To tame the Stonelands.

[Blackrat]

Gheng crosses his hands in a very humanlike manner and looks at you for a long time before continuing. I believe there is much for my tribe to gain from working with you. But there are many tribes in the wastes, and most of them are not as openminded of humans as I am. You know, every few years someone from human land tries to build a fortress here. Eventually they all fall. Maybe with our help, you could hold on to that small area you have chosen.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

It sounds to me like we have the basis for a friendship. Launa sits back and lets out a sigh of relief. We would gladly welcome your help and aid in assisting you when you need it.

 

[Blackrat]

To me it seems you will need to bring a lot of caravans from human land. Even the shortest route has three other tribes in addition to ours in the way. But for some profit, we would be willing to protect the road from your land to human town. Gheng rises back up and walks to a cupboard as he talks. He takes a bottle and two quite expensive looking golden goblets and brings them to the table before once again sitting.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Yes, you are quite right. Upon completion of my keep, I plan on building waystations to point a path to it. Here is what I am thinking; this area isn't all that pleasant to grow crops in. Surely, it must be difficult at times to feed every mouth, sure magic can help, but it can't always be relied on. Launa pauses to think. What I'd like is for us to eventually form an alliance, and eventually bring other tribes of the area into the fold. I think if this area had a freedom from hostilities, life would be a lot more pleasant.

The ultimate goal would be for each tribe to have a chosen official be in charge of a certain swath of land; each acting like a barony. These officials would get together when necessary and would form the council in which the Stonelands were run. It is a large enough task, so or now I am focused on dealing with one tribe at a time.

Consider this; your needs are my needs. Anything you may ever need we can provide you with. If for now you need compensation, that is fine. I can understand it. A non-agression pact is not a peace treaty; there needs be enough time between us to form a bond of trust.

 

[Blackrat]

You have noble plans, though I'm afraid it will still reguire the eradication of many tribes. The orcs for one, are most certainly not interested in anything but bloodshed. He opens the bottle and pours the content to the coblets. Frostwine from Halruaa. I don't know how they do it, but whenever a bottle is opened for first time it chills to almost freezing. He hands you the other coblet. So for now, we protect your caravans and in turn we get a share of their goods. Does that sound good?

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Indeed. I am glad that we can come to these terms.

 

[Blackrat]

You spend the night in the Hobgoblin lair, talking this and that with Gheng. You don't manage to fish out much of his past but he definetly seems more civilized than you'd expect from a desert-dweller.

When the morning comes you set out back home. Home, that's what it is now, you realize. Travelling the same route as earlier, you come to the place where you met the were-creature, whatever it was. You see it again, crouched on the largest boulder around, out of normal reach, eyeing you. You're not sure, but it seems to be very cautious about your group.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Lauana speaks. "Someone please translate this into Hobgoblin as I spek it; We mean you no harm, w'ed like to co-exist peacefully. When you attacked us you left us no choice but to defend ourselves." Launa pauses for a brief second. "Please if you understand, then acknowledge us."

 

[Blackrat]

The sergeant translates your suggestion, but if the creature understood it, it doesn't show any signs. It sits there, licking the arm you wounded earlier and looking intensively at your troupe. Seems like it's still recovering and doesn't pose much of a threat, but you can't be sure.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Launa repeats what she just said in Draconic, if she doesn't ou of that, then she tries it again in Celestial.