EPISODE 04
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On the trail of their missing Priestess, follow our companions as they put their social and negotiation skills to the test in order to solve a puzzle that will lead them one step closer to success.
Episode Title: Solving a Puzzle
Main Characters: Magnus, Selene, Derby, and Kaar Support Characters: Nib, Vix Game Date: 9/9/16 |
“How you holdin’ up little buddy?” Derby’s voice was barely a whisper as she watched Kaar’s breathing return to normal. As the dwarf came to, she looked away for just a moment to wipe a tear from her eye and put on her signature smile. “Had me worried,” she managed to say through clenched teeth as she tried to keep it together. Derby had no family in Cygnar, and could barely even give her own parents that title, assuming they were even still alive and not in the bottom of some unnamed sewer in Five Fingers, victims of a drug deal gone wrong. The older dwarf was probably her best friend, and certainly the closest thing she had to family away from home; and nearly losing him to the Croaks stirred emotions in her she wasn’t even sure still existed.
Lifting his dirty hand up to touch her face, Kaar smiled and blinked. “I’m just fine, little buddy,” he said, sitting up and taking stock of his surroundings. “Wha’ happened?”
“I thought I’d lost you; that’s what happened,” the young thief said, drawing in a deep breath to help calm her nerves. “The toxin those creatures coated their spears with did a number on you. You stopped breathing for an instant; and with Alex gone, I wasn’t sure what would happen.”
Kaar slowly reached his hand out to grab Derby’s and she helped him to his feet. “Bah!” he said, looking at her and giving a wink. “That was me own fault. The toxin those buggers used can’t kill a dwarf, lass. I shoulda’ concentrated more on fightin’ it off the minute I recognized it got into me system. I was too busy worrying about droppin’ the bastards, and not focused on keepin’ meself safe.” Although she was Human, Derby was so petite she barely had 3 inches on him with his bulky climbing boots on. He put his burly hand on her head and shook it around, messing her already tangled hair up even worse. “Ye worry too much.”
“How do you feel now?” Derby asked, taking a handkerchief and wiping blood from the dwarf’s disheveled beard. “You were spitting up blood. So I will be the judge of my own worry, thank you very much.”
Kaar began to stretch his arms, twist his torso, and generally take stock of his person. Bandages had been applied to his chest wound; and although they weren’t as neatly set as when Alexandra would tend to his injuries, they were more than adequate to protect the wound. Selene’s work most likely, he thought to himself. He looked back to Derby. “Actually, I feel pretty good, all things considered. Now, stop fussing about and give me a report. How long was I out, and what has everyone found?”
“Well to be honest, you weren’t out long. Maybe 15 minutes. Selene is still packing up her medical kit and Mags is checking out the dead croaker witch,” she answered, pointing to Selene who was on her knees re-wrapping the clean bandages and closing up her kit.
As the Iosan got to her feet and looked at her now conscious patient, he nodded his head to her and she returned the gesture with a small shake of her own. “You’re welcome,” is all she said. Kaar knew Selene took personal responsibility for anyone in the group that suffered during a combat encounter, whether she could have done anything about it or not. It was her training and her own personal Iosan convictions that caused her to feel that way. Nothing he said to her would change her thoughts on the matter, so he didn't bother saying anything at all. Tanis really wasn’t cut out for straight up front-line combat, but the team sorely lacked a true brutish fighter for physical encounters, and she boldly took on the role. Standing there, Kaar contemplated his team for a moment. They were a bit inexperienced, and completely out of their element in the wildlands of the Thornwood to be sure. But Kaar wouldn’t trade one of them for a minute. He was immeasurably proud to be a part of this group; flaws, quirks, and illnesses included. That being said, he realized it may be wise to consider adding a trollkin or ogrun at some point to join his team. He’d give more thought to that at a later date. A shout from behind him shook the dwarf from his daydreaming.
“Definitely gifted,” Magnus called out to the group. Seeing the trader back on his feet, he gave a quick smile. “Nice of you to join us,” he said. “Thought you were going to nap all day.”
Kaar returned the jest. “Keep it up and ye’ll only get half rations of me’ special soup tonight, Investigator.”
“Things are looking up already,” Magnus said with another grin. He lifted the creature’s staff and walked it over to Kaar. “Dead animals tied to the stick. Her pouches are filled with powders, bark, feathers, and bone chips. Some type of forest-mage or shaman if I had to guess,” he shrugged. “I’ll keep searching.”
Kaar looked around and saw Selene checking the rest of the bodies while Derby had moved to comfort the little gobber called Nib. Ironfist made his way to the area where the dead horse and lifeless human female body were located. Taking just a quick glance at her clothing and body type, it was obviously not Alexandra; but it still warranted a thorough search. Kaar’s mind was racing as none of this made a whole lot of sense. Questioning the gobber would hopefully untangle the knot; but first he needed to see if the female body held any clues. She was face down in the mud, a badly rusted longsword protruding from her side that was most likely the cause of her death. But what was she doing out here, and why? She had medium length brown hair, a long coat similar to Derby’s, and a satchel that had been opened but otherwise left with the body. Opening the case up, Kaar found 17 Cygnaran gold crowns and a small scroll with a broken seal. He recognized it immediately as a Strangelight seal, but from a different office than his group’s that he could not readily identify. Opening the scroll, the dwarf read the contents and then closed it back up and stuck it back into the satchel.
Magnus had moved from the Croak Witch to the wagon itself, doing his best to try and figure out what had actually happened to cause the wreck. Derby was still talking to Nib, doing her best to calm the little fellow down and convince him it was now safe to come out from underneath the pile of clothes he had once again retreated to. She was able to coax the gobber out and make him feel safe; and after some time even get him to speak to her.
Lifting his dirty hand up to touch her face, Kaar smiled and blinked. “I’m just fine, little buddy,” he said, sitting up and taking stock of his surroundings. “Wha’ happened?”
“I thought I’d lost you; that’s what happened,” the young thief said, drawing in a deep breath to help calm her nerves. “The toxin those creatures coated their spears with did a number on you. You stopped breathing for an instant; and with Alex gone, I wasn’t sure what would happen.”
Kaar slowly reached his hand out to grab Derby’s and she helped him to his feet. “Bah!” he said, looking at her and giving a wink. “That was me own fault. The toxin those buggers used can’t kill a dwarf, lass. I shoulda’ concentrated more on fightin’ it off the minute I recognized it got into me system. I was too busy worrying about droppin’ the bastards, and not focused on keepin’ meself safe.” Although she was Human, Derby was so petite she barely had 3 inches on him with his bulky climbing boots on. He put his burly hand on her head and shook it around, messing her already tangled hair up even worse. “Ye worry too much.”
“How do you feel now?” Derby asked, taking a handkerchief and wiping blood from the dwarf’s disheveled beard. “You were spitting up blood. So I will be the judge of my own worry, thank you very much.”
Kaar began to stretch his arms, twist his torso, and generally take stock of his person. Bandages had been applied to his chest wound; and although they weren’t as neatly set as when Alexandra would tend to his injuries, they were more than adequate to protect the wound. Selene’s work most likely, he thought to himself. He looked back to Derby. “Actually, I feel pretty good, all things considered. Now, stop fussing about and give me a report. How long was I out, and what has everyone found?”
“Well to be honest, you weren’t out long. Maybe 15 minutes. Selene is still packing up her medical kit and Mags is checking out the dead croaker witch,” she answered, pointing to Selene who was on her knees re-wrapping the clean bandages and closing up her kit.
As the Iosan got to her feet and looked at her now conscious patient, he nodded his head to her and she returned the gesture with a small shake of her own. “You’re welcome,” is all she said. Kaar knew Selene took personal responsibility for anyone in the group that suffered during a combat encounter, whether she could have done anything about it or not. It was her training and her own personal Iosan convictions that caused her to feel that way. Nothing he said to her would change her thoughts on the matter, so he didn't bother saying anything at all. Tanis really wasn’t cut out for straight up front-line combat, but the team sorely lacked a true brutish fighter for physical encounters, and she boldly took on the role. Standing there, Kaar contemplated his team for a moment. They were a bit inexperienced, and completely out of their element in the wildlands of the Thornwood to be sure. But Kaar wouldn’t trade one of them for a minute. He was immeasurably proud to be a part of this group; flaws, quirks, and illnesses included. That being said, he realized it may be wise to consider adding a trollkin or ogrun at some point to join his team. He’d give more thought to that at a later date. A shout from behind him shook the dwarf from his daydreaming.
“Definitely gifted,” Magnus called out to the group. Seeing the trader back on his feet, he gave a quick smile. “Nice of you to join us,” he said. “Thought you were going to nap all day.”
Kaar returned the jest. “Keep it up and ye’ll only get half rations of me’ special soup tonight, Investigator.”
“Things are looking up already,” Magnus said with another grin. He lifted the creature’s staff and walked it over to Kaar. “Dead animals tied to the stick. Her pouches are filled with powders, bark, feathers, and bone chips. Some type of forest-mage or shaman if I had to guess,” he shrugged. “I’ll keep searching.”
Kaar looked around and saw Selene checking the rest of the bodies while Derby had moved to comfort the little gobber called Nib. Ironfist made his way to the area where the dead horse and lifeless human female body were located. Taking just a quick glance at her clothing and body type, it was obviously not Alexandra; but it still warranted a thorough search. Kaar’s mind was racing as none of this made a whole lot of sense. Questioning the gobber would hopefully untangle the knot; but first he needed to see if the female body held any clues. She was face down in the mud, a badly rusted longsword protruding from her side that was most likely the cause of her death. But what was she doing out here, and why? She had medium length brown hair, a long coat similar to Derby’s, and a satchel that had been opened but otherwise left with the body. Opening the case up, Kaar found 17 Cygnaran gold crowns and a small scroll with a broken seal. He recognized it immediately as a Strangelight seal, but from a different office than his group’s that he could not readily identify. Opening the scroll, the dwarf read the contents and then closed it back up and stuck it back into the satchel.
Magnus had moved from the Croak Witch to the wagon itself, doing his best to try and figure out what had actually happened to cause the wreck. Derby was still talking to Nib, doing her best to calm the little fellow down and convince him it was now safe to come out from underneath the pile of clothes he had once again retreated to. She was able to coax the gobber out and make him feel safe; and after some time even get him to speak to her.
“Do you recognize these creatures, Nib?” she asked as she crouched down to be more on his level. “Are they the Croaks we have been hearing about?"
“Yep,” Nib replied. “Those are Croaks alright.”
Derby nodded to Nib. “Ah, I thought so!” she said excitedly. “As my rotund companion alluded to earlier, we think they may have captured our friend. Any ideas where her current whereabouts may be?”
Nib tilted his head. “You use big words. Me not get.” Feeling around in his little pack, he pulled out some sort of old fish. It looked and smelled terrible. Taking a bite and swallowing it with almost no chewing, Nib looked at Derby and contorted his face. She could only assume it was a smile. Holding the sickly fish out in front of her he asked, “Hungry? You eat. It tastes good.”
Derby pointed to her stomach and shook her head. “Oh, no. Thank you though, Nib. I just ate not long ago. I’m stuffed.”
Shrugging his shoulders, the swamp gobber took another bite and then deposited the half-eaten thing back into his old pack.
As the group watched Derby interact with the dirty, uneducated goblin, completely engrossed in her conversation with him, it reinforced to them just how good she was at conversing with just about anyone of any station. She was amazingly likeable and charming; and for the most part, it was completely genuine. Before long, the young woman had found out a good deal about what happened at this site and where to go next. She left Nib to loot the Croaks for anything he found interesting as she rejoined her party.
“OK. Nib believes that the only person that can really help us find the Croak’s gang hideout is his village leader. From what I can gather, she is some sort of teacher or councilor by the name of Vix. Nib is willing to take us to her if we agree to let him keep any remaining loot. Since the gobbers have no interest or use in Cygnaran coin, I don’t see the harm in this. That being said, I’m not sure that’s even our best bet for finding Alexandra.” Derby took a breath and continued. “According to Nib, the caravan was being escorted by Croaks and he and his friends were out hunting and foraging when they spotted them and hid in the brush. Out of nowhere, the caravan was ambushed by creatures he called 'Bog Trogs'. He seems quite frightened of them; even more so than the croaks."
“I know of Bog Trogs,” Selene interrupted. “Alex and I ran into them on one of our scouting expeditions about six months ago. I agree with the gobber that we should avoid them if possible.”
“Fair enough,” Derby nodded and continued. “So, here’s where things get good and bad at the same time. Nib said these Bog Trogs killed all the Croak guards and dragged them off. That banged up cage over there held a woman that they also took. She was chained up and badly bruised, but Nib said she was most definitely alive. She walked under her own power and he remembers that she wore white robes.”
“That had to be Alex!” Magnus exclaimed. “My investigation of the scene leads me to believe nothing the gobber is saying is inaccurate,” he continued. “Did you ask him about the dead woman with the sword in her side?”
“Yes. He only knows that she came in after the battle had started and appeared to be trying to free the prisoner. I get the impression she was not a warrior and was killed quickly, poor soul,” Derby replied.
Kaar interjected then. “I found this case she was carrying.” The dwarf pulled the scroll out and handed the leather satchel to Derby. Holding the parchment up for everyone to see, he continued. “The scroll has orders that appear to suggest she was a scout from the Strangelight Workshop sent ta’ investigate the sightings of walkin’ animal creatures. And before you say it; no, she wasn’t from the Ceryl office. I didn’t recognize the seal, but if I had to guess, I’d say the Corvis branch makes the most sense.”
“Seems likely,” Magnus chimed in. “If we are as close to Corvis as we think, it would be a logical assumption she was from there.”
Nib walked up to Derby at that point and tugged on her coat. “I ready. You still want to come visit my village? Maybe Vix help you.”
Looking to the group and getting universal agreement, Derby smiled at her new little friend. “Of course we do, Nib. We are excited to meet your tribe. Lead on.”
“Yep,” Nib replied. “Those are Croaks alright.”
Derby nodded to Nib. “Ah, I thought so!” she said excitedly. “As my rotund companion alluded to earlier, we think they may have captured our friend. Any ideas where her current whereabouts may be?”
Nib tilted his head. “You use big words. Me not get.” Feeling around in his little pack, he pulled out some sort of old fish. It looked and smelled terrible. Taking a bite and swallowing it with almost no chewing, Nib looked at Derby and contorted his face. She could only assume it was a smile. Holding the sickly fish out in front of her he asked, “Hungry? You eat. It tastes good.”
Derby pointed to her stomach and shook her head. “Oh, no. Thank you though, Nib. I just ate not long ago. I’m stuffed.”
Shrugging his shoulders, the swamp gobber took another bite and then deposited the half-eaten thing back into his old pack.
As the group watched Derby interact with the dirty, uneducated goblin, completely engrossed in her conversation with him, it reinforced to them just how good she was at conversing with just about anyone of any station. She was amazingly likeable and charming; and for the most part, it was completely genuine. Before long, the young woman had found out a good deal about what happened at this site and where to go next. She left Nib to loot the Croaks for anything he found interesting as she rejoined her party.
“OK. Nib believes that the only person that can really help us find the Croak’s gang hideout is his village leader. From what I can gather, she is some sort of teacher or councilor by the name of Vix. Nib is willing to take us to her if we agree to let him keep any remaining loot. Since the gobbers have no interest or use in Cygnaran coin, I don’t see the harm in this. That being said, I’m not sure that’s even our best bet for finding Alexandra.” Derby took a breath and continued. “According to Nib, the caravan was being escorted by Croaks and he and his friends were out hunting and foraging when they spotted them and hid in the brush. Out of nowhere, the caravan was ambushed by creatures he called 'Bog Trogs'. He seems quite frightened of them; even more so than the croaks."
“I know of Bog Trogs,” Selene interrupted. “Alex and I ran into them on one of our scouting expeditions about six months ago. I agree with the gobber that we should avoid them if possible.”
“Fair enough,” Derby nodded and continued. “So, here’s where things get good and bad at the same time. Nib said these Bog Trogs killed all the Croak guards and dragged them off. That banged up cage over there held a woman that they also took. She was chained up and badly bruised, but Nib said she was most definitely alive. She walked under her own power and he remembers that she wore white robes.”
“That had to be Alex!” Magnus exclaimed. “My investigation of the scene leads me to believe nothing the gobber is saying is inaccurate,” he continued. “Did you ask him about the dead woman with the sword in her side?”
“Yes. He only knows that she came in after the battle had started and appeared to be trying to free the prisoner. I get the impression she was not a warrior and was killed quickly, poor soul,” Derby replied.
Kaar interjected then. “I found this case she was carrying.” The dwarf pulled the scroll out and handed the leather satchel to Derby. Holding the parchment up for everyone to see, he continued. “The scroll has orders that appear to suggest she was a scout from the Strangelight Workshop sent ta’ investigate the sightings of walkin’ animal creatures. And before you say it; no, she wasn’t from the Ceryl office. I didn’t recognize the seal, but if I had to guess, I’d say the Corvis branch makes the most sense.”
“Seems likely,” Magnus chimed in. “If we are as close to Corvis as we think, it would be a logical assumption she was from there.”
Nib walked up to Derby at that point and tugged on her coat. “I ready. You still want to come visit my village? Maybe Vix help you.”
Looking to the group and getting universal agreement, Derby smiled at her new little friend. “Of course we do, Nib. We are excited to meet your tribe. Lead on.”
It took about 30 minutes of winding through trees in what Selene viewed as a very haphazard pattern; but eventually Nib led the companions to a clearing that he pointed to and made that strange face again. “My village,” he said proudly. “All Gobbers live here. No Humans or pointy ears or fat beards.”
“I said I was a Dwarf, not a fat beard!” Kaar said with a scowl on his face.
“No get mad at me!” Nib said back defensively. “She told me that what your group called.” The little gobber pointed right at Derby, ratting her out.
Grabbing the gobber’s hand before Kaar could unleash a tirade of Rulish curses her way, Derby started skipping with Nib toward the village. “Let’s go meet your friends, Nib!”
“This isn’t a village!” Selene said incredulously upon spotting what could best be described as some sort of town center. “It’s a junk heap!”
“Not sure I’d be saying that too loudly; we want to make friends here,” Mags said as he walked past her and made his way through several curious swamp gobbers that looked at the group with a bit of wonderment. The village was filled with gobbers. Entire families including little ones that couldn’t have been more than a few years old toddled around the place playing with strings tied to balls, sticks with old pistons on them that whistled when they twirled them, and dozens of other extremely simplistic but ingenious toys. The adult gobbers all looked somewhat like Nib. They were grey or dark green in color, had long hair, sharp noses, and piercings anywhere they could manage to put them. As they approached the large pile of scrap in the middle of the village, it was clear that it was a bit more organized than it originally appeared. The pile rested on extremely large tree roots that served as a ceiling of sorts as a hole was dug underneath to reveal small living stations. As Nib escorted the group further past the pile, they came to a little hut with all manner of decorations adorning the wood and canvas that served as its walls and roof. Nib knocked on the door and an older gobber with light gray hair stepped out. Nib and he entered into a conversation none of the companions could understand before he opened the door fully and waved everyone in.
Sitting in a chair, in the middle of the hut sat a middle-aged looking gobber female with a fancy purple turban on her head and rather elegant purple robes covering her body. Selene took one look at he goblin and had to stifle a laugh. The gobber looked like one of the charlatan fortune-tellers that lined the outlying market districts of Ceryl - making money off the people looking for some level of hope to what were meager, uninspired lives. Magnus noticed that her ‘chair’ was not really a chair at all. She was sitting on an old Steamjack head that was so filthy and covered in muck, it’s no wonder no one else noticed it for what it was. Sitting on a table in front of Vix was a crystal ball, although it was so cracked and full of pits, it was a minor miracle it had not completely fallen to pieces. Kaar could only imagine what she used it for.
After the group entered her home, Vix looked at Nib and asked him why he brought strangers to the village. Nib answered the gobber leader in a language none of the group could understand.
“No be rude!” the leader said sharply in reply. “These people no speak our words. Use Cygnar words.”
Nib looked sheepishly to the companions and offered a quick apology. He then looked back toward Vix and explained in Cygnaran. “These people save me from Croak attack near crooked creek. They let us have all loot from wreck. They have questions about their missing friend. I think you might be able to help. That all.” After a short pause, Vix nodded her head approvingly and asked if there was anything else. Nib shook his head back and forth and asked if he could go rummage through the treasures he found with his friends. Vix let him go and Nib turned to the group before closing the door on his way out. “Good luck finding friend.”
Kaar looked to Derby quickly and saw her shake her head back and forth slightly, indicating she wanted nothing to do with this exchange. He then approached Vix himself and began to explain what he viewed as his best guess at what had transpired over the past several hours; starting with their exploration of the hidden temple, up to walking into her magnificent home just minutes ago. All the while the patient gobber listened without even one interruption. When the dwarf completed his tale, Vix nodded and gave Kaar a serious look. “I will tell you where Bog Trog village is, and how to get there. But I see trouble if you go without guide.”
Selene stepped forward at that point and matter-of-factly stated, “I can find this village with no worry. We do not need one of your guides.”
Vix looked at the Iosan and countered smartly. “You may be able to find village. But how you find all traps on path to get there?”
“I am a tracker,” Tanis responded flatly. “I am skilled at finding traps, especially in the wilds.”
Vix shook her head. “Not these traps. You not find them all; and if you miss just one, your whole plan go poof like smoke. I give you a guide for fair price. If I were you, I would take.”
Selene deferred to Kaar, as he was the group negotiator and far and away the best SI:12 member at making deals. As a matter of fact, she didn't think she had ever met a better negotiator than Kaar Ironfist. The dwarf could tell already the gobber leader was shrewd and was most certainly overstating the danger. However, she was absolutely correct that if Selene missed just one trap, and someone got seriously injured, it could set them back a week or more. They simply did not have that luxury.
“What is it you want in exchange fer a guide then?” he started off. Kaar often liked to take stock of where his negotiating adversary stood before offering up any information of his own. It was a technique that differed from many traders, as it was seen by most as putting you on the defensive early. The Searforge Traders however had a completely different style of negotiation. They were trained to meticulously watch and judge their opponent; from body language, to voice inflection, to eye movement, to muscle behavior. Once the negotiation began in earnest, the Searforge trained their traders to keep the interaction going as long as possible before even thinking of making a final deal. It helped them assess the level of intelligence of their rival, their underlying motivations, their propensity to lie, and a half dozen other subtle things that could sway the final outcome of the social sparring match that was negotiation. It was truly an art form of sorts; and Kaar was quite good at it.
Close to an hour went by before the final deal was made; and what began as the Gobber getting the new greatsword Selene carried across her back for the Gobber’s best guide, turned into something far more acceptable for the companions. Kaar negotiated one of the locks he disarmed from the temple, the new satchel they had found on the woman's body at the ambush site, and the healing services of Alexandra upon their return, in exchange for a worthy guide that could get the group to the Bog Trog village safely and quietly. Kaar had no real use for the satchel, despite Derby taking a liking to it, and Alexandra would have offered her services for free anyway. So all it really cost Kaar was the lock he had found in the temple, which although he would have loved to tinker with, was not that big a deal.
Twenty minutes later, a very unhappy Nib had been forced by Vix to be the 'guide' who would escort the group to the Bog Trog village and then return. It was twenty minutes because that's how long it took Vix to convince him to do it. After being threatened by the older leader to hit him over the head with her crystal ball, the petrified little gobber finally conceded, and went to ready himself for the journey while Kaar questioned Vix on what she knew that might prepare his team for what they had in store with the Bog Trogs. What she told them was unexpected and vastly more interesting and disconcerting than anyone in the party would have ever guessed.
“I said I was a Dwarf, not a fat beard!” Kaar said with a scowl on his face.
“No get mad at me!” Nib said back defensively. “She told me that what your group called.” The little gobber pointed right at Derby, ratting her out.
Grabbing the gobber’s hand before Kaar could unleash a tirade of Rulish curses her way, Derby started skipping with Nib toward the village. “Let’s go meet your friends, Nib!”
“This isn’t a village!” Selene said incredulously upon spotting what could best be described as some sort of town center. “It’s a junk heap!”
“Not sure I’d be saying that too loudly; we want to make friends here,” Mags said as he walked past her and made his way through several curious swamp gobbers that looked at the group with a bit of wonderment. The village was filled with gobbers. Entire families including little ones that couldn’t have been more than a few years old toddled around the place playing with strings tied to balls, sticks with old pistons on them that whistled when they twirled them, and dozens of other extremely simplistic but ingenious toys. The adult gobbers all looked somewhat like Nib. They were grey or dark green in color, had long hair, sharp noses, and piercings anywhere they could manage to put them. As they approached the large pile of scrap in the middle of the village, it was clear that it was a bit more organized than it originally appeared. The pile rested on extremely large tree roots that served as a ceiling of sorts as a hole was dug underneath to reveal small living stations. As Nib escorted the group further past the pile, they came to a little hut with all manner of decorations adorning the wood and canvas that served as its walls and roof. Nib knocked on the door and an older gobber with light gray hair stepped out. Nib and he entered into a conversation none of the companions could understand before he opened the door fully and waved everyone in.
Sitting in a chair, in the middle of the hut sat a middle-aged looking gobber female with a fancy purple turban on her head and rather elegant purple robes covering her body. Selene took one look at he goblin and had to stifle a laugh. The gobber looked like one of the charlatan fortune-tellers that lined the outlying market districts of Ceryl - making money off the people looking for some level of hope to what were meager, uninspired lives. Magnus noticed that her ‘chair’ was not really a chair at all. She was sitting on an old Steamjack head that was so filthy and covered in muck, it’s no wonder no one else noticed it for what it was. Sitting on a table in front of Vix was a crystal ball, although it was so cracked and full of pits, it was a minor miracle it had not completely fallen to pieces. Kaar could only imagine what she used it for.
After the group entered her home, Vix looked at Nib and asked him why he brought strangers to the village. Nib answered the gobber leader in a language none of the group could understand.
“No be rude!” the leader said sharply in reply. “These people no speak our words. Use Cygnar words.”
Nib looked sheepishly to the companions and offered a quick apology. He then looked back toward Vix and explained in Cygnaran. “These people save me from Croak attack near crooked creek. They let us have all loot from wreck. They have questions about their missing friend. I think you might be able to help. That all.” After a short pause, Vix nodded her head approvingly and asked if there was anything else. Nib shook his head back and forth and asked if he could go rummage through the treasures he found with his friends. Vix let him go and Nib turned to the group before closing the door on his way out. “Good luck finding friend.”
Kaar looked to Derby quickly and saw her shake her head back and forth slightly, indicating she wanted nothing to do with this exchange. He then approached Vix himself and began to explain what he viewed as his best guess at what had transpired over the past several hours; starting with their exploration of the hidden temple, up to walking into her magnificent home just minutes ago. All the while the patient gobber listened without even one interruption. When the dwarf completed his tale, Vix nodded and gave Kaar a serious look. “I will tell you where Bog Trog village is, and how to get there. But I see trouble if you go without guide.”
Selene stepped forward at that point and matter-of-factly stated, “I can find this village with no worry. We do not need one of your guides.”
Vix looked at the Iosan and countered smartly. “You may be able to find village. But how you find all traps on path to get there?”
“I am a tracker,” Tanis responded flatly. “I am skilled at finding traps, especially in the wilds.”
Vix shook her head. “Not these traps. You not find them all; and if you miss just one, your whole plan go poof like smoke. I give you a guide for fair price. If I were you, I would take.”
Selene deferred to Kaar, as he was the group negotiator and far and away the best SI:12 member at making deals. As a matter of fact, she didn't think she had ever met a better negotiator than Kaar Ironfist. The dwarf could tell already the gobber leader was shrewd and was most certainly overstating the danger. However, she was absolutely correct that if Selene missed just one trap, and someone got seriously injured, it could set them back a week or more. They simply did not have that luxury.
“What is it you want in exchange fer a guide then?” he started off. Kaar often liked to take stock of where his negotiating adversary stood before offering up any information of his own. It was a technique that differed from many traders, as it was seen by most as putting you on the defensive early. The Searforge Traders however had a completely different style of negotiation. They were trained to meticulously watch and judge their opponent; from body language, to voice inflection, to eye movement, to muscle behavior. Once the negotiation began in earnest, the Searforge trained their traders to keep the interaction going as long as possible before even thinking of making a final deal. It helped them assess the level of intelligence of their rival, their underlying motivations, their propensity to lie, and a half dozen other subtle things that could sway the final outcome of the social sparring match that was negotiation. It was truly an art form of sorts; and Kaar was quite good at it.
Close to an hour went by before the final deal was made; and what began as the Gobber getting the new greatsword Selene carried across her back for the Gobber’s best guide, turned into something far more acceptable for the companions. Kaar negotiated one of the locks he disarmed from the temple, the new satchel they had found on the woman's body at the ambush site, and the healing services of Alexandra upon their return, in exchange for a worthy guide that could get the group to the Bog Trog village safely and quietly. Kaar had no real use for the satchel, despite Derby taking a liking to it, and Alexandra would have offered her services for free anyway. So all it really cost Kaar was the lock he had found in the temple, which although he would have loved to tinker with, was not that big a deal.
Twenty minutes later, a very unhappy Nib had been forced by Vix to be the 'guide' who would escort the group to the Bog Trog village and then return. It was twenty minutes because that's how long it took Vix to convince him to do it. After being threatened by the older leader to hit him over the head with her crystal ball, the petrified little gobber finally conceded, and went to ready himself for the journey while Kaar questioned Vix on what she knew that might prepare his team for what they had in store with the Bog Trogs. What she told them was unexpected and vastly more interesting and disconcerting than anyone in the party would have ever guessed.
Vix bade the group sit down and listen, and she told them what she thought may be going on in the wilds the outsiders had visited. She explained that not all Bog Trogs were adversarial; and some could even be negotiated with. The most local tribe to her village were a group that were not particularly hostile, especially after the past several weeks. She had had dealings on occasion with their tribal leader, a Mist Speaker known as Nosk. Vix believed he was the most intelligent of the Trogs in that village, and the one they would have the best chance of dealing with if they wished to avoid any type of physical encounter. As the conversation continued, the gobber leader also mentioned the Trogs may be more than happy to deal with the companions without conflict due to the recent devastation of the village itself. Although she didn't know details, her scouts had mentioned that something was harassing the Bog Trog tribe to the point that it looked like it was in disarray, and getting worse all the time.
When asked if she knew of the reference to "The Master" by the Bog Trog they met in the Temple, Vix showed signs of serious concern. She mentioned knowing of one particular Gatorman who referred to himself using that title, and he was known as "Talock the Dark". The rumors surrounding him went back many years, and were varied and unconfirmed. She explained the worst of the stories, should they prove to be true, were that Talock was a Bokor of great power who had an unyielding obsession with necromancy and the dead spirits associated with the black arts. He was truly evil, and was kept in check only because his power came at such an exhausting price. When questioned on the term 'Bokor' - which none of the companions had heard before, Vix described them as ruthless mystics and shamans of the Gatormen. Most revered the great swamp spirit Kossk, and called upon his power in their dark rites. Masters of necromantic forces, Bokors had the power to summon the menacing spirits of the swamp through blood rituals, and to consume the very souls of their enemies to work their foul magic. Talock was said to be completely obsessed with personal power and the destruction of his enemies. The stories said he was cold-blooded, unpredictable, and pitiless.
Vix also mentioned that the large Bog Trog they met in the Temple sounded like one she knew as "Gosag". After speaking to the gobber at length, they were able to surmise that this warrior was most likely the one working with the Croak gang that initially captured Alexandra. It also seemed likely that his involvement with the kidnappers actually served two purposes. Besides getting paid for his muscle, the vile Trog was said to work for Talock in secret. If the rumors of the Bokor were true, and he was empowering himself through the souls of gifted individuals; then Gosag was undoubtedly using the Croak gang to do the grunt work of targeting and capturing the victims. Gosag would then identify the gifted ones of those abducted that his true master could use to further empower himself through the dark arts by stealing their souls and somehow siphoning their power into his own body. He would then have his own Trog troops lay siege to the prisoners in transport and take them to wherever Talock was conducting his rituals.
The thought sent shivers down the companions' spines. Vix commented that the only individual she was aware of that could possibly know the current location of Talock and Gosag was the Myst Speaker Nosk. The gobber elder was aware that Gosag used to be a part of Nosk's tribe, but was exiled years ago for acts of cruelty. A bitter rivalry has existed between the two since then. She knew no more detail than that, although the full story was probably much deeper. Once the puzzle pieces were finally arranged in a manner that made sense, the team realized for the first time just how much danger Alexandra was potentially in, and how quickly they needed to find her. Thanking Vix for her help in putting what Magnus felt was a reasonable theory together, they immediately set out with Nib to find this Bog Trog village and question this Myst Speaker that could hopefully lead them to their friend.
When asked if she knew of the reference to "The Master" by the Bog Trog they met in the Temple, Vix showed signs of serious concern. She mentioned knowing of one particular Gatorman who referred to himself using that title, and he was known as "Talock the Dark". The rumors surrounding him went back many years, and were varied and unconfirmed. She explained the worst of the stories, should they prove to be true, were that Talock was a Bokor of great power who had an unyielding obsession with necromancy and the dead spirits associated with the black arts. He was truly evil, and was kept in check only because his power came at such an exhausting price. When questioned on the term 'Bokor' - which none of the companions had heard before, Vix described them as ruthless mystics and shamans of the Gatormen. Most revered the great swamp spirit Kossk, and called upon his power in their dark rites. Masters of necromantic forces, Bokors had the power to summon the menacing spirits of the swamp through blood rituals, and to consume the very souls of their enemies to work their foul magic. Talock was said to be completely obsessed with personal power and the destruction of his enemies. The stories said he was cold-blooded, unpredictable, and pitiless.
Vix also mentioned that the large Bog Trog they met in the Temple sounded like one she knew as "Gosag". After speaking to the gobber at length, they were able to surmise that this warrior was most likely the one working with the Croak gang that initially captured Alexandra. It also seemed likely that his involvement with the kidnappers actually served two purposes. Besides getting paid for his muscle, the vile Trog was said to work for Talock in secret. If the rumors of the Bokor were true, and he was empowering himself through the souls of gifted individuals; then Gosag was undoubtedly using the Croak gang to do the grunt work of targeting and capturing the victims. Gosag would then identify the gifted ones of those abducted that his true master could use to further empower himself through the dark arts by stealing their souls and somehow siphoning their power into his own body. He would then have his own Trog troops lay siege to the prisoners in transport and take them to wherever Talock was conducting his rituals.
The thought sent shivers down the companions' spines. Vix commented that the only individual she was aware of that could possibly know the current location of Talock and Gosag was the Myst Speaker Nosk. The gobber elder was aware that Gosag used to be a part of Nosk's tribe, but was exiled years ago for acts of cruelty. A bitter rivalry has existed between the two since then. She knew no more detail than that, although the full story was probably much deeper. Once the puzzle pieces were finally arranged in a manner that made sense, the team realized for the first time just how much danger Alexandra was potentially in, and how quickly they needed to find her. Thanking Vix for her help in putting what Magnus felt was a reasonable theory together, they immediately set out with Nib to find this Bog Trog village and question this Myst Speaker that could hopefully lead them to their friend.
. . . . END SESSION . . . .