Getting Ahead
Season of Rushing Waters
The five of you pull back the way you had come until you are far enough that whispers do not carry, and for that matter neither do spells. As it happens Mina knows a spell for just such a time as this or, as she puts it, not really a spell, more of a knack, like a whisper of dead air passing over each and every one of you, dulling sounds and sweeping footsteps, it even secrets a copper Cob drops to test the magic, lodging it into a crevice in the stone. 'Wander-Sage' magic Gorok calls is, the mark of those Iruxi born of a strange-egg who head off into the wilds far from tribe and kin, winning instead the protection of beasts and the eyes of birds on high. Mina is very quick to point out she has no such love of the wilderness.
"If I did maybe I would not have found the wrong company on the road."
Privately you hope that recollection is no ill omen, it feels uncomfortable to let Cob go forward on his own, his retreating back a reminder of how small he is in ways that his character is usually more than loud enough to cover for. So you wait, prepared to charge in and deal with the foes should he give the sign.
Cob Stealth: 1d20 +19 = 30
vs
Xulgath Cook Perception: 1d20 +5 +10 (No cover) = 28
The best that can be said of that wait is that it is short, an excited goblin coming back on silent feet, smiling ear to ear in an only slightly ominous manner.
"There's three of them fellows with lizardkin whatchamacallit? Cooking armor?"
"Aprons," you hazard to which Cob nods, still happy as a clam in a brine pool.
"They've all got these big skewer, stirrers that you can poke things and push them back into a cauldron. Did I tell you about the cauldron? It's a big,
big cauldron, you could fit two trolls in it, though you really shouldn't since trolls heal and boilin' water ain't fire you know. It's a'boilin' so if we push it over it'll be a right mess, cook up the xul's for Warty to eat whole. You'd like that wouldn't you?"
Maybe it's just your imagination, but it sounds like the slurk gives a vaguely approving croak.
"Anyway, there's this big fellow with darker scales who has all sorts of knives at his belt and 'ead bombs lots of those too."
"Head bombs?" Gorok correctly interprets the words, though for once even he sounds confused.
"Yeah, see heads have fire in 'em for thinking so when you cut one off an' spice up you get an 'ead bomb. I've seem before."
You briefly consider what Cob had told you of his former tribe and the magician who had taken it over. On the balance it might be best not to ask whose heads he had seen made into bombs. Instead you pose a more practical question. "So he's an alchemist. Did any of the others look magical? How sturdy did those pocking and stirring... spears look?"
"Nope, no magic, regular-sturdy I recon."
"Are there doors leading out of the kitchen?" Mina prompts.
"Two of 'em, but both of 'em were closed and barred. I'm good at hiding, but not so good that I can unbar a door, open it, and walk on through when two of them can see each of the doors from where they're standing."
"Sturdy doors, heavy, they muffle sound?" Gorok asks, the spark of a plan in his mind. At cob's confirmation he turns to speak to all four of you. "Rush in, take at least one prisoner. Ask him where the black-scale is. Even if he does not speak it he will think it," he tips his head towards you. "And then we strike. The chief cannot be very far from the larder, not if he wants to stay chief."
"Or we could sneak by, take things methodically."
"We don't know where this leads, it twists it turns," the warrior counters. "If the alarm is raised it would be very bad to be hit from both sides."
What side of the argument does Kori take
[] Gorok's attack the cooks
[] Mina's, sneak past the kitchen
[] Actually he has an idea of his own
-[] Write in
OOC: Good thing you have such a sneaky scout or walking into a lit, busy kitchen would not have gone well. 
