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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Capellan" data-source="post: 1101945" data-attributes="member: 6294">Kull's Fourth Report - Part 5Once the room had been cleared, I made the position clear to the council: the lizardfolk were friendly - indeed, they desired an alliance - but the village faced a far more dangerous threat in the sahuagin.  Even the mention of this word caused several of the councillors to blanch with fear.  This was a reaction I noted with some satisfaction, if only because it was the first time I had seen something shake their complacency.I also warned them of the passage of a large group of goblins through their territory, and the likelihood that there was a settlement somewhere nearby.  The group we had fought had contained neither females nor young, and it was doubtful that a large party of males would travel far without such comforts.In truth, I consider the goblins a slight threat, at most.  They are too weak as individuals and too disorganised as groups to present much danger, unless present in such large numbers that even the wilfully blind people of Saltmarsh would have been sure to detect them.  Still, another danger looming over their heads would be apt to make the council even more malleable.With the situation outlined in broad terms, I got down to the specific steps that that needed to be taken to counter the threat.First, an alliance must be made with the lizardfolk, the sea-elves, and the locathah.  The sahuagin were recognised as enemies by all four races, so it would be foolish to try and battle them alone.Second, the goblins must be dealt with.  Though they were no threat to an army, they would be a danger to messengers travelling between the allies, which would reduce the value of the alliance itself.Third, the steps already taken to prepare Saltmarsh for an attack would have to be stepped up, with increased time set aside for weapons training for all adults.  Youths of eight or more should also receive training.  Not as fighters, but as leaders of the smaller children.  In the event of an attack, it would be their responsibility to gather all those younger than themselves and lead them to the pre-determined shelters.  All able-bodied adults would be needed to defend the village; there were none to spare for taking care of the young.Fourth, I was to be given a command of the militia.  Clearly, they needed someone with training and experience to lead the force, and I was by far the best candidate.  They were free to choose my second in command, but there must be a single person in the role, not a council: committees cannot command on the battlefield.The Council acquiesced on every point: it is good to know that even the people of Saltmarsh eventually see sense when their own skins are threatened.  They also asked that I consider leading an expedition to reconnoitre the sahuagin base, in preparation for a combined attack on the place.  This aggressive plan surprised me at first, coming from the timid council, but it soon became apparent that it had originated from the lizardfolk.  No doubt they were eager to recover their old home from the sahuagin.I was dubious about the wisdom of assaulting a sahuagin stronghold, as any such attack would be costly, but at least the council seemed committed to the fight.  I agreed to lead the reconnaissance, as soon as the goblins were dealt with, and the militia had reached at least a minimal level of competence in their weapons training.I intend to spend the next week overseeing the training of the militia, to get a clear idea of their level of skill and preparedness.  I expect both to be abysmal, and will doubtless spend most of my efforts in establishing a proper training program.  While I attend to this, I have negotiated for Zalich to create a set of enchanted boots, which will allow me to walk on walls and sheer surfaces, much as he did during out assault on the smugglers' ship.  We also have a number of magical items to identify, taken from the hoards of the dragon and the goblins, and the halfling will negotiate with the local merchant who provides such services.I will send my next report once the goblin settlement has been found and dealt with.In Hextor's Name,Kull Redfist</blockquote>

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