Elion will drop the bow and tumble past the nearest kobold to a flanking position drawing a dagger as he moves then attempt a backstab.
Yusdrayl screams in frustration as her magical attacks fail to bring the determined warrior to his knees. As she prepares her next attack, Bellicus brings his sword straight down into her shoulder with a sickening splunch. Yusdrayl cries out in pain and stumbles backwards, hoping to get away and finally bring the human down with one last spell.
Bellicus boldly steps forward, towering over the little King, and raises his sword. Startled, Yusdrayl rushes the incantation and a harmless glob of force bounces off Bellicus's chest.
Cornered, gravely injured, and staring down several feet of cold steel, Yusdrayl shrieks "Meepo is King! Meepo is King! Yusdrayl surrender!" just as nearly a dozen kobolds rush into the room. They glance around, uncertain of what to do, spears wavering from one target to the next.
Raising her starknife over her head, Val shouts, "All hail King Meepo!"
Leaning in to Bellicus, she whispers, "Let's step back... you don't look so good. And don't turn your back to her."
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Pouncing atop one of the fallen kobolds, Akshara pins the creature's inert form down with both hands, then looks up wide-eyed and ears folded back at Meepo. For the barest of moments it looks like the feral tiefling is simply going to continue her rampage on their new "ally," but instead her pupils slowly widen from their thin slits and her ears perk up and forward.
"Whrr?" Akshara queries, looking over to Valeria with her head cocked to the side, then over to the others, brows furrowed and tail lashing from side to side swiftly.
Meepo strides forward and hops up on top of the throne. He surveys the room, his eyes finally settling upon Yusdrayl and the twisted crown atop her head. The kobolds lean forward with anticipation.
"Bring me my crown... and the head of Yusdrayl!" cries Meepo.
The kobolds surge forward as Yusdrayl pleads for her life, wrestling her to the ground. One of them draws a rusty sword.
Elion starts to object but stops himself and shrugs. It's his kingdom now. I guess he can run it however he wants.
Val backs away with Bellicus, her starknife still in hand.
Meepo might be a sympathetic monster... but he's still a monster. Will he be any better than Yusdrayl?
Turning to Meepo, Val addresses the new king of the kobolds. "Your Majesty, do you really want your first act as king to be an execution?"
The kobolds drag Yusdrayl over to Meepo and throw her at his feat. The one with the sword stands over her, ready to strike. When Valeria speaks, he holds up his hand to stay the guard's blade. He looks from Yusdrayl to the kobolds to the adventurers.
"Meepo's friends are brave and strong. Meepo too will be brave and strong king, not like Yusdrayl who is weak and cowardly. What they suggest? What is brave and strong thing to do?"
"Leave her be and you will always look over your shoulder. Exile her, likewise. Kingship is a heavy burden, Meepo. Have you the will to thrive?"
With the witch gone, the kobolds will find their balance soon enough, either with Meepo, or, more likely his ...successor.
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While the others address Meepo, Akshara pads over on all fours to Bellicus. The feral tiefling folds her ears back against the top of her head, sniffing at his injuries with marked interest. As she looks up, there's a curious expression in her eyes, an indiscernible emotion conveyed with an animal's eyes and a flick of her reptilian tail.
Val gives a respectful nod to Anton, and addresses the new kobold king, "Another way to look at this is that you should exile her instead of executing her. That shows that you are so strong, you don't need to kill your enemies."
Meepo thinks for a few moments, then jumps up to stand atop the altar and cries "Meepo's first act as King is..... to banish Yusdrayl to the Dark Forever Tunnel!"
The kobolds begin to yap and howl, then several of them drag Yusdrayl to an adjoining room and throw her in. Meepo calls after her, "You have one minute to run, then we chase you!" Yusdrayl glares at him for a moment, then turns her hateful gaze on the party. She hisses, then turns and begins to run off into the darkness. After only about thirty seconds, several of the kobolds bound after her.
The remaining kobolds turn to Meepo, who addresses the party. "What Meepo friends going to do now? Yusdrayl promise you reward. You get dragon and also make Meepo king. Meepo is good king, so you get reward! Can have items from altar, and also Dragon Key for great big Dragon Door!"
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Bellicus scowls as Akshara sniffs at him. "Your dog is off its leash again, Anton," Bellicus says dismissively as he looks down at the tiefling. "Please see to it."
He turns his attention to Meepo and his decision on Yusdrayl. "I hope your men find her and bring her head back to you, Meepo. Otherwise, you'll be looking over your shoulder for her return as long as you reign. As for us, we came here for an unrelated matter to your ascension to the throne. A human, much like myself, came here with some youths and a few others. We seek him. Did he go beyond the Dragon Door?"
"Dragon Door is always locked, we never go in. Yusdrayl says it is filled with many Dragon Treasures but also dangerous protector of dragons! As for humans... they went into goblin territory, we never see them after that."
"We're going to take a look through the dragon door first though, right?"
After Meepo's guards have taken away Yusdrayl and her flunkies, Val praises the Starsong, summoning Desna's grace.
And, again.
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Bellicus straightens as Valeria's song soothes the wounds the kobolds inflicted upon him. "Thank you," he replies to her quietly. "Those sneak-thieves got lucky with a few of their strikes. If Yusdrayl hadn't made her plea for mercy when she did, and their luck held..." The Chelish warrior leaves his thought unfinished, and his usual implacable demeanor seems slightly shaken.
"Elion, I am in agreement that we should open the Dragon Door before we descend. However, we're all pretty beat up from the fight against the goblins, and then the fight for succession here."
"King Meepo, may we rest for a while in the same place we did last night? Also-- Do you have any idea what happened to Teral?"
"Yes, you rest here, go when ready. As for friend Teral..." Meepo looks around, and one of the kobold guards approaches to whisper in his ear. Meepo gives his best "sage" nod, and says "he not be joining you again any time soon. He faces Trial of Dragons!"
After your rest, you make your way back towards the entrance to the citadel. Once again the large dragon-carved door stands before you, and you insert the long key into the open mouth of one of the dragons.
In the next chamber, long-undisturbed dust coats the floor and every other surface. Three alcoves line the north wall, to your right, while one stands opposite in the south wall. Each alcove contains a dusty stone pedestal holding a fist-sized crystalline globe. The three globes to the north are cracked and faded, but the globe to the south glows with a soft blue light. Faint tinkling notes spring forth from it.
A single stone door stands opposite you, in the western wall.
After Meepo shows the party to its quarters for the night, Val channels Desna's healing energies. If anyone requires more healing, she will tend to wounds traditionally.
Through the Dragon Door, Val regards the chamber and its single remaining glowing orb. Just inside the chamber, she takes a moment to scratch a stylized butterfly sigil onto the stone wall next to the door. With a grin, she muuters, "Another found-mark for me!"
Exchanging glances with the rest of the party, Val then examines the glowing orb, marveling at the notes emanating from it. She places her hand near the orb, feeling for heat, but takes care not to touch it.
She then steps back and casts a spell, her eyes glowing with a faint bluish light. She gazes intently at the glowing orb, her brow slightly furrowed.
"Well would you look at that."
Elion will leave the glowing orb to the magically inclined and check the door for traps
Val furrows her brow as she ponders the strange orb.
Still curious about the orb, Val retrieves a vial of holy water and unstoppers the vial. Holding the vial over the orb, she lets one drop of holy water fall onto it, and carefully observes the orb's rwaction.
Val turns her attention to one of the cracked globes in an alcove, reaching out gingerly, and then picking it up.