Khyree's Story

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Sep 18, 2023 7:15 am
Khyree speeds up, as she tries to catch up to the caravan before it gets to the city bridge.
Sep 18, 2023 1:17 pm
As you get close to the caravan, you see that it consists of four carriages being driven by--the small 2-3ft tall frog-like--grippli people. The carriages, being pulled by huge beetle-like insects, look like they are filled mostly with goods heading to the city. Much of the wares looks like edible plants foraged from the jungle, perhaps also some medicinal plants. Two of the four carriages are covered: the one at the head of the caravan and the one you are nearing at the back. The last carriage is filled with massive 6 ft long leaves. A two-foot tall driver steers two large beetles from a small seat on the front of the carriage. Revealing the carriage's leafy jungle commodities, flaps on the back of the covered vehicle blow open and closed on the breeze that comes off the ocean.
Sep 19, 2023 8:27 pm
Khyree continues at her quickened jaunt to draw alongside the last carriage. She glances to her side and calls out the frog-person. "Hi. Can you understand me? What city is this we are headed towards?"
Sep 20, 2023 2:08 am
"Understand human me do, creeek," says the grippli driver, ending the phrase with an elongated high pitch guttural rasp. "City of Haila we go, creeek. Only human city for weeks' travel. Most humans from north world here, creeek. They know not jungle. We bring jungle things. Humans want grippli wares, creeek." The driver turns and gives you a good look. "You not north world. You jungle human?"
Sep 21, 2023 8:57 pm
"Haila. Thanks." Khyree acknowledges and nods to the grippli's summation of her origins. "Yes. Not from the north world. More west of the jungle though."
Sep 22, 2023 3:10 am
"Barbarian human you then." confirms the grippli merchant, satisfied with his conclusion. "Why you at edge of jungle city?, creeek."
Sep 22, 2023 10:20 pm
Khyree turns to the grippli merchant. "Supplies. I am running low on needed food stuffs and, like you mentioned, its the only human city in a week's journey. I hope I can find what I need with little to no trouble."
Sep 23, 2023 2:17 am
"By foot, carry you supplies. Strong barbarian you are, creeek."

You are not versed in the peculiar mannerism of grippli, but you do sense a bit of sarcasm in the driver's statement and if you didn't know better you would think there was a smirk on the grippli's wide maw.

"You take ride into city. Leaves big inside make good cover. Gate guards always curious, creeek."

Ahead the road turns to the left and you can see a drawbridge made of heavy timber and iron. It is a massive and impressive structure to find at the edge of the jungle. There is also a weathered stone building that appears to be a barracks near the bridge. The drawbridge is heavily guarded. You see armored guards, scanning the hills for any hint of danger, some look already alert to the approach of the caravan. Banners flutter in the wind.

The waters beneath the bridge are rough, like the waves of the crashing shore. The wide waterway running under the bridge wraps around the city.
Sep 23, 2023 7:30 pm
Khyree looks at the grippli merchant with a wry smile. "Could I? That would be great. I don't want to draw too much attention from guards and those whose aim would be to attack me or steal the few coins I have to buy goods."
Sep 24, 2023 4:32 am
The grippli gives an affirming nod and says no more. You can easily climb into the covered carriage and hide in the huge leaves within.
OOC:
If Khyree does hide in the carriage, you may make a stealth roll. Is there any other particular precautions she takes as the carriage makes it to the bridge?
Sep 25, 2023 9:25 pm
Khyree sneaks into the carriage at the merchant's permission and attempts to hide in the giant leaves, under the cover of the carriage.

Rolls

Stealth - (1d20+5)

(6) + 5 = 11

Sep 27, 2023 2:18 pm
You slip under the leaves. Hidden away as the caravan makes it the rest of the distance to the bridge, you feel the carriage come to a halt.

"That's good. Stay there," you make out a guard say at the head of the caravan. "Grippli. We've been informed that your last shipment was infested with insects. The problem still has not been eradicated in the city. How do we know you don't bring more trouble like that again?"

"Assured you be. Checked the goods and retrieved them from safe places we have, creeek." responds a merchant.

"Still, we are ordered by the Provost to inspect." returns the guard.

"Inspect if you must, creeek," agrees the grippli. "But touch you not. Jungle goods need care to handle. Fragile and sensitive they are, creeek. Your Provost not be happy if you damage goods."

You then hear the guard move toward the carriage and begin looking inside. It doesn’t sound like he is taking much time at each. Eventually he come to the one you are hiding in.
OOC:
continued after rolls...

Rolls

Guard: Perception (vs Khyree Stealth) - (1d20+2)

(19) + 2 = 21

Grippli Driver: Persuasion (Charisma) - (1d20+2)

(19) + 2 = 21

Guard: Int (versus Grippli Persuasion) - (1d20)

(5) = 5

Sep 27, 2023 2:55 pm
The guard moves the flap aside at the back of your carriage. He peers inside for a moment. He is about to finish his inspection when he lingers for a moment longer. You hold your breath, in case he noticed the leaves moving from your body expanding and contracting. He sniffs a few times and pulls his head out of the carriage.

"Driver. What does you load consist of?" he asks.

Your grippli acquaintance responds, "Jungle leaves, for medicine and writing. Fragile now they are. Treated they must be, creeek."

"Just the leaves here?" asks the guard skeptically.

"No bugs. Safe, like other carriages you searched." retorts the grippli.

The guard seems satified with the response and waves the caravan on. The carriage gets moving again. The upward slope and then decline over the bridge is bumpy. A few minutes after crossing the bridge you hear a gate being raised. The carriage continues. You hear the sounds of a city: some calls from human voices, carriages, horse hooves, dogs barking, a tower bell that rings three times.

Your carriage makes a turn to the left. Soon the sounds of the city are muffled. The carriage stops. It sounds like your driver leaps from his seat to the side of the carriage.
Sep 27, 2023 8:30 pm
Khyree cautiously peak out from amongst the giant leaves to see who or what may be within range to see her exiting the carriage before do so.
Sep 28, 2023 2:44 am
You cautiously peek out. And see that the caravan has pulled into a warehouse of sorts. The carriages are parked in horseshoe arrangement just beyond large doors in an spacious front entrance of this huge building. Two humans push the doors closed. The grippli merchants are moving about, some are unloading their wares. The two humans move to help them upload. These humans don't appear to be guards. Other grippli are tending to the beetles, feeding them leaves and giving them water.

As you try to make sense of what you see when you peek out, your grippli friend suddenly steps into your view. "Creeek...Big leaves I unload and you slip to cover," he quietly suggests. "Hide. Grippli leave and foremen humans head to station soon, creeek."

You can't see anything but the entrance space of the warehouse from you position, but you notice the air smells fresh like the jungle or a greenhouse, and also there is a different tint to the lighting outside the carriage; its not a natural light from windows, or firelight from lamps; its something else all together.
Sep 28, 2023 8:31 am
Khyree nods her understanding and prepares herself to move with the grippli merchant when he unloads some of his wares. She looks for a likely space to move into to hide while the rest of the unloading takes place, until the Humans depart the area.
Sep 28, 2023 12:22 pm
https://i.imgur.com/iXmcBjp.jpg

You move with the grippli merchant as he unloads and are able to use his cover to slip out of the carriage undetected.

What you see as you look into the warehouse is something unfamiliar to you. Strange light emits from orbs. Cables hang all around connecting these orbs and other things in the warehouse. There's a low hum that reminds you of the hum you heard when you walked past that structure on you way to this city. The ceiling of this place seems to be made of blue energy, shining its pale light down on the plants and other jungle goods in storage. As stange as this space is to you, something about that blue energy does seems familiar; it somehow reminds you of the dragon force.

There are many places to hide in here, you just have to stealthily take your pick.
OOC:
let me know what your intentions are and roll stealth again if applicable.
Sep 29, 2023 10:01 pm
Khyree is on the lookout for possible egresses from the warehouse not so open and easily spotted. She would also at least give a silent gesture of thanks to the Grippli merchant for helping her sneak through the guard checkpoint into the city.
Sep 30, 2023 2:33 am
The grippli merchant gives you a return nod to your silent gesture of thanks. You slip unnoticed to cover, into shadowed recesses behind storage pots of jungle plants.
OOC:
Continued after roll...

Rolls

Khyree: Stealth - (1d20+5)

(13) + 5 = 18

Foreman: Perception - (1d20)

(2) = 2

Sep 30, 2023 2:41 am
There may be an exit of some sort at the back of the warehouse, you cannot tell. There is a second level made up of scaffolding. You see a few places that would be easy to climb to make it up there.

Shortly, the caravan unloads completely. The humans pass a cylinder of blue glowing energy to the grippli merchant at the lead carriage--it remind you of the blue cylinder in the gnome flying machine. Then the grippli fasten their beetles beasts and return to driving positions. The humans open the large warehouse front doors and the caravan begins to move.
OOC:
You want Khyree to do anything at the moment or wait for the humans to leave the entrance area?
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