Arrival in Caryatis
As the
Stone Cradle Tribe closed in on
Caryatis, Damira and her advisors (Mursili, Nazgul, Qazir) debated whether to enter the city stealthily or with a display of grandeur and strength, ultimately choosing the latter in order to build a reputation and deter would-be aggressors. To this end, Qazir constructed and flew
Flaming Dragon-Kites, and the tribe entered the city at dawn so that they would have the
Rising Sun Behind Them relative to the humans and other inhabitants of the Flesh District.
The tribe was met with a welcome party of Caryatan dignitaries:
Dakarai, the current Figurehead; Speaker
Drusa Vossran; and
Eshkar Amargis, the first-ever volitional caryatid. After exchanging pleasantries, the Speaker departed in a show of deference to the Figurehead and to her own busy schedule, which raised red flags with the kobolds. The bulk of the Stone Cradle Tribe was shown to their housing in the Outer Markets—among them Damira's parents—and Damira, her advisors, and the tribal leaders were shown to the citadel in the center of Caryatis, now home to visiting embassies. After establishing an time at which to convene and discuss matters of state, the caryatids departed.
Making Friends and Influencing People
During this lull in the schedule, Mursili made his way to the Stone District to find a group of his friends—five Patrian golems, unofficially led by
Petros—and attempt to recruit them to join Damira's forces. He initially appealed to their wanderlust, which alone was insufficient;
what ultimately convinced them to come along was his promise that Damira's belief in the
prophecy would lead to her attacking
Patria sooner or later (which, on a caryatid timespan, is sooner).
Meanwhile, Nazgul went to the Flesh District to gather information and have a side-room discussion with the Speaker. By conversing with strangers, she learned that Drusa was outgoing, loud ("Vossron" is Acathan for "strong voice"), and "benevolently corrupt"—she did a good job and ensured things went smoothly, but also helped herself a little on the side, which nobody really minded. Nazgul also learned how the Speaker selection process worked, and that Drusa had been trading off every three years with her longtime political ally
Amun Khet-Sa. When she went to the Speaker's house to discuss matters with her, she was met by a gnome in a mask (one LARGE carved eye, the other shut), who quickly clarified that he was there along with other merchants (two humans and a bull Therian) to discuss matters of trade with Drusa. Nazgul waited until they finished, then had a very productive discussion with the Speaker, earning respect by speaking to her in advance of the broader meeting. They agreed on a number of key points, including the importance of maintaining Caryatis' military neutrality, not allowing troops of any nation to quarter there, and the potential benefits of increased trade with
Damira's Dominion.
Setting Objectives
That afternoon, the meeting with the Figurehead and assembled council went very similarly to the meeting with Drusa, but on a broader scale—it was generally very productive. Following discussions of conflict and trade, Dakarai shared with Damira the locations of every kobold tribe they were aware of. Most relevantly, the tribe learned the location of the three
largest kobold tribes: the
Reckless Fury Tribe (militarily powerful and potentially in possession of Zhanat's Wages) to the south, the
Sacred Cliff Tribe (rich in population and food) to the east, and the
Crimson Oracle Tribe (agreed to be unique in their magical prowess, possessing a kobold capable of performing independent magic) to the north.
This prompted a large amount of debate among Damira and her advisors. Mursili advocated for prioritizing the Reckless Fury Tribe, as acquiring trained warriors would make the inevitable combat much easier; Nazgul favored the Sacred Cliff Tribe, due to their proximity to
Baharsi Bay and potential knowledge of the prophecy; and Qazir favored the Crimson Oracle, as magical prowess is a rarity among kobolds. Complicating matters more, Dakarai told Damira that Caryatis would prefer the Dominion weaken
Bracara, not
Acatha, although no aid or support was contingent on this.
Ultimately, the dominion resolved to head
north first, with the intent of moving quickly, assimilating the Crimson Oracle Tribe and any others along the way, and returning to the area of Caryatis before Bracara could mobilize in opposition. Longer-term, the expectation is a guerilla war with Acatha, fought in the foothills of the
Ashultum Mountains.
Two Tribes, Two Hooks
That evening, Damira and Qazir went on a flight above the city, awing the population below. While passing over the Flesh District, a rock was thrown at them, but it was far too low to pose a threat. Just as the sun was setting and the pair were making to land, Qazir spotted the
Needle Hill Tribe approaching along the Riverroad. Damira and Qazir landed and welcomed them; their chieftain—
Szandrash the Grave—came back with them to the embassy, while the rest of the tribe headed to the Outer Markets. In the morning, the
Brisk River Tribe arrived from the north; similarly, Chief
Gulaisha the Golden made her way to the embassy, stationing the rest of her tribe in the markets.
In order to seek an audience with the dwarven embassy, the party spoke to Eshkar, hoping to use him as an intermediary. A tongue-tied Mursili made the introduction, and Daniyar assured him that they just want to start things off on a good note and assure the dwarves Damira would be no
Zhanat. Satisfied, Eshkar made his way to the embassy to discuss it with the dwarves.
Before any meeting could take place, a
lone kobold from the
Barren Plains Tribe ran into Damira's quarters at the embassy, bowed, and begged aid in rescuing his tribe, which had been attacked and scattered by a human trading caravan coming along the Riverroad. At a look from Damira, the three tribal chiefs ran off to rally their troops.
Quick Notes
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