Woes of the Viridescent Isle(IC)

[NontheistCleric]

"You're welcome to try," Alistair replies to Medwyn, still in Elven, "but I don't know that these ones would be worth it. Too feisty. Now, the city where I come from—there's a place full of idiots who really would just lie there as you did it."

Following the directions received the night before, he proceeds at a leisurely pace to the house of Lewyn Cuellar.

[Zarrgon]

The fourth straw hut looks very plain. An older human male sits outside the house on a stump sharpening some knives.

Lewyn Cuellar "Oh it being a fine day" he says to himself.

[NontheistCleric]

"A fine day indeed, sir." says Alistair, walking up to the man. "I was told that you were the man to speak to about stuffed birds."

[Zarrgon]

Lewyn Cuellar "Oh, well met there fellow. You got a name and ship?

And, yes, a stuff all types of animals. I'm a bit full for work for the next couple days, but if you need something stuffed, I should be free in three days or so."

[NontheistCleric]

"Ah, well, the name is Erlens, although I the boat I came here on is hardly a ship. I'm afraid we are not here for your stuffing services, but there is a matter you might be able to help my friend with." Alistair gestures to Medwyn. "He's a natural philosopher, visiting this island to conduct a study of the magical plants here, and last night that parrot that hangs over the tavern caught his interest. Some rare features, I believe, though I do not share his expertise. We were wondering if you might know where it was sourced from?"

[Zarrgon]

Lewyn Cuellar "Oh sure Drunk the Bar Bird! That's one of mine. Made for a fair lass that took my heart a couple seasons ago. Alis she did not care the same about me and sailed away.

But the bird still hangs there. Water over the waves and all.

But it's sure not an exotic bird or anything. It was just a common parrot, they are all over the island."

[NontheistCleric]

Alistair's barklike face twists into a strange expression; one that only four people in the world might recognize as his version of a smile. It is a moment of pure reflex at hearing a name that sounds exactly like his sister's, Alice, but then the ligneous face resettles. He moves close to Lewyn Cuellar and speaks in an undertone.

"Ah. I see my little artifice is not much good with you, sir. To tell the truth, when I speak of 'rare features', what I actually mean is that I noticed the bird emitting a kind of magic last night. These eyes of mine"—he taps one of his hard amber eyes with a wooden limb—"are quite sensitive in that regard."

He pauses briefly to let the statement sink in.

"I found it especially curious," he continues, "that it was the kind of magic used to see and know things, often from afar, and if the bird was only a present for a girl long gone, then I am intrigued as to where that magic could have come from. I don't suppose you might have any idea?"

While he speaks and moves, he takes the opportunity to scan Lewyn's hut and its vicinity for similar magic.

Spoiler: OOC

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Detect magic.

[Zarrgon]

Lewyn Cuellar "Magic? Sorry to say I don't know much about magic other then to stay far away from it. I have no idea how magic could have gotten on my bird."

Spoiler: Alistair

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Nothing in and around Lewyn's hut and its vicinity glows with any magic.

[NontheistCleric]

"No worries, sir. After all, magic is a mysterious thing—who really knows how it gets anywhere? Thank you for speaking with us, and I hope the day stays a fine one for you."

Alistair turns to leave, then pauses for a moment.

"Oh, I almost forgot to mention: I'd take it as a personal favour if you didn't mention this conversation to anyone else, if that's not too much to ask."

Spoiler: OOC

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Sense Motive to see if his ignorance seems genuine: (1d20-1)[0]
Diplomacy to convince him to keep quiet about what I've asked him: (1d20+17)[32]

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Ramirez

Ramirez shuffles his feet and does his best to pretend to be a bored bodyguard - which in way, he sort of was. The parrot situation seemed interesting though. He was amazed someone could tell something was magic just by looking at it alone. A useful skill to be sure.

Spoiler: OOC

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Sense motive: (1d20+1)[6]

[Zarrgon]

Lewyn Cuellar "I'm no tavern tall teller!

Spoiler: Alistair

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Lewyn Cuellar seems genuine. Wow the Zero: Assuming he is not an illusion controlled by the dragon to throw you off the trail and confuse you.

Spoiler: Ramirez

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Ramirez senses that Lewyn Cuellar is telling the truth and is the sort of man who would never lie.

[NontheistCleric]

"No, of course not," Alistair agrees. "Good day, then."

Giving a nod of farewell to Lewyn, he strides off. Once the party is out of earshot of anyone who might be listening, he speaks.

"Well, I suppose that was about as informative as could reasonably be expected. One thing's for sure - if the man who made the bird has no idea how the magic got there, there's someone on this island using magic for espionage. Obviously, the dragon is the first possibility, but let's not rule anything out yet."

He takes a moment to ponder their options.

"All things considered, I think that trollish fellow is still worth looking up - he might be more informative than Master Cuellar, provided we can get him to be civil."

Alistair makes his way back to the tavern and asks the closest person he can find.

"Excuse me. Would you happen to know where we might find that distinctive individual keeping watch here last night? Vleen'Kenu, I believe his name was."

[Zarrgon]

Random Sailor "Yea, Deathscale. If he is not here, he'd be back at the fortress where he lives. You know the old elven one in the middle of the island."

[wilphe]

", there's someone on this island using magic for espionage. ."

Someone other than you you mean

[NontheistCleric]

"Shame." Alistair says to Random Sailor. "I don't suppose you know how long he's usually away?"

Then, in an aside to Orat, "Well, Miss Orat, the thing about enterprises like that is you never quite admit to them if you know what's good for you—even to yourself."

[Zarrgon]

Random Sailor "Sorry, no idea. One of them kobolds might know, they live with him up in the fortress."

The sailor points over towards the closed tavern where the three green skinned kolbolds are standing.

[NontheistCleric]

"Thank you for the help, then."

Alistair leaves Random Sailor and approaches the kobolds.

"Good morning, sirs. Might I trouble you for a few minutes of your time?"

[whiteflash]

Medwyn's eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.

"Um... why are we doing this?" He asks in Elven.

[NontheistCleric]

"If you mean talking to them, that's because they look like the people who might have the information most relevant to what we're ultimately here for. Whether we can pry it from them is another matter, but why not try?" Alistair replies in Elven.

"Not to mention," he adds, "odds are we may have to kill them not too far in the future, and if any understanding built today saves us the trouble of eviscerating them later, I think it will be time well spent."

[Zarrgon]

Kobold Three "Look it's a baby ent!"

Kobold Two "And it talks, wood you not know it!"

Kobold One "You may speak to us, baby ent, we wood like to know what you say"

Kobold Three "Timber! hehe"

[NontheistCleric]

"I'm pleased to hear it." Alistair tries his best to ignore the wood puns.

"So, gentlemen, I hear you are associates of Master Vleen'Kenu? I do have other questions, but first, I am curious—how did a group of green-scaled individuals like yourselves come to be working for a black dragon?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Also using Detect Magic on them.

[wilphe]

Orat stands to the side and waits for him to get punched again

[Zarrgon]

Kobold One "We work for strongest one always!"

Kobold Two "Our Lady and Master killed our Lord and Master, and now we are hers"

Kobold Three "Many a day she say, I will kill you the next day!"

[NontheistCleric]

"My. She does sound formidable. On to the matter I came to speak to you about, though - see my friend here?"

Alistair indicates Medwyn with a tilt of his head.

"He is very interested in studying the plants that the elves on this island grow, but when we got here, we heard that your Mistress had taken over their holdings. I don't suppose there's any chance we could still gain access? We were going to ask your colleague Vleen'Kenu last night, but he wasn't in a very good mood."

[Zarrgon]

Kobold One "Stud dee? Well, that no hurt. The elves no like people, but he look like elf, so maybe they talk to him. "

Spoiler: Detect

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Nothing on any of the three kobolds glows with any magic

[whiteflash]

Medwyn considers how to approach this while hiding that he speaks Common.

"Uh, what are we saying?" he finally says in Draconic, not Elven.

[wilphe]

Orat gives a pass over the Kobolds to see how they are armed and equipped, then returns to looking everywhere else except them for anyone about to cause trouble

Spoiler

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(1d20)[13] Spot +11