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The lizardman nods, and walks off to retrieve some food.

"To be honest, I don't know much about the lizardmen around here. The few tribes on the plains are Gukoss and Frassis. So, either lazy or brutish are the stereotypes I'm familiar with. These guys just seem kind of... Reserved." Paima says, digging out some of his reserve food to eat.

"Hey, am I the only one taking a risk here?" Tukon says, looking over at you.

"I ate before we left." You say, shrugging.

"Do not worry, Tukon. I shall brave whatever bacteria can survive the rigors of my furnace-like digestive system." Cagrazod says, patting him on the back.

"Yeah, I'm sure you get sick a lot." Tukon sighs.

The lizardman comes back with food, a large mass of shredded meat on a wooden plate, with a hearty smell wafting from it.

"What is this?" Tukon asks the lizardman as he sets it down on the floor.

"It's rush'ek." The lizardman explains.

"I mean, what is rushik made of?" Tukon asks him.

"Mostly duck, snake, crocodile." The lizardman explains.

"Does it have to be so... Wet?" Cagrazod asks, tentatively.

"Naturally. Cooked by boiling with garlic, few barks, and blood from the duck." The lizardman takes a few small wooden bowls and spoons made from carved horn, setting them down by the plate.

"Wait, you eat crocs?" Paima says. "I thought there would be some sort of a societal thing with you. We ripouse don't eat hyena, and humans don't eat apes, as far as I know."

The lizardman seems a bit testy. "We are not kin to crocodiles. Kin to Legavaan."

"Legavaan?" Paima asks.

"Legavaan carry some of our genes. Do not know human name for them. Have some around village, domesticated. Still, they have not seen humans, ripouse or..." The lizardman says, looking over at Cagrazod.

"I'm a marteau." He says, politely, while trying to pour the liquid out of his food.

"...Metal men either. So do not agitate them." The lizardman walks out of the room without saying another word.

"Man, they sure do make you feel welcome." Paima says, munching on his rations.

"I'm sure it's just a..." Cagrazod says while pouring out the liquid form his dish, spilling some on his tunic. He looks down at it, stopping what he was doing, and sighs, "...Cultural thing."

"Well, to be fair, we did just sort of show up. And they're obviously not doing as well as the Confederacy." Tukon says, looking over at Paima.

Paima tests one of the cots. "Yeah, our furniture is a lot comfier too. Then again, the confederacy really doesn't have much competition. These guys have a lot for being in the midst of all these troubles."

"What do you mean?" You ask Paima.

He grins emptily as he answers. "I was with a group sent to assist riposue tribes that... Well, that weren't doing so well. I had to bring huge stocks of rations to give to all the starving people I encountered. Those were folks in dire straits. These guys may be engaged in a conflict, but they're still on top of whatever it is."

"So what of this dragon-hydra then? Where would we fit in with that?" Tukon says.

"Perhaps it is simply a ruse? To keep us guessing?" Cagrazod suggests, the hiss of steam accompanying his first scoop of the meat-heavy dish. He makes an expression of discomfort. "Still very wet." He holds the bowl near to the fire in an effort to dry it out.

"I don't think so. He obviously knows something more than he's letting on. He said he needed everything to go perfectly." Tukon says, trying a bit of the food himself. "Like any good dish, if the ingredients are bad, or the cook is bad, the food itself will be worse off for it."

"Nice analogy." Paima says, taking out a dried fruit and eating it.

"Thanks. I had to cook a lot back at the monastery." Tukon downs a few more scoops of the meat.

"Really? I would have had you cook if I knew you could." You say, teasing him a bit.

Tukon looks over at you, shaking his head. "Not more than once. I am a terrible cook." He finishes off the bowl. "This though, this is good. A lot of varied texture."

"Please, erm, leave enough for me." Cagrazod says, trying to warm his bowl more quickly.


"Oh, here." Paima snaps his fingers, and a flame blossoms over Cagrazod's meal, startling the two of them. They stare over at Paima.

"What?" He asks, confused.

"I didn't know you could do that." Tukon says, slowly.

"Oh. Well, yeah. Grandpa showed me a few things. Didn't think it would startle you." Paima pats Cagrazod on the shoulder.

"Contrary to popular belief, the sudden influx of heat to our skin is just as damaging as it would be to a human." Cagrazod says, raising an eyebrow. "But, no harm done." He tests the food, finding it dry and brittle. "Thank you." He swiftly downs the bowl.

bump

>>14585702
I'm catching up on this while I do my radio show, OP.

Also, Gargoyle Quest? :3c

>>14586727

OK.

>>14586846

Any suggestions while you wait?

>>14586852
Let's throw in some corny jokes.

"At least you're not quick to temper..."

Or something involving his game with the ladies.

After that, let's get down to business: how will we convince Kresis to help us? Listening to our group and their feelings could give us some ideas.

>>14586935

"At least you're not quick to temper..." You say, trying to comfort him.

"W- you really think so?" Paima says.

"Of course, it would be a total turn-off. You'd never even get a date if you had a firey temper." You add.

"Oh." Paima grumbles, looking depressed.

"So, how can we convince Kresis to help us?" You ask, noting that the smaller lizardman who tagged along with you hasn't said much.

"Maybe he does honestly need our help, and he'll be good for it after that." Tukon says, filling up another bowl.

"Well, you did have the opportunity to inspire the ripouse back at the confederate camp." Paima says, putting a hand to his chin. "Maybe inspiring the people here is the key, not going through him."

"We did come here to see him, though. Even if his morals are... Unique," Cagrazod says, clearly contemplating what was said to him, "He still seems like he may help us. Perhaps, as he says, nothing is so simple as right and wrong."

Tukon scoffs at this. "What, did what old cold-foot say get to ya?"

Cagrazod remains quiet.

"Oh, c'mon. If I have to be the one to tell you not to pay attention to his crap, you really must be losing it." Tukon says, pointing at Cagrazod's food. "Just sleep on it, everything tends to be easier to sort through after a night's sleep."

"Maybe you're right." Cagrazod says, quietly. He sips some of the soup, and steam rises up from his mouth.

>>14587211
Sleep time?

Sure.

After we awaken, let's talk to the vestige of Dominion; maybe it'll know something about something?

>>14587325

Maybe we can use it as an alarm clock or some shit and go memory-diving while we sleep?

"I have something to add." Karn Pom Mar says, hopping down from one of the upper windows of the room, next to Paima.

"Ah! When did..." He exclaims.

"Never mind that. The social situation here is known to some extent by me." Karn says, locking eyes with you. "The Sun Splitters have far more enemies than friends. Mostly small tribes whose hunting territory they have encroached upon. Tuogra as well, a group of whom have a skinshifter as their leader."

"A lycanthrope?" Paima asks.

Karn nods. "Yes. He turns into a crocodile-like beast when the moon is full, sometimes killing even his own tribesmen."

"Sounds like a textbook were-beast." Paima says, crossing his arms.

"Textbook?" Karn asks, tilting his head.

"Oh, sorry. Human expression." Paima explains.

The small lizardman nods, continuing his description. "The southerners who he said were being attacked by the dragon-hydras are the Korrah. They are one of the many species our ancestors referred to as the 'blended ones'. Most tribes would let them die off."

"Why is that?" You ask him.

He shrugs. "Appearance, societal practices, fear. The same reason any living being kills another, or leaves them to die, I suppose. They appear to share the traits of both a crocodile and an iguana, with a thick, plated hide." Karn looks over at the meat. "If this were their village, you might be on the menu."

"So why is he helping them?" You ask him.

"That, I wish I knew. They are quite strong, but the Stream-Runners need far more assistance." Karn says. "On top of this, they are being actively hunted down by another source of problems in the swamp. A dragon called Blunkresa. In our language, this means 'White Demise'."

>>14587526
"The world is just filled with problems..."

More to ourselves than him. Then, ask him directly:

"So, if we went out and put these problems to rest, you think he'd wager to provide us aid?" Pause. "Of course, based on our initial meeting, he'd just thank us for assistance and then continue on his merry way..."

"She's been a real menace to most aside from her tribes, which have varied over the years." Karn adds.

"Why's that?" Tukon asks.

Karn stares at him. "She eats them."

"Oh." Tukon mutters as he pushes his bowl away, clearly unappetized.

"At this point, the outliers don't want to act against the Sun Splitters because they serve as a deterrent for outsiders. But joining them requires a degree of dedication not all tribes of this swamp possess." Karn puffs out his neck frill a bit. "My people, on the other hand, can certainly accommodate the rules of this tribe, but Kresis has not given me the chance to show this."

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get your chance." Tukon says, nodding his head at no one in particular.

"I intend to make an opportunity if I am presented with none." The small lizardman says. "I am patient, but my patience has a limit when it comes to diplomatic matters. Let them sit too long, and they begin to smell, like bad fish."

>>14587619

"The world is just filled with problems..." You say to yourself.

You begin to pace as you speak to Karn. "So, if we went out and put these problems to rest, you think he'd wager to provide us aid?" You pause for a moment, contemplating. "Of course, based on our initial meeting, he'd just thank us for assistance and then continue on his merry way..."

"That's why we have to make sure he thanks us." Karn says, raising his eyebrows. "By either being so damned helpful he has to give us a big thanks, or by forcing him to."

>>14587763
"Slaying a lycathnrope, cannibals, and a dragon would definetly give the /we're helpful/ vibe, but..." Get a little quiet, as we are in the middle of his village, "...how would you force someone who's lived for over 300 years, probably all combat oriented? He doesn't seem like someone who'll cave into pressure that easily." However, disarm our statements. "Hopefully, we'll never be that desperate. Algers is a good judge of character, like we all know him to be, so we shouldn't have to muscle him...hopefully not..."

(Back in 30, continue suggestions)

>>14587815

"Slaying a lycathnrope, cannibals, and a dragon would definetly give the /we're helpful/ vibe, but..." You lower your voice. "...How would you force someone who's lived for over 300 years, probably having had all those years to train in combat? He doesn't seem like someone who'll cave into pressure that easily."

You calm a bit. "Hopefully, we'll never be that desperate. Algers is a good judge of character, like we all know him to be, so we shouldn't have to muscle him...hopefully not..."

Karn tilts his head. "Muscle him? Oh, no, of course not. He's survived numerous assassination attempts. I was thinking along the lines of blackmail."

"B-blackmail?!" Tukon exclaims, clearly caught off-guard.

"Is that not the correct term for levying information as a method by which to extort something? If not, pardon me. I have not had much practice with your language." Karn says, his hand on his chest in an apologetic pose.

"No, that's it. You just said it so casually." Tukon murmurs.

"Ah. You are unused to the concept. Not to worry, I am quite adept at the process." Karn says, relieved that he was not wrong about the definition.

"How many times?" Tukon asks him, suddenly curious.

"Providing the exact number would be irresponsible." Karn says, his frill becoming quite a bit larger. "I will say it has been more than eight times but less than sixty."

"Wow, you sure you should be telling us this?" Paima asks. "That is a crime in your culture, right?"

"Yes, but each time was for a good cause, and mostly to evil men. Never for anything seriously impeding." Karn says nonchalantly.

Tune in next week for the conclusion of this shocking dialogue!

(At Monday, 21:00. Be there!)