Arien realizes that there's a pit trap blocking the tunnel, but the alcove to the south is a safe way around it. Unfortunately, the alcove is strewn with small limestone boulders and debris, and the elf dislodges some of the debris as she avoids the trap.
Arien is able to show the others how to bypass the trap.
As she continues, Fynn begins whining quietly. For a moment Arien is puzzled, and then the smell hits her. Something in the cave ahead reeks of excrement and rotted food. She slides in quietly. Sure enough, there's a mound of what appears to be rotten vegetables, fruit, and feces heaped in the middle of the cave, with a bulging leather sack resting atop it. There is also a single kobold in the room, though the elf would be hard-pressed to see it as a threat. Its arms, legs, and snout are tightly bound with rope, and its body is lashed to iron spikes driven into the cave wall. It appears to be aware that something is happening, but it's unable to look around very well.
The two passages bend in ten or fifteen feet, curving out of sight.
The captive kobold spots Arien going by and begins to wiggle around, apparently trying to draw the elf's attention while making as little noise as possible.
Huc waits anxiously.
Fynn, however, skulks along next to Arien, a low, threatening growl rumbling from his throat as he watches the little creature wiggle in its bonds.
The stench from the pile of offal (and the smears of it clinging to the bound kobold) swamp any other scents in the immediate area.
Huc considers the room, "So, we have what looks like a refuse pile and one of their own bound in plain view." He looks at everyone else (the smarter folks), "That looks a whole lot like either a trap ... or an offering." He looks into the room, trying to see if there are any holes or side caves that looks less-used, "The question is, if it's an offering, is it for us or something else?"
"Does not look like any religious act I have seen before, but then again, I am not familiar with Kobold religions. So your guess is as good as mine." Rowane pulls out a random piece of cloth and covers his nose and mouth, hopefully trying to filter out the filth.
Huc sees nothing but kobold tracks, plus Arien's.
The bound kobold is still apparently trying to get your attention, and occasionally rolling its eyes.
Master Temperance draws his sword and cuts the rope around the kobold's snout. "quietly tell us what's going on," he says. "Rowane, your translation services may be in order."
The kobold murmurs quietly in Common, "Hey! You look like you're trying to clear us out of here! Tell you what--I've suffered enough at Chief Roaghaz' stupid whims. I'll help you!"
Huc shrugs, "I say we take it at its word." He steps over and tests the little kobold's restraints, "But we keep him bound, so we can cut his throat if he tries to betray us."
He looks down at the kobold, a darkness in his features, "Show us yer worth keepin' alive. Why are you roped up here?" He hikes a thumb at the refuse pile, "And what is that for?"
She looks pained. "That was the chief's bright idea. He and I don't really see eye to eye on things, right? So after I told him one too many times that he was being an idiot, he had his bullybrood tie me up and leave me here to throw sh1te at. Enough of the band was listening to me that he had to humiliate me 'fore he killed me. Even though none of those spineless cowards would stand up for me when push came to shove."
Huc considers, then points at the bulging sack atop the pile, "What's in that?"
"My gear. Chief thought it'd be funny to put it all there, so I could see it."
Huc spends a moment searching the kobold for weapons (or other useful items).
Then, the woodsman pulls out his grappling hook and spends whatever time is necessary to lob it up, hook the pack,and drag it off the refuse pile.
With the bag in-hand, Huc then goes through it, speaking to the kobold as he does.
"Here's the deal. We didn't actually come in here to kill all of you. We just came to convince you to leave. If you're defecting from your people, I reckon we can make a deal. You help us navigate this place, and help us avoid stepping in any traps, and you can choose what you do once your chief has ... seen the error of his ways." He steps closer, menacing the little creature, "But if you do anything to give away our position or to help your old friends ... it will be the last thing you do."
"Deal?"
"I like the way you think, pi--human. If you help me deal with the chief, I'll take over the Blood Vow tribe and lead them away from here, where they won't trouble your people again."
The sack is easy to retrieve. It contains a well-made spear and a suit of leather armor of similar quality, three potion bottles, a few silver pieces, a topaz, and two wands.
"Thanks for the rescue! I'm Nighttail. Just one more favor, if you don't mind: I do have one friend that I'd like to collect, and I think she's being held in a chamber with a shortcut to the lower levels."
"Nighttail is telling the truth. Was something going to come here and eat you? I am called Temperance," says the gnome. "I was not raised to hate kobolds."
"Down the branch to the west, there. And I was figuring that since he's not going to be willing to step down peacefully, we'd have to kill him."
There are no traps...at least, none that Arien detects. Shortly before the tunnel opens up into a larger chamber, the party comes to a pair of stout wooden gates that block the passage. They're not locked, though, so it takes only a few seconds to open them. Nighttail holds up one clawed hand. "Let me go first, all right? Hak can get a little nervous around strangers, but I'll be able to talk her down." She pads into the room and makes a clicking sound with her teeth. "Hak?"
In response, a creature comes bounding out of the further reaches of the high-ceilinged room towards her, crunching through scattered bones on the floor. In the light, the party can see that Hak is a small allosaur. Nighttail chatters at it a bit in Draconic as it rests its head on her shoulder, then she scratches its head between its eyes.
Huc looks at the kobold-reunion, looks at his friends, then shrugs. "Well, there ya go." Then he pats Arien on the back, "Ready?"
"By the way, Nighttail...do you know anything about a dragon?" Master Temperance eyes the dinosaur with doleful eyes. "That is not a young dragon, is it?"
"Ah, there was one, sometimes talked to the chief. I haven't seen it around for a few months, though." She pats the dinosaur on the flank. "Hak's no dragon."
The kobold climbs up onto the allosaur's back. "Down this way." She directs you down the narrow passage to the east, which curves north and ends in a cave with a thick layer of straw covering the floor. "Hm. That's new. They didn't have straw in here the last time I came through."
Huc holds up a hand as he moves up to Arien. "Let's go check this out," he says as he gives Fynn the command to follow.
Arien notices a tripwire cunningly concealed under the straw . It triggers a trio of dart-throwers.
"Good eye," mutters Huc as the team's scout taps lightly on the wire. He steps back, giving her room to see if it's disarmable.
The elf deftly deactivates the dire device, opening the way for safe descent into the rest of the kobold lair.
The party descends the rope, with Arien leading. Everyone can manage the climb , though some will have to take their time.
The rope terminates in an ovoid cavern. Two shallow, murky pools sit in the north and south ends of it. The pools show signs of movement, as though numerous small creatures were swimming around in them. Piles of wilting vegetation sit next to each pool. As Arien climbs down, she sees a single kobold sitting near the southern pool. Making the climb stealthily is, unfortunately, rather difficult, and the kobold apparently notices the rope moving. It jumps up, shouting in Draconic, and flees down the passage to the east.
Huc’s boots hit the cavern floor with a hollow, echo-y thud, and he draws his axe out as quickly as possible. ”Hmm,” he grunts when Arien mentions the runaway kobold, ”Surprise is gone, again. Figures.”
He helps the team get safely on the floor, then gives the room a circuit, helping Arien check for any traps or ambushes before they head deeper.
Then he swaps his axe out for shield and morningstar. "Might as well be ready for the ambushes to come."
"Those pools must have something they are feeding." Temperance draws a shuriken.
"Nighttail, did you recognize that fellow? Will he bring reinforcements, or just set traps?"
"He called out to ready the snappers. That means the snapping turtles in the pools in the next cave, and I think the idea is that they're going to try to shove us into the pool."
"We'll see about that," grunts Huc. He raises his shield, "At this point, do we even reckon we could flip the ambush on'em if Arien takes a looksie first? Or should we just march in shields up?"
"how can kobolds shove anything? Either with fire or something repellent or a giant swinging rock..."
Temperance ponders. "A look might not hurt."
The ever-reckless Huc shrugs, "Works for me. We'll be ready to come runnin' if somethin' goes sideways."
Arien creeps forward. The passage turns south after a bit, and peering around the corner the elf can see that it widens out after fifteen or twenty feet. There's a pool of water around five feet in from where the passage widens. No creatures are visible, but every now and then Arien can see the flash of a weapon being waved across the opening--some sort of polearm, she figures, whose holders are just out of sight to one side of the opening or the other.
"Move in heavy and bust their heads?" he shrugs, "Other than that, I got nothin'."
"Ranged weapons, although they will have cover. ....could we smoke them out by burning that straw?"