"Guid lad," says Gildrim. "An' a guid bane-smasher, tay, Ah see. Weel, ye'll dae fine, ah, Weel."[sblock=OOC]Gildrim has reached 4th level overnight and has taken a level in Fighter like a good dwarf, rather than continuing in Divine Bard right now since his faith in Grendath is a little shaken. Grendath no doubt feels the same way.
I've spent skill points on learning Sylvan, so I should find some IC reason to explain how he's picked it up. It's his 11th language, so I imagine he can learn a new one pretty quickly, but he probably needs to find a book or something.
I'd like see if in the next couple of real time days, I can roust up a PC armor and weapon crafter and spend some CP to get a small discount (yes, Tarag misses out on yet another commission). If not, Gildrim will have to purchase from an NPC. Whichever way, he'll buy a MW greatsword and MW full plate. He'll wear the chain shirt at night and while traversing the swamp. He'll also get a regular quality light crossbow and 20 bolts, since he really felt the lack of a decent ranged weapon when he met the grasshopper-men. He even got himself tangled up on the wrong side of a tree and tried throwing his longsword at a crocodile. Worked about as well as you'd expect.
The first time through the swamp, we paid Apikotoa with a short bow, mainly because we had little else to offer. He liked it. That's 30 gp. He rattled off a list of other items the tribe would like, which Gildrim passed on earlier. I think we'll do fine spending no more than 10-15 gp apiece on lizardfolk bribes. Maybe 50 fishhooks, 5 lb cinnamon, a longspear, a shortbow, 100 arrows. That's 50 gp. Perhaps we can even use the longspear and bow along the way.
On a related matter, Gildrim has +7 Survival above ground, so if we're willing to walk slowly, he can provide food for everyone while taking 10. If you're happy to eat the kinds of things he considers food.[/sblock]