With dogs it's something of a religious issue. Goblins like wolves, they associate them with Lhamashtu and a dog is kind of like a wolf bereft of wildness which is blasphemy. Horses are somewhat more opaque, a lot of them do seem to just hate goblins on sight, but that can't be all of it. Trouble is goblins are not good at recording their history, they live in small isolated bands and generally kill any tribe members who try to become literate. The most you have is songs that claim the Big Horse helped elf, dwarf and man dig up the roots of the woods and make fields out of them.
As for why Cob is chill, probably comes down to traveling with you guys. He knows Longshanks do not hate dogs and horses and and he does like you guys so he tones it down.
[X] Speak to the druids about the Ohancanu, perhaps they are interested in their services
At some point these three are going to get bored with our sneaking about and how picky we are about who's an acceptable target or not.
Should we add in a sub-vote to buff up?
At the very least Mina can provide fortune and Sirim can talk... or Kori can just lie about them, talk them up to make them more attractive.
Honestly, I don't expect (or want) much from this in terms of material wealth; we're not selling these three thinking beings, we're just getting a 'finders fee' or 'fair consideration with respect to us facilitating helping bring these three (mighty) fey giants and druids together'.
A couple of Commune With Birds scrolls could be very nice though, as time-savers so Gorok doesn't have to prepare the spell if it's needed, and they'd be good in an emergency for when Gorok doesn't have time to prepare the spell.
Also, these are 'nature people'. Maybe they have good knockout poisons, though hunters usually don't need prey to be knocked out as quickly as adventurers need to knock out their foes.
Giants in a foreign city is a diplomatic incident waiting to happen. Should probably arrange something with the druids, as our other option would be to release them into the wilds, and that's just hoping an incident will happen when we are well away.
A couple of Commune With Birds scrolls could be very nice though, as time-savers so Gorok doesn't have to prepare the spell if it's needed, and they'd be good in an emergency for when Gorok doesn't have time to prepare the spell.
[X] Perform a Divination to determine how well leaving the Ohancanu behind with the druids is likely to go. If it seems promising, we'll speak to the druids about them, perhaps they are interested in their services
[x] Speak to the druids about the Ohancanu, perhaps they are interested in their services
-[x] Ask the obancanu first what they think about the idea and if they are open to it, since it sounds like they could be used to help curb the power of the Lumber Consortium if they did join them, thus find good fights.
One thing I will note since Sirim will think of things like this is that the Wildwood Lodge is a large organization with connections to the Taldan government. They are likely warded against divination, especially the leadership
One thing I will note since Sirim will think of things like this is that the Wildwood Lodge is a large organization with connections to the Taldan government. They are likely warded against divination, especially the leadership
Permanent warding against Divination is extremely expensive and can only really be done via Mind Blank. Otherwise, you're limited to location specific Nondetection spells and similar effects.
I doubt there are many of them rocking Mind Blanks, so it's more likely to be residences and government buildings that are protected. That said, none of those should really stop a Divination from determining the state of the Ohancanu within the next week or so, so long as they aren't also kept behind wards the whole time.
Also, IIRC, we'll know the Divination failed because of interference rather than chance, right? That's just another kind of answer, IMO.
Permanent warding against Divination is extremely expensive and can only really be done via Mind Blank. Otherwise, you're limited to location specific Nondetection spells and similar effects.
I doubt there are many of them rocking Mind Blanks, so it's more likely to be residences and government buildings that are protected. That said, none of those should really stop a Divination from determining the state of the Ohancanu within the next week or so, so long as they aren't also kept behind wards the whole time.
Also, IIRC, we'll know the Divination failed because of interference rather than chance, right? That's just another kind of answer, IMO.
I love how that is the main thing Cob got out of story, horses being untrustworthy.
I think we should ask the giant fey in question first, just be safe and no rude.
[X] Speak to the druids about the Ohancanu, perhaps they are interested in their services
-[X] Ask the obancanu first what they think about the idea and if they are open to it, since it sounds like they could be used to help curb the power of the Lumber Consortium if they did join them, thus find good fights.
[X] Speak to the druids about the Ohancanu, perhaps they are interested in their services -[x] Ask the obancanu first what they think about the idea and if they are open to it, since it sounds like they could be used to help curb the power of the Lumber Consortium if they did join them, thus find good fights.
The Taldan shore is no different from the Andoran one, but the ohancanu had chosen to walk along it since they've never been here. They also have a great many questions to which you find yourself shrugging or shaking your head at. How many times the druids go raiding? One asks while another is very interested in what they'd be given leave to eat in the service of the Wildwood Lodge. Apparently their previous lord set a ban on the eating of bats that he disliked something fierce. Would they be paid in 'little man-coins'? Could they fish in the river? All good questions to which neither you nor Sir Pisca have answers, though he does look at you in a more and more curious manner as you try to to piece together the scant tales you'd heard about the 'Green Faith'. Augustana isn't the most respectful of such ways.
"We are of the trees, whole and fallen, living, dead, and unborn, yes?" the words have the air of a question as the trio try to find their own balance.
"If we stay in one place we break too many, right?"
"Not if they grow fast."
"If they grow fast, we grow fast. Where do we find enough food then, eh?"
"You do realize those are...?" The knight struggles to find a word, then visibly gives up. "You could just leave them here. They'll be right as rain, right as the... the spring rain." As though to emphasize his point, some of the water that had previously fallen from the sky decides to rush down in a small torrent.
"They have given me no cause to go back on my word." And neither had anyone else, you add silently to yourself. Laziness is no reason for treachery. "And plenty of reason not to. Mark well those demon horns Gorok wears."
"We would like to talk to the green mortals!" the giants conclude their discussion loudly. If any birds and small beasts haven't been scared out of their roosts already, they surely have been now.
One late-flying rave falls out of the same tree that had almost watered Sir Pisca and changes on the way down, growing like a strange fruit, limbs from wings and a head in leather hood clad. The woman seems young, a druid, one assumes, though not so much so that her eyes lack the weariness of one who has been on the road.
"And what would you speak to us of, tree-breaker?" She asks the ohancanu, who for his part seems quite confused.
"Don'tcha have ears under there? Just finished saying."
"No, I mean why should we accept your company...?" She stops herself, then adds in a sterner tone. "Why do you travel with the knight and other other one?"
"That's boss," one answers while the others nod.
She sighs. "If we don't take you in, you're just going to start raiding again, aren't you?"
"Again? When we stop?"
Thankfully you are very, very good at keeping a straight face, and so, you note, is your companion in bright-blazing armor.
The druid is holding the bridge of her nose, looking like she would much rather be anywhere but here. "Alright, this is what we are going to do: I tell you where illegal loggers are camped, you deal with them and do not harm any tree nearby, and you can consider yourselves bounty hunters under the sign of the Lodge."
"Your boss is called lodge? Like the place you live in?"
"Loggers strong, good kill?"
"At least we aren't the ones answering questions," Sir Pisca mutters, tilting his head towards you.
"Most welcome spy I've seen in a while," you agree. As the conversation stretches, with the giants seeming more and more content, you wonder if it would be pushing your luck to ask for a reward. After all, you had brought them mighty allies.
Rather than try to get an explicit reward, might it be worth being able to buy a few level 1 scrolls if these druids have any?
On the other hand, I really don't want to do another shopping update, especially since money is tight so we can't get a lot of stuff.
So I'm going to write in the specific spell I want, and if there's any others people think maybe we can add them in?
Sure we can Wild Arcana Commune with Birds, but we've seen it still needs an animal handling check by the caster, and it'd save Surge Points for when we're under pressure. And they're cheap.
[X] Try to get paid for his services
-[X] Write in: The opportunity to buy three or four scrolls of Commune With Birds at base price (75-100 gold) -[X] Gift them two Greataxes and Greatsword as a parting gift.
That went well. Good luck in your future endeavors, Ohancanu dudes.
[X] Gives his former vassals leave to depart, along with honest praise of their prowess in battle and respect for their self-control these past few days of quiet.
Glad to see that the ohancanu seem to like idea of joining up and, despite the headaches, they will help druids push back against illegal logging.
They might not have been with us for a long time, but for the time they were with us they served us well and helped make some encounters much easier to handle, so I wish them well.
[X] Gives his former vassals leave to depart
-[X] Thank them for their leal, if brief, service in our name and assisting us in combating great foes, and we hope they enjoy their new position and find good new fights alongside the druids.
-[X] Gift them two Greataxes and Greatsword as a parting gift.
@DragonParadox since ohananu are noted to like axes, would they like the two Greataxes we have spares of? Just asking since I feel like they deserve a parting gift. Could they use Greatsword too?
Glad to see that the ohancanu seem to like idea of joining up and, despite the headaches, they will help druids push back against illegal logging.
They might not have been with us for a long time, but for the time they were with us they served us well and helped make some encounters much easier to handle, so I wish them well.
[X] Gives his former vassals leave to depart
-[X] Thank them for their leal, if brief, service in our name and assisting us in combating great foes, and we hope they enjoy their new position and find good new fights alongside the druids.
@DragonParadox since ohananu are noted to like axes, would they like the two Greataxes we have spares of? Just asking since I feel like they deserve a parting gift. Could they use Greatsword too?
[X] Gives his former vassals leave to depart
-[X] Thank them for their leal, if brief, service in our name and assisting us in combating great foes, and we hope they enjoy their new position and find good new fights alongside the druids.
-[X] Gift them two Greataxes and Greatsword as a parting gift.
