Well that wasn't the plan. Kei's mind begins to race. He had only intended on not being eaten, thinking a tribute was the best route to that end. Now he was about to meet a dragon. Of all magic users in all the planes, dragons came second on his list of figures he envied.
Anyone looking at him would see not just a sly grin sneak across his face but a small tremor to his hands. Equal parts fear and anticipation. "We can't disappoint Doug. Who else would like to bask in the glory of his presence?"
He takes a slow step forward - a part of him wanting someone to stop him. Only a small part though.
Kei, Quivys, and Gerrard begin to follow the nervous kobold forward, around black pools and under a small flap of what everyone can now see is a formidable if hard-to-see wall of thorns, vines, and tangled leafless shrubbery. (Is Boko following? What about Peri, who is hiding nearby?)
Beyond is a dank swamp full of dead, twisted vegetation – even more black and foul than the marshes they have traversed so far this evening. A thin fog lightly hangs overhead. You see two more kobolds staring in the distance, and a few more treehouses strung up around the periphery. You have entered a crude fort of sorts. In the center lay a large, roundish, black pool encircled by half-buried stones protruding two feet or so above the surface of the swamp in a primitive circle. Galax stops and beckons you forward, to a large, low, flat slab of stone sitting just outside the circle.
Boko follows, reluctantly. She asks the snake to follow, but stay back about 30 feet, ideally just outside the walls. So farther if needed. "Eat anything if it tries to hurt you,"she says to it, and then to the kobolds watching: "Do not try."
She gazes at the pool, readying herself for anything. She marvels at how long, and how weird, this day has been.
With the eagerness of a halfling at a biscuit eating competition Kei takes his place on the stone slab as directed. He takes care not to cross the circle as though it were some boundary to a forbidden place. His hands fidget with his deck of cards as he waits.
Good, now do the same to any others you see up there, Peri directs his servant. Hopefully, if things do go terribly wrong, at least there won't be ballistae raining down on them. He slips silently from the shadows to join the group as it enters the fort. Second time in less than a day, he thinks, wondering if maybe he isn't getting a little too comfortable with this level of danger.
((Unseen servant vanishes in 1 hour or if he moves more than 60' from it. If it's possible to keep it up he will, but he won't hang back for it.))
The pool is black, opaque, and foul-smelling, perhaps sixty or seventy feet across. A thin litter of dead leaves, submerged logs, and floating sticks are scattered across its surface. The kobolds keep their distance as Kei and Gerrard (and Peri?) step onto the flat stone. Qivys, Boko, and Oceanus hang back with Galax, perhaps 20 feet behind the others.
There is a long pause. All is still for a long, awkward moment. The two kobolds on the far side of the pool stare silently, pausing whatever it was they were doing to watch.
Then what first appeared to be a log rises from the center of the pool, dripping with black water. With deep-socketed eyes and broad nasal openings, its face resembles a skull. Its curving, segmented horns are bone-colored near the base and darken to dead black at the tips. The flesh around its horns and cheekbones is partially deteriorated, leaving thin layers of hide that enhance its skeletal appearance. Its head is marked by spikes and horns. It begins to speak in a gravelly, raspy baritone.
"Speak. I have witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations. What consideration does a creature as pitiful and short-lived as you deserve from Doug?"
Its tongue is flat with a forked tip, drooling slime into the black water as it speaks.
Trying to maintain his composure, Gerrard’s mind is racing. This is Kei’s show, but Gerrard feels the pressure to step up and say something, anything, as this massively impressive creature has commanded them to respond…yet he waits a few precious moments for Master Kei to respond before he steps up and speaks…
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri's nonchalance vanishes as the massive head rises from the swamp. Sure, he'd heard lots of dragon stories. In the stories they were either regal and ineffable, or they were greedy, sly and cunning, but they were always impressive. But the stories don't catch the half of it -- not the tenth part of it! he thinks. It's not just the size, even though it could clearly gulp him down without chewing, but the sense of age that awes him. He hears Qivys mutter and wants to shush him, but eons of instinct root him to the spot, completely motionless, barely breathing even, hoping the predator overlooks him as an easy meal.
((Peri would have held back with Qivys, Boko, and Oceanus. He's not the best candidate to speak to whatever leader the kobolds serve.))
"H...h...hail mighty Doug!" Kei stutters as he tries to calm himself. He was standing in front of a creature that was presumably older than anything he had ever seen. A being that, if it was to be believed, had seen more civilisations fall than Kei had visited. Still in awe he tries to speak. "We come by chance seeking an advantage in an upcoming battle." He goes on to explain their situation around the sahuagin and the alliance that intends to reclaim the lizardfolks lair. He speaks more rapidly than he ever has as his fear builds. It seems as though the whole story falls from his mouth behind one long breath. Finally he pauses and breathes heavily before one last sentence "So it seems fate has brought me, I mean us, to you to seek your guidance". With that he bows deeply and holds the pose until Doug speaks.
Boko has heard of dragons in these lands – she even saw one once, many years ago, or at least she thought: a distant shape flying very high, near the hazy sun, before vanishing into the clouds. There are old stories of such creatures, but there hasn't been an attack on the coastal towns in decades, nor any other contact.
"Your trifling gossip is admittedly curious," it replies to Kei, "but what do I have to gain? Those boastful sahuagin make a poor meal. Bitter and bony. You and your friends, however, look plump and tender. A pity I just ate. Are there more plump ones like yourselves in the coastal colonies that those lands are so infested with these days?"
"But you fail to explain what I gain from helping you in your trifling fight with the sahuagin. Is there new magical knowledge to obtain? More jewels? Fine antiquities with which to decorate my comfortable abode?"
Listening in growing horror as Kei spills their entire battle plan before the fearsome creature, Gerrard is struck by how terrible an idea it would be to invite such a mighty dragon into their fight. He envisions the Lizardfolk home being inhabited by kobolds and functioning as a second lair for the black dragon, and all the people of the region either paying tribute or perishing beneath the wrath of the implacable Doug.
Steeling his resolve, Gerrard steps forward and says in Draconic, “You speak wisely, great dragon. Our struggles are far beneath your notice. We squabble over our petty differences, eking out a living, possessing no great knowledge or treasure that would pique your interest.”
Bowing in respect, Gerrard says, “For my part, I would apologize for disturbing you, but I find I cannot regret our meeting. In one moment, I have seen both the most magnificent creature my eyes have ever beheld and my own insignificance in comparison. I entreat you, give us your leave to go back to our lives, wiser and more humble for having met the great and mighty Doug.”
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Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Boko nods at Gerrard, doing a version of a bow, or curtsey (she never got the hang of that sort of thing), agreeing with his desire to get out of there. This dragon would be an enemy of an ally, and she's accumulated plenty of enemies over the last tenday. She stays quiet.
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Qivys mutters to himself.
The dwarf will fall in line if the party follows the kobold but he grumbles the entire way.
Kei
Well that wasn't the plan. Kei's mind begins to race. He had only intended on not being eaten, thinking a tribute was the best route to that end. Now he was about to meet a dragon. Of all magic users in all the planes, dragons came second on his list of figures he envied.
Anyone looking at him would see not just a sly grin sneak across his face but a small tremor to his hands. Equal parts fear and anticipation. "We can't disappoint Doug. Who else would like to bask in the glory of his presence?"
He takes a slow step forward - a part of him wanting someone to stop him. Only a small part though.
Kei, Quivys, and Gerrard begin to follow the nervous kobold forward, around black pools and under a small flap of what everyone can now see is a formidable if hard-to-see wall of thorns, vines, and tangled leafless shrubbery. (Is Boko following? What about Peri, who is hiding nearby?)
Beyond is a dank swamp full of dead, twisted vegetation – even more black and foul than the marshes they have traversed so far this evening. A thin fog lightly hangs overhead. You see two more kobolds staring in the distance, and a few more treehouses strung up around the periphery. You have entered a crude fort of sorts. In the center lay a large, roundish, black pool encircled by half-buried stones protruding two feet or so above the surface of the swamp in a primitive circle. Galax stops and beckons you forward, to a large, low, flat slab of stone sitting just outside the circle.
"Stand there! Stand there!" whispers Galax.
Boko follows, reluctantly. She asks the snake to follow, but stay back about 30 feet, ideally just outside the walls. So farther if needed. "Eat anything if it tries to hurt you," she says to it, and then to the kobolds watching: "Do not try."
She gazes at the pool, readying herself for anything. She marvels at how long, and how weird, this day has been.
Is the water clear or opaque?
Kei
With the eagerness of a halfling at a biscuit eating competition Kei takes his place on the stone slab as directed. He takes care not to cross the circle as though it were some boundary to a forbidden place. His hands fidget with his deck of cards as he waits.
Gerard:
Gerrard joins as well, staying quiet and watchful. He stands where directed.
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
Good, now do the same to any others you see up there, Peri directs his servant. Hopefully, if things do go terribly wrong, at least there won't be ballistae raining down on them. He slips silently from the shadows to join the group as it enters the fort. Second time in less than a day, he thinks, wondering if maybe he isn't getting a little too comfortable with this level of danger.
((Unseen servant vanishes in 1 hour or if he moves more than 60' from it. If it's possible to keep it up he will, but he won't hang back for it.))
Qivys moves up near the party but does not stand on the stone.
"This ain't right." Qivys says. "This is more a sacrifice spot than a meetin' place."
Qivys takes a defensive stance and waits for the worst.
((OCC: Here we go..TPK!!))
Gerrard:
”I fear you may be right, Qivys,” responds Gerrard, nervously observing their hosts. “Are you sure about this, Master Kei?” he asks.
Insight on the kobolds—are they arranging a meeting or a sacrifice?: 8
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Yeah Boko also hangs back and doesn't come near the stone. She watches for a trap, and watches the pool.
Perception: 28
The pool is black, opaque, and foul-smelling, perhaps sixty or seventy feet across. A thin litter of dead leaves, submerged logs, and floating sticks are scattered across its surface. The kobolds keep their distance as Kei and Gerrard (and Peri?) step onto the flat stone. Qivys, Boko, and Oceanus hang back with Galax, perhaps 20 feet behind the others.
There is a long pause. All is still for a long, awkward moment. The two kobolds on the far side of the pool stare silently, pausing whatever it was they were doing to watch.
Then what first appeared to be a log rises from the center of the pool, dripping with black water. With deep-socketed eyes and broad nasal openings, its face resembles a skull. Its curving, segmented horns are bone-colored near the base and darken to dead black at the tips. The flesh around its horns and cheekbones is partially deteriorated, leaving thin layers of hide that enhance its skeletal appearance. Its head is marked by spikes and horns. It begins to speak in a gravelly, raspy baritone.
"Speak. I have witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations. What consideration does a creature as pitiful and short-lived as you deserve from Doug?"
Its tongue is flat with a forked tip, drooling slime into the black water as it speaks.
(Has Boko heard of a dragon in these parts from any druids she knows?)
Qivys stands with his jaw dropped a little.
"A Dragon!" he thinks to himself. "We're standin' in front of a dragon."
Qivys pauses a moment then asks quietly. "Why? Why are we meetin' with a dragon?"
Qivys looks from Gerrard to Kei.
Qivys eyes narrow. "Somethin' aint right here."
Gerrard:
Trying to maintain his composure, Gerrard’s mind is racing. This is Kei’s show, but Gerrard feels the pressure to step up and say something, anything, as this massively impressive creature has commanded them to respond…yet he waits a few precious moments for Master Kei to respond before he steps up and speaks…
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Peri:
Peri's nonchalance vanishes as the massive head rises from the swamp. Sure, he'd heard lots of dragon stories. In the stories they were either regal and ineffable, or they were greedy, sly and cunning, but they were always impressive. But the stories don't catch the half of it -- not the tenth part of it! he thinks. It's not just the size, even though it could clearly gulp him down without chewing, but the sense of age that awes him. He hears Qivys mutter and wants to shush him, but eons of instinct root him to the spot, completely motionless, barely breathing even, hoping the predator overlooks him as an easy meal.
((Peri would have held back with Qivys, Boko, and Oceanus. He's not the best candidate to speak to whatever leader the kobolds serve.))
Kei
"H...h...hail mighty Doug!" Kei stutters as he tries to calm himself. He was standing in front of a creature that was presumably older than anything he had ever seen. A being that, if it was to be believed, had seen more civilisations fall than Kei had visited. Still in awe he tries to speak. "We come by chance seeking an advantage in an upcoming battle." He goes on to explain their situation around the sahuagin and the alliance that intends to reclaim the lizardfolks lair. He speaks more rapidly than he ever has as his fear builds. It seems as though the whole story falls from his mouth behind one long breath. Finally he pauses and breathes heavily before one last sentence "So it seems fate has brought me, I mean us, to you to seek your guidance". With that he bows deeply and holds the pose until Doug speaks.
Qivys listens in silence but when Kei mentions himself before the group, his eyes narrow.
Qivys appears to nod to himself over something.
Boko has heard of dragons in these lands – she even saw one once, many years ago, or at least she thought: a distant shape flying very high, near the hazy sun, before vanishing into the clouds. There are old stories of such creatures, but there hasn't been an attack on the coastal towns in decades, nor any other contact.
"Your trifling gossip is admittedly curious," it replies to Kei, "but what do I have to gain? Those boastful sahuagin make a poor meal. Bitter and bony. You and your friends, however, look plump and tender. A pity I just ate. Are there more plump ones like yourselves in the coastal colonies that those lands are so infested with these days?"
"But you fail to explain what I gain from helping you in your trifling fight with the sahuagin. Is there new magical knowledge to obtain? More jewels? Fine antiquities with which to decorate my comfortable abode?"
Gerrard:
Listening in growing horror as Kei spills their entire battle plan before the fearsome creature, Gerrard is struck by how terrible an idea it would be to invite such a mighty dragon into their fight. He envisions the Lizardfolk home being inhabited by kobolds and functioning as a second lair for the black dragon, and all the people of the region either paying tribute or perishing beneath the wrath of the implacable Doug.
Steeling his resolve, Gerrard steps forward and says in Draconic, “You speak wisely, great dragon. Our struggles are far beneath your notice. We squabble over our petty differences, eking out a living, possessing no great knowledge or treasure that would pique your interest.”
Bowing in respect, Gerrard says, “For my part, I would apologize for disturbing you, but I find I cannot regret our meeting. In one moment, I have seen both the most magnificent creature my eyes have ever beheld and my own insignificance in comparison. I entreat you, give us your leave to go back to our lives, wiser and more humble for having met the great and mighty Doug.”
Gerrard Feldren - Human Noble in Ghosts of Saltmarsh
Kerric Brightblade - Elven Warrior in "Apocalypse"
Boko nods at Gerrard, doing a version of a bow, or curtsey (she never got the hang of that sort of thing), agreeing with his desire to get out of there. This dragon would be an enemy of an ally, and she's accumulated plenty of enemies over the last tenday. She stays quiet.