Last Stand of the Dorinthians (Chapter 2 - Illusions)

[D20Dazza]

Kel spends much of his time with Alexander discussing the Huntress and hunting. He tries to avoid the gnome tunnels as much as possible, feeling much more at home in the woods surrounding the gnome homeland.

During the briefing Kel watches Rix carefully. He is concerned at how the mission might affect the young kobold, after all, their lives may depend on how he carries himself during the pending encounters.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

As Kel daydreams about his recent experiences, he fails to notice Silas' plight and also falls into the muck, being pulled down to his waste because of his heavier load.

 

[Land Outcast]

"Damn et!" exclaims Alexander as he goes for the rope he's got on the backpack and hands one extreme to Dartis while holding to the other -given that the rope is so long, they can use both extremes- "You pull out Silas!" he says as he throws a coil to the elf-in-the-muck.

 

[Fenris]

Dartis takes the other end of the rope from Alexander. He gathers a few coils up to give it some weight and tosses them to Silas "Grab the rope, and stop struggling!" he calls out to Silas.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Both Silas and Kel tie the ends of the ropes under their arms as Dartis and Alexander pull hard. Kel comes out immediately, although Dartis gives the rope a couple of tugs before Silas is freed. The two adventurers have barely enough time to give thanks, when a repugnant smell reaches their noses.

Rix warns the party as he can see two reptilian figures more than a 100 feet away, off the path and in the deeper part of the swamp. From the smell, all of you know that they must be troglodytes. They don't approach, but instead keep their distance. It's obvious this marsh is going to be dangerous to traverse without a plan.

 

[Fenris]

"Alexander, do you have a bow? I know I could hit them from here. The question is would we bring down more of them onto us by doing so. But then I doubt they are just there to watch us. Perhaps we should continue on while keeping an eye on those two and expectign an attack?" offers Dartis

 

[Ferrix]

Unable to really help drag the two larger companions to safety, Rix sits back on his haunches with his crossbow drawn in case dangers take advantage of the situation. With the arrival of the troglodytes he warns his companions to be wary.

"We don't want to start a fight if we don't have to. As you've just seen, this swamp is dangerous enough without us fighting a running battle against an enemy that knows it and will use it to their advantage. I'd also recommend walking single file for now, the person in front checking the ground with a pole so this doesn't happen again."

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Taking Rix's suggestion, the party continues to move through the marsh, single-file. Alexander leads, driving a stick in the ground as he uses his survival skill to bring the group safely out.

The pair of troglodytes stays their distance until the party comes out of the dangerous terrain. Then they approach, hands up in a manner of peace. The stench is horrible, but you stand your ground until they are near enough to speak in a hissing, gutteral language that you are unable to understand.

Rix answers them in their own language, causing the lizard-like men to nod in approval. They then bend down and undo a wrapped, dirty blanket one of them had hung on their back. Unfurling the blanket, the creatures show a small piece of pottery with something foul inside, some well-picked mandrake root, and 3 strange, green crystals that look somehow artificial.

Rix and them begin to barter. At one point you swear one of the troglodytes says the words 'rations' and 'alcohol' in common before continuing.

Rix
[sblock]
They are speaking in draconic. The smaller troglodyte says, "We see your group are not so foolish at to fall prey to the swamps. If so, we would have killed you. Instead, you have earned our respect and may barter with us. " He removes the blanket from his back and shows his wares.

"This jar contains poison that will weaken your enemy if your weapon cuts him while coated with this. The mandrake root is good if you have an alchemist or herbalist. We do not know what the crystals are for. We removed them from the back of the head of others of your kind." By 'your kind', you know he means kobolds. "Sometimes we attack their guard posts and take them as trophies. Sometimes they bleed us instead," he says. "We respect them. They do not know fear."

"We will trade now. We want pink skin food, or what they call 'rations', or anything that they know as 'alcohol' which helps make us brave. We trade for anything else of value to warriors."
[/sblock]

 

[GlassEye]

Silas watches as Rix speaks with the troglodytes. He peers at the crystals from a distance not wanting to antagonize the troglodytes by appearing too interested in their possessions. Whispering to Alexander and Dartis, Silas says, "Thank you for pulling me out of the muck."

 

[Ferrix]

Rix nods at the troglodytes, things were going well on their journey so far. Speaking to them in the same sibilant tongue, although his accent is quite different from their hissing, he seems to be asking some questions of the green crystals.

[sblock=DM]"We are most pleased for your respect, these lands are yours and it would be unkind of us to trespass without your permission." He inclines his head in a gesture of respect to the troglodytes and sweeps an arm to emphasize the dangerous swamps around them. Continuing, "you said those were found in the back of the heads of those of my own kind? Did you see my kind do anything with them? Do you know much of the place of my kind? Or if there were others not of my kind with them?"[/sblock]

Beckoning Alexander over to kneel by the items so that he can talk quietly to him in common, "they are willing to barter for rations and alcohol, do we have much to spare. They have encountered my kin and have retrieved those," he gestures towards the crystals, "from the back of their heads, a disturbing thought. The jar is a sort of weakening poison, and the mandrake root would prove valuable to an herbalist. Plus, the information they have may be of most use to us. It would be wise to trade with them."