Dwal looks at Kei and shakes his head. "Ye agreed on somethin' befer our companions came back from the belly of them beasties lair," Dwal says matter of factly. "We either have ta fight our way out of this place, dependin' on how they faired, or we have 1 more task added ta the evergrowin' list of things we are to do and folks we be beholdin' to."
Dwal lowers his voice so just Kei hears: "Ye weren't on that ship when we arrived in port. Once them humans came aboard they attacked them Lizardfolk outright. Weren't no how ye do or nuthin'. Them humans hate these folk and I ain't entirely sure they didn't want us to wipe them out instead of negotiatin'. Every place that council sends us is a fight outright. Do any of us look like negotiators?" Dwal asks then continues right off. "No, we ain't their top people to go around talkin' fer the town. They send us in fer one reason."
Dwal gets up from his seat, hefts his axe to his shoulder and says to the Lizardman in charge. "Why don't ya lead the way so'n we can talk with our companions."
"I think if we can go back to the council with information on these Sahuagin and Xolor AND an ally in hand, that may be a better thing than wiping out an entire tribe. Plus"he continues, now with that familiar glint in his eyes "who knows what sort of trade might be possible with these creatures."
I urge you to consider an alliance with Oceanus' people, who have no such limitation and who hold no love for the Sahuagin. Allies both above and below the surface of the water would be beneficial to us all," considers Gerrard.
"The sea elves were not invited to join the alliance because of their long-standing disputes with the koalinth — even in the face of the sahuagin threat, no cooperation is possible between these two peoples. The lizardfolk have concluded that the koalinth are the stronger tribe, so we invited them to participate rather than the elves.
Dwal gets up from his seat, hefts his axe to his shoulder and says to the Lizardman in charge. "Why don't ya lead the way so'n we can talk with our companions."
The shaman asks, "You desire to enter? Then drop your weapons."
Discreetly reaching into his component pouch, he grabs a short piece of copper. "I guess we better do as they ask Fierceface. In a sign of good will, we shall do as you ask." Kei drops his weapons with an unusual flourish. He actually uses the disarming to cover his somatic movements. Casting Message he speaks mentally to Dwal.
"Of all of our group, it's you and I that don't need weapons. We should go check on the others. Make a show of it though, will you. Grumpy pants"
With the casting over he holds up his hands to show they are empty and takes a step forwards, waiting fro Dwal to join him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. May we have your leave to go inform our companions of this agreement? We will need also to send someone to our boat to let them know we are going to be staying awhile," says Gerrard humbly, waiting the Queen's approval before leaving.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Unless Peri has other plans, the lizardfolk shaman and his compatriots, satisfied with your lack of weapons, escorts you inside the cavern. Oceanus remains uneasy, and volunteers to watch the equipment - and the exit.
***
Meanwhile, the Queen dismisses Gerrard and Peri. "Come see me or send message to me tomorrow," she instructs. Your guide escorts you back out into the dark, rammed-earth hallway.
The party - sans Oceanus - crosses path in the maze of dark tunnels. The shaman and its three assistants leave the four of you in the care of the morning star-bearing guide and its two helpers. The shaman shoes away the reluctant hatchlings as well.
"Agreed Brother Fiercehammer," responds Gerrard, joining the others and moving towards the exit, discussing their progress as they go.
"Master Fenwader and I have been able to broker a tentative peace agreement with their Queen. Their purpose for gathering weapons is to re-take their homes from the Sahuagin, not any aggression against Saltmarsh. They have also heard of Xolor and may be able to give us some information. I have asked for a letter from the Queen with this statement and any information they can give us on Xolor, and I have committed to arguing before the Saltmarsh town council to finish their weapon delivery," relates Gerrard.
"For her part, Queen Othokent has given us the day to prove our good intentions. I suggest we let the ship's crew know we are going to be here for at least a day--if they want to return to Saltmarsh with a preliminary report or stay and wait for us that is up to them. Then we need to figure out how to gain the Lizardfolk's trust. Have you had any luck with that--and where is Oceanus?" he asks, eager to know how his companions outside have fared.
Peri trails the group on their way out, keeping an eye out for trouble. The lizardfolk haven't given him any reason to suspect treachery, but better to be safe than sorry. Reflecting on his first encounter with royalty, he's a little underwhelmed. But she did say they'd had to flee to this temporary refuge, so maybe that's it.
When Gerrard suggests giving the crew a message, Peri interjects, "It'd be better for someone with a gift with words to write out a letter to the Council. That way no nuance gets dropped between here and there. Really emphasize that they're tryin' to return to their home, and the best way to eliminate them as a threat is to help that along. Plus the sahuagin get pushed a little farther from our shores. Sounds like a pretty good bargain for a handful of weapons the town didn't even pay for to begin with."
((I should've checked earlier: how much does Peri know of the koalinth? The same as the Sahuagin?))
"They wanted 500 pieces of electrum! Can you believe that?"he says incredulously. "I managed to sort out an alternative though. Seems they have trouble with some alligator or such. If we kill it for them, they'll be happy." He pauses briefly. "You know, maybe killing this alligator can fulfill both sides of our agreement. We can cover our debt with the guards AND prove our worth to the Queen." He walks with the others back towards the cave entrance with a renewed gusto. His plan seemed foolproof. Anyone looking carefully would notice his chest a little more puffed out than normal.
"Oh, Oceanus is waiting out front. Didn't seem to want to come inside, so I told him to stand guard over our things."Knowing Gerrard's fondness of the sea-elf, he tries to put the nobles mind at ease.
"Thank you, Master Kei, that seems like an excellent plan, as long as we prevail against the alligator. I would prefer not to be swallowed twice in one day. Perhaps I could take a moment to refresh myself and meet you outside in a few minutes?" responds Gerrard, praising Kei's idea. "If all this goes well, I think returning with their weapons and helping them retake their home may cement the alliance, but first things first," he finishes, moving off to find a semi-private place to clean his armor and change out of the most damaged bits of his clothing before joining the group outside.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gerrard:
As he joins the others, he speaks quietly to Oceanus in Elvish, then says, "So, do we know where this alligator is? And should we send someone to the boat to let our crew know what is going on? I take your point Master Fenwader, about not sending a detailed message, but at least we can let them know 'negotiations are ongoing' or some such thing."
Elvish:
"Oceanus, we have reached a truce with the LIzardfolk for now. They mean no harm to Saltmarsh or the Sea Elves--they wish to reclaim their home from the Sahuagin who invaded it. I suggested Queen Othokent negotiate with you, but she said their Koalinth allies would not get along with your people. In any case, we agreed to be helpful to the lizardfolk here for a day to see how it goes. I wanted you to be informed and see what you think," says Gerrard softly, trying to get a sense of how Oceanus feels about this situation.
Insight: 12
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Kei
He takes in all that Peri and Gerrard divulge. It seems like a match made in the Upper Planes. He questions the mace wielding lizard for directions to Thousand Teeth's lair before catching up with the group. "Dwal, do you have parchment for us to scribe our letter?" Being more the palm greasing type, Kei abstains from offering to write the letter. A bard he may be, but that type of prose was beyond him.
Absentmindedly, he casts Prestidigitation on Gerrard. Multiple times. "Can't have you getting bile all over our decree!" He says jokingly. The thought of tackling a giant crocodile puts him in a jovial mood. Perhaps the thought of potential loot.
"Ah, fine idea most notable of nobles. How to decide who shall be the group's running boy? A game of chance perhaps."He rummages through his pack. His hand emerges with 3 six sided die. "Shall we see who Lady Luck favours today?" He hands two dice to Gerrard and keeps one himself. "Low roll runs!"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Gerrard:
"I don't mind a brisk walk back to the ship," says Gerrard, "especially now that I am feeling more myself--thank you, Master Kei, for the assist in cleaning my garments."
Taking one of the die, Gerrard rolls it and then gets to work on a brief letter to give the crew in case they decide to head back to Saltmarsh today.
Random d6: 6
Calligraphy skill roll + proficiency: 16
OOC: Add appropriate ability -- Dexterity or Charisma or Intelligence as applicable? Either +4, +2, or +0 respectively. Suggesting Charisma (+2) to make it a persuasive letter to pave the way for an alliance. DMG entry for the tool proficiency could allow him to make a persuasion check with advantage using the letter. Not sure how you would like to run it, DM...
He questions the mace wielding lizard for directions to Thousand Teeth's lair before catching up with the group.
The guide gives you some instructions on how to find Thousand Teeth: It is about 12 miles upstream through thick and dangerous marsh. Maybe an eight-hour direct slog through dense and treacherous swampland, or thirteen hours if you stick to the safer, but longer, riverbank route, which snakes its way inland. Look for the fetid pool in a shallow valley near a large boulder shaped like a tooth.
(Weird die roller behavior, but I'll accept the 21+ability modifier. I agree that a charisma (persuasion) check is the most appropriate here, assuming the intent of the letter is to persuade. Can you summarize the content of the letter for us?)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Peri:
Peri racks his brain, trying to recall any information about the koalinth (Nature: 10)
"How to decide who shall be the group's running boy? A game of chance perhaps. Shall we see who Lady Luck favours today? "Low roll runs!"
"I'll try my luck." Peri chimes in. 2 He looks briefly disappointed, then gets a sly gleam in his eye. "Ah, more bad luck for Lord Feldern! Looks like you'll be sloggin' back to the boat. Tell ya what, though: seein' as you've had such a rough day I'd be willin' to carry your letter for you, if you'd like to stay and discuss strategy here." And I'll be sure to mention our dangerous and deadly mission to Sal -- all nonchalant-like of course, he thinks to himself. Could be the last time the poor lass sees me. Best she remembers me as a hero. Even better if it ISN'T the last time...
Dwal absently pets Bjorn while listening to his companions. He will provide a parchment if needed but will say nothing.
"Bjorn might take the message back if ye give him a silver each" Dwal says smiling. With that Dwal will communicate with Bjorn to see if he could deliver the message. If so Dwal will tell him:
"Just drop that note in front of one of them and return. I don't trust them humans and last time ye didn't fair too well with them."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Dwal
Dwal looks at Kei and shakes his head. "Ye agreed on somethin' befer our companions came back from the belly of them beasties lair," Dwal says matter of factly. "We either have ta fight our way out of this place, dependin' on how they faired, or we have 1 more task added ta the evergrowin' list of things we are to do and folks we be beholdin' to."
Dwal lowers his voice so just Kei hears: "Ye weren't on that ship when we arrived in port. Once them humans came aboard they attacked them Lizardfolk outright. Weren't no how ye do or nuthin'. Them humans hate these folk and I ain't entirely sure they didn't want us to wipe them out instead of negotiatin'. Every place that council sends us is a fight outright. Do any of us look like negotiators?" Dwal asks then continues right off. "No, we ain't their top people to go around talkin' fer the town. They send us in fer one reason."
Dwal gets up from his seat, hefts his axe to his shoulder and says to the Lizardman in charge. "Why don't ya lead the way so'n we can talk with our companions."
Kei
"I think if we can go back to the council with information on these Sahuagin and Xolor AND an ally in hand, that may be a better thing than wiping out an entire tribe. Plus" he continues, now with that familiar glint in his eyes "who knows what sort of trade might be possible with these creatures."
"The sea elves were not invited to join the alliance because of their long-standing disputes with the koalinth — even in the face of the sahuagin threat, no cooperation is possible between these two peoples. The lizardfolk have concluded that the koalinth are the stronger tribe, so we invited them to participate rather than the elves.
"Win our people's trust. Prove your worth as friends of the Lizardfolk. Convince them of your good intentions."
The shaman asks, "You desire to enter? Then drop your weapons."
Kei
Discreetly reaching into his component pouch, he grabs a short piece of copper. "I guess we better do as they ask Fierceface. In a sign of good will, we shall do as you ask." Kei drops his weapons with an unusual flourish. He actually uses the disarming to cover his somatic movements. Casting Message he speaks mentally to Dwal.
"Of all of our group, it's you and I that don't need weapons. We should go check on the others. Make a show of it though, will you. Grumpy pants"
With the casting over he holds up his hands to show they are empty and takes a step forwards, waiting fro Dwal to join him.
Gerrard:
"Thank you, Your Majesty. May we have your leave to go inform our companions of this agreement? We will need also to send someone to our boat to let them know we are going to be staying awhile," says Gerrard humbly, waiting the Queen's approval before leaving.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Unless Peri has other plans, the lizardfolk shaman and his compatriots, satisfied with your lack of weapons, escorts you inside the cavern. Oceanus remains uneasy, and volunteers to watch the equipment - and the exit.
***
Meanwhile, the Queen dismisses Gerrard and Peri. "Come see me or send message to me tomorrow," she instructs. Your guide escorts you back out into the dark, rammed-earth hallway.
The party - sans Oceanus - crosses path in the maze of dark tunnels. The shaman and its three assistants leave the four of you in the care of the morning star-bearing guide and its two helpers. The shaman shoes away the reluctant hatchlings as well.
Where to?
Dwal
"We should go back out and see what each of us has done," Dwal suggests.
Gerrard:
"Agreed Brother Fiercehammer," responds Gerrard, joining the others and moving towards the exit, discussing their progress as they go.
"Master Fenwader and I have been able to broker a tentative peace agreement with their Queen. Their purpose for gathering weapons is to re-take their homes from the Sahuagin, not any aggression against Saltmarsh. They have also heard of Xolor and may be able to give us some information. I have asked for a letter from the Queen with this statement and any information they can give us on Xolor, and I have committed to arguing before the Saltmarsh town council to finish their weapon delivery," relates Gerrard.
"For her part, Queen Othokent has given us the day to prove our good intentions. I suggest we let the ship's crew know we are going to be here for at least a day--if they want to return to Saltmarsh with a preliminary report or stay and wait for us that is up to them. Then we need to figure out how to gain the Lizardfolk's trust. Have you had any luck with that--and where is Oceanus?" he asks, eager to know how his companions outside have fared.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
Peri trails the group on their way out, keeping an eye out for trouble. The lizardfolk haven't given him any reason to suspect treachery, but better to be safe than sorry. Reflecting on his first encounter with royalty, he's a little underwhelmed. But she did say they'd had to flee to this temporary refuge, so maybe that's it.
When Gerrard suggests giving the crew a message, Peri interjects, "It'd be better for someone with a gift with words to write out a letter to the Council. That way no nuance gets dropped between here and there. Really emphasize that they're tryin' to return to their home, and the best way to eliminate them as a threat is to help that along. Plus the sahuagin get pushed a little farther from our shores. Sounds like a pretty good bargain for a handful of weapons the town didn't even pay for to begin with."
((I should've checked earlier: how much does Peri know of the koalinth? The same as the Sahuagin?))
Kei
"They wanted 500 pieces of electrum! Can you believe that?" he says incredulously. "I managed to sort out an alternative though. Seems they have trouble with some alligator or such. If we kill it for them, they'll be happy." He pauses briefly. "You know, maybe killing this alligator can fulfill both sides of our agreement. We can cover our debt with the guards AND prove our worth to the Queen." He walks with the others back towards the cave entrance with a renewed gusto. His plan seemed foolproof. Anyone looking carefully would notice his chest a little more puffed out than normal.
"Oh, Oceanus is waiting out front. Didn't seem to want to come inside, so I told him to stand guard over our things." Knowing Gerrard's fondness of the sea-elf, he tries to put the nobles mind at ease.
Gerrard:
"Thank you, Master Kei, that seems like an excellent plan, as long as we prevail against the alligator. I would prefer not to be swallowed twice in one day. Perhaps I could take a moment to refresh myself and meet you outside in a few minutes?" responds Gerrard, praising Kei's idea. "If all this goes well, I think returning with their weapons and helping them retake their home may cement the alliance, but first things first," he finishes, moving off to find a semi-private place to clean his armor and change out of the most damaged bits of his clothing before joining the group outside.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
The party is rejoined by a somewhat cleaner Gerrard, and they exit through the muddy lizard cave, accompanied by the guide and its pair of guards.
"When you return, do not enter this cave without Lizardfolks. Lizards bite," instructs your guide.
Oceanus waits for you patiently, if somewhat anxiously, with your weapons, on the trail.
Gerrard:
As he joins the others, he speaks quietly to Oceanus in Elvish, then says, "So, do we know where this alligator is? And should we send someone to the boat to let our crew know what is going on? I take your point Master Fenwader, about not sending a detailed message, but at least we can let them know 'negotiations are ongoing' or some such thing."
Elvish:
"Oceanus, we have reached a truce with the LIzardfolk for now. They mean no harm to Saltmarsh or the Sea Elves--they wish to reclaim their home from the Sahuagin who invaded it. I suggested Queen Othokent negotiate with you, but she said their Koalinth allies would not get along with your people. In any case, we agreed to be helpful to the lizardfolk here for a day to see how it goes. I wanted you to be informed and see what you think," says Gerrard softly, trying to get a sense of how Oceanus feels about this situation.
Insight: 12
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Kei
He takes in all that Peri and Gerrard divulge. It seems like a match made in the Upper Planes. He questions the mace wielding lizard for directions to Thousand Teeth's lair before catching up with the group. "Dwal, do you have parchment for us to scribe our letter?" Being more the palm greasing type, Kei abstains from offering to write the letter. A bard he may be, but that type of prose was beyond him.
Absentmindedly, he casts Prestidigitation on Gerrard. Multiple times. "Can't have you getting bile all over our decree!" He says jokingly. The thought of tackling a giant crocodile puts him in a jovial mood. Perhaps the thought of potential loot.
"Ah, fine idea most notable of nobles. How to decide who shall be the group's running boy? A game of chance perhaps." He rummages through his pack. His hand emerges with 3 six sided die. "Shall we see who Lady Luck favours today?" He hands two dice to Gerrard and keeps one himself. "Low roll runs!"
Dice roll 5
Gerrard:
"I don't mind a brisk walk back to the ship," says Gerrard, "especially now that I am feeling more myself--thank you, Master Kei, for the assist in cleaning my garments."
Taking one of the die, Gerrard rolls it and then gets to work on a brief letter to give the crew in case they decide to head back to Saltmarsh today.
Random d6: 6
Calligraphy skill roll + proficiency: 16
OOC: Add appropriate ability -- Dexterity or Charisma or Intelligence as applicable? Either +4, +2, or +0 respectively. Suggesting Charisma (+2) to make it a persuasive letter to pave the way for an alliance. DMG entry for the tool proficiency could allow him to make a persuasion check with advantage using the letter. Not sure how you would like to run it, DM...
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Oceanus is silent and closed.
"I don't trust the lizardfolk," he says, quietly.
The guide gives you some instructions on how to find Thousand Teeth: It is about 12 miles upstream through thick and dangerous marsh. Maybe an eight-hour direct slog through dense and treacherous swampland, or thirteen hours if you stick to the safer, but longer, riverbank route, which snakes its way inland. Look for the fetid pool in a shallow valley near a large boulder shaped like a tooth.
(Weird die roller behavior, but I'll accept the 21+ability modifier. I agree that a charisma (persuasion) check is the most appropriate here, assuming the intent of the letter is to persuade. Can you summarize the content of the letter for us?)
(Roll a Nature check.)
Peri:
Peri racks his brain, trying to recall any information about the koalinth (Nature: 10)
"How to decide who shall be the group's running boy? A game of chance perhaps. Shall we see who Lady Luck favours today? "Low roll runs!"
"I'll try my luck." Peri chimes in. 2 He looks briefly disappointed, then gets a sly gleam in his eye. "Ah, more bad luck for Lord Feldern! Looks like you'll be sloggin' back to the boat. Tell ya what, though: seein' as you've had such a rough day I'd be willin' to carry your letter for you, if you'd like to stay and discuss strategy here." And I'll be sure to mention our dangerous and deadly mission to Sal -- all nonchalant-like of course, he thinks to himself. Could be the last time the poor lass sees me. Best she remembers me as a hero. Even better if it ISN'T the last time...
Dwal
Dwal absently pets Bjorn while listening to his companions. He will provide a parchment if needed but will say nothing.
"Bjorn might take the message back if ye give him a silver each" Dwal says smiling. With that Dwal will communicate with Bjorn to see if he could deliver the message. If so Dwal will tell him:
"Just drop that note in front of one of them and return. I don't trust them humans and last time ye didn't fair too well with them."