"It is often possible to present the truth in ways that causes misunderstandings.  But still, how do we retrieve something from the nest as proof?"

"What we get? Bird cats hatch in winter? Maybe egg? But egg just egg, not sure dragon trust just egg. Wanted heads."

Thir asks and mutters angrily.

"Ooo! I saw a parade once, where they made dragon heads out of strips of cloth dunked in flower paste, I think... That's what the guy said, anyway, then they mushed it into shape and let it dry! Maybe we can make parade griffon heads! Oh, but it's winter... not many flowers growing right now.", Kroshav says excitedly, then dejectedly.

"Such creatures guard their nests fiercely.  An egg is as good as a head.  My spells do not allow for forging a convincing head, either."

Thir looks thoroughly confused by Kroshav's words and checks with Jaq who just gives a subtle shake of his head to drop it before saying,

"Maybe if I lead them away? I could harass their nest, then fly away and hide somewhere while you grab the eggs."

He looks over to Cladmir, the apparent expert on the beasts, and asks,

"Are we sure they have eggs this time of year?"

((Cladmir can roll a nature/history with advantage))

Having a direction question -- Cladmir turns away from his guilt and consider.

Nature:  10

Cladmir thinks he maybe skimmed that section a little too quick...but probably? He does remember that they do lay eggs, 100% on that.

"Well they do lay eggs," said Cladmir with a sheepish grin.

"How big do the eggs get? Round heavy things can be tricky to carry, maybe we can pop it in a bag?"

((I can't recall if K has the belt or claws on him, I think he left the belt with Joe at least?))

((Belt is with Joe but Kroshav has the claws.))

Cladmir saw a picture in the book of a nest, eggs and a full grown griffin. The looked to be about the size of...a big fruit he saw once at a port from someplace warm. Green and blotchy yellow outside, red inside. Lots of black seeds. Two hands to hold it. Pretty big for eggs, but would fit in a bag.

"I could tunnel up and swipe the egg, then tunnel all the way back to the tomb!"

((Oh, for that I am going to need some intelligence checks all around!))

0

Kroshav is convinced that this is the way, and is pulling the claws out of his pack, putting them on and clacking them together like an excited mole. He gets lost in thought about if moles ever get excited about digging. It's a lot of work, but they are really good at it, without magic gauntlets! Unless they do all have little magic gauntlets? He'll have to ask the next mole he meets. Argh, but do moles even understand Common? Probably not, and probably don't know Draconic either.

In Kroshav's head:

It will work. And he will need to get a plant magic person to help him talk to animals so he can talk to moles and will need to look real close at the next mole he meets. He hasn't met many moles, maybe they have mole magic claw makers? With his claws he can go down and find the magic claw makers. Maybe they make other stuff? What stuff would a mole need? Glasses, for sure but why not make glasses already? Probably they do and then they hide them so...

From the outside:

A familiar pair of claws appear on Kroshav's hands, the dragonborn moving faster than anyone has seen him move outside of combat. He then starts tapping them together, making a decidedly unpleasant clacking/metal on metal scraping noise. The paladin doesn't seem to notice the racket he is making as he gets an increasingly distant look in his eyes, jaw slackening, the beginnings of pools of saliva in the corners of his mouth becoming increasingly visible. He doesn't appear to be breathing either...?

Thir stares at Kroshav, head tilted to the side like she is trying to understand his meditation. Jaq is more used to this and just ponders the plan, such as it is.

He offers,

"It could work? It would certainly be safer but isn't it a long way down? How long would it take to get there? Weeks?"

Thir adds,

"Claws loud, so Jaq fly and catbirds follow and we make noise if any catbird stay. Maybe short tunnel, catbird not that smart. But how we make catbird follow after?"

Jaq: 12

Thir: 18

Int: 18

Intelligence: 4

"If any additional distractions are needed, it may be best that I do so while others hide.  My magics will allow me to create more noise and amplify my voice, and I can then hide myself within my patron's ring."

Cladmir, adding what Ernos says to what Thir suggested, wonders if the 'how do we make catbirds' follow question might be solved if Ernos can make catbird noises?

He also wonders how this will all be explained to the dragon that specifically wanted griffin heads, but somebody has already figured that out, for sure! Probably Kroshav.

A bit of drool runs, heroically, down the dragonborn's cheek as Cladmir watches him.