Cultists depart in haste, with some of the better armored ones taking command and starting to organize the rank and file and they pour down toward the entrance to the camp.  Then Landedrosa turns his ire toward the Garbage Men.  "You... what do you lot have to do with this?"

     Finn, already having begun to wrangle up his horse and about to mount up, turns to Landedrosa with a look of mixed surprise and interest.  "Well I was surmising we'd help with the search...  After Jozen settled on the price, of course," Finn said with a bit of arrogance and a touch of mirth before looking to Jozen for the leader of the band to set a price.

     Finn would have rather'd taken the lead entirely, it irked them to hand over control to someone he didn't even trust, but Jozen and the others were known quantities to these people, it would be weird if the newcomer took charge.  Still, Finn held out hope that Jozen was still counting on the coin promised once they reached Greenest and that he didn't think he could cut a better deal surrendering them instead.

Jararaka brows furrow, seeing the cultists nearing, and nods, "time to put on a show on our end... I'll call for thunder and pretend you tried to wound me, you can ride west and I'll point them in your direction."

(ooc: so the plan I have in mind is- as soon as the cultists come into range to hear the thunderwave, Jararaka will cast it. This hopefully draws the cultists over, Jararaka pretends that was tylaerys (who's riding away but lets them catch sight of her) casting thunderwave on her, so the cultists can be drawn to the west. I'll add a post after the cultists respond to the thunderwave if it works

Jararaka is not on a horse, she's going to pretend to be one of the cultists who got ahead pursuing the escaped prisoners)

Jararaka keeps a keen eye on the distance between her and Tylaerys, and the pursuers. As soon as she feels they are close enough, she places a hand in front of the shield face, a hair's length from actually touching the cool metallic surface. She closes her eyes for a moment and whispers a prayer- 'I know this is far from a respected duel but I, no, we need this to work..!' Electric magic gathers in the space between her hand and the shield, and she raises her hand, then slams down. With a thunderous boom, the divine magic erupts from the shield. In an instant, thinner trees around her almost seem to bend in the wave of magic, and loose leaves, branches, pebbles, are all thrown away from Jararaka's position.

As the thunderclap seem to reverberate in her head, Jararaka herself blinks a bit in disbelief at how loud that was then quickly snaps out of it and dives to sit up against one of the blasted trees, pretending to have been hit. She yells out some curse words in draconic just to be safe.

Deception for thunderwave distraction (advantage if Tylaerys is helping + guidance): 12 + 2

Tylaerys nods and smiles at the brave and resourceful lizardfolk. "Thanks Jararaka, just be careful now and try to make your way back to Greenest as soon as they chase after me." She says, quickly trying to cover up the tracks of the townsfolk, then riding off a bit to the west, awaiting Jararaka's thunderous magic, readying her mount to continue as soon as the cultsists and kobolds catch sight of her. Her plan is to lead them at least an hour west and then ride on quickly to lose them and turning towards Greenest.

The half-dragon glares at Finn.  “None of you are going anywhere.  Someone freed the prisoners and until I get some answers, you’ll hold those horses still.”  He levels his long polearm at Finn.  Even at a distance of 30’, the unnaturally keen blade is a bit terrifying.

Jozen steps forward now, as cultists and kobolds continue to scurry in all directions around you, grabbing gear and torches.  “Nah.  You can sod right off with that, friend.  We completed out business with your boss –“ he gestures toward the Red Wizard, who is only lately coming down from the command tent to join the commotion – “on good terms, and were just enjoying a spot of fun with your crew here.  Now, you’ve got the nerve to accuse us with having something to do with this?  And you, wizard, weren’t you just on the magic letterbox complaining about ‘Harper spies’ in your midst?  Nah.  You had security issues, it seems, long before we rode into camp.”

“If we had anything to do with this, why would we be standing here still, playing songs?”  As he speaks, he advances toward the half-dragon.  Its not exactly threatening, but its not exactly not threatening either.  “We’re not your servants or sycophants, and I won’t have you accusing my men of treachery.”

15

4

His focus initially on Finn, the half-dragon seems almost startled by the aggression behind Jozen's words.  He looks back and forth between the four Garbage Men, the Wizard, and the scuttling cultists who are watching this interaction out of the corners of their eyes.  He looks reluctant to escalate, or to back down.

At last he lowers his weapon.  "Fair enough.  You haven't broken peace with us, so far as I can see.  We still have a problem.  I want those prisoners back, but most of all I want a woman among them.  Frulam.  A human of young adulthood.  She was wearing chainmail and crops her hair shorter than most.  If you find her and bring her back to me, I will reward you from my own hoard.  You can take your pick of a single one of my gemstones.  All are worth at least 500gp.  Just find her and bring her back - dead or alive."

The Wizard watches all of this with a neutral expression.

Jozen bows and swiftly retreats.  "Wonderful.  I do so much prefer offers and dealings to threats and violence.  Rest assured, if we can find this Frulam you've lost, we will see her returned to your tender care."  With a wave of his hand Jozen signals for the rest of you to mount up.  "This place is dead, anyway.  Let's ride."

The cultists approach within range and Jararaka casts her spell.  In addition to the echoing blast and wave of thunder, the night erupts with the calls of terrified birds and squirrels roused from their sleep.  Instantly the line of torches reorients toward you and they bob up and down in the darkness as the holders run as fast as they can.

Within 30 seconds they have drawn close enough that Jararaka is visible to them in their torchlight.  Tylaerys is a little further west and still out of sight.

[In addition to the roll already made above, Jararaka please make a CHA save.]

You creep along like a... well, like a cat, behind the young woman in chainmail.  It is not hard to find her as her mail jingles noisily.  She is not moving terribly fast, instead picking her way slowly through the dark rocks and trees.

You're not sure where she is heading.  She is not traveling toward Greenest, but neither is she moving back toward the raider camp.  She is just heading more or less west as she picks the path of least resistance through the terrain.  

As you draw closer, she wheels around and peers into the darkness.  She seems to have heard you and knows she is being followed but does not see you.  She turns and starts to head west again, going as fast as she can without losing her footing.

     Finn holds their horses when instructed to do so by the half-dragon.  It is not so much their nasty looking weapon that makes Finn obey as they need to carry on the charade for as long as possible...  And the scores of back up the Half-Dragon has.

     And the nasty looking weapon.

     Mostly though, the cards have been dealt and the cultists have the better hand.  All that is left to do is bluff.  This is something Jozen understands and steps up and does admirably!  Even Finn almost believed that Jozen was insulted by being suspected.  Ok, technically it was true that the Garbage Man had nothing to do with the prisoners escaping.  Technically.  Mostly.  But he carried off the indignation with aplumb and panache!  

     Once they are free to go Finn happily mounts his horse.  He tries to not seem to do it eagerly, tryies instead for that indifferent and indignant sort of attitude one would expect from mercenaries and brigands.  Finn says nothing and just follows Jozen's lead until they are out of the camp and free to speak...

((I'll wait to continue until we are definitely out of the camp and free to speak.  I suppose much can still go wrong...))

Jararaka sits against the tree and continues to curse in Draconic, something along the lines of 'how dare they use the might thunder like this!'

When the cultists finally come into view, she cries, still in Draconic, "hurry, my comrades! The treacherous infiltrator is on horse and they're with the soft-skin escapees." And she points to Tylaerys' direction.

Charisma save: 6

You see the line of torches reach Jararaka and she points them in your direction.  

Your plan is to lead them away to the west, then pull away and make for Greenest?  Make two animal handling checks, please.

The cultists converge on your location, 10 humans and 10 kobolds.  Most of the humans look blank-faced when you cry out in draconic, but some of the kobolds point in Tylaerys' direction and the group races off that way, pursuing the sorceress.

...

All except for four of the kobolds.  One of them places a hand on another's chest and stops them, looking at you carefully.  "You..." he says in draconic.  "Yess.  I recognize you.  We spoke in that human town.  Right before spells were cast and kobolds put to sleep.  Woke up in human house, all tied up.  [Posts #141 -171].  I wonder... how was it you escaped?  And how was it we have not seen you around, before or since?"  The kobolds fan out at the direction of the little leader, surrounding you.  "Big lizard lady has some explaining to do."

The Garbage Men seem to have the same idea as you, setting a casual, slightly indignant pace and posture as they slowly ride out of the camp.  It is getting a little quieter as you reach the opening where the plateau's interior spills out into the rocky hills.  Before you, lines of torches snake out into the darkness as search teams scour the surroundings for your allies and the missing prisoners.  

As you ride out, the Garbage Men engage in quiet small talk with one another.  You pick up on some subtle hand signals and unusual word choices and get the impression they are talking in code to one another, but you aren't able to gather any meaning [They are using thieves cant to communicate].

Once you are out of earshot of any of the searchers, Jozen looks over to you.  "Can you find your way in the dark?  Best lead the way back to Greenest."

You aren't aware of anything in that direction.  Just miles of broken hills until you start passing into farmlands.

A couple of minutes pass and Cheddar doesn't return.  Do you continue to wait?  Or move on with the prisoners toward Greenest?

Tylaerys does indeed try to lure her pursuers westwards and then lose them and make a wide turn back towards Greenest.

Animal Handling: 4
Animal Handling: 10

     Finn rears up his horse and stops, waiting for the others to as well.  He wasn't sure what they had been saying but it was obviously something they didn't want him to know.  That could mean something bad...  All the way to something very bad.  Still though, they were hoping to a payday in Greenest still so they likely aren't planning to stab him in the back.  Likely... not definitely.  Not much to be done for it though...

     "What about this prisoner they are so concerned about?" Finn asks Jozen and the others.  "We just planning to forget about her?  This human Frulam in chainmail and short hair?  I can't help but think there is profit in capturing her.  From both sides..."

     "I know nothing about her.  I have no reason to think she is from Greenest.  From what the cultists say it sounds like she is not.  So she's little concern to me, her state of being wise.  Does sound profitable though...  If we caught her," Finn explains.  "Sure, I'm looking to help Greenest here.  I think everyone who isn't a crazy dragon cultist should be, at least to some extent.  Self preservation if nothing else.  Unless you want to be ruled over by dragons...  So yeah, I'm thinking we capture here and see what Greenest or others offer up for her safe return. But if there is no profit there...  Well crazy cultists or not, seems they have gold for reward money."

     Finn gives it his best persuasive try, anyway.  It's mostly true, he has no particular interest in saving this Frulam.  But searching for her might keep the Garbage Men distracted from whatever other nefariousness they have been discussing.  And it's possible this is precisely what they were on about and Finn would rather be on the in of it than the out so that they hopefully had some say in what happens to the girl.

Jozen considers your idea.  "I have no moral compunction against returning an escapee back into bondage.  I had simply assumed that any folk busted out of there - this Frulam person among them - would be with your allies and headed back toward Greenest as we speak."

"If you are aware of a rendezvous point where we could connect with your friends, gather up this Frulam, and return her to the Cult... well then I am all ears.  Otherwise we are little better off than these lunatics flailing around in the darkness hoping to find a needle in a haystack."

     "Sorry, as I said I know nothing of this Frulam.  And it seems my friends picked up stakes once they had the prisoners so they may or may not be with them.  We should have discussed a rendevous point for this situation but... We're new," Finn says with a self deprecating smile.  "I thought they were going to set up and wait for us to get out, never considered they would actually get a bunch of prisoners free.  We could follow the torches?  More than likely they are heading in at least the right-ish direction?"

Jirel frowns when Cheddar would not resurface. However, there was no indication that he was in trouble either. Part of her would expect to hear some rustling to indicate a struggle, or to see a little mouse trying to lead her back if there was something of concern. She was faced with an uncomfortable decision, but it was one that she had to make none the less. Without any knowledge or indication that there could be something else out there to sway her decision, the giantess would press forward and continue moving on without Cheddar. Unless there was a cave, or some form of natural element that could hide/shield this many prisoners to wait out the search, there was only one direction for her to go. Greenest.

Jararaka's eyes flick up to the cultists as they rush towards Tylaerys' direction and almost huffs a laugh at how that succeeded, but then notices the 4 kobolds that stays behind. She becomes still as the one that looks to be the leader speaks up. She narrows her eyes and listens closely, before slowly opening her mouth, replying in Draconic, "is that so...? You've never seen me around?" As the kobolds fans out, she snickers and says with a growl in her voice, "...I don't think I'll be explaining!"

She throws back her cultist cloak, her shield visible again, and grips tight. Pulsing divine energy travels down her arm into her fist flies towards the small cluster of kobolds. Unlike the previous burst of thunderous energy, this one is silent, but no more merciful as even some stone is cracked into pieces under the magical pressure.

Casting shatter - it has a 10ft radius so 20ft diameter, hopefully catching all of the kobolds.

Will use channel divinity - destructive wrath to make it max damage. 3d8 = 24, CON save 13 for half damage