"Perhaps you are uninterested because you do not know of what I speak." He says, his face twisting as though he had eaten something sour. "I am surprised. I must say that your people seemed the most likely to be aware of such individuals."

"What are you babbling about?" You snap at him. "Get to your point."

The trog smiles. "You and I share a similar gift. The blood of the dragon flows in our veins." As he speaks, you notice his face twist with exertion, and his skin slowly changes shade, deep green scales across his broken form seeming to writhe as the change takes place, with a bright white pattern across his stomach.

You pause for a moment, and you can feel in the pit of your stomach the truth. That electrical feeling before when you cast was no spell, but something else entirely.

The trog's skin changes back, the dull gray and black making him look much like any other of his race. "Oh yes. Your eyes, the most vibrant blue when you stared down at me. I knew it right away." He leans forward, the chain on the wall keeping him propped up. "We are the children of those great beasts of destruction! Our strength can be used to break down all, to clear the path for the creators." He hangs there for a moment, his eyes wild with emotion. "I felt that power course through me! There is no mistaking it! We can rip through anything and everything, either of us!"

You consider the possibility that the maddened trog in front of you might be right.

It would be a rock in the face of your political career, not to mention your personal outlook. How can you claim independence from dragons if you, yourself draw power from them through an accident of birth? Were you anyone else, your position in society might even get a boost from such information.

There is also the possibility that he is misinformed. Perhaps this dragon's blood is something else entirely. Perhaps it isn't what he so adamantly claims it is.

And yet...

This isn't about the brotherhood, or about the Golgremet, the nation of troglodytes who will one day be at your doorstep.

This is about you.

He does seem religious, so it could be bunk if that's what it's based on. But for what purpose is he informing you? Does he seek to break your resolve? If so, to endure life-ending crippling and torture, he must be a truly loyal soldier. And yet when you asked him about the Golgremet, he said that he yearned to be free from their command.

The trog stares at you in silence, his eyes not breaking contact with yours for even a moment that you spend looking at him.

"You speak often of destruction." You say to the trog, pacing in front of him. "Like it was a religion."

"It is mine." He says, raising an eyebrow at your words. "I wreak it, and know that I clear the way for those greater than myself."

"The Golgremet." You extrapolate.

"Not them!" He hisses. "They are weak! They are many united under fear, and hatred. But they have no teeth."

"Wait." You shake your head. "You said that the leader of the Golgremet, Magnerass, was going to be our new god."

"Indeed." The troglodyte nods. "He will reach his point, and then he will ascend and become the god of destruction, once he himself has embraced it."

>>16380380
"No."
A simple word, but laced with all the finality of an extinction-level event.
"So what if I have the blood of dragons in me? All the better, then, to use it to find weaknesses amongst those that oppressed and enslaved us.
"Our proof of value is to swat those arrogant bastards out of the skies if they attempt to return and lord over us.
"We make our own destiny now, and we will not give it up without a fight."

>>16380592

"No." You say, the word piercing through the uncertain air of the room.

"So what if I have the blood of dragons in me? All the better, then, to use it to find weaknesses amongst those that oppressed and enslaved us." You say, staring down the trog from where he sits on the floor.

The trog seems more incensed. "Yes, to defy is to destroy your opposition. Freedom is built on the ruins of oppression!"

"Our proof of value is to swat those arrogant bastards out of the skies if they attempt to return and lord over us." You say to him, putting your fist down into your open palm. "We make our own destiny now, and we will not give it up without a fight."

"With them not here, we are the next in line." The trog says. "But I say so much, for so little. Perhaps because you possess such power already, that the temptation to embrace more is like a moth who tempts a flame." The trog looks over his wounded body. "It is already awakening. And it will tear apart everything you touch. What will you give me to tell you how to control it?"

>>16380808
"Nothing.
"My power is awakening, you say? Then I will submit myself to the Cavern's mages, to be watched and monitored. They will learn what they can from my body and use it to strengthen the Crystal Caverns. Even if my death is demanded.
"There is nothing of value that you can offer to me."

>>16380879

"Nothing." You say to him. "My power is awakening, you say? Then I will submit myself to the Cavern's mages, to be watched and monitored. They will learn what they can from my body and use it to strengthen the Crystal Caverns. Even if my death is demanded." You shake your head. "There is nothing of value that you can offer to me."

He laughs. "It is not that simple. It will not kill you, no." He looks you dead in the eyes. "At first, it will be simple bouts of anger, aggression. Then, slowly but surely, your actions will lead to death and disaster where you sought to bring order and reason. Some who were born with it grow mad with the strain, and they destroy all they can lay eyes upon." He pauses for a moment. "Others learn to control it. Learn to see beyond the anger and to shape it. It is not something even the finest of magics can teach, not in the time you have."

>>16381032
"So you would go against your own beliefs? You yourself said that destruction was your aim: why help me control myself and lessen the destruction that I would cause?
"If you are so adamant to make this deal, then I offer you your life. That is all."

>>16381076

"So you would go against your own beliefs? You yourself said that destruction was your aim: why help me control myself and lessen the destruction that I would cause?" You ask him. "If you are so adamant to make this deal, then I offer you your life. That is all."

"Because the volume, the size of the destruction is nothing!" He shouts, with surprising energy. "Without focus, a plan cannot come to fruition. Things that must be eliminated are left unassailed! The god cannot be killed here on this plane and forced to ascend!" He twists in his seat. "Without focus, your power might as well be that of a hundred worms!" He looks over at you. "And left like this, I will be able to focus purely, but with no power to change even a speck of dust on the other side of the room!"

>>16381131

The trog's chest heaves with exertion. "The overlord of the Golgremet, I have met him. Magnerass. What will information on him get me?" He seems more resigned now, though his gaze still hints that his spirit is alive and well.

>>16381334
"Now we're making some progress.
"Information on Magnerass...The individual? Your life, and a wheelchair. The leader, and how he thinks and operates? Simple prosthetics.
"What he discovered down in the Depths? Regeneration of your limbs."

>>16381409

"Now we're making some progress." You clap your hands together. "Information on Magnerass... The individual? Your life, and a wheelchair. The leader, and how he thinks and operates? Simple prosthetics." You lean in a bit closer to him. "What he discovered down in the Depths? Regeneration of your limbs."

The troglodyte practically drools as you make the offering. "I met him not long ago. The memory still sits fresh in my head, and as best I can tell remains somewhat unsullied."

He looks up at his hand, chained to the wall, and grimaces. "One addendum: You loose my hand so that it does not rot off as I tell you about him."

>>16381485
*sigh*
"Very well."
Call over a guard to unshackle the prisoner's hand. Make sure that there are guards stationed outside the cell just in case, and a stenographer is called in to write everything down (or a magical equivalent).

>>16381485
Aw yeah, it's my favorite quest-giver.

"...very well."

>>16381529

You sigh. "Very well." You turn back, and motion a guard inside. The guard seems almost paranoid of the troglodyte as he unshackles the creature's single hand. The trog lets his arm drop to the ground, a relieved gasp issuing forth from him.

"I first saw the Golgremet stronghold about 4 months ago. It was when I came to kill their leader." He looks down at his hand for a brief moment of contemplation, before turning his gaze back into your eyes. "Upon meeting him, I saw the unexpected: That he was a troglodyte much like myself. Yet, he wore the purple cloth reserved for kings, he had men bow to him as he passed. Yet, I still knew that were I to cut off the head, the body of the Golgremet would tear through the underworld, destroying enough to leave those who they had absorbed a place to build anew." He looks over at you. "I cannot describe that feeling, when I locked eyes with him in his tent, and he saw that I intended to kill him." The trog pauses. "He said: 'Torvash, why do you intend to strike me down?'" He shakes somewhat, almost uncomfortably. "So I told him. And when he spoke again, he told me that he would wreak far more destruction alive than I could imagine. And my heart bent." He pauses. "I will ensure that he meets a glorious end. That he achieves his rightful place as a god of destruction.

"After that time." The trog sighs, flexing his hand. "I was in the capitol for a while. He and I talked, many times."

>>16381724
"Oh? And what did you talk about?"

>>16381761

"Oh? And what did you talk about?" You ask him.

"They seem... Innumerable now," The prisoner breaks eye contact again for a moment. "Philosophy, culture, and what his clan planned on doing with the underworld.

"He plans on establishing a new regime of rule, like the troglodyte kingdoms of old." The trog waves his hand at the room. "He wants to place the other races in his grip, not to destroy them, but to have themselves given over willingly. In order to do that, he must establish his strength periodically. That is why he has annihilated several peoples already." The trog's missing arm moves, and he repeats the imagined gesture with his left hand: a chopping motion, like that of a sword. "He hopes to intimidate the other nations into surrendering by fighting with the most powerful, and in doing so reinforce his own people's faith in him. Much destruction, much death follows him. And I could tell that he knew it." He looks into your eyes, pulling himself an inch or two closer. "He killed a dissenter with his own hand while I talked with him. He paid him no more attention than one would pay to a discarded bit of cloth."

The troglodyte chuckles to himself. "His rule is one of respect, fear, admiration- I cannot say that I am exempt of the last. But, like all things, it will one day fall." He points over at you. "Where am I now? My life? My limbs?"

>>16381953
"...your life."

Pace back away from him.

"Now then, what exactly did your friend find?"

>>16381985
"...your life." You turn, pacing away from him. "Now then, what exactly did your friend find?"

"Perhaps you will reconsider on this next detail." The trog says. "His command structure consists of three war generals." He raises his only limb, the three fingers descending as he rattles off names. "Scakis, Naztil, Krovas. Though you will have to offer more if you want details about them." He hisses. "I might suggest an opportunity to work out my destructive urges." He tilts his head a bit as well. "And what 'friend' do you speak of?"

>>16381953
"Your life.
"Maybe a wheelchair. Do a little better on strategies and how he organizes his followers, and maybe the prosthetics. Of course, if you want to go straight to limbs..."

>>16382070
"So he has 3 generals. Tell me more about internal security, foreign intelligence gathering operations, something that can be acted upon, and you will have earned the prosthetics."

>>16382070
"The Golgremet leader of course...oh, nevermind."

Think hard on what we're going to offer him.

"A wheelchair sounds good. As for a helping hand, our new-found allies might be more eager to exert their...specializations."

>>16382129

"The Golgremet leader of course-" You start, before Torvash interrupts you.

"Ha! You think we are friends?" The trog shakes his head. "I never become friends with someone I intend to kill."

You shrug. "As far as your compensation, a wheelchair sounds good. As for a helping hand, our new-found allies might be more eager to exert their... Specializations."

The trog tilts his head at you, remaining silent for the moment.

"So he has 3 generals." You say to him. "Tell me more about internal security, foreign intelligence gathering operations, something that can be acted upon, and you will have earned the prosthetics."

"Good, then perhaps I can earn more in a few more sentences." He chuckles, rubbing his chin. "The difference in their society is obvious. It isn't the mobile housing, the abundance of metal-" He makes a dismissive gesture. "Any tribe would be prosperous with either. Instead, he has numerous gardens, placed up all around the city, each as big as a drow castle."

Your eyes widen for a moment. You can remember the size of Rozenkraft's castle accurately. Thousands of feet wide and deep.

"At least eight." The trog says after a moment's contemplation. "Access is restricted. No other civilization would put so much into their gardens, and why do you think that is?" The trog shakes his finger once. "The other nations have no reason to. Beyond even mass production of black fungus, they have something else in there. Something that requires daily blessings and rituals to protect the workers." He grins up at you. "I can tell by your expression that you might not know. So, since you have kindly let my hand free, I will tell you of the ancient troglodyte empires. Only the necessary details, of course."

>>16382437
Let him talk. We need more information before we'll give him the prosthetics.

>>16382455
Yes.

"They controlled from the Northern pits to the Southern lava stream, that they called the earth dragon's veins." He smiles. "And they bred many peoples up from their stock to serve them. Dwarves, your kind, and many castes of their own. The slaves far outnumbered them, but they had a number of ways to control them." He reaches over to his right side, and wipes away some of the chalk from his armless shoulder.

"Hey! Leave it!" The cavern-native guard in the room says to him, pointing his rifle down at the maimed prisoner.

"Come now." The trog chuckles. "What am I going to do, exactly? Where would I go? I believe a moment of your magistrate's discomfort will allow me to illuminate far more easily than words will."

The guard looks over at you hesitantly.

You find his reasoning to be solid. "Very well. You may remove some of that dust."

The trog quickly scrubs a chunk of his body clean with his hand, still talking. "We communicate by scent as well as by word. Much of the modern folk do not." He looks at the stub of his right arm, seeming to wait for something. "Most now only release a particular scent I am told you find most unpleasant."

You wait for a moment, and then you feel the room start to move beneath you. The trog looks at you, his expression signifying nothing. The world seems to spin, the other kobold nearly tripping, and you wonder how, without legs, the troglodyte remains upright.

Then, it quickly stops.

"Now, do you see?" Torvash dusts his body off a bit more.

>>16382437
"Wha-..."

And no, I don't see. Is he just /that/ odorous?

>>16382656

"Wha-..." You say, more realizing the unusual fact that you smelled nothing.

"The scent is a poison." He points at you. "As you may have already known. Imagine you were a slave, trying to escape from me while I emitted that scent. Attacking me, you would have fallen." He tilts his head at you, scratching his scalp. "I did not possess the ability to make this scent until a short time ago. And as your magicians will tell you, I have no persistent enchantments." He steadies himself on the floor, looking you dead on. "I ate of a specific herb. Untreated, a sort of fuzzy fern. I ate of it for about a month, and at the end, my usual scent had changed." Torvash gestures out at you with his palm up. "As you have experienced twice now, it can cause creatures to feel an intense vertigo. Quite distracting, I imagine."

>>16382547
"And how many of the Golgremet have rediscovered this ability? Does Magnerass know about it, and is he teaching it to his armies?"

>>16382744
"Is this widespread throughout the Golgremet Empire? And what other such surprises do they have?"

>>16382749

"And how many of the Golgremet have rediscovered this ability? Does Magnerass know about it, and is he teaching it to his armies?" You step closer to the troglodyte, realizing now what he was trying to tell you.

He nods, slowly. "I knew him for hardly a month. The tales state many poisons that could be exercised on the 'lesser races'. Mine is one of the warrior caste's, a boon while in combat. There exist those for farmers, for breeders, for diplomats as well." He looks over at your arm. "These prosthetics, how much more powerful would they make me? I have heard tales of your technology." Torvash's eyes light up as he speaks. "Fantastic tales of strength far above that of the normal kobold. Hidden blades and other weapons, legs that can outrun a horse."

You feel these may be slight exaggerations.

>>16382845
"The simple ones are but crude approximations. Admittedly, ours are better than anyone elses', however they lack things such as feeling and fine motor control.
"But the advanced models...stored spells and hidden weapons. Strength can be increased, though at the cost of increased size. Resilient to damage. Legs to outrun a horse? Possible, but not currently in production."

>>16382819

"Is this widespread throughout the Golgremet Empire? And what other such surprises do they have?" You ask him.

"The ancient tattooing arts have made a resurgence as well." The trog says, pointing to you. "Thanks to your people's preservation of them. I do not know much about their inferiority or superiority to each other." He thinks some more. "I can say that the unarmed warriors wear them commonly. And that they punch into hot coals."

Torvash nods, seemingly to himself. "Yes, I would say a large number of trogs are gaining such abilities, from various plants. I do not know how these plants were unearthed, but they seem to have no trouble breeding them." He gestures up to one part of the ceiling. "My herb was drawn from a wall of them, from a patch as large as the floor of this place to the ceiling." He raises an eyebrow. "I saw something in the plants move, as well. Great and mossy."

>>16382845

Push past his obvious avarice for prosthetics. We're going to hold off as long as we can on those.

"...and they mass produce these plants?"

"And these are only found in the capitol city gardens?"

Ponder for a moment more.

"...are they imbued with druidic magic?"

"How well guarded are these plants?"

"And what of these generals? What are they planning next? Major operations."

If he tries bringing up the prosthetics again, silence him with.

"You may have won your life, but even I, as a representative, have little patience for your bargaining ways." Flick some dirt from our nail. "I could have easily extracted the thoughts myself. But I am a reasonable 'bold and I see to my honor. However, if you keep this up, I may change my mind. Now then, about (insert next subject here)."

Or something to that effect; doesn't have to be verbatim.

Also, I'm heading for bed, OP. I can post tomorrow (like we usually end up doing).

>>16382893 (Will use later for enticement)
>>16382911

"...and they mass produce these plants?" You ask him.

"It would appear so." He says.

"And these are only found in the capitol city gardens?" You ask him.

"They might produce it somewhere else as well." He suggests. "Secluded, quiet. I only visited the capitol."

You think for another moment.

"...Are they imbued with druidic magic?"

"They might well be." Torvash grunts suddenly, clutching at his right shoulder. "I know a number of clerics have similar powers. He has the resources, to be sure, to hire such help."

"How well guarded are these plants?" You ask him.

"Moderate at best." He says, panting. "I got inside. But I was permitted."

"And what of these generals? What are they planning next? Major operations." You ask him.

"First, where am I, on this scale?" Torvash asks. You glare back at him, and lean in a bit closer.

"You may have won your life, but even I, as a representative, have little patience for your bargaining ways." You flick some dirt from your nail, down at where the trog's torso touches the ground. "I could have easily extracted the thoughts myself. But I am a reasonable 'bold and I see to my honor. However, if you keep this up, I may change my mind. Now then, about the generals."

"Oh? My mind is so easy to crack, is it?" Torvash sneers. "Considering the circumstances, magistrate, I have had enough opportunities and reasons to feed you false information. I even suggested the course of action that you now take." You feel the faintest bit of dizziness as the trog snarls. "What have I done to make myself your enemy? Killed one man when you attacked me, maimed a few others?" He points up at you. "I do not show allegiance to that trog, and I never will! I still wish to kill him myself, and leading him to the forefront of combat is the quickest way to do that!" He coughs, putting his arm down onto the ground to steady himself.

>>16383090
"You worship destruction, your single goal is to sow as much chaos as you can and tear down the walls of civilization. Even if you were not my enemy now, you would become on in the future.
"Now, what about what Magnerass found in the Depths."

>>16383266

"You worship destruction, your single goal is to sow as much chaos as you can and tear down the walls of civilization. Even if you were not my enemy now, you would become on in the future." You say to him.

"You may have ears, magistrate, but I'm afraid the amount of words they catch are limited." The trog snaps. "My goal is not the destruction of all life, simply an amount that will force the world into growth. I am an instrument in the endless cycle of progress and time, not some paltry anarchist who hates authority!" He slams his fist down into the stone. "Were you on the winning side, I might have said the same thing to Magnerass while I was on a mission to kill him!" He looks at you angrily. "Had the brotherhood fallen, perhaps your people would have discovered some manner of new technology, or built themselves up even higher after having repelled the threats! That may have forced the Golgremet into producing more varieties of herb and fungus to overcome the threat. The victor might have reaped both benefits, and ushered in a new age of wonder." Torvash shakes, looking up at you.

"What about what Magnerass found in the Depths?" You ask him.

"That was it, I assume." The troglodyte says, still seeming angered. "There was one plant that was rumored to be among them, reserved for kings. The legends do not say what it does, but he may well have acquired it."

"There is also the matter of the ruins." He says. "The ancients used to write magic on the walls of their temples. This may have resulted in unearthing some spells thought lost to time." His hand clenches, the four clawed fingers scratching against the stone. "It was said they could shape the very earth itself into great cities in no more than a month using such magic."

>>16383411
"And do you know where in the Depths that he found these lost arts?"

At this point, I don't think he's earned the Regeneration spell. Maybe basic prosthetics though. It will better prepare our soldiers for fighting against the main Golgremet army units, at least.

>>16383540

"And do you know where in the Depths that he found these lost arts?" You ask him.

"I do not." He admits. "I never saw them receive a shipment from anywhere else." He points over at you. "Let's change the subject. His military plans." He gestures out at the door. "I could draw them up, but it would take time. I was right handed." He pauses. "In fact, I was due to report to a camp outside the northern drow border after this assignment. It is approximately 200 miles away from this location, around a half-month's walk." He looks over at you. "I could go there, should you rearm me. And you still have not said whether you wish to know about the control methods.

>>16383667
Okay, last post for a few hours.

"And assuming that I do let you go, what guarantee would I have that you would not turn on me again? You are playing your own game, you have admitted as much."

As for the self-control methods, I'm personally against learning them, because they might actually be a means by which he could control Mynthar, rather than be self-control techniques. But it'll have to be argued out with the other players when they're up.

>>16383748

"And assuming that I do let you go, what guarantee would I have that you would not turn on me again? You are playing your own game, you have admitted as much." You say to him.

He pauses. "I go where the god's echoes tell me to. I do as he asks." He looks over at you. "He must have brought me to that cave, to that fight with your kobolds, for a reason. There was a reason your blast didn't kill me." He looks you square in the eye. "I am not some force of nature. I can understand your fear of me, even in this state. And I can stay my hand from your people." He looks down at his ruined body. "With extensive replacements, my allegiance would be assumed as yours, even if it were not. Why then, fight fate?" He looks over at you. "If you release me, I will resume my goal of leading Magnerass to his ultimate destiny. If you force me to work for you, I will still pursue this goal. If you leave me here, well," He looks over at the guard. "Let's just say that I've been in prisons before, and that I've killed men using less than one hand."

The guard frowns at this.

"I am open to bargains. Provided any command I am under listens to reason and knows of good stratagems, I can see myself working for them." He adjusts his position on the ground, his leg stubs moving in an obviously uncomfortable way. "The trog plan I was originally on for was to be a political takeover using mind control, with no plan for affecting the populace." He puts his ahnd to his face, and chuckles. "Imagine! A city of people beneath a rule that had turned incompetent! They would have revolted long before the army arrived there, and your people would have taken quick notice of the activity." Torvash locks eyes with you once again. "I assume you have more competent command. Or, that you yourself are a more competent commander." He grins. "Not that you would have to prove your power to me. I have felt it, as I said. That power is greater than mine, I expect. And from so late a bloomer..." He seems to trail off for a moment.

"I think I may have trouble conveying all of my knowledge to you just here. You seem to have misconstrued the relationship I was trying to build." He shakes his head. "My tribe was one of nomads, with a structure similar to that of a pack of animals, I am told. To me, you are a superior, one who has shown me my place in the world." He hisses. "My words then were of pain, surprise. Those days alone, and in the temple, I began to realize why you had crippled me. And now, the thought has completed itself." He shudders, cackling. "Oh yes. I would never have thought such a thing, had I been capable of escaping. And now I see that my goal lies in you, and perhaps yours in me."

Torvash smirks, madness in his eyes. "I worship destruction, magistrate. Your act of destroying me has only made my faith stronger."

>>16384033
Give him a good stare-down. If we do indeed have draconic blood running through our veins, then now's a good as time as any to look intimidating. Then, in a low and commanding voice, whisper to him:

"...you have your prosthetics. Try to cross me, and I will give you a small teleport spell. This spell will teleport you to the deepest ocean. Dark, deep, and filled with creatures even I have no notion of. Of course, you'll be graced with a breathing apparatus that will last...for a time." Get really close to his face. "You have buried yourself deep into my service; if you break that service, I will grant your final moments deep beneath as cold. Dark. And devoid of change, save for you drowning."

Turn to leave (assuming he doesn't have anymore noteworthy words). This time, raise our voice when we exit:

"As for why you didn't die, it's because I knew that you'd be better off alive. No divine interaction, no fate; nothing more than my own will."

Take what you will, OP.

He's going to be our MVP when we get our recharge of teleport spell back. I'm not sure if we should take him to the Council and explain what he's offering or if we should keep him in secret and risk blemishing our reputation for the success of the mission.

Also, bump.

>>16385359
I don't know. If we use Regeneration to restore his limbs, we can use him as a double-agent within the Golgremet Empire.
Of course, this assumes that his religious beliefs will have him continue to aid us in order to bring about the destruction of the Empire and the grand death of Magnerass.
If we give him prosthetics, he would be just another mid-level agent. With his limbs restored, he would be our agent in the Empire, feeding us their battle plans and troop movements.

If we're really unsure of his loyalty, we could always get our hands on a scroll of Geas and MAKE him work for us.

>>16386331
True, but I have the feeling that his former employers are alerted to the fact that their agents are in custody. It'll look pretty fishy if he just shows back up and tries working again, especially given the fact that he's been known to try and kill the leader. Plus, I get the feeling that the leader might have sent him out on this mission as a form of suicide; shake up a city AND get ride of a thorn in your side? Too fishy.

Plus, we /really/ need to consult the council on this.

>>16386398
I agree with informing the Council about this. If nothing else for informing them that the Empire has already made its move against the Alloyed Brotherhood.

Bump~u.

>>16385359

You lean in a bit closer to him. "...You have your prosthetics. Try to cross me, and I will give you a small teleport spell. This spell will teleport you to the deepest ocean. Dark, deep, and filled with creatures even I have no notion of. Of course, you'll be graced with a breathing apparatus that will last- for a time." You lean in much closer to his face, and you can feel your blood begin to boil. "You have buried yourself deep into my service; if you break that service, I will grant your final moments deep beneath as cold. Dark. And devoid of change, save for you drowning."

"An excellent bargaining attempt." Torvash shrugs. "But I am not afraid of my own death, magistrate. Provided you remain competent, provided I am treated well, we shall wreak fantastic annihilation on your enemies." He grimaces, clutching at his missing arm. "I still... Know that these prosthetics of yours can provide me with great destructive prowess. Give that to me, and you shall have my unquestioning loyalty until the emperor is dead." He leans in a bit closer to your face, and you can see your eyes reflected in his. "Because as much as I try, I still take this maiming a bit personally." He reaches back with his arm, dragging his body back over to lean on the wall. "However, I have now much room for new creation. What is built there is up to you."

You stare him down for a moment, and then turn to leave. You raise your voice as you near the door, it echoing off of the prison walls. "As for why you didn't die, it's because I knew that you'd be better off alive. No divine interaction, no fate; nothing more than my own will."

"That will of yours put me in a state where I could scarcely feed myself." Torvash's voice rings out as you step out the door. "Think about that, magistrate."

>>16387837
"Oh I know~"

Enough mind games. Let's share what we've learned with the rest of the group (Turen and company, mainly, but also the head of the Hrunten who I forgot the name of).

After our little talk, let's get to some discussion.

"Now I'm not one for having double-agents running around, especially ones obsessed with destruction, but...he may have his use. What do each of you think of him?"

Honestly, what does this one troglodyte offer, that can't be equalled by a GRU team?
With prosthetics, he'd be no better than a trained Power Armor pilot, and cost far more.
He also can't be used for infiltration missions, and so his intel will only be of limited use.

A lot of this info we could have gotten from capturing Golgremet soldiers that have spent time in the capital.

>>16387901

"Oh I know~" You say, grinning in a way that you feel properly demonstrates your sadistic attitude.

"I will ransom the rest of my information for some of your respect, then." The trog says from his spot by the wall. His leg-stubs thrash suddenly, and he winces, nearly falling as he doubles over. "And something for this pain!"

You head back out to the group of Tayn, Turen, Raik, and Tarthis who are waiting outside.

"So, did it go well?" Tayn asks.

>>16388130
"Well...it does raise some concerns..."

Give them the low-down. Fungus, nauseating odors, and a really megalomaniac leader.

>>16388130
"If what he said is true, then we will have trouble.
"He says that the Golgremet are mass-producing certain plants that are able to confer strange abilities to their soldiers, simply by adding them to their diet.
"He claims that his odorless pheromone that causes disorientation is the result of a certain fern, and many of their main army have partaken of it. And that they have massive farms for it and other such nasty surprises in their capital."

>>16388160

"Well... It does raise some concerns..." You say to them, pacing as you rub your temple.

"Not as much screaming occurred as I figured would." Tarthis shakes his head. "Never a good sign."

"If what he said is true, then we will have trouble." You say to them. "He says that the Golgremet are mass-producing certain plants that are able to confer strange abilities to their soldiers, simply by adding them to their diet."

You can see the tension on Tayn's face as you continue. "He claims that his odorless pheromone that causes disorientation is the result of a certain fern, and many of their main army have partaken of it. And that they have massive farms for it and other such nasty surprises in their capital."

"Well, they did conquer much of the northern stretch for a reason." Raik says. "Did he say anything else?"

>>16388537
"He spoke of their government. Their leader and their main generals, mostly." Point back into the room. "He says he has information he's willing to share..." Trail off on that with "...in exchange for prosthetics."

>>16388569

"He spoke of their government. Their leader and their main generals, mostly." You point back into the room. "He says he has information he's willing to share..." You trail off, sighing. "...In exchange for prosthetics."

"His actions, along with those of his fellows, killed a lot of people, magistrate." Raik looks over at you. "And nearly killed even more."

"Well, you can't blame the guy for trying." Tarthis shrugs. "I mean, he is in a pretty rough spot. But if he changes allegiances so easily, keeping a close leash on him would be necessary." Tarthis grins suddenly, gesturing up with a finger. "As usual, I have a solution. I could rig up something to twist his knees out of alignment that could be triggered via a remote trigger."

"Or we could avoid the matter entirely." Raik says, looking at you. "You didn't offer him freedom, did you? You could simply trick him, lock him away somewhere for a good long time with a ring of sustenance welded around a finger."

"I understand not being able to trust him." Tayn says, looking around at the crowd. "But honestly, you hold the cards here, Mynthar. He has no choice but to go along with your decision. And if he is, it means he has enough faith that you won't betray whatever trust he has in you." Tayn shrugs. "I mean, honestly, what could he do?"

"He got away from us that other time." Raik corrects Tayn.

Tayn snaps his fingers. "Ah, right..."

>>16388809
"Hm..." Think hard for a moment. "I'll hold off on my decision until I speak with the Council on the matter."

>>16388845
Second. We gotta think this over.

>>16388845
>>16388918

"Hm..." You stroke your chin, thinking for a moment. "I'll hold off on my decision until I speak with the Council on the matter."

"Council's not gonna like it." Tarthis shakes his head. "Sends the wrong message, he's a murderer! Things like that." He points over at you. "But someone his size, in need of prosthetics, I'm sure Felix'hia could do some important experiments. I mean, I don't like to complain, but," Tarthis lowers his voice a bit, "The first pair of legs that I had... They chafed. So I think the guy could use some practice for potential trog injuries on your side, regardless of whether you let him stay fully limbed or not."

"From what I understand, the trogs will be staying near the caverns." Turen adds. "So their chance of injury should be lessened."

"Well, with the Crystal Caverns you never know." Tarthis sighs.

>>16388976
"Indeed. Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling rather...tired. I think we could all use some rest after today's events. Diplomatic meetings, fights until first blood, Trogs...it's all very exhausting."

Take a quick rest to regain our spell slots back; we're going to need them. Before we finally go to bed, however, let's play some cards and shoot the wind with the men.

Also OP, I'm taking a nap. Should be back on in like an hour or two.

>>16389002

"Indeed. Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling rather... tired. I think we could all use some rest after today's events. Diplomatic meetings, fights until first blood, Trogs... it's all been very exhausting." You look over the group.

"True. I hate to admit it, but recovering from my wounds took quite the toll." Tayn says.

"Would anyone care to go back and play a few hands with the men?" You ask the lot, bringing out a deck.

"Oh thank the gods! I thought you had no idea how to relax!" Tarthis jokes. "Sure, I'm in for a few. Though I may have to take it easy for a few hands."

"Well, a couple of rounds wouldn't hurt." Raik looks over at the rest of the group. "Provided you'll have me."

"Naturally." You nod over to him.

"I... I'm afraid I don't know the rules to any of the games." Tayn confesses, looking a bit uncomfortable. A metal hand grabs him by one shoulder, and Tarthis pulls him in.

"Not to worry! I have a head for rules. If there's a variant that's been played by a kobold, human or otherwise, I stand a fair chance of knowing it." Tarthis leans in, jostling Tayn a bit. "You just have to lose a few rounds before things sink in, I find."

>>16389250
Alright, let's play a few hands.
Relax. And try to figure out how we're going to spin this to the Council, because they're going to want the trog dead, because the H'runten definitely do.

>>16389288

Alright well delete is not working so just read this not double posted bit instead:

You make your way back to the Dragon's Belly, with a light escort. The skeletons take a minute or so for Tarthis and Raik to adjust to, the former shouting something about skeletal champions, and the latter balking at them and reaching for his weapon. Your proprietor soon comes down with a pitcher of mushroom ale and sets up a large table, where you sit with a majority of the men, several skeletons, and the four kobolds who have been accompanying you.

"Hey!" One of your soldiers says as you are about to sit down, pointing at Tarthis. "I know that guy! He cheated us at Kallom not yesterday!" The lot of the soldiers stand up.

"Excuse me." Tarthis puts his hand on his hip. "I did no such thing."

"You kept a card in..." The soldier pauses, looking over at you.

"In my prosthetic, yes." Tarthis looks over at him severely. "I told you we were playing by Fang Castle rules. It allows a player to palm cards provided they remain unnoticed." He flips through the deck, displaying it. "If you were confused about the rules you should have said something. Now are you going to let me deal? With a table this size you're going to need someone experienced."

"I don't care what rules they were, cheating is the same in any game!" The soldier shouts at him.

>>16389377
"Ugh, Fang Castle rules? You know that gives us an unfair advantage, Tarthis.
"Just vanilla rules this time. So no palming cards, or slicing the deck, or anything else."

Alright, I'm out for a few hours, VKO.

>>16389480

"Ugh, Fang Castle rules? You know that gives us an unfair advantage, Tarthis." You shake your head at him. "Just vanilla rules this time. So no palming cards, or slicing the deck, or anything else."

"Hey, it's not my fault this dart launcher is the perfect size to store a rolled-up card in!" Tarthis chuckles. "You know, they made that rule to stop all the stabbings over card games in their gambling dens. I think it adds a bit of skill to the game." He bridges the deck, flicking out cards with mechanical precision. "So, for the benefit of everyone here, Tayn included." He elbows the tattooed kobold next to him. "Four card hands, and you're looking to prune those hands into either two pairs of any card or certain combinations." He finishes dealing the hands out, then deals four cards into the center of the table, and looks out over the table. "Now, here comes the strategic part." He flips over the cards, revealing a 3, a 7, a 4, and a king. "You can discard any of those from your hand, plus one card not of those kinds, and then the next round you draw back up." He raises a finger, motioning down across the four cards. "You can pick up a card that has been discarded down here instead of drawing one, but not the ones that were dealt out. You can't just discard one of them over here by the deck while they're in play either." He pats the top of the now much thinner deck. "Popular combinations are straights, in suit being worth more, and specific card combinations like the king of swords and the queen of coins." He looks out over the group.

"You forgot that if two of the same kind are put in the center, it gets redrawn." One of the soldiers says.

Tarthis grins a grin that any trapsmith has made many times when his machine catches an unexpectant intruder by surprise. "But, we're playing with 'vanilla' rules. According to tradition, a Nath is not redealt, but simply considered bad luck. You're thinking of the plains variant, popular among the northern tribes and in my hometown actu-"

"Whatever! Just don't try anything funny." The soldier growls, looking at his hand.

"Fine. Just be sure and keep your hand tilted up so I can't read it." Tarthis gestures over towards him, before propping his metal legs up on the table and perusing his own hand. Looking over at Raik, he seems to note the similarity of their sitting position, then turns back to his cards.

You find yourself only able to discard one card, and you throw away a page. With any luck, the following round will be kinder.

"I remember the northerners. Good people." One of of the skeletons muses, ditching three cards.

"What about that one that stole my cane?" Another of them responds.

"Oh. Well, that one wasn't as nice, I suppose." The skeleton responds.

>>16389950
"Oh, have you traveled in the North in the past?"
See if either recognize some of the descriptions of the plants we know the Golgremet are growing, as well as where their capital city might be.

rolled 15, 12, 19, 14, 13 = 73

Naps are wonderful.

>>16389791
Let him continue his rules explanation, then get to playing. Rolling 5 d20s to see how we do. No magic, no cheating, just our intellect and skill as a card player.

>>16390016
>>16390057

"Oh, have you traveled in the North in the past?" You ask the skeletal kobold.

"A long, long time ago." The skeleton responds. "When we were still a traveling troupe."

"Those were the days." The other skeleton says. "We could go wherever we wanted, displaying the spoils of our grandfathers. People would follow us from place to place, wanting to see the dragon trophies. And we were chased out of a number of places as well." He discards one card. "And then the big day when we came back to expand."

"I hope the statue out front's still holding up." The skeleton says. "The one above the entrance? People will come from all over to see it."

"S'what I said." The older skeleton replies as Tarthis places out a new Nath.

>>16390167
"Hmm...tell me. How'd you manage to haul around an entire dragon?"

>>16390381

"Still looks fine to me." Raik says, craning his neck up a bit to look at the cards near the middle of the table.

"Really?" The skeleton says, nodding his head. "That's good."

"Hmm... Tell me. How'd you manage to haul around an entire dragon?" You ask the skeletons.

"A lot of wagons." The skeletons both answer in unison.

"Just so you know." Tarthis says to Raik, gesturing up to the table where both of their feet are resting. "I'm not trying to mock you or anything."

Raik smirks. "Well, long as you don't start playing with your feet, I won't take offense."

Tarthis laughs. "Funny you should mention that, since I totally could." He slaps his knee. "These things have a ton more tricks than that though. Unfortunately, Dalak said no to a flamethrower."

"Seems like just the sort of thing that'd come in handy." Tayn snarks.

"Well, I suppose a leg-mounted weapon might seem a bit strange to someone who's never been attacked by a swarm of spiders." Tarthis answers.

>>16390525
I was expecting some far more incredulous, but at least these guys seem more down to earth than the other skeletons.

"Leg-climbing spiders are one of the top methods for hardening military trainees; the world would be out of alchemist fire if we gave each of them a flamethrower..." Laugh lightly.

"As much as I'd like to discuss this at home, this is as close as any right now. How's the home life for each of you?"

>>16390692

"Leg-climbing spiders are one of the top methods for hardening military trainees; the world would be out of alchemist's fire if we gave each of them a flamethrower..." You chuckle.

Tarthis shrugs. "Hey, if you run low, you could always ask Rut. The gobbo had a ship FULL of the stuff."

"As much as I'd like to discuss this at home, this is as close as any right now. How's the home life for each of you?" You ask the lot of them.

"No complaints here, sir." The head soldier says. "And the GRU is saying the floor here's twice as good as anything they've slept on in a month!"

"I think I'm adjusting." Tayn sighs as he glares at his hand. "Just taking a while to get acclimated to all the people around."

Turen seems to have zoned out, and the lot of the table turns to stare at him. He suddenly looks up. "Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, I... I'm happy where I am, I suppose."

"I'm never busy enough." Tarthis confesses. "I mean, I keep getting more and more jobs, but I suppose I'm a diehard for adventure." He pulls out a card to cast down on the table. "All the women, all the work- I'm still young, relatively. And no matter how long I live down here I figure I should head back to the surface someday."

"You're from the surface?" Turen asks him.

"Sure, I am." Tarthis grins, drumming his fingers on his knee. "Went to a kobold-run school for trapsmiths and everything. Though it is a freeman's city where I grew up. No kings, and all that."

>>16390818
"The Surface? How exotic; how does it differ from here in the Underdark, Tarthis?" Return to our old joke. "Not too many leg-climbing spiders, I hope."

I'm going off the assumption that while we know about the surface, we've never seen it. If I'm wrong, change it appropriately.

>>16390951

Nope, you're dead on. You've never been up above, but you understood that it was bright enough to burn your eyes, so you had little interest.

"The Surface? How exotic; how does it differ from here in the Underworld, Tarthis?" You drop the tone of your voice a bit. "Not too many leg-climbing spiders, I hope."

"Oh, there's enough other troubles on the surface to make up for it." He begins counting them on his fingers. "Kobolds still aren't popular up there, and there's diseases, huge hairy animals, and it's bright for half the day."

"There are dwarves up there as well, right?" Raik asks him.

"That's what I said, huge, hairy animals." Tarthis clicks his fingers together. "But oh, that cursed bright orb can heat a rock to perfection. I spent gods knows how long sunning while I was with Valkraz's party." He thinks back some more. "And while I was with the surfacers as well. Navigating ships is a lot faster up there." He stretches. "And the orcs aren't as bad as you'd expect slaveholders to be. Though with Rut having taken office there, they might not be that much longer."

"What's something you'd suggest seeing up there?" Tayn asks him.

Tarthis takes a moment to think. He smiles to himself. "The ocean. It's really something. It just seems to stretch on forever." He places his hand face down on the table. "I used to say I'd go out and explore all of it when I was a kid. But, trapmaking proved to be more profitable." He sighs. "I do miss it sometimes. But the underworld's something I can appreciate, and I have been for a long time now. Good friends, excitement, and something to keep my hands busy."

rolled 2, 6, 2 = 10

>>16391192
"We're glad to have you with us, Tarthis."

Play a hand or two, then excuse ourselves and go to our little nook and nod off.

>>16391292

"We're glad to have you with us, Tarthis." You say to him, revealing a very fine hand of cards. "But that doesn't mean I'll let you win."

"Well, it's not up to you." Tarthis grins, flipping over his hand smoothly. It comes close to yours but you still are victorious. "It's up to luck."

"Good thing we're playing this 'vanilla' version." Raik says, dropping his cards down on the table. "I'd hate to lose any money up against such card sharps."

"Uh..." Tayn says, looking at his cards.

Tarthis grins as Tayn goes to lay his cards on the table. "Don't feel bad, kid. The first hand's alwa-" You hear a click from Tarthis' jaw as it falls open.

"Is that good? You said pairs were good." Tayn asks.

"Well, that's why I couldn't find any kings." Raik laughs.

The beginning of what would become a streak continues for the rest of the night.

After a few more hands, the group breaks down to just Tarthis, a few soldiers and Tayn. Tarthis seems to be trying to figure out what Tayn's secret is.

You lay down, relaxing in the same room as Turen.

"I uh, I just wanted to say, sir." He pauses, unfolding his blanket. "I'm sorry for getting in the way earlier."

>>16391762
It's time to counsel the young soldier.

"Hm? When did you get in the way?" Sit up. "Was it the card rules? Everyone has to start somewhere..."

>>16391819

"Hm? When did you get in the way?" You sit up. "Was it the card rules? Everyone has to start somewhere..."

"No, not that." He shakes his head. "During the fight with those trogs, I got in the way." He looks over at you. "I was stupid, I shouldn't have gone in like that."

>>16392033
Recall back to the invisibility incident.

"Ah...you are not the only one to blame, Turen. I should have discussed with you before hand on how you would be proceeding."

We lead, therefore we bleed.

>>16392141

"Ah... you are not the only one to blame, Turen. I should have discussed with you before hand on how you would be proceeding." You say to him.

"Well, still, sir. It's my responsibility to anticipate your needs, and-" He pauses for a moment. "I should have realized what you were doing before you did it. And because of me, those other kobolds died, or, they..." He sits down on a nearby chair, and puts his head in his hands. "It's my fault. My fault they got hurt, and no one else's."

>>16392467
"...Turen, listen." Level with him. "You're being too hard on yourself. It could have been anyone's time back in that fight, even mine." Purse our lips. "You can't hold onto that feeling for long; remember and honor, but don't let it consume you."

Take a deep breath before getting under our sheets.

"And if I were in your situation, I probably would have stealthed too; getting behind the heavily armored ones was necessary. Sadly, it just so happened to be more dangerous.

>>16392555

"...Turen, listen." You say, calmly. "You're being too hard on yourself. It could have been anyone's time back in that fight, even mine." You feel your lips clench at the thought. "You can't hold onto that feeling for long; remember and honor, but don't let it consume you."

You take a deep breath before getting under your sheets. "And if I were in your situation, I probably would have stealthed too; getting behind the heavily armored ones was necessary. Sadly, it just so happened to be more dangerous."

You sidle down, ready for sleep, but you can tell that the younger kobold stays up for some time afterwards. You can only remember fragments of your first battle, and feeling triumphant when you scared away a group of dwarves. This was an ugly business. A number of the H'runten were infected with black fungus, and one was cleanly killed at the scene.

You hear Turen sob softly once or twice, but soon enough, he falls asleep, and you feel yourself finally drawn in as well.

>>16392681
This may or may not be my last post for the night. I'm going to let my friend use my laptop for some LoL entertainment, so if I don't respond, I'm spent for the night.

As for our action, wake up, hope in the shower/whatever we use to clean ourselves, throw on some clothes, and get Torvash on the teleport express.

>>16392765

You sleep, and you dream.

A vast, liquid realm of light and sound, swirling around you.

You close your eyes, and feel a hard surface close tight around you, like a glove. Soon enough, you stretch against it, chipping away at it with your hands and feet.

Moments later, you are in a cold, quiet cavern, and you open your eyes to see the walls and floor carved by the claws of some kind of massive beast. It takes you a moment to realize that you are in the body of a dragon.

Much as you had been told about it, you find the gait awkward as you stumble out of the cave, to see a massive glowing tower. It sheds a sickly whitish green light, and an incredible heat. You see a humanoid figure in front of it, silhouetted as the light grows more and more intense. The figure laughs, a high, echoing noise that haunts you even as you are snapped back to consciousness.

>>16393000
Snap out of fervor and calm ourselves down. Check to see how the others are doing if they're still asleep.

>>16393049

You get up, shaking the laughter out of your head. The monochrome of the room bears no light, everyone else having gone to bed, long ago.

You can see Turen curled up on the floor, blankets wrapped around his body. He looks much more like a child now than he does when he's awake. You sigh, quietly. You suppose everyone involved in heavy matters has a time where they feel regret. You blamed yourself for being alive after having escaped from Rosencraft's castle. Still, you can remember just days earlier, when you had played a prank on one of your rookies, conjuring an image of a bright green scorpion in his sack. He said he'd get you back for it.

He never did.

He never had the chance to sit down and cry about what he hadn't done to save his friends. He was shredded by animate chains right in front of you.

You feel your right hand clench, the metal grinding against your palm. The caverns never came for you. They left you for dead, and your company. Maybe one of them would have survived. Maybe when you came back, people wouldn't have looked at you like you were some kind of a burden. Maybe-

"Mynthar!" Tayn rasps, from across the room. The tattooed kobold looks over at you from where he lays on the floor. He looks at you with concern, and confusion. "You're lighting up!" He half whispers, pointing to his eyes.

You feel the anger that was building up inside of you leave, and you feel the cool air of the room.

>>16393202
Examine ourselves. There's magic in the air!...or draconic blood...both are in the air!

>>16393227
Second. Maybe use Detect Magic?

>>16393227
>>16393269

You scan over yourself, detecting a faint aura with no particular school fading from your body.

"What... What were you doing?" Tayn asks you, sitting up.

>>16393412
"I...uh..." Go silent for a moment. "I don't know."

Saying your dragon-blooded isn't exactly something that you bring up in your average conversation.

>>16393444

"I... uh..." You put you hand to your head. "I don't know."

"Well..." Tayn stands up, looking over at you. "You were standing over Turen, clenching your fists, and your eyes were glowing." He crosses his arms. "I thought you were a demon, or that you had gone crazy."

"Maybe I did go crazy." You mutter.

"Well, I'm up for a while. That image got my adrenaline going." Tayn sighs. "For the record, try not to do that over me, I might not be coherent when I realize it's you."

>>16393541
"I was...dreaming. About being a dragon.
"You know, since we've got the same blood, you might have dreams like this too."

>>16393541
Laugh dryly.

"I'll try not to."

Check the time.

"How early is it?"

>>16393580

"I'll try not to."

You check the time by looking outside at the clock tower using clairvoyance.

"How early is it?"

Just as you catch sight of the clock tower, Tayn speaks up.

"Probably around 6 in the morning."

He's off by 15 minutes.

"Not bad." You say to him, pausing. "I was... dreaming. About being a dragon."

"Oh." Tayn pauses. "Well, I guess that's something. I was under the impression that you didn't like them much."

"You know, since we've got the same blood, you might have dreams like this too." You say to him.

"Well, I already turned into... Whatever that thing was." Tayn scratches his back. "I think my mind focusing on being one thing is more than enough."

>>16393663
"True. But yeah, I don't like the dragons much. We've lived in their shadow long enough; it's time that we kobolds stood up on our own and showed the Underdark, the world, what we're made of."

>>16393740

"True." You say to him. "But yeah, I don't like the dragons much. We've lived in their shadow long enough; it's time that we kobolds stood up on our own and showed the Underdark, the world, what we're made of."

"I think you're right." Tayn says, simply. "And I think that this war with the trogs will be a good way to show that. What was that thing Raik said?" He deepens his voice a bit. "'The underworld is watching.'"

You and Tayn get ready in near silence for the day. You clean yourself up, scrubbing off any overgrown scales, and get in contact with the other operatives.

"I think we stand a chance." Tayn says. "After all, you have the personality, and you're gathered quite the personal retinue." He shrugs. "Maybe we can do it."

>>16393999
"I just hope it's enough..."

Now, let's go and tele back to the Crystal Caverns with Torvash in tow. Once there, we'll make a b-line for the Council with the news.

I'm heading to bed, OP. Thanks for the quest thread.

See you tomorrow for Gargoyle Quest. :3

>>16394027

"I just hope it's enough..." You say to him, donning the last of your officiates' robes.

You have a brief meeting with Soth, discussing what the GRU will be investigating while you're gone. You have the H'runten rig up a wheelchair and move Torvash out of his holding cell. A quick teleport later, you are in your apartment, and within the hour you are in front of the council.

"Representatives." You say to them, folding your hands behind your back. "My excursion to the alloyed brotherhood has taken some time, but I have returned with valuable evidence concerning the Golgremet empire."

You go on for at least half an hour, detailing what you had found out from Torvash and from Raik. You watch as they all tense up at the news of the massive amount of that disruptive herb.

"And a trog told you this?" Ghaon, the head of the military, says in surprise, looking at the others. "This seems like it could be misinformation."

"No, it seems to mesh well." Zhao-mal, the head of mining says to the group. "It seems they have been experimenting for some time, with that story from the H'runten shadow knight."

"And what of this other information?" You ask the lot of them.

"Is it worth the price of the limbs?" Unuk, the head of the merchants says to you. "I'm afraid trade in them goes past me, so I don't know how much 3 or 4 would be."

"Market price for two legs is 1200 gold, an arm at 450, and the tail?" Jaran, the spindly head of the treasury counts on an abacus. "150, if memory serves. And if we cut Dalak's pay down to a commission, 900."

"Experiments." Yuune posits. The normally silent head of the mages shrugs over at you. You get the feeling that someone told him about such a thing.

"Well, from the sounds of things, he seems to have taken a likin' to ya." Mohuk, the normally cheerful head of farming says, with a concerned look on his face. "Not sure why considering you're the one who took half his body off."

"Religious folks." Yuune shakes his head.

"Why not just extract them from him?" Unuk says at you, flicking an ornamented hand your way. "With magic?"

"He seems to think he can resist it." You say to them. "If he can, we would lose access to it unless we killed him and then found someone of his religious following to interrogate the body. By the time we do that, we could have missed a chance to do anything about what he knows."

"Torture's not going to work, then?" Ghaon frowns.

"They did beat him in the cell. It didn't seem to affect him." You respond to Ghaon, shaking your head. "At this point, he's the only potential source of information I can think of."

"And he will tell," Mohuk's voice rings out, the melodic tone echoing throughout the chamber. "Because he likes you."

"I'd prefer if we didn't discuss that." You grimace. Ghaon tries not to chuckle.

"Well, I have the records for prosthetic sales right here." Unuk says, lifting up a small leather scroll. "According to this, we're at an all time high in quantity. With sales to outsiders our production has already increased threefold, counting that boom from Valkraz's people." He rolls the scroll further down. "That's... Odd. It seems our critical injury rate has also risen. I thought most of these were refits, but no, they're all new."

Ghaon glowers over at the merchant. "My men take all the proper precautions! When they're not being used by one of your organizations, that is."

"Come to think of it I did have a few boys get toe-rot for the first time in a decade this year." Mohuk scratches his face, and the motion slows as he comes to a realization. "No, not a few. About 29 or so." He turns to one of his aides, then suddenly shouts, angrily "What? More in again? Why wasn't I told?"

The outburst silences the room for a while, before the farmer turns back. "41, counting these new ones." He says with a marked calmness.

>>16395032
For next Wednesday's session.

Bring up before the Council that the Golgremet Empire's strategic plan appears to be to send agitators and saboteurs in ahead of their main body. Perhaps we should increase internal security and intensify patrols; it seems a little too coincidental that as war with the Empire approaches, that accidents and injuries should increase to such unprecedented levels.