Pithfield.
Sero Flek has been lead to what appears to be a camp of Lizardfolk. His keen Elven Eyes detect that they do not appear to have any kind of draconic symbols burnt into their chests. His host says "So, what do you know of Imthaikalus?”
"Not a lot”
"...So you just thought you'd just rock up to the stronghold?”
"Well, I thought they'd respond better than they did.”
"To a basketweaver?” her voice dripping with mock surprise, if Lizardfolk had eyebrows one of hers would have been cocked.
Sero Flek, not even fully remembering that he had attempted to pose as one, reponds.
ENGAGE SHATNERMODE
"Oh no. I'm a bard! A singer of songs! A teller of tales! A lover" (purred, without any attempt at subtlety) "and occasionally, unfortunately a fighter. People love me! Generally. Tell me more of this, Imthaikalus.”
She says "I'm afraid I'm not available. Imthaikalus is a Dragon with some rather large plans and an even larger ego. He's decided it would be a good idea to take over a small tribe of Lizardfolk and go from there and see how much he can control. He's proven partially successful at this by taking roughly half the tribe, and need I remind you that when a Dragon asks you to follow him it's rather hard to say no.”
"Why's that?”
"Dragon's have an Aura about them. Anyway, since you went up and crippled his best lieutenant it may be that he has realized that the stakes have been raised. The town has sent people against him, so what appears to be happening now is that they'll send his whole force to the village and try to take it over. Maybe he will, maybe he won't, but either way it won't go well for us.”
"I'm confused, this village or the one over that way?”
"The Human town.”
"How will that affect you?”
"Either he takes over his main resistance and then he's even stronger, or he will be beaten back and some other "Adventurers" will decide that the Lizardfolk problem needs to be dealt with and we'll have problems from them.”
Sleazily "Well baby, I have a lot of swing down in the capital, and I could just tell everyone you guys aren't the problem. So if we can deal with him, you and I have a bit of a... tête-à-tête, and everything will be just fine.”
She stares at him for longer than is comfortable for a normal person.
"I think that some of my people can be turned and as such it would be a good idea if some of us went to the town in preparation.”" Sero Flek thinks a moment, then says "I can't think how that would go wrong, let's go.”
So, with the sun now above the horizon, a couple of dozen Lizardfolk form a small militia and start to head to town with Sero Flek up front in the hopes that it will prevent people from assuming that they are a raiding party, when Tyrus' Sending is received.
"Where are you? What happened to you? Should we come and get you? You have twenty five words to reply."
He responds "Met some friendly lizardfolk, there's a dragon going to attack Pithfield, I'm heading there with the friendlies to fortify. You should come.”
Back at the stables in Eathe.
The party conferred their collective knowledge about Dragons.
- They fly.
- They have breath weapons.
- They are magical and as such Gerrant finds the subect fascinating.
- There are two main "types":
- Metallic Dragons are generally "good".
- Chromatic Dragons are generally "evil".
- Metallic dragons have more or less disappeared though they were far more common in antiquity, however Chromatic dragons are still around. Most likely that what we're dealing with here would be a Black or Green Dragon, who both have acidic breath weapons and are known to swim.
- They have a Frightful Presence, which can leave enemies frightened or shaken.
Ulfgar Firehands recalled the Black Hammer doing Corrosive damage and so would bet on the Dragon being Black.
Gerrant takes a swig of ale, not noticing and says "Never punched a Dragon before.”
Ulfgar Firehands takes a swig from his bottle "Never set fire to a Dragon before".
Juxhil grabs the same bottle and swigs "Alright.”
Ulfgar Firehands: "Well, if it's a Dragon, we have some things that will stand in our favour.”
Tyrus: "What? Do we have a Dragon of our own sequestered away somewhere?”
Ben: "Ummm... How do I say this... You're not paying us for Dragons. If a Dragon comes after the Wagon, we're gone. We'll leave your money in the Wagon, but we'll be gone.”"
Ulfgar Firehands: We can potentially mount a reasonable defence, Protection from Energy etc.
Tyrus: We should tell people here in Eathe that we have intelligence about the Dragon planning to attack Pithfield and get them to help."
Gerrant: I'm going to tell the militamen I've been training with.
And so he did. Moving up the chain of command Gerrant found himself briefing the head of the town guards about a Dragon going to attack Pithfield and being worthshipped by Lizardfolk. The guardsman advised that their priority would be to bolster Eathe's defences and train up their men, which would take a few days, sending notice of an evacuation of Pithfield in the meantime. Once defence was better organized, they would likely prepare an attacking force.
Head of the Guardsmen: "We are not prepared to take on a Dragon of unknown power."
Gerrant: "If myself and people of my calibre were prepared to take on the Dragon, how could you be of assistance?"
Head of the Guardsmen: I would give you my thanks, and my best wishes.
Gerrant: How does that help?
Head of the Guardsmen: I didn't say that it would.
Gerrant: I'll pass on your thanks and good wishes to the people of Pithfield.
Ulfgar Firehands heads to the nearest Blacksmith and asks about buying a Ballista. After realizing it would take either one or two men a full full 12 seconds to load and cost about 500gp (plus 4gp/10 bolts) and without special training it woudln't be very accurate it was decided that it wasn't worth it, even if it did do three times the damage of their Light Crossbows.
Tyrus turns up to the Temple and finds one of the priests who asked them to assist Pithfield with their Lizardfolk problems and begins "So. You know about the Lizardfolk problem. It turns out to be more of a Dragon with a small Lizardfolk army problem. We might need some help."
