Risar Scout Union Outpost #2

A large trail of carriages carrying building supplies and armed soldiers from the Grand Army. A grand total of three hundred beings, 200 carriages with two guards each, and four trained giant tarantulas that are used for heavy lifting. This large group was stopping in at the Scount Union Outpost to have an inspection.

It was rather legnthy, but necessary. All beings, foreign or domestic, had to be inspected. While ones were being inspected, others went to the market to see what was available. The market was small right now, but they all found some trinkets to take with them that would be documented at the next outpost.

After five hours, the group would begin their travels again. It was a long march, but they were moving as quick as they could. These soldiers and supplies were destined for the Free Plains.

The soldiers arrived with the cart, inquiring about Askar's reason for being there. Askar was intrigued by the little dragons in the cart, he had not laid eyes upon kin of any kind for a long time.

"I come looking for the man that attempted to rob me" his voice rumbled. The voice was deep and soothing yet unnerving. His black eyes flickering across the group.

"A letter was left behind, asking for the thief to travel to "Flo'Liare". I'm going straight to the source... I have a few questions for the man in charge". Askar enjoyed conversing with humans.

Askar lowered his head, his maw mere feet from the cart. He took a wiff of the items before directing his attention to the soldiers.

"In what direction lies Flo'Liare?" his voice on the verge of being commanding. He had little patience and these common soldiers did not interest him.

Askar grunted. He did not like the idea of wearing anything, but if it were to make his trip easier, then he had no problem with it. He extended his hind leg, the ankle wide as a pillar, allowing the man to tie the rope. The man would upon touching Askar notice just how cold his scales were, it was like touching ice.

"I do not suffer from thirst nor hunger but rather an impatient mind. I will fly directly to Flo'Liare with your instructions" Askar spoke, his voice resounding within the chest of every man present.

Askar did not trust the selection of meats, and he cared little for villagers. Without saying another word, Askar took off. Clouds of sand rising as his wings flapped violently.

The locals were left with their food and some sand in their eyes. Askar did not dislike them, but with a history of violence, trust was a hard thing to invoke in him.

Askar grumbled, his mood not having improved from waiting in the sun. Askar hated the warmth, but he wasn't going to leave until he had found his man.

-Exit-

The first thing to alert the guards to something amiss was a strange trembling sensation. At first it was inaudible, noticed only in the strange way in which the surface of any still liquid would begin to ripple. Seconds later, animals began to panic, growing violent or retreating to hide depending on their nature. It grew in intensity, a rhythmic vibration like distant thunder.

As the guards perhaps went to seek the source of this disturbance, they could see a shape on the horizon from the other side of the river. At first it seemed to be some manner giant seen at a great distance. But as it came into view it became more clear that this was no mammoth humanoid creature.

It was made of ancient stone and metal and where it stepped, great clouds of dust rose about it's immense, column-like feet. If it stood before the ancient walls of the greatest city in the land, it would be able to reach over the fortification with one of it's massive tree-like arms and swipe at the roofs of homes on the other side. It radiated ancient magic worn into the stone until it became one with the rocky structure itself.

It's footfalls grew in deep volume as it drew close until it came to an eerily still halt on the far side of the river. The cliff-like edifice of it's chests and limbs were covered in dark windows starting above it's jointed knees, some fifty feet above the ground. It's mighty shoulders and even it's helm-shaped head were topped with crenelations. Standing in the embrasures were figures, impossible to make out at that height.

There was movement from the two shoulders and a pair of immense molding, stained red quilts were dropped down from the ramparts to unfurl like crude banners. Words were crudely written in stitched on yellow letters to the red fabric. The left banner vertically read: 'HAVE GOLEM', the right: "WILL TRAVEL".

There were a series of discordant loud BANGS!, followed by some shrill screaming, which startled the animals further and colorful confetti exploded off the now-smoking ramparts and was carried by the wind into the river.

The immense golem was hardly 'cut-off' by a couple men riding beasts no bigger then it's foot. It did, however, have the good taste to not accidentally step on any of them.

None of the figures upon the ramparts responded to the guard's shouting, though there seemed to be a good deal of excitement. It took a solid five minutes before there was any indication that they'd heard anything. A hemp rope ladder dropped down from one of the lower crenelations and a small gaggle of figures started to descend the fifty some odd feet down to the ground.

They reached the ground about a hundred yards away from the guards, all five of them stunted creatures wrapped in rags meant to approximate the local dressed. They arranged themselves in a single file line and awkwardly waddled their way over.

Two of them were armed with sling-staffs, another two with spears and the one in the lead had an poorly maintained cutlass that seemed a bit big for him tucked in his leather belt. Each one had oversized, warty green noses poking out from under their ill fitting turbans and floppy green ears that looked like they'd been chewed on.

The goblins stopped within talking distance and the one in front, craning his head to look up at the guard, gave a weasel toothed smile. "Hot 'nough for ya, boss?" He called.

There was a fair bit of furtive glances from amongst the gathered goblins. None of them seemed terribly keen on letting a bunch of too-talls snoop about in their golem.

"Y'all gonna have to give a tick, chief." The head goblin stated.

They didn't wait for a response to shuffle off a few feet away and put their over-sized goblin heads together. They chattered animatedly at each other in their foreign goblin-tongue, breaking apart after a few minutes. One of them ran back towards the rope ladder while the rest walked back to the guards.

"Awright," Said the lead goblin, adjusting his rag-turban nervously and wringing his hands together. "Let's go get us them iden... identi... papers wut say who we is."

The goblins were not graceful rhino riders and bounced around like sacks of produce. They seemed relieved when they slipped off and their was much bum-rubbing and muttering about oversize beasts, ironic considering their own vessel, as they waddled towards the outpost on their stumpy legs.

"I never did trust a mount bigger den a hog." The head goblin confided to the squad leader.

They all paused once they were inside to look around, 'hmm'ing and 'haw'ing with approval at the building. "Gosh dis is...clean." Commented one of the four, to much agreement from his fellows. "Very pretty." Another of them stated, glancing at one of the guards and giving him an unpleasantly pointed and slightly rotten smile.

Thankfully, they were spared having to give further compliments by the arrival of water, which they thankfully took, and the question of who was going to be first. They had to have a little huddle at that which was filled with more animated goblin speak, but eventually they reached decision that the boss, being the boss, was clearly the only one brave enough to go first.

The rest drew back and he, glancing back in them only once or twice, waddled up to the desk. He cleared his throat, rocked forward onto his tiptoes and then gave the desk jockey a big grin. "Oi'm Capn' Gargrobz, chief. First o me name." There was some polite twittering from the other three goblins, who then quickly scurried over with remarkable speed that an unkind person might have described as vermin-like. There was a modicum of shoving which Gargrobz put an end to by berating them all in goblin, settling them down just in time for them to once again be thrown into a tizzy by the suggestion of food.

There was a good deal of vigorous head nodding, followed up by some cursing and picking up their rag-turbans off the floor as they'd been shaken loose by the vigorous nodding. "Ahem," stated Gargrobz, smoothing out his raggedy tunic. "We'd love some food, chief."

"Do ya 'ave fried gribblies?" Called the one in back. Gargrobz peeled his lips back to expose his teeth and spun, reaching out with his lanky arm to backhand the goblin in the temple.

"O course dey don' 'ave fried gribblies!" He snapped at his cowed fellow. He turned back around to look at the guards and adjusted his turban. "Sorry 'bout 'im. Doesn't know 'is manners..." He smiled. "We'll 'ave...um...whatever it is you folks loik ta eat."

Gargrobz rubbed his wrinkly chin thoughtfully, face crinkling with the effort of memory. "There was, um, da hill what had our burrows in it." He said slowly, the effort clearly quite taxing. "And da river... 'Nd if ya walked real fast ya could get to da forest what had good game, but ya had ta stay the night and look out for the pointy-eared gob-'eads."

"And there's the too-tall town nearby!" One of them helpfully reminded Gargrobz. The one in back who had asked for fried gribblies sniggered and muttered: "Not anymore."

Gargrobz turned and smacked both his compatriots a few times, hissing angrily. He finally stopped, his rag-turban now having come completely undone. He chattered irritably and tossed it on the floor, giving the two the stink eye.

"Yeah, um, deze two'll go wit ya." He said distractedly, rubbing his wild grey hair and scowling. "And when dey come back, dey better know dey manners or I'll have dey GUTS FER GARTERS!" He barked the last words at them and made a jerking motion across his throat with his thumb.

The two gave shrill gasps and scuttled over two the guard who was going to take them to the market, trying to make it look like they weren't cowering behind him.