Kiril dashes off toward the corridor on the right, just past the large fireplace, with Flint right behind.
Flint remembers that this leads toward the kobold crafting rooms, the kitchen, and deeper into the hovel, but soon the little bit of light from the open door of the stairs at the main room is not enough to allow him to see where he is going. He must either stop, and make some kind of light, or charge headlong into the dark after Kiril, hoping to hear the big man well enough to not get separated from him.
The dark underground passageway has less smoke than the main room. Squinting his eyes to force them to adjust quickly to the dim light after being out in the bright light of day, Kiril relies on his half-orc blood to guide him with the dark sight he inherited, and just ahead of him, Kiril soon sees a pair of skeletal looking dwarven warriors, dressed in loose hanging chain mail shirts, carrying two handed axes. The figures appear to be wearing metal helmets that glow dull red, and just past them, at a dead end of the passageway, passed two doors on his right and one on his left, Kiril sees Lorelei Smelter, the kobold guild master, standing in front of a pack of kobold children.
Kiril runs straight at the undead, yelling at the top of his lungs.
Flint follows kiril until he is in near total darkness, before grabbing and lighting a torch from his pack.
Brunar follows Kiril including into battle against the undead, Brunar switches to his war-hammer then holds it up along with his shield ready for combat as he charges in, "ARRRGGGHHH!!! ME BROTHERS NEED TO REMAIN IN THE GROUND!"
The Skeletons seem to be closing in on the Kobold Guild Master, Lorelei, who stands between them and the small group of Kobold children she is protecting. It looks as though the monster, which are obviously of limited metal ability, are single minded in their mission and do not notice the approaching heroes.
Kiril draws his maul and swings madly at the skeletons. He'll swing at one twice, or once at each if a single blow fells one.
Taking advantage of the distraction provided by the frightened kobold children drawing the skeletons closer and closer to Lorelei, Kiril stalks up behind them and without saying a word swings left then right with his huge maul and shatters the skeletons into pieces. But, as his blows land he notices the flames burning inside the skulls is also burns beneath their chests barely visible under the tatters of pieces of armor plates and strips of chain mail. There is a flash of fire,
The flames flare for a moment as the bones fly apart, threatening to erupt into an explosion, but this time they do not.
"Brunar, get them to the surface and protect them. Flint, let's look for any other survivors," Kiril says between coughs, trying to cover his mouth with his arm."
Brunar nods his head, "Aye, I'll bring them up but watch youselves!" He looks at the survivors, "Aye, you lot follow me out! Let's move!"
As Lorelei leads the children past Kiril and Flint she stops and says to all three of the heroes,
These were the children who were in school when the attack occurred. The skeletons came from the tunnels to the east. I was in the shops to the west when I heard the alarm sound. Many of the hovel escaped out through the main hall. Benny was in charge of leading them to the east, toward Copper Cake Hovel. There may still be some who were cut off and escaped to the north, into the old part of the underground that was under the dwarven temple.
Brunar leads the kobold children to the stairs, and signals Sandy, who waits near the top of the stairs. She smiles and waves at the children to come up to her, and then signals Brunar that they will be fine and he is free to rejoin Kiril and Flint, who are now back in the main hall with Lorelei, getting instructions on where the passages out of the main hall lead.
Brunar runs at the ready to rejoin Kiril and Flint in the Main Hall. As he arrives, "Aye, the wee lads are ok, they are safe with Sandy."
Kiril thinks a moment. "Should we head north and try to find any stragglers then?"
Flint looks to Kiril, then to Lorelei.
"Where are we needed, point!" he barks, before giving a fierce grin and running down whichever tunnel she points, torch in hand. (hopefully to the north, there folks are getting cut off? I'm a bit confused where the threat is now).
Brunar looks to Lorelei.
Lorelei points to the north, down a ten foot wide passageway.
This passageway runs parallel to what used to be the main town road, which was about a hundred feet to the west, up above. Just up a short distance to the north there, there is a wide passageway on the right which leads to the basements of the old general store and what was a poultry farm, and then it continues east for miles. That is where I bet those skeletons came from. Off that way are the Dingwel Hovel and the Iron Shoe Hovel which are south, and the Coal Wardens to the north, near the base of the mountain. Now the coal wardens have been at war with the Ear Ring Goblins for a few years, so that’s a dangerous road to take, while the Dingwels and the iron Shoes are off the main road to the south and we don’t hear that they have any troubles. Further to the north along this main passage you’ll pass what was the basement of the old school building, and that was where we had our kobold school and nursery, past that on the right, is the tunnel that leads to most of the kobold family residences and shops, which were mostly empty when the attack occurred, then further north, on the left, is the cellar of the old town office, and there are still cells there, though we haven’t had to use them for a long time. Going further north you will come to a wide four way intersection, the road to the west is short and ends at the basement of the old mining offices, and the stables, and it ends there, to the east the road goes two miles to the Red Rock Hovel. And most important to the north the passageway leads to the crypt beneath the old dwarven temple.
Lorelei seems to shrink a little, her shoulders drawing in and dropping and her eyes open wide as she goes on
We’d like to close up the passage to the temple crypt, but we have a treaty with the other kobolds in the area that says we won’t unless there is a vote and everyone is in agreement. The Red Stone Kobolds always vote to keep it open. Our tunnels enter the crypts on the sub level right below the old foundation of the temple, but the dwarves dug deeper there. There are two level below our hovel level, below the crypt, and both are open to passages that we’ve never mapped. There are bad monsters, evil spirits, and dangerous traps below the crypt. I’m afraid Agnes, our chief nanny might have led the other kobolds and their families into those levels in the hope of escaping the skeletons. I don’t know how many might have gone that way for sure, but I know I say Agnes leading at least fifteen kobolds north when I grab those kids and ran this way.
Kiril listens, nods. "Sounds like we're headed below the crypt then to look for survivors."
Kiril squints against the smoke and haze, and with the light of Flint's torch, nods to the others, turns and hustle to the north down the ten foot wide passageway.
Flint and Brunar follow close behind.
They soon pass the junction on the left, without stopping, and continue straight. The door to the nursery suddenly appears in a niche on the left, followed by a passage on the right, right after that. A heavy iron door passes on the left, and this must lead to the jail that Lorelei mentioned.
Further on the party comes to a four way intersection, and here they pause, knowing that Lorelei said that just to the north of here they would come to the crypt below the old ruins of a dwaven temple.
Flint eyes his torch, gauges he has a good long amount of time left before he needs to light another, while Kiril and Brunar tighten their grips on the weapons in their hands, and then they are off again.
In just a few moments the ten foot wide, brick lines passage of the kobold hovel ends, and the party reaches a five foot wide tunnel.
Here it looks like the kobolds have worked to fill in the passageway with lose rocks and soil, shoring it back with planks of wood cut roughly (you are once again reminded that the kobolds don't put much pride in their wood work.
Just ahead the passage opens slightly, branching off to the left, and a strong, double wooden, iron banded door can be seen on the right.
"Hello!? Any kobolds alive down here?" Kiril shouts, and tries to open the iron banded door.
Brunar holds his shield and weapon eye level, ready for an attack or an assault.
Flint follows, torch in one hand, belaying pin in the other like a club.
"Try calling out in their native tongue." Flint adds, unhelpfully. [b]"Ssssss!!!"/[b] he hisses loudly into the area ahead, trying to calm the friendly beasts.
Brunar replies with a quiet voice, "I wonder if that is the mating call for Kobolds? Come'th here Kobold honey, Flint wants to make luv to thee!" Brunar laughs quietly a little.
"Bastard!" Kiril shouts as he charges it with his maul.
Again Kiril’s mighty blow destroys the skeleton where it stands sending embers flying out all around, but as his blow strikes there is a moment when it seems like the fire might burst out of control due to the destruction of the physical form of the undead creature
As Kiril’s weapon smashes through the body of the dwarf skeleton the flame within it erupts in a mighty explosion filling the room with heat and flaming debris
"Hey!" Flint shouts, dropping his torch and drawing his rapier with his now free hand. He wouldn't need the torch, his enemy was already on fire and Flint could see it just fine.
Then, it exploded!
Brunar was about to move but the skeleton exploded before he could get there. As the skeleton explodes, Brunar eyes double in size and raises his shield hoping most of the blast will the shield.
The shield was raised just in time to deflect the blast, however the any remaining hair on Brunar head is singed off and his smoking a little.
"AYE! What the hell was that?! The vampyres makin' trapped skinny's now?"
Brunar switches to his warhammer.
"Dunno, these glowing-eyed ones seem to. Not sure how we should handle that."
He looks down blankly at the dead kobold child, still stunned that that just happened.
Seeing that Kiril barely receiving a scratch from the explosion and stunned at the sight. Brunar tries to snap him out of it ...
"Aye, let's move Kiril to see if we can save thee next little wee wun?! We will say sum words for thee child later!"
"Yeah...right yeah, gotta be more down here," he spits at the scattered skeleton remains. "F&!%ing undead."
He goes over and tries to shove open the other door in the room.
Brunar stands behind Kiril as he shoves open the door but stands a little further back than normal who is still nervous about xplodin' skinnies.
"Can you help the kid?"" Flint asks Brunar.
"I saw skinny strike the child down and then the explosion but yes, we shouldn't assume."
Although doubtful, Brunar checks the child for life if there is anything left of it.
The bright red flash of the explosion dazzles everyone’s eyes for a moment, leaving the heroes standing still, cautious to take another step until their vision is free of flickering lights.
When Kiril can see again he notices a large wooden door, nearly eight feet wide on the north wall stands slightly ajar. Just as Brunar kneels to check on the young kobold boy there is a high pitched shriek from beyond the partially opened door.
*AIEEEE*
Dashing to the door and pulling it open, the heroes see a narrow dirt tunnel, its walls shored up with decaying wood planks stretching straight ahead, and a small alcove on the left.
Coming toward them is a young Kobold girl, probably no more than ten years old. Her arms are stretched out straight in front of her and her eyes are open wide. She is moving fast but not running, and looking right at the three of you she screams
“It’s going to get me!”
At that moment another dwarven skeleton appears at what appears to be a tee intersection further to north, coming from behind the girl and to the right.
"Aye, unfortunately, there ain't nothin' we can do for the young lad but he has a key."
Brunar respectfully takes the key from the child and gives him a quick blessing.
"May Yerina or your deity receive you with open arms. We will be back to give you a proper burial."
Brunar quickly pockets the key and moves to meet the new threat. He also tries to give room for Kiril to move up too if he wants.
Brunar is barely able to get past the Maggie with all that crap he is wearing. After he passes the little girl, he readies himself.
Kiril catches the kobold girl and picks her up, taking her away from the skeleton and somewhere with cover/safe-distance from any explosion.
Flint charges through, brandishing his club.
Kiril takes a knee and with is arms open wide he gathers up the scared little kobold girl. He practically throws his body backward from his crouching position and barrels down the hall, through the door, and then sets the girl down safely in the corner.
Meanwhile Brunar and Flint race forward, nearly colliding in the hall with the big man as he is rescuing the girl, only to come face to face with another armored, burning skeleton.
Comming upon the seemingly mindless undead so fast as to catch it unprepared, the heroes have the initiative.
Brunar reaches the skeleton and swings his warhammer with fury, "HAAAYAH!!!"
And fury it is, with a loud sounding sickening crack, Brunar smacks the skeleton in the skull like he is playing cricket with a warhammer.
The fragile bones of the enchanted skeleton are shattered by Brunar's blow.
This time there is no explosion of fire.
Brunar lowers his shield after expecting an explosion, "Alright, where to next?" Then he listens for yells and screams to also answer his question.
Kiril sets the girl down, big hands on her shoulders. "You okay?"
Relieved that there is not another fiery explosion, Brunar asks, 'where to next?”
And he listens carefully.
As Kiril tries to set the Kobold child down, the small female shrieks.
Her eyes wide in fear, she tries to cling to the big man, but his strength is well beyond hers.
With slow movements the big man detaches himself from the girl, and speaks calmly to her, trying to reassure her that everything will be alright.
The girl sniffles a few times, but relents, and then speaks quickly in a hushed broken voice, They chased used into the crypt. Some of us ran out in between the coffins, while lady Onna ran to the door to the lower levels and locked it and gave the key to Torry who ran off with it. I followed him as fast as I could but got cut off by that skeleton. I managed to get around him, and then…
At that moment the girl sees the body of the kobold boy on the floor, and screams, throwing herself at Kiril once more.
Kiril sighs, mentally kicking himself for not shielding her from seeing the dead boy. He returns to the others, carrying the kobold girl. "Think you can help us find them quickly?" He picks her up higher and sets her on his shoulders, and hands her a bit of broken stone off the floor. "You see a bad guy, chuck that at their head, eh?"
He'll put away his maul and bring out a handaxe. "You two go first, I'm going to try and keep her out of exploding-skeleton range. Alright lass, which way?"
Brunar nods, "Aye, I heard something from the right! Flint, are ya followin'?"
Flint stares off into the collapsing form of bones that used to be a skeleton, his eyes fixed in place for what felt like to him as a solid month. It isn't until Brunar spoke that he managed to shake himself out of it, and grinned.
"Ya, of course I am! You don't think I'm a quitter, do ya?!" he boasts, rushing forward with the dwarf, still clutching his club.
"'Course not, just makin' sure I ain't rushin' ahead alone!" Brunar states as he walks briskly to where he heard the foot steps to the right.
Brunar quickly rounds the corner ahead of him, to the right, with Flint hot on his heels, and just as the Halfling turns the corner, Kiril catches up to them both, carrying a small Kobold girl on his shoulders.
There’s no time for explanations, as the ten foot wide passageway ahead of them is short, ending just twenty feet away at a partially open door.
The sound of running feet, and the occasional cry, like that of a young child caught by surprise, can be heard straight ahead and Brunar presses forward with haste.
Through the open door the dwarf and his friends find a thirty foot by thirty foot room, with walls reinforced with stout brick work. Straight across from the door they came in, and slightly to the right there is an alcove, and you can just make out the first of a flight of steps going up in the shadows of the niche. To the left there is another door, in the middle of the wall, and from beyond this door, shouts, and running can be clearly heard, so, without a thought to the stairs, Brunar, Flint, and Kiril head that way.
Charging through the open door brings the heroes into a large chamber, what was once the crypt below a dwarven church on the north end of the Black Village. The heroes are at the northern most end of the crypt, and looking south they see a half dozen kobold children running to and fro among the sarcophagi. On the floor, twenty feet to the southwest of their position, a mature kobold woman lies on the ground, while a teen age kobold boy struggles to raise her unconscious form from the ground.
In and among the sarcophagi, chasing the kobold children are eight, or maybe nine dwarven skeletons. The skeletons seem disorganized, chasing one kobold for a few steps and then becoming distracted by a pair of koblods crossing the path, and then turning and charging after another. It is unclear what the skeletons are searching for, but for the brief moment you watch, they do not seem to get within melee range of any of the children.
Onna! the Kobold girl on Kiril’s shoulders cries, and then she hurls the rock in her hand at a skeleton thirty feet away.
Flint runs into the chamber, and then at the scene dumbfounded. "Eh, foamy seas! What's going on here?"
The skeletons weren't behaving like a threat, surely they would attack the kids if they wanted to, it was by their own choice to change direction that they hadn't. It was more like they were interested in something else, something Flint couldn't see.
Yet, there was a dead or dying Kobold woman on the ground. Someone had to have done that to her.
"Hey kids, who hurt her!" Flint says, pointing to the body to try and gain the idea of a clear target.