<strong>The Wilds of Dra Sirdu: interspecies diplomacy and invitations</strong><br/><br/>The first attempt was met with a suspicious and obviously uncomprehending stare from the self-appointed envoy. However, on Aeryn's fourth attempt, its expression brightened in understanding, and it nodded slowly, attempting to decide what to do next. It retreated a half step, paused, and peered down at them speculatively. "Rest?" it asked, then shook its head and tried a second time. "Wait?"<br/><br/>The question proved to be largely rhetorical. It scampered back up the branch it had partially descended, disappearing into a flap of constructed greenery.<br/><br/>As the party awaited its return (or bravely sought some other manner of pursuing their missing comrade), the effects of its earlier cry quickly became apparent. Lizardfolk emerged from the canopy village like water boiling over the side of the pot: first two here and three there, then dozens and dozens. Others appeared on the branches of nearby trees, returning from some other, more distant locations. Getting an exact count would be quite difficult, indeed, between their mingling movements and the adaptive colorations of their hides. Regardless of their exact numbers, there<em>were</em>certainly a lot of them. However, none of them acted against the soft-skinned humanoids below them. Even an attack would simply provoke flight, rather than violent vengeance.<br/><br/>Eventually (perhaps a minute or two, though not much more), the slender envoy returned from the flap of camouflage, this time with the alpha's burlier form in tow. The largest of the reptilian bipeds greeted them with a broad, toothy grin and a cheerful call of, "Good morning!" As he clambered down towards them, the encircling saurians growing less distant along with him, he continued, "The sun is high and bright in the sky, the air is warm, and all things in the world are as they should be! And now I have more guests. What a pleasure. Will you join me in a meal?"<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Dun dun duuuuun</div><div class="spoiler_body">I'm pretty sure I used this header on a spoiler before, but whatever. This is, in fact, Kelcis, meaning that he's doing double duty in the present and the past. Getting a count on the lizardfolk, if anyone wants to, would be Good/+3 for a rough estimate, and higher for exact numbers.<br/><br/>Aeryn's roll is mostly successful, while there isn't much more to say about the saurian intermediary for Reliyian's empathy roll. He's suspicious and struggling with the language, not overtly hostile or hateful.</div></div>