Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[apiks]

((They don't? I kind of assumed that linguistics allowed you to decipher nearly any language both spoken and written given enough time, haha. I suppose we can play this one off with the elven link.))

After having stood there for a few moments, amazed that he managed to come to a likely conclusion on what the creature is saying, Etoile does a knowledge check on the creature and a perception check on the surroundings. He quickly nods his head in succession.

[Hanzoku]

((I would have thought so as well, but I've been all over the linguistics page to figure out DCs for this. They tend to assume you're deciphering writing, not talking to someone.))

((*roll* Untrained Knowledge (local): 19 + 1 vs DC 10))

You stare hard at the creature, looking over it critically from the tip of its horns to its tail. You desperately wish you had your books at hand, in fact you're pretty sure you know exactly which shelf the book you'd need is on... but what you remember from reading it once a few years ago, this is definitely not a dragon. Your best guess is it's some form of kobold - the book had a small section, only a few pages on them, but it had mentioned that some kobolds could show more draconic traits then others. This one seems to be an outlier though, having wings, claws and jaws like those all together. You also have a niggling sense that there's something out of the ordinary about its scale color, but you'd need to do some reading to know more.

The kobold, meanwhile, squirms under your probing gaze and seems to get a bit self-conscious. It says something sharply ((*roll* Linguistics: 13 + 8 vs ?)). You're not sure what it means exactly. Something involving scales, hands and abnormality?

((*roll* Perception: 7 + 8 vs ?))

You pay attention to the area around you. The first thing you notice is the sound of voices approaching - the dwarf and gnome are leading a new group in which will be arriving soon. You might be able to blend in, but if they notice you were already there you might get in trouble.

You take a closer look at the cage and the kobold. The manacles around its wrist have an obvious lock on each of them, while the lock for the cage is hidden at the bottom, buried in the straw. A glint on a post behind the cage draws your eye, and you see a keyring hanging there with a small key dangling from it. It probably doesn't fit the cage, but it might do so for the manacles.

[apiks]

Etoile frantically points at the kobold and then point at the voices. Afterwards he flails his arms at the creature. After a moment of this display he points at himself and at the key and somewhere to hide. Feeling butterflies doing somersaults in his stomach, he hopes that the draconic creature understood that he wants it to take their attention while he hides.

Time running out, he hides anywhere possible, if needed lying on the ground behind the cage.

((I assume Etoile is not with his morningstar?))

[Hanzoku]

((The game assumes you attend the festival in full adventuring gear. That said, I'll roll with it either way. I'm sort of curious as to where this is going.))

((*roll*: Linguistics 19 + 2 vs ?))

the kobold seems to get his plan, and its silver eyes almost gleam wickedly. Since it doesn't need to hide the act, Etoile can see it take a deep breath, torso expanding impressively as it takes in air. It tips a small container into its mouth and hold the liquid there. As the group approaches, it taps a claw against its lips, a mystical spark igniting the alcohol that it spews out in a torrent of flame just above the group's heads, sparking shouts of surprise and terror as the visitors duck for cover.

After a moment, the dwarf storms around the corner, his face ugly with rage. He raises a rod and points it at the kobold and mutters something inaudible. The rod glows at the tip, and a small bolt of electricity ((*roll* 1d3 = 3)) blasts the kobold, sending it dropping and jerking at the bottom of the cage. Smoke wisps from where it was struck, but it looks to be playing up the effects of the bolt, drawing everyone's attention to it.

The dwarf goes red-faced as the crowd splits in opinion and starts arguing. Those closer to the front felt that it was deserved, while those more animal-loving (or further back from the flames) feel that he overreacted to the playful wyrmling. Grumbling in the same rolling, guttural language the kobold had used before, he urges the crowd out.

((*roll*: Stealth vs Perception 11 -5 + 10 vs ?))

The dwarf doesn't notice you hiding behind the cage, the raised edges of the cage and the kobold's antics doing an admirable job of concealing the suddenly larger mound of straw back there. When you peer out cautiously, you're met with the kobold's broad smile.  The amount of fangs on display is slightly nerve-wracking.

[apiks]

Color is quickly lost in Etoile's face at what just happened. He looks quite shaken and paralyzed for a moment. Once he gets his wits about and makes sure nobody is coming, he takes the keys and unclamps the manacles. He then points at the kobold and then at the lock of the cage with a questioning face to see if it has a plan for that. If not, after making sure five times that nobody is coming, his heart beating like a galloping horse, he takes out his morningstar and bashes the lock to the best of his ability.

((I'll tell you. I didn't expect to be doing this when I entered the menagerie.))

[Hanzoku]

((It's not where I was expecting things to go either, I figured that I'd just be introducing Zeratuu and the party would come across her later. ))

The kobold sighs happily as it massages its wrists, the bronze scales flashing where the manacles had been. Seeing his questioning look, it grins another toothy grin and raises a finger, the sharp claw at the end prominant before it kneels by the bars and starts working its claw into the lock.

((*roll* Disable Device w/out tools vs Simple Lock 3 + 9 vs ?))

It's first attempt fails, but it looks patient as it tries again - it seems well familiar with this, and you wonder how often its managed to escape in the past.

((*roll* Disable Device w/out tools vs Simple Lock 15 + 9 vs ?))

*click* The lock opens, and the kobold slithers through the door, pushing it shut and clicking the lock closed again behind it. You're now standing outside the cage with an escaped red-painted kobold. It's smiling, and suddenly it pounces on Etoile!

It takes him a panic-stricken moment to realize that it's hugging him.

Now you two just have to manage to sneak out. The kobold pantomimes drawing something around itself, making tugging motions near its face like it was adjusting a hood.

[apiks]

"Uh, ohh...." stammers Etoile in worry but takes off his shirt and hands it to the kobold, showing only gleaming scale mail now. He'll have to hope that his curse would be strong enough for people to overlook He gives it any other possible clothing without he himself being naked and flails his hands in worry. An idea strikes him and he makes motions that he will go outside and flail like a fool, taking their attention.

[Hanzoku]

The kobold tugs at his cloak and when he offers it, swaths itself in it, letting him keep his shirt. Since the kobold is 90 cm shorter (or 3 feet), the cloak is comically massive, but it does an excellent job on enveloping any sign of the being inside, not even the tip of the kobold's nose to be seen. When Etoile makes signs of going to make a distaction, the kobold waves its hands pleadingly. Instead, it pulls Etoile to the side where it uses a claw to slice a canvas wall and peek out. Satisfied, the kobold darts through and pulls Etoile out as well. Protected by the bulk of the managerie and facing the wall of a house, they're completely out of sight, and with a bit of prodding, the two walk away and join the crowd. The kobold blends into the crowd, easily mistaken for any of the more common of the shorter races.

Zeratuu pulls on Etoile's pants leg a few times to force him to slow down to a casual, attention-avoiding stroll. They are across the square when shouts from the menagerie indicate that the kobold's escape has been detected.

Etoile has acquired a kobold companion! It doesn't seem willing to abandon him right now, doing its best to stay out of sight and unnoticed.

((When I rolled up her stats, I used the tables for the kobold page. She ended up coming in as short and almost as light as a female kobold could be. I could easily pick up and carry two of her in RL.))

[apiks]

Etoile feels a little ill at what he just did and holds his churning stomach. He assumes that what's done is done and nothing can fix it and remembering how used the kobold was to the lock, probably from previous escape attempts, the same could be said for the captors. He quickly leads her to the library, which as his employer had said, is likely empty, to find the book he was thinking about earlier. On the way he tries to find any stalls to buy clothes for the creature.

((I guess you could call that the first wrench in your plans, eh, Hanzoku? Haha.))

[highmax28]

Dexterity check. Hopefully Steven's reflexes as a gunslinger kick in

[Hanzoku]

((Eh, more of a hiccup then a wrench. She was always meant to join you guys, after all. That said, I thought she'd latch onto one of the two people she could, you know, talk to.))

Zeratuu notices the pleasing shade of green the youth who saved her is turning. That said, she's pretty sure the longlegs aren't normally supposed to be that color, and she waves a covered arm at him when he stops to hold his stomach, creating a breeze to try to help. She blinks up at him when he stops at a clothing stall and starts offering various bits of clothing, looking around carefully before wiggling the tip of her tail in his sight, and makes a gesture at her back to remind him of her wings. Clothing not made to order doesn't really accommodate her extra features. That said, with some persistence on his part, she finds a kilt, tabard, belt and properly sized cloak. Her tail sticks out above the kilt, and the tabard bunches in the back between her wings, but overall its the first time in years that she's properly clothed, and she can't resist hugging his leg again after having dressed in a hidden corner.

Zeratuu makes pleased sounds as they walk, taken with the concept of owning something of her own.

((-1gp buying a Traveler's Outfit for Zeratuu))

[apiks]

((Is this the end of the event and the library for the next one?))

[Hanzoku]

Steven Westiron

((*roll*: Dexterity 14 + 5 vs DC 15 - Success!))

Steven quickly corrects the barrow, and they return to the center of the street, charging ahead of the pack. (+10% on next check)

The twins lead the pack, with Steven right behind. One of the other teams behind has the same problem as Steven had, and only the quick reactions of the rider prevent them from tumbling, but it definitely slowed them up.

((*roll*: 1d100 + 17 = 113))

Steven hits his stride, the barrow hits a perfect groove in the mud of the way, and the crowds whip past. (+25% on next check!)

Behind him, the twins grimly manage to keep up. They almost manage to get into the same groove as Steven, but mistime their movements. Further back, the unlucky team hits a hole in the way entirely wrong, and with a shout the barrow goes sliding off to the side - they're completely out of the running.

Up ahead is the turn into Shell Street, and Steven is lined up perfectly for it.

((*roll*: 1d100 + 33 - 25 = 10))

...However, his luck abandons him for a moment. The barrow bounces badly, but Jared holds on grimly. They're still forced to slide to a stop to recover. The twins start to sail by, but their barrow pulls to the right, and they're forced to slide to a halt before it topples completely. The remaining farmers have the same trouble as Steven and Jared encountered, but likewise managed to remain upright.

[Hanzoku]

((Yes, you guys got away for the moment. The guards will be looking for a wyrmling, but in a busy, crowded festival full of strangers, they quickly give up. Unless Zeratuu goes outside and lights someone on fire, they're not going to find her.))

[apiks]

((Alright, so I'm waiting for the afternoon events in this case.))