AD&D: Trappings of Fate

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-12-29 07:25pm

Alyrium Denryle wrote:
Dahak wrote:I walks up to Tsaroth and sigh. "Finally we get this done. Hope it will work as desired..."
"I hope so... Though, even if they do stop the druids, the Kobalds will still attack"

"I worry more about Druids and some obscure Astral elves, than kobolds..." He nods towards the mayor's office. "Let's get that part done, first."

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-29 07:46pm

I get to the mayors office and tell the receptionist that I have an appointment.

He motions you in, the mayor greets you.

I don't necesarilly want it to be reloaded, just one shot is all I want, that way if we get surrounded/he's threatened we can suprise them.

He says it will cost 20gp, and he recomends you poision the tip.

So what is Quoth reporting?

The birds of the forest refuse to tell him anything important. Best guess, the druids told them not to.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-29 08:59pm

He motions you in, the mayor greets you.

"Hello my friend. Hopefully the spell i m about to cast will not be blocked by wards. Also, I have figured out who the third party is. They are a race of megalomaniacle star elves who were defeated by the Sun eles a long time ago. They re at it again. They are using alies and back alley deals to pit different sides against each other to weaken us... The Kobalds are under their employ, so thebest we can do is break their ties wth the druids."

*pulls out crystal and casts SCRY*

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-29 10:34pm

Casts it on what? "the forest" is too vague.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-29 10:42pm

I cast on the name of the Kobald leader. I have met him, the DC is relativly easy.

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-29 10:49pm

There crystal swirls and warps and you see the image of the kobold leader, walking past a double thick rows of kobold troops. The kobolds are standing in formation, and the leader is walking past them, your best guess would be this is "morning inspection" or somthing like it.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-29 10:52pm

"This, is their morning inspection. They are disciplined, well equiped, professional soldiers. Your walls may put off wlves and raiders, but against a determined attacker, they will not last long... Lets see what else he does"

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-29 11:06pm

As you watch he inspects the troops. You can't keep an exact count, due to the fact that the crystals POV rotates. But you estimate that there are between 80 and 150 kobolds there.

You also notice, that there would appear to be balistas between every few blocks of troops. These you can count exactly, four.

The leader might do more after that but.......

After about 10 minuets of watching the kobold do morning inspection, the mayor is impatent.

"Yes yes. So there are some kobolds there, what of it? We are pround members of the kingdom of Eledon, not an independent town. The king has a standing army for a reason, why not simply scream for help and let those kobolds feel the wrath of a REAL army."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 10:55am

"And how quickly could they get here? You would be deaf before the army go anywhere close to the forest... if they ever even got your distress message. Clearly, these Kobalds, despite the fact of them being Kobalds are a real army. I am not doing this for my own benifit. I am breaking a Kobald hunting contract to do this out of the decency of my heart. Now curb your foolish arrogance and do what is smart. The Kobalds you cannot stop, but the druids, you can hold at bay by meeting their demands. Hells, you may even be able to sway them to your side. So unless you want to die, I would suggst you listen to me."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 11:11am

"And how quickly could they get here? You would be deaf before the army go anywhere close to the forest... if they ever even got your distress message. Clearly, these Kobalds, despite the fact of them being Kobalds are a real army. I am not doing this for my own benifit. I am breaking a Kobald hunting contract to do this out of the decency of my heart. Now curb your foolish arrogance and do what is smart. The Kobalds you cannot stop, but the druids, you can hold at bay by meeting their demands. Hells, you may even be able to sway them to your side. So unless you want to die, I would suggest you listen to me."

Tsaroth was becoming very irritated at this humans arrogance. nd specieist pride

"Now, human I have been on this planet much longer than you. I am young for my race, and have already seen more in my lifetime than you ever will. One of the first things you learn is that if you underestimate your enemy, you die. I have seen many many fine young men and woment underestimate an opponent, and die a horrible, bloody death. DOnt let te fact that your opponents ar kobalds influence your decision. You face an army. Well equipped, with siege weapons. And they are small, that makes them harder to hit. So unless you want every man woman and child to be butchered llike cattle, you will accept the Druids hospitality, and behave like the guests in this forest that you are."[/i]

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-30 12:49pm

"Hold the druids at bay?"

*the mayor seems to think*

"Hmmmmm. Good idea, keep them away long enough for the army to arrive.....Might work."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 01:08pm

"You blithering moron... Hw can you be so arrogant? If you simply keep the Druids friendly, you wont have to fight. They attack tomorrow, and will kill any messanger that tries to make it through! The army will be butchered by dire tigers and ents in that forest, unless you act like guests.

As much as you think you do, you do NOT own this forest. At best you are guests, living off natures hospitality, and you have been less than gracious tenents. If you do anything of the sort, there will be nothing that will save you. In all likelyhood, I can take on your entire militia and suffer a few stratches. But my entire group, that has 3 mages on par with myself could barely withstand battle with a small patrol of what you face. And I will not die defending you from your own lunacy. If you placade the druids you may live. If you do not, you will suffer the forests wrath."

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-30 01:26pm

*rolls diplomacy check* (critical failure)

The mayor dosn't react well to being called a "blithering moron" (dispite the fact that it's true)

"Listen you, your've shown me some kobolds, that's nice. You say that the druid will summon their magical creatures to aid in the fight, fine, your right. This countries army numbers in the tens of thousands, and we have battlemages and clerics of our own, we can burn the whole damned forest to the ground."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 01:31pm

lazerus wrote:*rolls diplomacy check* (critical failure)

The mayor dosn't react well to being called a "blithering moron" (dispite the fact that it's true)

"Listen you, your've shown me some kobolds, that's nice. You say that the druid will summon their magical creatures to aid in the fight, fine, your right. This countries army numbers in the tens of thousands, and we have battlemages and clerics of our own, we can burn the whole damned forest to the ground."

"And the King will send that army? Dont be a fool. Those troops are needed to garrison large cities, guard bridges, hold fortresses. You think he will send more than a few dozen men to deal with Kobalds and upity druids? You overestimate your own importance. You will be long dead by the time a messanger dies in the forest. And of course, if you burn the forest, you will be dead anyway."

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-30 01:49pm

"What's your point? We evacuate, and the kings few dozen men die. Would any sane ruler tolerate the fact that he apprantly has no control over his own territory? ONce it become clear how bad the situation is, the king will send more force."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 02:04pm

"And where would you evacuate to? You are surrounded by forest on all sides. The king will simply never know you have been attacked. Until the taxes stop coming in. But then again, he will send a few men, who die in the forest, this will repeat ad nausium until the king gives up. No sane ruler would pull hundreds of men from important duties in order to attack woodland creatures. In all likelyhood, he will want proof that this happened, and because no one knows the names of the druids or kobalds involved, no scrying spell will work.

You have two choices if you want to live. You can either secure safe passage through the forest from the druids and leave. They will keep the Kobalds from attacking you. Or you can stop raping the forest, and take only what you need. Use smll garden plots instead of commnal farms, build using cross imbers rather than full log cabins. This will placade the druids, and if the Kobalds attack, I may be able to pursuade them to help break the siege. It is either that, or you, and every man woman and child n this town will be impaled on Kobald spears."

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-30 02:08pm

It would appear that (finally) some of what your saying gets to the mayors brain.

"Well, I'm going to need proof that the kobolds and druids will stop if we do this."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 02:09pm

"I can have you speak with them if you wish. I have safe passage for the next 48 hours"

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-30 02:10pm

"That would be good, yes. Can we go now? I will need as much time as possible to break the news to the people, they arn't going to take this well."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 02:11pm

"Why yes we can"

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 02:13pm

*takes him into the woods*

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-12-30 02:14pm

"That is a very wise decision, Mayor."

Keenan bows down to Tsaroth, "we have to talk to the Druid, anyway. Could combine it that way..."

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2003-12-30 02:15pm

"This should work out reasonably well"

lazerus · Post by **lazerus** » 2003-12-30 02:16pm

You lead the mayor to the edge of the forest, and the druid meets you there.
Druid: Has a decision been reached?

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-12-30 02:16pm

"I hope so. I have my doubts about the druids and their relation to these Fael, though..."