CF - Volo's Adventurers' Guild - PbP Campaign

Meepo listens to the reassurances and questions of Banjo and Serena. His eyes begin to well up with tears of hope at Banjo's envisioning of him as a great hero. 

"Yes, you help Meepo. Meepo Hero? It could be! As for other .. adventurers ...", he pauses stumbling on the word, “Meepo don’t know, but Yusdrayl does. Meepo take you to meet Yusdrayl, our leader, if you make nice. You get safe passage, if you promise to make nice. Maybe if you promise to rescue dragon, Yusdrayl make nice to you, answer questions. Maybe Meepo be Hero!”

"Sooo Yusdrayl is the leader of your tribe, yes? We will speak to Yusdrayl then." Serena says looking to the others to see if anyone objects to some negotiations with the kobolds.

"Tell me more about how these goblins made off with your... dragon, you say?"  Banjo inspects the cage.  Was it broken from the inside or outside?  Any interior damage marks to give clue as to what type of 'dragon' this was?  Or something else that might imply the kobolds just caught a large bat or a lizard and were calling it a 'dragon'?  Investigation 24

Quote from Bartjeebus >>

"Tell me more about how these goblins made off with your... dragon, you say?"  Banjo inspects the cage.  Was it broken from the inside or outside?  Any interior damage marks to give clue as to what type of 'dragon' this was?  Or something else that might imply the kobolds just caught a large bat or a lizard and were calling it a 'dragon'?  Investigation 24

Searching the cage reveals a number of white scales. ((translating Banjo's intelligence based roll into a Nature check of 26)) Banjo inspects a few of these and determines:

Meepo does not offer much more information regarding how the goblins stole their dragon, but says, "Nasty goblins! Raid our clan. Jealous of Kobolds. No right to this place. No right to our dragon. Wish they would go away. Not right. Not right!" 

"I... oh my."  Banjo approaches the others and tries to talk without being obvious to Meepo.  "I had been a touch skeptical of these kobolds holding an actual dragon.  Dragons are of course sapient and willful creatures, bordering even gnome-like levels of intellect and cunning, not to mention their innate magical nature."  He nods to Tresvar as if to prove his point.  "It seemed silly to picture these kobolds as anything but perhaps the servants of a dragon."  He lets that hang for a moment.

"Upon further inspection, however, it does appear these chaps were the wardens of a legitimate dragon wyrmling... a white dragon, to be precise."  He shows the scales.  "I rather expect the goblins may have stealers' remorse with such a creature on their hands.  We should tread carefully here.  Even a wyrmling... the dragon equivalent of a toddler... is nothing to trifle with."

Banjo pockets all the scales he can find for future study.

Banjo finds 19 scales.

((Added to Banjo's Inventory))

"So a dragon fit into that cage, a toddler indeed, but I agree we should be careful looking for a dragon no matter the size of it." Serena says to the others, ready to move on to Yusdrayl unless the others object. Serena also tries to remember if she recognizes the relief carving on the door to this chamber. Knowledge: 9

Quote from Oberon99 >>

"So a dragon fit into that cage, a toddler indeed, but I agree we should be careful looking for a dragon no matter the size of it." Serena says to the others, ready to move on to Yusdrayl unless the others object. Serena also tries to remember if she recognizes the relief carving on the door to this chamber. Knowledge: 21

 

 Serena recalls:

"Hey Meepo, I saw the symbol on the door here. Is your tribe affiliated with the Cult of the Dragon by any chance?" Serena asks the kobold with a curious smile.

Tresvar says “yes, I suppose we should meet this Yusdrayl,  but be ready for anything.   White dragons are evil, usually, and are not to be trusted.”  

The world is filled with such strange creatures. Is the thought that crosses Livia's mind. Having seen Tresvar, and Banjo, and many others who aren't Human, she starts to get used to it, but there are still surprises. Still, even in their broken Common, it seems that this creature is intelligent enough to converse with. Not that Livia tries that. She just stands there quietly, listening to the others. 

As the conversation goes on, however, her mind wanders off and so do her eyes. She looks at the various paths and doors that lead in and out of this room. Sure, her house had many doors too, but she lived her whole life there and knew every one of them the same way she knew each one of her fingers. Here, however, they were unknown, thus both scary and interesting. "So many doors... so many ways to go..." She pronounces her thoughts, her soft voice not strong enough to disturb the conversation going on... probably. "There's no way we could ever trace those we're supposed to find like this. One wrong door and we'll be on a completely different path. Will we be able to explore everything fast enough?" 

On the other hand, locked doors should probably not be opened. Unless someone bothered to lock the door after them, it is not likely such a door would be one the two they're searching for passed through. While the others talk, to test her theory, Livia goes to check on the other doors in this room. She's scared to go alone, and she can't see in the dark anyway, so she doesn't enter any of the rooms. She only checks which of them are locked, and which aren't. 

(If it matters, she goes from her position on the map counter-clockwise.)

Meepo seems to vacillate between agitation and elation. While watching Banjo searching the cage, Meepo almost snarls, but catches himself as he is surrounded. In the next moment he is engaged with Serena, who he almost wishes to dote upon, and Tresvar whom he shows mixed signs of awe, fear, and resentment toward. As the party talks to him, his moods seems to swing most to the positive when conversation moves toward helping regain their lost dragon.

At Serena's inquiry about the Cult of Dragon, Meepo looks puzzled, "Cult? No, Clan... tribe... Kobold Tribe. Yusdrayl bring us to great dragon place. Proper place of honor for tribe. Yusdrayl knows more."

When Tresvar speaks of the evil of white dragons, Meepo seems to dismiss this, "Calcryx great. Meepo honored to keep her for clan. Bring great honor to clan to associate with great dragon. Kobolds great children of dragons, and we had child dragon of our own! Double great our clan. You must understand, even when you walk with such as him," he nods his head toward Banjo with a hateful glare while speaking directly to Tresvar. "You know tricky folks... dragon tricky, but also great."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Livia begins to check the doors. The first door, just south of the place where they found Meepo asleep is an unlocked wooden door. She then walks south. As she approaches the door in the South-West corner, the smell of rotting food, meat and animal waste catches in her nose. She coughs and bravely checks the door, finding it also unlocked, but hears squeaking from behind it. Meepo watches her from time to time as she passes around the perimeter of the room. Coming to the North-East door, she finds it again unlocked. She moves toward the last door, that which is in the North-West corner of the room. With each step, Meepo grows more and more anxious. Finally, as her hand reaches out for the door he yells in panicked Draconic the same word three times.

Tresvar and Serena understand the word:

Livia is so startled she stops before her hand touches the door. A moment later the door opens and three kobolds step out. Meepo rushes up, repeating the phrase and then begs them not to attack. At first, they scan the party, looking at Livia and Serena, then lingering a moment upon Tresvar. Finally they see Banjo in the cage. The largest of the three new Kobolds screams "Meepo! Why is filthy gnome desecrating Calcryx's home!" It is all that Meepo can do to stop them from attacking Banjo. He pleads with them telling them "No, No! Dragonborn warrior come to help get Calcryx back from goblins. Agreed to take her human servants and gnome slave to save dragon. Great justice, gnome forced to help save dragon! Just taking them to Yusdrayl now."

The large Kobold guard snorts. "You sure Meepo? You better be right." Then he chuckles, "Yes, take Dragonborn and servants to Yusdrayl. We come too. If Meepo no right. Meepo done."

 While Banjo is baffled by the kobold’s hostile approach toward his gnomeliness, he chokes back the urge to debate them on just which race is the filthy one.  Instead he scampers closer to Tresvar  and speaks, loudly enough for all to hear.  “Oh great golden mistress, I hope I haven’t caused you any trouble with your kobold friends.  I swear I shall be on my best behavior.”.  He attempts his best sly wink.

Livia lets out a little scream - though a scream for her still isn't particularly loud - then quickly step back from the hostile creatures, moving to stand somewhat next to, somewhat behind Serena. While the others talk - and it seems they aren't going to get attacked, she whispers to Serena: "All doors seem unlocked - how will we be able to track lady Kerowyn's children in this massive place?"

"Yes, searching every last room of this ruin seems like an arduous and quite frankly boring task." Serena whispers back to Livia. "I think our best chance to find Lady Kerowyn´s children actually is to negotiate with this Yusdrayl."

Serena then turns to their kobold hosts and speaks in draconic. "Yes, we are indeed servants of mighty Tresvar whose flaming breath would incinerate anyone who opposes her. Now take us to Yusdrayl and we will work out a deal that is mutually beneficial." Serena says while bowing respectfully to Tresvar. "And don´t mind her gnome slave, he is merely around for her amusement." She adds discreetly winking at Tresvar. Another persuasion/deception if needed to get going: 24 rolled with advantage if help is given, otherwise go with first roll.

Tresvar helps,  adding in draconic: “yes- Take me and my minions to Yusdrayl.  We have much to discuss with your leader.”

Meepo, clearly excited, responds in draconic "Right this way warrior!"

An comical procession begins along the corridor to the West of the room the party found Meepo in. Meepo in the lead followed by Tresvar and Serena and Livia around Banjo to keep him somewhat protected from the irritated kobold guards who follow behind. Serena can understand their whispers to each other in draconic as they follow:

 Meanwhile, Meepo continues to call out the signal word that he had before from time to time... clearly some sort of password.

He takes you winding to the right and then to an impressive, long hall. A double row of relief-carved marble columns march the length of this long, large hall. The worn carvings depict entwining dragons. Responding to Meepo's password, three Kobolds who bear themselves as honor guards, fall in along the procession. The party now surrounded and being escorted.

Marched down this impressive gallery of reverence to dragons, the party comes to the west wall where a Kobold, presumably Yusdrayl, sits in a loose white toga-like garment upon a throne. 

The short throne stands near the west wall, constructed of fallen bits of masonry stacked against an old altar. On the top of the altar sit a variety of small items. The portion of the altar that serves as the throne’s back features a carving of a rearing dragon. A metallic key is held firmly in the dragon’s open jaws.

At each side of the throne stand two more guarding Kobolds.

As the party draws near, the throne, Yusdrayl raises her hand indicating they should halt. She looks at Meepo who is cowering in obsequiousness, then at Tresvar and her eyes land upon Banjo. She scowls slightly and Tresvar can see her other hand grip the throne a bit tighter. Yet, she shows no other outward hostility. She then speaks in draconic:

((For Tresvar and Serena:))

Meepo replies, also in draconic,

Yusdrayl leans back, relaxing a moment, her eyes in surprise. She responds now in common, "Is this true, Dragonborn? Have you come to help us against the infestation of goblins and to save our dragon?"

Link to Image of Party before Yusdrayl in Throneroom

Link to map of ruins up to throneroom

Tresvar steps up (to within 10 Feet of the throne) - stands up tall, and says “Great and wise Yusdrayl-  you will certainly agree that Kobolds and Dragonborn, as descendants of dragonkind, should work together.    Goblins should also pay for their aggression.   My minions and I are on a mission to find some other soft peoples who came here from human lands and return them, alive or dead to human lands. 
My minions and I can help with your goblin problem and ensure the young dragon is freed from the Goblins, IF you help me with my mission.   Do I have your support?“

persuasion 19 

(assuming advantage on persuasion check from someone’s help)

"You should know wise Yusdrayl that my mistress is a mighty warrior whose flaming breath will scour the unworthy goblins from these dragon ruins, and she is always truthful to her word." Serena adds. (Help action given.)

Banjo will just keep his head down.  He remains perplexed at the seeming irrational dislike these kobolds have for him - he always found kobolds to be rather fascinating little fellows.  Truth be told, his feelings are a bit hurt over the whole thing, but he tells himself that they will find a way to straighten this whole thing out... it must be some miscommunication somewhere.  

For now though, he cannot see anyway he can help the situation, so he will stay quiet and try to appear 'subservient' to mighty Tresvar.