"Whatever we are offering has to shine! Can you still do it, Grandpa?" Kairus was talking while digging through his backpack. Alas, all he could offer is the Umberlee pendant again, but Hun hinted it can be useful in the Temple later? "Do we have some meat? They are supposed to like it. Can share one more ration," he looked at the now smaller pack of his stock, "but it's not all meat."

"Anyway, ready to go when you are."

Hun gives both Yulmiath and Krodhen an incredulous look, seemed about ready to add something, only to then clamp down and huff through his nose and shake his head. "Well according to little Eeyal here, we got a couple of hours at least. So we'd be cutting things a bit close, even if most of us can see in the dark anyhow. So... *sigh*... Sure. An hour's break. In hindsight, I could use the hour to repurpose somethin' anyhow." He then turns from the Half-Orc to address Yulmiath and Kairus.

"As for your suggestion, Mr. Yully, I think the biggest concern would be if they recognize the stones to be something found in the other cave. In which case, there may be some awkward questions to answer. But yer welcome to try it. Think I'll stick to give up the thing I need to work on and-..." He looks to Kairus with dry look. "-'make shiny'. Which yes, I can still do it. I also still got most of my bird meat rations to give... I guess." He sighs again and shakes his head softly.

"So, Young Eeyal. Think you can guide us to a half-way decent campsite-able place near the cave?"

(S/N: If everyone else agrees to a short rest as well, Hun plans to use 'Right Tool for the Job' feature(I believe it was called) to make a second set of Smith's tools and then further enchant some of the individual tools using Magical Trinket's feature.... Which I've gotten way more use of in this campaign than any other ones in which I've played an artificer. Gotta love dem low level solutions. xD)

While Hun seems initially eager to plunge into the next cave right away, Krodhen sees an opportunity for the group to catch their breath. Most Snakers seem to side with the half-orc, and even the kobold eventually relents.

Planning ahead a bit, Yulmiath reveals a handful of colorful stones that could be offered as a gift, while Krodhen defends his choice to not give any coin to the cave-dwellers who they are likely to encounter soon. Kairus suggests that another possibility is for Hun to use one of his trinkets as a gift, to which the artificer seems to agree. They also agree that jerky might do the trick.

Eeyal is called on to lead the group to a spot away from the lava river and cave entrance, which she has no trouble in finding. The part soon settles in for some rest after plenty of weight-lifting, rowing, and sweating.

Much like the Snack Pack's last moment of respite, this one is also interrupted. After some 20 minutes of commiserating in a restful circle, Rhogal calls the group's attention to an approaching band of five geonids. The Snackers' presence has clearly not gone unnoticed. They are each carrying a stone club, but are clearly walking toward the party from an angle that makes their own presence purposefully obvious. Additionally, their trajectory indicates that they are not approaching from the mouth of the cave you are planning on exploring soon.

They stop at a safe distance from the resting adventurers and, after some awkward miscommunication followed by Kairus' translation services, relay their message. The bard takes some creative liberties with the translation: "This is our turf. If you want to stay or even just pass through it you'll have to pay. All humanoids carry small metal discs with them. Hand over two disks per person and you may keep at whatever you are doing."

"You mean like this one?" rumbled back Kairus, demonstrating a silver coin. "We might pay but not for staying, for information. Why don't you join us at the supper and we discuss it? You see, we are here searching for a lost item. A snake statue made of obsidian. We do know that some of your brethren found it and carried it into one of the caves. Care to point us in the right direction?"

Yulmiath's eye narrows as he takes in the demands of this new batch of geonids.  His hands stray down to his belt, close to his hand axes, but remain empty of weapons for now.  He pats one lightly against his coin purse, letting the clink of the coins within carry on the air.

"Any two metal discs? I've a few brown ones that apparently taste pretty great.  Or I could trade you.  Brown ones for some of those silver ones like my friend here has, or even some disgusting golden ones?  Fair trade too, one for one?"

Persuasion - 16

Kairus continues to translate the negotiations for the benefit of the party, adding missing articles or conjunctions here and there to make things clearer. The geonids are looking at the bard intensely, and their nonverbal cues show they are refusing Kairus' offer for now. "This is our land. You want to traverse it, then you pay for the privilege. That's the trade on offer. If you want information, then you pay on top of the initial offer."

Catching the eye of a different geonid, Yulmiath has to wait a bit before Kairus is available to translate his side conversation. He eventually gets the following response: "Yes, all metal discs are welcome. But no trade until you pay the initial fee. Two disks per person, for a total of... fourteen."

The geonids seems to also be whispering among themselves. Their eyes and pointy fingers seems to be paying special attention to Krodhen and Mr. Thicc.

Kairus happily translated back and forth the offers and enthusiastically nodded to Yulmiath, adding in Common "Good thinking. I say we pay 14 coppers to this lot to see what they have to say about the snake statue. I mean, we can refuse, of course, and keep checking the caves. But should they know something, we can save some time learning about those caves? If not directly about the statue."

Hun had for the most part stayed quiet and seeming content to let Kairus handle negotiations... But once they started eyeing up his steel defender, that's when the Kobold's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Make it so... But if they try to demand we trade Mr. Thicc or Krodhen's armor for anything and get uppity, we might have some problems." He says plainly and without taking his eyes off the little block heads for even a moment. 

Rhogal tries to get a bead on their intentions. As far as he knows, this might be these creatures' version of being highwaymen.

Insight: 7

Kairus and and Hun begin to formulate a plan based on Yulmiath's suggestion, as well as draw a line on what would be unacceptable from their perspective. The geonids look back and forth at the adventurers, clearly not understanding what is being said in the Common language.

Eeyal pipes in: "I can pay my own two coppers, if that's what we are doing."

@Rhogal: They may be acting as highwaymen or they may truly believe this is a fair trade for the group to trudge on their territory. It is hard to read these creatures when you can't clearly see their faces.

Loathing the loss of the coin, but grateful that the geonids aren't that choosy on the colour, Yulmiath dips his hand into his coin pouch and takes out his two copper.

Not handing it over just yet, he wonders whether they'll get the same treatment when they get to the next bit of territory.

"How far does our two discs get us? What's the extent of your territory? There's plenty of other caves here, are we going to get the same treatment there?"

Kairus continues to translate, but the creatures' responses to Yulmiath's questions are somewhat vague. The one speaking gestures to a generic area around them and says "This is our territory. Pay and you'll be free to travel it and bargain further. Go too far south and you may come across another tribe."

To those who don't speak Terran/Primordial, the creatures' guttural sounds do not sound like language at all. It resemble the sound of gravel rubbing against more gravel. You can't imagine that the language allows for well articulated sentences and begin to understand the additional value Kairus is providing when translating.

Eeyal raises two copper pieces, signaling she is ready to pay her dues if the others are as well.

At the continued insistence of payment, which Hun immediately half-hoped some may volunteer in his steed, the Kobold sighs and started rooting around in his pockets."... Frick." He mutters, before aloud adding, "Any of you can cover me? Or even, uh.. ask'em if crossbow bolts would suffice. 'cause I got nothing save what I might use to stab these uppity wannabe gangsters over here. Which I'm 'bout ready to do if they keep eyeing up me boy over here." He said, gesturing with his head over to Mr. Thicc. "And before you ask, Young Blue, I ain't bothering making them shiny consider'n they'll be in for a rude surprise once we're done with the others. I'll explain more later."

"A very interesting dialect!" Kairus's tone was full of genuine admiration. "Those rustling and bubbling intones clearly reflect the environment - the lava and rock sliding, I think. Fascinating!" He looked at the group of armed boulders with an expression people usually reserve for looking at the playing kittens. "Right, payment. Sure, Grandpa, I'll cover for you. And no need to make these coins shiny, that's just a cute shakedown. The offerings we save for later." He collected the coins, added 4 copper from his own pocket and brought the offering to the talking rock. "Here is our payment. Now, would you tell us something about the obsidian snake?"

Yulmiath digs into his pouch again for another two copper.

"I've got you."

(OOC Think I posted at the same time as Blue! Will let Karius cover Hun this time!)

(OOC: I'll assume Krodhen and Rhogal go along with the plan and pay 2cp each. Please deduct them from your inventory. Also, since Yulmiath initially offered it, I'll say the dragonborn is willing to cover for Mr. Thicc.)

Everyone in the party, after some more discussion, agrees to pay the meager fee of "two metal disks" each to the band of geonids. Following Yulmiath's trickery, everyone decides to hand over the smallest denominations they can and still fulfill the letter of the request. Kairus and Yulmiath step up to cover the fees for Hun and Mr. Thicc, who are absolutely moneyless at the moment.

It is clear the geonids do understand the different values of metals but, from their perspective, metal is still metal. They seem satisfied with the offer. They get the coin from Kairus after the bard collects them from the rest of the party but are quick to deny the triton's next request: "No. We'll not share information. That was not the deal. You are welcome to propose a new deal for the information you seek... perhaps more of these metal disks, or a piece of armor from the two heavily-armored ones?"

"Like arguing with a rock..." Yulmiath mutters to himself.

More loudly he follows up, "Do you have the information my friend here wants? Give him that at least."

Persuasion - 4

"Did not mean to get it for free," assured Kairus that rock band. "Here, another metal piece. And there are more where this one came from. Let's talk." He produced one more copper coin. "Now, do you know where the obsidian snake statue is?"

The rocks did not specify how many metal pieces per question they meant. He started small. Persuasion: 28

Assuming Kairus even hints at his next intentions, Hun takes it upon himself to tag along after a fashion by way of his medallion. Again he is mindful not to dive deeply however, leery of turning things into a brawl. Not yet, at least. Actually as a matter of fact, he activates the medallion all the same at some point of the follow-up inquiries, but played the disinterested card in setting about running Maintenace on Mr. Thicc.  

Deception: 6. 
(IF necessary for feigning unconcern.)

(1 charge remaining on Medallion of Thoughts. Focus of spell would be directed to the one Hun figures had did the most "talking", for lack of better words.)

Kairus translates Yulmiath's question before relaying his take on the matter. The one geonid who is talking --maybe it is the same one maybe it isn't-- raises its hands with a shrug at first but, with another copper thrown in the mix, it seems willing to share the smallest bit of information: "The snake you speak of... no. But if you seek obsidian, I can point you in the right direction. That will cost you much more than one brownish disk."

Because of the asked question, Hun captures the idea that the geonid in question is thinking of a place that is not too far away. This contradicts the information Hun got in the first cave, which directed him to the southern tip of the island when searching for obsidian.

Hun's rubbing of his medallion of thoughts does not go unnoticed. The creatures seem no notice the red gems on the piece of jewelry.