D&D Gamer

"I'm afraid I'm not much of a liar either." Ullo replies "I couldn't talk myself past the orc bitch, and I wasn't even lying. You think you could stay still in the bag long enough"

"Yeah, I guess just don't try to look too shifty? To be fair, they're probably not on the lookout for someone smuggling a kobold in a sack. C'mon, let's have a quick look around for something to put in there with me."

Investigation check pls.

You mean search?

Ullo:
Maggot:

Been watching too many people play 5e. XD
Yes, search.

It doesn't take long to find a sack and then some poorly secured crates that are easily pried open with Ullo's sword. Inside are many onions. Maggot shrugs.
"Well, if we're doing this, now's the time."
He'll climb in the sack and wait for Ullo to load it up with onions.

Ullo loads the onions on top of Maggot - maybe he'd smell better now - then closes the sack and slings it over his shoulder and moves for the stairs.

Ullo hoists the Maggoty onions onto his back and slips back up the staircase to the bridge proper and casually saunters towards the northern area of Pale Bridge. Before long, he is approaching the gate on the northern side. Here the guard is a little more present. One smartly uniformed guard mans the gate itself, flanked from above by bowmen watching out over the wall. Ullo fishes his chitty out of his pocket.

Roll me Bluff as you make your exit. I have some hidden modifiers based on everything that's happened so far but I have one additional question. Does Ullo approach with his hood up or down?

I'm going to say hood down. Typically he'd be hood up in the city - any city - but in this case he'd feel that being as plain as possible is the best way to try to get through the gate. Hopefully the fact that a lizard folk was involved in the fracas down at the docks didn't make it up this far (he would have been hood up at that time). Not that it matters, between the way the dice roller has been treating me and his -1 bluff modifier.

Bluff:

"Hold as still as you can." Ullo says to Maggot through the telepathic link.

Hood down, bold as brass, hoping the old sayings about simply acting like you belong will actually work, Ullo approaches the gate. As the guard steps forward, Ullo hands over the chitty.
The guard looks like he's had a long night, alert but wearied. He holds up the chitty, flips it over, seems satisfied and somewhat surprised that it's legit. It's almost like he was expecting to have to object. He glances at Ullo, glances at the chitty and shrugs.
He pulls a handful of papers from a satchel at this belt and flips through a couple, eventually pulling out one that seems to be a pencil drawing of a lizardfolk. He compares the image to Ullo, then shakes his head and tucks the image back in his pouch.
He waves you on as he opens the gate and Ullo steps through, undisturbed, into freedom.

There is of course, one more thing Ullo needs to worry about and that is making it home on time. I'll take a survival check to see if he can make his deadline.

ooc - Yeah - I was gonna ask what the time was. If I recall correctly, you noted that the cave location was about an hour from the north gate, but I'd have to go back and read through it to be sure.
IC:
Once out of sight of the city gate, Ullo casts Longstrider to help pick up the pace. He asks Maggot "You want to stay in there so I can carry you, or do you want me to let you out? "

Survival:

The survival roll wasn't great, but Longstrider will make a big enough difference.

Ullo is less certain of the correct path back to the cave from this side but he is able to cover a lot more ground with his Longstrider spell active, carrying Maggot still to maximise their travel efficiency. Still, they are cutting it pretty fine as they eventually manage to discover the cave. The portal key activates, teleporting the pair back to Karrthragoth's lair where Speaker Skekkle awaits.
He raises an eyeridge at seeing only the two of you but holds up a hand to negate any offered explanation. Maggot at this point, is no longer in the sack of onions. I leave it up to you whether you brought the onions or abandoned them in the cave.

"Lord Karrthragoth is expecting you." says Skekkle. "Come."
He doesn't wait for a response, simply leads you through the subterranean tunnels until you emerge into Karrthragoth's room where the great black dragon sits atop his hoard.
As Skekkle ushers you forth, the big head comes down to peer at you. The unblinking draconic eye looks at Maggot and then over to Ullo. The throaty rumble of Karrthragoth's voice spills forth.
"Ah, the sands of time did drift dangerously low for your mission, almost reaching equilibrium with my expectations and yet here you are. Returned within the appointed time and positively reeking... of success?"
Speaker Skekkle clears his throat, indicating that perhaps, Ullo should make his report.

"There were a couple of issues, my Lord." Ullo says (in draconic), pulling off his backpack. "The first of which is the most distressing. It seems Mr. Keffler had already sold 5 of the arrows before leaving Baldur's Gate, so was only in possession of 15." He pulls the 15 arrows from his pack and offers them up. He waits to see if he's going to get to finish his list or if the great dragon was going to consume him on the spot. If permitted to continue, he says "The second was the rest of the party abandoned Maggot and I upon arriving at Pale Bridge, leaving the two of us to accomplish the task without them."

He would have released Maggot from the bag at the cave.

"Fifteen?!"
The fetid air expelled from Karr's mouth at this exclamation hits you. If you had hair, it would be singed. Luckily for you, you have scales.
He pulls back his head, his front right claw grips something in his hoard and pulls forth a sceptre which he smashes into an unfortunate dangly ceiling kobold, punting the hapless creature across the cave.
He collects himself, regains control of his temper as he lets the sceptre fall back into the hoard.
"Fifteen." he continues, more conversationally. "And it would of course be too much to presume that you verified the veracity of this claim, yes? No, don't answer that, Ullo." he sighs, "I can see from the way your accomplice's knees are trembling that you did not. No matter. It was likely true."
He reaches a claw to his head and knuckles his temple.
"Fifteen will still be more than sufficient for my needs. And the five that remain in Baldur's Gate will be some other dragon's problem."
He lowers the claw, drumming his individual claws along the coins in his hoard as he contemplates.
"And you so coldly betrayed your allies in return the moment they proved useless. Proof that even diluted as it is, the blood of dragons still runs through your veins."
He pauses, addresses Skekkle for a moment.
"Bashnag and the others are likely dead by now but I'd be interested in the minutiae. Find out if Zarastaryx managed to capture any of them alive. If so, that would raise some intriguing possibilities. And get someone in Baldur's Gate to find out what happened to those other damned arrows."
He thumps his claw back into the gold pile for emphasis. The head comes back down to fill your vision.
"And what to do with you two... Somehow you both failed and succeeded in your mission simultaneously. And you did so expertly weed yourselves out from the chaff. Yes, you have proven yourselves resourceful and capable. And what does that make them, Skekkle?"
"Valuable, Sir?"
"Yessss... valuable."
He indulges himself in an evil laugh which booms and echoes around the cave. Dangly kobolds tremble in fear. Skekkle laughs nervously.
"I just thought of a task that would suit the two of you perfectly."
He grins... evilly.
The claw emerges from the hoard, holding a fistful of thick golden coins and rubies.
"Get yourselves cleaned up and rested."
He dumps the pile at your feet.
"Consider this an investment. You'll be needing better equipment for what I have planned. Acquire it. You'll be hearing from me in a fortnight. Be ready..."
The implication that being unready would be unwise sits in the air. A moment passes, Karrthragoth points a single claw encouragingly at the exit...

Epilogue...

To see what exactly occurred to the other group, we have to rewind time, to Maggot and Ullo discovering their crate of onions and move the camera south, to overlook the exterior of Pale Bridge. Bashnag, Gnutmyx and Kwelzucht, hanging around on the edge of town. What could possibly have been going through their minds? In Bashnag's case, very little. With no direct orders he simply waited. Gnutmyx's insanity led to a brief attempt to climb the palisade before giving in to his madness and waiting for someone else to solve his problems. And the sorcerer, for all his reputation proved no more worthwhile than those comrades as he decided to let Ullo and Maggot do the hard work, that he might share in the reward later. And so it was that they were caught by surprise at the sound of a voice, hailing them, not the voice of Ullo calling them from Pale Bridge but a different lizardfolk, calling them from the south.
"Evening, shitbags. Where's the feckin arrers?"
The trio turn to see the agents of their demise. Another group of draconic minions, dispatched by the green dragon Zarastaryx. Their leader, the lizardfolk 'Yello', so named for his sickly yellow scales. A kobold sorcerer, by the name of Zielsangst, lightning crackling around his clawtips. Behind them, the imposing figure of Smashbag, the bugbear warrior. Hidden in his shadow, the stealthy kobold rogue, Worm. And gibbering along behind them all, the insane, dribbling cleric, Traylmyx.
Bashnag at least, grins. A fight, at last. Just what he wanted.
"Gettem boys!"

"Thank you my lord." Ullo replies, bending down to scoop the coins and jewels into his backpack. "You are, as always, most generous." Once the gathering is complete, he bows and takes his leave, dragging Maggot with him.

Once out of the dragon's presence, they find a place to split the money.