CSPAN Darguun (Eberron 3.5 IC)

[appending_doom]

To say tensions in Darguun are high would be redundant. Tensions are always high. Rumors abound that Lhesh Haruuc is fading, seeking harder for a successor. But then there are other rumors that he is simply trying to reinforce his authority, to bind together the nation of Darguun for some great war.

If any of these rumors are true, no one knows for certain (though plenty will claim knowledge of the truth).

What is true, however, is that Lhesh has demanded a meeting of some of the most influential clans, a delicate negotiation with no specific purpose in sight.

The meeting place are the ruins of an old orcish encampment some fifty miles north of Rhuukan Draal, dominated by a stone circle that makes an ideal place for arguments up close. It also brings to mind ancient history, the threats of Xoriat and the Dragon Below. There are dozens of people here, arriving over the course of eight days as Lhesh's advisor, Arkkulath, meets only briefly with any arrival.

Big things are afoot. The only question is: what, exactly?

For whatever other reason you are here, answering that question is high in your mind.

[Samfool]

Notch sits near the back, silently watching, as he always does. He rarely says anything, but he makes his intentions very clear, especially with his bow. As for now, he stands there, quietly waiting near the other goblins. He never shied away from the hobgoblins, but kobolds always gave him the creeps. He never really knew why. Probably because they are cold blooded lizard-creatures. He doesnt look down on them any more than he looks down on the hobgoblins, who continuously try to dominate him. He chuckles to himself. Stupid of them to underestimate me. He thinks. Oh well, they are just acting upon their nature. He passes no judgement on the other goblinoids. After all, he is a goblin, and no one respects a goblin.. not at least until you put them in your place. He chuckles again.

[Qualia]

Gudruun scratched his chin whilst drawing on his cigarillo, his milky eyes scanning the Gathering Stone. He absent mindedly scratched the ear of his Wolf, Shazaat as his gaze started to scan the surrounding area and approaches. As the lords of Darguun began to make their arrival, clearly something of importance was to be discussed. More importantly, this was an opportunity for it's enemies to strike at it's heart. That was something he would not allow.

The goblin climbed onto Shazaat's back, and began a slow circle, checking potential ambush sites and escape routes. He would not allow what befell his tribe to befall his nation.

[appending_doom]

There are other goblins and hobgoblins scattered at the edges of the meeting place, guards of the Bladebears and Razor Crown. They give anyone who does not wear the standard of any major clan a wide berth and suspicious looks.

From the edge, it is also easy to pinpoint small coteries that stand out - a gnome scholar, a tall humanoid whose face is shrouded in veils, a warforged who bears an unusual sigil on its chest, several armored elves, and another who stands in the shadows, watching the proceedings.

[Samfool]

Elves

Notch thinks as he scans the crowd, just noticing the prissy little creatures before him.

'Why are they here?' he thinks, not hiding his hatred, even moving toward the elves. He wanted to put an arrow through their skulls. He let out a long hiss, ending in a snapping snarl, making sure they heard him over the ruckus.

[senrath]

Moxt was, for no better term, scurrying around between the various groups, looking over everything. It had only been a couple of months since he had gained his freedom, and most everything on this plane of existence was still new and exciting for him. He understood enough to know that there was some kind of meeting going on, but he didn't really understand what that meant. So he was moving around, trying to piece everything together.

[Squark]

Verak stayed out of the early proceedings, but his curiosity gets the better of him now. He creeps closer to the main proceedings, trying to ensure he can hear what's going on. He doesn't have any direct stake in the proceedings, but the summit is starting to look like it could have far reaching consequences- Which could very easily spell trouble for the entire nation of Darguun (And by extension, him).

OOC: If Verak can get close enough to overhear what's going on by just getting closer, that's all I'm doing. But if you need a stealth check...
Hide:[roll0]
Move Silently [roll1]

[appending_doom]

A heavy-set hogboblin in Razor Crown colors puts a hand on Notch's shoulder. "Don't make trouble, kid," he warns. "Lhesh is trying to get us together on things, and giving them a reason to fight won't help that." He grins at Notch, a smile that's all teeth.

It takes some time before Moxt notices, but the gnome appears to be circling him, trying to get close to him. He might be talking to people who are near Moxt just by coincidence, but any creature to Moxt's home should know a shadow is not just a shadow.

Armed hobgoblins in Bladebearer and Razor Crown standards circle the proceedings, as well; they have a cautious air, but don't seem interested in bothering other goblinoids, although those that notice those in a hiding mood keep a careful eye on them.

[Samfool]

"So.. Why are we 'ere?" Notch asks, becoming impatient..


Is this dead? I am just reminding everyone that I am still in..

[senrath]

Pausing, Moxt turned to face the gnome that had been following him. Cocking his head to the side, he spoke. "Yes? You want something from Moxt, yes?"

[appending_doom]

"You came down here not knowing? Rumor has it we're building a coalition, a side to be reckoned with when those humans start up their stupid war again. That's why there's Valenar here, I heard. Just watch. We're going to get a speech and then we're going to spend a few days waiting for Lhesh's lapdogs to try to sweet-talk every power here." The guard shrugs at Notch.

The gnome smiles winningly at Moxt. I just don't see many kobolds with your coloring."

[senrath]

"That's because Moxt is not from this plane. Moxt became stuck here after he fell into a strange glowy hole that appeared below Moxt." The little kobold said, nodding sagely. He found nothing wrong with telling a complete stranger about his past. After all, he seemed like he would be interested, and it's not like Moxt tried to keep it a secret, or anything.

[appending_doom]

A hush descends as, at the center of the ruins, a female hobgoblin in loose pants and shirt steps up, raising her hands. A stocky male in heavy armor stands near her, looking somewhat sullen.

The woman begins to speak.

"Welcome, all of us, friends, allies and...other persons. For those of you who do not know me, I am Niuul Kriaastu, advisor to Lhesh Haruuc. It is at his command that I have gathered all of you here. And it is for a vital reason that we have called you. During the most recent war, we won our freedom. But we know, better than they, that war looms again. How, exactly, we do not know. But the nations will fight again, and it is our leader's desire to see the half-formed nations, those the humans of Khorvaire only barely tolerate, find strength in the oncoming violence. We propose a great alliance between our nations, bonds to tie us together, so that when war comes, we will have at our hands the best defense our people can muster!"

There is agitated murmuring among the gathered creatures, but Niuul plunges forward. "I and Khorul, one of Lhesh's other illustious advisors, will spend the next few days meeting with you and discussing the concerns of your individual peoples. During that time, I suggest you meet with some of the other delegations and seek out the commonalities between you. We will reconvene in three days' time to vote on this matter. Good day."

[Samfool]

Notch chuckles and thinks to himself,

Yeah, that will go over well

[Squark]

(Thoughts)What are they thinking? The humans will come down on them harder than an adamantine sledge! This is going to start a war! Or get Lhesh killed! Or both. Probably both. Let's see... who'd want to break this up... The Humans, obviously. They'd want to make it look like Lhesh just wanted to mislead his enemies and betray them. Assassinating any of the delegates and making it look like a goblin job could do that. What about the other factions in Darguun? They'd want to make Lhesh look weak. Best way to do that would be to make it look like he can't control his people. An assassination by a goblinoid would work well here, too.

Let's See... the 'forged... Don't tell me Lhesh is seriously courting the Lord of Blades! That crazy wants us dead or enslaved just as much as he does the humans. The Valenar are probably already suspicious- Don't seem like the allying type, to me. And considering our current relations with the elves, they'd make a good assassination target... If it could be pulled off. The gnomes don't have much to gain from an alliance- They're already blackmailing everyone, and Breland actually gave them their independence. Still, from what I hear, they're experts at the cloak and dagger stuff, so the scholar's probably safe. That leaves the two wild cards. Who do they represent anyway? I ought to ask around./thoughts

Varek resolves that to ask around and find out who exactly the veiled humanoid, the warforged, and the shadowy one represent. He walks up to a guard and politely asks.

[Qualia]

Gudruun lights up another cigarillo, drawing deeply on it as he ponders the words of Niuul. A grand alliance. This would be interesting. He had spent so long focusing on the threat from Xoriat, he had not considered the humans. They were a people of war, that much was true. Perhaps the Lords of Xoriat would seek to use them as a weapon against Darguun. This would need investigating. He looked around at the gathered groups, watching them split off to discuss in groups what they had just heard. Were any of them pawns of the daelkyr? He made his way amongst them, looking for signs.

[appending_doom]

The man grimaces at Varek. "What would I know? I've been told to leave our guests to their own business. Ask someone in charge - or, and this is just a thought - ask them yourself."

@Gudruun

Roll a Spot check at -2 to cover the guests in general

[Squark]

Varek doesn't dignify the guard with a response, and wanders off, looking for any delagate- They probably have some idea who their counterparts are, after all.

[Qualia]

Spot check - [roll0]
+2 to spot Aberrants

[Frog Dragon]

Harack had been listening. The concept of war now was making him uncomfortable. Surely, the situation in Darguun was too volatile to deal with conflicts now. The nation could not hold itself together anymore. Had the goblinoids already been threatened? Why would there be a war?

[appending_doom]

@Gudruun
You catch sight of something wriggling beneath the veiled humanoid's head; scaled and wriggling, it suggests a monstrous creature.

Knowledge (dungeoneering)

[Qualia]

The goblin stares hard at the veiled figure, his fists clenching. 'Surely they would not dare.' His mind raced as he considered his options - direct confrontation was an option, but was this the right time and place? He needed more evidence. He scanned the tents, looking for the veiled figure's camp. He would need to search it, but he would need a distraction - was there anyone here he could use as a distraction?

[Squark]

His search thus far fruitless, Varek decides to ask around, hoping to get directions to one of the Delagate's camps.

Gather Information[roll0]

[appending_doom]

@Gudruun

Search, Spot, or Gather Info


Varek

You are able to easily find your way to the Bladebearer tent; a bulky hobgoblin lounges against the outside, scowling at everyone who passes. Half-whispered voices come from within.

[Squark]

"So, is this tent open to the public or just the delegates. And If I'm not allowed in, can you at least give me the names of each one of them and what nation they represent?" Varek asks the guard. He tries to hide his curiosity, and appear merely casually interested. He knows from experience that flattery doesn't get him very far, and he's not a good liar, so his best chance is to simply be frank and hope he doesn't put his foot in his mouth.

[Qualia]

The small goblin continued scanning the scene, hoping to spot something that would help him gather more information on the veiled figure.


Search [roll0]
Spot [roll1]+2 vs Aberrations

[appending_doom]

The hobgoblin outside the tent gives Varek a careful look. "It's not a festhall," he comments. "My brother has meetings there, and he's talking with that Niuul woman right now. I wouldn't interrupt. And as for names, I'm not much for them. But I know the Bladebearers and Razor Crown showed up, and there are a couple of Wordbearers skulking around, for all that I doubt they'll do much of anything. There are a couple of Valenar, and I think a Gatekeeper might be around here somewhere, but I don't think that's for the meeting.

"That warforged is some sort of prophet, I think. Don't talk about the Lord of Blades near him; he has some sort of grudge. Nearly disemboweled one of my men." He doesn't look nearly as upset about that prospect as you might expect. "And of course, you can't have anything interesting going on without some sort of elf bard showing up. And I think that gnome's just a cultural researcher from the university. I wouldn't cross him, though, just in case."

He glances around cautiously and leans close to Varek. "There's another person here - rumor has it she's a medusa, so no one's eager to look too closely under that veil. You'd be doing us a favor if you could figure out whether she's the Queen of Stone's, or working for...someone else."

@Gudruun

You spot a goblin drifting to the outside of the circles of people. He doesn't appear to be affiliated with any of the big groups - or isn't dressed like any of them.

He's got the look of someone who's used to fighting. And if you want a distraction, he might be useful.

The alternative might be trying to pick a fight with someone.

[appending_doom]

As the announcement dies down and various groups start scattering, the gnome glances at Moxt again. "Well, this is hardly the most ideal place to admit to being an outsider...especially one from so far away. In fact, as near as I've ever been able to tell, around here, you want to find powerful friends quickly, if you don't want to end up in the slave pits."

[senrath]

"Oh nonono, Moxt has been there before. Moxt just got set free a few months ago. Something about master being scared of Moxt. But that's silly. Why would anyone be scared of Moxt?" Moxt said, scratching his head and cocking it to the side. This gnome was funny. Why would he end up back in the slave pits? He already had been there!

[Squark]

"Duely noted. Now... Where can I find a mirror..."

[Qualia]

Gudruun whispers into his elf ear necklace as the small feisty goblin passes by a small group of goblins within the eyline of the veiled humanoid. The goblin overhears exchanged whispers suggesting he is some kind of kobold fodder, of questionable parentage, and clearly an easy mark.

He then watches to see if a commotion will appear, which he could use to slip into the veiled camp.


Hide [roll0]
Move Silently [roll1]

Spot [roll2] (+2 vs Aberrations)
Search [roll3]

[appending_doom]

Gudruun certainly believes he is moving stealthily enough to avoid attention among the crowds.

The veiled attendee's camp consists of three tents, one about twenty feet across, and two smaller ones flanking it, each about large enough to fit two sleeping creatures.

A bugbear lounges in front of the entrance of the main tent.

[Squark]

Varek wanders in the direction of the veiled humanoid's camp. If it is a Medusa, he'll need some sort of mirror if he's going to fight it, although finding one could be tricky in a hastily thrown together camp. And if it isn't... well, he'd cross that bridge if he came to it. He'll start his search for a hand mirror by looking for a market- A group this large, there's bound to be someone taking the opportunity to sell stuff, and a trader might have a mirror.

[appending_doom]

@Squark

Gather Information

[Squark]

[roll0]stupid 10char

[Samfool]

Notch has an idea..

He runs off to the first beggar-thief he sees, which shouldnt be difficult to find, and approaches him or her..

"You want to make some money? Can you sneak?" he asks, very abruptly.

[Qualia]

Gudruun tries to make his way to the back of the main tent, hoping that the bugbear's attention is attracted by the commotion at the front. Hopefully he'll be able to slip in under the edge, but if not, he could always cut his way in.

[appending_doom]

Verak finds a merchant settled in between the Bladebearer and Razor Crown camps, dealing significant business. He looks busy, and his wares pricey, but Verak has found a trader.


When Notch finds a group of hangers-on, they simply look at him suspiciously at his question.


No one seems to notice Gudruun.

EDIT: Misread who was acting.

[Samfool]

Verak finds a merchant settled in between the Bladebearer and Razor Crown camps, dealing significant business. He looks busy, and his wares pricey, but Verak has found a trader.


When Moxt finds a group of hangers-on, they simply look at him suspiciously at his question.


No one seems to notice Gudruun.

Or Notch for that matter >.> <.< >.>

[Squark]

Varek looks for a subordinate- Both because they're less busy, and they're subordinates because they don't make as much money as their boss (i.e. they're worse salesmen, and he'll get charged less).